Brass music from five centuries

Soft, round, brilliant – the typical sound of the brass ensemble of the Berliner Philharmoniker. The group can boast of being one of the orchestra’s oldest chamber music ensembles, dating back to the 1950s. Originally an octet of four trumpets and four trombones, over the years they have been joined by an additional trumpet and trombone, as well as French horn and tuba. This particular group of instruments, which results from the Philharmonic’s special constellation, makes the group unique among the great number of brass ensembles in Germany. Add to this their ingenious programming – every time the brass ensemble of the Berliner Philharmoniker gives a concert, you can be sure of one thing: the programme will offer a kaleidoscope of the most varied musical epochs and show the ensemble’s stylistic diversity.

On this evening, the musical gamut spans from the Renaissance to contemporary music. With works by William Byrd and John Dowland, the brass ensemble will recall the musical art of the Elizabethan age and of the English early Baroque. The music of Johann Sebastian Bach, to whom the musicians feel particularly close, constitutes another important component of the programme. There will also be arrangements of symphonic works by Anton Bruckner and Gustav Mahler, as well as contemporary compositions by Malcolm Arnold, Werner Pirchner and Christian Mühlbacher. What is special about this concert: the brass ensemble of the Berliner Philharmoniker will receive support from Jan Schlichte, their colleague from the percussion section.