February, 2012

World premier of the ‘Requiem’ in commemoration of the destruction of Dresden during WWII

It is a long and significant tradition to accompany the centenary of the bombing of Dresden on 13th February with a requiem.

There will be a special concert this year on the occasion of the destruction and the reconstruction of the Frauenkirche (Church of Our Lady). It is the premier of the requiem ‘Dresden’ by Lera Auerbach which takes place on February 11th.

The requiem is a commissioned piece by the Frauenkirche foundation and Staatskapelle Dresden (Saxon State Orchestra).

Auerbach, who is the Composer in Residence during the season 2011/2012, is a Jewish Russian-American pianist and one of the most exiting artists today. Her music draws a wide line of forms and genres from opera to chamber music and her music is characterized by stylistic freedom and a relation between tonal and atonal music language.

The requiem ‘Dresden’ will have this special style of music too and will definitely give this event a respectively timbre.

The concert written for two boy´s voices, countertenor, bass, baritone, boys choir, men´s choir and orchestra is premiered by the Staatskapelle Dresden and conducted by Vladimir Jurowski.

‘Dresden-Requiem’:

11th February 2012, 8 PM at Frauenkirche Dresden. The introduction starts at 7 PM.

13th  and14th February, 8 PM at the Semper Opera House
Claudia Innerhofer