Philharmonix

The last concert tickets were for Anne Sophie Mutter in the "Alte Oper Frankfurt". The concert was cancelled, though, and all music for a year came from loudspeakers. Concerts, theatres, libraries, museums and cinemas were among the few things I really missed in the Covid-era - I think we can call it "era" by now. And so did most like-minded people.

Finally, the first concert was an exceptional event, not just because the ensemble was great, but also because it was an event at all. The "Philharmonix" played in the Rheingau Musikfestival in the Wiesbaden Kurhaus. It was brilliantly played, arranged, light-heartedly presented and funny. So, no surprise, it received standing ovations by the culture starved audience. I also liked to see that the audience was relatively young for a "classical" concert. Hygiene rules were implemented strictly. So was the verification of vaccination certificates. It did not feel in any way an infection risk. I think, like this, cultural life can resume.

New infection numbers are rising in Germany though - slightly, but the trend is up. Of course, this is an effect of relaxed measures and lax handling of hygiene rules by the Covid-fatigued population. What worries me a bit is that there is also vaccination fatigue creeping in. That could be dangerous. Not even to mention the format chosen for the European Soccer Championship. Congratulations to Italy, by the way.

Philharmonix - Swing on Beethoven

Hairdressers are more creative than artists

Lockdown is extended in Germany. Barbers will be allowed to open a little earlier than other businesses. The preferential treatment of hair saloons is a government reaction to curb the black market. I wish there would also be a black market for theatres, libraries, museums, cinemas and galleries. Obviously, hairdressers are more creative than artists when it comes to bending the rules in their interest. Scissors are sold out also. They are the new toilet paper. Of course, I would not break the law to get a haircut. So I will fly to Malta to get a hair cut there. Problem solved. I like travelling during a crisis time because all the amateurs are out of the game. Finally, travel is an adventure again. And at the same time, even a public plane has the space of a private jet.

Out with Eddie in Hundsrück.

Germany is also nice, sunny but chilling cold, with -13°C at night and 0C at max. The best thing to do, besides a bit of “home office” (a term I have not fully understood yet), is to go out, look at the garden and stroll around in the forest. This spring will be a transition, not just from winter to summer, but also from closed to open, I guess. The vaccination’s start in Germany was shaped by production shortages. Slower than expected, the curve is picking up. Interesting to see, was also, how our political system “worked”. It is deliberately designed in a decentral manner, where the provinces can veto and overrule federal decisions. This is, of course, a very good way to cater decisions to the local situation and also avoid “one crazy guy in Berlin” can flip the whole country into a disaster, as we learned tragically from experience. But now, the “crazy guys” are not in Berlin, but clearly in some of the provincial governments. Or perhaps better to put it, is not “crazy”, but just incompetent and interested in catering for their political career by catering into their electoral base. They blocked a proper lockdown before Christmas, and that’s why 2021 started in a mess. Now luckily, it got a little better, but with the new virus mutations spreading (faster), it does not look like we are out of the woods yet.

"It was beautiful to fill your silence"

Since my return from Lebanon, I have been busy with preparing the B+L Zukunftsforum. It is an annual event of B+L to present views on the future of the construction supply industry and discuss them with clients. There are always two main blocks. One is the presentation of the forecasts of volumes in residential and non-residential construction by regions and countries. This data is also provided in the Global Building Monitor (GBM), which is the data portal of B+L. But in the event, we also have the chance to tell the story behind the numbers, and especially when we divert from numeric models to quantify the effects of policy changes, this becomes extremely interesting. The other block is to discuss work on future trends affecting the industry, such as digitalization, demographic changes, and their impact on the demand side and shifts in the distribution channels. It was an excellent event, and we start joking that Cologne is the "Davos of the Construction Material Industry." But seriously, there is a lot of expertise and experience on parade, which is far different from a "conference" but displays facts and figures for the industry.

