Dear General Director,
your excellencies,
members of the consular corps,
ladies and gentlemen,
A warm welcome to you all on another historic day for Hamburg - city of music and culture. Welcome to the Elbphilharmonie, our new cultural landmark.
As befits the occasion, you have prepared yourselves to be here, step-by-step. You know Hamburg, have had a good look at the harbour, and are now gathered here in the Recital Hall, eagerly awaiting the concert in the Grand Hall.
In a few minutes, the world-class symphony orchestra from Hamburgs partner city, Chicago, will perform there under the baton of Ricardo Muti.
It will be the first international guest performance in this venue. And you our guests, from the diplomatic corps, from the European Union, from the worlds of culture and business will be ear-witnesses to this first international guest performance which marks the opening of the concert series Visiting Orchestras.
Todays concert will begin with a sound, or one could say with many concurrent sounds, sounds understood in every language. But before the concert begins we will experience total silence. This silence, which sets the background for the music to begin, is in itself something of a miracle. Here in the harbour in the very heart of our city, we have been used to completely different sounds in this location. Looking back at the harbours soundscape we have heard the flapping of sails, the loud engines of the steamships, the noises of industry, the shipyards, hiring dockworkers, sounds of farewell, and again and again the arrival of goods, loading, unloading and selling them: it was never a quiet place.
And now here, on a small island in the Elbe, standing between one of the worlds most modern container ports and the world heritage of the historic warehouse district, this spectacular building extends an invitation to everyone.
The Elbphilharmonie invites the world to come to Hamburg. The Plaza, located more than 30 metres above ground level, is the highest public space in northern Germany, and already in the short time since it opened, half a million people have paid it a visit. The music programme is also an invitation to all kinds of visitors. It includes not only classical concerts but also rock, jazz and world music concerts as well.
And naturally, we look forward to a visit from the world spirit of music, if there is one.
Our wish is that every Hamburg pupil will be able to attend at least one concert here, including also those children who did not grow up with a knowledge of opus or the Köchel Catalogue. The former Musical Museum will move into new premises in the Kaispeicher warehouse with an expanded programme and will offer young people easy access to the world of classical music. It is somehow appropriate therefore that the piece chosen by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra to demonstrate the incredible sound quality in the Grand Concert Hall is Pictures from an Exhibition.
The Grand Hall is both awe-inspiring yet also democratic: the distance between the audience and the musicians has been reduced. I have tested it myself all of the seats are superb.
You now will also have the opportunity to test it out, and at the end of the concert are invited back here to the Recital Hall where you can compare notes with fellow guests over a cocktail a cocktail which has been especially created for this occasion.
Those involved in the construction work, the architects and engineers, the construction company and building workers have all talked about the immense courage and demands required from them over the course of this building project. But as we all can both see and hear in the end it was all worthwhile. Musicians, on first entering the Grand Hall have suddenly gone quiet, some have even been moved to tears.
Hamburg is full of anticipation and excitement and is looking forward immensely to the artistic events to be performed here.
Herzog & de Meurons unique architecture, the superb structural quality achieved by Hochtief, the fantastic work of the acoustician Yasuhisa Toyota and the work of many many more have all helped to create the Elbphilharmonie a building which can compete with the best in the world.
Nothing comparable to the Elbphilharmonie has been built before. It is a musical interval within the ever-permanent present. The new glass structure sitting on top of the historic Kaispeicher warehouse, on a significant site in our citys history is an example of how to utilise and combine past experience and tradition with tomorrows capabilities.
The Elbphilharmonie is quite simply typically Hamburg.
I would like to invite you all to enjoy the music.
Thank you!
Es gilt das gesprochene Wort.