One more step towards the reinvigoration of Berlin’s musical life – the “State Opera for All” concert, under the baton of Daniel Barenboim, and with star soloist Anne-Sophie Mutter. The open-air concert was held on Bebelplatz, in the heart of Berlin.
This year marks Beethoven’s 250th birthday, so it’s no surprise that Beethoven features in the program, with Anne-Sophie Mutter playing Beethoven’s romances for orchestra and violin; Op. 40 and Op. 50. The evening concludes with Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, one of the most famous works of the classical music repertoire. The Ode to Joy is sung by the Berlin Staatsoper choir from a safe distance on the sidelines. Fittingly, the ode to freedom and community is dedicated to the frontline helpers of the coronavirus pandemic. Doctors, nurses, shop workers and teachers all had priority to obtain tickets – as special mark of appreciation and gratitude.
The State Opera for All – an annual highlight of the Berlin Summer – is a free, open-air concert. While all of the tickets were snapped up, it still had a small audience. The corona pandemic meant that attendance had to be reduced from the usual 40,000 tickets to just 2,000, socially-distanced concert-goers – but the triumph is that it could take place at all.
Daniel Barenboim is at the forefront of attempts to bring live music back to Berlin. He has led the Berlin State Opera for almost 30 years, and is naturally an ardent admirer of Beethoven in all of the composer’s moods – from bombastic to romantic. Alongside Beethoven’s 250th birthday there’s another cause for celebration; the Staatskapelle has been in existence now for an unbelievable 450 years, making it Berlin’s oldest orchestra.
Enjoy particularly beautiful segments of the concert, and listen to interesting commentaries by Mutter and Barenboim!
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