Richard Strauss Days at the Semperoper 2024
Richard Strauss's connection to Dresden, the Saxon State Orchestra and the Semperoper is formative for German music history. Since the young composer first visited Dresden in 1883, he developed an intense artistic and creative bond with the State Orchestra, the opera and its music directors over decades. Nine of his total of 15 operas were premiered in Dresden, including "Elektra", "Arabella" and "Der Rosenkavalier", instrumental works composed especially for the Staatskapelle, such as the mighty "Alpensinfonie".
The enthusiasm for the works of Richard Strauss, whether on the concert podium and in the chamber music of the Staatskapelle Dresden, on the opera stage in the Semper Opera House or at guest performances, has never waned over the course of time. Since 1909, Richard Strauss Days have been held at the Semperoper at irregular intervals, most recently in 2007.
From 27 March to 7 April 2024, the second edition of the revived "Richard Strauss Days at the Semperoper" will take place with performances of "Die Frau ohne Schatten" and, in reference to it, Mozart's "Die Zauberflöte" as well as "Elektra" as the powerhouse of the festival days. The programme will be complemented, among other things, by the revival of the silent film "Der Rosenkavalier" by Robert Wiene from 1916, which premiered here at the Saxon State Theatre under the musical direction of Strauss. The reconstructed version of film and music from 2006 has succeeded in reviving the originally intended overall composition of moving image and orchestral tone poem, and in coherently supplementing the lost ending of the work. Other programme highlights include the special concert by the Saxon State Orchestra under the musical direction of Antonio Pappano as well as the chamber evening by the Saxon State Orchestra and the Lied matinee with Christiane Karg and Gerold Huber.
