Orchestras organize a minute of silence in empty halls

Several orchestras observed, this Monday at 8 pm (local time) in Germany, a minute of silence. Musicians fell silent to protest the shutdown of the culture sector in November due to the coronavirus epidemic.

The idea was launched by the collective “Alarmstuferot” (red alert level). Musicians from the Munich Opera Philharmonic Orchestra, the Berlin Staatskapelle Orchestra and many others took to the stage. But instead of starting a concert, they remained silent in front of an empty hall.

#sangundklanglos #AlarmstufeRot empty rooms. silence. no music. no singing. pic.twitter.com/PVLz2p6mTE

– Balsamico-Music (@BalsamicoMusic) November 2, 2020

Sectors in serious danger

On Twitter, some have also played music records without sound and posted photos with the slogan: “Without art and culture, it’s silence”. The artists want to draw attention to the lack of “sufficient aids for the survival” of people working in the cultural sector.

Since Monday, for four weeks, all cultural establishments, from concert halls to theaters through museums, have had to close their doors. The new restriction measures also concern gastronomy, bars, cafes and sports establishments.

Culture Minister Monika Grütters herself admitted to being “very worried” about her sector. “Even if the new restrictions are understandable” in terms of health, they constitute “a disaster”, she said. The government announced that it would release up to ten billion euros in additional aid for all the sectors of activity most affected in November.