From Villazon to Wanda: Austria plays for Ukraine
They were concerts that were put together in no time at all and the man did not shy away from the will to improvise. In Vienna’s Happel Stadium and in the Stadthalle, music across all genres will set a visible, lively sign for the Ukraine and the people between Lviv and Mariupol together with the audience. 40,000 spectators will be in the stadium on Saturday alone for the “We Stand With Ukraine” event.
19.91 – a symbolic ticket price on Saturday
Nova Rock promoter Ewald Tatar announced the event last week in response to Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. The tickets were sold at the symbolic price of 19.91 euros – a reference to the year 1991, when Ukraine became independent. All proceeds go to Volkshilfe and “Neighbours in Need”. With the “Neighbor in Need” campaign, ORF III and ORF III have put together a concert for Sunday evening, where fans of classical music will get their money’s worth and stand up for peace and unity.
“We stand with Ukraine” started in the stadium as live on ORF.at, tvthek.ORF.at and fm4.ORF.at on Saturday at 1 p.m. The set list reads like a Who’s Who of Austrian pop music. Picture book, Wanda, Seiler and Speer are just a few of the highlights. In between, Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen will give a speech. Only Kurt Ostbahn, experienced in the solidarity concert genre, had to pass for Saturday due to CoV.
TV Notes
- ORF.at together with tvthek.ORF.at and FM4 the entire concert Saturday from the Happel Stadium from 1 p.m. ORF1 shows a two-hour summary from 8:15 p.m.
- ORF III, ORF.at and tvthek.ORF.at will show the concert “Voices for Peace” live from the Wiener Stadthalle on Sunday, 8.15 p.m.
The individual acts on Saturday should last around 20 to 30 minutes. In view of the pandemic, visitors are expected to take “maximum personal responsibility” and are asked to only come to the benefit concert in compliance with the 3G regulation. The concert was sold out in a few days.
“Kurtl got it. He’s Corona positive,” Willi Resetarits said on Thursday on his Facebook page – and at the same time agreed to call out to the fans: “Dear gentlemen, as ambassadors: we’ll see women from the field of medical science in the stadium on Saturday.”
An evening from the town hall
The musical stars Gino Emnes, Carin Filipcic, Ana Milva Gomes, Maya Hakvoort, Vanessa Heinz and Lukas Perman present the best-known songs from United Theater productions at the “Voices for Peace – The Benefit Concert for Neighbors in Need” in the Wiener Stadthalle Vienna and from the current “Cats” production.
“Voices for Peace”
On Sunday the benefit concert “Voices for Peace” will take place in the Wiener Stadthalle. The proceeds benefit “Neighbors in Need” for people affected by the Ukraine war. Stars of the local music scene perform in solidarity with the people of Ukraine.
Sandra Pires will sing Sting’s “Russians”, cabaret artist, singer and “dancing star” Caroline Athanasiadis and singer Iris Camaa will also hear their voices musically for peace.
Stars of the opera world and the classical scene are also on stage: the Arnold Schönberg Choir, together with the Musicians for Peace Orchestra under the direction of Erwin Ortner, performs “Va, pensiero” from Giuseppe Verdi’s “Nabucco” and the prisoner’s choir from Ludwig van Beethoven’s opera “ interpret Fidelio”.
The Janoska Ensemble and the Vienna Boys’ Choir are also there, as is star violinist Julian Rachlin, who hails from the former USSR and will perform the second movement from Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 2. Rolando Villazon will present “L’Ideale” by Francesco Paolo Tosti in the finale.
federal government solidarity
The federal government supports the benefit concert in the Happel Stadium with 80,000 euros. As stated in a broadcast on Friday, the money should be used to cover the production costs incurred.
“We stand by the people of Ukraine and provide support wherever possible,” said Chancellor Karl Nehammer (ÖVP). “These 80,000 euros are a small but important contribution to remembering the costs of the concert and thus increasing the income for direct help on site.” Vice Chancellor Werner Kogler (Greens) also thanked everyone for their commitment and the expected Audience for the support: “With this initiative, Austrian pop music shows a lot of heart and solidarity.”
Music message also from Berlin
There will also be a musical rally for peace on Sunday in Berlin. 20,000 spectators are expected to see the “Sound of Peace” in front of the Brandenburg Gate. Natalia Klitschko, wife of the mayor of Kyiv, and ex-professional boxer Vitali Klitschko are also scheduled to speak in Berlin.