In the press
RHEINPFALZ
When circles close
Eisenberg: District music school celebrates its 30th anniversary with an anniversary concert – Adrian Werum’s symphony as the highlight
For the 20th anniversary of the Kreismusikschule (KMS), it was the composer Rolf Rudin who wrote the anthem – the orchestral fantasy “The Gates of the Sun”. This time, the 30th, there will be another world premiere. One that will close many circles. The anniversary concert will be played in Eisenberg on September 22.
Now it is Adrian Werum, another internationally successful composer, arranger and conductor, who is contributing music from his own pen for the festive occasion: a three-movement “Donnersberg Symphony”. It will be played by the Donnersberg Symphonic Wind Orchestra, the young select orchestra of the Donnersberg Music District, as the director of the KMS, Jolanthe Seidel-Zimmermann, announces.
Why? Yes, this echoes something that is closely linked to the history of the district music school. Its first full-time manager was Werner Werum – Adrian Werum’s father. Werner Werum, who passed away last year, managed the KMS from 1988 to 2002. He started cooperating with music and singing clubs, expanded early musical education and brought the KMS record numbers of pupils – with 1,850 pupils, it was one of the largest in Rhineland-Palatinate in Werum’s time. Today, around 64 freelancers teach around 800 pupils, according to Seidel-Zimmermann. This is due to the fact that money is no longer so easy to come by, private music schools have been added and, last but not least, the number of children has fallen.
“He was immediately willing to do it,” says Seidel-Zimmermann, who also runs the “Blaues Haus” ensemble, delighted with Adrian Werum’s open-mindedness. She is also reminded of an early KMS production from its first years, “Bastien und Bastienne”, a singspiel written by the twelve-year-old Mozart. She had performed the little opera herself. And Adrian Werum, who now focuses on the district in which his father worked as a composer, sat at the piano back then. This closes a circle. The anniversary contribution by Adrian Werum, who lives in Stuttgart when he is not working on music productions in New York, Seoul or Zurich, is particularly important to her, says Jolanthe Seidel-Zimmermann.
“First of all, it’s about establishing a local connection,” says 49-year-old Werum, explaining how he approached the task. At the time, Rudin found the local reference in the Celts. Adrian Werum, however, went back to a collection of folk songs that his father had published. “In two movements”, says the composer, “I use old folk songs”. These are also the titles of the first and third movements of the symphony. The first movement is called “Der Herr von Falkenstein”, the third “Horch, was geht im Schlosse vor”. Werum describes his musical language in this symphony as traditional classical, whereby “certain things from the 20th century also find their way in”. He has also incorporated echoes of earlier musical cultures, music from the Middle Ages or the Renaissance.
Jolanthe Seidel-Zimmermann herself has come full circle, even if not yet on September 22. But in spring 2019, the Danzig native, who has been teaching singing here since 1986, has been a member of the KMS since its foundation and took over its management in 2004, will retire and thus hand over the management, including the singing lessons – her family will then take center stage for her. Her successor has not yet been appointed. “You should leave when it’s at its best,” she says.
But now it’s time to celebrate. The stage will be set for the anniversary concert on September 22nd in the Protestant parish hall in Eisenberg, where a wealth of performers and ensembles will perform from 6 pm. The children’s choir S(w)inging Kids will open the evening, followed by contributions from Galina Rüb (piano) and Jeremia Teurer – the second national winner of “Jugend musiziert” will demonstrate his skills on the double bass and recorder. After the Alba string orchestra and the Keiper accordion orchestra, the final chord belongs to the Donnersberg symphonic wind orchestra with the “Donnersberg Symphony”.
SCHWARZWÄLDER BOTE
Danger: Habitat of the brittle bugs threatened
Musical: Children perform a play for the Kreuzerfeld elementary school’s support association / Top-class support
Three sold-out performances – the 320 pupils of the Kreuzerfeld elementary school can be proud of what they have achieved together with the teaching staff and parents.
Since the start of the new school year, the elementary school has been busy rehearsing the children’s musical “Rocko and the Heart of Stone”.
The play had its acclaimed premiere in the Festhalle on Thursday evening, followed by two more performances for Rottenburg schools and the public yesterday.
Adrian Werum composed and wrote the lyrics for the musical together with Hanna Zielke and Klaus Abeldt. The story about little Rocko, who is a little warhorse at school and now comes to live with his grandparents, touches the heart and reminds us of nature conservation without pointing a finger.
This is because a lot of forest is being cleared for road construction in the Indian or Arab town where the grandparents live – an issue that is a global concern. With the help of the elf-like “brittles”, Rocko is able to prevent more trees from being felled, thereby protecting nature and allowing the brittles to keep their habitat.
Elaborate costumes and superbly rehearsed songs and lyrics made the performances a real eye-catcher and a wonderful theater experience. Kerstin Blümle was responsible for the costumes and was also in charge of the artistic design. Klaus Abeldt was responsible for the theater, Hanna Zielke rehearsed the musical together with the students.
