It's beyond belief indeed: On 14th November 2015, the world's first Steampunk opera will have its premiere in Gelsenkirchen's Musiktheater. The Steampunk group COPPELIUS who has released their current record ‘Hertzmaschine’ at the beginning of the year is creatively in charge here. The idea was already born by the initiators of the Musiktheater and Berlin rock band COPPELIUS in 2012. Together with the Neue Philharmonie Westfalen , the six COPPELIUS gentlemen who are all delegates of the romantic 19th century will transform the stage scenically and musically into an acoustic steam machine with unusually loud classic instruments which will cast a spell on everyone. The fantastic story ‘Klein Zaches, genannt Zinnober’ (Eng.: Little Zaches, great Zinnober) by E.T.A. Hoffmann is the special material of which the opera is made. Hoffmann's malformed and impoverished villain Little Zaches wins great honour through a well-intentioned spell and is given the opportunity to redeem his strange looks by convenient action, kindness, ambition and thoughtfulness. But he leaves the chance unattained and almost destroys the life and love of the young poet Balthasar for the beautiful Candida.
Count Lindorf: “The idea of a Steampunk opera has existed for a very long time. Many musical pieces have been taken out of the COPPELIUS cellar for this and Ernst Theodor (E.T.A Hoffmann is meant here; editor's note) is a good friend and has inspired many of our songs between poetry and truth. Because of burning opera houses, we were often refused admittance to them in our more than 200 years long band history. The Musiktheater Gelsenkirchen has obviously found a sufficiently good insurance in order to give us a proper place: the opera stage!”
COPPELIUS have been active since 18th June 2015 and are bringing back the good sound into concert venues. A permanent electric shock has made the five gentlemen in the elegant frock-coats indecently loud. Since then, they show off with their clarinets, cello, contrabass and drums as a musical Kinski and rat on the heritage of German romanticism – outrageously wild and outrageously good. If there is anyone who can breathe new life into the German music landscape then it's those five Berliners with their extraordinary understanding of music. They are considered the pioneers of Steampunk in the scene and are one of Germany's loveliest rock bands.
Source: Press Release
