Bellezza e Sensualità

…translated by Brigitte Scott…THX!

A Napoli June 2019

There hasn’t been much to report in 2019 so far: no cool tours to play, no awards to win, no evocative compositions for the theatre to complete – really, nothing going on!
I may have been fairly lazy this spring, but I can assure you, apart from that I lead a perfectly virtuous life. I am not attracted to criminal behaviour, even at school I wasn’t into truancy or cheating, instead I try to make my way playing fair. Daring, isn’t it?

Despite this unbusiness-like approach, luck keeps finding me. Here is a brief overview of my sisymphonic efforts in this absurd world:

***24 July 2019 – PREMIERE – THE URGE OF NIGHT***

Clemens Wenger arranges compositions by Mira Lu Kovacs
Glatt & Verkehrt Festival | Krems a. d. Donau

It’s really happening!
For years Mira and I have been phantasising about an orchestral reworking of her music with Schmieds Puls. We have waited patiently for the opportunity to arise and are now all excited about the premiere of “The Urge of Night” at the wonderful Glatt & Verkehrt Festival.

The line-up is truly extraordinary: a 10-piece chamber ensemble, specially put together for the occasion, with a horn quartet at its core. Yes, a horn quartet. No room for treacly violins. Here goes:

Mira Lu Kovacs – vocals, e-guit
Clemens Wenger – arrangement, synthesizer
Beate Wiesinger – bass
Christoph Walder – horn
Julia Pesendorfer – horn
Elisabeth Hirzinger – horn
Jason Pfiester – horn
Mona Matbou Riahi – clarinet, bass clarinet
Christof Dienz – bassoon
Igor Gross – perc

So I have not been completely lazy this spring: notes don’t write themselves and the first ideas are not always the best. Much has been thrown out again and there is still a lot to do to be ready on Wednesday, 24 July 2019 – 19:00 – Winzer Krems, Glatt & Verkehrt

Tickets and more details here ->

This commission has been kindly supported by the SKE-Fonds and by an Ö1 composition grant. Thank you!

 ***5/8ERL IN EHR´N – 2019 Dates & New Songs***

Can you feel it?
Something’s in the air. We met a few times this spring and wrote new songs. But before we start recording a new album in autumn, (our 6th !), we will play ourselves into top form – with old hits and even a few new songs in our repertoire!

Come and tell everybody, because: “5/8erl in Ehr´n live are like the 1997 Starting Five of the Chicago Bulls” (as the press said about us)

You can find all dates and links to get tickets on www.5achterl.at

***EMBRACING SHITSTORM at POPFEST WIEN***

KRISTIN GRUBER – PERFORMANCE, TEXT | CLEMENS WENGER – KEYS | PETER ROM – GUITAR | SIXTUS PREISS – DRUMS…SPECIAL GUESTS…

If this photo gives you the creeps then you are probably the ideal target audience for EMBRACING SHITSTORM! We have already liberated thousands of people from their desire for harmony. Now we include the Popfest Wien in our clients. About time too. On Saturday, 27 July 2019, at the Popfest Wien, we will play our aggressive healing mass in the Wien Museum.

Here is a short mysterious glimpse of our magic -> TRAILER:

“Kristin Gruber and JazzWerkstatt Wien announce the end of the divided society (…) As a medial collective they devote themselves to the cause of enlightenment, using the healing power of human aggression. (…) Kristin Gruber embodies an aggressive icon in a performance somewhere between hope channel, election rally address, computer game personality test, esoteric mass and keynote speech, explores her audience’s propensity for violence, initiates world peace and wonders about an aggressive utopia.” (press release)

Photos:
“Clemens Wenger a Napoli” -©CRS
“Mira Lu Kovacs & Clemens Wenger” – ©Ina Aydogan
“5/8erl Sujet” – ©Astrid Knie & Social Media Team 5achterlOG
“Embracing Shitstorm” -©Rania Moslam

P.S.:
-> check out this story by RADIO FM4 “Im Viertel”
…Slivo and me walking around my hood in Vienna and having fun:)

Slivo and me @ Chang Thai Curry in Brigittenau:) photo and story by Florian Wörgötter

 

Break the Spell

Fotorechte: © http://www.lupispuma.com / Volkstheater

Fotorechte: © http://www.lupispuma.com / Volkstheater

Fotorechte: © http://www.lupispuma.com / Volkstheater

Finally there´s time again to write a post:) The picture gallery above shows 3 scenes of the theatre play “Höllenangst” by J. Nestroy, which is staged at the Wiener Volkstheater this season. I composed the music and did the sounddesign for this updated staging by Felix Hafner. Furthermore – in Nestroy´s spirit – Peter Klien (lyrics) and I updated the famous “Couplets” and composed 3 new songs. MICA made an extensive interview with me about the composition process – read it here!

