Berliner Philharmoniker

The picture shows a gloomy, nocturnal coastal landscape with rocky cliffs and a churning sea. On the left in the foreground, a melancholy-looking woman in a long white dress and dark cloak stands in front of the remains of an ancient ruin. On the right in the background is a building with columns and tall cypresses, reminiscent of a temple or villa. The scene appears mysterious and lonely, illuminated by a weak, warm light that breaks through the gloomy shadows. Translated with DeepL.com (free version)

Dream-like escapism

Symbolism was an escape from grim reality, in which artists sought refuge in poetic beauty and mystical tales. Arnold Schoenberg’s symphonic poem Pelleas and Melisande, which Lahav Shani conducts this week, is a classic example of this dream-like escapism.

Calender

Lahav Shani and Alisa Weilerstein

Sat 21 September 2024, 19:00
Main Auditorium

Jazz at Berlin Philharmonic
“Italian night” with Stefano Bollani

Wed 25 September 2024, 20:00
Chamber Music Hall

French sound magic with Juanjo Mena

Sat 28 September 2024, 19:00
Main Auditorium

Richard Gowers sits on a staircase in a suit — Richard Gowers | Picture: Roberto Vega

Organ matinee
Richard Gowers and the Berlin Philharmonic Brass Ensemble

Sun 06 October 2024, 11:00
Main Auditorium

Artist in Residence: Seong-Jin Cho plays Shostakovich

Sun 06 October 2024, 19:00
Artist in Residence Main Auditorium

Four musicians — Leonkoro Quartett | Picture: Nikolaj Lund

The Leonkoro Quartet plays Beethoven, Mendelssohn and Rihm

Fri 11 October 2024, 20:00
Chamber Music Hall

Kirill Gerstein | Picture: Marco Borggreve

“Ausklang” (Finale)
First edition with Sakari Oramo and Kirill Gerstein

Fri 18 October 2024, 19:00
Main Auditorium

View of the wing from the aircraft — On tour | Picture: Stephan Rabold

USA tour
Washington

Fri 15 November 2024 (Local time), 19:00
On tour The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Washington

A painting of Schoenberg, sitting on a chair. — Portrait Arnold Schönberg, ca. 1907 | Picture: Richard Gerstl (artist), Birgit and Peter Kainz (photo) - Wien Museum Inv.-Nr. 78103 - CC BY 4.0, Wien Museum

Find out more

Buy tickets

Try out now

Kirill Petrenko | Picture: Stephan Rabold

Find out more

Watch it now

Find out more

Flex packages

Where you decide what is on the programme

See offer

Black and white portrait of Germaine Tailleferre. She is wearing a dark hat and a coat with a lavish fur collar. Her expression is serious and she is looking directly into the camera. — Germaine Tailleferre, ca. 1940 | Picture:Collection Dupondt / akg-images

Princess or wallflower?

In the 1920s, Germaine Tailleferre stirred up the musical life of France as a member of the composers’ collective “Les Six”, yet she still fell into neglect. Here is a portrait of her turbulent life.

History
Portrait

Schoenberg’s Chamber Symphony explained

Why did this work by Arnold Schoenberg cause such a scandal? Cellist Stephan Koncz explains.

Photograph in shades of brown of Anton Bruckner, he looks past the camera, his jacket is a bit big, he wears a bow tie, has only little hair and a short moustache — Anton Bruckner, around 1875 | Picture:Louis Bauer (photographer), CC0, Wien Museum

On the bicentenary of Anton Bruckner

An eccentric with excessively short trousers or a non-conformist genius? Find out more about the composer with our focus page.

An older man is sitting in front of a full bookshelf. He has thinning hair and is wearing a dark jumper. He is holding a walking stick in his hand. The picture is in black and white. — Wolfgang Rihm in his study, March 2024 | Picture:Monika Rittershaus

“My music saves me”

Shortly before his death in July 2024, we spoke to Wolfgang Rihm on the occasion of his planned residency with the Berliner Philharmoniker: about inspiration, about the struggle to complete a work and about beauty in modern music.