Dramaturge Micha Häußermann is curating our new series “Berlin Tracks – Music of the city at the Konzerthaus” and is very much looking forward to the opening concert with Ensemble CONTINUUM and Frames Percussion on November 14 & 15:

“Both are fantastic ensembles that are boldly and curiously exploring new repertoire. In this concert, they are building bridges between old and new music - I couldn't imagine a more inspiring opening for Berlin Tracks. In an extraordinary fusion of historical and modern instruments, the musicians bring together psalm settings by the 17th-century Benedictine nun Chiara Margarita Cozzolani with Steve Reich's ‘Tehillim’ from 1981. In this piece, he explores Hebrew liturgical chant and his Jewish heritage. I am incredibly excited to see how these very different musical approaches to religious texts and the two musical languages come together.”

‘Autumn music’ calls our dramaturge-in-charge Andreas Hitscher many of the  pieces you can listen to during the tribute we are dedicating to the Parisian sisters Nadia & Lili Boulanger from November 19 to 23.

“There's no escaping November! But there is also a certain charm in opening oneself up to the agony of the fading year. Not only poets have described it and composers have set it to music; it has also been sung about beautifully time and again.

There is no question in my mind that mezzo-soprano Lucile Richardot – recently honoured as ‘Lyric Artist of the Year’ – will do the same on November 20  in her recital featuring works by Nadia and Lili Boulanger: 'In the early twilight, the melancholy of setting suns settles on the fields. The melancholy sways in sweet songs ...' When symbolist word formations like these by Paul Verlaine take the form of Mélodies of the Fin de Siècle, hardly anyone remains unmoved.

For those who want to turn their backs on autumn and pair melancholy with passion in their hearts, I recommend the Quinteto Ángel with music by Astor Piazzolla on November 22 at a slightly later hour: it was only through his teacher Nadia Boulanger that the Argentinean found success and his calling in tango.”

In the afternoon of November 23, you will definitely meet Anne Tischer from our marketing team in the Great Hall , where our Boulanger tribute closes with the amateur choir festival:

“I have been been a passionate choir member myself for many years. Rehearsing together, working towards a concert and finally standing on stage is always something special for me – in particular when performing works that you don't hear every day.

Because auf this background I'm really looking forward to the Boulanger choir festival, when four amateur choirs from different parts of Berlin will be performing in our Great Hall. I am particularly enthusiastic about being able to listen to choir pieces by Lili Boulanger – they are performed far too rarely, yet are impressive, rich in sound and moving. How wonderful that we are giving this repertoire a home here!”