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 Fire at Home of Berlin Philharmonic
Author: Joseph Brenner, Jr. 
Date:   2008-05-20 16:46

From Tuesday's New York Times, web edition:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/21/world/europe/21berlin.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin

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 Re: Fire at Home of Berlin Philharmonic
Author: Tobin 
Date:   2008-05-20 16:52

It says the instruments were saved. One would hope the library, if contained within the structure, was saved as well.

James

Gnothi Seauton

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 Re: Fire at Home of Berlin Philharmonic
Author: Morrigan 
Date:   2008-05-20 17:00

Wow I was just there last week. Everyone's gonna kill me for this, but, it really should burn down... So they can build something prettier! I thought it was a horrible, ugly building!

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 Re: Fire at Home of Berlin Philharmonic
Author: Lelia Loban 2017
Date:   2008-05-20 17:44

>>It says the instruments were saved.>>

Unfortunately, that's not exactly what the New York Times article says:

>>
The police said there were no injuries in the fire, which took hold just before a rehearsal that was open to the public. The authorities said many of the orchestra's musical instruments had been saved, but that there was some doubt about the condition of some heavy peices, including as [sic.] grand pianos. The fire brigade said efforts to extinguish the blaze could themselves have caused extensive water damage.
>>

The second horn player called the stagehands "absolute heroes" for hauling out many of the heavy instruments, some already onstage for the rehearsal when the fire broke out. It's good news that there weren't any injuries, and fwiw I agree it's an ugly-looking building, but this fire may have done considerable, permanent damage regardless, if the hall's organ is gone, for instance.

Lelia
http://www.scoreexchange.com/profiles/Lelia_Loban
To hear the audio, click on the "Scorch Plug-In" box above the score.

Post Edited (2008-05-21 01:01)

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 Re: Fire at Home of Berlin Philharmonic
Author: Tobin 
Date:   2008-05-20 18:02

Oops! I wish it were otherwise, but I scanned that article too quickly!

James

Gnothi Seauton

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 Re: Fire at Home of Berlin Philharmonic
Author: srattle 
Date:   2008-05-20 18:03

Everyone here is safe. I know most of the instruments are safe, but I can't be sure yet about the pianos etc. The biggest problem at the moment seems to be water damage, from putting the fire out. It seems they are assessing that now, and hopefully we'll have some more information soon.

Morrigan, it may be ugly, but how can you say that about one of the best acoustic
spaces in the world?

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 Re: Fire at Home of Berlin Philharmonic
Author: Lelia Loban 2017
Date:   2008-05-20 19:32

Latest from the AP wire is that the pianos were in the basement and not in immediate danger, according to orchestra member Peter Rosenberg. Maurizio Pollini is scheduled to play Beethoven's 4th concerto at that same concert, but apparently the rehearsal was set up for the Berlioz Te Deum. The music archive is also in the basement, thank goodness. No word on the organ. Fortunately, the 700+ audience members hadn't arrived yet for this open rehearsal. According to the AP, welders on the roof probably started the fire.

(That big gas explosion at a Hilton under construction in L. A. is almost certainly a construction accident, too--and a fourth major crane accident in just the last few weeks took place earlier today. Sheesh.)

Lelia
http://www.scoreexchange.com/profiles/Lelia_Loban
To hear the audio, click on the "Scorch Plug-In" box above the score.

Post Edited (2008-05-21 01:00)

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 Re: Fire at Home of Berlin Philharmonic
Author: donald 
Date:   2008-05-20 19:50

does the organ actually count as a musical instrument? (ducks for cover)
dn

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 Re: Fire at Home of Berlin Philharmonic
Author: clarionman 
Date:   2008-05-20 20:11

"That big gas explosion at a Hilton under construction in L. A. is almost certainly a construction accident, too"

The explosion was not in L.A. it was in San Diego, where I live and it was huge.

Going back to the original topic. I can only imagine what the musicians were going thru when the fire started and their instruments were not in there possession. My clarinets are only a couple of grands and I know I would have been freaking out if that was me there.

I do have one question. Why would these musicians leave their instruments on lockers? If I was a violin player I would keep my instrument close to me at all times. Those instruments I am sure are REALLYYY expensive.

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 Re: Fire at Home of Berlin Philharmonic
Author: Ryder 
Date:   2008-05-21 00:19

Dang...What a shame. I have never seen the Berlin Phil or their hall for that matter, but it still feels like a blow o the whole music comunity.You know what I mean?
Off topic...I wonder what Sabine Meyer would do if they asked her back. She had made the orchestra twice in a blind audition, but the sexist members then gave her too much crap, so she left. Now she's probably the most famous, recognizable Clarinet Soloist in the world.

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 Re: Fire at Home of Berlin Philharmonic
Author: Bradley 
Date:   2008-05-21 00:32

srattle- Amen about the comment regarding the acoustics! Also, do you know what they're doing with the Academy auditions' location now?

