The gala concert to celebrate the 475th anniversary

of the foundation of the Sachsische Staatskapelle Dresden on September 22, 2023

After the introductory tones of Carl Maria von Weber's festive 'Jubel' Overture have

died away, conductor Christian Thielemann turns round and addresses himself to the

audience: not an official pronouncement with an edited manuscript but a spontaneous,

deeply felt expression of commitment. The principal conductor praises the

'wondrous way' in which the orchestra's sound has remained true to itself over the

centuries, recalling the great succession of it's Kapellmeisters 'from Hasse through

Weber and Wagner to Busch and Bohm' and relating it to the exceptional artistic

depth of the city.

With a nice touch of irony he quotes Rousseau, who praised Dresden's 'splendid

orchestra' at a distance in 1763, and Beethoven, who wrote half a century later:

'It is said to be the best in all Europe.' Finally Thielemann finds words that sound

like a gentle reminder in this splendid hall: 'Take care of this orchestra of mine the

way you take care of Meissen porcelain and your art collections!

It is an appeal and an avowal of love too - for the musicians, for the city, for a 475-yearold

tradition that never gathers dust but is constantly renewing itself.

The gala concert of September 22, 2023 is more than a celebration of the past: it

is an affirmation of what remains present - that Dresden light that streams forth from

this recording.