Corona makes people inventive

Whether Schubert's "Ave Maria" or "Somebody to Love" by Queen – the repertoire of Hans Michael Sablotny is extensive. But the talented operetta singer is currently delivering food, thanks to the corona pandemic.

Probably hardly anyone can remember their last concert, the last time they went to the theatre or had the last dance at a birthday party. No wonder. The concert halls and theatres are closed, and there’s no question of holding a birthday party. Corona has had a great impact on our cultural lives. But it’s not only regular theatre-goers and opera house visitors who are suffering from this, but, above all, the employees in the theatre and event sector - the actors, orchestral musicians and opera singers. Among them is Hans Michael Sablotny, for whom life as a musician has become impossible since last March.

Hans Michael Sablotny was originally a qualified painter and varnisher, and completed a classical vocal training as an opera and concert singer at the Zurich Opera School while still working. This was followed by engagements at the Bregenz Festival and the Kaliningrad Philharmonia, as well as solo performances with the Vienna Symphony Orchestra and the Zurich Chamber Orchestra. The 55-year-old tenor has also performed at private occasions and events, and his songs have enriched weddings, retirement parties and anniversary celebrations. Church music is particularly close to his heart.

Opera singer Hans Michael Sablotny now delivers food. Here he picks up orders at the Negishi Sushi Bar restaurant in the Metalli centre in Zug
Photo: Matthias Jurt (20 January 2021)
Hans Michael Sablotny in action as an operetta singer.
Photo: PD

Six or seven appearances instead of 40 to 50
Now, however, the Corona pandemic has completely turned Hans Michael Sablotny's everyday work upside down. "Since the first lockdown, I've had about five to seven appearances. Normally it would have been 40 to 50," says the singer. Before the pandemic, Sablotny made appearance with his solo programme “… aber Sie singen ja nur!!!” (... but you're just singing!!!). He has performed in the Hofspielhaus in Munich and at the Hotel MOA in Berlin. A whole tour was planned, but the singer had to cancel it at the beginning of the pandemic. "The business with my programme was going really well," he says.

"When the crisis is over, I’ll have to start all the negotiations again from scratch. Corona has destroyed everything."

Hans Michael Sablotny had planned a world premiere with the church music work ‘Noah’ in his programme for this January.

A Swiss premiere of an Offenbach operetta was also planned. As recently as May, he announced on Facebook: "I’m extremely confident that the concerts will take place." Now he reports: "All my performances will be postponed until the end of 2021 or the year 2022. Thank God only postponed, and not cancelled." The theatres and concert halls always assured musicians that they would continue to keep their performances in the programme. "But what if many small theatres have to close?" he points out. As a board member of the Root Theatre Company (Theatergesellschaft Root), he has a very good insight behind the scenes of a theatre business, and knows only too well how difficult the times are for all cultural professionals.

Back to the job from his time as a student
Because of the corona situation, the opera singer has been forced to take another job. He works for the restaurant courier company Mosi as a recruiting manager and courier. He already knows the job from his time at university. "From the beginning of my singing career, I have always had to have a bread-and-butter job in order to pay the rent," he says. "And now I've come back again. There was no other choice." As a Recruiting Manager, Hans Michael Sablotny is responsible for selecting and working-in new employees, and is busy doing this. "We receive several job applications every day," he says. The singer likes the job at the restaurant courier very much. "We have a super team, and the work is fun," he says with a smile.

The Mosi company works together with local restaurants, and their couriers deliver the food using their own vehicles. This system, and also the fact that he can thereby flexibly divide up his time, makes the job the perfect complement to his work as a singer. As for Corona, the musician has, ironically, changed his job from one of the most insecure to one of the safest industries. "We are benefitting greatly from the situation," says the singer.  

"The lockdown is extremely helpful to this industry."

Nevertheless, Michael Sablotny hopes that he will soon be able to continue his singing career. He has already learned a lot from the crisis. At the beginning of his studies, his former singing teacher said to him: "If you want to become a singer, you must be aware that you will become a luxury asset. People like us as long as they are doing well." Only now has Michael Sablotny seen how true this is. Nevertheless, he finds that, as a singer, he has a certain responsibility of his own. "We need to see how we can cope." When asked if it took him a lot of self persuasion to take a job as a courier, he gave a clear answer: "No. Why?”
A colleague also mentioned his decision, and said that such work was beneath his dignity. But Michael Sablotny says: "Dignity doesn’t pay bills. As long as I can believe in what I’m doing, everything is OK. And that’s something I can do.