Cannon shot & Chamber music

They are everywhere. Sometimes quite inconspicuously in plain clothes, then again pompously costumed. Sometimes you meet them backstage in a pack, then again in isolation. They stand in the spotlight, play in the orchestra pit, but also in the audience area, sometimes they appear in secluded places such as the large chandelier in the auditorium. And they have musically taken over the NEST. But whatever form you encounter them in, one thing is certain: you can hear them. Because: they are the stage orchestra of the Vienna State Opera.

Wait, the stage orchestra? Doesn't the State Opera already have an orchestra, namely the one in the pit? Yes, of course it does! But there is a second one. You mean: A luxury? No. It is a theatrical necessity. Markus Henn, the director of the orchestra, finally explains: "The stage orchestra is a formation that is responsible for every form of music that is not played in the orchestra pit. In other words, music behind the scene or on the scene."

Behind the scene means that various musical passages or sound effects come from outside, so to speak. This can be music that sounds from the background, but it can also be the ringing of bells, a trumpet fanfare or a cannon shot. In Fidelio, for example, when the arrival of the minister is announced by a trumpet signal, this signal is played by a member of the stage orchestra. In the current case: in the chandelier. In Tosca, when Rome wakes up in the morning with the ringing of bells, the stage orchestra is also responsible for this. And when Angelotti's escape in the same opera is signaled by a cannon shot, then ... yes, of course, the stage orchestra.

On the scene, on the other hand, means that not only music is played, but also acting. In costume and make-up. For example in Don Giovanni, in Wozzeck, in the masked ball, but also the trumpeter who accompanies the sad Ernesto in Don Pasquale is a stage musician. In other words, whenever a musician is seen on stage, it is a member of the stage orchestra. Does this mean that basic acting skills are also tested during the audition? "No," assures Henn. "It's all about the music. There are no plans for an acting test." And a tongue-in-cheek follow-up: "We rely entirely on the natural acting instinct of our musicians."

The task of the stage music conductor, who leads the musicians behind the scene, is challenging. This is because it means listening to the sound of the main orchestra, taking over the beat of the evening conductor, but leaving the musicians enough space and correctly calculating the sound delay caused by the distance - after all, you are often on the backstage. It's a fiddly business that requires a lot of experience, talent and craftsmanship. And above all a meticulous knowledge of the works and the idiosyncrasies of the respective conductors. Markus Henn knows them all and also has the calm blood that such a challenge requires.

The NEST is a major task: here, the orchestra - consisting of 36 people in total - is the main orchestra that accompanies the productions in a wide variety of formations. Peter and the Wolf or Lee Miller, projects for children or teenagers, world premieres or repertoire, Nesterval or classical line-ups: everything is mastered.

In the current season, the members can now also be experienced in chamber music concerts (NESTKLANG). They will be performing on the NEST stage on four dates, giving an insight into their great skills in a variety of programs. The projects were deliberately chosen to be multi-faceted: a musical journey through very different and exciting landscapes. The very first concert on February 4 "shows a broad spectrum of many styles", as percussionist Michael Kahlig explains. "It's not a chamber music concert in the classical sense, but a colorful mix ranging from waltzes to jazz." Four percussionists and a tuba player will perform.

Date number two focuses on the Piano Quintet op. 81 by Antonín Dvořák, while on the third evening the stage orchestra will be joined by singers from the Opera Studio for the complete Canticles cycle by Benjamin Britten. Conductor Dan K. Kurland: "The five Canticles parts are not often heard in Vienna - and even more rarely as a unit. They all differ greatly in their instrumentation - but together they form a beautiful arc. And what I particularly like is that you can not only learn a lot about Britten in these works, but the pieces also show the composer as a fantastic storyteller."

The concert concludes with a family concert in which brass and percussion players come together to present a colorful mix of music: Fanfares and film music, operatic sounds and much more are on the program. Musician and mediator Karin Meissl moderates the event and introduces her audience to the world of sound: What do individual instruments sound like? How do they work together? What images arise in our heads? What does music do to us? An afternoon for everyone aged eight and over who wants to get a taste of the world of music - or simply can't get enough of music!