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Franz Liszt Music
Festival |
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The 3rd Music Festival
of Anhalt-Bernburg took place in Ballenstedt on 22 and 23 June, 1852. Franz
Liszt, at that time Director of Music at the Weimar court, was in charge of
the musical direction and called it the first future music festival.
Scientists of the Music University "Franz Liszt" at Weimar refer to it as
the first important music event of the Neudeutsche Schule (New German
School) around Liszt, Wagner and Berlioz, a milestone in the development of
music in Germany. It was the first time that the musical ideas of the
composers extended far beyond the Weimar borders.
Although composers like
Gluck, Beethoven and Mendelssohn-Bartholdy were also represented, the
programme was a clear commitment to the new music style of that time: three
compositions by Richard Wagner and pieces by Berlioz, Liszt and Raff set the
priorities. The size of the orchestra (84 musicians) and that of the choir (more
than 200 singers) and their compositions were really sensational for that
period. The orchestra was made up of musicians of the court orchestras of
Weimar, Sondershausen and Ballenstedt. The choir united singers from Leipzig
(the students' choir "Pauliner"), Dessau, Halle, Bernburg and Ballenstedt.
Programme of the Music Festival 1852 (in German)