The 4-member group 'Ode an die Freunde' has grown steadily over the past years with their unique style: emotion, humor, musicality into a household name in Antwerp and far beyond. Their home base is the Zwarte Zaal of the Fakkeltheater, but they also regularly tour the country. They rounded off the season with three sparkling performances.
'Freundissimmo!' turned out to be a performance with punch. Musical and not to be put in any box. Sopranos Lissa Meyvis and Alexandra Franck, baritone Jokke Martens and pianist Lester Van Loock open a colorful palette of sounds with a generous dose of classical music, arias, musicals, jazz standards and chanson. Musical pieces with different tempos and nuances. They blend their favorites with originality into a theme that enchants, using compositions by Richard Rodgers, Eric Idle, Toots Thielemans, Peter Benoit, Léo Delibes, Cole Porter, Johann Strauss jr., Dave Brubeck, Richard Wagner, W.A. Mozart, Frédéric Chopin, Charles Gounod, Giacomo Puccini, The Andrew Sisters… They use the different pieces as building blocks for a story about friendship, love, seduction… Light and sparkling, but sometimes also threatening. They sing solo, romantic duets and in close harmony. Voices that blend beautifully. Keyboardist Lester Van Loock draws the breath from his piano and throws it out into the world. He has the perfect touch for this kind of repertoire.
In the temporary, in that playful conspiratorial agreement between performers and audience, lies the great strength of Ode an die Freunde. On stage out of artistic necessity. The art of the momentary, a celebration of here and now. Sometimes through confrontation, sometimes through a light-handed note. It typifies them that they do not resort to commercial tricks, but fully go for their own strength: play and playfulness take center stage.