BERLIN – With theaters and concert halls shuttered to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, some Berlin artists are taking their performances to the streets of the German capital in an effort to keep their edge during the pandemic and entertain a population craving cultural interaction.
As Guenther Stolarz belts out the operas of Wagner and Mozart on a corner in the Prenzlauer Berg neighborhood, walking around dramatically as if on stage in his tuxedo tails, passersby gather, leaning up against their bicycles and holding their children on their shoulders to listen to the baritone sing.Accompanied by his partner Isabel Schumann on an electric piano or accordion, Stolarz also sings Spanish, Italian and Russian classical songs to the crowds.