Beauty against violence 2020 – Classic Open Air in Schöneberg

In the third year of its existence, the open-air project “Beauty against Violence” invites you to a public concert with scenes from the opera “L’incoronazione di Poppea” by Claudio Monteverdi on 15 July 2020 from 8:30 pm on the small Bürgerplatz in Schöneberg (Eisenacher Str. 4-5, corner of Fuggerstraße). Everybody is welcome, the entrance is free. As in previous years, the organizers, the foundation “Forum der Kulturen zu Fragen der Zeit”, initiated by Prof. Dr. Rudolf Prinz zur Lippe, who died last year, and the gallery owner Pascual Jordan (Werkstattgalerie), together with the Tempelhof-Schöneberg District Office, would like to give a positive charge to a square in the city that has fallen into disrepute in recent years due to crime, and counteract the violence with the beauty of art and culture. In the culture-poor pandemic times, the event also wants to be a prelude to the cultural reawakening in the city.

Pascual Jordan explains the concept, also in the spirit of co-initiator Rudolf Prinz zur Lippe: “Between the great Cabaret Eldorado and Erwin Piscator’s theatrical awakening, the beautiful old quarter (Schöneberg, editor’s note) once carried us so much of the cosmopolitan spirit of Berlin. Even now, known and unknown people live here, who have a sense for the questions of our time and the vastness of this world, committed to the arts, politics and the problems of our present. There is this nice little square on a street corner waiting to become a rendezvous for such awareness, from time to time. Many things have been done for it. Inviting rounds of seating, a generous flower bed and already in the evening the light in the young trees. Orphaned for weeks and now all the more clearly perceived as a loss of common space of encounter. We let a music speak for the fact that here as everywhere in this country and far beyond it is about everything that we and others want to make out of this precious life – in traditional and new forms of life to be created. In the freedom to experience this together with friends and strangers – and this in times of the Corona virus, with distance and mask, but consciously experienced community and sign of solidarity, whose successes in fighting this crisis, despite all hardships, should also be consciously celebrated – with all – for all – a sign of hope for a reawakening of cultural life in this city! Huge projections of contemporary works of art will once again turn the square into a stage in time with the dramatic events of the baroque opera.”

Die Initiative für die seit 2018 bestehende Veranstaltung ist ausgegangen von der Kunstgalerie “Werkstattgalerie” in einem der umliegenden Häuser, geleitet vom Galerist Pascual Jordan, und der Stiftung „Forum der Kulturen zu Fragen der Zeit“, dessen Präsident Prof. Dr. Rudolf Prinz zur Lippe bis zu seinem Tode Anfang September 2019 hier ebenso lebte. Gemeinsam haben sie mit weiteren Helfern den Senat, den Bezirk und die Behörden überzeugt: Am 15. Juli 202020 soll daher mit dem Open-Air Konzert der Aufbruch für eine neue Kulturarbeit im Bezirk erneuert und belebt werden.

Beauty against violence – scenes from the opera “L’incoronazione di Poppea” by Claudio Monteverdi

WHEN? 15th July 2020, 8.30 – 10.30 pm

WHERE? at the playground Eisenacher Straße 4-5, Ecke Fuggerstraße 1-2, 10777 Berlin-Schöneberg

A project by Pascual Jordan in cooperation with the STIFTUNG FORUM DER KULTUREN ZU FRAGEN DER ZEIT and the district office Tempelhof-Schöneberg

Soloists: Sara Gouzy (Sopran), Michael Taylor (countertenor), Florian Küppers (bass baritone), Coline Dutilleul (Mezzo Sopran), Jana Miller (Sopran), Fabian Kelly (tenor) and the IMPULSIA ENSEMBLE

Musical direction: Thomas de Vries, acting scenes: Luca Carboni and Gabriel Da Costa, director: Pascual Jordan, stage design: Ingeborg zu Schleswig Holstein, costumes: Katrin Hauer, technique: Uwe Lockner

Speaking at the opening: District Mayor Angelika Schöttler Felizitas Countess von Schönborn

PLEASE NOTE: Due to the current pandemic situation, prior registration is required at schoenheit-gegen-gewalt@ba-ts.berlin.de is absolutely necessary. Distance and mouth and nose protection is requested.

Everyone is welcome, the admission is free!