Berliner Philharmonie — Attraction in Berlin

Not only is the Berlin Philharmonic one of the top orchestras of the world, seeing them on their home-turf proved to be a very special experience. The Berliner Philharmonie (concert hall) is the orchestra's home base on the southern edge of the Tiergarten and just west of the former Berlin Wall. It is a wonderful and innovative example of 1960s organic and expressionist architecture designed by Bauhaus architect Bernhard Hans Henry Scharoun (1893-1972). For me, the beautifully innovative features are inside the Grand Hall (Großer Saal) with 2,440 seats, completed in 1963. First, the building is asymmetrical and tent-like, with the main concert hall in the shape of a pentagon. The stage is at the centre of the hall, surrounded by seating on all sides, and it has amazingly crisp acoustics. The height of the rows of seats increases irregularly with distance from the stage, creating a visual effect like terraces on a hillside. The so-called vineyard-style seating arrangement (with terraces rising around a central orchestral platform) was pioneered here, and it became a model for other concert halls, including the Sydney Opera House (1973). The architect's idea being that if you break up the audience into organic, semi-enclosed sections, over time, the season ticket-holders form small 'communities' within the whole.... And funnily enough when I attended a Daniel Barenboim concert here, a couple of long-standing audience members in front of me turned around and engaged in a conversation which we extended at half-time on the balcony outside. The concert was the 50th anniversary of Daniel Barenboim conducting the orchestra; and the program of Haydn, Beethoven and Schumann had me almost in tears it was so beautiful! Fun facts: booking online is a breeze; the Prosseco served in the large rambling foyer is excellent; when you're at the bar check out the modernist mosaic floor (rather worn out, but still charming where it's intact); and the orchestra usually releases video of the whole performance on their website in the days following...

We recently visited Berlin and were able to attend a performance by the Berliner Philharmoniker at their home venue - Philharmonie at Kulturforum south of Tiergarten.

During the evening, Alan Gilbert conducted a delightful violin concerto by Béla Bartók which was masterfully played out by Frank Peter Zimmermann. We were also treated with John Adams (Short Ride in a Fast Machine) and (Lollapalooza) before finishing the evening with Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 4 in F minor op. 36. It was a great evening listening to what is no doubt - one of the finest orchestras in the world.

The peculiar Philharmonie venue itself is worth a brief mention as well. We were intrigued with the exterior architecture and appearance of the building here at Kulturforum. It is bright yellow in colour with a metallic like glimmer when viewed in the sun.

You will see numerous angular lifts, almost like SE Asian temples and other abnormal configurations which produce a strange yet interesting outer appearance to the building. Not sure if I liked it that much but I certainly remember it well, whereas other concert halls visited elsewhere are not so easy to recall.

The interior of Phiharmonie is multiple floor and modern. Seating is comfortable and the acoustics very good. We sat rather high in the concert hall but the music travelled very well throughout.

In the end, this was a very good experience and we were glad to have attended another performance by the Berliner Philharmoniker. They are quite special.

Note: Do make ticket reservations online prior to arriving in Berlin. You can do this by way of the Berliner...

Edited to add: They randomly decide what inexpensive, last-minute tickets they want to sell. If there is a lot of percussion, for instance, or there are too many regular-priced tickets still available, they will not sell podiumplatz tickets. Call before you go or risk wasting a lot of time.

Podiumplatz vs. Sonderplatz seats:

The Berlin Phil has tickets available on short notice even for sold-out concerts. On weekends, they have the same concerts on either Friday/Saturday or Thursday/Friday/Saturday. Rush tickets for all nights go on sale two days before the first night. If the first show is Thursday, then, tix go on sale Tuesday — including the Friday and Saturday tickets.

You may be offered Podiumplatz seats or Sonderplatz seats. The former are four rows behind the orchestra that are unreserved. The sound will be unbalanced — you’re ten feet from the percussion section — but it’s exciting and loud. (And cheap! Currently 20 euros per ticket, two tix max per person.) The latter are very high up, can have restricted views from lighting, and can have a talkative crowd. However, the music sounds correct. (28 euros per ticket, reserved seat, max 2.)

My husband loves Sonderplatz because he can close his eyes and listen. It’s too far away for me. I love Podiumplatz. I honestly wouldn’t do Sonderplatz again ... however, if a concert has a lot of percussion they won’t sell Podiumplatz.

The box office opens at 3, or at 2 if there’s a lunchtime concert. Get there early — half an hour at the very least. They are very friendly (and speak English) on the phone so it’s smart to call and...