Donaueschingen Festival
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The Donaueschingen Festival ('Donaueschinger Musiktage') is a new music festival that takes place every October in the small town of Donaueschingen. Founded in 1921, it is the oldest and most traditional festival for contemporary music in the world.
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[edit] History
In 1913, the Donaueschingen Society of Friends of Music is founded under the protectorate of the House of Fuerstenberg. Soon arises the idea to establish a small festival to present young and promising artists. In spring 1921, an honorable committee meets the first time to discuss possible formats of the event, among them Ferruccio Busoni, Hans Pfitzner, Arthur Nikisch and Richard Strauss.
Only a few months later the first concert is organized. On 31. July 1921 the Donaueschingen Chamber Music Performances for the advancement of contemporary music inaugurate with world premiers by Alois Hába, Ernst Krenek and Paul Hindemith. Three years later, guests include Schoenberg, Webern and Hauer, main representers of the Viennese twelve-tone technique. In 1925, the chamber music groups are expanded by a choir so that vocal works are performed; one year later, the programme includes music for wind orchestra. With experimental forms of music and art like Oskar Schlemmer's 'Triadic Ballet' the festival becomes more and more appealing for musicians and composers.
In 1927, the festival is relocated to Baden-Baden. During 1931 - 1933, 1935, 1940 - 1945 and 1948/1949 all concerts are cancelled. Instead of the original chamber music series, the National-Socialist party organizes their own concerts from 1933 to 1935, called 'Donaueschingen Musical Celebration' or 'Old and new chamber-music from the Swabian-Alemannic region'.
After the war, the Society of Friends of Music is able to reestablish the festival under the name Donaueschingen Festival of Contemporary Music. A co-operation between the South-West German Radio Baden-Baden and its orchestra shifts the program emphasis to larger orchestral works. In 1951, Olivier Messiaen and his student Pierre Boulez present premiers, along with older compositions by Hindemith and Bartok.
In 1972, the Karl Sczuka Prize for hörspiel is awarded for the first time during the festival. Since 1993, every festival has its own theme.
[edit] List of selected composers
1921:Alban Berg, Alois Hába,Ernst Krenek, Philipp Jarnach, Anton Webern, Arnold Schönberg, Josef Matthias Hauer, Paul Hindemith.
1925: Hanns Eisler, Paul Dessau, Igor Strawinsky.
1927: Kurt Weill, Darius Milhaud.
1951-1960: Pierre Boulez, Olivier Messiaen, Hans Werner Henze, Karlheinz Stockhausen, Bernd Alois Zimmermann, Luigi Nono, Earle Brown, John Cage, Henri Pousseur, Iannis Xenakis, Luciano Berio, Elliott Carter, Mauricio Kagel, Edgard Varèse, Krzysztof Penderecki.
1961-1980: György Ligeti, Heinz Holliger, Alfred Schnittke, Dieter Schnebel, Wolfgang Rihm, Helmut Lachenmann, Hans Zender, Brian Ferneyhough, Peter Eötvös, Younghi Pagh-Paan.
Since 1981: Klaus Huber, Mathias Spahlinger, Dror Feiler, Antoine Beuger, Olga Neuwirth, Julio Estrada, Peter Ablinger, Diego Minciacchi, Bendedict Mason, Silvia Fómina, Frederic Rzewski, Misato Mochizuki, Jörg Widmann, Mark Andre.
[edit] Sources
- Josef Häusler: Spiegel der Neuen Musik: Donaueschingen. Chronik – Tendenzen – Werkbesprechungen. Kassel (19969 – ISBN 3761812329
- Bennwitz, Hanspeter: Donaueschingen und die Neue Musik 1921-1955. Donaueschingen (1955).
