Ruhe

Overview

In German it means "silence", and in Ruhe we find the intersection between many types of quiet. It is the opposite of the note, a pause in the musical score important enough to have its own notational symbol, and then it is the appreciative reverence of those listening to a musical performance. But the darker sense of silence comes to the fore in Ruhe: the tight-lips and downward gaze of those not wishing to speak about a past of atrocity.

Based upon interviews recorded by Dutch artists Armando and Hans Sleutelaar in the 1960s, Ruhe melds the rich, masculine voices of the Collegium Vocale Gent choir with the confessions of former SS members. This is the Australian premiere of Belgium's Muziektheater Transparant, and audience members are invited to take their seat amongst the performers. When the music of Schubert is constantly jarred aside by ghosts, will you want to cry out for the blessing of silence?

Image by Hermann Sorgeloos