The sound of Bamberg

Discover the rich history of the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra, conducted since 2016 by the fabulous Jakub Hrůša, through the testimonies of those who contribute to its liveliness and influence. Founded shortly after the Second World War by Joseph Keilberth – who was its principal director from 1949 to 1968 – the Bamberg Orchestra is the result of a clever mix between German tradition and Czech culture. It was originally composed of former musicians from the German orchestra of Prague, refugees from Czechoslovakia, and today perpetuates this multicultural tradition that is partly responsible for its unique sound tone and dazzling success.
In this documentary, its current musicians share their attachment to this one-of-a-kind orchestra, considered one of the best German orchestras of our time, and evoke the famous and inimitable “Bamberg sound”, which makes it so special. Their musical director, Jakub Hrůša, explains: “My vision of how music orchestra should be done is guided always by at least two principles : one is that music in the orchestra should be done as close as possible to the virtues of making music in chamber music situation, that means that everyone on stage feels as an important part of the common spirit of what’s being done, so no one is just a component in an engine so to speak, but everyone is important as a human being. I very much believe that an orchestra is no mechanism but an organism. It’s really like a human body, where what the right hand does is connected, always, to the left hand. So many musical teams and ensembles have this standpoint of being part of a machine, and I think here is very much being part of a group of human beings […] I think it’s not always to be found and here I found it, so that’s what makes my relationship to the orchestra ever more meaningful and beautiful.”