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| Wagner: Die Walküre – Sarah Wegener, Maximilian Schmitt, Åsa Jäger – Dresdner Musikfestspiele (Photo: Oliver Killig) |
The prospect of varied events to treasure in Dresden as the Dresdner Musikfestspiele’s (Dresden Music Festival) historically informed Ring Cycle reaches Siegfried at this years festival (which runs from 17 May to 14 June 2025), and the for the 2025/26 season, Sir James MacMillan has been announced as composer in residence with Dresden Philharmonie.
The Dresden Music Festival’s The Wagner Cycles project began in 2023 and it brings together musical practitioners and academic research in Dresden, where Wagner spent many years of his life, performing on historical instruments and in the vocal and declamatory style of the Wagner era, these performances. Conducted by Kent Nagano the performances feature the Dresdner Festspielorchester and Concerto Köln. Das Rheingold was presented in 2023 [see my review] and Die Walküre in 2024 [see my review].
This year they move on to Siegfried with performances at Prague State Opera (1 April), the Philharmonie de Paris (4 April) and Cologne Philharmonie (10 April) before closing the festival in Dresden in 14 June 2025 with Thomas Blondelle as Siegfried, Åsa Jäger as Brünnhilde, Simon Bailey as Der Wanderer and Thomas Ebenstein as Mime.
Of course, there is plenty else to enjoy at the festival with around 60 events covering a wide spectrum of music. Full details from the festival website.
The Dresden Philharmonie makes two appearances at the festival, performing music by Japanese composer Akira Ifukube, plus fire-inspired works by Tan Dun and Stravinsky with Kahchun Wong, and Michael Sanderling conducts them in Britten’s Violin Concerto with Augustin Haderlich and Shostakovich’s Symphony no. 8
For their main 2025/26 season, the Dresden Philharmonic welcome Sir James MacMillan as composer in residence. This will be Sir Donald Runnicles’ first season as chief conductor and on 22 November, Runnicles conduct’s MacMillan’s Symphony No. 4 which is dedicated to Runnicles. Other events include MacMillan’s Why is this Night Different? (String Quartet No. 2), is performed by the Collenbusch Quartett, the Concerto for Soprano Saxophone and Strings with saxophonist Jess Gillam and and the wind players of the Dresden Philharmonie perform Untold for wind quintet. Then MacMillan will be conducting massed choirs of Dresden in a selection of his most powerful choral works, including Cantos Sagrados, alongside music by Arvo Pärt, Britten, and J.S. Bach.
Sir James MacMillan commented : “It’s an honour to be named Composer in Residence of the Dresden Philharmonie. I’ve been a friend and colleague of Sir Donald Runnicles for many years and he’s given some wonderful performances of my music, both in Scotland and elsewhere. I’m looking forward to hearing what he does with my music in his new role, and to working with the Orchestra and choirs myself.”
Full details from the orchestra’s website.
