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The Ischgl Protocol – A party location infects half of Europe

The winter sports village Ischgl in Tyrol was known for its parties. Then it became the hub of the corona virus – out of unscrupulousness and greed. A team of reporters reconstructed the case.

From: Der Spiegel on 27.03.2020

“Home of Madness”

By Jürgen Dahlkamp, Hauke Goos, Roman Höfner, Felix Hutt, Gunther Latsch, Timo Lehmann, Walter Mayr, Max Polonyi and Jonathan Stock.

Ischgl in Tyrol is a mountain village in the Paznaun valley at an altitude of 1377 metres. It has a parish church and a chapel for the dead, about 1600 inhabitants and 11,800 guest beds, 239 kilometres of ski slopes, 1000 snow cannons, 45 lifts. There is the disco “Kuhstall” and the après ski bar “Kitzloch”. In Ischgl you can ski and party all night long at Jägermeister-Red Bull. Ischgl is a brand like Ibiza, Sylt or the Oktoberfest. Millions of tourists meet here every year. They come from Dublin, Reykjavík, Copenhagen and Helsinki, from Bavaria, Hamburg and Neuss. The tourism industry in the valley has a turnover of 250 million euros a year. Continue reading “The Ischgl Protocol – A party location infects half of Europe” »

Mahler´s Fourth Symphony at the end

RMF 2019 – Final concert, Christiane Karg, soprano, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Mirga Grazinyté-Tyla/Foto: RMF / Ansgar Klostermann

On 31.08.2019 the 32nd season of the Rheingau Music Festival came to an end with Gustav Mahler’s 4th Symphony in the Basilica of Eberbach Monastery with the soprano Christiane Karg and the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra under the direction of chief conductor Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla from Lithuania.

Mahler’s 4th Symphony is balm for the soul. It calms, decelerates and helps the listener to ,come down to earth´. The Basilica was the ideal place to make this happen on August 31, 2019. Continue reading “Mahler´s Fourth Symphony at the end” »

Johannes Brahms: A German Requiem

Brahms Requiem at Eberbach Monastery, Matthias Winckhler Bassbariton, Bach Choir Mainz, Deutsche Radio Philharmonie Saarbrücken Kaiserslautern, conducted by Ralf Otto, © RMF / Ansgar Klostermann

Brahms gave a very special Requiem to the music world: “A German Requiem”. On August 24, the soprano Sophie Wagner, the bass baritone Matthias Winckhler supported by the Bach Choir Mainz and accompanied by the Deutsche Radio Philharomie Saarbrücken Kaiserslautern performed as part of the Rheingau Music Festival in the basilica of Eberbach Monastery with overwhelming intimacy and impressive intensity.

When Brahms presented his work to the public Continue reading “Johannes Brahms: A German Requiem” »

,Hands up´ for Kool & The Gang at the Rheingau Music Festival

RMF 2019: Kool & the Gang in the Cuvéehof at Johannisberg Castle/ Foto: RMF

Pure party atmosphere in the Cuvéehof of Johannesberg Castle in the Rheingau. With hits like “Celebration“, “Fresh”, “Get Down On It”, “Joanna“, “Jungle Boogie” and “Ladies’ Night” Kool & the Gang have influenced the music of several generations. On 27 June they made their debut at the Rheingau Music Festival.

Still cool: Kool & The Gang at the Cuvéehof at Schloss Johannisberg/Photo: RMF

With a mixture of jazz, funk and R’n’B, the cult band climbed the pop Olympus in the 1970s and 80s. For more than 50 years the brothers Ronald and Robert “Kool” Bell have been touring with their gang, selling more than 70 million records, collecting two Grammy Awards, being one of the most sampled bands of all time and having a star on the legendary Hollywood Walk of Fame. Continue reading “,Hands up´ for Kool & The Gang at the Rheingau Music Festival” »

Pain, grief, comfort – Stabat Mater by Antonin Dvořák

RMF 2019: Opening concert with the hr-Sinfonieorchester and the MDR Rundfunkchor under the baton of Andrés Orozco-Estrada in the Basilica of Eberbach Monastery/Foto: RMF, Ansgar Klostermann

The 32nd Rheingau Music Festival 2019 opened on 22 and 23 June with Antonin Dvořáks magnificent sacred choral work “Stabat Mater”. Andrés Orozco-Estrada conducted the hr-Sinfonierochester and the 60-person MDR Radio Choir in the Basilica of Eberbach Monastery. Gerlind Romberger (alto), Hanna-Elisabeth Müller (soprano), Benjamin Bruns (tenor) and Günther Groissböck (bass) completed the enormous cloud of sound with their solos, duets and quartets.

A special feature of the opening concert was Continue reading “Pain, grief, comfort – Stabat Mater by Antonin Dvořák” »

Music and stories of a border crosser

Norbert Brandtner (styrian harmonica), Johanna Holzner (harp), Manuel Haitzmann (tuba)/Foto: Johanna Wenninger-Muhr

Without his “Zugin”, the Styrian harmonica, Norbert Brandtner does not go anywhere. In the last six years, the Pinzgauer from Unken, with around 700 sheep and a dog, mostly a Bordercollie, moved through the Swiss Alps from May to September as a shepherd during his time off from university.

Continue reading “Music and stories of a border crosser” »

Singapore Airlines presents culinary surprises from Germany

German Starchef Johann Lafer cooks for Singapore Airlines/Foto: J. Lafer

A special gag had come up with Singapore Airlines. In order to present the culinary creations of star cook Johann Lafer, who will compose the dishes for their passengers of the A380 Suites, First and Business Class from October flying from Frankfurt, Munich or Dusseldorf, the airline invited representatives of the press on August 31 to Johann Lafer’s cooking school to Guldental in the Palatinate. Lafer’s message: I want to show the world, especially Asia, that Germany has something culinary to offer as well: more than Sauerbraten, or grilled sausages from Nuremberg with sauerkraut!

Meeting point for the representatives of the press was the Singapore Airlines counter at Frankfurt Airport in Terminal 1. The surprise: the destination this time was not the departure gate, the destination was Guldental in the Palatinate, where Continue reading “Singapore Airlines presents culinary surprises from Germany” »

Manfred Mann´s Earth Band at the Rheingau Music Festival

Manfred Mann’s Earth Band, Cuveehof of Castle Johannisberg, Robert Hart (lead vocals) © RMF /Ansgar Klostermann

Manfred Mann’s Earth Band, the British rock band around the South African keyboardist Manfred Lubowitz alias “Manfred Mann” has written pop history and was a guest at the Rheingau Music Festival: in the Cuveehof of the castle Johannisberg.

The classics Mighty Quinn, Blinded By The Light or Davy’s on the road again were of course in the repertoire on June 29 in the Rheingau and tore the audience from the chairs to join in the dance. That the offer of the Rheingau Music Festival is comprehensive and diverse was once again demonstrated by the appearance of this pop band in the Rheingau. Continue reading “Manfred Mann´s Earth Band at the Rheingau Music Festival” »

“Friendship” is the guide to the Rheingau Music Festival 2018

From the 23rd of June until the 1st of September 2018 the “summer full of music” will be back. The 31st season of the Rheingau Music Festival will be marked by “friendship”. 149 concerts will be held at 40 venues of the romantic Rheingau and neighboring regions.

Main venues are the Eberbach Abbey, Johannisbeg Castle, Vollrads Castle and the Kurhaus Wiesbaden but also numerous churches and wineries.

High-caliber artists will Continue reading ““Friendship” is the guide to the Rheingau Music Festival 2018” »