Known more for it’s destruction than music at this point, Dresden is rebuilding both architecturally and artistically. There are some wonderful musical offerings in the area and it is definitely worth the trip.
Theaterpltaz 2
+49 0 351 / 4 91 17 05
Cost: €20 to €120, but tickets are very difficult to obtain, so plan accordingly.
Richard Wagner premiered quite a few works here, including Tannhäuser and Richard Strauss had over twenty-one premieres in this space( Salome, Der Rosenkavalier and Elektra among them). It is the home of the Saxon State Opera Dresden and the Staatskapelle Dresden. The Staatskapellle Dresden was founded by Carl Maria von Weber in 1817. The opera is off from mid-July to mid-August for a summer break.
The space was built between 1871-1878 by Manfred Semper.
The Carl Maria von Weber Museum is located at
Dresdener Straße 44
01326 Dresden
+49 0 351 / 261 8234
Opening Hours: Wednesday-Sunday from 1-6pm
Cost: €3
Carl Maria von Weber and his wife spent summers here from 1818-1819 and 1822-1824. The operas Der Freischütz, Euryanthe and Oberon were composed here. The collection also includes manuscripts and letters. There are events and performances here sporadically.
If you would like to get out of town for a little while and explore the area where Richard Wagner spent his childhood, head to the tiny town of Possendorf south of Dresden. There is not train service to Possendorf, but there is a bus service from the Dresden Hauptbahnhof to the Schulestraße (Bus 360). Although undocumented as to the exact location, Wagner attended Pastor Wetzel’s School in Possendorf from 1820-1827.
For a more comprehensive look at the life of Richard Wagner, make sure to head to the small town of Graupa, south of Dresden. There is not train service to Graupa with a direct route from the Dresden Hauptbahnhof to the Am Scloß, Pirna-Graupa(Bus 66 or 63).
Richard-Wagner-Straße 6
01796 Pirna OT Graupa
+49 0 35 01 / 54 82 29
Email: wagnermuseum@pirna.de
Opening Hours: Tuesday-Sunday and Holidays: 9am-12noon and 1-4pm
Called the Lohengrin Houst, this museum houses many artifacts from Richard Wagner’s life and career as well as has a regular concert series with lectures.
The Dresden Philharmonic is housed in the ultra-modern Kulturpalast
Schlossstraße 2 (Altmarkt)
01032 Dresden
Tram: 3 or 5
Ticket Hotline: +49 0 351 / 48 66 666
Ticket cost: €14-€50
This facility is also used as one of the main conference and performance centers for out of town performances. Summer concerts are also performed from June-August in the courtyards of the Zwinger.
For something a little lighter, the Staatsoperette presents light opera, musicals and Gilbert and Sullivan style productions.
There performance space is at:
Pirnaer Landstraße 31
+49 0 351 / 2 07 99 29
The space is located approximately 5 km southeast of the city center.
Tram: 4
Other light-music options are:
Dresden Kabarett-Theater “Die Herkulskeule”
Sternplatz 1
+49 0 4 92 55 55
Tonne- Jazz Club
Am Brauhaus
+49 0 8 02 60 17
Am Brauhaus 8B
Neustadt district
+49 0 351 / 65 23 900
Tram 11 or Bus 91
Reservations required.
Traditional fare with live music Monday-Saturday from 8pm-midnight. In house brewery as well.
The many churches of Dresden have excellent music programs. Some of them include:
Kreuzkirche (Evangelical Lutheran)
An der Kreuzkirche 6
01067 Dresden
+49 0 351 / 43 9 39 20
Ticket office: +49 0 351 / 496 58 07 / konzertkasse@kreuzkirche-dresden.de
Monday-Friday from 10am-6pm and Saturday from 10am-2pm
The famous Boy Choir, numbering over 400 singers, is housed here and they have regular performances at 5pm on Saturday. There are also five organs and a cembalo in the space.
Katholische Hofkirche (Cathedral)
Schlossplatz
+49 0 351 / 48 44 712
Opening Hours: Monday-Friday from 8:30am-6pm, Saturday from 10am-4pm and Sunday from 1:30-4pm
Tours (German Only): Monday-Thursday at 2pm, and Saturday at 1pm and 2pm
Cost for tour: €3
Interesting 18th century organ which was the last and biggest project of Gottfried Silbermann (see Silbermann museum information below)
Frauenkirche (The Church of Our Lady)
Georg-Treu-Platz 3
01067 Dresden
+49 0 351 / 656 06 100
Email: stiftung@frauenkirche-dresden.de
Tram: 1,2, 4 or 12 at Atmarkt or 3, 6, 7 at Pirnaischer Platz
Bus: Route 75 at Prinaischer Platz
Opening Hours: Monday-Friday from 10am-12noon and 1-6pm
Tram: 4 or 8
Guided tours(German only): At the end of every devotion or vesper, which is usually Monday-Saturday at 12noon and Monday-Friday at 6pm. The tour last approximately one hour and is free. Attending the devotion or vesper is required to participate in the tour.
Dome tours: Pre-booking only with a minimum of 15 and a maximum of 25 people (€10/person). The tour last approximately one hour.
Built in 1726 and destroyed in the attacks on February 13, 1945, the Frauenkirche stood in ruins as a reminder/memorial for the events of World War II. Restoration began in 1993 and the consecration of the new building occurred on October 30, 2005.
There are regular concert performances throughout the year by both the church ensembles as well as outside musicians.
Am Scloß 3
09623 Frauenstein/Erzgebirge
+49 0 37326 / 1224
Email: fva-frauenstein@frauenstein-erzgebirge.de
Opening Hours: May-October: 9am-5pm
November-April: Monday-Friday, 9am-12pm and 1-4pm / Saturday and Sunday, 10am-12pm and 1-4pm
Silbermann was the state organ builder for the Duke of Saxony and there are 31 Silbermann Baroque organs in original condition in Saxony. Some of the churches are located in: Rötha, Schweikershain, Ponitz, Reichenbach, Zöblitz, Fraureuth and other locations.
