Forte Kultur

Chamber Music with DSO Musicians at Zitadelle Spandau

For more than 4 decades DSO’s chamber music program has provided the musicians of the orchestra with an opportunity for self-expression and exploration of various creative formats. The ›Forte Kultur‹ series sets the stage for a dialogue between musical ideas and historical/cultural themes, all against the backdrop of one of Europe’s most ancient fortresses. Here the musicians interact with the evocative renaissance and contemporary spaces, often collaborating with gallerists, exhibition artists, as well as performers from an array of other disciplines. These »encounters« are concieved by the musicians in cooperation with the Kulturhaus Spandau. The series will enter its third season in 2023/2024.

In Cooperation with
 

Supported by
 

 

The 2023/2024 Concerts

Tue 12.12.2023, 7 pm

Monumental Confrontations

German, English and French String Trios and Quintets in the Citadel’s Arsenal
Admittance: 20,- € / reduced 15,- € / Children up to 15: 10,- €
Beforehand from 6.15 p.m.: Guided tour of the exhibition 'Bismarck-Streit' with Dr. Urte Evert

Featuring Ludwig van Beethoven, George Onslow, Ethel Smyth and Gideon Klein, this moving evening of chamber music spans the period from the turn of the century around 1800 to the turmoil of the Second World War. Affected by the social and political developments of their time in Germany, England and France, we look at these musical personalities in parallel with the life and work of Bismarck.

In the context of the interactive exhibition ›Bismarck-Streit‹, the programme offers an auditory space in which to reflect on the cultic glorification of powerful historical actors – including that of the »Iron Chancellor«.

Musicians:
CHAMBER MUSIC ENSEMBLE OF DSO
Eva-Christina Schönweiß Violin
Elena Rindler Violin
Annemarie Moorcroft Viola
Mischa Meyer Violoncello
Ulrich Schneider Double Bass

Programme:
Ludwig van Beethoven String Trio in C minor op. 9 Nr. 3
Ethel Smyth String Trio op. 6
Gideon Klein Duo for Violin and Violoncello
George Onslow String Quintet Nr. 15 op. 38 ›The Bullet‹

 

Sun 25.02.2024, 5 pm

Counting to 3 …

Experiments in dance, chamber music and film in the Old Barracks of the Citadel
Admittance: 20,- € / reduced 15,- € / Children up to 15: 10,- €

Tickets and Information

»All good things come in threes« – not only luck and success are part of the symbolism of the number 3, but also creativity, expression and unity.

Together with choreographer and dancer Selina Shida Hack, the three musicians of the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin explore multiple connections between video, dance and music. Works by Francaix, through to Beethoven, Ligeti and Porter among others set the tone. The choreography is in turn mirrored on the screen in dance films by New York filmmaker Marta Renzi. Auditory space, as well as two- and three-dimensional space, seek each other in an evening on the trail of the creative process.

Musicians:
CHAMBER MUSIC ENSEMBLE OF DSO
Selina Shida Hack Dance
Clemens Linder Violin
Eve Wickert Viola
Leslie Riva-Ruppert Violoncello
Short films by Marta Renzi

 

Wed 20.03.2024, 7 pm

Enjoying time with contemporaries

Rare chamber music for oboe/english horn and string trio at ZAK Centre for Contemporary Art at the Citadel
Admittance: 20,- € / reduced 15,- € / Children up to 15: 10,- €

Tickets and Information

In this concert, the Polyphonia Ensemble Berlin presents surprising works from the second half of the 20th century for oboe/English horn and string trio. These unconventional instrumental combinations provide space for the striking motivics and instrumental refinements in the chosen compositions by Arnold, Francaix and Stephenson. 

The sounds are emphasised by the artworks in the 'Flesh and Bone' exhibition by the two Berlin-based artists Birgit Dieker and Jürgen Baumann. They take a multifaceted and critical look at human physicality in the age of genetic engineering, physical optimisation and influencers.

Musicians:
POLYPHONIA ENSEMBLE BERLIN
Martin Kögel Oboe & English horn 
Marija Mücke Violin
Henry Pieper Viola
Thomas Rößeler Violoncello

 

 

 

Tue 09.04.2024, 7 pm

Night programme with a view

Musical Night Thoughts at the Archaeological Window and at the Gothic Hall at the Citadel
Admittance: 20,- € / reduced 15,- € / Children up to 15: 10,- €

Museum director Dr Urte Evert also provides insights into the history of these special places.

Tickets and Information

The spatial particularity of the ›Archaeological Window‹ forms the basis for the musical opening dialogue with a Nocturne for flute and violoncello. While the audience can position themselves freely in the room, further music sounds across the evidence of the past. Accompanied by flute music, the audience then moves to the Gothic Hall, where Satie's ›Ogives‹ for solo piano reflects the Gothic influences of the room's architecture. These meditative sounds are followed by another Nocturne for violoncello and piano. The finale is then a piano trio by Louise Farrenc, which allows a wonderful insight into music history from the aspect of urgently rediscovered female composers.

Musicians:
CHAMBER MUSIC ENSEMBLE OF DSO
Upama Muckensturm Flute
Adele Bitter Violoncello 
Holger Groschopp Piano

 

So 05.05.2024, 17 Uhr

Contrast of the Elements

A Chamber Music Evening with trumpets and string instruments at the Kronprinz Bastion at the Citadel
Admittance: 20,- € / reduced 15,- € / Children up to 15: 10,- €

Tickets and Information

A string quartet and two trumpets approach each other musically in different instrumentations, with works from the baroque period to the modern age. In the process, various rooms and courtyards of the Bastion Kronprinz become playgrounds where the acoustic range of sounds and playing techniques is explored, with brass and wood in lively exchange – cold brass against warm wood, bowed strings against vibrating lips. Ultimately, breath and bow resonate together in the interpretations and appropriations of original compositions and arrangements by Vivaldi, Bartók, Bozza, Mussorgski and Adès.

Musicians:
CHAMBER MUSIC ENSEMBLE OF DSO
Raphael Mentzen, Bernhard Plagg Trumpet
Elsa Brown, Lauriane Vernhes Violin
Kei Tojo Viola
Mischa Meyer Violoncello