Name: Blockbuster Battle: Animation from Hollywood to Tokyo
Start: 2026-07-05T18:00:00
Location: Palace of Culture

Benjamin Pope

Dresdner Philharmonie

Dvořák's Symphony No. 9 – also known as the New World Symphony – is one of the most popular works of classical music. Why? Because it goes straight to the heart! Dvořák wrote it in the USA, when he heard the sounds of spirituals and music of the indigenous population for the first time. He mixed these influences with his unmistakable style full of melodies that you can't get out of your head. The symphony takes you on a journey: from the longing English horn solo in the second movement, which sounds like a memory of home, to the thrilling finale that exudes pure spirit of adventure. And if you listen closely, you may even discover the film music that was later inspired by this symphony – from "Jaws" to "Star Wars"!

 Short & Casual The Curious One abgeFRACKt: New World

Palace of Culture

Alma Mahler's Seven Songs immediately lead us into the world of the turn of the century: emotions between melancholy and hope, set to music with a deep, almost intimate expressiveness. In the arrangement for medium voice and orchestra, they unfold a sonic dimension that both touches and inspires. On the other hand, Antonín Dvořák's Symphony No. 9, known as "From the New World," is quite different. It bridges the gap between two continents and pours the impressions of a life in foreign America into grand symphonic arches. Longing sounds here like a distant memory, pulsating yet full of vastness. Dvořák's famous English horn theme, often referred to as the "Song of the Lonely Wanderer," captivates as much as the dynamic contrasts between drama and delicate lyricism. An evening that explores completely different soundscapes – and shows how diverse musical longing can sound.

From the New World

In the Octet in F major, Franz Schubert showcases his entire artistry. It combines lightness and depth, dance-like rhythms and intimate melodies that sound like a familiar conversation among friends. He was inspired by the famous septet of his predecessor Beethoven, but created something entirely unique: music that sounds like a great adventure, where each voice - from the string quartet to the clarinet, bassoon, and horn - brings its own character.

Schubert Octet

A Journey to the Moon - as early as 1929, Fritz Lang dared to take a visionary look into the future with "Woman in the Moon". The silent film, based on a screenplay by Thea von Harbou, is considered one of the first serious science fiction films. With scientific precision and fantastic elements, it tells the story of an ambitious moon expedition, overshadowed by greed and betrayal. Lang's spirit of innovation is evident not only in the impressive special effects and the introduction of the now iconic countdown before the rocket launch, but also in his precise depiction of space travel technology - groundbreaking and remarkably forward-thinking at the time. On this evening, the film will be accompanied live by Cameron Carpenter, an exceptional artist on the organ. His virtuoso and unconventional playing style gives the classic a new dimension. An adventure for the eyes, ears, and imagination! Note: The program will be played without an intermission. A film from the collection of the Friedrich-Wilhelm-Murnau Foundation (www.murnau-stiftung.de) in Wiesbaden.

Woman in the Moon

With "Elektra," Richard Strauss created one of the most gripping and emotionally intense works in opera literature. The story, based on the ancient tragedy, revolves around Elektra's relentless desire for revenge for the murder of her father.

Elektra

There are not many instruments that are played simultaneously with hands and feet. The organ is one of them. It's not surprising that one has to use the whole body to make such a huge apparatus sound. Believe it or not, our organ in the Kulturpalast has a total of 4109 pipes! How to make them produce music, what a register is, what lies behind the strange word "manual," and much more will be learned at our school concert. Oh, and why is the organ actually in the concert hall and not in a church?

The Queen of Instruments

A music that doesn't need any explanation, that one understands all by itself? That's what the French composer Hector Berlioz wanted when he wrote his "Fantastic Symphony." He was heartbroken, and he composed his experiences directly into the music. In fact, while listening, we can imagine how someone falls in love, experiences happiness with the beloved woman, and how love fails. But of course, there are still some open questions – how does Berlioz manage to create so many different timbres? What role do the individual instruments play in this? Malte is on a quest to find answers for you...

