Such a powerful piano concerto had not been heard before. When Johannes Brahms premiered his First Piano Concerto in 1859, the audience was thrilled. Few knew how many years he had struggled to complete it. Initially, he wanted to write a sonata for two pianos, but that failed. Then he reworked his ideas for an orchestra, but he was still not satisfied. Finally, the saving idea came to him: to combine the orchestra and piano. Today, the piece is considered one of the most beautiful offerings of romantic music. Prokofiev's suites for Shakespeare's famous love story are also the result of a reworking, transforming the music from a complete ballet to pure orchestral music. He personally selected the most beautiful passages for this purpose. The result is like dramatic cinema for the ears...

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Brahms Piano Concerto

Palace of Culture

Mozart's piano trios are true gems of the Viennese Classical period: Light, elegant, and with a touch of humor, they showcase the brilliant side of the composer. His music radiates lightness, without ever being superficial - a delight for all who love classical music or want to discover it anew. Clara Schumann brings her own unique voice to the concert with her piano trio. Her music is poetic, passionate, and deeply moving - a glimpse into the emotional world of one of the most outstanding female musicians of the 19th century. Finally, Mendelssohn Bartholdy brings energy and drama to the room. His piano trio sparkles with melodious liveliness. It's no wonder that this work is among the most beloved in chamber music.

Mozart, Schumann, Mendelssohn

Snow sparkles in the pale winter sun, a horse-drawn sleigh glides through a light birch forest. Ice flowers grow on the window pane, while the samovar boils in the room. Tchaikovsky, with his First Symphony, makes a atmospheric declaration of love to the famous-infamous Russian winter with all its manifestations. In addition, two completely different but equally fascinating piano concertos are heard: Prokofiev's First Piano Concerto bursts with energy and sophistication. It is a youthful work full of spirit and shows Prokofiev as a true virtuoso of the piano. On the other hand, Ravel's Piano Concerto "for the left hand" is characterized by darker tones and was written for the pianist Paul Wittgenstein, who lost his right hand in World War I. It is so cleverly composed that as a listener, one does not realize that in this almost 20-minute concert, piano and orchestra only play together for six minutes. A challenge for our Artist in Residence, who once again can demonstrate the full range of his abilities.

Ravel and Tchaikovsky

One of the leading composers of our time, Unsuk Chin now graces the Staatskapelle stage as Capell-Compositrice. »Subito con forza« from 2020 is her homage to Beethoven. A former student of György Ligeti, Chin’s music combines analytical acuity with evocative imagery. This work provides a stimulating contrast to Mahler’s Sixth while also provoking a conversation on structural clarity and existential expressiveness. The symphony conjures up a world of tragedy. Offering no comfort and no conciliatory finale, the »Tragic« is uncompromising in its severity. Part of the ongoing Mahler cycle, Daniele Gatti will conduct this jewel of the composer’s middle creative phase, celebrated not least for its powerful hammer blows.

Symphony Concert N° 4

Semperoper Dresden

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The opening of our Christmas concert is formed by Smetana's famous symphonic poem "The Moldau". The music almost vividly paints the course of the river - from its bubbling source to its full width as it flows into the Elbe. One can hear nature, rushing forests, and even a wedding in the countryside. A tribute to Smetana's Bohemian homeland, which is so close to us. Hummel's Trumpet Concerto in E major is a sparkling highlight. With virtuosic runs and radiant melodies, it showcases the trumpet at its best. Playing it for us is Lucienne Renaudin Vary, a master on her instrument! In Dvořák's Symphony No. 5, Czech folk music and romantic orchestral colors come together to create a music that touches the heart and soul. From idyllic sounds to captivating drama, the Bohemian master of melodies takes us on an evocative musical journey.

Smetana and Dvořák

What could be a more stylish way to end the year than with Beethoven's Ninth Symphony? This monumental work is far more than a musical classic – it is a message to humanity. With the famous Ode "To Joy," Beethoven celebrates the ideals of freedom, brotherhood, and hope. The rousing choral finale is a musical fireworks display that gives you goosebumps and makes you feel the power of community. The symphony begins with mysterious, quiet sounds, but then unfolds a seemingly endless variety of emotions: from dramatic tension to dance-like lightness to triumphant joy. Beethoven's Ninth Symphony leaves no one untouched and is perfect for the occasion – after all, New Year's Eve and New Year also stand for new beginnings, unity, and looking towards a better future.

