The queen of radio plays: Heikedine Körting and her magical sounds

The queen of radio plays: Heikedine Körting and her magical sounds

What passion! Heikedine Körting, who is celebrated as the queen of radio plays, has been producing radio plays in Hamburg's Rotherbaum for over 40 years. Her extensive work includes more than 3,000 productions for the Europa label, which belongs to Sony. Her most famous series such as “TKKG”, “Five Friends”, “Hanni and Nanni”, “Lilli the Witch” and “The Three ???” have thrilled millions of people. One could say born to be wild, because the 73-year-old always has her work on her mind, even on vacation, takes new scripts with her and has very little free time.

A very special highlight lies in Körting's archive: around 100,000 sounds that she has collected over the years. These include 200 different door noises and even recordings of three deceased dogs. She is particularly proud of “George”, the talented dog from “Five Friends”, who was introduced in 1978 and always won the hearts of fans. Fans, however, reacted irritably when his barking was changed. This sensitivity shows how important the right background noise is for the stories.

The sound of memories

In her productions, Körting is actively supported by sound engineer Hans Joachim Dethlof. Together they manage to keep the approximate pace: voice recordings for an episode take about two days, while the sounds take a full week. Admittedly, it's not an easy process, but in the end they pull all the threads together and mix the individual parts into a complete work that is created on analog tape. The small, cozy studio is a place where her speakers work together almost like a family, and where Körting also attaches great importance to well-prepared speakers to ensure high quality.

As times change, radio plays also have to adapt. Sales of radio plays are now increasingly focused on streaming platforms, while pure CD sales are declining. Despite these changes, Körting remains active and does not plan to give up its production activities in the near future. She has never missed a deadline in her 40 years, showing how passionate she is about her craft.

Radio plays as an art form

Radio plays invite you to immerse yourself in sound and words. The history of German radio plays, which dates back to 1918, has continued to develop. Directors like Leonhard Koppelmann emphasize that the implementation of literary classics as radio plays is done with a lot of humility. The focus is on dialogues, voices, music and sounds, which together create an atmosphere that emotionally engages the listener. A good example of this is the radio play “Gold. Revue” by Jan Wagner, which is available both as a CD and as a free stream.

In summary, the world of radio plays offers a different, emotional approach to texts and stories that has its own fascination. In this ever-changing landscape, Heikedine Körting remains a shining example of how tradition can be combined with innovation and the demand for good storytelling remains high. Her passion and commitment to the art of radio drama is evident and makes her an indispensable figure in this industry.

To find out more about Heikedine Körting's life and work, read the reports on NP Coburg, star and Deutschlandfunk culture.