Celebrate the end of 2011 with Christian Thielemann and the Staatskapelle Dresden
The end of this year awaits us again with a wonderful highlight in the Semperoper Dresden: on December 30 and 31th Christian Thielemann and the Staatskapelle Dresden are presenting the New Year’s Eve Concert for the second time. With operettas from Franz Lehár, it certainly will be a cheerful and festive way of celebrating the end of 2011. Already in 2010, the Semperoper’s audience as well as those watching the concert on television were delighted by Christian Thielemann’s sweeping conducting. Where else is it possible to hear splendid music on a world class level?
For this year Christian Thielemann has chosen a programme consisting of works of Franz Lehár, which were supposed to be presented by Anna Netrebko and Erwin Schrott. Unfortunately, the two artists have cancelled their participation at short notice, although both of them were looking forward to be once more collaborating with the Staatskapelle Dresden and Christian Thielemann. The artist’s agency announces in an official statement: »Unfortunately Anna Netrebko and Erwin Schrott agreed, that it is not possible for them to prepare adequately for the concert in the allocated time in order to appear on their usual high-class level. Both artists are awfully sorry to disappoint the Dresden audience and the viewing public. However, they sincerely hope to postpone their participation in this wonderful project to a subsequent date.«
We, the Staatskapelle Dresden, the Semperoper Dresden as well as the ZDF deeply regret this cancellation, but at the same time we are very glad to announce that we were able to find two wonderful singers, who will participate in the concert together with the star tenor Piotr Bezcala. The soprano singers Angela Denoke and Ana Maria Labin, both of holding reputations of belonging to the top-of-the-range-singers nowadays, were fortunately able to fit in the dates of the New Year’s Eve Concert into their schedules. Christian Thielemann supported this decision personally and highly appreciates the singer’s attendance to join the concert.
Angela Denoke is one of the leading German soprano singers and has been repeatedly honoured »Singer of the Year« by the German magazine »Opernwelt«. She regularly appears on the major opera houses of the world, including New York’s MET or the Vienna State Opera. The Dresden audience knows her as one of the best Wagner and Strauss performers.
The young Rumanian singer Ana Maria Labin is still at the beginning of an exceptional international career and has been celebrated for her interpretation of Valencienne in Franz Lehár’s »The Merry Widow« in Milan’s La Scala.
On December 30 and 31th, Christian Thielemann and the Staatskapelle Dresden together with Angela Denoke, Ana Maria Labin and Piotr Bezcala will present the planned repertoire of Franz Lehár’s highlights from operettas. Furthermore, the State Choir of the Semperoper Dresden will be part of this high-end concert.
