Fountains are already spraying in Bad Neuenahr Preparations are underway for the fifth Klangwelle
BAD NEUENAHR · The preparations for the fifth Klangwelle in Bad Neuenahr’s Kurpark are in full swing. The spectacle, which starts on Thursday 11 October, requires a raft of technology.
Moscow – Bad Neuenahr – Qatar. This is the current Klangwelle tour. Last Monday, two 30 tonne articulated lorries arrived in Bad Neuenahr’s Kurpark. Since then, they have been setting up for the light, water, music and firework spectacle that will celebrate its fifth opening in Bad Neuenahr on Thursday evening.
It is a spectacle that needs a lot of technology. 14 people helped show designer Mischa Anton from Austria in recent days and now there are still five people at his side in the programming phase. The 37-year-old is responsible for the programme, for which he requires 75 jets and 60 spotlights. The pool, from which at present the water fountains shoot up during the day higher than the giant trees growing in the Kurpark, is 22 metres long and six metres wide.
Monday afternoon: photo shoot with Mischa Anton. “I have to quickly clear something away; it’s part of the show and should be a surprise,” says the man controlling the entire Klangwelle from a container. Okay, nothing given away. But we are told that the cable alone laid for the show would reach from Kirchdaun to Ramersbach as the crow flies.
Meanwhile, spa guests marvel at the rainbow that has formed in the English Park. Rainbows are supposed to bring good luck. The Klangwelle creators could use some. Roland Nenzel from Bonn is second in the team. As artistic director, he is responsible for the music selection, which is the icing on the cake for the show.
“We won’t repeat ourselves,” says Anton. “Each programme is tailored to the relevant venue.” As is the case for Bad Neuenahr, which for Anton as a venue “is something special. Here, we get feedback from all sides. The people know us and look forward to seeing us.” Klangwelle lasts for two hours per performance, as well as two 15 to 20 minute intervals and a two hour pre-programme. A full-length experience that takes place from Thursday 11 October to Sunday 14 October and from Thursday 18 October to Sunday 21 October.
For the fifth edition, everything revolves around the number five. In the classical part in the first act, it appears as “Five continents – Symphony of the continents”, the “Fifth Season” follows as a singalong concert, followed by five decades of German hits and “Five Elements in an intoxication of the senses”. Including the finale, there are then five acts for spectators to take in. Last year, a total of 16,000 people followed the spectacle on eight evenings.
Information and tickets are available at www.die-klangwelle.de
(Original text: Günther Schmitt. Translation: kc)
