one Enters the unassuming multi-purpose hall in the Ruhr area city of Moers, the first thing you see is the Corona-related precautions, which you already know: On the floor of the ENNI event hall with separate inputs and outputs and the minimum clearances shown. Hand disinfecting stations are available, it mask is compulsory.
The food issue to the press stand is intended only for employees. Not too many representatives of the press come at the same time in the hall, the number of tickets for the strictly limited, when Leaving the hall you must give it back. And the audience? Sitting at home and followed the Live Streams. Only the employees and a few journalists are allowed.
The hall is a dark room, the chairs are spaced far apart and may not be crazy, a technology Arsenal of cameras, microphones, monitors, mixing consoles and cables. Two stages are set up on the opposite sides of the hall. On the a a a a dark backdrop is a huge fawn, a space ship, a tent.
Finally,
For all of the musicians with whom I can talk on the second day of the Moers festival, may games, it is the first post-Corona occurs. All are overjoyed. “Now I have the feeling that the life starts again,” says Silke Eberhard. The German saxophonist, has been asked by the Festival, a six-member female Formation to put together: two percussionists, Keyboard, piano, saxophone, and voice. It was the first meeting of the project “51%”; the Name refers to the female proportion of the world’s population. Who had not yet liberated themselves from stereotypes and a bit of Gentle expected, was disabused. The Six turned on, a sound of the avalanche was followed by the other. The cool game is likely to even have the Computer, the Livestream spectators in the domestic living room to the Trembling brought.
The musicians for this performance get used to it, so Silke Eberhard: “Normally, you love to play close to each other and to feel the energy of the other. If you want to keep two meters or more distance, it is different. Now it is: It raises the tones. But that also has a quality. But of course, we have on-stage monitors. The also helps.” DW/R. Fulker Invigorating for the artist interview: interview room.
In the hall of the electronics is omnipresent. On the screens Miss Unimoers provides a distraction for the eye; it is represented by a man with a blond wig and a space suit and shows as a time traveler 49 years of German history – the period of time that exists, the Moers Festival. The failure to act in front of the Bluescreen, infiltrate and take the people as the artistic Director in Moers, Tim Isfort.
No taboos, even classical
The Festival is not afraid of no genre. But Classical Music? Many of the supposedly free-thinking music lovers, the tolerance stops there. But not in Moers. On the first day of Musi, the Auner Quartet from Vienna graced the live stream. On the darkened stage, four musicians sit in a Tuxedo or evening dress and play in front of empty chairs, a late string Quartet by Ludwig van Beethoven. It goes to Mark and the opponents ‘ legs: incredibly sad, poignant, uplifting. In the backdrop of the fawn closes the eyes, while Miss Unimoers, to be placed, otherwise all sorts of anarchic actions, watching reverently.
The five female voices of the Formation Sjaella and the strings of the Auner Quartet Repertoire with works from Purcell to Beethoven to bring. Quite different is the Formation of the valve to the vocal artist Ute Wassermann. “There’s nothing at all for the feast this evening,” she says. “Build-up, Soundcheck, and then we played.” It is the first meeting of the five-man free-jazz Formation. The first half of the set looks anarchic, in the second half of the musical structures to be felt. You will experience, as the musicians gradually to each other.
The emphatic game from valve symbol, perhaps, is the Situation of freelance artists, which are due in March existing event and travel ban in front of the abyss. “I had the shock of everything wegschwamm,” says Aquarius. “And then there was Berlin-fast and non-bureaucratic emergency aid. Now, if it could go from fall, Winter, more…” Can be the existence of fear is not productive? “Actually, I found it quite nice to come to rest”, in the affirmative you. To be “almost back to a student: study, read, do everything, what you actually has no time, if you’re in a hamster wheel.”
the border and border crossing
For the three boys of PoiL from France, the promised financial Artists is in the past. “We will continue to make music, but we don’t know how. We are in wait-and-see attitude,” says Bassist Boris Cassone. For the Pass through of the closed border to Germany, the three were armed with all the necessary documents – and it happened: nothing. In these strange times, this is a message. PoiL, through composed pieces with crazy Song elements. Two members of the band, the drummer Guilhem Meier and Keyboard artist Antoine Arnera, also as a soloist: Meier with a sound Arsenal of his Drum kit, Arnera alias Gwyn sausage with a energy-giving, late-night Keyboard-use.
Twelve appearances of the day: How to keep the stream consumer? Variety is not only due to the various styles of music, but also in the approximately ten-minute breaks Between Interviews with artists, read news, and photos shown, the sending the audience gathered in the tent via the Hashtag #club. One does not write, she was for the first Time in 44 years. This gives an impression of the Fidelity of the Moers audience.
applause canned
After the operations, also in between, gives the Moers-Community applause, however, in the Form of applause recordings from past vintages. Not always inspire the artists. “I find it disturbing,” says Antoine Arnera, “like a TV Sitcom. I have to laugh every Time. We are very accustomed to, in front of a screaming audience to play to. Here in Moers, it feels not quite like a Festival. But it is nice that you at least tried it. This is very important.”
In the case of the saxophonist Niels Klein, however, the Festival Feeling comes on quite. “A little bit more abstract this time,” he says, “kind of like a TV or radio recording. But at least a few people are sitting around. This gives a relaxed atmosphere, and a connection to the outside you also feel. It is good to use technology in this way.”
The Festival is not over yet
how many people I’ve come to this day, relatively close together? With 30? Or 40? It’s not a queasy feeling, nevertheless, The risk of the Virus capture was manageable. At a Festival with an audience that would be impossible. How long the crisis will last, no one can predict. In the meantime, has shown the Moers Festival in a viable way.
I’m glad to have been part of it, on the other hand, sad that it was only for a day. The Streams that are offered not only live, but also on-demand, there are more than a consolation. They stay also after the last day of the festival on whit Monday, may 1. June, online and can be accessed here.
author: Rick Fulker In the FOCUS Online/Wochit In the
*The contribution of “large-scale events for Corona: Digital Festival makes, as this year we celebrate” will be published by Deutsche Welle. Contact with the executives here.
Deutsche Welle
