SRF in the footsteps of Egli and Fischer "The world of Schlager is not dusty at all"
Schlager has reinvented itself: Once ridiculed, now celebrated - artists like Beatrice Egli have catapulted the genre into the 21st century. SRF shows how the pop scene has changed.
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- The SRF program "Kulturplatz" sheds light on the changes in the world of Schlager, which today ranges from traditional elements to queer artists and creates cross-generational enthusiasm.
- Experts emphasize the influence of Schlager on pop and music history, while stars like Helene Fischer break records with their modern sound and gigantic stage shows.
- Schlager is valued for its simple, positive message, with artists such as Kerstin Ott tackling topical issues such as same-sex love and thus promoting social openness.
"I feel that it makes me really happy - and I feel that it makes people happy too," Beatrice Egli tells SRF's "Kulturplatz".
The show sheds light on the world of Schlager, what goes on behind the scenes - and also why this popular music genre is undergoing a transformation. This "simple" music has been celebrated for decades - today there is tradition with lederhosen - but there are also queer Schlager stars.
Presenter Eva Wannenmacher describes herself as a skeptic when it comes to Schlager music - but she gets support from the SRF editorial team. Luca Koch explains that Schlager actually has too bad a reputation: "Without Schlager, the history of German pop and jazz could not be told."
Less artistic demands?
Compared to Marlene Dietrich or Udo Jürgens, pop stars today have adapted to the current music scene. Koch says that you can find the DNA of pop music everywhere in this genre. This is just one of the reasons why someone like Helene Fischer can fill such large halls.
A survey of Schlager fans reveals that the reason for her eternal devotion is a very simple one. "You always have fun with Schlager," says one respondent. Beatrice Egli's music puts you in a good mood, you can easily sing along - and above all dance along.
Pop music expert and musicologist Martin Lücke names some important factors that are important in pop music: "A song has to be the right length, the right time at which it appears, it has to be singable - and 1000 other things."
Frequent criticism, however, is that pop music demands less artistic standards from singers than other genres.
The price of tickets has already risen in recent years, according to some concertgoers: From 120 euros to 180 euros for VIP tickets, which includes a meet-and-greet with Helene Fischer or Beatrice Egli. In Switzerland, you even have to pay 250 euros for such a ticket - but it's worth it to the fans.
Schlager has long been a giant
Schlager king Bernhard Brink made his debut on German television in 1972. He is still active today and admits that he didn't have a plan. "I've made an incredible effort from decade to decade. I didn't follow the trends, but I tried to stay modern."
And anyone who wants to claim that Schlager hasn't really arrived in the mainstream yet: According to Forbes magazine, Helene Fischer was one of the ten highest-earning female singers in the world in 2018 - the only European. She earned a whopping 32 million dollars from her music that year, which was enough for 8th place. In pole position was Katy Perry with 83 million.
Bernhard Brink clearly commented on her success with the words: "This is an exceptional phenomenon." She could spend 250,000 euros on her stage design and easily recoup that. Other artists would go on entire tours with that kind of money.
The 28-year-old Vincent Gross from Basel can only dream of the kind of success that Beatrice Egli or Helene Fischer enjoy - at least for now. What he loves most about pop music is how many people it connects: "I see people in my audience who are 8 or 80 years old. It's really nice to see how music can transcend generations - just like Schlager".
Kerstin Ott sings about same-sex love
At the "Beatrice Egli Show", different artists are on stage and the main thing is not just to listen, but to sing along.
The audience does not care that they are not singing live. They just want to be addressed, in terms of content and melody.
German singer Kerstin Ott and Andreas Gabalier therefore sing about topics that are topical in society - always in tune with the times. Gabalier and Ott also sing about same-sex love, the latter is married to a woman and immediately dispels the clichés about Schlager fans: "People always say that the Schlager world is dusty, but I don't feel that way. I think it's very open."
She is proud when fans write her letters telling her about coming out. Or from parents who now understand their children better thanks to her open-minded music.
Schlager should always come from a place of love. Beatrice Egli also confirms this in conclusion on SRF: "We are in a time when many people are struggling with problems - globally too. And that makes it all the more important that we create oases that give us energy again."
