Berlin Forest Concert: Charming Summer Night Classical Feast New Year Concert; Summer nights; Lang Lang | Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra | Classical Music
The Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, as the most well-known band in the world, has brought a rich musical atmosphere to the city of Berlin. The Philharmonic Summer Night Concert held on the last Sunday of June every year at the Forest Theater is one of the most popular and famous large-scale outdoor concerts. I have had the privilege of experiencing this music feast firsthand several times. It began in the lush primeval forest under the sunset, brewing the beauty of nightfall in the Roman Colosseum like basin, captivating countless musicians.
The Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra collaborates with a world-class conductor every year to present this unique and beautiful forest summer night concert to audiences from all over the world, marking the perfect end to the previous season. It has created miracles in the history of classical music performances for decades in a row, with over 20000 tickets quickly sold out at the beginning of each new year.
The performance venue of the Philharmonic Summer Night Concert is located at the Waldney Forest Theater, which is situated on the shores of the Ice eroded Valley in the Charlottenburg district of western Berlin. This is a bowl shaped theater resembling a shell, with two vertical passages dividing 88 steps into three levels and 88 rows of circular seating. It can accommodate 22000 spectators at the same time and is also one of the most beautiful open-air theaters in Europe. The stage takes advantage of the unique terrain created by nature's craftsmanship, relying on the surrounding tall and lush forests, embedded in the beautiful canyon basin. It is set against the natural backdrop of the 62 meter high cliffs of Mount Moren, creating a boundary between visual and auditory senses. The sound effects are extremely outstanding and endlessly mysterious. A huge venue that accommodates such a large audience, although speakers are needed to assist with sound amplification, the sound pressure and layering after sound reproduction are excellent. Sitting near the speaker will not cause deafness, and there will be no insufficient sound pressure in the last row away from the stage. Therefore, regardless of the location, the ticket prices are almost the same, very affordable.
This treasure trove formed by the supernatural craftsmanship of nature was only discovered by people in the 1930s, and with bold creativity and artistic refinement, it became a venue for large-scale religious ceremonies and performances. In 1936, Conrad Hedenleich and Vina Mach imitated the circular theater of Epidalos in ancient Greece from the 3rd century BC and built this giant building, which became the competition venue for the Berlin Olympics. It has a strong and textured style of the times, mainly used for theatrical promotional performances and gymnastics competitions. When it was first built, it was named after a German writer as the Dietrich Eckart Theater. After being damaged and rebuilt during World War II, it was renamed the Berlin Forest Theater. In September 1965, the rock concert held by the Rolling Stones here escalated into a riot, causing serious damage. After being renovated again, this place has gradually become the most popular classical concert venue from a popular venue for pop, rock, and jazz music. In 1982, its trapezoidal stage was covered with a huge white twin tower ceiling, and seats were added to the audience. In 1989, the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra officially established the tradition of summer forest concerts and began broadcasting live on television in 1992. This annual open-air concert has also become an internationally influential classical music feast, similar to the Vienna New Year Concert.
The theme of the annual Love Forest concert is very distinct. It may be a musical form, a regional style musical work, or a representative figure, such as "Night of Dance and Rhapsody", "Night of America", etc. In addition to the music director, the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra collaborates with renowned conductors of different styles every year, such as Abado, Barenboim, Seir Ozawa, Simon Latter, and Dudamel, all of whom have previously coached here. Under the Rattle baton, Chinese pianist Lang Lang once performed Tchaikovsky's First Piano Concerto here. Each piece played here is both beautiful and classic, as well as easy to understand, with imprints of different countries, ethnicities, cultures, and histories. It is both enjoyable and suitable for people of all ages, regardless of whether the audience has the cultivation of classical music, it can give a spiritual beauty to audiences of different levels. For example, in 2000, "Night of Dance Rhythm and Rhythm" performed "Farewell My Concubine". In 2016, "Czech Night" performed works related to Smetana's "My Motherland" and Dvorak. In 2021, the "American Rhythm" played the rhythm special edition of John Williams' film "The Crossfire". With the rich sound of percussion and flexible playing techniques, the audience experienced the infinite beauty of rhythm.
