C(H)OEURS 2022

It was Gerard Mortier, then intendant of the Teatro Real, who got Platel to work on the operas of Verdi and Wagner. Against the backdrop of the Arab Spring, the banking crisis and the protest of the Indignados, especially the choruses had an intense impact on Platel. And with good reason, because this music originated in equally turbulent times. After the revolutions of 1848, Europe was shaken to its core. In their operas, Verdi and Wagner gave a voice to their people, who wanted to live freely in a new national unity. Choruses such as 'Va pensiero' from Nabucco or the pilgrim chorus from Tannhäuser became patriotic anthems. Their magnetism is – still – irresistible.

But the beauty of the masses has a dangerous downside, which periodically mutates. How does the progressive nationalism of the 19th century relate to recent trends towards populism and protectionism? When does connectedness turn into epidemic disinformation? And what seismic counterforces are making themselves felt in our feverish times? C(H)ŒURS 2022 explores the relationship between individual and society, inner and outer world, drive and convention in today's world.