The rational part of me is boggled by someone who would wish an arts organization the sort of expensive of rebuilding a hall- and the unnecessary expenditure even if it can afford it, but I do have to realize that I'd probably make a less severe comment about an acoustically challenged space... To each his [selfish] own?

Bradley

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 Re: Fire at Home of Berlin Philharmonic
Author: GBK 
Date:   2008-05-21 00:50

Ryder wrote:

> Now she's probably the most famous, recognizable
> Clarinet Soloist in the world.


It's possible among hard core clarinetists, but the average concert goer knows only of Richard Stoltzman...GBK

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 Re: Fire at Home of Berlin Philharmonic
Author: Lelia Loban 2017
Date:   2008-05-21 00:59

>>The explosion was not in L.A. it was in San Diego, where I live and it was huge. >>

Thanx for the correction, clarionman.

>>Going back to the original topic. I can only imagine what the musicians were going thru when the fire started and their instruments were not in there possession. My clarinets are only a couple of grands and I know I would have been freaking out if that was me there. >>

Yeah--I don't even want to think about it. Apparently, though, the evacuation and instrument rescue proceeded in an orderly, non-panicky way. It sounds as if the fire was mainly up on the roof where welders had been working--good thing the roof didn't collapse. As bad as the fire was, it could have been much worse.

>>I do have one question. Why would these musicians leave their instruments on lockers? If I was a violin player I would keep my instrument close to me at all times. Those instruments I am sure are REALLYYY expensive.>>

According to the AP wire, the musicians had a rehearsal on Monday and had left instruments overnight for the Tuesday rehearsal. I guess it makes some sense, because the concert hall had secure storage and there's always some risk in transporting instruments back and forth. One guy was interviewed while clutching his double bass--imagine having to schlep that out of a burning building. Come to think of it, I wouldn't want to have to try to get out in a crowd with my 6-ft.-long Eb contra clarinet case, either!

Lelia
http://www.scoreexchange.com/profiles/Lelia_Loban
To hear the audio, click on the "Scorch Plug-In" box above the score.

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 Re: Fire at Home of Berlin Philharmonic
Author: Liquorice 
Date:   2008-05-21 05:59

GBK wrote:

"the average concert goer knows only of Richard Stoltzman"

That may be so in the USA, but it's certainly not true in Europe. Sabine is by far the most famous clarinetist here.

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 Re: Fire at Home of Berlin Philharmonic
Author: NorbertTheParrot 
Date:   2008-05-21 08:07

Liquorice - in mainland Europe, maybe. In England, Emma Johnson has her well beaten. Proof: search Classic FM; "Emma Johnson" gets 12 hits, "Sabine Meyer" only 3.

Not to start another pointless argument; I'm making a statement about fame, not quality.

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 Re: Fire at Home of Berlin Philharmonic
Author: donald 
Date:   2008-05-21 10:02

btw- re instruments in lockers etc left at the hall... It is my understanding that the orchestra owns a large number of instruments that can/have been used in addition to the instruments owned by the performers.
Many orchestra own a number of these (in addition to percussion instruments etc)... for example Bass and E flat clarinets for distribution to subs etc... But I've been told that the BPO owns matching "pairs" of clarinets etc that may or may not be used by the musicians. This is not first hand information so may not be accurate.
dn

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 Re: Fire at Home of Berlin Philharmonic
Author: Morrigan 
Date:   2008-05-21 14:41

FWIW I was only talking about the outside. Maybe even the surrounding area - what's with the dodgy derelict car park right next door?!

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 Re: Fire at Home of Berlin Philharmonic
Author: Liquorice 
Date:   2008-05-21 21:44

NorbertTheParrot- sorry, I keep forgetting that those islands off the coast of France are actually also part of Europe! ;-)

I tried a similar search to your Classic FM search, using the musicians database on the Radio Swiss Classic website. Emma Johnson is not even listed, and neither is Richard Stolzman. Sabine Meyer, Dieter Klöcker and Sharon Kam are all listed, and these would be my guesses as the clarinetists who get the most "air time" in Switzerland. You can also see their dominance in Swiss classical CD shops.

I don't know what this proves, and I think I've digressed rather far off the original topic. Sorry...

Here's a link with someone being movingly reunited with a bass clarinet:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/7411885.stm



Post Edited (2008-05-22 06:09)

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 Re: Fire at Home of Berlin Philharmonic
Author: Lelia Loban 2017
Date:   2008-05-22 13:09

Thanx for the link to the clip! Glad that man got his bass clarinet back. I missed the BBC-America TV broadcast the day the fire was reported. That BBC clip is much more informative than the CNN broadcast. The damage to the building doesn't look as bad as I'd imagined it.

Lelia
http://www.scoreexchange.com/profiles/Lelia_Loban
To hear the audio, click on the "Scorch Plug-In" box above the score.

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 Re: Fire at Home of Berlin Philharmonic
Author: Sarah Elbaz 
Date:   2008-05-31 10:17

The first concert in the hall since the fire will be on Monday and the soloist in the concert is clarinetist Shirley Brill. She will play Weber.
sarah

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