Neuruppin-Aequinox Festival: old music, new savings commissioners

If you can celebrate an anniversary twice, that’s actually a nice thing. Even if you would rather not have experienced the cause for this. This is what happened at Aequinox, the music days for the same day and night in Neuruppin in Brandenburg. Lifted out of baptism in 2010, the 15th time should be celebrated last year. But Corona thwarted the invoice – the 2020 vintage had to be canceled, it fell victim to the first major lockdown. So for 15 years of Aequinox last year, and this year the 15th festival was available. A festival of baroque music with excursions in all possible artistic directions is always, no matter which number.

However, the great world crises also leave traces in cultural business. First Corona, then the war in Ukraine and the associated waves of inflation, that tears gaps. The makers of Aequinox- a support association for the cultural-obsessed former hotel operator Gabriele Lettow and the Berlin baroque ensemble loudly compagney as a house and court chapel- were still lucky, because they have continuously built up an extremely attached regular audience beyond the region since 2010 and kept at a mood and interest. This works because the program has surprises every year, even long-established Neuruppiners keep getting to know their city from new sides and sometimes even a world star gives themselves the honor in the Fontane city.

Just like this year Rolando Villazón, celebrated tenor on many large stages, which is actually known for parade rolls in Italian operas. Here he interpreted works by Claudio Monteverdi and other composers of the early Baroque. Not the trained singer for music of this era, but with a dedication and enthusiasm that carried to the last row of the auditorium. As Festival Grand number 15 was pleasantly attended at all. Whether in large churches, small chapels or the studio of a painter, whether at Monteverdi, Bach, Palestrina or Buxtehude, whether intimate trio or large line -up with choir and orchestra – the halls were full everywhere.

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What is good news, but cannot hide the fact that culture has an increasingly difficult stand overall. Even in the Corona period, quite a few artists, regardless of the art movement, simply gave up because they could no longer make a living. Also in old music. You heard of musicians who even sold their instruments.

It is worse than the Corona editions that were over at some point are the financial restrictions that the cultural sector is already subject to and has to look forward to. Astronomical sums go into armaments programs in armaments programs called out by Olaf Scholz and forced by Friedrich Merz. The pressure on financial policy is growing over the debt brake. In such times, culture is usually a first easy victim of the savings commissioners. The marching command is called “cannons instead of concerts”.

Especially when, as in Berlin with Senator Joe Chialo, someone is responsible for the culture who tumbles through the financial policy struggles without any significant backbone and without a plan. As early as autumn 2023, the loud Compagney was confronted with a rigid reduction in the promised project funds – it was withdrawn after a loud protest of Freeler Künstler. But the drama continues. The Berlin Senate is making savings households, and the cultural senator does not defend its territory, but the reduction orgy, which has been announced for the next two or three years.

The uncertainty, what all this concrete means, gets to feel the loud compagney. Some established cooperation partners do not know which projects can still be financed in the foreseeable future. The ice is getting thinner. Culture, these are not only the few large publicly financed institutions, but also, perhaps even the many artists and ensembles of the free scene that have no permanent protection that are immensely affected by project financing to the next and under difficult conditions. There is a risk of being lost that is important for the cohesion of society. Who knows, maybe Chialo will soon be Minister of Culture in the federal government. That would probably not be good news, because distribution fights will also take place in the federal government, in which the culture could use a strong representative of interest.

The Aequinox Festival in Neuruppin was able to rely on the support from the city, the district, the state and the federal government this year, says organizer Gabriele Lettow. The Sparkasse has also contributed its part again. But some companies from the region are now changing three times when it comes to sponsorship; You have to deal with the increased prices for energy and raw materials.

In this respect, it was a fairly bold announcement to announce the next festival in the program: March 20 to March 22, 2026. Despite the turn of the times and everything. Maybe according to the motto: now even more. After all, a few pleasant constants have to be.