After their successful tour last year, Staatskapelle Dresden of Germany came back to China once again.

The live broadcast outside the Chiang Kai-Shek Cultural Center on October 28th

After their successful tour last year, Staatskapelle Dresden of Germany came back to China once again, performing in Taipei, Shanghai and Beijing from October 28th to November 3rd. They gave five prestigious concerts for music lovers in China. Conducted by Maestro Christian Thielemann, the Staatskapelle Dresden’s tour was a big event in China’s classical music scene. Music fans in China were impressed and excited by their performances. The Staatskapelle Dresden 2012 China tour was sponsored by “Volkswagen Import - THE PHAETON”, a flagship model of Volkswagen which was also born in Dresden.

Maestro Thielemann, during the performance on the 31st of October at the Shanghai Grand Theatre

With a history of nearly five centuries, Staatskapelle Dresden gained a high reputation. Known as one of the ten top orchestras in the world, the rich, deep and refined music quality fascinated the audience. During this tour, they performed:"Tristan and Isolde" Vorspiel & Liebestod, "Tannhauser" Overture, and "Rienzi" Overture by Wagner, Symphony No.7 by Bruckner and Symphony No.1 by Brahms. These compositions belong to the classic and traditional repertoires of the orchestra, and Maestro Thielemann whom regarded as the leading exponent of the Austro-Germanic tradition, is an expert at conducting this type of music. Under the baton of Thielemann, and praised as a “living fossil” in the circle of classical music, the Staatkapelle Dresden has a great talent to create a refined and accurate tone color that represents a strong Germanic style. The charms of the orchestra’s sound were like a magic instrument that seized the heart of the audience. The elegant style of Thielemann was also admired by classical music enthusiasts.

Maestro Thielemann and Staatskapelle Dresden winning a great success at the NCPA on November 3rd

The autumn drizzle that accompanied Staatskapelle Dresden’s China tour did not quench the enthusiasm of the audience. On October 28th, the orchestra staged at the Chiang Kai-Shek Cultural Center in Taipei. Although, it was raining, thousands of people gathered at the square, to enjoy the concert which was presented on screen outside the theater. After the concert, Thielemann went outside to salute the music fans. The audience at the square gave him a warm applause. The performance in Shanghai, on October 30th, won a full house and the concert which was also shown on screen outside attracted lots of people. The drizzle had turned into a drench shower on November 3rd when Staatskapelle Dresden gave their fifth and last concert of this tour. The last performance which took place in Beijing was brilliant; the audiences gave a standing ovation and called Thielemann back to the stage over and over again. After the concert, many music lovers still gathered in front of the stage and applauded, they didn’t want to leave. The Staatskapelle Dresden tour had made a deep impression on the Chinese audience, or as the review in the Beijing Times stated: It was the best performance of 2012 by a foreign orchestra in Beijing.