Art and Climate: Song recital confronts nature awareness in Vienna

Art and Climate: Song recital confronts nature awareness in Vienna

The discussion about climate protection is now reaching the world of classical music. On Thursday, October 24th, an extraordinary concert entitled “Lied//melts” will take place in the Ehrbar Saal in Vienna. This event aims to confront the romanticized image of nature found in many musical works with the real destruction of the environment. More than 40 German professional orchestras are already actively addressing the issue of climate change and have formed themselves as “orchestras of change”.

Cathrin Chytil, the artistic director of the Ehrbar Saal, sees this concert as a perfect complement to her focus this year on “Mother Nature”. She says: “We want to honor nature as a source of life, but also draw attention to the threat it poses due to human activity.” Jean Beers, well-known pianist and composer who is significantly involved in this project, emphasizes that a conscious discussion is taking place among the musicians: “They consider how relevant traveling is in the international concert business today and how they can reflect this in their music.”

An innovative concept

The concert promises to be innovative and emotional. Jean Beers will not only appear as a pianist, but will also contribute her own composition. She is supported by Max Bell on bass and Simon Öggl, who is responsible for the electronic processing of the music. This electronic sound generation is layered over classical compositions by Franz Schubert, Clara Schumann, Gustav and Alma Mahler, Ludwig van Beethoven and Richard Strauss. The idea is to combine these works with natural sounds, such as the sound of melting ice and crunching snow.

The audience is also confronted with haunting excerpts from climate reports that go particularly well with Schubert and Müller's “Leiermann”: “Nobody likes to hear him, nobody looks at him.” Beers emphasizes that this reflects urgent warnings from scientists that are often ignored as humanity continues to cling to the “old story.”

Emotional musical style

The concert will be designed like a kind of opera, but without any visual representations. "We rely on the emotional approach to music. What touches people the most?" asks Beers, adding that the famous "Kindertotenlieder" should not be missing. Her certainty: “It won’t be a concert like any other!”

The event will take place on October 24th at 7:30 p.m. in the Ehrbar Saal, Mühlgasse 30, Vienna 4, and is part of a larger initiative to promote awareness of climate change within the cultural community. This cross-border connection between art and environmental protection could open up a new trend in concerts, where music can serve not only for entertainment but also for education. More information is available can be found here.