The Rattle era in numbers

Most played works – new musicians – world premieres

(Photo: Simon Fowler)

2002 – what a year! The Germans were getting used to the euro as the new single currency of the European Union, heavy and prolonged rainfall caused severe flooding of the Danube and the Elbe rivers, and the German Federal Chancellor Gerhard Schröder fought for re-election. For the Berliner Philharmoniker, there were signs of change: the venerable orchestra was transformed into a foundation under public law in order to create optimal conditions for the new chief conductor Sir Simon Rattle to take office. A new era began for the orchestra.

With the education programme initiated by Rattle, the Berliner Philharmoniker managed to convey their enthusiasm for classical music to people of all ages, from different social and cultural backgrounds and skill levels. 2009 saw the launch of the Digital Concert Hall where classical music fans all over the world can follow the concerts of the orchestra in a live stream.

What else shaped the tenure of Simon Rattle? On this page we give some more facts. There is a “hit list” of the most performed works, you can find out which musicians have joined the orchestra in the period, and get an overview of the world premieres by the Berliner Philharmoniker in the Rattle era.

20 TITLES FOR TOP TEN

The most played works of the Rattle era

1st place = 34 times
Johannes Brahms
Symphony No. 2 in D major, op. 73

2nd place = 26 times
Ludwig van Beethoven
Symphony No. 9 in D minor, op. 125

3rd place = 21 times
Igor Strawinsky
Le Sacre du printemps (revised 1947 version)

4th place = 19 times
Johannes Brahms
Symphony No. 4 in E Minor, op. 98
Ludwig van Beethoven
Symphony No. 3 in E flat major, op. 55

5th place = 16 times
Johannes Brahms
Symphony No. 1 in C minor, op. 68
Ludwig van Beethoven
Symphony No. 6 in F major, op. 68

6th place = 15 times
Alban Berg
Three Pieces for orchestra, op. 6
Ludwig van Beethoven
Symphony No. 7 A major op. 92

7th place = 14 times
Claude Debussy
La Mer
Johannes Brahms
Symphony No. 3 in F major, op. 90
Ludwig van Beethoven
Symphoniy No. 4 in B major, op. 60

8th place = 13 times
Gustav Mahler
Symphony No. 5 in C sharp minor

9th place = 12 times
Ludwig van Beethoven
Symphony No. 5 in Cminor, op. 67
Anton Bruckner
Symphony No. 9 in D minor
Franz Schubert
Symphony No. 8 in C Major; D 944

10th place = 11 times
Anton Webern
Six Pieces for orchestra, op. 6b (revised 1928 version)
Gustav Mahler
Symphony No. 2 in C minor
Symphony No. 7 in E minor
Symphony No. 9 in D major
Joseph Haydn
Symphonie Nr. 86 in D major
Richard Strauss
Ein Heldenleben (A Hero’s Life)

53 of 128

New members of the Berliner Philharmoniker since Rattle took office

2002
Stefan Schulz
Simone Bernardini

2003
Cornelia Gartemann
Christophe Horak
Jonathan Kelly
Edicson Ruiz

2004
Micha Afkham
Martin von der Nahmer
Raphael Haeger

2005
Gábor Tarkövi
Andreas Buschatz

2006
Thomas Leyendecker
Alexander Bader

2007
Solène Kermarrec
Mor Biron

2008
Philipp Bohnen
Alexander von Puttkamer
Simon Rössler

2009
Matthew McDonald
Rachel Helleur
Guillaume Jehl
Daishin Kashimoto
Jesper Busk Sørensen
Ignacy Miecznikowski
Krzysztof Polonek

2010
Dorian Xhoxhi
Joaquín Riquelme García
Amihai Grosz
Stephan Koncz

2011
Andreas Ottensamer
Marlene Ito
Stanisław Pajak
Simon Roturier
Máté Szücs
Gunars Upatnieks
Andrej Žust

2012
Luiz Felipe Coelho

2013
Egor Egorkin
Álvaro Parra
Bruno Delepelaire

2014
Michael Karg
Noah Bendix-Balgley

2015
Allan Nilles
Mathieu Dufour

2016
Helena Madoka Berg
Václav Vonášek
Luis Esnaola López

2017
Anna Mehlin
Andre Schoch

40 FIRSTS

All premieres under Simon Rattle

Abrahamsen, Hans
Three Pieces for Orchestra
26 May 2018
Adès, Thomas
Tevót
21 February 2007
Powder Her Face Suite
31 May 2017
Anderson, Julian
Incantesimi
8 June 2016
Chin, Unsuk
Chorós Chordón
3 November 2017
Dean, Brett
Komarov’s Fall
16 March 2006
Notturno inquieto
14 June 2018
The Last Days of Socrates
25 April 2013
Dove, Jonathan
Was lauert da im Labyrinth?
20 June 2015
Dun, Tan
Secret Land
17 June 2004
Dusapin, Pascal
Reverso
1 July 2007, Aix-en-Provence
Dutilleux, Henri
Correspondances
5 September 2003
Goebbels, Heiner
Aus einem Tagebuch
6 March 2003
Gubaidulina, Sofia
In tempus praesens
30 August 2007, Luzern 
Haas, Georg Friedrich
dark dreams
20 February 2014
ein kleines symphonisches Gedicht
25 August 2017
Harvey, Jonathan
Weltethos
13 October 2011
Hindemith, Paul
Klaviermusik mit Orchester
9 December 2004
Holt, Simon
Surcos
5 May 2017
Hosokawa, Toshio
Moment of Blossoming
10 February 2011
Jolas, Betsy
A Little Summer Suite
16 June 2016
Jost, Christian
Heart of Darkness
7 November 2007
Lindberg, Magnus
Agile
14 June 2018
Seht die Sonne
25 August 2007
Marsalis, Wynton
Swing Symphony
9 June 2010
Mason, Benedict
Musik für die Philharmonie
2 December 2012
Matthus, Siegfried
Konzert für Fünf
28 May 2009
Norman, Andrew
Spiral;
14 June 2018
Zum Mond und zurück
17 June 2017
Pintscher, Matthias
Towards Osiris
16 March 2006
Rihm, Wolfgang
IN-SCHRIFT 2
20 October 2013
Gruß-Moment 2 – in memoriam Pierre Boulez
10 February 2017
Saariaho, Kaija
Asteroid 4179: Toutatis
16 March 2006
Laterna Magica
28 August 2009
Staud, Johannes
Maria »Apeiron«
15 June 2005
Turnage, Mark-Anthony
Relic of Memory
22 October 2004
Ceres
16 March 2006
Widmann, Jörg
Trauermarsch
18 December 2014
Tanz auf dem Vulkan
27 May 2018