Tue, 12 May 2026 18:00

Elbphilharmonie Kleiner Saal

Quartet of Critics

Discussion about Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 1 – Hamburg International Music Festival

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Tickets €8 €8

Doors open 17:00
Start 18:00
End ca. 19:30

Looking over Mahler’s shoulder

Manuel Brug, Eleonore Büning, Joachim Mischke and Markus Thiel are among the most renowned music journalists in the German-speaking world. As the »Quartet of Critics«, they will discuss Gustav Mahler’s groundbreaking Symphony No. 1 and its various recordings before the concert at the Elbphilharmonie Grand Hall. Drawing on numerous record and CD recordings from almost a hundred years, they paint a vivid and entertaining picture of one of the most important works in classical music.

Mahler’s First is full of contrasts that left audiences perplexed in its day: it sounds sensual at times, coarse at others, first desperate, then exuberant again. But how did the great conductors and orchestras interpret this work, which is full of challenges for every musician? With numerous audio samples and pointed opinions, the Quartet of Critics discusses groundbreaking (and also obscure) recordings of the popular symphony.

Music critics and journalists from Germany, Austria and Switzerland have joined forces in the »Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik« (German Record Critics’ Award) association to regularly honour outstanding music and spoken word productions. This panel of up to 160 jurors attaches great importance to reaching independent judgements, uninfluenced by the interests of record and/or audiobook producers. A »Quartet of Critics« meets regularly to discuss a specific work in public and compare recordings.

Performers

Manuel Brug talk

Eleonore Büning talk

Joachim Mischke talk

Markus Thiel talk

Festival

Hamburg International Music Festival

Find out more

Promoter: HamburgMusik

Location : Elbphilharmonie
Kleiner Saal

The Recital Hall, designed in contrast to the Grand Hall in the classic »shoebox« style, offers seating for up to 550 people.

Arrival time

The Elbphilharmonie is a special building situated in a special place. Allow for plenty of time for getting to the Elbphilharmonie and the way to the concert area. We suggest visitors arrive at the Elbphilharmonie Plaza not later than 30 minutes before the start of the concert or event. Late seating is not guaranteed and latecomers may not be admitted to the concert hall.

Concert tickets for the Grand and Recital Halls authorise a visit to the Plaza from two hours before the start of the concert or event. Visitors to the Kaistudios require a separate Plaza ticket to visit the Plaza.

Admission times:

Events without pre-concert talk:
Recital Hall Foyer: 60 minutes before the start of the event
Recital Hall: 30 minutes before the start of the event

Events with pre-concert talk:
Recital Hall Foyer: 90 minutes before the start of the event
Recital Hall: 15 minutes before the start of the talk

If a pre-concert talk is offered for this event, it is noted above under PROGRAMME.
Getting here

Elbphilharmonie Hamburg
Platz der Deutschen Einheit
20457 Hamburg

The Elbphilharmonie can be easily reached by bus, underground, bicycle and ferry.

The nearest stops include:
Underground line U3: Baumwall
Underground line U4: Überseequartier
Bus 2, 111: Am Kaiserkai (Elbphilharmonie)
Bus 6: Auf dem Sande (Speicherstadt)
Ferry 72 (from Landungsbrücken pier): »Elbphilharmonie« pier
StadtRAD (bicycle sharing system) stations: U Baumwall (Elbphilharmonie) and Am Kaiserkai / Großer Grasbrook

Multistorey car park in the Elbphilharmonie (open 24/7, 435 parking spaces):
Please note that visitors to the Elbphilharmonie should use the entrance marked »Elbphilharmonie«. The entrance »Elbphilharmonie Hotel« is reserved for »The Westin Hamburg« hotel guests.

Please find more information about prices and advance booking of the discounted flat rate on this page: arrival by car
Finding your seat

All visitors enter the building via the main entrance; access to the concert hall is via the Plaza, the public viewing platform on the 8th floor of the Elbphilharmonie. The Plaza can be reached from the entrance area via the Tube (long escalator) or lifts. Your tickets will be checked twice: at admissions in the main entrance area and on the Plaza in front of the staircase to the Grand or Rcital Hall. Stairs and lifts lead from the Plaza to the concert hall foyers.

The Recital Hall is situated on the 10th floor and can be accessed via a stairway or lift.
Cloakroom

The cloakrooms are located in the foyer (fee: € 2). Jackets and handbags may be taken into the hall.

Walking-stick umbrellas, bags sized A3 (42 x 30 cm) or above, luggage and other bulky items must be stored in the lockers (largest size 27 x 87 x 47 cm) located in the corridor leading to the ticket shop on the ground floor (on the right-hand side of the entrance area).

Strollers and prams can be left with the admissions personnel on the Plaza. Wheeled walkers can be handed in at the hall entrances.
Toilet Facilities

Facilities for guests of the Recital Hall are located in the Recital Hall Foyer.

An accessible toilet is located in the foyer.
Photography and video recordings

It is forbidden to take photographs or record videos during a concert or event. Video recordings and photography are permitted for private purposes only on the Plaza and in the foyers as well as before the start or following an event in the concert hall, provided that you respect the privacy of other visitors and do not interfere with regular business operations. Employees may not be photographed or filmed.

Photography, audio or video recordings of concerts and events are strictly prohibited.

Event-related video recordings or photographs for editorial or commercial purposes must be authorised by the Press Office of the Elbphilharmonie.
Accessibility

All halls and spaces are accessible for visitors with disabilities. More information at www.elbphilharmonie.de/en/accessibility.

Lifts to the Plaza are located in the tunnel on the right-hand side of the Tube (long escalator). From the Plaza, access to the Grand and Recital Hall foyers is via lifts, also located to the right. Please note: cloakrooms for visitors to the Grand Hall are only located on the 11th floor. From there, the upper floors can be accessed via further lifts.

Also the 5th floor of the Kaispeicher is fully accessible. Please use the lifts from the multi-storey car park to the 6th floor and ring the bell at the rear entrance. The toilets can be reached by lift from the 5th and 6th floors.
Coughing, clapping, chatting – Tips for your concert visit

A concert at the Elbphilharmonie is a unique experience for both audience and artists. Guests and musicians alike rave about the precise acoustics in the Grand Hall. You can hear every note, even from the highest balcony.

Unfortunately, the opposite is also true: even presumably quiet noises from the audience are clearly audible in the entire hall. We therefore ask our visitors to take the following recommendations into consideration: Tips for your concert visit