Beethovenfest: What does music have to do with democracy?

Having your say and setting law to music: Unique Beethovenfest performances mark the anniversaries of Germany's Basic Law and German Unity Day.

This year, the constitution of the Federal Republic of Germany turns 75. Known as the Basic Law, it enshrines rights such as human dignity, equality, and freedom of opinion.

But democracy is not a one-way street; it thrives on cooperation in politics as well as in society, art and music. "Our experience is that culture and music offer a kind of space for many people who would argue hopelessly when it comes to other topics," artistic director Steven Walter said in a debate on the future of democracy and responsibility in culture.

It is often emphasized that music unites people, and that Ludwig van Beethoven's 200-year-old Ninth Symphony promotes themes such as freedom, togetherness and equality.

At first glance, it seems unusual that music can contribute to democracy. Yet, grassroots democratic orchestras do set an example of unity and productive debate — something that is often difficult in national-level politics.

Democracy within an orchestra

The Hamburg-based Ensemble Resonanz, which is performing at the Beethovenfest, is one such example. "We make fundamental decisions in the plenum and all have the same voice," says Tim-Erik Winzer, the ensemble's first violist, told DW. "The big decisions on direction, which artists we want to work with in the long term, which repertoire direction we want to take, how we behave in certain social and political situations — these are things that we discuss and decide in plenary."

Just like a parliament, Ensemble Resonanz also has various mandates, with individuals or smaller groups dealing with specific topics. The 21 members elect these representatives every two years. Winzer has already been elected to the dramaturgical board five times. Together with the managing director, he decides which plays are put on the program. The repertoire ranges from classical to new electronic music. The members work with choreographic elements and experiment with artificial intelligence.

The members expect the conductors they work with to treat them with respect. The grassroots democratic ensemble functions with its own income, public funds and private donations. One thing is important to them: "The public funding we receive is not so high that a senator for culture could influence us," says Winzer.

Experiencing diversity together

Article 3 of the German Basic Law prohibits any form of discrimination based on a person's native country, origin or language. There is also a Council of Europe Convention on Protection against Discrimination against National Minorities.

A Song For You, a Berlin-based vocal ensemble, ensures that such minorities are also visible in music. Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPoC) sing together and work with artists from the fields of dance and music. "We embody togetherness. We are diverse individuals who live in a fast-paced city and enjoy singing together," says Noah Slee, co-founder of the vocal ensemble, which brings together over 50 artists from all over the world.

When New Zealander Noah Slee came to Berlin in 2016, he missed choral singing. "In my Polynesian homeland, we sing together a lot," he told DW. In Germany, people also used to sing folk songs together. "But it's not part of everyday life as I know it from where I grew up. At school, we all sang Indigenous songs together."

Giving minorities a voice

Blending soul, hip hop and jazz, A Song For You offers a platform for the underrepresented voices of people of color. "Our intention is that people who look like us are more strongly represented in art and that they tell stories from their own perspective," explained Noah Slee.

Through their show "A Soulful Missa" — based on Beethoven's "Missa Solemnis" — the singers expressed their own stories of faith and hope in song, dance and video recordings at the Beethovenfest. They were accompanied by the Beethoven Orchestra conducted by Dirk Kaftan.

75-year-old Basic Law in word and sound

German Unity Day is celebrated annually on October 3 — commemorating the day when the former East Germany, known as the German Democratic Republic (GDR), joined the Federal Republic of Germany in 1990.

Since then, there has only been one German state, with the Basic Law applicable to all.

At the end of the Beethoven Festival on October 3, there will be a large music festival at places of democracy in the former capital of West Germany, Bonn — for example at the United Nations Square or in the former plenary halls of the Bundestag and the Bundestag itself. "It's deliberately modest," artistic director Steven Walter told DW. Everyone can pay what they like for admission to the events. "The individual programs refer to articles of the Basic Law in terms of content and dramatization."

The Mandelring Quartet, which will perform at the plenary hall of the Bundesrat, embodies for example Paragraph 20 of the German Basic Law — freedom of choice. Thus, the audience is allowed to choose what is played from a range of music pieces.

Turkish composer and pianist Fazil Say will play his piano sonata "Gezi Park 2" based on Paragraph 5, namely freedom of expression. In 2013, people in Istanbul initially demonstrated against the development of the park area. But later, Gezi Park became a symbol of resistance against police violence and the Turkish government system under Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

Closing Europe's borders?

The Ensemble Resonanz uses Beethoven's Third Symphony, the "Eroica," as a musical interpretation of Paragraph 1 of the German Basic Law: Human dignity is inviolable. Parts of the symphony alternate with texts about the Sea-Watch 3, the boat that sailed around with refugees for weeks in 2021 because no European country would let the ship dock at its harbor.

"There is something heroic and tragic about the Eroica," says Tim-Erik Winzer. At the same time, Beethoven is a great symbol of European values such as freedom and equality, which are very strongly linked to the European idea. "In combination with the lyrics, this shows the extent to which situations like the one on the Sea-Watch question the values of Europe and make us think about how we can actually deal with ourselves and the people around Europe."

This article was originally written in German.