Inspiring "Elbe Tunnel Symphony"

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To mark the reopening of the east tunnel, the HfMT and the Hamburg Port Authority organized four sold-out "Tunnel Concerts". 144 musicians played a specially composed symphony in both Elbe tunnel tubes

“In Georg Hajdu’s ‘Symphony for a Tunnel,’ sounds of the harbor could be heard, and singers called out the names of the workers who built the Elbe Tunnel back then under the harshest conditions. Otherwise, soundscapes and ethereal sounds dominated the other compositions. Everything was calculated down to a tenth of a second. The orchestra played without a conductor. Each musician had a tablet on their music stand that displayed, in real time and individually, when to play each part. The computer control center was set up at the southern end of the tunnel. The HPA had set up a special network, since there is actually no internet reception under the Elbe.

Armed with drinks and pretzels, the audience strolled through the tunnel, admiring the freshly renovated decorative tiles in the recently reopened eastern tube and stopping to watch individual musicians. What was surprising: The acoustics in the Elbe Tunnel aren’t half bad and are actually a bit more forgiving than those in the Elbphilharmonie.
At the end, there were many enthusiastic faces to be seen. After all, what we heard there for an hour wasn’t exactly Mozart. Some visitors were a bit taken aback by the sounds. But the music really fit the space like a glove. What a magnificent idea! And what a successful execution! This symphony truly breathed new life into the Old Elbe Tunnel.” (NDR)

There is a video of the event on YouTube.