Description
Christmas is approaching: It is that time of the year in which a casual snowflake can paralyze the traffic, aluminum Santas smirk from the shelves and a cloud of hot punch is floating over the whole country. But it is also the time that makes everything feel a little slower and quieter, in a most pleasant way. And just like this, Federspiel, too, leans back a little bit and puts the Slow Movement into seasonal practice: In their program “On the slow time of the year”, the mixed wind ensemble is interpreting Christmas and winter songs coming from all kinds of traditions without neglecting modern sound experiments. From the local tower brass band classics to rarely performed folk songs and Spanish villancicos navideños, they adopt each and every piece with playfulness and subtle virtuosity. Here and there, the ensemble is getting a little brisker since too much contemplation can be quite drowsy. In its entirety, the program is yet another piece of Federspiel evidence that tradition should not be left to arm-linked swayers and clappers – not even at Christmas.
Text: M. Krausgruber