Beethoven 9

When Herbert Blomstedt ascends the conductor’s rostrum, music truly becomes a way of life. The 98-year-old Conductor Laureate of the Staatskapelle embodies a humility and clarity that are deeply rooted in his art. His performances of Bruckner have long been regarded as benchmark interpretations. They are free of pathos and imbued with intellectual rigour, tonal transparency and inner calm. Bruckner’s exploration of musical form culminated in the Fifth Symphony, which premiered in 1876. The composer himself described it as his »most contrapuntally daring symphony«. Placing the highest demands on musicians and listeners alike, the work has an understated grandeur. The finale brings a brilliant fugato, truly an aural apotheosis that abjures vanity.

Symphony Concert N° 5

Mozart and Korngold are separated by a century and a half, but both fascinated the musical world as prodigies in their time. In his "Sinfonia concertante," Mozart features four wind instruments - oboe, clarinet, horn, and bassoon - playing together and against each other. This sonic diversity creates exciting dialogues between the instruments, as they compete with each other but also harmonize perfectly. The solo parts are performed by wind players from the Dresden Philharmonic. The second work of the evening, Erich Wolfgang Korngold's Symphony in F sharp major, takes us into a completely different world. Korngold, known for his film compositions, creates opulent soundscapes in this symphony, filled with passion and drama. The symphony is full of energy, profound emotions, and a captivating blend of classical musical language and the grand cinematic elements that characterize the composer. The concert is conducted by Eun Sun Kim, known for her precise and passionate conducting, making her debut on the podium of our orchestra.

Mozart and Korngold

Bach's Third Brandenburg Concerto is full of charm and virtuosic lightness. Fast, playful rhythms and tension-filled exchanges between the strings and the continuo ensure pure listening pleasure. With a Piano Concerto No. 9 in E-flat major, also known as the "Jeunehomme Concerto," Mozart demonstrates his genius in handling the piano as a solo instrument: The first movement begins with a powerful dialogue between the orchestra and the soloist, setting the tone for the entire concerto. Particularly in the second movement, Mozart's ability to lead melodies is evident, while the finale creates a lively and spirited atmosphere. In addition to these highlights of the Baroque and Classical periods, the premiere of a short piece by the sixteen-year-old Georgian composer Tsotne Zedginidze will be performed in this concert by the Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra, with Zedginidze also appearing as a soloist on the piano.

Brandenburg Concert

Ravel's Piano Concerto in G major is probably the most excitingly orchestrated concerto for a solo instrument with orchestra. Cheerful and brilliant at the same time, it has been a favorite work of concert audiences since its premiere in 1932. It begins furiously with a crack of a whip, created by two pieces of wood connected by a hinge and struck together. The second, slow movement is often referred to as one of the most beautiful 'Songs without Words' in music history. It is embedded in the surreal circus atmosphere of the first movement with hints of Ravel's Basque homeland, blues and jazz souvenirs from his trips to America, and the rapid finale in the style of a perpetuum mobile. "La valse" by Ravel probably needs no description - the symphonic waltz is one of the most popular works of the 20th century and regularly excites the audience. The Concerto for Orchestra by the Polish composer Witold Lutosławski can also arouse enthusiasm. It was premiered with great success in Warsaw in 1954 and is the last work in which Lutosławski uses folkloric elements. With it, the composer has said everything he had to say in this musical language...

Ravel "La Valse"

Our concert hall organ, the "orchestra in one instrument," is at the center of Francis Poulenc's Organ Concerto - a work full of contrasts. Sometimes deeply serious, almost sacred, then surprisingly playful, Poulenc combines tradition and modernity in a fascinating way. The soloist of the evening, Anna Lapwood, one of the most exciting organists of her generation, impresses with her virtuosity and her ability to engage people with classical music.

