Etta Scollo Trio & Eva Mattes - Nirgendland - Ein literarisch-musikalischer Abend für Mascha Kaléko
On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the death of the great German-Jewish poet Mascha Kaléko, Etta Scollo and Eva Mattes, together with the Etta Scollo Trio, dedicate themselves to an extraordinary stage project that intertwines music, poetry, and memory. Under the title "Nirgendland," an evening is created that brings forth the subtle melancholy, humor, and linguistic precision of Kaléko's work anew.
Mascha Kaléko (1907–1975) was regarded as the voice of an entire generation. In the Berlin coffeehouses of the 1930s, she gained sudden fame with her "Lyrical Stenogram Notebook" – her poems reflect the feeling of urban life, both insightful and delicate. After fleeing from the Nazis, she lived in exile in New York and later in Jerusalem. Her texts speak of uprootedness, belonging, and the search for home – themes that seem more relevant today than ever. “Wherever I travel, I go to Nirgendland,” it says in one of her poems – a line that lends its title to the evening.
The Italian-German musician Etta Scollo, known for her poetic compositions that blend chanson, world music, and classical, meets Kaléko's poetry with sensitive musicality. Together with her trio – Susanne Paul (cello) and Tara Bouman (clarinet) – she develops a dense, emotional soundscape in which word and music intertwine. Scollo, a recipient of numerous awards (including the Ruth World Music Prize, Order of Merit of Italy 2024), knows how to transform literary texts into music without stripping them of their independence.
Eva Mattes, one of the most prominent actresses in the German-speaking world, gives depth, warmth, and irony to Kaléko's poems with her unmistakable voice. For decades, she has shaped theater and film with impressive intensity and sensitivity, whether on stage, in award-winning film roles, or as a long-time detective in "Tatort." Her presence and sensitivity to nuances infuse the evening with a special emotional tension, making Kaléko's words immediately palpable.
Thus, an intense, multi-layered evening emerges about language, memory, and identity – poetic, political, and touching.
An evening about the power of art that transcends boundaries and places the human experience at its center.
Doors open: 7 PM
Hallo, ich bin Maya.
