Admin I Thursday, March 06, 2024
PRAGUE – The renowned Dresden Music Festival’s Richard Wagner project is set to go abroad, with a series of performances of the German composer’s “The Valkyrie” scheduled to be held in Prague on Saturday.
“I am looking forward to the ‘Valkyrie’ premiere in Prague with great anticipation,” Festival Director Jan Vogler told dpa in Dresden on Wednesday.
“The Valkyrie” is one of the German composer’s four epic music dramas that make up the famous “Ring of the Nibelung” cycle which, when performed whole, lasts some 15 hours.
Musicians from the Dresden project plan to perform “The Valkyrie” in Prague on period instruments.
“New soundscapes and modern perspectives are coming from the heart of Wagner’s long-time centre of activity, Dresden, and sending exciting musical messages out into the world,” festival director Vogler said about the performances abroad.
Further stops on the tour include Amsterdam on March 16, Cologne on March 24, Hamburg on May 1 and Lucerne on August 21. The work is also due to be performed at the start of the Dresden Music Festival on May 9.
The Dresden Music Festival was founded in the eastern German city in 1978 and was celebrated even before the fall of the Berlin Wall, frequently hosting guest performances by stars and ensembles from the West.
Under Vogler’s leadership, the international appeal of the festival has increased significantly since 2009. The festival not only regularly hosts top orchestras from all over the world, but also renowned soloists from the fields of classical music, jazz, world music and rock.
This year, the annual Dresden Music Festival takes place from May 9 to June 9.
