Gordon Kampe: 7 Zwerge

The ensemble Ascolta was looking for a children’s piece. Because the 7 musicians believe that it is important to combine music for children with a story and/or to offer educational material beyond the piece. What could be more natural for 7 musicians than to come up with »Snow White«, said the author and director Manfred Weiß and wrote a version for the 7 musicians and their instruments. And it goes like this: The »7 Dwarfs« were a famous band and even super successful with Snow White as their singer. But since she is with her prince, nothing works out anymore… Gordon Kampe congenially developed a wonderfully crazy music to this libretto, which responds to the individual characters as well as to the instruments of the ensemble Ascolta. And all the children can learn a lot before and after the experience about what it means to make music and sing together. Because: you wouldn’t believe it, but it’s true: they also sing, the 7 of them!
Juliane Votteler

 

»Don’t be silly!« How often I have heard that! Probably we have all heard it before. And why should anyone stick to it? The dwarves, at least, don’t. They’re silly, a bit ballaballa–and: they’re really, really sad because they’ve lost Snow White. Actually, I’ve been a dwarf for 45 years, probably the one who eats too much Nutella and makes noise. Never mind. Being silly and contrite at the same time is okay, the main thing is to have a few songs handy. In hardly any other genre do I feel as free and–if I may say so–also as uninhibited as with children’s pieces, without which the other pieces would not be possible at all. Of course the round fits into the square, of course there are children’s songs to sing along to (please sing along all of you, really!) and of course there are noises, squeals and squeals and squeals! Sad, silly, cheerful, serious…. All at the same time, like a child’s birthday party in Wanne-Eickel. Besides, who looks in a mirror while pouting?
Gordon Kampe