Magdeburg Telemann Festival 2026 Review: Festmusik & Otto
Gold, Shadows, and the European Bridge: A Tale of Two Telemanns at the Magdeburg Festival
By Mengguang Huang(Photo: Viktoria Kühne)
The 2026 biennial Magdeburg Telemann Festival reached its zenith this week, offering a rewarding musical marathon that spanned centuries of political and musical history. Over the course of a single day, the fe...
The article discusses the performance of "Otto," a Baroque opera by Handel at a festival primarily dedicated to Bach's works. This choice raises questions about the curatorial intentions and potential biases, as the focus on Handel seems discordant with the purpose of the festival. However, the performance itself received praise for its musical substance and the ensemble's ability to capture the subtle shift in compositional style between Handel and Telemann.
The visual production aspects of "Ot...
