Der Untergeher: Clärchen's Sunday concerts in the Mirror Hall

About the Event

Nestled in the bustling heart of Germany's capital, begin an auditory adventure at one of the city's renowned locales. The Hall of Mirrors at Clärchens Ballhaus captivates with its soaring ceilings and gleaming walls, exuding a distinctive patina. Famous for its superb acoustics, it stands as a premier concert destination.

The narrator in this work, published in 1983, lives in Madrid and is writing a thesis on the Canadian pianist Glenn Gould, “the most important piano virtuoso of the century,” who, at the height of his artistry, stopped playing. While in Madrid, the narrator receives a telegram announcing the funeral of his friend Wertheimer, who has taken his own life. The three had met in Salzburg at a music course taught by Horowitz. It soon became clear that Glenn Gould was the greatest genius. Overwhelmed by the sheer power of this genius, the narrator became a “philosophical artist,” a critic of his time, and especially a critic of Austria, while Wertheimer, on the other hand, plunged into an irreversible existential depression.

At the heart of the reflections in “Der Untergeher” lies the first‐person narrator’s detailed comparison with Wertheimer, which becomes a confrontation between two different life models despite their similar starting points.

Johann von Bülow now lends his voice to this tragic yet humorous narrative, skillfully bringing out the nuances between tears and laughter. Accompanying the reading is a musical piece that, to this day, is mentioned almost in the same breath as Glenn Gould: Johann Sebastian Bach’s Goldberg Variations, performed in a rarely heard instrumentation by a string trio featuring David Adorján, Rahel Rilling, and Gabriel Adorján.

Thomas Bernhard (1931–1989) is considered one of Austria’s most important writers. Translated into more than forty languages, he is regarded today as a writer of international stature. As the author of poems, short stories, novels, and plays, he created a body of work that ranks among the most significant literary achievements of the 20th century. To this day, and beyond the German‐speaking world, Bernhard’s work continues to evoke both a lasting resonance with the public and an ongoing, often controversial scholarly debate. In 1963, following the publication of several volumes of poetry, he achieved his literary breakthrough with the novel *Frost*. Numerous other novels and short stories followed in rapid succession: *Amras* (1964), *Verstörung* (1967), *Das Kalkwerk* (1970), *Korrektur* (1975), *Der Untergeher* (1983), *Alte Meister* (1985), and *Auslöschung* (1986). Beginning in 1970, Bernhard also became one of the most successful German‐language playwrights, with a total of eighteen plays premiering. He received public recognition through awards such as the Georg Büchner Prize (1970), the Premio Letterario Internazionale Mondello (1983), and the Prix Médicis (1988).

Practical Information

Category reduced/ermäßigt: Valid for students with student ID and children

Please note that the Hall of Mirrors is not wheelchair accessible.