In 2001, Dresden Music Festival will be held from 23 May to 10 June under the management of the new director, Torsten Mosgraber, and over a period of 20 days will present more than 80 performances – such an impressive number has not been reached since the eighties. The theme of Music Festival 2001 is "New Departures" ("Aufbruch"). Besides concerts with music from the classical, jazz, world music and crossover areas, plans include guest performances by outstanding dance theater companies. In addition, a large number of Dresden's cultural institutions will be joining in with their own events, all related to the theme of the Music Festival. Opening of the Music Festival Dresden Music Festival 2001 will be officially opened on Wednesday, 23 May, with the sound of that most famous of all oratorios, Joseph Haydn's "Creation", performed by the choir Dresdner Kreuzchor, the period instrument orchestra Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin and three international star singers (Juliane Banse, René Pape, Herbert Lippert) under conductor Roderich Kreile. The Spaniard Juan Carlos García, artistic director of the Catalan dance company “Lanònima Imperial”, is devising for this work, and specifically for Dresden Music Festival, a production of a very special kind: the story of the Creation will be visualized by means of sophisticated light effects, a video installation embracing the whole of the church interior and a pas de deux by Adam and Eve (23 May, Kreuzkirche). Star conductors at the Music Festival A galaxy of internationally renowned artists will guarantee memorable cultural experiences during the days that follow. Here we should single out the chief conductor designate of the Berliner Philharmonischen Orchester, Sir Simon Rattle, who will be making his debut in Dresden with the English Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment. The 45-year-old British conductor is one of the few who combine interpretative powers and vitality with a clever choice of repertoire, in which new works are made accessible and proven ones are given a new approach. (7 June 2001, Semperoper). Not only that, but after a long absence Nikolaus Harnoncourt will be making another guest appearance in the capital of Saxony. For the first time he will be appearing in Dresden together with the legendary ensemble Concentus Musicus Wien, which since the fifties has offered interpretations of baroque and classical music that have been the subject of much discussion and always excited attention. (29 May 2001, Semperoper). A Handel opera that is seldom heard can be experienced on 2 June in the Semper Opera House: The Frenchman Marc Minkowski, whose conducting e.g. of festival performances in Salzburg and Aix-en-Provence has caused a furore, will be presenting Handels "Ariodante" in a concert performance with Anne Sofie von Otter and other stars of the international baroque opera scene. This production will have its premiere shortly before in the Opéra de Bastille in Paris. (2 June, Semperoper) A further star on the early music conductors' podium, René Jacobs, will be tackling a piece by the Dresden composer Johann Gottlieb Naumann, which he was made aware of through Dresden Music Festival. The opera "Cora" will be roused to new life in a concert production on 9 June in the Semper Opera House with the Dresden Chamber Choir, Cologne Concerto and outstanding young singers of the early music scene. It was originally composed for the Swedish court in Stockholm but had its first concert performance in 1780 in a German version in Dresden. (9 June, Semperoper) The St. Petersburger Philharmonic, under its chief conductor Juri Temirkanov, will make guest performances in Dresden Music Festival with two different programs. (25 – 27 May, Kulturpalais) New forms of music theater A cultural event of international significance will be the world premiere of "Lost Objects" in the Old Slaughterhouse. Commissioned by Dresden Music Festival and the RIAS Kammerchor. Three young composers from New York (David Lang, Michael Gordon, Julia Wolfe), together with the Catalan performance artists from "La Fura del Baus" are creating a new piece of music theater, an audacious multimedia collage which wanders the borders between music, virtual theater and performance. (24 May, Alter Schlachthof) Dance theater Guest performances in the field of dance theater will be displaying new trends of modern dance. The Brussels company "Rosas" will be showing its much praised work "Drumming", the epitome of vitality. (26 May, Schauspielhaus) In addition, one of the latest productions of today's most innovative dance company, "Les Ballets C. de la B." will be presented in the Playhouse in Hellerau. (27 May 2001, Festspielhaus Hellerau) Music and Film Admirers of Peter Greenaway's films should make a note of the date: 1 June. For the first time in Germany his film "M is for Man, Music, Mozart" will be shown with the original live music by Louis Andriessen. (Concert with the Dresden Symphony, 1 June, Alter Schlachthof) Music and Society Wolf Biermann will be making his appearance at Dresden Music Festival next year. (2 June 2001, Schauspielhaus) A world premiere will be a performance by the winner of the Nobel prize for literature, Günter Grass, together with jazz drummer Günter ‘Baby’ Sommer. The two artists will be presenting excerpts from the book "My Century" read in a musical setting to music and projections of Grass's graphics. (4 June 2001, Schauspielhaus) Open-air in the Zwinger The closing concert in the Dresden Zwinger represents a German premiere. Following the pattern of the baroque Planets ballets at the Court in Dresden, Gustav Holst's orchestral suite "The Planets" will be performed in conjunction with a film based on