History

History of the Dresden Music Festival

Although the Dresden Music Festival has its historic precursors in the »Muses' Games« and »Zwinger Parties« of the Saxon Electors, they owe their current existence to a government decree issued in the midst of the Cold War. From Berlin, capital of the GDR, the SED's Central Committee and Ministers' Council decreed: »Beginning in 1978, Dresden will have an annual music festival of international renown, the Dresden Music Festival!« Indeed, this decree »from above« was implemented, and despite a lack of foreign currency, the Festival more than lived up to the demands. World stars such as Marilyn Horne, René Kollo, Barbara Hendricks, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau came, to perform in the musical city of Dresden or to have the chance to appear with the »Kapelle«. During the years of the iron curtain, the visits from great orchestras were almost legendary: Herbert von Karajan and the Berlin Philharmonic, Claudio Abbado and La Scala Milan, Zubin Mehta and the New York Philharmonic Orchestra.

From 1990 onwards, the goal was to anchor the Festival in a more open Europe as it was growing together. The fact that this goal was attained is witnessed by the many music lovers from Germany and abroad who travel to Dresden in May/June every year. In any case – to the local hotel owners’ delight – Dresden hotels are almost always booked out during the Festival period. During the 30 years of the Festival’s existence the tradition of grand operas, ballets and fireworks which goes back to the Saxon court was continued. Besides oft this, opera and chamber music concerts, Old Music, New Music, world music and jazz were offered – and dance!

Traditionally, a prominent place has been given to musical rediscoveries, such as the 2001 performance of the German-language version of Johann Gottlieb Naumann’s opera Cora or the scenic production of the oratorio The Death of Abel by Franz Seydelmann.

The Dresden Music Festival has presented more than 100 world premieres, including the opera Der zerbrochene Krug (The Broken Jug) by Viktor Ullmann, a Jewish composer murdered in Theresienstadt, the opera Farinelli by Siegfried Matthus or Marsyas by Steffen Schleiermacher, based on texts by Franz Fühmann.

In addition to the event Dresden singt & musiziert (Dresden in song & music), which has become one of the Festival's fixtures and attracts hundreds of singers and thousands of listeners to the Brühl Terrace every year, since 2004 another event has become an annual tradition - the festive award ceremony for the Glashütte Original MusicFestivalPrize to an artistic personality of the very highest rank.

The yearly motto has also been a fixture from the very beginning of the Festival; however, the Festival's Intendant Jan Vogler states that the motto will emphasize its international aspect. Accordingly, the motto of the 33rd Dresden Music Festival points the way ahead: »Russlandia«.