Sommer vorm Balkon in Berlin, warm, black birds singing at 4.30 am and 8.30 pm, no wind, just balmy with thunderstorms interrupting the lazy heat of the day…and then suddenly everything can change into a cold summer day. It hasn’t happen to me yet, but it will come, I know the German weather. Although Berlin has “Sommerpause” there is a lot going on. Festivals of all kinds –fashion week is in full swing with Blue Jeans at center stage, everybody wearing them to everything, also Mayor Klaus Wowereit, only James Franco, promoting the jeans label 7 For All Mankind, doesn’t care what he is wearing.
I saw 3 films in 3 days. BARBARA by my favorite German director Christian Petzold, was the only German film shown on the plane coming over here. I was impressed that LH included a serious German movie that just premiered at the Berlinale in the flight entertainment program. When I walked up and down the isle, though, I didn’t see anybody watching it, besides me. A fine film, not his best, I think, but very good. Will try to see it again on big screen at Hackesche Höfe.
I just missed the SFS Youth Orchestra playing under Donato Cabrera at the Philharmonie and the reviews were fabulous. Der Tagesspiegel wrote about “fulminante Leistung…unter Donato Cabrera vom minimalistisch swingenden Shaker Loop von John Adams, der eine feine, homogene und doch immer wieder mit individuellen Farben hervortretende Streichergruppe zeigte, zu Solist Lars Vogt, der eine perfekte Einheit mit dem Orchester demonstrierte, ob in lyrischer Zurückhaltung oder explosiven Steigerungen…”
Will keep you posted about my summer in Berlin.
