Literary Music Performance GOETHE:DANTE 27. September 2025

#wort:klang

The literary performance GOETHE & DANTE in the baroque Salem Castle Library stages a fictional dialogue between J. W. von Goethe and Dante Alighieri - in cooperation with the District Culture Office (Kreiskulturamt). At the heart of this German premiere is an interplay between 19th-century musical settings of Goethe’s works and contemporary compositions based on Dante’s texts, specially created for this project by composer Caterina di Cecca. The music is complemented by recited translations of verses by both poets, performed by actors.

The performance begins with Goethe’s historically documented criticism of Dante’s Divine Comedy and unfolds into a dynamic dialogue between Goethe songs and Dante’s “musical responses.” A special emphasis is placed on the active participation of the audience: spectators will become part of the dialogue themselves through their own contributions of sound and words. A centrally located stage, two accessible balconies, and modern 3D sound design foster interaction and create an immersive experience in which voices and sounds seem to move throughout the space.

With this innovative approach, the project bridges tradition and modernity, offering an accessible and participatory encounter with the works of these two great European poets.

Participating artists: Theresa Kronthaler (mezzo-soprano), Mirella Vinciguerra (piano), Andrea Macaluso (actor), Marco Mantovani (sound design), and Christian Siegmund (director).

Admission: €25 (reduced €15). To purchase tickets, please email us at wortklang@1to1festival.de