SALZBURG -- The world-famous Salzburg Festival will open next Friday with a new director but a program differing little from those of previous years.

After ten years under Gerard Mortier, it will be the first season for Director Peter Ruzicka, who will also give the traditional opening address.

Scheduled are nine operas, nine theater productions and a host of orchestral concerts, book presentations and other events being held at famed sites such as the Felsenreitschule, Domplatz and Grand Festival House between July 27 and August 31.

There will be two Mozart operas, "Don Giovanni" and "The Magic Flute", plus "Die Liebe Der Danae" by Richard Strauss and "King Kandaules" by Alexander Zemlinsky. Italian opera will be represented by "Turandot" by Giacomo Puccini and "La Donna Del Lago" by Gioacchino Rossini.

"Tomeo et Juliette" by Charles Gounod, "Das Maedchen Mit Dem Schwefelhoelzern" By Helmut Lachenmann, and a Wagner gala will complete the opera schedule.

The theater program is fairly experimental, with plays by three living authors, Peter Turrini, Neil Labute and Joachim Schloemer, and two premieres.

Organizers said six operas were already sold out, and tickets were left only for the more expensive categories for the other three.

Tickets were still available for most of the instrumental concerts, and some of the evenings of song.