Schubert in Warm Mitte

Gazing at the partially blind mirrors in the Mirror Hall of Clärchens Ballhaus. Luisa Splett is playing Schubert for the Sunday morning concert.

This prolific composer was one of fourteen children and of humble background. His Wandern (walking/searching journey) ended at age 31. He wrote his last compositions while being consumed by syphilis in a freezing room...

It is Christmas now and the roses and cherry blossom are in full bloom in Berlin. Birds announce spring. White xmas can be viewed on screen.
The ubiquitous under floor heating of Mitte is keeping all 150m² penthouses at a controlled heatwave temperature. Cosy open fire places in these dwellings recreate the smog of yesteryear. Tropical orchids linger behind windows. The sound ecology is building sites, roaring cars and screaming children.

Humanity's journey or more appropriately race to the bottom is no longer at a wandern/ walking tempo, but is fossil fuel powered.

Three Tales, video opera, Beryl Korot, Steve Reich and Ensemble Modern

Go forth multiply, fill the Earth, subdue it, vandalize the Garden of Eden, then abolish man

runs the narrative of advanced human civilization

Three Tales is a video-opera in three acts (titled Hindenburg, Bikini and Dolly) in creative collaboration between  Beryl Korot (Video) and Steve Reich (Music) and  Ensemble Modern in the Konzerthaus Berlin

The mental screen of the video performance collages documentary materials depicting some of the integral accidents of our accelerated modernity. Techne not poiesis is the driving force of our progress. A hasty and aimless Can Do culture with no time or will to reflect on the desirability of their actions. Drifting from catastrophe to catastrophe. Man running amok in the anthropocene.

Zeitkunst - Chamber Music and Contemporary Literature

The Festival Zeitkunst für Kammermusik und Gegenwartsliteratur (Contemporary art, chamber music and contemporary literature) is on. An ensemble of chamber musicians actors and authors perform music and texts for two days in Villa Elisabeth, Mitte.

The delightful Ardeo Quartet's performance of György Ligeti: String Quartet Nº 1 Métamorphoses Nocturnes was stunning. (Video)
Bela Bartók was performed by Christoph Ehrenfellner, Sergey Malov

The multilingual texts seem to concern themselves with mental states, family and existential orientations ("Dasein", "Befindlichkeit"). Ubiquitous offspring and prams lingered through the texts . Zeitgeist Mitte?

Update: 7 pm session:
Arnold Schoenberg and unintentional sounds of a toddler sounded incompatible.
Christoph Ehrenfellner, Gustav Mahler and and Anton Webern were performed passionately well.

The collaborate team effort of all and the place provided a good ambiance.