Greeks go mad for Berlin Philharmonic

Greeks go mad for Berlin Philharmonic

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norman lebrecht

April 27, 2015

We hear that tickets for this Friday’s Europa Concert in Athens sold out within half an hour. The concert is the one date in the year where players of the Berlin Phil get to choose the venue.

By picking Athens, they have sent a message of solidarity to austerity -hit Greeks and, perhaps, of dissension to Angela Merkel’s hardline on Grexit.

berlin philharmonie beethoven 9

Comments

  • MacroV says:

    Since when is the Europa Concert announced/determined so close to May 1? It seems like in past years I heard about it well in advance. Surely it had to be planned some time ago (months, anyway).

    • Takis says:

      It was announced officially 5 months ago, in the programmes of Megaron, so it must be scheduled at least from last autumn.

  • T-ARAFANBOY says:

    Good move Berlin Philharmonic.
    At times like this Greece needs you more than ever.
    – They are also sending a message that they are an orchestra for the 21st century.

  • Jon says:

    Also interesting the fact that they programmed a work by a Finnish composer.

    Yes, 2015 is the Sibelius year, but also:

    http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/1a2b9dd2-9bf0-11e4-b6cc-00144feabdc0.html#axzz3YWUg1d00

  • Manfred Gerber says:

    Berlin Philharmonic…. I am really proud of you!
    While your government next door, mainly represented
    by empathy- missing Ms. Merkel and Mr. Schaeuble,
    still prefer to save Banks instead of a huge starving Greek
    Population … The members of this great orchestra
    are sending a very strong sign to Greece: WE and with US
    many Germans are standing on your side!
    Bravo and Thank You !!

    • ganymede says:

      I think it’s inappropriate to criticise the Northern European stance on the Greek finance problem in a musical forum.

  • william osborne says:

    Is there any documentation that the BP scheduled this concert as an act of solidarity with Greece concerning the debt crisis? It would be highly unusual for a major orchestra to make such an overt political statement in contradiction of their country’s major political leaders. From another perspective, sending the orchestra to Athens could be seen as a gesture of some sort of German cultural and economic hegemony in Europe. I doubt that’s the case either, so we need documentation of any presumed political intent. If true, this would be extremely interesting!

  • Greg from SF says:

    Herbert von Karajan was of Greek extraction…..

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