Concert Heaven Concert Hell

Top artists recall their best and worst performances

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THIS MONTH Benjamin Appl Baritone

CONCERT HEAVEN Schubert Die schöne Müllerin

Benjamin Appl (baritone) et al Chennai, India (February 2018)

One of the greatest experiences I had was during a tour through India a few years ago. It took place in Chennai; I'd never been there before, and the Goethe Institute was planning a festival about water to raise awareness of the resources, particularly in Chennai where one of the most polluted rivers goes straight through the city and into the sea. The idea was to have a pavilion on the beach, exactly at that spot where the river ends, but the local government didn't allow this, so we ended up in the backyard of an art gallery — it was very beautiful, with trees over the stage.

I performed Die schöne Müllerin, where you have the feeling that the Miller's boy is in complete balance with nature, next to one of the most polluted rivers in the world. There was wind rustling through the leaves, and in the background was the honking of all the