Already during that preparation and unfortunately ongoing, I was busy with moving. This became a complete nightmare, so I was happy to get away for a concert of Cristina Branco in Bad Homburg as part of the Rheingau Musik Festival. I like Portuguese Fado and also her interpretation of it, which became more modern over the years. What surprised me was the age structure of the audience, which was more on the old side. It may be that the marketing of the Rheingau Musik Festival did not reach a younger audience, or also that Bad Homburg is a spa and retirement town. But if this would be the target group of Fado, then about half of the audience would be dead in 20 years, and with it a big part of this culture. The quote of Ms. Branco, which made me laugh, was when she thanked the audience with: "It was beautiful to fill your silence." That's about how passionate it can get when you sing for Germans in Bad Homburg.

Museum Concert in the Old Opera, Frankfurt

The Old Opera House in Frankfurt is one of the landmark buildings. In 1987 the Opera caught fire and it took 3 years and 200 Million EUR to rebuild it from the ashes of what became the largest such disaster since World War II. The fire was set by a homeless who broke into the building through a side window. Frustrated that he did not find food, he gathered some newspapers and burned down the building. Now, what looks old from outside, is just the plain opposite when you enter. It's more modern than the New Opera of town, with excellent seating and acoustics.

Last Monday, I was in the 4.th Museum Concert directed by Tung-Chieh Chuang with the Frankfurter Opern- und Museumsorchester (Frankfurt Opera and Museum Orchestra) and Kian Soltani cello. It was Georges Bizet Symphony in C Major, Camille Saint-Saëns Cello concerto Nr. 1 in a minor op. 33 and after the break Igor Strawinsky Petruschka (in the 1947 edition). It was nice and I really enjoyed the evening. Such concerts are more "meditative" than opera and a good start into the week.

Snapshot of the interior of the Old Opera House Frankfurt, taken during the break of the 4th Museum Concert.

Reut Regev's R*Time

Summer in Frankfurt is coming to a climax with 37 degrees Celsius. During this time, when theatres are in their Summer break, Der Palmengarten (Frankfurt's botanical garden) offers a series of open air concerts and events. Yesterday, is was Reut Regev's R*Time initiated by the Jazz-Initiative-Frankfurt. I really liked it. First of all the music and show itself, and secondly the atmosphere and the great spirit of the audience. How better can you spend a mid summer evening, than sitting in a palm garden (on the grass) with great music and a glas of wine? What did surprise me though, was the age distribution of the visitors. I clearly was at the lower bracket. Well, this concert was really cool, with complex music and great fun. And it is even more strange, because Bockenheim is the University area of Frankfurt am Main, and still no young people around. Perhaps they did not find it, because there was no "app"? Perhaps it was too expensive? I don't think so: at a reduced rate applicable to students the ticket was EUR 6.00 (US$ 6.98). Perhaps I should go to some of "their events" to find out. Let me download an app first.

Reut Regev and Igal Foni performing with band in the Palmengarten on 27.07.2018. My apologies for the photo quality.

Gallic Music for Cello & Piano

If you google "Gallic Music", you might end up with "Gaelic Music", which is about the Scottish equivalent of German humpapa music (better though). This is how the google algorithm, by following the masses, can put you on the wrong track. Of course you don't google anyways but you ixquick, if you don't want somebody advertising you the wrong music for the rest of you life.

When I bought myself a ticket to the Teatru Manoel for yesterday's performance of "Gallic Music for Cello & Piano", I just wanted to have something to ambulate to, between campus and home. Had no expectation. Then, it was great! Of course, I knew it would be Gallic (not Gaelic) and turned out to be an homage to La belle Epoque, in an extremely good interpretation. The cellist was Sebestian Hurtaud, a young man with a special style of expression with his instrument, and at the piano was Bruno Canino, who was of amazing lightness and you could feel the twinkle in the eye of a master who has "seen it all". It was also my first visit to the Teatru Manoel, built in 1731 by Antonio Manoel de Vilhena, Grand Master of the Knights of Malta. It is a wonderful wonderful place. 

I was thinking of how to illustrate this post graphically, and lacking an own photo, I took a painting of Giovanni Boldini in the spirit of La Belle Epoque, portraying the perhaps first "Supermodel" in history: Cleo de Merode. 

Giovanni Boldini (1901): Cleo de Merode. Perhaps the first "Supermodel" in history (Copyright creative commons)