This September, an exciting sound installation/concert “WASSER” was performed at the Alpirsbach water station in Germany, where mixed choir of 12, percussion instruments and electronic arrangements of several works (including Autumn Landscapes / "Sügismaastikud" by Veljo Tormis) could be heard.

Hereby we have comments by the conductor-artistic director Florian Benfer and Corina Rombach, the PR for the Baden-Württemberg Kunststiftung.

"Although there are a lot of contemporary and experimental music concerts here in Germany and in the Stuttgart region in particular, this one was a completely extraordinary project in many aspects. After a preparation period of 1 year, the engine room of the water station in the city of Alpirsbach was chosen to be the concert venue. The main focus of the concert installation was water, as the source of life and endangered resource. The audience could move around at the venue during the concert to experience the spaciousness, fluidity, different sounds and perspectives."

Florian Benfer adds: “We recorded the many sounds of the machines and played them back at various moments as artistically designed sound installations. To create a link to nature and the immediate beauty of nature, we sang parts from Veljo Tormis's Autumn Landscapes. They went down very well with the audience (as they always do when I perform this beautiful piece). The feedback was really very positive and enthusiastic. We would very much like to repeat the project and are in talks with festivals.”

"In Germany, Tormis's compositions are quite well known but I believe that there is still a lot of potential. I think that some Estonian texts may seem difficult for choir singers, and perhaps we don't really dare to tackle his music. On the other hand, by using many Estonian texts, it shows a composer's strong connection with his birthplace and homeland, which is admirable."

Watch a short video of the concert here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxh2PYq0VdE

Photo: Johannes Nobis