New landmark: Five years of the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg

New landmark
Five years of the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg

The Elbphilharmonie has been shining over the port of Hamburg for five years and has become an indispensable cultural landmark of the Hanseatic city.

The 5th birthday on Tuesday (January 11th) is to be celebrated with a nine-day festival and a new light work of art in April – due to the corona pandemic, however, some concerts have to be postponed, including the monumental work “Arche” by Jörg Widmann at 300 Contributors. Instead, Kent Nagano and the Philharmonic State Orchestra present an alternative program. Also on the guest list: Sir Simon Rattle, Daniel Barenboim, Jordi Savall, Charles Lloyd and John Scofield.

The concert audience has tripled

“The Elbphilharmonie is built music that not only reflects the diversity of the wide world of music, but is a total work of art with an ambassadorial function,” said Prof. Christian Höppner, Secretary General of the German Music Council, of the dpa. By the Corona standstill in March 2020, 2.7 million concert-goers had already experienced almost 2500 concerts in both halls of the Elbphilharmonie. With 1.2 million visitors a year in the Elbphilharmonie and Laeiszhalle, the concert audience in Hamburg has almost tripled. The plaza, the viewing platform at a height of 37 meters, is expecting its 15th millionth visitor in March.

“The main task of the Elbphilharmonie – expanding the audience for classical music – has been completely fulfilled,” said Artistic Director Christoph Lieben-Seutter in an interview with dpa. For Kent Nagano, chief conductor of the Philharmonic State Orchestra, the Elbphilharmonie is “an absolute success story”. “A concert hall has to sound good, of course, but that’s only part of the story. It is just as important that a concert hall is a meeting place for society. And that is what the Elbphilharmonie achieved. It gave Hamburg a new cultural identity. Also internationally. My mother in California also says: I love the Elbphilharmonie, “said Nagano of the dpa.

Ten years of construction

The construction of the Elbphilharmonie was anything but a success story: the construction time was extended from three to ten years, the costs rose from 77 million to 789 million euros. But shortly after the opening, the universally lamented grave of millions developed into a celebrated landmark. Hamburgers and tourists are fascinated by the “glass wave” by architects Herzog & de Meuron and enjoy the 360-degree view of the port of Hamburg from the viewing platform at a height of 37 meters. And they flock to the concerts in the small as well as in the large hall, where classic stars from all over the world give each other the handle.

The hall of the Elbphilharmonie should become one of the ten best concert halls in the world – and for many it is. «I love the hall. He’s very, very honest. You can hear everything. It’s also a very big challenge, you have to play really well. The hall is like an instrument that we play, ”says Kent Nagano. And his American colleague Alan Gilbert, chief conductor of the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchester, adds: “The biggest challenge for me is, of course, to give outstanding concerts. The acoustics of the hall suit almost any kind of music, if you know how to use it. “

Appointment wanted for Bob Dylan

All the important orchestras and artists have been guests several times since the opening – from the Berlin and Vienna Philharmonic to Teodor Currentzis. In the field of classical music, Artistic Director Lieben-Seutter is also perfectly happy. But beyond the classic, there are still a few wishes. “We also get inquiries from the greatest names and legends who would like to appear here. The problem is usually the appointment calendar that is fully booked for years. For example, we can’t find an appointment for Bob Dylan at the moment. “

dpa