Stelzen presents itself as a Gallic village at the festival

The "Stelzenfestspiele bei Reuth" continue to provide special sounds. For the 32nd edition of the spectacle, performance artists and musicians Henry Schneider and Erwin Stache want to test all kinds of everyday objects for their sonic properties. "Endless breathing at last" is the name of the opening program, which replaces the former "Landmaschinensinfonie" and - according to the program - wants to make "a big fuss about everything and nothing".

In order to cope with the usual crowds at the opening, the show will be performed twice in the festival barn on the Stelzenberg on Friday evening. At midnight, the Berlin band "Frau Vorne und die Hintermänner" will take to the stage to round off the first day with a mixture of ska, rock, punk, funk, reggae and pop.

Theatrical play about Asterix and Obelix

The festival's motto is "Stelzen - the Gallic village". The theater performances of a Stelzen institution for people with disabilities have a long tradition. This year, they are telling the story of Asterix and Obelix and will be supported by guests from the Leipzig Inselbühne.

Concerts will be given by the Gotha handbell choir, the renowned ensemble Amarcord, a duo with trombonist Mike Svoboda and drummer Michael Kiedaisch, the rock band "Die Kosmonauten" and jazz musician Uschi Brüning accompanied by pianist Stephan König.

Village festival, soccer and archers on horseback

Of course, as every year, classics such as the village festival, the Stelzen Clásico - a soccer match between a selection of the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra and FC Traktor Stelzen - and the Sunday church concert are on the program. During the festival, the "Bund der Steppenreiter" will be holding a qualifying tournament for the German Mounted Archery Championships on the Stelzenberg. The finale on Sunday evening will feature Bach's Mass in B minor with the Collegium Vocale Leipzig, the Merseburg Court Music and a soloist ensemble under the direction of Michael Schönheit.

"Bachwiese" presents the composer's complete works non-stop

When the last bars have faded away, the "Bachwiese" in the middle of the town will continue for a whole week - with canned music. Music lovers can then enjoy Bach's complete works in CD quality around the clock for a whole week. The loudspeakers hang in a tree. The format premiered in the Bach Year 2000 and has since become a classic in its own right.

Former Gewandhaus violist Henry Schneider founded the festival in his home village in 1993. Stelzen is located in Thuringia, Reuth two kilometers away in Saxony. Bavaria is not far away either. The name of the festival alludes to a similarity in sound to the Bayreuth Festival.

With original programs, Stelzen quickly became known nationwide. Even media from abroad reported on it. In some years, several thousand fans made a pilgrimage to the village, briefly increasing the local population of around 200 inhabitants many times over.