WASTE, SOUND AND GOAT MUSIC

Our Close Up educational concerts endeavour not only to draw nearer to contemporary music, but also to intertwine it with the pressing issues of our time. A meticulously curated performance is centred around the theme of nature and sustainability, offering a captivating fusion of music, performance and visual arts.
At the centre of this concert are excerpts from “Stalltänze” (Barn Dances), a contemporary composition by Petra Stump-Linshalm for clarinet solo. Two selected performative-musical scenes delve into the daily life of a farmer’s wife from the Mostviertel region. Each scene stages a specific agricultural process with the help of an immersive stage set and accompanying musical sequences. The ambient sounds and movements of the work environment seamlessly integrate into the composition, alongside the sounds and melodies produced by Barbara Neu on her clarinet. Progressing from scene to scene, Barbara’s performative, visual and musical elements converge, creating a cohesive artistic composition.
Barbara Maria Neu, who grew up on a farm in the Mostviertel region,  incorporates her experiences of rural women’s everyday life into this piece. The fictional character Tatiana Romanova, a solitary traditional farmer, transforms life into music by blending the sounds and movements of her surroundings with the clarinet’s tones and her own motions, resulting in a holistic masterpiece.

Adding another layer to the concert is Elisabeth Flunger, a master at making ostensibly “worthless” materials like paper, cardboard and scrap metal resonate. Collaborating with dancer Inge Kaindsltor-fer, they explore the physical, performative, and sonic-auditory possibilities of paper and metal.
Working with discarded materials introduces new dynamics and moods, turning these objects not only into extensions of the body but also sparking imagination and creativity. Through the alchemy of transformation, the performers change into alternate entities, unveiling concealed characteristics and illuminating new facets of their personalities. In this concert, waste transcends into art, movement evolves into music, and sustainability emerges as a powerful creative message in this concert.