2021 - September - Hamburg - Elbphilharmonie

About the Elbphilharmonie, or simply Elphi for short, so much has been written that I don't want to waste many words.

But of course, it is different to read about it than to actually see it in person. And that's what we finally did on our recent visit to Hamburg.

Why the Elbphilharmonie is certainly on many people's to-do list is surely the building itself. Built on an old warehouse, the modern concert hall became legendary even before its opening due to the long construction time (2007 to 2016) and the escalating costs (866 million euros). But all that was forgotten when it finally opened on January 11, 2017. The building became a new landmark of Hamburg and tickets for concerts were initially hard to come by.

Now, a few years later, it's easier and we definitely wanted to experience the building from the inside and the very good acoustics. Orchestral music is particularly suitable for this. We were lucky that during our stay the Mahler Chamber Orchestra had a guest performance. The world-class ensemble plays works by various artists, is internationally composed and works with a democratic structure (!).

During our visit, we were able to hear works by Knussen, Ravel, Scarlatti, Purcell, and Benjamin.

Of course, there must now be an admission: we really have no idea about music of this kind. But we still had our favorites. We particularly liked the pieces by Ravel and Knussen. There were even 'Bravo' cheers from the audience for Ravel.

Of course, my photos cannot replace a personal visit at all. Especially since taking photos during the concert is not allowed anyway.

But maybe they will give you the final push to get tickets for the Elphi.