RhineBuzz: March 2011

The Music Never Lets You Down

The to capacity filled Tonhalle on March 26

The solidarity concert for Japan in the Tonhalle on Saturday night was extraordinary.
Japanese conductor Yukata Sado led the Düsseldorfer Sypmphony Orchestra along with the WDR Symphony Orchestra, who played together for the first time. They were accompanied by the choirs of The Städische Musikverein, one of the oldest in Germany, and the WDR Rundfunkchor. When the over 120 strong choir sang the final movement of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, "Ode to Joy" there couldn't have been a person in the totally filled house of 1700, who didn't have goosebumps. It was incredibly moving and very powerful indeed.

The Japanese Consul-General and Düsseldorf Lord Mayor led a minute's silence at the end of the spectacular concert and urged Düsseldorfers to make donations to the German Red Cross, the City has begun the fund with €100,000 in solidarity with the 8,000 Japanese who live amongst us here in Düsseldorf.

After the concert I was curious as how such an event works. Orchestras playing together, choirs, a conductor from the other side of the world, all in such a short space of time ...
I was fortunate to run into Susan Jones, the chairman of the English Speakers Circle who has been singing with the Städische Musikverein for many, many years ... "Oh we all got together for the first time at 4.30pm this afternoon" she said joyfully. "Went over the bits the conductor did differently and here we now are." Performers are just incredible. I learn this everyday anew with each and everyone one that I meet.

Yoga in English with John Vilardo

New dates coming up soon!
John will be resuming his very popular course of yoga sessions in English at Holmes Place, Königsallee 59, Düsseldorf on the Sundays from
March 27 to April 17 at 1.30pm.

For further details, email John at guyj646@aol.com

Open Source Festival

The Editors
©Rebecca Miller
23 July 2011 Galopprennbahn Grafenberg Düsseldorf

The Open Source Festival is the brainchild of Philipp Maiburg, whom I recently interviewed as part of my research for the programme for the BBC on Düsseldorf as host of the Eurovision Song Contest. I'd been meaning to meet with Philipp for a while.

We certainly had lots to share. Philipp is involved in so many varied projects from fashion to music and I know that RhineBuzz will be working with him and one, or many, or his several great events in the future.

For now be aware that The Editors will be headlining The Open Source Festival at the Galopprennbahn in Grafenberg (race course) on July 23.
Also in the lineup are Mount Kimbie, listed by NME as one of the top 30 artists to watch out for in 2011, and Beat! Beat! Beat!
It promises to be a great day and night!

A limited number of Early Bird tickets are available now for just €19.00 (+ postage) here
Ticket prices include an entire day's great music at the Galopprennbahn from 2pm until 10pm, and then a free shuttle to the evening club venues in the city. Free public transport to the race course is also included with the Rheinbahn.

Open Source 2010

Philipp left our lunch at Olio's saying there were a handful of people in the city who really cared about what happened in Düsseldorf as regards to arts and culture, and who actually had the energy to do something about it. He seemed happy we had found one another.
I take that as a huge compliment! Thanks Philipp, I enjoyed meeting you too!

Solidarity Concert for Japan at the Tonhalle with the Düsseldorf Symphony Orchestra

All tickets were claimed within the first two hours of Friday morning!

The highly-respected Japanese conductor Yutaka Sado will be travelling from Japan to conduct the Düsseldorf Symphony Orchestra for a "concert of courage and strength" in solidarity with the Japanese community on March 26 at 8pm. The concert will take place at the Tonhalle under the patronage of the the Japanese Consul General Kiyoshi Koinuma and Düsseldorf Lord Mayor Dirk Elbers.

This concert will give the opportunity for hope, reflection and contemplation, it is not intended to be a concert of sadness. The masterpiece Beethoven's Ninth Symphony will be on the programme to offer support and a signal of the deep bond between the city of Düsseldorf and the Japanese community.

Tickets are free and can be collected from the Tonhalle from Friday March 18.
Please do not ask us to reserve tickets. We cannot do this.

Tonhalle

Ehrenhof 1

40479 Düsseldorf

Rhine Ballet b.07 Premiere

Frozen Echo
©Gert Weigelt

On Saturday February 19, I was at the Premiere of Martin Schläpfer's b.o7 as an Opera Scout. Despite being most unwell, I wouldn't have missed it for anything, such a die-hard fan of the Rhine Ballet I now am, and indeed, the evening was simply marvellous!
We were treated to three very contrasting pieces, each by a different choreographer, the first by the Dutch master of purism Hans van Manen, took us into the world of passion, men and women, erotic battles and breaking free with piece "Compositie". An elegant tale, minimalist and stunningly beautiful which left my mind meandering as I took our first break.

The next piece impressed me the most and might easily become one of my all time favourites - Regina van Berkel's "Frozen Echo". A phenomenal performance which the choreographer told us at the press conference was not about one story in particular but about what we, the viewers make of it. Just as a melody works on each one of us differently Ms van Berkel says "An ideal dancer is capable of making music with the body" and that music moves each of us in different ways ...
And indeed how the impressions of the Opera Scouts varied when we exchanged ideas with the Rheinische Post after the performance!
The set, made up of a sweeping line of monitors, raised high above the dancers, was stunning to say the least. You just have to see this, the dancers, the lights and atmosphere were spellbinding.

The final piece was Martin Schläpfer's "Robert Schumann's Dances". My review for the German Opera on the Rhine website will be not be straight forward, Schläpfer has raised the bar so high, he has re-educated the Düsseldorf audience in terms of "What is ballet? What can we expect?" He hasn't made it easy for himself ...

I'm so looking forward to seeing b.07 again. There was much to absorb and admire; the dancers' grace, timing and strength just incredible.

RhineBuzz have tickets for one of the final performances of b.07 in Düsseldorf on March 24 and as always, we benefit from great seats at discounted prices in the stalls and second tier. Please contact opera@rhinebuzz.com for details.

Special Programme in Japanese, center.tv March 18 at 17:45

center.tv, the local TV station, will be presenting a special programme in Japanese on Friday March 18 at 17.45 on the current situation in Japan.

Amongst other themes, the local Japanese community will hear how best to help their loved ones back home in Japan.