fascinating original NASA photography. The concert will finish with the customary celebratory fireworks. (10 June 2001, Dresdner Zwinger) A fireworks experience awaits at both the other performances to be held in the Dresden Zwinger, too. Puccini's "Turandot" will be performed by a breathtaking cast of singers: Sharon Sweet, who is singing the title role during the current season at the New York Met as well as elsewhere, will appear at the side of Franco Bonisolli, who has become known as one of the greatest Calaf singers of the past few decades. (9 June 2001, Dresdner Zwinger) The third Dresden Music Festival performance which will take place within the inner courtyard of this famous baroque building is entitled "Africa in the Zwinger". In a unique blend of music, song, dance and storytelling African All Stars recount how the world was created out of music. Performers include the a cappella male choir "Ladysmith Black Mambazo", which won fame through its work with Paul Simon on the "Graceland" album and whose number "Homeless" enjoys great popularity. (8 June, Dresdner Zwinger) Focus on world music Dresden Music Festival 2001 is opening up new horizons not only by the concentrated use of video, film and dance to visualize music, but also in a musical sense. World music is a new and important pillar in the program of Dresden Music Festival 2001. Apart from the above mentioned performance of "Africa in the Zwinger", there will be a series of 4 concerts with the music of various nomadic peoples. Two concerts will be devoted to gypsy music. (The Harp Consort with baroque gypsy music from Spain, 26 May, Frauenkirche – Fanfare Ciocarlia with brass-band dance music from Romania, 9 June, Alter Schlachthof) In addition, the leading musician of Israeli world music, Yair Dalal, who has worked together with Zubin Mehta, Shlomo Mintz, Jordi Savall and others will be introducing the music of the Beduins of the Negev Desert. (24 May, Frauenkirche) Finally, the meditative music can be heard of the East Siberian nomads from Tuva, which is known for the way in which one singer can sing three voices. (Huun-Huur-Tu, 10 June, Frauenkirche) An encounter between cultures and between diverse musical genres is on offer at the concert given by the Cantigas de Santa Maria. For the first time, a Moroccan world music ensemble (Adelkrim Rais Andalusian Orchestra of Fès) in conjunction with international stars of the music of the middle ages (Camerata mediterranea; Joel Cohen) will be performing this famous and fascinating vocal music. The songs originated on the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela in northern Spain. The music is now being located back where it belongs geographically: at the interface between Occident and Orient. (1 June, Annenkirche) The art of singing Two programs in the Semper Opera House will appeal to the friends of the art of singing. Thomas Quasthoff, who is considered to be one of the great stars of the international concert scene and was awarded the title of "Artist of the Year" two years ago at the Echo awards, will be singing songs by Franz Schubert and Gustav Mahler. (27 May, Semperoper) In the final concert of the international singing competition in Italian opera "Competizione dell'Opera", 8 young singers from all over the world will compete for first place and audience favour. (4 June, Semperoper) String quartet cycle - from classics to pop music The Tokyo String Quartet will present a program specifically put together for Dresden Music Festival, with works by Mozart, Webern and Beethoven. (3 June, Semperoper) This concert is part of a string quartet cycle of altogether 5 concerts. In addition to the Petersen Quartet (28 May, Schloss Albrechtsberg), which will be performing works by Schumann, Schulhoff and Beethoven, the Turtle Island String Quartet from California (6 June, Schloss Albrechtsbert) and the young Hamburg formation String Thing (10 June, Taschenbergpalais) will all be taking part. The three last named quartets all try in their own various ways to build a bridge between classical music, jazz, world music and advanced pop music. Dresden Traditions On the occasion of the second centenary of Johann Gottlieb Naumann's death (1741 - 1801) Dresden Music Festival will be involved in a variety of ways with the life and work of the composer. Thus, as well as the performance of his opera "Cora" (9 June, Semperoper), there will be an international scientific conference, in cooperation with Dresden Technical University and the "Carl Maria von Weber" Academy of Music, on the theme "Naumann and European musical culture at the end of the 18th century". (8 June to 10 June, Kulturrathaus and Landesbibliothek) As last year, there will be a performance of an opera by Carlo Pallavicino. For several years the composer worked as conductor at the Court of Dresden. His opera "Gerusalemme liberata" was performed with great success in Dresden only a few weeks after its premiere. (31 May, Dreikönigskirche) Music Festival events already have a specifically Dresden tradition. These include Dresden singt und musiziert (Dresden sings and makes music) (26 May, city center) with the closing evening concert on the Brühl Terrace, in which the Academy of Singing, the Philharmonic Choir and the Choir of Dresden Technical University will be performing, among other things, opera choruses by Verdi; the Ouvertüre im Grünen (Overture in the Park) (20 May, Schlosspark Pillnitz); concerts in Pillnitz Palace (27 May, 3 June and 10 June, Schloss Pillnitz); and Konzerte auf der Silbermannorgel (Concerts on the Silbermann organ) in the Cathedral. (30 May and 5 June, Kathedrale) Dresden Music Festival hopes that you will join the public, our artists and ourselves in setting off for new horizons.