Staatskapelle Dresden

The spotlight is on Richard Wagner in this 22nd volume of the Staatskapelle Dresden Edition; the thrilling programme includes scenes from four of Wagner’s most popular operas.

Karl Elmendorff and Kurt Striegler were two of many composers responsible for splendid interpretations of Wagner's operas in Dresden in the first half of the twentieth century. At their disposal was the incomparable Staatskapelle, a high quality opera chorus and many outstanding singers, some of which appear on this recording. Featured are works from a selection of Wagner’s most famous operas.

Ferdinando Paër (1771–1839) was one of the most celebrated composers and influential musical personalities in Europe. It was during his time at the Court of Dresden that he composed his large scale sacred work Missa piena in D minor. This world premiere recording is stunningly performed by a line up of outstanding soloists, an excellent orchestra and dedicated chorus under the baton of Roderich Kreile.

For the next installment of Profil’s Staatskapelle Dresden Edition, they present Bernard Haitink conducting the Staatskapelle Dresden for Bruckner’s Eight Symphony and Mozart’s Prague Symphony. Symphony No. 8 is one of Bruckner’s most memorable scores and regarded as the quintessence of his accomplishments in the form.

Haitink was Chief Conductor of the Staatskapelle Dresden from 2002 to 2004 and has also proven himself to be an outstanding Bruckner-interpreter. For this recording the maestro shows a perfect Symphony No. 8.

This 2 CD set contains a selection of some of the great Violin Concertos that exist, performed by a host of artists including Ruggiero Ricci, David Oistrakh, Roland Greutter and Thomas Zehetmair. They are accompanied by a selection of renowned orchestras including Staatskapelle Dresden, Camerata Salzburg, WDR Symphonic Orchestra, NDR Symphony Orchestra and world famous conductors including Günter Wand, Carlo Maria Giulini, Kurt Sanderling and Franz Konwitschny.

The late 1940s were in many respects a period of transition in Germany and the people of Dresden were still in a state of shock after the Second World War. People were striving to regain a sense of normality in their lives and music in particular helped this. Concert and opera seasons were instituted and The Staatskapelle programmes during that period contained an astonishing number of world premieres, including a whole series of works by composers like Ernst Toch, whose works were banned in the Third Reich.

Volume 26 documents this transition with two works by Toch and Hindemith, the former presented in its world première recording.