Eleven international composers were invited to create new works for specific locations along Berlin’s largest waterway – as a response to the respective geographical site and urban environment, as well as to local and global knowledge of water and multi-species ecosystems.
The musical path follows the river Spree for five kilometres through various urban areas of the Charlottenburg district. It passes through residential quarters, parks, allotments, industrial areas and the castle.
spreeklänge create immersive soundscapes whilst also addressing critical reflections such as questions regarding the significance of water in indigenous communities and the rights and dignity of rivers and non-human beings. The acoustic relational space spans from Philippine stalactite caves to the sounds of water that can only be perceived through the body, to an encounter with diverse bat species along the Faule Spree. Utopias are staged with singers in rowboats, field names of the West and the East part of the river Spree are recited, and an Andean sound cosmos is brought to life by students.
The performances take place around the river: along the riverside path, on boats on the water, or even on the opposite bank, under bridges or in open spaces. The individual compositions relate to the specific location, transforming it and thereby altering its perception. They are interventions in the everyday, normal use of public space.
Each work has its own specific format. Small concerts, musical-theatrical interventions and installations, often involving local communities and school groups, come together to form a multifaceted contemporary soundscape for a mobile audience, who can move from situation to situation with open senses and listen to the sounds, the river and the living creatures.
