Pillow Talk with Luigi Caputo – «Phantom of the Opera»
The festival hubbub has subsided, and peace and quiet has returned to Salzburg. That said, the next festival is sure to come. We met backstage with Luigi Caputo – the Rome-born photographer whose camera captures opera stars, conductors and artistic directors – to talk to him about his latest book, the right moment to click the shutter, and his favourite hangouts in Salzburg.
Pillow & Pepper: Luigi, you're a two-time winner of the “Salzburger Landespreis” award in the “Photography” category. What do you watch out for when hunting for the right subject? What do you consider a perfect picture?
Luigi Caputo: I shoot everything that moves me. I can sense the right moment for releasing the shutter. When it comes, I just “click” and that’s it. I love taking black-and-white pictures, and ideally I would limit myself to just black. (laughs)
Pillow & Pepper: You were originally trained in graphic design before enrolling for a degree in architecture in Rome. When did you decide to become a photographer?
Luigi Caputo: In 1982, I travelled to Poland, and that is where I shot my first pictures. In 1989, I went to Berlin and worked as press photographer, including during the war in former Yugoslavia, among other places. I did not receive any additional training as a photographer. I started taking an interest in photography at a very young age. Even as a small boy, I leafed through magazines at the news agent’s and studied them long and hard without ever buying one.
Pillow & Pepper: You have collaborated with the Salzburg Festival for many years. How did the collaboration start?
Luigi Caputo: I came to Salzburg in 1994. The credit for setting up this wonderful collaboration goes to Ulla Kalchmair, PR Manager of the Salzburg Festival.
Pillow & Pepper: Your latest book, «Salzburger Festspiele» about the Salzburg Festival, just came out. It is a visual narrative full of touching moments of bliss and unembellished intimacy. What can you tell us about the genesis of this project?
Luigi Caputo: Over the past 25 years, when working for the Salzburg Festival, I’ve been witness to so many things, and quite a number of my pictures were actually shot backstage. I spent the past three years gathering them all into a compilation. Out of around 800 photos, I eventually selected 150 images for this book.
Pillow & Pepper: Your job regularly brings you to Salzburg. What do you like about the city?
Luigi Caputo: Salzburg is like a piece of candy – small and lovingly crafted. With its many baroque edifices, it is a miniature Rome north of the Alps.
Pillow & Pepper: Do you have a favourite spot in Salzburg?
Luigi Caputo: St. Sebastian Cemetery on Linzer Gasse was created in the style of an Italian campo santo. It is a marvellous place for taking a break from the bustling city.
Pillow & Pepper: And what are your favourite hangouts in Salzburg?
Luigi Caputo: A patisserie that I really love is Konditorei Schatz – it offers an assortment of cakes and strudels that will make your mouth water. A good place to meet me for an aperitif is the roof terrace of the Hotel Stein.
Pillow & Pepper: Which of the Salzburg hotels would you suggest to your friends?
Luigi Caputo: The Hotel Goldgasse. I consider it the epitome of a cosy boutique hotel. It is a gem hiding behind the façade of a historic 14th-century building and named after the street it overlooks. Its rooms bear the names of famous operas, and their walls are decorated with my pictures. Which is unsurprising insofar as the Salzburg Festival has become as much a part of Mozart’s hometown as Mirabell Palace.
Pillow & Pepper: Each of the sixteen rooms on Goldgasse is dedicated to a certain performance. Large-scale scenes from “Jedermann”, “Giulio Cesare” or “Peer Gynt” grace the walls. Who selected the images for the rooms?
Luigi Caputo: The hotel’s owner and I sat down together to pick the most suitable scenes and images for each room.
Visit pillowandpepper.com to find out what the best rooms are at the Hotel Goldgasse, Luigi Caputo’s favourite place to stay in Salzburg, or to check out any of the other 300 unique hotels and restaurants here or elsewhere in Europe that we personally tested for you.
Arriving, enjoying yourself, and hitting the road again – what could be more fun? Along these lines, please have a good time!