- The Enchanting Flute in the Cryptocurrency Mine
The legendary Opera, "The Magic Flute" by Mozart, has never been presented on a mountaintop, specifically a remnant of a coal mining operation. Yet, Joachim Arnold, the director of the Saarpolygon's new opera festival, dared to break this trend. And successfully, as the performance took place on the mountaintop's plateau in Ensdorf, Saarland, putting on a spectacular multimedia show spanning approximately 150 meters. The audience of around 1500 people were enthralled.
The Duhamel mound in Saarland is unique. It houses the 30-meter-tall steel sculpture, Saarpolygon, serving as a mining legacy monument for the Saar region. Coal mining in Saarland existed for over 250 years before it ceased in 2012.
The towering monument on the black soil seamlessly integrated into the performance. It framed the stage and acted as a large canvas for dynamic video and light projections, enhancing the action on the 300-square-meter stage below. The audience sat in a semi-circular tiered seating arrangement, similar to an ancient Greek theater.
"It was quite the undertaking"
"Nothing existed here before," Arnold stated. "No infrastructure, no electricity, nothing." Over several weeks, Arnold and his team worked tirelessly to construct the necessary infrastructure on the mound. Over 200 tons of materials, including stage, seating, and technology for sound, video, and light projections, were required to be transported up the mound. "We've essentially built a city out of the earth," Arnold added.
The production was filled with awe-inspiring scenes and plentiful light effects. The shimmering silver costumes of the six-meter high staircase and the reflective gemstone plates on the entire stage made for a grand spectacle. Stefano Poda served as the choreographer and director, while Marcus Bosch oversaw the musical direction.
Opera with an atmosphere
Interest in the Saarpolygon's new opera festival in Saarland is high. All performances of "The Magic Flute" before August 25th are sold out, according to Arnold. The total of around 12,000 spectators turn this opera visit into an event. They are transported up to the mountaintop by electric buses. "Every visitor receives an electric bus ticket for entry and check-in," Arnold said. The descent post-performance was backdown with the shuttles.
It's also unique that the orchestra doesn't perform on the mound but in the old mine building below. Modern technology facilitates this: the stage is transmitted to the conductor via video, and the performers can see the conductor live. Thanks to fiber optic cables, there are no noticeable delays, according to Arnold's assistant Manuel Kläser. The original plan to position the orchestra on the Saarpolygon's bridge, at a height of 30 meters, was abandoned for safety reasons.
An undertaking too big for one person
The audience was moved. "The monument's architecture with the stage is quite impressive," said one viewer. Another visitor praised the concept of melding mining and art.
From the mountain's peak, one can see far into Saarland and even into France. Industrial sites, forests, and fields are all in view. And now, culture has found a home here: "Actually, everything that makes up a country comes together at this place," Arnold said. History, present, and future.
"The country should claim these opera festivals as its own," said the 59-year-old, who has been working on the idea since 2018. He hopes that the series will continue indefinitely. However, as a private entrepreneur, Arnold will no longer be able to support the festivals in the future. In the future, a permanent structure for funding the festivals is needed, potentially a state-owned company.
The current budget for the festivals is around 1.5 million euros, with 400,000 euros coming from the Saarland Ministry of Economics. The project involves around 150 participants. "I'd love to establish a lasting vision here," Arnold said. "It's a place with so much symbolism."
The Duhamel mound, a legacy of coal mining in Saarland, is now a venue for the European Union's cultural events. Due to the success of Joachim Arnold's opera festival, Saarland is attracting an influx of visitors from across the European Union, making it a significant cultural hub.
