Lou Koster - Der Geiger von Echternach

Lou Koster - The Violinist of Echternach

Lou Koster (1889–1973): Der Geiger von Echternach - musical setting of poems by Nikolaus Welter

Sandrine Cantoreggi, Violin
Claude Weber, piano

The Hopping Procession of Echternach that has its origin in the Middle Ages is the source of this story. This event was recognized as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2010.
The ballad tells the story of the tall Veit who was accused of killing his wife when he came back from the East and condemned to Death by Hanging. Composer and poet carry equal weight with the detailed portrayal of the different emotions of Veit that modulate the way he plays his violin making his listeners move more and more until they develope a compulsion to dance and only Saint Willibrord can free them from this crazy hopping.