Berlin was an amazing city that presented a different view of history we were studying because most of the city was destroyed during WW2. Where we had been to locations that were hundreds years old, Berlin just recently rebuilt it city but was divided by the Berlin wall.
Within the diversity of the city, I was able to find a cat cafe more towards the oscerts of the city. This cafe only had two cats (who were adorable) and okay coffee/food. I was able to get a cat to lay on a bed by us for around thirty minutes. Berlin has a law stating that no one can profit from exhibits and museums dedicated to WW2 or the Holocaust. I found this very interesting as more people are attracted to free places, but the purpose of the law is to not create a resurgance of Nazi activity and to not profit off of the horrible things that were present during the time. The memorial for the Holocaust presented by different height columns, which is very in depth and everyone will experience it differently from the next person. The main reasoning behind the design is for people to figure out their own meaning behind their walking path. For me, walking through the pillars brought a sense of loneliness, especially when the walls were very high and I had not seen anyone in awhile. When I encountered someone, it was for a brief second because they were traveling a different path than I. When I found friends in the maze, it was harder to keep up with them because I did not know their intended destination. I believe that everyone needs to experience this monument and take in the space and the people that interact with the environment.
Berlin also holds the museum island. With our metro passes we were able to gain entry into each museum for free. Alyssia and I tried to walk into the old museum and look at Greek antiquities, but the guards would not let us in without a proper ticket. We decided to test our luck again and went over to the New Museum. The guards looked at us with sincere disbelief that the other guards did not let us in and welcomed us with open arms to visit their museum. The New Museum contains more diverse time periods and antiquities. The statue head of Nefertitii was located in a back corner room. You were not allowed to take photos of the statue but a 3-D model bust was created for people with visual impairments. The skin tones painted on, looked flawless, and it was amazing the smoothness that was projected within the bust. 
The Berlin Philharmonic was amazing. Malher’s 6th symphony rang out in the halls as the only piece in the concert. It was a 90 minute program with just enough break between each movement so everyone could let out their coughs and blow their nose before the start of the next note. Even the conductor was wiping his brow between the movements and needed these two seconds to catch his breath. Our seats were almost in the orchestra. They have risers behind the percussion and benches were placed to hold everyone who had a ticket for this space. I sat behind the French horn section, and it sounded amazing. Sometimes they would lift their horns to be at a 90 degree angle to project more sound into the theatre. The musicianship presented between each section were able to pass the melody between players and not lose the fluidity of the phrase. I would highly recommend looking up this performance or even the symphony itself. It causes a life changing moment where you recognize the individual efforts and participation every musician prioritizes for the sound of the group. The Mahler hammer rang through the hall twice, the percussionist lifted the hammer high above his head and striked the box at the exact location where it was needed. 
No comments:
Post a Comment