Opera in the city

“Der Kirschenrummel” conquers the streets of Graz

(Bild: Oliver Wolf)

In "Der Kirschenrummel", Oper Graz takes a historical hunger riot in Graz in 1920 as the starting point for a musical theater stroll through the city. The result not only provides good entertainment, but also raises critical questions about protest, followership and populism.  

It is the spring of 1920: the First World War is still in people's bones, there is a pandemic, unemployment is high and inflation is causing the cost of living to rise. Somehow, the conditions for the so-called "cherry riot" in Graz - a historic hunger revolt that originated from the excessively high price of cherries at the Kaiser Josef market and degenerated into violent riots with 12 fatalities within a few hours - sound shockingly contemporary.

A walk through history
It is therefore entirely logical that Oper Graz should take up this material together with the Graz University of the Arts and turn it into a music theater walk. The stroll through history, conceived by Florian Kutej, Stefan Birnhuber and Christin Hagemann, begins with joyful operetta bliss at Kaiser-Josef-Markt. But the explosive power that lies dormant in society becomes clearer with every stop until the finale at the Kunsthaus: desperate women who can no longer feed their families; political agitators who use this desperation for their own ends; a brutal police force that doesn't know how to deal with the vandals; and finally an executive force that has to find the guilty parties in order to restore a semblance of peace.

The finale of the crime spree: court hearing at the Graz Kunsthaus(Bild: Oliver Wolf)

It is actually the classic story of a failed revolution that Graz Opera tells with the means of music from the interwar period - above all from the pen of the great Hanns Eisler. Avant-garde and popular sounds go hand in hand here, telling of the divided nature of the time - and the historical dangers that accompany it.

Entertainment with political explosiveness
Even if "Der Kirschenrummel" drags a little here and there due to its many wandering and waiting times (duration: a good two and a half hours), the result is an exciting balancing act between entertainment and political explosiveness: students from Graz University of the Arts shine in the leading roles, the wonderful touring band is also made up of musicians from the university - the choir and extras also provide vocal power and atmosphere.  

"Der Kirschrummel" can be seen twice more with free admission: a ticket is required for the finale at the Kunsthaus.