There is no shortage of musical diversity under the umbrella of the Hamme Forum. However, most of these sounds belong to the so-called “light muse” category. Ritterhuder Tourismus und Veranstaltungs GmbH (RTV) now wants to change that and expand its program accordingly. For the first time in its history, RTV wants to venture into completely in-house production. As the title of this new offering suggests, her aim is to “make classic music a new experience”.
“This is a completely new, exciting project for RTV,” explains managing director Regine Schäfer. “When you as an organizer book an artist or act, you are usually already booking a complete production.” In this case, organizers and sponsors consciously forego this procedure. With this project they want to bring classical music to the stage, but not a “normal classical concert”. The concept aims to appeal to more than just the typical classical music audience.
Sound rejuvenation
“We talked for a long time about ways of making classical music appealing to a younger audience, for example, without scaring off long-time connoisseurs and lovers of this music,” says Hannes Windhorst. In his role as representative of the Rolf and Hannelore Kähler Foundation, he approached Regine Schäfer with this proposal in February last year. After long consideration of how such a request could be implemented and who would be suitable for it, the project initiators came across the busy and versatile all-round artist Hans-Jürgen Osmers through a recommendation from the Bremen Coffee House Orchestra. His CV already recommended him as the ideal choice. The musician, composer, arranger, director, producer and lecturer has been traveling between musical worlds for decades: he studied church and popular music and worked – among other things – with both the Bremen Salonorchester and with pop artists such as Bela B and Cruel Daughters.
And so Hans-Jürgen Osmers quickly developed his own vision of how the repertoire identified with the initiators could be implemented. Works from the Baroque, Classical and Romantic eras, including Giacomo Puccini’s “Nessun Dorma” from the opera “Turandot” and works by Verdi and Bizet, are given a sonic makeover with all due respect.
Soul and jazz voices
Arias and other works are interpreted by trained voices. However, these are not opera voices, but rather renowned voices from the fields of jazz and soul. The first name Osmers reveals is Sonja Firker, who lives in Berlin and has already worked as a background singer with artists such as Seal and Robbie Williams. As the front lady of the “Mellow Melange” formation, she still has a suitcase in Bremen and the surrounding area.
In addition, the project is supported by a project orchestra of around 15 members, which also expands the usual instrumentation somewhat: “We will work with drums and analog synthesizers such as the Fender Rhodes, among other things,” says Osmers and reveals that his current main activity is primarily consists of writing notes and scores for the project.
However, he emphasizes several times that the aim is in no way to harm the musical originals in any way, but rather to gain new aspects and timbres from them. Nevertheless, the concert experience should be more comparable to the casual atmosphere of a pop event than to the perceived heaviness of “typical” classical concert performances. “I will also moderate a lot and explain the background and intentions of the works performed,” promises Hans-Jürgen Osmers.
In order to ensure the success of this dedicated in-house production, in addition to the Kähler Foundation, the Osterholzer Stadtwerke and the Sparkasse Rotenburg Osterholz were also won as sponsors. Initially, two performances are planned on two consecutive days in September. However, a possible subsequent continuation of the project is by no means ruled out, according to the organizers.
First, the new interpretations of classical opera and orchestral works will be performed on Saturday, September 21st, from 8 p.m. and on Sunday, September 22nd, from 7 p.m. in the Hamme Forum hall. Entrance tickets are available from a basic price of 46 euros, including at OSTERHOLZER KREISBLATT, Bördestraße 9 in Osterholz-Scharmbeck (information on 04791/ 30 34 35) and online at www.weser-kurier.de/tickets. Further information can be found on the website www.hammeforum.de (keyword: program).
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2024-04-04 03:13:09
#Classical #music #reinterpreted #Ritterhuder #Hamme #Forum
