Kent Nagano conducts Richard Wagner’s „Die Walküre” continuing the special collaboration between the Dresdner Festspielorchester and Concerto Köln. „The Wagner Cycles” will perform the second work of the tetralogy „Die Walküre” as a concert performance in six cities in 2024: Prague (March 9), Amsterdam (March 16), Cologne (March 24), Hamburg (May 1), Dresden (May 9) and Lucerne (August 21).
“With ‘Die Walküre’, we intensify our efforts: not only will further experts support us in examining aspects such as tempo, source materials and rhetoric, but issues such as Wagner’s notions of femininity will also be scrutinized, for which a work such as ‘Die Walküre’ offers a good basis for discussion. First and foremost, however, we will dedicate ourselves to Wagner’s revolutionary innovations in orchestral practice: brand-new at the time, the orchestral colours and textures he developed went far beyond the limitations of contemporary musical practice –and that also applies to his treatment of vocalism. His open form enabled him to revolutionize dramatic expression and narration. That is our point of departure, to make all that audible and experience Wagner’s ‘Ring’ in a completely different way!”, says Kent Nagano.
“For the Dresdner Musikfestspiele, ‘The Wagner Cycles’ is a visionary project, newly initiated in the Wagner city of Dresden. Involving musicologists, musicians and singers from all over Europe, led by Kent Nagano, ‘Die Walküre’ is now being examined academically anew, studied in workshops and rehearsals, and performed in concert. Dresden is the city where Wagner attended the Kreuzschule, later worked as general music director and finally was wanted by the police for being a revolutionary. Here, academic research and performance practice meet history and tradition. We are proud and delighted that this fascinating project will contribute to a new understanding of Richard Wagner’s music.”, thus Jan Vogler, Intendant of the Dresdner Musikfestspiele.
In “The Wagner Cycles”, the individual works of Wagner’s tetralogy will be performed in concert every year from 2023 to 2026 at renowned concert halls in Germany and abroad. Under the artistic leadership of Kent Nagano and Jan Vogler, it will be re-examined, rehearsed and performed – in the artistic context of the time when it was first produced, on the basis of the most recent research on Wagner and historical performance practice, flanked by a comprehensive framework programme.
