Time flies in Berlin

I can't believe how fast our time in Berlin is flying by! On our very first night, we saw the Berlin Philharmonic. Our seats were right behind the orchestra on the same level as the players, so it almost felt like we were part of the orchestra! I sat directly behind the trombone section and it was incredible to see them play so close. The Chopin piano concerto was played by Maurizio Pollini, whose career began in the 1960s. His rendition of Chopin's piano concerto no. 1 drew on a lifetime of emotion and experience, and it was an incredibly moving performance. The second movement especially was absolutely lovely. It was amazing seeing how Christian Thielemann communicated with the soloist and how he was the perfect liaison between Pollini and the orchestra. 

The Philharmonie was incredible! We were on the benches in the back of the orchestra!

The next day we saw Swan Lake at the Deutsche Oper. I have seen some great ballet companies, but this production was the most musical I have ever seen! All of the dancers have more grace in their little finger than I do in my entire body- the swans especially embodied the grace and fluidity of real swans. The orchestra and the dancers also communicated incredibly well- soloists would start their dance and the orchestra would immediately follow their tempo. I loved the way that the prince especially looked like he was being carried by the air every time he launched himself up- it took incredible strength to make that look effortless! The choreography was also amazingly lined up to the phrasing of the score, and it added a level of depth to the performance that I hadn't seen before. 

Even their bows were so graceful! This is also the best picture I think I've taken so far on the trip!

Last night we saw La Traviata, also at the Deutsche Oper. It was an incredibly dramatic opera, and Alfredo and Violetta sang impeccably! My favorite part was the duet they sang at the very end, where their voices worked together so well and carried so much emotion it sounded like they were in love even without knowing what they said. I'm excited to compare the style of this opera production to the operas we will see in Prague and Vienna!

The caliber of shows in Berlin has been so incredible so far it almost feels like a dream, and it's not over yet! I can't believe we get to see Gustavo Dudamel in person tomorrow!! Stay tuned!