…going crazy in photoshop with some rehearsal shots of RE:PLAY 🙂

At the moment I´m working on another theatre project: “RE:PLAY- our game your choice“. Director Kai Anne Schuhmacher and the team of netzzeit came up with an idea to show democratic processes and the persuasiveness of music within the framework of an interactive musical theatre. They involved me as musical director and composer for this production. It´s a fun and interesting affair, since the development of the scenes is very improvisational and the audience is supposed to take action and dictate the dramaturgy. The play is set in a weird laboratory, the spectator becomes a scientist and has to perform a series of tests. You should dare taking part – take a look at my DATES page for scheduled performances; premiere will be on December 7th!

on stage with 5/8erl in Ehr´n / Arena Wien Open Air

2018 is soon coming to an end…this year has had a lot of surprises for me. For the first time in my career I spent most of the time in my studio composing. I received a lot of commissions to compose for theatre – this is a dream come true! Hopefully I´ll be able to continue working with those crazy people. For now, let´s bring this busy year to an end:
5/8erl in Ehr´n will play one more show on November 30th at Vienna´s “Porgy&Bess” club. The concert is already sold out and it´ll be packed with lovely people:) looking forward to this! JazzWerkstatt Wien will present a one-evening festival on December 16th at Blue Tomato. 10 bands will perform for 10min each, I will also be on stage with a long-time friend and fellow campaigner – yet it´s a surprise!
Well, what are my plans for 2018 then? First, I´ll spend my time composing and producing a new solo album. I plan a release in autumn 2018. There are already app. 35 layouts on my computer, the theme for the material is set, I´ll keep you updated;) Therefore, I feel it´s time to bring an end to a chapter: NEAPEL – my first solo project –will retire, the last live-show will be on January 30th 2018 at Sargfabrik Wien, don´t miss your last chance to hear these beautiful songs live!

one more time…

sad, but true!

5/8erl in Ehr´n is also raring to go; we´ll start working on and recording new songs next year. I´m so grateful to be part of this special group, 12 years and still going strong…we take pride in our enduring team-work!
Life as a composer needs some private balance too; every now and then, I grant you an insight in my affection for basketball. A few months ago, we formed a new team to play in Vienna´s Mixed Basketball League: FREIZEITCLUB FLAMINGO

FC FLAMINGO – me wearing #4

I love this group! Check out our Homepage – you can support us buying fan shirts with a beautiful flamingo, come to our games and like us on Facebook! FC FLAMINGO promotes Mixed Sports – as you can see – and so should you! This is the future of our society.
“And now: Basta! Ciao!”

Love You Live – Amadeus Awards 2014

Watch again –  5/8erl in Ehr´n special performance at Amadeus Austrian Music Awards 2014 at Volkstheater Wien. I wrote the arrangement for this special ensemble with drums, string quartet and choir – “Stö jetzt kane Fragn” is the name of the song. Enjoy:

Here´s what we looked ike on the magenta carpet with our borrowed tuxedos:

Ruby Tuesday

Vienna is hot! I´m enjoying summer in my hood, although there´s plenty of work to do. Lately, we were touring a lot with 5/8erl in Ehr´n. It was very attractive playing huge concerts as support act for big German acts like Sportfreunde Stiller or La BrassBands. For an acoustic band like us it´s very unusual playing big stages with thousands of people waiting to be animated to dance and scream. I think we did a good job staying cool but focused and people really enjoyed our laid-back approach. Here some impressions:

One thing I can´t conceal:

I´M THE VERTIKALLBALL WORLD CHAMP 2013!!!!!

The fight took place in Hamburg, Germany, August 28. It was a hot day and the best players from all over the world came together to play unfamous but brilliant Vertikallball nearby the Alster. We had 5 qualification games and the best 5 players advanced to the ultimate final. The last two players standing were my colleague from the Viennese-Vertikalball-League Michael Bruckner-Weinhuber and me. Michael is also co-inventor of this sport and a true master. I lost to him in the finals 2011 in Berlin. Last year he was Vice World Champ. After last years champ Sven P. Pohl (Germany) was eliminated, I knew Michael was the man to beat. I was a little nervous before going into the last game. I played pretty solid in the qualification but I couldn´t win one single game, not even did I come in second. I tried not to analyze what I could do better to excel, instead I focused on my strenghts, believing in myself and my dream to become one of the world´s greates athletes (like I´ve always read in sportsman biographies – thank you Michael Jordan). From a distance, I´d say it was a walk to the championship. I can´t remember one single mistake. I didn´t think, I just played Vertikalball. A thing of beauty!

I thought about it a lot recently, but I´m staying with music. I´ll not leave my bandmates and colleagues all over the world alone. Vertikallball is nice, but my profession is composer and musician.
So, the next thing I do is Jazzseminar Schönbach. I´m loving it and I will report afterwards. HAVE A LOOK at my dates, September is HUGE!
Love, Clemens