German Classical Musicians to Play in Brothel
In a notably different way of bringing classical music to people who normally don't listen to it, six musicians and a singer from Leipzig's Forum for Contemporary Music plan to play "licentious and erotic" works to punters (customers) and employees of the Eros Centre (brothel) in Leipzig. "Le Flirt" by Erik Satie, "Seven Erotic Songs" by Dirk D'Ase, and "Rhythm Strip" by Askell Masson are on the program. The concert will serve as a prelude to the music festival "Sex.Macht.Musik" (Sex.Makes.Music), which will be held in Leipzig on December 4-6, 2009.
Replies (29)
what a novel idea!!
why not. whatever sells the tickets...
And I thought I was a "gig slut...."
What do you have to do to audition???
I heard Carmen Fantasy is on the list. And all on the G-string. Make sure your bow hairs are shaved. Dominant (Dominate?) strings will sound good, but cat houses prefer cat gut.
Germans are fond of music on brothels. There were in Auschwitz, and they force some prisoners to play there.
Actually the "concert" took place yesterday and was sold out.
I am actually quite in favor of test marketing new "products" in new environments. This could create chances to create genuine lift or toilet or tube station or brothel music, finally, instead of raping Mozart and Vivaldi for such purpose. And would give the word "contemporary" another, commercially useful meaning. ;-)
FMF
Famous composer-philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche must have predated this concert by more than a century. When he got ill with headaches and sight disturbance, his doctors considered syphilis and asked if he had ever been in a brothel. He replied: "Yes, but I haven't touched anything there but the piano."
(At present the cause of his illness is believed not to have been syphilis but a tumour of the meninges.)
Well, musicians have to find a way to live I suppose... Did they think of Air on the G string or the Nut Cracker???
I wonder how the composers will react in their graves... Some went in such places when they were alive anyway.
Anne-Marie
But do they really want music or just young musicians in sexy outfits though? This could be questionnable. Can a wonderful 60 yo musician play there???
Anne-Marie, I like your suggestion of Nutcracker.
Lol it's a double sense thing. Positive or negative I suppose but I'm not a guy so can't tell : )
Who said that folks working in brothels don't listen to classical music?? Nice..... :(
"Germans are fond of music on brothels."
Is this funny?
It was once widely believed that as a teenager, Brahms was forced by his father to play in brothels. Historians now question the validity of this story. Some even believe that Brahms made it up himself. Brahms never married, and when asked why, he referred to his experience in the brothels and said, "Do you expect me to respect these creatures?"
Was Brahms refering to girls in brothels or girls in general??? If it was girls in general... outch this is quite sexist and mean! Hope it is the first one...
Anne-Marie
Do these musicians need the money so bad that they need to play in these places? If so then I would suggest that they are actually prostituting themselves. If they are doing it to reach an "unreached" segment of society with classical music then I would say they are being sort of elitist and snobby. If they are doing this as some sort of goodwill gesture then I would think orphanages or soup kitchens might better serve the purpose. Of course....maybe I'm being overly critical. Maybe its just a stunt to bring attention to themselves.
What historians question the validity of the Brahms stories? Is there anything resembling a reputable consensus? I know there's a reviewer in Fanfare who drags out one source or other to prove the point, but as far as I can tell, a lot of the argument comes down to saying that a waterfront city couldn't possibly have had a red light district. Or something equally dumb.
I guess there's more than one way to meet girls. ;-)
Was this a paid gig, or might there have been some kind of "performance reciprocity" between the musicians and the brothel workers? LOL
They are adventurous folk: apart from the brothel concert they have given a Bicycle Concert, a Railway Station Concert, and a Cemetery Concert.
I like the photo of one of the violinists performing and being distracted by the sight of an "employee" wearing her "uniform." www.fzml.de/index.php
Greetings,
when are they going to do a prune factory cocnert?
Disgruntled,
Buri
I would never put such pic on the net if I were a professionnal violinist even if it's more a "joke". Imagine if this guy teaches... The mothers won't want to send their daughters. Well, he can always take students that don't have pcs and the problem is set!
Anne-Marie
Greetings,
its kind of a shame that undelying all this discussion is the assumption that brothels, and by extension people in them are less valuable or significant than musicians or any other stratum of society. Let us not forget that all people are worthy of love and respect.
Cheers,
Buri
Hi, Buri, if you were refering to my post, I did not at all mean that people who work there are inferior to anybody just that I was wondering what it could do to one's carrer if ever students or parents of these students see this. I mean, a violinist is like any other professionnal, if you would see your med there on a pic on a public place like the net, maybe you would be afraid to go for your check-up. (maybe not it depends on the person). To go with your idea, not all these people are "poor little exploited" either as we all think. In a city next to mine, there is such a place where they get 200 000 can $ per year!!! Bet many want to change carrer now : )
Anne-Marie
Greeitngs,
no I wasn`t aiming at you specifically. It wa sa moe generalized point. Ialso fully agree that sex workers are in that profession for a huge range of reasons and run the gamut from being exploited and abused to actually enjoying a fantastic lifestyle where some people might argue the explotation is reversed. Whether or not it is -all- exploitation at a deeper level is too big an argument for me to get my head round. Its certainly a necessary service for many people and should be treated as such. Playing in a licensed and healthy sex workers building should have no more stigma atached to it than playing in the supermarket, especially in the cucumber section.
Cheer,s
Buri
I'm reminded of Joshua Bell playing his Strad in a Metro station in Washington DC. No one listened. Maybe the performers had a better audience in the brothel.
Anne-Marie, I like your remark about the professional image (and professional conduct) that teachers, especially teachers of young children, must maintain.
Buri, the fact that all good people are worthy of love and respect doesn't change the fact that prostitution is totally base and degrading to everyone involved in it.
I just wonder how many of the musicians came back late from break? ;-)
Greetings,
Mara, that`s basically what I belive but it isn@t quite as clear ct as that in some instances . As a hypothetical example, suppose somebody was badly disfiured or damaged by accident or illneess . If there only option or oppotunity to touch somoene, have any kind of sexual expression was through payign a sex worker what right do we have to say that is base or degrading? Or do we say marriage is bas eand degrading if someone stays in it merely on the basis of offering sex in return for the prtners salary?
Cheers,
Buri
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November 20, 2009 at 02:15 AM ·
No Brahms?