So far, opera and concert halls in Germany have only been sparsely filled. Because of the hygiene regulations in the corona pandemic, often only every fourth place is awarded. In a statement from four researchers from the Charité, which is available to the Tagesspiegel, they now recommend filling each place again. The rbb reported on it first.
According to the researchers from the Institutes for Social Medicine and Epidemiology as well as for Hygiene and Environmental Medicine, full halls would be possible if all visitors wear mouth and nose protection. This is possible because there is neither talk nor dance in classical concerts.
The audience at classical events is special, with a very enlightened understanding and disciplined behavior, said Professor Stefan Willich, director of the Institute for Social Medicine and Epidemiology at the Berlin Charité, the Tagesspiegel. Willich is a conductor himself.
In addition, the audience does not sit next to each other, they do not speak during the performance. “We are assuming that they will consistently adhere to the rules of conduct.” That is not comparable to events such as the Love Parade.
To ensure that the halls can be fully occupied again, the scientists demand strict rules. In addition to the obligation to protect the mouth and nose, air filters should also be used. The usual hygiene rules must be observed and surfaces must be disinfected. The distance rules should also apply in the foyer and in the toilets. Catering should be avoided entirely.
Senator for culture Klaus Lederer (left) reacted with surprise to the supposed U-turn of the experts: “We have been in close contact with experts for months in order to enable everything that is epidemiologically justifiable,” he told Tagesspiegel. No one has ever argued that full concert halls with a few hygiene measures are unproblematic.
Charité board reacts negatively
“In this respect, we are surprised by this recommendation from the Charitè, which we learned about through press inquiries.” His administration will carefully examine the recommendations and include them in their further considerations, “like other studies and expert reports available to us,” said Berlin’s Senator for Culture.
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The board of directors of the Charité reacted negatively to the paper made by the researchers in-house. It does not reflect the position of the board of directors: “The” Statement on the public operations of concert and opera houses during the COVID-19 pandemic “on the resumption of opera and concert operations under Corona conditions is a non-coordinated paper.”
Opinion has not been reviewed by other scientists
The draft does not take into account the current dynamics of the infection process and the associated risks. “The paper is therefore not to be seen as a proposal for action, but as the basis for a further critical discussion within the framework of the Berlin test strategy,” said the board at the request of the Tagesspiegel. The health administration said they did not have the paper.
The letter from the four researchers is not a study, but a statement that has not gone through the scientific peer review process – the results of a work are checked for validity by other scientists in the respective field and evaluated with regard to whether they are worthy of publication.
Philharmonic perform in front of only 20 percent of the audience
According to the paper, there could also be easing for the musicians: The study now recommends a distance between the strings of one meter (currently 1.5 meters) and 1.5 meters between the winds (currently two meters). A separation by Plexiglas could be omitted with the winds.
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The Berliner Philharmoniker are currently playing concerts with a smaller cast, fewer audiences and a high level of hygiene expenditure. In the concerts, the orchestra in the Philharmonie will play without a break due to hygiene regulations and has therefore exchanged previously planned works.
For the new season, only 20 to 25 percent of the approximately 2200 seats in the Berlin Philharmonic will be on offer until the end of October. Loss of income could be partially taken over by the federal government and the state of Berlin. At the start of the season on August 28, the orchestra, under the direction of chief conductor Kirill Petrenko, will play Arnold Schönberg’s “Transfigured Night” and Johannes Brahms’ fourth symphony. (with dpa)
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