Tour of Saxony by the Staatskapelle Dresden orchestra

World-class meets world heritage – part 1

World-class music meets a Saxon World Heritage Site. Solo percussionist Simon Etzold and solo drummer Manuel Westermann set up their instruments in the St. Anna tunnel in Zschorlau. Playing music underground creates highly distinctive acoustics and resonates throughout the mountain. This unique mine with its extensive system of tunnels is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site comprising the mining region of the Erzgebirge Mountains. It has been operated by a dedicated voluntary association for 30 years. The St. Anna tunnel is well worth a visit at any time, even without the presence of leading musicians.

Click here for information about the Schneeberg mining area

Film: Sebastian Linda

Stunning sound meets natural wonder

A string quartet comprising Thomas and Barbara Meining, Andreas Schreiber and Martin Jungnickel meet in beautiful Richters Grund in Saxon Switzerland for a spectacular concert. In a clearing in the midst of romantic rock formations that once served as a film set for Tom Hanks they play the Allegretto from Mozart’s String Quartet No. 21 in D major, K. 575.

Film: Patrick Schwarz from www.blaxcinematography.de

Pictures at an Exhibition

The film gives the impressive Gothic church building of the former Franciscan monastery in Zittau a floating quality. Zittau’s Museum of Cultural History is a true gem. As well as the world-famous Lenten veils, it also contains epitaphs and a rich collection of Romantic paintings of the Oberlausitz region. These paintings and the special location also dictated the choice of music. Bassoonists Thomas Eberhardt, Joachim Hans, Erik Reike, Andreas Böritz and Hannes Schirlitz play part of Mussorgski’s “Pictures at an Exhibition”. The paintings of Mount Oybin and Zittau are brought to life in the film by music and images.

Film: Philipp Herfort Photography

World-class meets world heritage – part 2

The second meeting of world-class musicians and world heritage took place at Muskau Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Covering almost 830 hectares between Saxony and Poland, the extensive parkland was laid out from 1815 onwards by Prince Hermann von Pückler-Muskau.

The French horn players of the Staatskapelle Dresden perform in front of this unique backdrop. Just as the strains of the quartet by Constantin Homilius float across the park landscape, the camera also hovers and conjures up flying images to match.
 

Film: Julius Blum

Drone recordings: Philipp Herfort Photography

Sound art meets the art of engineering

The August Horch Museum in Zwickau provides impressive proof of Saxony’s engineering prowess. Over 100 years of automotive history in and around Zwickau are showcased here – a real treasure trove of industrial heritage in a land that leaps time. Horsepower, the roar of engines and other car sounds are the obvious associations. But the cellists of the Staatskapelle Dresden almost seem to make the vehicles dance, with pieces by Telemann and tango compositions by Charlo and Francini. East Germany’s famous Trabant meets the Argentine tango and suddenly the recreation of an idyllic weekend retreat comes alive.

Film: Steven Busch, MushroomProduction