The state theatre of Mainz: Ode to a kurzatmiges Europe

Europe is at the bottom. Breathing hard, what could be due to Corona. Or to their obesity. The lady barely fits even into the Europe blue star costume. Beethoven enough for her helpful oxygen. However, for the darbende art, in turn, Europe has come hardly to breath, nothing in her Golden handbag is: Sorry, no small money! The artists in turn do what you need to do: make art. "I hope, someday, someone will come and look at. Worth it. Is it?“ Beethoven's Statue says, increasingly unsettled.

by Eva-Maria Magel

culture editor in the Rhein-Main-Zeitung.

it is really worth It, the view. Even if no audience in the hall. In the Large house of the Staatstheater Mainz, the enlarged portraits of potential spectators on the Seats to stick, such as the "cardboard companions" in the spirit of the football League play. One of them, right next to the seat of the short-term Europe, adorned with the image of the Director Jan-Christoph Gockel.

The has the finally, everything: the spirit of the game, to Beethoven, an early Nerd who loves everything Technical, which is suffering from the Isolation caused by his deafness. And annoyed, finally, a short E-Mail to the European Union sends: "dear EU, I hereby revoke your rights to the ,Ode to joy'." From the theatre a tired in front of hinblinkendes Beethoven has become a variety, there is the Beethoven anniversary, the Isolation of the composer, and the Corona-Isolation, the theatre, without an audience, an actor in the crisis, and Europe the borders are tight, plaited together, wild as the artists mane of Beethoven.

it is less well-Known of Beethoven

this wild, Association joyful, often very funny mix, nevertheless prima, has to do with the wonderful music of "For Elise" from the "automatic pianist" (Fiona Macleod), take apart, and the "European anthem" as a Fig-leaf exposed. But above all, less well-Known of Beethoven is heard, an Intermezzo on water glasses, for example, or the song "Americas trip". From a corona-related Handicap has not only become a strong image: the General music Director Hermann Bäumer recorded with each musician individually, whose voice. You can see Bäumer, alone in the orchestra pit, the screens with the musicians, Videos, conduct, and the passion that he puts on for the day, something to literally Embrace.

Gockel, who was five years in-house Director at the Staatstheater Mainz, should saves with "Beethoven", a cross-in the evening to Beethoven's 250. Birthday, his departure from the Mainz type. In the fall, he starts with Falk Richter, Barbara Mundel and of course, his longtime artistic accomplice, the actor and Puppet-maker Michael Pietsch, at the Munich kammerspiele. "Beethoven" would be a overflowing giant thing, with choir and orchestra, actors, a revolving stage, Film, machines, and dolls – but then Corona came. And now Beethoven is "A mind game" still a fast-growing thing, but as a Theater-TV game, thanks to the Mainz neighbours, ZDF and 3sat, which have taken it into the program.

ways out of the corona-related production crisis, many platforms have been looking for the "Ghost game" is not a abgefilmtes Theater, but a movie, the Theater makes. Rooster thinks for the Making of, the actors step out of the roles, you can see different theatre spaces, art: scenes, such as a Declaration of love to the theatre. The now-common stage medium Live camera gets an additional level. It highlights the Central theme of Isolation and at the same time, aware of the fact that this game is theatre. A "Ghost game", because it comes to mind and spirits. Nobody asked Beethoven if he wanted to be a Statue, says the baritone, Michael Dahmen, with pigeon droppings on the forehead and appropriate for the song weathered by Beethoven at the end of the Statue.