The TonLagen festival I wrote about last time is going to end tonight. But yesterday I’ve seen just another highlight: Heiner Goebbels’ Stifters Dinge.
It was meant to be a stage play but without actors, just with props. There were three flat basins which were filled with water at the beginning, numerous machines, lights, canvases and loudspeakers. Then the machinery came to life, making all kinds of noises, electric pianos played tunes, it rained, it became misty, everything moved according to some mysterious concept. There were both loud and fast and silent moments but always something to observe. It was really fascinating.
The Hellerau festival hall is a great location. With no fixed interior it can be adapted to all kinds of events. Last week I saw an electro opera with a stage and lots of seatings, the other evening a large crowd was dancing on the entire floor to electronic music. So this year’s festival was very mixed up – in a good way.
Morgen, am 1.Oktober, starten wieder die Tage der zeitgenössischen Musik in Hellerau – diesmal unter neuer Leitung, neuem Namen und neuem Logo. Das Programm jedoch bleibt genauso aufregend!
Einmalig dürfte das Symposion am 3.Oktober werden. Acht Stunden lang spielt das Klangforum Wien nicht nur anspruchsvolle Musik (u.a. von Terry Riley, Strawinsky, Bernhard Lang und Helmut Lachenmann) sondern im Programm inbegriffen sind Wein und Speisen, die das Publikum in einen anmutigen Rausch versetzen sollen – ganz im Sinne des griechischen Gastmahls. Würde mich mal interessieren, was für Leute da hingehen. Einziger Nachteil: der relativ hohe Preis von EUR 67/58, allerdings incl. österreichischen Weinen und einem 6-Gänge-Menü.
Besonders gespannt bin ich auf die Elektro-Oper Tomorrow, in a Year, deren Musik The Knife komponiert haben. Auch wenn die Dänen nicht selbst kommen sollten, ich bin absoluter Fan der Musik. Thematisch handelt die Oper von Darwins revolutionärer Schrift “Über die Entstehung der Arten”. Termine: 8.+9.Oktober.
Elektronisch geht’s auch am 10. Oktober zu, wenn der MELT! Klub Station in Hellerau macht. Mit dabei: Modeselektor, Apparat (sehr gut, da ich sie auf dem diesjährigen Melt!-Festival verpasst habe; wegen Unwetter konnten sie nicht auftreten), James Yuill + Three Trapped Tigers.
Tomorrow, October 1, the Dresden festival for contemporary music is starting again. Some things are new but the program will be as exciting as ever!
My favorites:
October 03: The Symposion will be a unique event with 8 hours of exciting music (e.g. by Terry Riley, Strawinsky, Bernhard Lang, Helmut Lachenmann and many more) played by the Klangforum from Vienna. Moreover, wine and six-course menu will be served to heighten the awareness of the audience – like at a ancient Greek symposion. The Prices (EUR 67/58) are a bit high, which is relative as food and drinks are included. Wonder what the audience will be like.
October 8+9: The electro-opera Tomorrow, in a Year written by the incredible Danish group The Knife! I really like their music, though I don’t think they will appear in Dresden (but I have seen them live before). Topic of the opera will be Darwin’s revolutionary book “On the Origin of Species”.
October 10: More electronic music at MELT! Klub. Modeselektor, Apparat (which I missed at this years Melt! festival because the bad weather prevented them from playing), ames Yuill + Three Trapped Tigers will be playing.
There is lots more. Look at the full schedule at the Hellerau website (German)!
