What do a singing teapot, the longing for love, hard-boiled eggs, different ways of dealing with guilt and forgiveness, the King of Eldorado, three oranges, the hunger for power and a legendary dancer have in common? Essentially nothing. But the stage offers sufficient space for a huge range of characters, feelings, themes, perspectives and moods, for all that is joyful and tragic, as well as tackling the big – and small – questions of life.
I warmly invite you to join us at the Semperoper Dresden on an artistic exploration through time and space. Perhaps we will help you see the world with different ears? Perhaps you will be overwhelmed by the power of these sounds, images and stories? Musically, the programme for the 2024/25 season runs from the Baroque era to contemporary works, encompassing a huge diversity of subject matter from enchanting fairy tales to science fiction operas. The stories you will experience here have one thing in common: they tell us something about our world today, about the world of yesterday, and perhaps, even the world of tomorrow.
In my first season, there’s a huge amount to discover and celebrate, not least the 40th birthday of the newly rebuilt Semperoper! We intend to explore the exciting history of this building, one of the world’s most beautiful opera houses and a true cultural landmark, with a range of events. For example, we are celebrating a piece of Dresden’s musical history by performing Richard Strauss’s Intermezzo precisely 100 years after its world premiere here. And it is already 200 years since the first professional dance troupe – the forerunner of today’s Semperoper Ballett – was permanently engaged at Dresden’s royal theatre. The company’s new Artistic Director, Kinsun Chan, has devised a richly varied programme for this occasion.
There’s another special turning point that I’m very much looking forward to when Daniele Gatti takes up the reins for his first season as Principal Conductor of the Staatskapelle Dresden. A warm welcome to our new maestro!
The Semperoper is a place rich in history and personal stories. The task of maintaining and enlivening this great tradition is a huge inspiration for me. On the cover of this season’s magazine, you will see an allegory of human imagination. The original image is at the centre of the Semperoper’s magnificent decorative curtain. Let your imagination run wild as you read about our upcoming highlights. I’m sure you’ll find something to catch your interest.
With my warmest regards.
We’re looking forward to greeting you very soon!
Your Nora Schmid
Artistic Director of the Saxon State Opera Dresden
Dear audience,
I would like to welcome you as the new Director of the Company at the start of the Semperoper Ballet Season. Dresden has a rich and important dance history, which is linked to great names and unforgettable performances. We want to build on this outstanding heritage and invite you on a journey of emotions through movement. We have an exciting season in store for you which includes a wide spectrum of dance for you to discover, from your classical favorites to the newest in contemporary dance.
You can look forward to ballet icon John Neumeier returning to the Semperoper with his choreographic opus magnum Nijinsky. In 2025, the Semperoper Ballet will look back on a 200-year tradition, which will be celebrated on April 1, the 200th anniversary of the founding of the first permanent ballet ensemble at the Dresden Court Opera, with a dance happening with over 200 dancers on Theaterplatz - be there!
In their Dresden debut, choreographers Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui and Imre & Marne van Opstal will represent contemporary dance with the double bill Vice Versa, and Julian Nicosia, Francesca Frassinelli and Giovanni Insaudo will put up a challenge with their triple dance battle in Tag Team.
Let's open up new spaces and discover new formats: Together with Martin Zimmermann, I am bringing Wonderful World to Kleines Haus of Staatsschauspiel Dresden. The remarkable production Tag Team will be staged in Semper Zwei. In cooperation with the Staatsoperette Dresden and the Semperoper Ballet, we are giving a big stage to the city's dance scene in Dresden's young, cultural hotspot Kraftwerk Mitte with the great gala-night DRESDANCE.
I invite you to let dance inspire your senses, your heart and your spirit!
Yours,
Kinsun Chan
Ballet Director
I have always arrived in Dresden by car. Every time I approach the city and its centre, I become aware of something unmistakable: a magical world, a sense of time suspended. My very first encounter with the Staatskapelle Dresden was to conduct a concert series in the Semperoper at the invitation of Giuseppe Sinopoli, who sadly died far too young. From that initial meeting, it was clear to me that this orchestra and this opera house are beacons of music and culture for the entire European continent. One of the reasons for this is the orchestra’s almost five-hundred-year history, which makes Dresden one of the world’s most “musical” cities. When I reflect on the many great figures who have led or conducted the Staatskapelle, I’m filled with admiration and gratitude. At the same time, the orchestra is entirely rooted in the present – a fact which it demonstrates through its wide musical horizons and varied programmes. I’m also fascinated by the Staatskapelle’s uniquely natural sound, which so closely mirrors the human voice. That has always aroused my curiosity about the interpretative possibilities when applied to the great symphonic repertoire. The more you study any score, the more you realise that orchestral sound is an important basic component upon which we can build specific dynamics and explore a wide spectrum of articulation. In closing, I return to Dresden: yes, the incomparable architecture is important – but even more important is the human life that fills it.