Hersch, for beginners and experts alike.
About this Event
"Rainer Hersch is a wickedly funny man, who needs nothing more than a piano and his own wit to leave you desperate for more” Edinburgh Evening News
“Better than Borge” Sunday Times
“The funniest concert you will ever see” Time Out
“Wagner's Ring for people who can’t be bothered to sit through it”
Rainer Hersch. One-man show.
The Ring Cycle by Richard Wagner is arguably the greatest artistic achievement by a single person working alone but, apart from a few vague plot lines, mostly half-remembered from Lord of the Rings, the average punter hasn’t got the faintest what it’s about. The music is a masterpiece, apparently but, aside from the Ride of the Valkyries (No. 38 in the Classic FM Hall of Fame), most people wouldn’t recognise it. Well, at over 15 hours, taken over four days, who’s got the time, right?
Rainer Hersch is on a mission to change that. No in-jokes. No fnah fnah – guffawing about things which are a chuckle at best. Rainer is “a musical comedian with a difference, he is actually funny” (Daily Telegraph) and, with the aid of no more than a piano, a funny slide show and his own wit (see below), he boils the whole wobbling edifice down to just 60 minutes – boom, finished, now get on with your day. And whether you are a dyed-in-the-wool fanatic or couldn’t a tenor from a toaster, this is ‘a guaranteed laugh every four bars’ (Scotsman).
What can you expect to learn from WAGNER’S RING ‘FPWCBBTSTI’? Is the god Donner, who turns up in The Ring, the same as the one from the Marvel series or is he in fact companion to Dasher, Dancer, Blitzen, and Rudolph? What exactly is a Leitmotiv and how does it differ from a Heavy motif? Is Götterdämmerung German for ‘God-dammit!’ …this and more. But mainly just enough to bluff your way at a dinner party and even, just possibly, make you want to actually sit through it.
Pre-Concert Dining
Available in the National Liberal Club's main Dining Room. A two-course express menu, priced at £29, will be available from 5.00 pm to 6.30 pm before the show. Highly recommended! Bookings must be made directly with the Dining Room in advance of the concert day. Please email [email protected] or telephone 020 7968 0924 and quote "Kettner Concert". Guests are asked to adhere to the Club’s dress code should they wish to dine.
Comedian Rainer Hersch celebrates 150 years of Wagner’s Ring Cycle
Wagner’s Ring des Nibelungen was performed for the first time 150 years ago, on 13 August 1876, and musical comedian Rainer Hersch is celebrating with his own premiere, a brand-new solo show: Wagner’s Ring for people who can’t be bothered to sit through it.
Armed with a keyboard and a laugh-out-loud slideshow, Rainer crams the famously sprawling 16-hour epic into just 70 minutes, promising a treat for both Ring novices and devotees alike.
Rainer Hersch jokes, “Brevity is the soul of wit, said Shakespeare. But Shakespeare was a Brit and Wagner was German.” Anglo-German himself, Rainer is uniquely placed to take on this show. For many years a headliner on the stand-up comedy circuit, he is also a trained pianist and conductor. He first came to nationwide attention with his Radio 4 series All Classical Music Explained and subsequently gained international recognition through his hit YouTube clips, including Orchestra Plays Microsoft Windows - The Waltz (31 million views to date). He has performed in over 30 countries and has, in his own words, conducted “more orchestras than you can shake a stick at”, from the City of Birmingham Symphony to the St Petersburg Philharmonic.
“Many people have heard about Wagner’s Ring, but too few know what actually happens, even amongst my musician friends,” says Rainer. “After 150 years, maybe it’s time to speed things up, cut the waYle and keep the gold? That’s what this show is about. No in-jokes - I’ll take you from the first ripple of the Rhine Maidens to the final apocalyptic chord in a single hour. Boom. Finished. Now get on with your day - smarter, smugger, and slightly more Wagner than your friends."
The Venue
Designed by Alfred Waterhouse and completed in 1887, the National Liberal Club's Italianate building on the Embankment of the river Thames is the second-largest club-house built in London — located at Whitehall Place, close to the Houses of Parliament and Trafalgar Square. Built on a foundation of inclusivity, the NLC is proud to be one of the most welcoming clubs in London. The David Lloyd George Room is home to our concerts, with a spectacular Steinway Model D piano for artists and audiences to enjoy.
For further information on the venue's Dress Advice, Club Rules, and Accessibility, please visit https://nlc.org.uk/visitor-info/
The Kettner Society: Registered Charity No. 1161105
https://www.kettnerconcerts.co.uk
Event venue & nearby stays
National Liberal Club, 1 Whitehall Place, London, United Kingdom
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