Ethel Merhaut: Here&There

In the organizer's words:

"Here & There" is the name of the new album by singer Ethel Merhaut. The Viennese singer breathes new life into the music of the 1920s and 30s across genres. With her new album, Merhaut uses elements of jazz, operetta, variety and cabaret to create a unique bridge to the glamorous era of swing and chanson music - and a longing that not only characterized that time, but is more relevant than ever today.

In her new program "Here&There - Echoes of Longing", Ethel Merhaut revives songs that have lost none of their intensity and frivolity despite being almost 100 years old. At a time when social and political upheavals are causing the world to fall apart at the seams, the songs in "Here&There" take a reflective look at the longings for love, security, fun, empathy and a better future. These small longings, which give people comfort and hope in difficult times, are not only part of history, but are also deeply rooted in us today.

The Viennese singer refuses to be pigeonholed and Merhaut's album brings together 15 songs from different genres, including chansons, foxtrots, tangos, swing and operetta songs, taking us into a world full of love, passion and loss.



Giving women a voice

A special aspect of the program is the examination of the role of women in the music and literature of the 1920s and 30s. The album is not only reminiscent of well-known male composers such as Friedrich Holländer and Robert Stolz. Works by female poets such as Else Lasker-Schüler, Mascha Kaleko and female composers such as Hilde Loewe-Flatter are also included, whose fates are inextricably linked to the history of this period. By making these voices heard, Merhaut advocates the visibility of female perspectives and illustrates how topical the themes of longing and feminist struggles are in culture - then as now.

As a connoisseur of the music of the 20s and 30s and as a strong, young woman, Ethel Merhaut has found a convincingly modern approach: She uses her versatile voice skillfully, sometimes in seductively breathy chansons, sometimes in humorous spoken song, then again in powerful vibrato.

Belush Korenyi; piano
Ilse Riedler; saxophone & clarinet
Clemens Gigacher; double bass