Lapwood with Poulenc

This year’s Remembrance Concert commemorating the destruction of Dresden on 13 February 1945 features Igor Stravinsky’s »Mass«, a deliberately sober, liturgically reduced Mass setting. The composer did not produce a bombastic celebration of Christ’s sacrifice but rather a piece of quiet contemplation. Anton Bruckner’s Ninth feels rather like a testimonial. The composer dedicated the symphony to »our dear Lord« as an act of the deepest devotion. The three completed movements take us on an emotional journey from loss and devastation to hope before the unfinished work fades into silence. Daniele Gatti unites these two compositions to create a poignant tapestry of mourning, remembrance and contemporary spirituality.

Symphony Concert N° 6

Creating a film to accompany a symphony is something special, after all, classical music is something abstract and leaves a lot of room for associations. But perhaps that is precisely the key. William Kentridge, to whom the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden have dedicated a focus in 2025, had plenty of associations with Shostakovich's Tenth Symphony and turned them into an impressive film for a visually-acoustic experience. Michael Sanderling, who enjoys an excellent reputation as a Shostakovich specialist, conducts this symphony while Kentridge's film is simultaneously shown on the big screen.

Kentridge and Shostakovich

Gustav Mahler’s »Kindertotenlieder« were written, as he said, »in one breath«. This is music of harrowing intimacy, in which the focus is not on pain but rather the depiction of suffering through images of quiet consolation. Composed between 1901 and 1904, the cycle explores a theme that, tragically, would affect Mahler only a few years later. In his Seventh Symphony, however, the composer strikes a very different tone: enigmatic, fragmented, often unearthly. Two so-called Nachtmusiken (Night Musics) frame a ghostly scherzo that oscillates between darkness and demonic mockery. But then comes the turning point: the Finale shocks with the glaring light of day, almost as if from another world – triumphant yet at the same time ambiguous.

Symphony Concert N° 7

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

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

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

At the center of the concert evening is the brilliant Jess Gillam, one of the most exciting musicians of our time. With her soprano saxophone, she combines technical virtuosity and charismatic stage presence like rarely seen. Two works put the saxophone in the spotlight: Dave Heath's "The Celtic" and James MacMillan's Concerto for Soprano Saxophone and String Orchestra. Both works are tailor-made for Jess Gillam. Heath's "The Celtic" combines Celtic melancholy with rhythmic energy, while MacMillan's work explores the boundaries of the instrument's timbres and expressive possibilities. His most famous is certainly the Ninth, but for many, Antonín Dvořák's Seventh Symphony is his best. This music feels rugged and melancholic, yet compact and strict. There is no superfluous note here, every motif is worked through, every counterpoint has something to say. No question: this is not cozy folk music from a Bohemian village tavern, but highly concentrated symphonic music in the spirit of Beethoven and Brahms.

Dvořák 7

Bruckner's Second Symphony is often referred to as the "Symphony of Pauses." But do not worry: these pauses are not silent, but full of tension and give the music room to breathe. A music that was initially considered unplayable by contemporaries. The Vienna Philharmonic initially rejected the work, deeming it far too long. Bruckner shortened it, rented the large hall at the Musikverein at his own expense, rehearsed thoroughly with the orchestra - and was successful. And what a success it was, the applause of the premiere audience on October 26, 1773, seemed never-ending. Bruckner himself later referred to it as the "most memorable day of my life." Today, the symphony is somewhat overshadowed by its successors, but unjustly so. Everything that Bruckner enthusiasts appreciate: the grand arcs of tension, the delicate as well as the powerful moments, the abrupt pauses and new beginnings - they are all already present here. Christoph Eschenbach is considered a Bruckner specialist; that is why we have invited him to conduct it.

Eschenbach with Bruckner

Mozart's Piano Concerto in D minor is one of his most exciting works and, even 200 years after its creation, has lost none of its power. The key of D minor alone shows that this is not about light entertainment. This music tells of great emotions: drama, longing, and passion. He wrote the concerto at a time when he was exploring new paths with his music and bravely experimenting. Particularly impressive is the dialogue between the piano and the orchestra - sometimes they are adversaries, sometimes they merge together. The melodies are so captivating that they became famous even back then and still move people today. At the beginning, Malte Arkona introduces the concerto, and afterwards, you can ask your own questions during the After Concert Talk. So, a concert that not only allows you to listen but also to participate - an experience for all the senses!

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