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You have 24 hours left for a chance to play in the Berlin Philharmonic

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norman lebrecht

January 09, 2018

Simon Rattle is putting together a parallel orchestra of 100 amateur players.

Applications close tomorrow.

Get those videos in now. Apply here.

Comments

Nice Idea says:

January 9, 2018 at 2:56 pm

Nice idea, but it’s a shame there’s no money to actually fly people in and put them up. This way it’s only really open to affluent/privileged children whose parents have the (substantial) financial means.

C Porumbescu says:

January 9, 2018 at 5:13 pm

Eh? Why would anyone expect to be “flown in and put up”? Presumably this is aimed at local people who live in Berlin, exactly like the Orchestra for London Rattle organised in the UK a couple of years ago, or the various community and youth orchestras run by major orchestras in the UK and USA. It’s an entirely worthwhile project; and it’s a strange and unpleasant symptom of our times that some people seem determined to find it objectionable.

Reply
- C Porumbescu says:
  
  January 9, 2018 at 5:20 pm
  
  Apologies: yes, I see it’s open to international candidates. But (a). they’re adult amateurs, not kids, and the cost of flights & a week’s hotels in Berlin is hardly prohibitive on an individual basis, and (b). with demand for places likely to be high, it doesn’t seem at all unreasonable to set criteria which will favour the community in which the BPO lives and works. It’s still a terrific initiative.
  
  Reply

Rgiarola says:

January 9, 2018 at 3:30 pm

Now that he is leaving?!!.. Monthy Python joke. British devil!

esfir ross says:

January 9, 2018 at 6:58 pm

Most amateurs have good pay day jobs and glad for such opportunity. Professional musician that go around the globe for auditions those who have financial difficulties.

MacroV says:

January 9, 2018 at 11:08 pm

A pity, though, that they don’t do some piece that requires bigger orchestration, like Rite of Spring or Mahler 6. Maybe find a lumberjack to do the hammer blows.

Arturo says:

January 10, 2018 at 1:19 am

This is not a novel idea. Marin Alsap was the first to do it in Baltmore a few years ago with the “Rusty Musicians” program. Then Vasily Petrenko did it in Liverpool. A few other orchs. have done it. It’s nothing new. It works.