Berliner Philharmonie

The Berlin Philharmonic (in short: Philharmonie ) Kemperplatz in Berlin's Tiergarten district (district center) counts with the Konzerthaus am Gendarmenmarkt of the most important concert halls in the German capital and is the home of the Berlin Philharmonic.

History and predecessors

The first permanent home of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra was founded in 1882 a former roller-skating rink on the street Bernburger 22a/23 in Berlin- Kreuzberg, which was in 1888 by Franz Heinrich Schwechten, converted to the concert venue, so a concert hall cabin layout without tables. 1898, the Philharmonic was supplemented by the Beethoven hall in the neighboring Köthener road. During World War II the old Philharmonic was destroyed in an Allied air raid on 30 January 1944. In the postwar years the Berlin Philharmonic initially used a number of alternative roosts: concerts were usually held at the Titania -Palast, recordings often in the Jesus - Christus-Kirche Dahlem.

The new concert hall was built 1960-1963 to the designs of Hans Scharoun and inaugurated on 15 October 1963. Today it belongs together with the Chamber Music Hall, the Museum of Musical Instruments Berlin and other buildings to the Cultural Forum in Berlin near the Potsdamer Platz.

On 20 May 2008 broke, caused by welding work below the metal roof in the area of ​​the Great Hall, a fire out. At this time, the usual Tuesday lunch concert took place in the foyer just whose visitors have witnessed the development of smoke and was therefore canceled. The fire service was very fast at the fire and prevented greater damage. After repairs were from June 2, 2008 again held concerts. The leadership of the organized Philhamoniker later a thank you concert for the firefighters.

Architecture

The structure of the building is asymmetrical, like a tent with a large pentagonal concert hall. The seats offer by the round irregular lodges terraces rising from all sides equally good view on the placed at the center stage. The asymmetric shape is due to suggestions of the acoustician Lothar Cremer. Hall tests in the construction had yet shown room acoustic problems which were solved in collaboration with Cremer from the Technical University of Berlin: On the ceiling was brought hanging reflectors in the form of parabolic hyperboloid, which Recliners received at the bottom sound-absorbing padding and the podium for the musician was raised. This led to the intended improvements to the acoustics, which meets the requirements of melodious music felt very close with an average reverberation time of two seconds. The perception is, however, not all seating blocks equally well. Due to the architecture of the separation between artist and audience is largely canceled. Most artists appreciate it, to sit at the Philharmonic "in the midst " of the audience, that in turn can be observed depending on the seating on all sides the actors. The great room offers 2440 seats, the Chamber Music Hall 1180th However, there were already conductors and musicians who are not so wanted to be at the center and had canceled her appearance here.

The Philharmonic was the first construction of a planned postwar Culture Forum, which took a total of 14 years and had even been interrupted because of the Wall. The exterior of the molded concrete building had received a ocher paint on its completion. It was only in the 1980s, the Berlin Senate had the golden aluminum trim fit. The building is located in close proximity to Ludwig Mies van der Rohe's New National Gallery and the Potsdamer Platz with the built again to plans by Scharoun Potsdamer Straße of the Berlin State Library.

Because of their peculiar, circus -like shape with the concert platform in the middle of the Philharmonic was called shortly after the completion jokingly " circus Karajani ", in allusion to the long-time principal conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic Herbert von Karajan (see circus Sarrasani ). The name is taken from the Berlin vernacular. Another nickname is "Concert box " since the golden trim and shape of the two halls are reminiscent of chocolate boxes.

Between 1984 and 1987 next to the Philharmonie on the basis of the original plan of Hans Scharoun was built according to plans by Edgar Wisniewski of the chamber music hall. Both buildings are connected.

Organ

Main organ ( Schuke 1965, 2012)

The Schuke a four-manual organ built in 1965, which was renovated in 1992 and 2012, revised and expanded. Together with the choir organ she has 88 registers that are controlled by a mobile gaming table on the stage. The voices of the choir organ and the register Tuba 16 'and Tuba 8' are not assigned to a particular work and can be played by all the manuals and the pedal.

Choir organ

Baubezogener jewelry

Between the Philharmonic and the Tiergarten road there is a small green area on which a sculpture of Orpheus was established in 1959. She comes from the workshop of Gerhard Marcks.

Directly above the main entrance is a simple lettering made ​​of stainless steel with the symbol of the building about a multiply nested pentagon. Font and symbol have been renewed in 2010 by the company Fittkau metal and ironwork.

Movies

  • Stradivari made ​​of concrete. The Berlin Philharmonic. Documentary, 2003, 30 min, written and directed by Andreas Knaesche and Gisela Lerch, Production: rbb, first broadcast October 15, 2003 at rbb.
  • The Philharmonie Berlin. A pentagon with aura. Documentary, Germany, 2013, 43:40 min, written and directed by Alexander Lück, Production: Finkernagel & lück, rbb, first broadcast October 15, 2013 at rbb, Summary of rbb.

Pictures of Berliner Philharmonie

117842
de