Danke schön, Berliner Philharmoniker!

It seems like so many of this year's concerts at UMS have been "the best concert I've ever seen" - Alisa Weilerstein & Inon Barnaton, Stile Antico, Belcea Quartet, St. Lawrence Quartet...so in that sense, the Berliner Philharmoniker was just another day at the office.



But in another, more important sense, it was completely different from almost any other orchestral concert I've ever attended. Everyone onstage, from the concertmaster to the percussionist whose only task was to play the triangle in the 3rd movement of Brahms 4, gave 110% throughout the entire concert. These are musicians at the peak of their abilities, doing what they love. I couldn't imagine anything more beautiful than the cello opening of the 3rd movement of Brahms 3...until the oboe started playing. Instrument after instrument came in, each with their own uniquely beautiful sounds. It was such a colorful performance - all the differences of the orchestra came through, with each player playing the most he or she could offer on the instrument. At the end of the 3rd symphony, I felt as if I had emerged from a completely different world.

Danke schön, Berliner Philharmoniker!

By: Paula Muldoon
UMS Marketing Intern