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Boos and shouts of bravo: The Donaueschinger Music Days 2025 begin!
The Donaueschinger Musiktage 2025 celebrates 75 years of SWR with mixed reactions to François-Xavier Roth's opening concert.
Boos and shouts of bravo: The Donaueschinger Music Days 2025 begin!
What's new in Donaueschingen? The Donaueschinger Musiktage 2025 began on October 19th with a lot of noise and some quiet sounds. Under the motto “75 Years of SWR”, the festival not only celebrates a long tradition, but also the important partnership with SWR. This collaboration is highlighted as a sign of cultural stability, as SWR program director Anke Mai emphasizes. The SWR's chief conductor has been opening since 1950, and this time François-Xavier Roth was at the podium - but not without mixed reactions from the audience.
The Music Days, which take place from October 16th to 19th, are the oldest festival for new music in the world. Almost 10,000 visitors from more than 15 countries can look forward to a varied program that includes a total of 23 premieres and first performances. Artists like Philippe Leroux, Turgut Erçetin, Imsu Choi and Mark Andre are taking part this year. A hot tip: Tabea Zimmermann makes her debut with a work by Georges Aperghis, and the opening promises to be a real feast for the ears.
A contrasting start
The opening concert on October 17th will be organized by the SWR Symphony Orchestra, and sound installations are already on the program. Roth's performance received a mixed reception: While the orchestra received a warm welcome, the conductor received mixed reactions, ranging from boos to bravos. These tensions are also reflected in the works that are performed. Mark Andres' premiere "Im Unfalten. In memory of Pierre Boulez" is described as quiet and beautiful, while Turgut Erçetin's "There speaks a silence, faceting beyond enclosures" receives much applause. In contrast, Imsu Choi's "Miro" falls flat for conventional effect, and Philippe Leroux's "Paris, Banlieue" was met with less than enthusiastic boos.
Café culture and discussions
The festival offers more than just concerts: In addition to the musical performances, the program also includes sound installations, discussions and workshops. The Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde Donaueschingen organizes the event together with the city of Donaueschingen and the SWR - a collaboration that is characterized by the Federal Cultural Foundation and other sponsors. The musical journey is rounded off by live broadcasts on SWR Kultur, which also promote the festival to the outside world. Special: For residents of the Schwarzwald-Baar district there are tickets at a preferential price of 12 EUR. These are available at the tourist information center and via the ticket shop.
In summary, it can be said that the Donaueschinger Music Days 2025 will be in full swing with a colorful mix of challenges and celebrations. Despite the excitement, the SWR Symphony Orchestra and the invited artists are ready to open up new sonic horizons to the audience. This year we can look forward to the development of the audience's reactions and the further performances, although the coming evenings could still have a few surprises in store.
Further information about the Donaueschinger Musiktage 2025 can be found on the festival's official website: backstageclassical.com, presseportal.de and donaueschingen.de.