Adrian Werum was in charge of the band and could also be heard on the piano. Wolfgang Reichert played cello and double bass, Christoph Eschenfelder provided the percussion and Viktoria Eschenfelder played the flute. Nicolas Achilles (percussion) and Rüdiger Ruf on trumpet completed the band.
Gate of wisdom must be passed
Rocko (played by Oleander Eschenfelder and Laura Walter), together with the brittles, especially the brittle elf Aisuluu, searches for the red heart that once beat in a sacred tree and thus promoted and protected the coexistence of humans and brittles. Aisuluu (Sarah Kirstgen and Amelie Peschel) also knows where the red heart is: At the bottom of a deep lake.
Before that, Rocko has to pass through the Gate of Wisdom and solve a puzzle about the beating heart. He finds out the answer and swims or snorkels through the deep lake. What he finds is a heart of stone. When he places it in the sacred tree with Aisuluu and the Sprödlings (Amelie Peschel, Leonie Bauer, Amina Sabir, Milena Romano, Ida Lensch and Jana Konovodov), it begins to beat with the support of the crowd of children present.
So the brute is saved. And they no longer steal things from humans, but want to live peacefully with them.
Michelle Lauer shines as Rocko’s mother, Rocko’s father is played by Oliver Voigt. Laura Geiger, Edanur Karagöz, Chiara Sancarlo, Isabella Ciccomascolo, Jenny Do, Gloria Papailia and Renginaz Oztürk were also brilliant in other roles.
Composer has already received several awards
The theater and musical production was created with the support of Sabine Niethammer from Theater Hammerschmiede. The Musicalwerkstatt supported the musical project. Daniel Schneider provided the lighting and sound, while Isabell Vielgas and Stefanie Lupo were responsible for the graphic design.
The composer Adrian Werum has already received several awards for his compositions. He also founded the “Orchestra of Cultures” in Stuttgart’s Rosenstein district. He has worked as musical director for Anna-Maria Kaufmann and Marshall & Alexander, among others.
CIRCULAR NEWSPAPER
World premiere in front of a fantastic backdrop
Sindelfingen water music at Klostersee: large project choir and the Orchestra of Cultures presented the “Misa Latina”
The Sindelfingen Water Music exuded Mediterranean flair on Saturday. On this wonderful summer evening, an estimated 3000 visitors flocked to the Klostersee to experience a world premiere on the water stage.
Around 100 singers and a colorful orchestra presented opulent world music.
From Robert Krülle
SINDELFINGEN. Stuttgart composer and conductor Adrian Werum has been part of Sindelfingen’s cultural scene since the city’s anniversary in 2013. He has played a leading role in various major projects and musicals. Now he has composed the “Misa Latina” together with the Ecuadorian musician Christian Mejia and conducted the premiere performance on Saturday on the floating stage at Klostersee.
The approximately 100-strong choir, made up of members of the Choir of Cultures, the Sindelfin Children’s and Youth Choir, Cappella Nuova and the church pop voices of Exsample, was visually impressive in itself. The Orchestra of Cultures – founded and conducted by Adrian Werum – has a complete string section, several classical wind instruments and the rhythm section as well as instruments from the Orient, such as the long-necked lute saz.
The composers want to unite different cultures in the “Misa Latina”. The eleven-part work is characterized by Latin American rhythms and sounds, which are enriched by classical, jazzy and pop elements. Different solo singers join in again and again: Syrian Mohammad Habbal, Peruvian De- bora Vilchez, Cuban Jaqueline Cas- tellanos and German Cornelia Lanz bring in singing styles from all over the world. Which sounds particularly exciting when they break with the orchestral sound. For example in the piece “Viracocha”, when Lanz’s operatic voice meets the Cuban sounds of the instrumentalists.
Even if the joint preparation time for the choir and orchestra was certainly not particularly extensive, the interaction worked perfectly – a great credit to the conductors Adrian Werum and Daniel Tepper. The Sindelfingen cantor, in particular, was under great pressure as he stood between the ensembles and with his back to Werum. Tepper kept peering back over his shoulder to catch his colleague’s movements.
In “Großer Gott” in triple time, the choir voices calmly lay themselves over the fluttering rhythm, while in “Ave Werum” (actually “Ave verum”) the choir, orchestra and soloists complement each other almost perfectly. And this harmonious coexistence matches the intention of the composers of this multi-cultural work. “We believe that in these difficult times, the world needs a new spirituality that builds on all cultures,” Adrian Werum proclaims before the final “Spirit of one” song.
Despite the enormous range of musical styles and instruments, the dense string sections in particular reverberate – and not necessarily in a positive way. All too often, the many-headed string section overshadows the finer rhythms and more subtle structures of the composition, dominating the overall impression. The more exotic instruments should definitely be given more space here, as well as more dynamically variable sections.