Concert at the Berlin Philharmonie: Like a skyscraper in spring

German pop and string quartet – can that work?

On this Sunday evening, the Chamber Music Hall is about half full, with almost as many men as women—thus, Erdmöbel has already fulfilled its principle of equal audience participation. The musicians, dressed in black, appear at the entrance to Block C (halfway up the hall) and position themselves for the opening song "Zu deutsch für Rock und Roll" (Too German for Rock and Roll) from Erdmöbel's first album, "Das Ende der Diät ."

To warm, welcoming applause, the musicians then descend onto the stage and welcome the arrival of the Kaiser Quartet (dressed in blue, from the stage aisle). Founded almost 20 years ago, distinguished by collaborations with the likes of Chilly Gonzales and Daniel Hope, and well-versed in film and cinema music, they add useful percussive accompaniments to the song "In den Schuhe von Audrey Hepburn" (In the Shoes of Audrey Hepburn); the screeching of the viola and violin in "Tattooed from the Inside" recalls the shocking shower scene in the Hitchcock classic "Psycho," and the song "Das Vakuum" (The Vacuum) takes on a completely new foundation. Experiment successful!