Violetter Schnee

The world is in a state of emergency. Five people are trapped in perpetual snowdrifts. Time appears to stand still. Will this ever end? Jacques remains apart in the middle of the group, affirming the snowfall and the nothingness that he dedicates himself to – by holding a dialogue with the snow in agreement with its uncanny effects. Peter und Silvia, by contrast, are gloomy, fearful and pessimistic. Jan and Natascha attempt to keep a perspective, continue to hope and remain active, believing that a new era will come.

The Swiss composer Beat Furrer – who recently won the Ernst von Siemens Music Prize – is considered to be one of the most important contemporary composers. The relationship between language and sound is at the heart of his numerous musical theatre works. »Violetter Schnee« reflects on existential experiences of estrangement and loss of language in the face of looming disaster, translating these experiences into a suggestive musical and language structure.