The concert starts at 8:15 pm and the audience usually enters at 6 pm. Due to the limited area on the ticket, rather than a fixed location, people often start queuing up at the entrance at 2 or 3 pm in the afternoon in order to sit in their desired seats. In summer, the setting sun and gentle breeze bring the chirping of insects and birds in the forest and cool and fresh air to the theater. Unlike the conventional requirement of formal attire for regular concerts, forest concerts do not require proper attire, upright sitting, or elegant behavior. The attire can be very casual. The band is not as reserved and serious as the most formal performances, but rather focuses more on interaction with the audience. People often bring various delicious dishes such as red wine, beer, and sausages, as well as cold fireworks, small candles, and blankets. They choose the most comfortable position, lay picnic mats on the grass, and gather with family and friends freely, either sitting or lying down, feeling free. From dusk to night, enthusiastic audiences enjoy music, either applauding and shaking joyfully, or easily creating waves of swaying crowds, creating a more heated and joyful atmosphere. Especially when night falls, the audience lights candles and bundles of small fireworks, creating a warm and unique atmosphere. They are like the sparkling stars in the night sky, stunning and moving, highlighting the charming special charm of forest music concerts.
The most famous New Year concert in Vienna is the Radesky March, while the most distinctive one at the Berlin Forest Concert is the Berlin Air. It has a strong sense of rhythm, beautiful melody, and a unique artistic conception. This is because Berlin has the largest urban forest in Germany, with an area of approximately 29000 hectares. Especially the three major forest areas of Tegel, Spandau, and Grunnewald, the entire city is uniquely surrounded by vast natural forests. From a bird's-eye view of Berlin from the plane, it is surrounded by dense forests, blue lakes, and clear rivers, as if the city is immersed in a lush green ocean. The urban area is also covered with green spaces and parks, making it a natural and fresh forest oxygen bar. When the World Cup was held in Germany, Germans even had a sudden idea of selling Berlin's air in bottles like mineral water, which shows the weight of Berlin's air in the minds of Germans.
"The Air in Berlin" was composed by German composer Paul Link in 1902 and is a march in "The Goddess of the Moon". At that time, he created a large number of popular music and satirical dramas for the public, and one of his most famous works was "The Moon Goddess". This light opera depicts a group of adventurous Berliners flying in hot air balloons to the moon, enduring hardships and finally meeting the moon palace and the beautiful moon god. "That is the refreshing air of Berlin, so wonderful and fragrant, that forever maintains its vitality, that is the magical air of Berlin; that is the pleasant air of Berlin, that forever maintains its vitality, that is the magical air of Berlin; that is the pleasant air of Berlin..." This song has a relaxed melody, warm rhythm, and cheerful emotions, perfectly expressing the optimistic and upward nature of Berliners, which is deeply loved by people and often played in major festivals and important occasions in Berlin. This widely circulated and popular work made Link an important musical figure in the minds of Berlin citizens, just like Orfenbach did in Paris and Johann Strauss in Vienna.
Whenever this piece of music is played at the end of a forest concert, the emotions of over 20000 spectators are brought to a passionate climax. Under the moonlight, accompanied by scattered candles and fireworks, Mars splashed and shimmered with colorful light. Everywhere, children can be seen riding on the necks of adults, clapping their palms with a joyful and strong rhythm, paying tribute to the performers on stage. The continuous and enthusiastic applause, especially the witty whistles in the music, serve as a finishing touch and directly push the atmosphere to a climax. Everyone cheered, swayed and danced, and with the music, they stuffed their index fingers into their mouths and blew out loud "Jo! Jo! Jo!". The conductor and band also performed some hilarious gimmicks in different forms, making the entire audience laugh happily. The entire theater seemed like a grand carnival of classical music and an incredibly joyful emotional ocean. After thunderous applause, just as it was about to calm down, someone whistled again, and then everyone laughed again, all immersed in the infinite joy brought by music. This scene is impossible to achieve in any concert hall, and "classical music is also popular" is truly verified here. The annual Berlin Forest Music Festival ends in such a joyful and peaceful atmosphere, leaving an unforgettable impression and endless beautiful memories for people.
