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logo 16 • the CAMLOG Partner Magazine • June 2017 logo 16 • the CAMLOG Partner Magazine • June 2017 LIFESTYLE LIFESTYLE 37 36 A NEW STAR HAS RISEN OVER THE ELBE RIVER The main church, St. Michaelis in Hamburg, has been one of the best known and most prominent landmarks of the “Gateway to the world” in the north of Germany for centuries and is now facing some stiff competition: the Elbe Philharmonic Hall which was opened ceremoniously in January 2017. Its exceptional architecture is of spectacular monumentality, its acoustics are breathtaking, and the list of performing artists and orchestras published to date reads like a “Who’s who” of the premium quality segment worldwide. Within the shortest of times, the Elbe Philharmonic Hall in the port of Hamburg has turned into a top level attraction for visitors. And this is despite giving the appearance not all that long ago that this epic feat would at best be a prime example of project management gone totally out of control with exploding costs and a total disregard for completion deadlines. Let’s not overdo things The year 2012 went down in history as being particularly bad as construction costs reached dimensions beyond all good and evil. The bleak assumption that the city had fallen for a megalomaniac project was readily heard on the Jungfernstieg and the Elbchaussee. A terrible thought for the self- confident citizens of the free Hansa city which is proud of its national reputation as an economic powerhouse. As well as having a very special city, there is also the port, the cosmopolitan flair, and the self- assurance of being able to make its own decisions. This is a city that never needed outside masters to perform culture on the Elbe – this is something the citizens were quite capable of doing themselves, maybe not in baroque opulence, but certainly with Hamburg’s typical tastefulness. Order executed And finally the Elbe Philharmonic Hall managed to delight the reserved Hanseatic citizens, who are better known for their business acumen than for overflowing euphoria, with this cultural pinnacle in the north! One would be unlikely to admit this in the city on the banks of the Alster, but one does enjoy basking in the light of cultural attention. And the word “Glamour” would never be permitted in Hamburg to describe such interest by the public! In 2004, the then Senator for Culture, demanded that the Elbe Philharmonic Hall should be among the ten best concert halls in the world. Twelve years later, the job has been completed. And what are the acoustics like? At home in the Rothenbaumchaussee, Hamburg’s always well-tempered North German Broadcasting Station, which seldom succumbs to emotional outbreaks, was almost carried away during its contribution on the musical presentations at the opening performance: “A mystical sound, seemingly coming out of nowhere. It takes a while until one can trace its origin. In a box over the stage to the left, fairly far up, stands oboist Kalev Kuljus of the NDR Elbe Philharmonic Hall Orchestra playing ‘Pan’ by Benjamin Britten. Effortlessly, he fills the hall with his soft sound, and even the finest of harmonics reach the other end of the hall. (…) Even the infernal noise of Bernd Alois Zimmermann’s ‘Photoptosis for large orchestra and organ’ does not appear to test the limits of the hall.” Ode to joy The refined acoustic masterpiece of Yasuhisa Toyota, the star among sound architects, was deeply impressive. This became obvious at the triumphant opening concert, where you could not miss a single note, quite literally. And although the large hall of the Elbe Philharmonic Hall can accommodate more than 2000 visitors, it creates an astonishingly intimate atmosphere thanks to its special design, which groups all visitors in terraces on ascending galleries surrounding the stage, and the soft lighting, but mainly through its transparent, but never penetrating, acoustics – even at the loudest volumes. What could have topped Ludwig van Beethoven’s 9th symphony “Joy, fair spark of the gods” as the final of the opening concert? Maybe only the enthusiasm of Thomas Hengelbrock, chief conductor of the NDR Elbe Philharmonic Hall Orchestra: “We never want to leave here!” So, what are you waiting for? If concert halls were awarded stars like gourmet temples, the Elbe Philharmonic Hall would no doubt be in line for top ratings among the three-star category which the Michelin Guide describes as: “First-class premium products, pure and intense flavors, harmonious compositions – worth a trip!” Sources: SPON, NDR and others Jan Peters Writer Kaiseraugst/Switzerland

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