“Berlin needs music!”
News from 09/03/2020
On September 5, the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester brings the sound of music to Berlin with pop-up concerts in public spaces.
As part of the “Berlin needs music” campaign, fifteen different chamber music ensembles will perform in fourteen open spaces in Berlin. We asked Eva-Christina Schönweiss, the leader of the second violins in the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, what it is like to make music outdoors and what is important when you do.
Ms. Schönweiss, does it matter to you whether you are playing outdoors in front of a venerable old building, or in a concert hall?
Eva-Christina Schönweiss: It matters to us a great deal. We are really keen to find out how the places where we are going to play outdoors will function acoustically, and how the atmosphere of the surroundings will enhance our playing, as well as the audience's experience. Particularly when you are allowed to perform among venerable, impressive buildings like the ones on Museumsinsel – there is something very special about that. In any case, it's incredibly refreshing and great fun to go out into the city and surprise people with music.
What are the challenges of playing in the city?
Eva-Christina Schönweiss: We certainly don't hear each other outdoors in the same way that we do in a concert hall. We the strings, in particular, have to play much louder and create a bigger sound than the brass players, for example, who sound louder by nature. Communicating among ourselves in conditions of loud ambient noise is also a great challenge, but we are totally committed to overcoming it. We have chosen a repertoire that will suit open-air situations, with a very varied program. We play refreshing, shortish pieces that are meant to put you in a good mood and move you: slow and sedate on the one hand, fiery and virtuoso on the other.
What does that mean for the audience? Does music sound different outdoors?
Eva-Christina Schönweiss: The audience is sure to hear the surroundings too, in the truest sense of the word. Luckily, the human ear and brain have the ability to focus and to concentrate. Apart from that, the same applies to the audience as to us musicians: the atmosphere of the place adds to the overall experience. In any case, we are really looking forward to going out into the city and making music in lots of places in Berlin for as many people as possible, who would not so easily find their way to our door. It's a great opportunity on both sides!
The interview was conducted by Elena Then.