Press release I 8.11.2023

Against Anti-Semitism and Hatred

Berlin opera houses and orchestras call for peaceful coexistence

Berlin’s major orchestras and three opera houses call on all Berliners to take a stand against anti-Semitism and hatred. Even in turbulent times, controversies must be addressed non-violently and with tolerance. This basis of our social cohesion is currently under threat.

It has been a month since Hamas’ horrific attack on Israel. It was an act of terrorism whose brutality shocks us, and which cannot in any way be justified. It has resulted in a humanitarian catastrophe in the Middle East, with countless civilian casualties. Our sympathy and thoughts go out to all victims, on both Israeli and Palestinian sides. The effects of this terrible situation reach as far as Germany and especially Berlin.

As the capital of Germany and as home to renowned opera houses and orchestras, Berlin is a global symbol of openness, freedom and tolerance. It is completely unacceptable for Jews in our city to be threatened, and for calls for the annihilation of Israel to be made during demonstrations. »Never again« – the plea that followed the horrors of the Holocaust – must now be repeated with the utmost urgency. We must confront anti-Semitism in Berlin and Germany with the firmest resolve; we all share responsibility for the safety of our Jewish fellow citizens. Like racism and any other form of marginalisation, anti-Semitism can have no place in our society.

Even under the current fraught circumstances, we must not allow ourselves to be guided by hatred and provocation. We can all make a contribution to this.

Berliner Philharmoniker Foundation General manager Andrea Zietzschmann and chief conductor Kirill Petrenko

Rundfunk Orchester und Chöre gGmbH Anselm Rose, managing director of Rundfunk Orchester und Chöre gGmbH Berlin with its ensembles Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin, Rundfunkchor Berlin and RIAS Kammerchor Berlin and their chief conductors and artistic directors: Robin Ticciati, Vladimir Jurowski, Gijs Leenaars and Justin Doyle

Konzerthaus Berlin General manager Sebastian Nordmann and chief conductor Joana Mallwitz

Staatsoper Unter den Linden General manager Matthias Schulz

Deutsche Oper Berlin General manager Dietmar Schwarz and general music director Sir Donald Runnicles

Komische Oper Berlin Co-General managers Susanne Moser and Philip Bröking and general music director James Gaffigan

 

The press release as download PDF

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10
DEC

Adventsverlosung: Das 10. Fensterchen

Before Tobias Kratzer's third production of INTERMEZZO premieres on our stage in April 2024, you can win his debut production for your home DVD collection in today's Advent calendar: Alexander von Zemlinsky's DER ZWERG.

In today's Advent calendar window, we are giving away two DVDs of the Naxos recording of Alexander von Zemlinsky's opera DER ZWERG, which was nominated for the GRAMMY in the "Best Opera Recording" category and is one of the most successful new DVD productions of recent years. If you would like to take part in the prize draw, please send an e-mail today to advent@deutscheoperberlin.de with the subject line "The 10th window".

A vain, superficial princess - a dwarf artist: the protagonists could hardly be more different, but the story only becomes a tragedy when the dwarf, unaware of his appearance, misinterprets the mockery of court society as a sign of honour and the princess's coquetry as proof of love. When he finally recognises himself in the mirror, he cannot escape the glances of the others - and collapses dead. This fairy tale about an outsider has had biographical parallels in mind since its premiere: Zemlinsky was small and rather slight in stature and suffered from his brief but passionate affair with Alma Schindler for the rest of his life. A quarter of a century of trauma management passed between the liaison in Vienna and the first performance in Cologne, during which the once renowned artist gradually found himself sidelined: too avant-garde for the traditionalists, too traditional for the avant-garde ... Experience David Butt Philip, Mick Morris Mehnert, Elena Tsallagova and Emily Magee in the main roles under the musical direction of Sir Donald Runnicles in a production by Tobias Kratzer.

We would like to thank the Naxos label for the great collaboration of recent years, which - in addition to Zemlinsky's DER ZWERG - has documented recordings of DAS WUNDER DER HELIANE, FRANCESCA DA RIMINI, DER RING DES NIBELUNGEN, DER SCHATZGRÄBER and DIE MEISTERSINGER VON NÜRNBERG, as well as ARABELLA and ANTIKRIST in the course of 2024.

Closing date: 10 December 2023, the winners will be informed by email on 11 December 2023. The DVDs will then be sent by post. Legal recourse is excluded.