»Why speak when you can sing? Why cry when you can laugh?« goes a line from a song by Paul Eisenach and Juri Sternburg from their East Side Story. And that’s exactly what we thought: better to sing than to talk or mourn. So, as a farewell, we are releasing a GORKI album full of music: SONGS FROM THE LAST YEARS!
The building that now houses Gorki has always been a remarkable venue for music. Built in 1827 for the Berliner Sing-Akademie, what later became the Gorki was home to Berlin’s first mixed-gender choir. In this space, Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy sparked a Bach renaissance with the revival of the St. Matthew Passion, and thanks to its excellent acoustics, many renowned works were recorded here.
During Shermin Langhoff’s 13-year tenure as artistic director, nearly 500 songs were performed at the Maxim Gorki Theater. The GORKI album can present only a small selection – mostly from more recent productions. They are performed by current ensemble members as their farewell songs. Many remarkable voices and performers from the past 13 years will therefore, unfortunately, be missing from the album.
What have we learned from the musical history of this building, and from the past 13 years at Gorki? When something truly comes from the heart, new beauty can emerge from difference – even from opposites. Through the harmony of many voices, beyond categories, with a range of instruments – whether guitar, piano, oud, or bağlama – and songs in many languages, we hold on to the hope that those who stand for the good also carry the stronger songs. It is only by listening to each individual that we can hear the harmony of the world – and the power of love, solidarity, and resistance.
The album SONGS FROM THE LAST YEARS will be available digitally via Qobuz from 13 june, and from 19 June in stores through the label Clouds Hill.
