Jung und fesch! – Solistin für Damenorchester gesucht
Did you know, that in 19th century a very popular profession of – primarily working class – women?
They played and performed in classic chamber orchestras or volksy plucked instrument ensembles.
In the 19th century, there was hardly a theater or variété without a permanent women's orchestra.
These Ensembles were unbelievably popular – the Musicians were the first pop stars before pop music even was invented.
But why did so many girls decide to become musicans? – Many musicans of that time came from economically weak regions with a bold musical heritage such as bohemian ore mountains. Because of their travelling around the world with famous orchestras saved the base of existence of their families at home.
During my research many fascinating characters came across my way. Marie Stütz left home aged 13 and travelled with her cello to greece and turkey with an orchestra for years before she opened decades later a famous hotel in the ore mountains.
This picturebook is a hommage to these forgotten characters and their thrilling melodies.
Picturebook, 48 pages, 2019
The Project was part of my M.A. thesis at University of Arts in Berlin, supervised by Prof. Henning Wagenbreth. It is part of the publication Bilder schreiben, Wörter zeichnen (Hrsg. Henning Wagenbreth, Peter Hammer Verlag, 2023).
