Sting in Kassel: Melodies full of magic...

World star Sting connects the crowd of fans in Kassel with his musical class and charisma. We look back on the concert that enchanted the night with great songs.

Kassel – At the end, the cell phone lights of the enchanted audience danced like fireflies in the darkness. Sting had modestly sat down on a stool for the final encore and began his tender ballad "Fragile" on his guitar. The immortal melodies glided ethereally through the summer night, and then his expressive, slightly raspy voice began: "We forget how fragile we are." World star Sting's moving closing message gave the 12,000 spectators at his concert on Friedrichsplatz in Kassel on Tuesday a moment of goosebumps. One of many.

The concert was perfectly compiled from the wealth of his great songs. Masterfully performed with a strong live musical character. There were repeated tricky syncopations, slightly delayed entries, tempo changes, and dragged-out rhythms – thus Sting and his fellow musicians proved themselves to be excellent stage magicians.

Among others, Shane Sager thrilled the audience on harmonica. In "Brand New Day," Sting rolled out the red carpet for him with magnificent solos and a congenial melodic partnership with his vocals – all with supreme virtuosity. And then there's the song's question: "How many people out there have been hurt in some kind of love affair?" Who hasn't been hurt in a love affair? – Once again, an emotional anchor was set, strengthening the communal bond of the soulfully resonating crowd. "Turn the clock to zero," if only you could turn the clock back to zero. And the music sounds almost happier than the lyrics.

One could truly feel joyful listening to this treasure trove of songs, which slid into one another like the sparkling glass stones of a kaleidoscope, continually creating new images and moods. Many fans actually recognized the songs from the very first hints of chords and rejoiced over "So Lonely," "Englishman in New York," "If You Love Somebody," and many others.

Needless to say, this sexy 71-year-old appeared as fit, agile, and charismatic as ever on the stage ramp. His bass definitely showed more of the wear and tear than he did. The sound mix was also fantastic, often bringing the master's low notes to the forefront, as in "Roxanne," with its little reggae loop.

It may be a generational issue, but the magical atmosphere in the arena on Friedrichsplatz was certainly due to the fact that the audience allowed themselves great concentration and weren't overly preoccupied with holding their phones in front of them to record video clips. The master's charisma worked.

He was then Mr. Cool on "Heavy Cloud No Rain" – and there Sting let the soulful voice of his glamorous backing singer Melissa Musique shine. The wonderfully finely modulated singer Gene Noble also had room to shine vocally on "Shape Of My Heart." Another goosebump-inducing moment, especially as the harmonica gently continued the melodic lines.

Dominic Miller was a characterful partner on guitar and switched to acoustic for the emotionally charged "Fields Of Gold." Zach Jones played brilliantly on drums, Kevon Webster was versatile on keyboards, and Rhani Krija on percussion. Sting's son Joe Sumner was also on board for a few moments. He had already performed on guitar in the opening act, and the highlight was a lullaby for his daughter, his piccola principessa: "Jellybean."

As the sounds of the hit "Desert Rose" began and Sting launched into the yearning lines of a dream about a garden in the desert, "I dream of gardens in the desert sand," the powerful, oriental soundscape seemed like a magician's spectacle. Friedrichsplatz almost lifted off like a flying carpet.

(c) HNA by Bettina Fraschke