Symphonicity: 2010/11

Sting with an orchestra like a fountain of youth...

The head of The Police, Sting, rocked the Lanxess Arena on Friday evening. The veteran band member showed off his best side, demonstrating a youthful joy in playing.

What's this man wearing? Many a man in his late forties must have thought enviously when he saw a certain Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner, better known as Sting, on stage at the Lanxess Arena on Friday evening. While male fans who rocked out to "Can't Stand Losing You" and "Message in a Bottle" at school parties in 1979 have since lost a lot of hair, gained fat, and developed wrinkles, the 58-year-old Brit looks downright frighteningly youthful. Smooth skin, a prominent chin, and still narrow hips.

Perhaps someone like him, who constantly reinvents himself, always tries new things, and sets out for new shores, doesn't really have time to grow old? Yet what Sting – the singer, bassist, composer, actor, author, and activist – is currently presenting on German stages (Cologne was his second stop after Hamburg, with Hamburg, Frankfurt, and Stuttgart to follow) isn't actually all that new. When a rock musician performs with a classical orchestra, it's called "crossover." Something that can quickly backfire. Because it's neither fish nor fowl, and in the worst case, a crude, whimsical idiot who elevates things that don't deserve it.

At the price a third-rate orchestra charges for rent. Thankfully, Mr. Sumner already has plenty of experience with classical music. Most recently, he recorded an album of songs by John Dowland (1563-1626) with the Bosnian lutenist Edin Karamazov. In 1993, he narrated a recording of Prokofiev's "Peter and the Wolf" conducted by Claudio Abbado, and for some of his compositions, he borrowed from playwrights who don't normally appear in the charts.

The Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra, under the direction of Steven Mercurio, does solid work. Sting's longtime accompanist, guitarist Dominic Miller, plays in the band. Pieces like "Roxanne," "Englishman in New York," and "Every Breath You Take" have long been classics, even without a symphony orchestra. In this respect, 'Symphonicity,' the title of the concert project featuring 23 tracks and four encores, can be considered a complete success. 9,000 people experienced Sting at his best. Not only physically but also vocally at his best, he launched right into the act with 'If I Ever Lose My Faith In You.' 'Roxanne' is a soulful serenade bathed in the glowing red of a sunset, 'Russians' becomes a magnificent, powerful orchestral homage to the Russian soul, and 'This Cowboy Song' surges forward with an Irish twang and rousing spirit.

In between, Sting explains in detail the creation and content of the individual pieces. He can't (and doesn't want to) completely deny the teacher he once was. The visuals also add a rich atmosphere over a good two and a half hours (including an interval). Three flat, giant cubes, movably mounted under the ceiling, depict building facades, clocks, and windows with rain pouring down them. 'She's Too Good For Me' is illustrated by old footage from Vogue, and in 'Moon Over Bourbon Street,' Nosferatu creeps down a staircase in silhouette. Sting plays the theremin – a nod to the founding era of electronic music in the 1920s.

Although the audience repeatedly erupts in enthusiastic cheers and wild applause, they remain seated for a surprisingly long time. It's not until 'Next To You' before the interval that the crowd rises to their feet. During the first encore, 'Desert Rose,' the late-fifties singer finally shows what he's made of. He swivels his hips with such passion. Finally, his voice rings out a cappella on "I Was Brought To My Senses." Its youthful fullness, clarity, and high notes send the fans into the night with goosebumps. What's this man taking? We want that, too.

© Derwesten