An Elvis Song as Chamber Music: Moritzburg Looks to America

Hot-air balloonists accompany “Summertime”

In addition to Philip Glass’s String Quartet No. 5, the program also featured “Summertime” from George Gershwin’s “Porgy and Bess,” a piece by Astor Piazzolla (“Four for Tango”), and Antonín Dvořák’s String Quintet—his “American” String Quintet. During “Summertime,” a hot-air balloon from the “So geht sächsisch” promotional campaign created a scene straight out of a movie—the balloon flew low over Moritzburg Castle, causing a murmur among the audience.

Waterfowl made their chattering presence known only at the beginning

Unlike on previous days, the chattering of the waterfowl—Moritzburg Castle is completely surrounded by a pond—remained limited during the musical journey from the Hudson to the Mississippi. A large flock of gray geese flew away right at the start of the concert, leaving the music-making entirely to the professionals on stage this time.

Festival Academy with young artists from 19 countries

Running parallel to the festival is the 21st Moritzburg Festival Academy is taking place, featuring 41 young women and men from 19 nations. They form the Moritzburg Festival Orchestra under the baton of its Spanish chief conductor, Josep Caballé Domenech. Among other events, they will perform an orchestral concert at the Kulturpalast in Dresden and host a musical picnic in the park of Proschwitz Castle.

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