Etta Scollo Trio & Eva Mattes - Nirgendland - An Evening for Mascha Kaléko

Description

An evening of literary and musical homage to Mascha Kaléko. On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the great German-Jewish poetess Mascha Kaléko, Etta Scollo and Eva Mattes, together with the Etta Scollo Trio, dedicate themselves to an extraordinary stage project blending music, poetry, and memory. Titled "Nirgendland," the evening revives Kaléko's subtle melancholy, humor, and linguistic precision. Mascha Kaléko (1907–1975) was considered the voice of an entire generation. She gained sudden fame in Berlin's coffeehouses of the 1930s with her "Lyrisches Stenogrammheft"—her poems reflect the spirit of urban life, sharp and tender at once. After fleeing the Nazis, she lived in exile in New York and later in Jerusalem. Her texts speak of uprooting, belonging, and the search for home—topics that seem more relevant than ever today. "Wherever I travel, I go to Nirgendland," is a line from one of her poems—an line that gives the evening its title. Italian-German musician Etta Scollo, known for her poetic compositions blending chanson, world music, and classical, approaches Kaléko's poetry with sensitive musicality. Together with her trio—Susanne Paul (cello) and Tara Bouman (clarinet)—she creates a dense, emotional soundscape where words and music intertwine. Scollo, multiple award-winner (including Ruth World Music Prize, Order of Merit of Italy 2024), has a talent for transforming literary texts into music without losing their independence. Eva Mattes, one of the most renowned actresses in the German-speaking world, lends Kaléko's poems depth, warmth, and irony 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-standing Tatort detective. Her presence and her sense for nuances give the evening a special emotional tension, making Kaléko's words immediately tangible. Thus, an intense, multi-layered evening about language, memory, and identity is created—poetic, political, touching. An evening about the power of art to transcend boundaries and focus on the human.

Highlights

• Literary-musical evening for Mascha Kaléko
• Etta Scollo Trio and Eva Mattes
• Themes of uprooting and home

General Information

On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of Mascha Kaléko, a special evening will take place at the Capitol Mannheim. Etta Scollo and Eva Mattes, together with the Etta Scollo Trio, present a blend of music and poetry that brings Kaléko's subtle melancholy and linguistic precision to life.

Location

Waldhofstraße 2, 68169 Mannheim, Germany

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