Rheingau Music Festival: "We are completely independent" | Music | '
The Rheingau Music Festival is one of the biggest festivals in Europe. On June 22, 2019, it starts with the classic "Stabat Mater" by Anton Dvořák in this year's festival summer. The opening concert will take place at Kloster Eberbach – one of 40 venues in the Rheingau.
In 2019, around 140 concerts will be on the program. With classical music, jazz, pop and world music it is as diverse as the landscape in which the performances take place: a 38-kilometer-long, idyllic wine-growing area between Wiesbaden and the Middle Rhine Valley, an area full of historic castles and palaces.
The list of events will once again include big names this year, including Russian pianist Daniil Trifonov as "Artist in Residence", German soprano Christiane Karg as focus artist or "Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen" as "Orchestra in Residence". The legendary pop band "Kool & The Gang", which premieres at the festival, is also represented with an open-air concert.
The motto of this year's festival, which runs until 31 August 2019, is "Courage" and is implemented by international artists who think outside the box. Some work under difficult conditions or are socially committed. On 7th July the Bochabela String Orchestra from South Africa will perform. The young people who come from the townships play alongside Joseph Haydn a "Nelson Mass" in honor of Nelson Mandela, who was born 101 years ago. At the beginning of the Rheingau Festival, co-founder and artistic director Michael Herrmann met ‘ to talk to each other.
‘: The Rheingau Music Festival is in its 32nd season. You founded it in 1987 without public subsidies. This is not unusual in international comparison, but already in Germany. So were you treated skeptically by other organizers?
On the contrary, rather admired. The problem is that many directors of festivals, but also of opera houses, always get held up: "Do it like Michael Herrmann at the Rheingau Musikfest!" And that's why they may not like us, because they are shown as a good example, which would not work, especially at opera houses.
The Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen and its artistic director Paavo Järvi have caused a sensation with their recordings – and have also made two television documentaries with Deutsche Welle
What are the advantages of this business model?
Of course I am completely independent. The sponsors have no influence on the program. On the other hand, if I had money from the public sector, there would be a possibility that one would say, "We have a connection with this region in Italy, there is an excellent choir, do not you want to invite them?" And then I am in certain constraints, because when I say "No, I do not want", then maybe it says then: "Tomorrow is our budget discussion, think twice!" Well, I'm completely free.
How is your concert program composed?
80 percent of classical music, then about ten percent jazz, world music and music cabaret, but we still have contemporary serious music, for example in the form of a portrait of a living composer. We even have many concerts of contemporary music.
Which events would you like to pay particular attention to this year? Surely everyone, because you are also responsible there …
There are focal points such as the jazz focus with Curtis Stigers or, in the classical field, the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen, which this year receives the Rheingau Music Prize. Then great oratorios in Eberbach Abbey, for example the Mozart Requiem or Haydn's "Creation" or Handel's "Messiah". Such great works interest an international audience.
Do you want to broaden the horizons of the audience? Or is it enough to simply say: we entertain!
We also have a lot of programs for children and adolescents – or also the "meeting point youth": there are young artists who are at the beginning of their careers. Our introductions before the concerts are also heavily visited. This is already in the direction of music education. But we have no educational mission as such.
Since last year there is a media partnership with ‘. What does that mean for you?
Broadcasting is very important to us. Due to the European Broadcasting Union we are known internationally, because the concerts take place Europe-wide. And of course that's much more interesting with Deutsche Welle, because the concerts are being performed worldwide.
Since 2006 regular guest at the Salzburg Festival, now also in the Rheingau: the soprano Christiane Karg
At all the music festivals that exist: what exactly is special about the Rheingau Music Festival?
Our target group is interested in the connection between architecture – for example, performances in the beautiful ambience of Kloster Eberbach or Schloss Johannisburg – and high-caliber music. We are in a wine-growing area, and at all our concerts, local wines are served at stalls. Add to that the season. When the concert is over, it will be light until half past ten at night. That's a big difference to the regular concert organizers.
Which unusual programs exist or did you have?
For example, we performed all of Chopin's piano works, Bach's entire piano work, all of Beethoven's 32 piano sonatas or the complete Schubert program. On three evenings we performed all violin sonatas by Beethoven with Anne-Sophie Mutter, which were also recorded by Deutsche Grammophon. This is something a festival can afford.
The Russian pianist Daniil Trifonov is now cult
A festival is by definition a state of emergency. What is the popularity, in numbers?
Each year over 90 percent of the available cards are sold. It's also because we organize ticket sales on our own, and then we advise. If one wants to go to a concert by Anne-Sophie Mutter, which is then sold out, we have three other violinists: Frank Peter Zimmermann or Arabella Steinbacher or whoever. Of ten interested people for Anne-Sophie Mutter I can certainly sell at two or three another concert. This can not do a normal ticket office. That we make the sale ourselves is a big plus.
In Eberbach Monastery the cult film "The Name of the Rose" (1986) was shot with Sean Connery
And how is your financial needs covered?
The costs amount to 8.2 to 8.5 million euros annually. About half of this is covered by ticket sales, the other half I need from sponsors.
Who do not want to exert influence?
They may want it, but they can not.
The conversation was led by Rick Fulker.
Michael Herrmann is co-founder of the Rheingau Music Festival and since its founding in 1987 its director and managing director. The idea for the festival already arose in the early 1970s, when Herrmann sang in choir concerts in Eberbach Abbey in Eltville am Rhein. The monastery is today one of the 40 venues of the festival.
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