With the new concert season, a new creative chapter opens for us, where our desires intertwine with our past. Among the works that will accompany us throughout the ECHO Rising Stars tour is a new piece: Save Pepe by Clemens K. Thomas, made possible thanks to the support of the ECHO (European Concert Hall Organization) venues, and in particular the Festspielhaus Baden-Baden and the Palau de la MĂşsica Catalana.
It is a work we are deeply passionate about, one weâve been involved in since the very first stages. Not only does it explore musical territories unusual for us, but it also brings music into dialogue with the digital worldâwith all its lights and shadows.
A trio⌠and a digital voice
A first novelty for us: Save Pepe combines the classical piano trio formation with a synthesized narrating voice. During the concert, the digital narrator guides the audience through the story of Pepe the Frog, a meme born as a symbol of lightness and serenity, but later distorted by extremist political groups until it became a vehicle for messages of hate.
The story imagined by Clemens K. Thomas is ironic and playful, yet it encourages reflection: what happens when a creationâwhether an image, a meme, or a songâenters the digital space and loses control of its original meaning?
Memes and dance music
To tell Pepeâs story, the piece intertwines another tale of appropriation: that of LâAmour toujours by Gigi DâAgostino. When Clemens first told us about his idea of building a Theme and Variations on this iconic dance anthem, we were astonished. On the one hand, itâs one of the songs we love most, one to which weâve danced countless weekends. On the other, we wondered: what does LâAmour toujours have to do with classical music?
Thatâs when Clemens told us a story we had never heard. As Italians, we had always experienced that song as a celebration of universal love. We didnât know that in Germany, it had been twisted by an extremist group into a version with racist and violent lyrics. A melody born to speak of love had, in some countries, become a symbol of hateâto the point that Munichâs Oktoberfest banned its use, and even UEFA prohibited it during Austriaâs football matches.
Clemens highlights this contrast: a musical theme of love transformed into an instrument of hate. Yet when brought back to its essence, LâAmour toujours regains what its title promises: love, joy, inclusion.
Pepe becomes a frog again
Back to Pepe the Frog. In the story, the character no longer recognizes himself in the way others have exploited his image. He decides to âbecome a frog again,â reclaiming his original nature and finding refuge in the natural world.
Itâs an ironic parable, rich with insights: cultural appropriation, the loss of meaning, the transformation of symbols depending on context. And here is where the music shifts: from the theme of LâAmour toujours to an improvised section, where the instruments evoke sounds of natureâthe wind, birds, frogs.
Thereâs also something new for us: the audience is called to participate. Selected listeners contribute with small instruments imitating natural sounds. The hall thus becomes a sound ecosystemâunique and unrepeatable each time.
A reflection through music
With Save Pepe, Clemens K. Thomas offers a story that entertains, surprises, and makes us reflect. It fuses music, digital culture, and collective memory, transforming a meme into a sound narrative that asks: who really owns a symbol? And how far can we control its meaning?
Thanks to the active participation of the audience, each performance becomes a different experienceânot only listening, but shared creation.
Behind the scenes
To better introduce this project, we have created a video that explains the concept of Save Pepe and shows some moments of our work together with the composer. It is available on our YouTube channel.
With this article we inaugurate Concept Notes, our new space for sharing. And we like to start right here: with a piece that is at the same time play and reflection, irony and seriousness, music and digital.
Let us know if you enjoyed the article and what youâd like us to talk about in our next posts!