Berlin is booming. Berlin is one great big giant construction site. New apartment buildings are shooting out of the ground on every corner, one investor is overbidding the next one. Everyone is murmuring the g-word. And every once in while, when we take the time to really look, in all this explosive expansion-madness we find a little treasure. A valuable little gem with history and character. Like the Musikbrauerei in our direct neighbourhood in Prenzlauer Berg. Surrounded by homogenous town houses, this 120-year old brick building is evidence from another time. The catacomb-like rooms of the former brewery are raw, undecorated, without frills, naked. This makes it the perfect location for the concert of the ensemble mini on June 10th. The mini orchestra, comprised of 20 musicians, opens reduced, minimalistic perspectives on classical music. Great symphonies don’t have to be bombastic and expensive in order to sound good. This principle, established by Arnold Schönberg 100 years ago, is being carried on by the young British conductor Joolz Gale with his ensemble mini. Young musicians from the Berliner Philharmoniker dare to confront slimmed versions of opulent compositions – without distorting the essence of the creation. On June 9th they will be playing an influential symphony in intimate surroundings: Mahlers tenth. This last, unfinished symphony is a very personal piece and, in a way, builds a bridge to the situation of the Musibrauerei, which stands tall while modern architecture tries to overrun it. While writing his tenth in 1910, Gustav Mahler found out about his wife’s affair with the architect Walter Gropius, which plunged him into a deep crisis and strongly influenced his further work. His desperation was reflected in his oeuvre. What remains is a creation full of expression and strength, as if made for this place. As they say: „Where there is song, you can safely stay…”. And that’s what we’ll do.
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Late Night Konzert: Mahler 10, ensemble mini | June 9th from 10 pm | Musikbrauerei Berlin | Tickets for 20 € (incl. beer) or 15 € (reduced)
