Symphonicity: 2010/11

Sting at Movimentos at Kraftwerk Wolfsburg...

A small group with a superstar: Sting and the German National Youth Orchestra play at the Movimentos Festival at Kraftwerk Wolfsburg. 'I'm very happy to be here,' says Sting.

Where to put your hands? For many singing rock musicians, that's not really a problem. Either their hands are playing a guitar (singers-songwriters), clutching the microphone devotedly (old rockers), casually stuffed in their pockets (middle-aged rockers), or waving their arms around (rappers and Joe Cocker). Sting doesn't really know. At least not on this evening.

He's not standing at the bass of his revived band Police, as he was on his last major tour. Instead, he's standing between an orchestra, the German National Youth Orchestra, and a hall with 1,000 people. An intimate group. As intimate as you'd normally get to hear Sting, one of the most influential musicians in pop history. Movimentos makes it possible. Sting is the big name in the eighth year of the festival, which has been upgraded from a dance event to a comprehensive cultural event in the Autostadt Wolfsburg. The curators have secured him for two concerts. And now the global star stands there behind a small podium with a glass of water, not quite sure what to do with his hands. Most of the time, he just lets them dangle at his sides like a singer, sometimes placing a hand on his heart, pointing somewhere, or clapping along a bit. Sometimes the pop star shines through, then he puts his fingers behind his ears or, with outstretched arms, encourages the audience to join in.

That, in turn, is no problem. After all, he hasn't rehearsed his recently released Winterlieder or his Lute Songs with the orchestra, but rather his Loud Songs, Police Songs, and Sting Songs, albeit in new, often quiet, but always sophisticated arrangements. The program hadn't been revealed beforehand. And when Sting surprises 1,000 lucky fans (both concerts sold out within a good two hours) with a best-of evening and turns the Kraftwerk into a hit factory, you can imagine what's going on in the hall: He's got them all in the bag from the very beginning. 'If I Ever Lose My Faith In You' opens things, and by 'Englishman in New York,' the atmosphere is already quite familiar. As if Sting is a guest star at a nice birthday party where not only the guests are feeling at home. 'I'm very happy to be here,' he says. Well then.

The German Youth Orchestra, under the direction of Steven Mercurio, is more than just a violin swatch. It's his band. Sting has some of 'his' members with him, including guitarist Dominic Miller, but the young classics set the tone. They transform 'Roxanne' into a melancholic ballad with a dark undertone, like a soundtrack to Sting's story about the prostitute Roxanne. Even star violinist and Sting friend Daniel Hope comes on stage for a few notes. It was Hope's spontaneous idea. He had asked for it. And Sting liked it.

It's remarkable how the orchestra, after a short rehearsal period (three weeks alone, one day with Sting) and much heart-pounding before the performance, harmonizes with the pop musicians. And always finds the right balance. Restrained, as the intimacy of 'Shape Of My Heart' demands. But conductor Mercurio much prefers to arrange a few rough edges into well-known hits. Especially in the rock pieces like 'Next To You' or 'She's Too Good For Me', the ensemble doesn't drag out or dilute the band's groove, as is often the case with pop-classical blends, but rather pushes it forward. This is clearly what Mercurio is aiming for, both audibly and visually. He hops up and down on his podium like a devil (it is a dance festival, after all) and seems to want to keep everyone in line. Even the star is pleased: 'I always wondered if orchestras could play rock 'n' roll,' he says at one point, 'until I heard this.' Praise from the boss, that's good. But by this point, the German Youth Orchestra has long since worked its nerves out of its clothes by playing, blowing, and drumming. 'At some point, you're just playing,' says 19-year-old horn player Jared afterward.

Until then, he'll be able to play a few more Sting hits with Sting: 'Fields of Gold,' a captivating mini-musical version of 'Moon over Bourbon Street,' the Police classics 'Every Breath You Take,' 'Wrapped Around Your Finger,' and 'King of Pain.' In the fall, Sting will perform these songs with the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra on a major tour, including Germany. But the exclusive Wolfsburg performance will remain something very special.

At the end of two wonderful hours, the fans won't let up. Sting comes out again in a white T-shirt. He sings 'I Was Brought To My Senses' without any accompaniment. And that pretty much sums up the evening.

(c) Hannoversche Allgemeine by Uwe Janssen