Moritz Eggert
(libretto: Wolfgang Bortlik / Michael Klaus)
Seventh Heaven – A Football Oratorio for Basel (2025) World Premiere
SINGERS OF THE THEATER BASEL:
Chelsea Zurflüh, VIRTUE (SOPRANO),
Annette Schönmüller, VIRTUE (MEZZO-SOPRANO),
Paul Curievici, THE GAMBLER (TENOR),
Matthias Störmer, THE JOURNALIST (BARITONE)
Beni Huggel, former international player (speaker)
Beni Thurnheer, reporter (speaker)
Danique Stein, coach (speaker)
Chorus of the Theater Basel
Extra Chorus of the Theater Basel
BASEL SINFONIETTA
Titus Engel, Musical Director
Tilman aus dem Siepen, Stage Direction
Basel is gripped by football fever. The city on the Rhine is not only an art and culture metropolis, but also boasts a rich football tradition. FC Basel is firmly rooted in the city. Now, Basel will also host the start and finish of the 2025 Women's European Football Championship. Kick-off is on July 2nd, 2025, and the grand final will take place on July 27th, 2025. All the more reason to celebrate!.
In the lead-up to the event, the Basel Sinfonietta and Theater Basel will present Moritz Eggert's football oratorio "The 7th Heaven." The German composer originally wrote the work for the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany. "Of course, such a theme is a great opportunity for a composer to reach an audience that one wouldn't necessarily otherwise have for contemporary music," says Eggert.
The young Dmitri Shostakovich already knew this. As a passionate football fan, he presented a kind of football ballet with "The Golden Age" from 1929/30. Two teams meet there: a Soviet team from the East and a fascist team from the West. Such ideological framing is far removed from Eggert's work. Over ninety minutes, divided into two halves plus pre-match analysis and stoppage time, his film examines the sport itself, the fans, and the officials.
Wolfgang Bortlik, an author living near Basel, has created a Basel version of the work based on Michael Klaus's original libretto. Moritz Eggert draws inspiration from fan chants at St. Jakob-Park (Joggeli) and revives the stadium atmosphere of FC Basel 1893 in his new version of "The 7th Heaven".
Alongside the Basel Sinfonietta under the direction of its Principal Conductor Titus Engel, the Basel Theatre Choir, as well as soprano Chelsea Zurflüh, tenor Paul Curievici, and baritone Kyu Choi from the opera ensemble, will perform. Prominent figures from the world of football will appear as narrators: former football player and coach Beni Huggel, sports reporter Beni Thurnheer, and former football player and coach Danique Stein. The stage direction is by the up-and-coming director Tilman aus dem Siepen.
Pre-concert talk at 6:15 pm with Roman Reeger and Moritz Eggert in the foyer of the Theater Basel
This special event is being realized in cooperation with Theater Basel and in cooperation with FC Basel 1893, and with the kind support of the host city UEFA Women's Euro 2025 «Basel. Passionate about the ball».
World premiere of the new version for Basel.
Program subject to change.
