Berliner Philharmonie
General information
TypeConcert hall
LocationTiergarten, Berlin, Germany
AddressHerbert-von-Karajan-Straße 1, 10785 Berlin
Coordinates52°30′36″N 013°22′12″E / 52.51000°N 13.37000°E / 52.51000; 13.37000
Construction started1960
Completed1963

The Berliner Philharmonie (German: [bɛʁˌliːnɐ fɪlhaʁmoˈniː] ⓘ) is a concert hall in Berlin, Germany, and home to the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra.

The Philharmonie lies on the south edge of the city's Tiergarten and just west of the former Berlin Wall. The Philharmonie is on Herbert-von-Karajan-Straße, named for the orchestra's longest-serving principal conductor. The building forms part of the Kulturforum complex of cultural institutions close to Potsdamer Platz.

The Philharmonie consists of two venues, the Grand Hall (Großer Saal) with 2,440 seats and the Chamber Music Hall (Kammermusiksaal) with 1,180 seats. Though conceived together, the smaller hall was opened in the 1980s, some twenty years after the main building.

History

Performance of Judas Maccabaeus (Handel) by Kulturbund Deutscher Juden orchestra, in the (Bernburger Straße) Berliner Philharmonie. Conductor: Kurt Singer. 7/8 May 1934

Hans Scharoun designed the building,[1] which was constructed over the years 1960–1963. It opened on 15 October 1963 with Herbert von Karajan conducting Beethoven's 9th Symphony. It was built to replace the old Philharmonie, destroyed by British bombers on 30 January 1944, the eleventh anniversary of Hitler becoming Chancellor.[2] The hall is a singular building, asymmetrical and tentlike, with the main concert hall in the shape of a pentagon. The height of the rows of seats increases irregularly with distance from the stage. The stage is at the centre of the hall, surrounded by seating on all sides. The so-called vineyard-style seating arrangement (with terraces rising around a central orchestral platform) was pioneered by this building, and became a model for other concert halls, including the Sydney Opera House (1973), Denver's Boettcher Concert Hall (1978), the Gewandhaus in Leipzig (1981), Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles (2003), and the Philharmonie de Paris (2014).[3][4]

Berliner Philharmonie Concert Hall
Berliner Philharmonie Concert Hall Entrance in winter
Berliner Philharmonie Concert Hall Interior

Jazz pianist Dave Brubeck and his quartet recorded three live performances at the hall; Dave Brubeck in Berlin (1964),[5] Live at the Berlin Philharmonie (1970),[6] and We're All Together Again for the First Time (1973).[7] Miles Davis's 1969 live performance at the hall has also been released on DVD.[8]

On 20 May 2008 a fire broke out at the hall. A quarter of the roof suffered considerable damage as firefighters cut openings to reach the flames beneath the roof.[3][9] The hall interior sustained water damage but was otherwise "generally unharmed". Firefighters limited damage using foam.[10] The cause of the fire was attributed to welding work, and no serious damage was caused either to the structure or interior of the building.[11] Performances resumed, as scheduled, on 1 June 2008 with a concert by the San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra.[12]

   The Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra (with chorus on the steps behind) in the Philharmonie.
   The audience galleries are all surrounding the concert desk (two prominent galleries are visible on the rear). From the ceiling the installations (microphones, video cameras etc.) for the livestream transmission of the concert through the Digital Concert Hall of the Berlin Philharmonic can be seen.

Organs

Main organ

The main organ was built by the Karl Schuke Orgelbauwerkstatt, Berlin, in 1965, and renovated in 1992, 2012 and 2016. It has four manuals and 91 stops. The pipes of the choir organs and the Tuba 16' and Tuba 8' stops are not assigned to any group and can be played from all four manuals and the pedals.

