Richard Strauss Festival 2021: a new concept is on the table

What will happen to the crisis-ridden Richard Strauss Festival in Garmisch-Partenkirchen in 2021? This sensitive question should provide plenty of material for discussion in tomorrow's local council meeting.

Garmisch-Partenkirchen - The keyword Richard-Strauss-Festival brings worry lines on the forehead of many local politicians in the district. The renowned festival in honor of the composer of the century, who lived in Garmisch-Partenkirchen and created many of his famous works here, did not get out of the negative headlines recently : Because of the corona pandemic, the high culture event was canceled this year - and sank into the red . Finally, the artistic director Alexander Liebreich also withdrew.

It is not surprising that there are increasing voices in town calling for a fresh start - and for stricter cost controls . The local council will deal with the hot iron at its meeting on Thursday. There are two motions on the agenda - one from the newly founded GaPa Kultur gGmbH and the other from FDP lone fighter Martin Schröter.

Focus on musicians from the region and on the youth

The non-profit community subsidiary GaPa Kultur developed a concept with the working title “Garmisch-Partenkirchen Music Summer” after researching the daily newspaper . It could already start next year. Crucial: Richard Strauss remains a focus, but finds himself under the umbrella of a much broader cultural program . A return to the smaller format of the Richard Strauss Days, which could take place on a (long) weekend in June, is planned. A new focus is to be placed on musicians in the region, on youth and students, on academies and music camps as well as on cooperations.

Also read: Richard Strauss Festival: Will there only be a slimmed-down version in 2021?

But Strauss is not the only highlight: in addition to the Hermann Levi Days (June or July), a weekend for the Italian composer Gioachino Rossini (mid-September) is also proposed . It is precisely this that offers the opportunity, it is argued, to involve local musicians and to inspire the locals, for whom Strauss is too difficult, for classical music as well as for opera. In addition, there will be a large number of smaller events - not just in concert halls, but in the entire community, whether in taverns, in backyards or on balconies. Saving is the order of the day when it comes to financing the cultural program : the store's own share should not exceed 110,000 euros .

Förderkreis Richard Strauss is counting on a new start

FDP man Schröter is making a move in another direction. He is proposing a kind of light version of the Richard Strauss Festival for 2021 - for a modest 50,000 euros. “A lot can be done with this money,” the local politician is convinced. He has a series in mind that is limited to Garmisch-Partenkirchen , relies on young artists and “buys” finished productions. When asked, he explains that he can definitely make friends with the GaPa culture proposal. If his central concerns, especially cost discipline, still flow into it, he will vote for it - and withdraw his application.

You might also be interested in: “A grave of millions”: Richard Strauss Festival writes more minuses than you thought - Liebreich withdraws

Also in the Richard Strauss sponsorship group, considerations about the “summer of music” meet with open ears. "We welcome that. It is important for us that Richard Strauss takes place again next year", says the chairman and member of the state parliament Florian Streibl (Free Voters). The Oberammergauer speaks of a "new start" on which one can build. In any case, the support group will support the community as best as possible. The decisive factor now, Streibl continues, is that the local council will soon decide where to go. After all, you need a certain amount of lead time to market such an event .

The press office of the town hall administration was unable to get any information on the “Musiksommer Garmisch-Partenkirchen” project and GaPa Kultur gGmbH on Monday. Answers to the Tagblatt questions were announced for Tuesday.