For classical music lovers

[Skybird]

The Berlin Philharmonics are not the first to do it, but now that they have embarked on the idea, nobody does it as big as they plan to do. Since the time of Karajan, it is the only symphonic orchestra in germany that is fully self-governed by the musicians, which gives them unique legal options in negotiating business contracts with stage companies and record companies. And now they jump onto the internet waggon, and do so with force and determination. From now on, almost all of their concerts can be booked for live streaming onto the registered user's PC. It is possible to visit the concert hall of the famous (and accoustically spectacular good) Berlin Philharmonia and follow the concert live while it is performed, or to access the archive and "visit" any concert of the past that was recorded in the new technological standard, with six digital cameras from seats inside the hall, amongst the places of the audience. The price per concert is around 10 Euros, I think, and an abonnement for the whole season and unlimited access to the archive for that year (being able to run a concert more than once) is around 150 euros. Except those special concerts which already are legally owned by german TV (special concerts given at special holidays like New Year's Eves for example), all regular season concerts from now on should be available to the internet listener this way.


http://dch.berliner-philharmoniker.de/#/en/tour/
http://dch.berliner-philharmoniker.de/#/en/

German:
http://www.berliner-philharmoniker.de/
http://www.welt.de/kultur/article289...html?print=yes

Run the stream test here at the highest transfer rate possible on your system to get an impression. Switch to full screen mode.

Since they just have started, do not expect the archive to be full already.

Needless to say their record company partners are not happy. But as I said, their special legal status gives this orchestra possibilities other orchestras do not have.

The Berlin Philharmonics are not a bad orchestra, in no way they are, but they are not as good anymore as they were under Karajan. Consider them to be amongst the international top group, but not being the top anymore. Their current chief conductor Sir Simon Rattle imo is in parts responsible for this, being more clever in selling himself and doing publicity-drunk experiments than being a really great conductor (which he isn't at all). However, you have a very good, solid and competent orchestra here. If the program is to your liking, this internet offer might be of interest to you. I will certainly try it once an interesting program is on schedule.

P.S. If you like music events and ever are in Berlin, don't miss to visit the Philharmonia. As said, it's accoustics are spectacular, and the architecture is fascinating. You probably will not easily see a concert hall of that size again where people can get in and out as quickly as here. It's a great building for doing music, really. - Do NOT get tickets for the first rows, though, sit somewhere in the middle, and centred, if possible. The sound tends to become the better the more away you are from the frontal rows.

[Respenus]

Thank you very much for this Skybird. Yes, I have to agree, Karajan is by all accounts one of the best and he made the Berliner Philharmoniker what they are today. When someone mentions either him or them, this quote of Karajan's always comes to mind:

If I tell the Berliners to step forward, they do it. If I tell the Viennese to step forward, they do it. But then they ask why.

The reason why he was the best.

[Skybird]

Originally Posted by Respenus

Thank you very much for this Skybird. Yes, I have to agree, Karajan is by all accounts one of the best and he made the Berliner Philharmoniker what they are today.

No, I disagree, they are not that good anymore. The fall already began in the late years of Karajan when orchestra and director embraced each other in grim frustration and much hate-love and anger. But even in those final years they were incredibly good-which tells something on how good they were in their really golden days. But from that generation of musicians, not many are left anyway.

My father played in the local rival orchestra, the RSO/DSO Berlin, and both orchestras were in a fruitful mutual competition: technically the Philharmonics had the better strings, and the Symphonics had the better winds. My father sometimes helped out when they were looking for a replacement for an ill basson-player, but he never played with Karajan, or just once, I am not sure. But he met him repeatedly in the foyer of the Philharmonia, over the day, or when the RSO was playing there and Karajan came to listen - he said that Karajan then always loked very lonely, and sad, and was so much standing aside that he was not recognised and was completely overlooked - could you believe that? People did not recognise him, not even journalists, it is almost hard to believe. It surely were two hearts beating in Karajan's chest, two souls in one body. As director, he was a genius, but right this maybe isolated him from the world and it's people. It is tragic. That is why despite all the angry stories, my father holds him in high respect, also because he can judge the quality of his (technical) directing. He says that quality was unique.

Compared to that, Rattle and the orchestra today are just shadows of the past. That man really makes me angry by just being the way he is: a show-man, an entertainer. Many musicians do not like him. The Philharmonics tolerate him because he serves the pupose of attracting more people by his many stunts.

[Respenus]

I'll take your word for it, for I haven't been around for long enough to say who's better. Yet most of my Beethoven collection was Karajan made and let me tell you, in comparison with the other's I've heard, he still kicks ass. And when you look at videos and see his direct, yes, I must agree with you, Rattle is nothing in comparison with Karajan. It's always a puzzle with him, what's going on between those closed eyes...

An interesting tale you have there Skybird, never had I imagined Karajan would go unrecognised.

If I'm not to intrusive Skybird, which is your "favourite" classical piece (I used "" as asking which classical piece is the best is like asking which God is the best. It just cannot be scientifically answered).

[Skybird]

Originally Posted by Respenus

I'll take your word for it, for I haven't been around for long enough to say who's better. Yet most of my Beethoven collection was Karajan made and let me tell you, in comparison with the other's I've heard, he still kicks ass. And when you look at videos and see his direct, yes, I must agree with you, Rattle is nothing in comparison with Karajan. It's always a puzzle with him, what's going on between those closed eyes...

An interesting tale you have there Skybird, never had I imagined Karajan would go unrecognised.

If I'm not to intrusive Skybird, which is your "favourite" classical piece (I used "" as asking which classical piece is the best is like asking which God is the best. It just cannot be scientifically answered).

The Beethoven collection by Karajan and the Berlin Philharmonics surely is one of a piece - even I can recognise that although Beethoiven is not my thing.

My favourite piece i cannot say, for it is a set of pieces and composers. I like the Debussy interpretations by Thiollier best, also much of Debussy's symphonic compositions, and I like the piano pieces by Grieg and the string quartetts by Dvorak. Respighi's Roman Triology, and the 5th piano concerto by Beethoven (ah, there he is again), even more the third piano by Rachmaninoff played by Argerich(that comes close to being one of my very favourite pieces). Then there is Chopin, Sibelius. Prokofiev's first violin concerto. Leos Janacek. Schubert's string quartett in C-dur, Brahms symphonies No. 2 +2 (again a Karajan/Berlin recording). Vivaldi as wqell, and Glenn Gould playing Bach.

I have much more in my collection, but these things and names I like more than any other. I probably missed some.

Does that answer your question...?

[Stealth Hunter]

*sigh*

Hard to believe von Karajan would be a hundred if he were still alive...

What about Wilhelm Kempff? He was a damn fine pianist.