I Main C–a3
Principal 16′
Oktave 8′
Doppelflöte 8′
Rohrflöte 8′
Oktave 4′
Gedacktflöte 4′
Nassat 2 2/3′
Oktave 2′
Mixtur major VI–VIII 2′
Mixtur minor IV 2/3′
Bombarde 16′
Trompete 8′
Bassethorn 8′
Tuba (en Chamade) 16′
Tuba (en Chamade) 8′
II Positiv C–a3
Quintadena 16′
Principal 8′
Spillpfeife 8′
Gedackt 8′
Oktave 4′
Blockflöte 4′
Waldflöte 2′
Sesquialtera II 2 2/3′
Nassat 1/3
Mixtur IV–VI 1 1/3′
Cymbel III 1 1/3′
Cor anglais 16′
Cromorne 8′
Tremulant
III Récit (enclosed) C–a3
Bordun 16′
Holzflöte 8′
Gambe 8′
Gedackt 8′
Voix céleste 8′
Principal 4′
Flûte douce 4′
Quintflöte 2 2/3′
Nachthorn 2′
Terz 1 3/5′
Flageolett 1′
Forniture V 2 2/3′
Scharffcymbel III 1/2′
Trompete 16′
Trompete harmonique 8′
Oboe 8′
Clairon 4′
Tremulant
IV Solo (enclosed) C–a3
Salicional 8′
Holzgedackt 8′
Gemshorn 8′
Principal 4′
Rohrflöte 4′
Oktave 2′
Gemshorn 2′
Terz 1 3/5′
Quinte 1 1/3′
Septime 1 1/7′
Sifflöte 1′
None 8/9′
Scharff IV–V 1′
Dulcian 16′
Voix humaine 8′
Tremulant
Pedal C–g1
Gravissima 64'
Principal 32′
Flötenbass 32'
Principal 16′
Flötenbass 16′
Subbass 16′
Zartbass 16′
Oktave 8′
Gedackt 8′
Oktave 4′
Rohrpommer 4′
Bauernflöte 2′
Hintersatz VI 2 2/3′
Posaune 32′
Posaune 16′
Fagott 16′
Trompete 8′
Schalmei 4′

Choir organ

Choir organ (left)
Bourdon 16'
Principal 8′
Bourdon 8′
Gemshorn 8′
Oktave 4′
Trichterflöte 2′
Basson Hautbois 8′
Tremulant
Choir organ (right)
Flûte harmonique 8′
Salicional 8′
Prinzipalflöte 4′
Sesquialtera II 2 2/3′
Waldflöte 2′
Clarinette 8′
Tremulant
Pedal
Subbass 16′

See also

References

  1. ↑ Osborne, Richard (1998). Herbert von Karajan: A Life in Music. Chatto & Windus. pp. 475f. ISBN 1-55553-425-2.
  2. ↑ Aster, Misha (2010). The Reich's Orchestra: The Berlin Philharmonic 1933–1945. Souvenir Press. p. 149. ISBN 978-0-285-63893-8.
  3. 1 2 Kate Connolly (21 May 2008). "Musicians flee Philharmonic fire in Berlin". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 May 2008.
  4. ↑ Design Build Network. Retrieved 16 February 2012.
  5. ↑ Dave Brubeck in Berlin at AllMusic
  6. ↑ Live at the Berlin Philharmonie at AllMusic
  7. ↑ We're All Together Again for the First Time at AllMusic
  8. ↑ Miles Davis website album entry Archived 6 February 2015 at the Wayback Machine, accessed 12 April 2015
  9. ↑ Nicholas Kulish and Daniel J. Wakin (21 May 2008). "Fire Under Control at Home of Berlin Philharmonic". New York Times. Retrieved 22 May 2008.
  10. ↑ Daniel J. Wakin (22 May 2008). "Hall Interior in Berlin Intact After Fire". New York Times. Retrieved 22 May 2008.
  11. ↑ Stephen McElroy (27 May 2008). "Cause of Fire at Berlin Philharmonic Is Found". New York Times. Retrieved 28 May 2008.
  12. ↑ Felix Stephan (3 June 2008). "Philharmonie wieder geöffnet: Das Deutsche Symphonie-Orchester Berlin nahm den Konzertbetrieb wieder auf". Berliner Morgenpost. Retrieved 7 June 2008.

Further reading

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