Somewhere To Unfold

Spaces 2.0

mdw – Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst Wien / iPop – Institut für Popularmusik, Austria 20190513

The institute for popular music at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna invited to a very special evening that put the singers into the foreground. For someone who doesn’t know more about this education, it is hard to guess what will be going on. But a high musical level, that is for granted.

Main organizer of the evening is Verena Koppendorfer, who during the program presents her own dynamic composition “Vergessen”. The whole concert is very diversified, starting with a beautiful a cappella song. A grooving piece with full band named “Peace Funk” follows. Some artists tell short anecdotes, like Oscar Schöller who dedicates his contribution to his mother. In between Verenas partner in the organization team Philipp Sageder (Bauchklang) mentions, that music critics are those sitting in the back.

The line up on stage changes every time. And even though the focus is on the singers like at the Bum Bum Tschak on the drummers, there is enough space for the band and instruments too. A Tom Waits arrangement is accompanied by Ida Leidl playing discreet Cello. The song “Rules”, that is about Rebellion, features headstrong melodies and beautiful creaky drums by Michi Blassnig (Rosi Spezial, Raze). Larissa Schwärzler then sings about frightening spaces and Metalhead Berni Ritt discovers his soft side with “Sweet Angel”.

The piano has an important role too, most of the time played by Stephi Weninger, and also Wanja Rosenthal (Full Of Thoughts) on guitar delivers sweet solos as well as Ciara Moser on bass. For the last song Anna-Maria Schnabl picked Markus Nentwich on trombone as perfect company for her song that she originally wrote for a choir. The title giving space was used in different ways to experiment with genres and instruments build around the voices, most of it calm and emotional but with a high range and impressive skills.