Beethoven and Haydn were on the programme of the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra’s opening concert of what will be the first Corona season. It is the 88th Symphony by Joseph Haydn, a symphony whose earworm-like lightness contrasts so strongly with the depressing situation in which the arts find themselves at the moment. Leonard Bernstein conducted it with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra in the early 1980s. The last movement, the Allegro con spirito, he did not actually conduct as such, only with his eyes and a mischievous smile – a compelling moment in the history of non-conducting. When you then see the packed Goldene Saal of the Musikverein in Vienna in the background, you become painfully aware of how different culture will be in the 2020-21 season.
Yes, the new season has started again for many orchestras and theatres in Germany. But instead of light-heartedness, the right adjustment of masks, the distance between the audience and the permanent ventilation of the concert halls currently define performances. However, the rules that apply vary from one federal state to the next and are also related to the hygiene protocol that individual venues have developed. Since 1st September, the Große Saal of the Elbphilharmonie is allowed to open its doors to 628 people again. In many places, the programmes have been shortened to a maximum of 90 minutes which causes both headaches and new creative approaches, especially for opera houses. Dresden’s Semperoper, for example, stages concert performances of “Opern- und Ballett-Essenzen“ (Opera and Ballet Essences) which get to the heart of the works in 90 minutes. In October, these will be Madama Butterfly, Tosca and Don Giovanni.
The BRSO too has changed its plans. There will certainly not be any large-scale works by Bruckner or Mahler until the end of the year. It is not ideal, but perhaps a chance. “Of course, audiences expect the late Romantic repertoire from us, but at the moment, works by Mozart, Haydn or even Bach are much more viable and, as a large orchestra, you have the opportunity to play a repertoire that might otherwise be neglected,” says Norbert Dausacker, horn player and member of the orchestra's board of directors. Somewhat bureaucratically, the BRSO's programmes will be called “Alternative Concerts” and the musicians will also have to look to sparsely occupied rows at Munich’s Philharmonie for the time being. Currently, 200 guests are allowed. It could soon be 500. And as sad as it is that there are hardly any audiences, the bigger problem proves to be the one for the musicians on stage. “As brass players we have to keep a distance of two metres, the strings at least one and a half which compares to running into an empty path in football. In classical music you are meant to almost sit on each other's lap and listen to each other. At the moment, that is incredibly difficult,” says Dausacker. Moreover, concert halls are acoustically designed with a full auditorium in mind. “But although the situation is in general terrible, on stage we have the same energy as when we play to a full house.”
This is astonishing given the bureaucratic obstacles behind each individual performance. At Bayerischer Rundfunk, an internal task force examines the project planning and checks whether hygiene protocols and stage plans comply with official requirements and can be implemented. Employees from the health and safety department and the company doctor are involved in the process, and, in the end, the local health authorities have their say too. For the musicians, the effects have so far been minimal. Of course, masks are compulsory for entering and leaving the stage; stricter protocols, such as those used at the Salzburg Festival, are not planned for the BRSO... for now. “Of course we have also examined the possibility of creating a safety bubble, i.e. regular Corona tests and a contact diary. The problem, however, is that our everyday life cannot be compared with that of Salzburg.” Instead of a limited festival period, we are talking about an entire season!