Programme

Right in time for the joint day of action of the theatres, opera houses and orchestras on 30 November, dedicated to greater visibility of the performing arts during the coronavirus crisis, the Konzerthaus Berlin presents a contribution to the global project #GlobalOdeToJoy, which celebrates Beethoven’s humane values on the occasion of his 250th birthday.

For the musicians of the Konzerthausorchester Berlin, Beethoven’s music stands for the fact that human emotions are universal and can be shared with one another regardless of cultural or social context – even in the 21st century and especially during the coronavirus crisis. This applies to brief moments of exhilaration, as one can see in their video clip, as well as the humane feeling of inner warmth and inspiration from outstanding cultural achievements such as Beethoven’s symphonies – a feeling which is very familiar to the musicians as artists.

Visually, the video protagonists from the Konzerthausorchester Berlin approach music with a good dose of self-irony. The immaterial “spark of divinity” from Schiller’s text “Ode to Joy” becomes a glowing co-actor to accompany them through iconic passages of Beethoven’s symphonies – right up to the grand finale of the Ninth and its “Ode to Joy”, which embraces all of humanity.

The video project #GlobalOdeToJoy, initiated by Google Arts & Culture and YouTube, is inviting not only official partners such as the Konzerthaus Berlin but also the global online community to share their own clips at the hashtag above.

Idee & Regie & Schnitt: Boris Seewald 
Idee & Tonmischung: Ralf Forster, Solo-Klarinettist, Konzerthausorchester Berlin