SHORT TAKES : War Clouds Mozart Bicentennial

VIENNA —  The Persian Gulf War is casting a long shadow over the bicentennial of the death of Austria’s famous son, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

“The Gulf War has taken its toll, and visitors from abroad have canceled visits on quite a large scale,” said Prof. Peter Weiser, coordinator of the yearlong Mozart festivities.

Rows of empty seats signaled an early setback when Mozart’s rarely performed opera “Lucia Scilla” was staged at Vienna’s prestigious opera house. Tickets there are usually hard to come by.

Weiser said demand for tickets have also been slow at a Mozart week in Salzburg, where the composer was born Jan. 27, 1756. “We thought it would be sold out within hours,” he said.

“The explanation is quite easy. Austria is not a good place to reach by car in winter, and people are just scared to take planes at the moment.”

“We hope and pray that this summer’s Salzburg Festival, where for the first time all Mozart operas are scheduled to be performed, will not be jeopardized,” Weiser said.