Hermann Nitsch and die Hook orgel

Last Thursday we went to see Hermann Nitsch perform at Heilig-Kreuz-Kirche in Kreuzberg, an exhibition of his latest organ compositions to be played on the only American church organ in Germany, the ‘Hook Orgel’ (yes, it has it’s own website).

In contrast to the opulence of the venue, the sense of occasion was dampened somewhat when a wonderfully spherical Nitsch rolled to the front of the stage and gave a barely audible speech of his intentions – his words swallowed whole by the vacuous and volumous space in the Church. I found this to be thematic of the whole evening, as I will explain.

Taking to the Hook organ, Nitsch slowly ambled onto the playing bench with the assistance of two smartly dressed aides. Beginning with a light hum, he then proceeded to push underwhelming sustained chords through the pipes, distant in volume and basic in composition.

He soon warmed up however, and for an hour or so we were treated to a aural trifle of block legato passages, stabbed dischords and tremelo warmbles, the latter provided by his attentive aides, who, quite literally, pulled out all the stops in an attempt to add definition to Nitsch’s tonal soup.

I must’nt be too critical. It was a pleasant haze, and notable for how much it reminded me of the type of John Carpenter-esque horror standards that have recently found a resurgence in popularity. I must also remind myself that much of Nitsch’s outstanding video work pre-dates synth laden horror scores, and his own scores, combined with the bloody imagery of his particular strand of actionism, was more than likely an inspiration for the whole aesthetic combination. That said, it sounded an awful lot like ‘Halloween’ at times.

Who The Fucking Hell Are You?

Interesting though, how the scores of Nitsch’s video work – full of pomp and ceremony – can make his orgies of mutilation take on pseudo-spiritual connotations; however, in the midst of a church of established spiritual dominance, his compositions (like his opening speech) were humbled by their surrounds. Nitsch was playing away from home, and was being drowned out by the local supporters (supporting the building’s structure, that is).

The great mediator, however, was the Hook organ, which punishingly vocalised this conflict with a loud and uncompromising roar. Amplifying even the clumsy elements of Nitsch’s compositions to a potent thunder, the Hook organ transcended the struggle.

Like a good host at a party, the organ interrupted the uncomfortable small talk between the two spiritual bodies, uniting them thematically in appreciation of the power and magnificence of tone. It is for this reason the night was a success, but to this impartial attendant it’s need of rescuing was obvious.

Almost in solidarity with my sentiment, when invited to share the stage with Nitsch after the performance, the overwhelming majority of the audience chose to admire and revel in the ambience of the Hook Organ, with the odd few straying to mix words with the master. If my German had been better I would have been one of the discerning few, as this experience does not overshadow my admiration of the man’s work; but instead I chose to inspect the organ, and thought:

How much does the transcendental power of established religion owe to the unifying ritual and intoxicating capacities of musical performance?

The wise ‘Hook Orgel’ ruled dominant tonight.

Filed under: Berlin, Exhibition, Music, Recommended