“Richard Ist Leipziger”

“Richard ist Leipziger” ur sister society, the Richard-Wagner- International, the Verband honored Wagner’s Verband Leipzig, whose motto is death 129 years ago with a ceremony, in their ORichard ist Leipziger, certainly has the tradition, at his statue near the Oper Leipzig that strongest claim to being the first host for the included the laying of a wreath and a perform- composer’s 200th birthday. As previously ance by a wind quartet from the Johann reported here, announcements and preparations Sebastian Bach Conservatory. for Richard Wagner 2013, including the Also of interest is their series Leipziger Congress of the Richard-Wagner-Verband- Beiträge zur Wagner-Forschung of which International, started in grand style this spring Wener P. Seifert’s Richard Wagner in der DDR: during the world’s largest tourism fair, held in Versuch einer Bilanz is Volume 4. The list of Berlin. Die Deutsche Zentrale für Tourismus publications in the series may be accessed on selected Richard Wagner as the theme for their their website, and they have announced that the 2013 campaign, with Leipzig and the young papers to be presented during the international Wagner in Leipzig and middle Germany as the musicology conference (part of the R-W-V-I focus. If any of the 70 journalists present during Congress) will be published by Beiträge in the the press presentation had not realized the spring of 2013. For a bit of humor, see the car- importance of Leipzig and its environs for the toons about Wagner that were created by Klaus musical development of Wagner, there could no Härig at the request of the Verband. They, as longer be any doubt, thanks to the information well as the Beiträge, may be ordered at the R- from Thomas Krakow, president of our sister W-V Leipzig website. society. In a lighter vein, our sister society coordinat- Thomas is coordinator for the Leipzig 2013 ed with a Leipzig group called Notenspur- Richard Wagner Year, and he works directly Initiative; their aim is to have the audience from the Oberbürgermeister’s office. Hotel experience the great Leipzig music traditions, reservations and requests for opera and concert of which Richard Wagner is part, both in sound performances are reaching impressive numbers. and sight. A program of early Wagner songs and I am pleased that a group of 30 knowledgeable other compositions, interspersed with readings opera lovers from the Albany-Troy area will be from Mein Leben, and made “real” by costumed among the celebrants of Wagner’s birthday on participants from Wagner to Minna Planer, May 22, 2013, in Leipzig. Our tour group will made for a delightful presentation. attend operas and concerts in Leipzig and The Verband had a busy travel schedule. Dresden, visit venues significant for Wagner During the spring the Cercle Richard from Lauchstädt to Graupa, to Weimar and Wagner–Lyon invited them to concerts and Eisenach, and end in Bayreuth. A non- opera as well as wine tasting (Lyon was the site Wagnerian visit will be Goerlitz, my hometown, of the establishment of the Richard-Wagner- which the German National Trust considers one Verband-International in 1991). This trip en- of the best preserved and most beautiful cities gendered a six-day fall visit “auf den Spuren for buildings from Renaissance to Jugendstil. Richard Wagners” in Lithuania and Latvia. In addition to planning and creating programs The efforts by the Richard-Wagner-Verband for the Leipzig Wagner Year and the Annual Leipzig to maintain open channels and synergy Congress of the Richard-Wagner-Verband- with Wagner associations both West and East is 10 bearing fruit by establishing memorials in the Wagner. We applaud and wish them continued Baltic states and Kalinigrad (Königsberg) and success! by drawing together Verbände in middle HANNELORE WILFERT Germany, the formative world for the young Greetings from the Richard-Wagner-Verband Leipzig Dear Friends of the Leipziger Richard Wagner in highly influential opera director, Joachim Herz, who New York and all of America! produced many Wagner operas in Leipzig. Thirty- Years of intensive preparations are behind us and the seven years later plans are to stage the Ring again, anniversary of Wagner’s 200th birthday beckons us. which in 1878 began its worldwide triumph here in The slogan of our Verband “Richard ist Leipziger” is Leipzig. The Master was born here, nurtured, and now also the slogan of the City of Leipzig. We will fully educated as a musician and composer. Our anni- showcase this to Leipzig residents as well as to their versary program also includes Der fliegende guests from around the world. Holländer, Die Meistersinger, and Parsifal. Young, In coordination with the Bayreuther Festspiele, ambitious talents of the Musikhochschule are having Oper Leipzig together with the Gewandhausorchester a go at the composer’s Die Hochzeit that exists only will present Wagner’s early works. Die Feen, Das as a fragment. Those are only a few of our offerings. Liebesverbot, and Rienzi are planned for our wonder- Whoever speaks of Wagner and Leipzig also ful art deco opera house with a stage that is larger includes many other composers: Johann Sebastian than the Bayreuth Festspielhaus. Bach in the 18th century and Mendelssohn, Schumann, Grieg, and Lortzing in the 19th century: Leipzig was the capital of Romantic music, equaled only by Vienna. You’ve not yet experienced Leipzig? Then come and discover our cultural treasures in a singular architectural environment: from the 17th-century town hall, to Auerbach’s Keller, to the reuse of for- mer industrial centers as new “in” residences—all connected with canals and more waterways than Venice. Leipzig is almost 1,000 years “young,” and if you join us in celebrating Richard Wagner’s 200th birthday you can experience it all. With warmest regards, Leipzig Opera House. The Leipzig Opera was es- Thomas Krakow, President tablished in 1693 and has an illustrious history. Richard-Wagner-Verband Leipzig In 1973–1976, Leipzig was privileged to experience a ground-breaking and acclaimed Ring produc- For further information (in several languages) tion (in both the Eastern and Western press) by the about Wagner’s roots and the 2013 program, please go to www.richard-wagner-leipzig.de 11.

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