Drama and opera

The centerpiece of the festival from September 9 to 11 is the Puppetry performance Oh
You fool! from Lutz Grossmann in the studio of Othmar Schoeck's birthplace in Brunnen. Read backwards, this title conceals Don Ranudothe protagonist of Schoeck's opera of the same name, the libretto of which was written by Armin Rüeger. Grossmann's ensemble approaches the man Othmar Schoeck in his play with artifacts and curiosities from the Künstlerhaus and music from the Schoeck-Rüeger operas.

Armin Rüeger (1886-1957) was much more than a pharmacist and lyricist. He drew, painted, designed posters and flyers, was committed to puppet theater and generally to the cultural scene in Eastern Switzerland in the first half of the 20th century. On the basis of previously unpublished material, the OSF is curating an exhibition together with the Historisches Museum Bischofszellwhich aims to remove him from the shadow of Othmar Schoeck. As the author of several festival plays and marionette pieces, Rüeger was able to give Schoeck's sprawling visual and sound fantasies a dramaturgical framework with his libretti, which made them adaptable for the stage in the first place.

In the Symposium Balzac on the opera stagewhich will take place at the Künstleratelier in cooperation with the Musicology Institute of the University of Zurich, Schoeck/Rüeger's Massimilla Doni in the context of other Balzac operas of the 20th and 21st centuries.

Inga Mai Groote, Erich Keller and Alex Ross, live from Los Angeles, discuss in the Podium Art and politics in the 20th century the historical and political context of Schoeck's work, a topic that will remain important for the OSF in the future.

Every year, the OSF presents a World premiere. The Mondrian Ensemble interprets beside
Dieter Ammanns Après le silence and Heard form a new work by Felix Nussbaumer, who has already presented a string quartet sketch at the OSF 2021 as part of Ammann's Podium futur composé. In contrast, Schoeck's song cycle will be performed at the same concert Gaselen. Due to the unusual instrumentation, it is rarely heard live. Advanced students of the Lucerne School of Music work on the cycle in a chamber music module until it is ready for concert performance.

Finally, in the former telephone booths at Brunnen station, travelers will be provided with a Installation by Mali Lazell welcomed: Ghosts | Falling upwards combines photos from OSF 2016 with a sound collage by Rolf Simmen.

Like last year, there will also be a Accompanying book to the festival appear.