Musikantenstadl
Hello, greetings, and hi!
In 1981, Musikantenstadl went on air on ORF. The first episode from the quaint Upper Austrian town of Enns seems a bit shaky, but applause rings out on the beer benches just like in episode 53. The principle is clear: Karl Moik rhymes his moderations, the Alpine countries provide the backdrop and are the origin of most acts. There is yodeling, Schuhplattler dancing, and swaying along. Meanwhile, some very young singer or trumpeter is celebrating their first performance. Everything is so good that the beams of the modular barn bend from applause.
So far, so familiar. What may have been overlooked: Musikantenstadl was a global project. Karl Moik took the Stadl to Moscow, Beijing, Melbourne, Cape Town, and even the Caribbean—always with the same stage design. Around the world, the Schuhplattler, corseted chests in traditional costumes, yodeled love declarations to the Alps, and trumpeting youths were presented as typically German and collaborated with the cultural clichés of the host country. Today, this is unthinkable. The show no longer exists - Karl Moik is dead. History. But this history is only about 20 years old.
Rainald Grebe, director, cabaret artist, author, and songwriter, dives into the first broadcast of Karl Moik's Musikantenstadl from 1981 along with the RZt ensemble, letting himself be carried away by the world of folk music and good taste. An evening filled with much music and dance, yodeling, and clapping beer benches.