Tucked away in Berlin’s Friedenau district, the Kammermusiksaal Friedenau is more than just a concert hall. It’s a time capsule. It takes you back to the 16th through 19th centuries. The Kammermusiksaal Friedenau resides within the “Kronprinzenhaus”. This grand Wilhelminian-era house, built between 1905 and 1907 by Ladislaus Nowak, blends Neo-Baroque and Art Nouveau styles. Imagine attending a concert here. The room isn’t filled to its 100-person capacity. The acoustics, while improving with more people, are intentionally un-modern. This allows the music from the original instruments to resonate authentically. Your eyes feast on the ornate antique harpsichords, clavichords, pianos, and grand pianos, mostly built before 1860. These instruments, some on loan, some donated, aren’t mere decorations. They are the heart and soul of the Kammermusiksaal Friedenau. This unique venue wouldn’t exist without the passion of two friends. In 1985, music professors Bradford Tracy and Rolf Junghanns, specialists in historical keyboard instruments and basso continuo, took a leap of faith. They cashed in their life insurance policies to renovate this space. Their vision was simple yet profound. They wanted to present music as it would have sounded during its creation. The Kammermusiksaal Friedenau officially opened on April 7, 1986. The inaugural concert featured works by Bach, Weber, Mozart, and Beethoven, played on harpsichord and fortepiano from Tracy and Junghanns’ collection. Sadly, both founders passed away shortly after, Tracy in 1987 and Junghanns in 1993. Their legacy, however, continues to thrive. The “Gesellschaft der Freunde der Friedenauer Kammerkonzerte e.V.” has been organizing concerts and keeping the spirit of early music alive since 1994. Today, the Kammermusiksaal Friedenau serves as a performance space, a teaching ground for students from the UdK Berlin’s Institute for Early Music, and a beloved gathering place for music lovers.
Центральный дом работников искусств
Step through the grand wooden doors of the Central House of the Workers of Art, and you’ll be transported to