Festival Art and Music between Pelmo and Civetta. At the court of Sassonia

The evocative Church of Santa Caterina in Dont hosts a concert dedicated to one of the most extraordinary chapters in the history of European music.

The audience is invited to embark on a journey through time to 18th century Dresden, when the Saxon capital was considered one of the most important musical centers on the continent. Here, musicians from Italy, France, and Germany came together, creating a vibrant, cosmopolitan, and extraordinarily creative cultural environment.

The Saxon court was famous for the quality of its instrumentalists and the richness of its musical chapel. The Electors of Saxony invited some of the best composers and virtuosos of their time to Dresden, transforming the city into an artistic laboratory where different languages, styles, and traditions met.

It was in this context that figures like Johann Georg Pisendel, an extraordinary violinist and concertmaster of the court orchestra, Antonio Vivaldi, who maintained intense artistic relationships with Dresden, Francesco Maria Veracini, Louis Marchand, and numerous other musicians contributed to shaping the face of 18th century European music.

Even Johann Sebastian Bach looked with interest at this reality, maintaining relations with various musicians active at the court.

The concert program reconstructs this extraordinary intertwining of cultural influences, alternating pieces by Italian, French, and German composers.

The compositions attest to how music was a language capable of transcending geographical boundaries, blending French elegance, Italian lyricism, and German contrapuntal rigor into a new, refined, and imaginative style. The dialogue between violin and organ allows us to capture the full variety of this repertoire, characterized by virtuosic passages and great timbral richness.

The performers of the evening are the violinist Sue-Ying Koang and the organist Vincent Bernhardt, internationally acclaimed musicians for their work in the field of early music and historically informed performance.

Through careful study of sources and original instruments, they present a reading of the repertoire that conveys freshness, balance, and authenticity, bringing the audience closer to the sound that these works might have had at the time of their composition.

Their musical dialogue highlights the refined writing of the composers and the ongoing quest for balance between technical brilliance and expressiveness.

Like the other events of the festival, this concert offers the opportunity to rediscover the historical and artistic heritage of the Val di Zoldo.

The Church of Santa Caterina, with its intimate atmosphere and its connection to the history of the local community, becomes an integral part of the listening experience.

The architecture, acoustics, and landscape context contribute to creating an environment in which music regains its original dimension, far from contemporary concert halls and deeply linked to the places for which much of it was conceived.

Attending this event means being guided on a journey through 18th century Europe without leaving the Dolomites.

The great music of the Saxon court meets the beauty of the Val di Zoldo, creating an experience that unites culture, history, and landscape.

An opportunity to discover how the small mountain villages can become privileged places for encountering a musical heritage that continues to inspire and narrate the extraordinary richness of European civilization.

Free admission.