Yes, the tickets.

it was a long time ago for us that we were to a concert, and this was an unique opportunity to see one of our idols, die toten Hosen.
Die Toten Hosen are Germans most popular punk/rock group and after 30 years still, or betgter said, finally, top of the charts. A week ago they did end their last tour and did announce that they will stop with concerts for a longer time.
The (3) evenings this weekend in die Tonhalle in Düsseldorf (Düsseldorf, the city where the group did grow up) are bonus and have not much to do with the normal rock party that the group usuallly makes. A symphony orchestra with another kind of music, should make this evening something special, a kind of memorial.

75 years ago, in 1938, the regime of Hitler did decide to ban a part of the music, because it was not (political) correct. Many jewish composers were forbidden and he state did control more and more as well the (culture) life of the people.

75 years ago there was an exhibition about 'entarte musik', also the music that was (in the eyes of the nazi's) uncorrect.

Tonight, 75 years later, a few of those pieces are performed, together with some popular songs from the present, that most likely shuold be banned as well under that dictatorship.Because of the mix from classic and rock, the audience was mixed in the same way as well. The Tonhalle is a marbelous (round) theatre and it is for everyone possible to have a good view at stage.

At the introduction from the entire orchestra, we were smiling about the enthusiasm of the conductor. He did jump around while conducting, talking abot charisma.

After that we got the first song of 'die Hosen',

Moorsoldaten, (also soldiers in swamp).

The songs were talked together partially by Campino, the singer of die toten Hosen. The group always had a strong political opinion and in that light they are the perfect partner for this kind of events.
The talks did not only intresting as for backgrounds, but as well necesssarily in a technical way. The stage was small, well, better said, filled til the corners with musicians. The baand had only a small corner aside (at our side of the 'bühne' Between the songs a part of the musicians in the orchestra did come up and get off the stage, to make place for others.

It was an enjoyable concert, there was symbiose between the classical orchestra and the band, and there was a variety of music, from opera to rock and between.
Music of Kurt Weil, lyrics of Erich Kästner (an often underestimated writer, who did more then just writing 'youth books', and the nice children choir. The story behind it is that the chldren were about to sing, and the lyrics were obviously so changed that they should motivate 'the people' to join 'the flights' (as in the army) or to join the flights to the concentration camps.

Before the pause Campino (the singer of die toten Hosen) did read a piece of prozac, what was written and used in the concentration camps: 'A survvor from Warschaw'

Very impressive,
After the break the first piece of music was one of Max Brüch, a jewish composer.

It gave me goose bumps, realizing that this man was haunted, and the reason what for he was (we all know that). This piece of music is for years one of my favorites and this evening it was played on a cello. The recording here is closer to the original composition, but the warm cello, the virtuosity with what it was played, made it realy a highlight.

Max Bruch - Kol Nidrei (opus 47(

There is too many to say, too many that I can forget. But the message is so clear. The way that people did manipulate (public) opinions is scary and horrible. Such should NEVER happen again

Alabama Song

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The lyrics for the "Alabama Song" are in English (albeit specifically idiosyncratic English) and are performed in that language even when the opera is performed in its original German. The English text was made by Brecht’s close collaborator, Elisabeth Hauptmann, on the author’s behalf. The text dates back to 1925.^[4]The "Alabama Song" (also known as "Whisky Bar," "Moon over Alabama," or "Moon of Alabama") was originally published as a poem in Bertolt Brecht'sHauspostille (1927). It was set to music by Kurt Weill for the 1927 "Songspiel" Mahagonny and used again in Weill's and Brecht's 1930 opera Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny. In the latter, it is performed by the character Jenny and her fellow prostitutes in the first act. Musically it contains elements of foxtrot and blues. The song was first performed and recorded by the Viennese actress and dancer Lotte Lenya (Weill's wife).^[1] She first publicly sang the song as the character Jessie in the 1927 Baden-Baden Festival performance of Mahagonny Songspiel. Lenya first recorded the song in 1930 for the Ultraphon record label. This recording was released to coincide with the Leipzig premiere of Aufstieg und Fall der Stadt Mahagonny despite the fact that Lenya was not a member of the cast.^[2] Lenya continued to perform and record the song throughout her life. Later Lenya recordings include one made in 1955 ("Lotte Lenya singt Kurt Weill" released in the United States as "Berlin Theater Songs").

The song was recorded in 1966 by the rock group The Doors, listed as "Alabama Song (Whisky Bar).". The lead singer of The Doors, Jim Morrison, changed the second verse from:

"Show us the way to the next pretty boy" to "Show me the way to the next little girl".

Before the (2) encores, the 'Hosen' did play the title song for this concert, wilkommen in deutschland (welcome in germany). A song written a few years ago, when the 'right extremism# was florishing pretty well in ertain parts of Germany.

The conclusion: we did have a wonderful evening out. We should do it more!

On a wider scale this concert clearly gave us the message, to learn from the history, so that next generations still feel welcome in our country. No matter where that country is.

And our regional newspaper did spend a huge article on the concert, complete with a big picture at the main page

here is the article, in german, of course

Foto: dpa, Jan-Philipp Strobel

Ein ungewöhnlicher Spielort für die Toten Hosen: In insgesamt drei Gedenkkonzerten erinnert die Punkband zusammen mit den Sinfonikern der Robert Schumann Hochschule an die Musik, die vor 75 Jahren in der Düsseldorfer NS-Propagandaausstellung "Entartete Musik" von den Nazis geächtet wurde.

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'WILLKOMMEN IN DEUTSCHLAND - VOR 75 JAHREN: „ENTARTETE MUSIK“'

Nur eine Woche nach dem Tourabschluss vor insgesamt über 90.000 Menschen haben wir es in der Düsseldorfer Tonhalle etwas ruhiger angehen lassen. Mit dem Gedenkkonzert „Willkommen in Deutschland“ erinnerten wir gemeinsam mit dem Sinfonieorchester der Robert Schumann Hochschule an von den Nazis geächtete und verfolgte Komponisten. Der geschichtliche Hintergrund: Vor 75 Jahren war die musikalische Avantgarde mit der NS-Propagandaschau „Entartete Musik“ in Düsseldorf diffamiert worden.

Alle Fotos: Carla Meurer.