"Krone" interview

Hertel and Ventre: warm underpants and beer ice cream

(Bild: Rojsek-Wiedergut Uta)

The annual winter open air of "Wenn die Musi spielt" takes place in Bad Kleinkirchheim on January 17th and 18th. Presenting duo Stefanie Hertel and Marco Ventre spoke to the "Krone" about how to keep warm in the icy temperatures and what the success of the show has to do with handball and Moscow.

Icy temperatures are no obstacle for die-hard "Wenn die Musi spielt" fans to throw themselves into the fray again this year (17 & 18 January) in Bad Kleinkirchheim. At the annual Winter Open Air, everyone who is anyone in pop and folk music takes to the stage. Presenter duo Stefanie Hertel and Marco Ventre know what helps against the freezing cold. "Warm underpants - that's the only thing that helps," laughs Hertel. "Heat pads. Everywhere. Every part of the body. Soles of the feet, back, upper arms," adds Ventre. What makes the event, which is broadcast on ORF and MDR, so magical - despite the cold? "It's a huge après-ski party. The people are all in a great mood. They are in summer too, but in winter it's a different atmosphere in front of this frosty stage," says Hertel. "I think this is the only TV show where the people in the audience come with snack backpacks. Hip flasks are passed around, people get to know each other who didn't know each other before. And the party goes on long after we've left the grounds," says Ventre. "And it starts very early. People stand there for hours, last year even at minus 17 degrees. Even the beer froze back then," recalls his colleague.

Icy temperatures and a hot atmosphere: "Wenn die Musi spielt" Winter Open Air in Bad Kleinkirchheim

(Bild: Rojsek-Wiedergut Uta)

What unites the thousands of fans in front of the stage and the hundreds of thousands of fans in front of the TV screens is a love of music. "Schlager never dies. But Schlager and folk music change and move with the times," Hertel is certain. "I also believe that many people used to listen to the music but didn't admit it. Today they stand by it. And it's now really cross-generational. Whether it's with us at the "Musi" or with colleagues like "Schlagerboom" or the "Zarella Show", the very young, who you would never think would identify with the music, are there partying alongside the older ones," Ventre analyzes.

Paying a visit to the "Krone" before the "Winter Musi": Stefanie Hertel and Marco Ventre.

(Bild: Jöchl Martin)

Speaking of analysis: the professionals know what makes a good presenting partnership between Hertel and Ventre. "The most important thing is that you work hand in hand with each other. With each other - not against each other," says Hertel, looking forward to next week. "It works for us without any vanity. No one is jealous of the other," says Ventre. "It doesn't matter whether someone says one sentence more or less. It's about having fun together, using a bit of the male-female cliché without going below the belt and not just reading down a text in a deadly serious manner. "

Even though they work together smoothly, the two still have one wish for next week. "Great weather, of course," comes from Hertel as if shot from a pistol. "And good odds," says Ventre. "Actually, we've always had good odds - both in winter and in summer - even though we've often had tough competition in the opposite program: whether it was Prigozhin's storming of Moscow, Austria's surprise success at the European Handball Championship or the European Football Championship. I hope that our fans will remain loyal to us again this year." They certainly will.