Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
historic buildings often host chamber concerts and recitals. A major annual music festival is the
Festtage
in late March,
which is organized by the Staatsoper, but staged both there and at the Berlin Philharmonic. Also popular is the
Musikfest
Berlin
(
W
berlinerfestspiele.de), an acclaimed international music festival during the first half of September, when guest
orchestras arrive from around the world to take part in a programme that features innovative modern works.
building: the Grosser Konzertsaal for orchestras and its
Kammermusiksaal for smaller groups and chamber
orchestras. Look out for performances on the Konzerthaus's
famed organ. Daily 75min tours of the building cost €3;
times vary. Tickets €10-99.
Ì
Philharmonie
Herbert-von-Karajan-Str. 1, Mitte
T
030 25 48 80,
W
berlin-philharmonic.de; U- &
S-Potsdamer Platz.
Home to the world-famous Berlin
Philharmonic, Hans Scharoun's controversially ugly
building is acoustically near-perfect. Conductor Simon
Rattle has created his own distinctive sound with the
orchestra, moving them away from their traditional
Germanic comfort zone of Brahms and Beethoven and into
more contemporary music like that of the Finnish composer
Magnus Lindberg. The Philharmonie also contains the
smaller, more intimate Kammermusiksaal. Your best
chance of getting a ticket is when guest orchestras are
playing. Tickets €34-138.
Rundfunk Symphonieorchester Berlin
W
rsb
-online.de.
The second-oldest orchestra in Berlin after the
Philharmonic, and a little more daring than its older sister.
The orchestra appears at both the Philharmonie and the
Konzerthaus, and director Marek Janowski often lends his
baton to talented guest conductors. Tickets €14-59.
Staatsoper
Unter den Linden 5-7, Mitte
T
030 20 35
45 55,
W
staatsoper-berlin.de; U-Friedrichstrasse.
The
city's oldest and grandest music venue, built for Frederick
the Great in 1742 to a design by Knobelsdorff. During the
GDR years, political isolation meant that performers didn't
match the glamour of the venue, but the appointment of
Daniel Barenboim in 1992 as musical director gradually
helped bring the Staatsoper to the forefront of the
international opera scene. Tickets €14-160.
ORCHESTRAS AND VENUES
Berliner Symphoniker
W
berliner-symphoniker.de.
Founded in 1952 and based in the Konzerthaus (see
below), this used to be East Berlin's main symphony
orchestra, and it maintains its fine reputation today,
conducted by Lior Shambadal, though it does not compare
to the Philharmonic. Tickets €9-39.
Deutsche Oper
Bismarckstr. 35, Charlottenburg
T
030
34 38 43 43,
W
deutscheoperberlin.de; U-Deutsche
Oper.
Formerly West Berlin's premier opera house, built in
1961 after the Wall cut access to the Staatsoper. Once the
city's most prestigious venue in terms of visiting
performers, it now shares that honour with its eastern
cousin. Tickets €17-162.
Deutsches Symphonie Orchester
W
dso-berlin.de.
Currently under conductor Tugan Sokhiev since 2012 and
with no permanent base, though often at the Philharmonie.
Tickets €20-59.
Komische Oper
Behrenstr. 55-57, Mitte
T
030 47 99
74 00,
W
komische-oper-berlin.de; S-Unter den Linden.
Less traditional than the Staatsoper, but a reliable venue for
well-staged operatic and dance productions. The building
doesn't look like much from the outside, but the interior is a
wonderful 1890s frenzy of red plush, gilt and statuary and a
great place to enjoy cutting-edge interpretations of modern
works alongside more traditional shows. Tickets €10-149.
Konzerthaus Berlin (Schauspielhaus)
Gendarmenmarkt, Mitte
T
030 20 30 90,
W
konzerthaus.de; U-Stadtmitte.
Regarded to be among
the best classical concert venues in the world, this super
venue often serves visiting musicians, orchestras and
ensembles but is also the home of the Konzerthausorchester
Berlin. Two concert spaces occupy the Schinkel-designed
15
THEATRE
Mainstream
civic and private theatres
in Berlin tend to be dull, unadventurous and expensive - though last-minute
tickets can cut costs - but the
fringe
scene is exciting. The thousands of eager young Germans that flock to the city every
year, rent a space, and stage their productions, make Berlin a major venue for
experimental work
, and if your German
is up to it, a number of such groups are worth the ticket price. The scene is active, though it's worth remembering that many
theatre companies take a break in August; check under “Off-Theater” in Tip or Zitty (see p.33) for up-to-the-minute listings.
Groups that have the word Freie in their name are not dependent on city or state subsidies, and thus are not subject to the
same creative constraints.
eclectic events programme, including comedy, live music,
burlesque and operas, plus a casino, that draws in the
punters. Tickets €22-63.
Berliner Ensemble
Bertolt-Brecht-Platz 1, Mitte
T
030 28 40 81 55,
W
berliner-ensemble.de; U- &
S-Friedrichstrasse.
Brecht's old theatre still features a lot
CIVIC AND PRIVATE THEATRES
Ì
Admiralspalast
Friedrichstr. 101, Mitte
T
030 47
99 74 99,
W
admiralspalast.de; U- & S-Friedrichstrasse.
The Admiralspalast provides much the same round-the-
clock entertainment as it did in its 1920s heyday - though
without the brothel it incorporated then. These days it's the
