Berliner Philharmoniker 4+

Next Best Thing to Being There

I discovered the digital concert hall several years ago, and now I would not be without it. My home town orchestra is the Cleveland, which I attend when possible. With the digital concert hall I am able to access a concert in the comfort of my living room whenever I wish, and now I am as familiar with the Berliners as I am with the Clevelanders. Comparisons are odious, so I will refrain from doing so. Of course recorded sound cannot compare with live presentations, but the sound of the digital concert hall is excellent, and all that one can reasonably hope for. I really appreciate the archived material, which provides an extensive catalog of classical music. If the there were one suggestion I would offer it would be to make it easier to find a specific work. Presently one must scroll through the various concerts to find the work they are looking for. (a minor issue). Thank you for offering the service, and I am especially pleased to see that you continue to add more items to the archives.

Great App, If Only Navigation Was A Tad Easier …

I love having this subscription! I love the live concerts as well as the archives! I haven’t figured out how to down load concerts to listen off line yet (it’s only been a couple of years). I consider myself a “SuperUser” with computers and the like but for-the-most-part do not find this interface all that smooth or intuitive. I think it would be nice to have 24/7 chat support even it it were contracted out. The subscription has been “hounding me to re-up for almost a year and my subscription goes through to June ‘23. Asking me every time I sign on is no way to buy my loyalty. I HATE the nagging. I wanted to purchase a gift subscription for a friend, usually these are very plain to see, there is a special if you renew, you get something off on a gift subscription…but I could not find even a mention of gift subscriptions even with searches???? It just seems like you have to work way too hard to find information for the basics. Gift subscriptions should be right at the top during the holidays if any time for birthdays, etc. I can’t find it or instructions anywhere.

Developer Response ,

Dear customer, thank you very much for your valuable feedback. Please note that the offline mode is only available in our apps for mobile devices. To download a concert, please click on the download icon in the player. The work will be saved on your device. We are sorry to hear you had difficulties finding our voucher offers. Please note that vouchers can be purchased on our website (not in the apps). You can find them here: www.digitalconcerthall.com/vouchers

“An orchestra is like a garden...”

“You have to continuously nourish it. And sometimes you must prune it.” As Maestro Rattle relates it, at the time he didn’t understand exactly what von Karajan meant, either. It is very interesting to see and hear how a great orchestra stays great by passing along its traditions to the next generation. Every orchestra needs to understand and communicate its unique culture and character. It helps that The Berlin Philharmonic is self-governed so that every player has a stake in its success. It’s not just a job, it’s a family.

Here in Washington DC, we have the National Orchestral Institute, 100 young players (under 30), chosen out of a thousand, who come together for three weeks to prepare three concerts under superb conductors and first-chair coaches. For those three weeks, they are one of the most exciting orchestras in the world.