SCHILLER BALLADEN (SCHILLER’S BALLADS)

Philipp Hochmair performs Schiller’s poems and ballads

Together with Viennese percussionist and composer Fritz Rainer, the actor Philipp Hochmair creates an evening of ballads and poems by Friedrich Schiller, inspired by the spirit of the revolution. They reflect Schiller’s enthusiastic confidence in the ability of the individual to contribute to the course of history. The ballads are set to Fritz Rainer’s experimental world of sound, Schiller’s breathless Sturm und Drang (Storm and Stress) confronted with modern acoustic experiences.

Hochmair has always been fascinated by Schiller’s language, and his ballads in particular. These works are charged with power and energy, telling clear, compelling stories that span a beautifully drawn arc. Celebrated for his solo projects “Werther!”, “Amerika” and “Jedermann”, Hochmair is a former permanent member of the ensemble at the Thalia Theatre Hamburg who creates his own projects in which he constantly searches for new spaces and artistic possibilities.

“Performing a ballad once felt like asking, “May I now do integral calculus or set theory with you?”. But then, suddenly, it transforms into a profound pleasure, a true treat for the senses. We’ve forgotten that this is possible. And I’ve dedicated myself to bringing that memory back to life.” – Philipp Hochmair

Concept and production: Philipp Hochmair