Fantastic Symphony

Are you in the mood for drama, love, and a little bit of madness? Hector Berlioz invites you on an emotional rollercoaster ride with his "Symphonie fantastique"! This masterpiece is like a movie without a screen – everything happens in your mind. Berlioz tells the story of a young artist who is hopelessly in love. His emotions range in all directions: from romantic infatuation to wild jealousy to dark nightmares. The music is explosive, imaginative, and full of surprises. A highlight: the "Witches' Sabbath", where Berlioz pushes the boundaries of music and stages an eerie sound festival. The orchestra becomes a tool of pure emotion – from delicate harp sounds to thundering drums.

Best of Classics: Berlioz Fantastique

Camille Saint-Saëns' Second Piano Concerto is one of the most versatile works in romantic piano literature. With its unusual structure, it begins like an improvised fantasy before building up to a virtuosic and rhythmically striking finale. Bertrand Chamayou, one of the leading pianists of his generation, interprets the work with technical brilliance and musical depth, effectively showcasing the contrasting moods of this concerto. Hector Berlioz's "Symphonie fantastique" is a milestone in program music, narrating in five movements the passionate and increasingly nightmarish vision of a young artist. The multifaceted instrumentation, ranging from lyrical melodies to dark sounds of the "Witches' Sabbath," makes the work an impressive example of romantic sonic art.

Symphonie fantastique

There are not many instruments that are played simultaneously with hands and feet. The organ is one of them. It's not surprising that you have to use your whole body to make such a huge apparatus sound. Our organ in the Kulturpalast has a whopping 4109 pipes! How to make them produce music, what a register is, what hides behind the strange word "manual," and much more will be revealed in our school concert. Oh, and why is the organ actually in the concert hall and not in a church?

Music with 4109 pipes

With the concert, we explore musical boundaries, or rather: the brothers Lucas and Arthur Jussen do, together with the two percussionists Alexej Gerassimez and Emil Kuyumcuyan. They present a diverse program that focuses on rhythms and sounds. John Adams' rapid "Short Ride in a Fast Machine" is virtually a musical adrenaline rush, which in this arrangement for piano and percussion unleashes all its pulsating energy in a concentrated form. Fazil Say's Variations for two pianos and percussion combine Turkish folk music with energetic modern sounds. Steve Reich's Quartet for two pianos and two vibraphones is hypnotic and precise - minimalist music that unfolds a unique pull through its shimmering patterns. The Symphonic Dances from "West Side Story," on the other hand, bring Broadway to the concert stage: passionate, dramatic, and full of dance rhythms. By invitation of the Dresden Philharmonic in cooperation with DK Deutsche Klassik.

Jussen Brothers

Claude Debussy's "Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune" is a masterpiece of Impressionism. Inspired by a poem by the Symbolist Stéphane Mallarmé, the music paints the picture of a dreaming faun on a warm afternoon. With floating flute sounds and gentle harmonies, Debussy transports us into a world between dream and reality – a sensory delight in sound. Not many works of the 20th century are as naturally included in concert programs today as the music of Maurice Duruflé, who passed away in 1986. Particularly his sacred vocal music continues to enjoy enduring popularity, surely also due to its accessible musical language. Duruflé had little interest in breaking with tradition; in his 1947 Requiem, he engaged with the model of the two generations older Gabriel Fauré and let his enthusiasm for Gregorian chant run free. However, the work is not backward-looking: Contrary to the operatic settings of the Requiem in the 19th century, Duruflé focused less on the pains of the Last Judgment and more on the otherworldly redemption. Chief conductor Sir Donald Runnicles and the MDR Radio Choir infuse this work with a special intensity through their sensitivity and beauty of sound.

Sir Donald with Debussy

Like every year, we start the summer with an atmospheric film music evening! This time, animes are in charge, or rather: setting the tone! We will be playing the music from the most famous anime films from the two major centers of animation culture: Tokyo and Hollywood.