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๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡น Austria /Culture & Society

Arsonore: A Festival of Togetherness

From Der Standard · () German

Translated from German and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

In-depth Named sources Context piece
  • Grazโ€™s Arsonore festival will combine classical music, pop, modern music and literature from September 2 to 6.
  • The event will open at Eggenberg Palace with the Gugg Piano Duo and Vocalforum Graz, followed by performances at Eggenberg Palace and the Graz Opera.
  • Festival director Markus Schirmer presents the program as a response to hostility and โ€œhate botsโ€ on social media, with a focus on openness and social cohesion.

Arsonore is presenting its new festival program as a musical answer to an increasingly hostile public climate. From September 2 to 6, the Graz event will bring classical music, pop, modern music and literature together at Eggenberg Palace and the Graz Opera.

The festival opens at Eggenberg Palace with the Gugg Piano Duo performing alongside Vocalforum Graz. Although the venue and program have no direct connection to the Beatles, festival director Markus Schirmer has placed the event under the motto โ€œAll You Need Is Love.โ€

hate bots

โ€” Markus SchirmerSchirmer refers to hostility on social media when explaining the festivalโ€™s emphasis on openness and social cohesion.

Schirmer links that choice to what he describes as the current mood of the times. Social media is filled with โ€œhate bots,โ€ he says, while opinions face hostility. In that environment, he argues, factual debate alone is not enough. Public signs of openness and social solidarity are needed as well.

Chamber music offers a natural fit for that idea, the festival presentation suggests. It depends on attentive listening and collective creation, requiring musicians to work closely with one another. Arsonore extends that principle across a program that also includes popular and modern music, as well as literature.

All You Need Is Love

โ€” The BeatlesThe Beatles song provides the festivalโ€™s thematic motto.
About this summary

Originally published by Der Standard in German. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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