Just in: Lucerne saves a bit of its summer
mainThe Lucerne Festival, which cancelled all events a month ago, has found a loophole to enable it to give some performances in late August, probably most of them in the open air.
Here’s what they are telling us:
In addition to introducing new digital formats that are scheduled to launch in June, Lucerne Festival is in the process of developing a concept for a new, short festival to be held in the second half of August. This festival will be based on a central theme and will present events in the KKL Lucerne, on the Europaplatz, and at various other locations in the City of Lucerne. We anticipate that the concerts we have planned will take place with an audience. We will adhere to the specifications of the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health and to the protection scheme that has been developed in accordance with the KKL Luzern. We expect to communicate further details by the end of June.
Lucerne chief Haefliger
I think Lucerne can save much more than just “a bit” of its summer.
The 2020 summer festival, as originally planned, calls for 108 events – including six chamber music concerts, seven “Debut” concerts for young artists, four “Cosmos Boulez” concerts, two open-air “Music for Future” concerts, four “Late Night” concerts for small ensembles, and two performances of a concept piece called “Beethoven NINE!” that features, among other things, a violinist performing the first movement all alone in the KKL Lucerne and the Adagio transformed into a cloud of electronic sound floating over the Europaplatz.
In theory at least, these concerts can all fit into the new schedule, with no change in venue and little adjustment to the concert setup where necessary.
And as I said in an earlier post, unlike Salzburg, Lucerne does not have to deal with highly concentrated music venues and restaurants/cafes/shops clustering around them, all within a fairly confined area with narrow, winding streets which would make any kind of social distancing a challenge.
I look forward to the announcement of their new program with excitement.
Meh. A little of this, a little of that. A sad little distanced group playing a Dussek trio (?!) here, an unknown pianist on an upright near a cafe there, maybe a little “new choreography” with a “sound installation” by a “local” sound “artist” “commissioned” just for the occasion… etc. It’s like the Pittsburgh Symphony, with their dreadful app that’s supposed to be for “engagement” and “young listeners” and amounts to a couple downloadable PDF’s with McDonalds-level coloring book maps with pictures of instruments. Give us all, please, a fucking break.
Good luck to them. The negativity of some is breathtaking.