KleinTones · City, architecture and music
A city on the Elbe shaped by trade, warehouses and its harbour — and, for me today, inseparable from the Elbphilharmonie.
For centuries Hamburg has been shaped by the Elbe, its harbour and international trade. As a Hanseatic city it developed into one of northern Europe’s major trading centres. Water still determines the character of the city: canals, bridges, ferries, harbour basins and the broad Elbe connect the historic centre with the modern HafenCity.
Rupture and rebuilding are also part of Hamburg’s history. The Great Fire of 1842 destroyed large parts of the city centre, and Hamburg suffered severe destruction during the Second World War. New urban landscapes repeatedly emerged. The Speicherstadt, built between 1885 and 1927 and partly rebuilt after the war, has formed a UNESCO World Heritage Site together with the Kontorhaus District and Chilehaus since 2015.
Today Hamburg brings together port industry, media, science, culture and tourism. One of its most striking urban transitions lies between the historic Speicherstadt and HafenCity. Brick warehouses and waterways meet contemporary city planning there, with the Elbphilharmonie as the most visible symbol of this transformation.
The Elbphilharmonie was designed by the Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron. Its glass structure rises above the former Kaispeicher A at the western end of HafenCity. The undulating roof and reflective façade change with weather, daylight and viewpoint — one reason I find myself photographing the building again on almost every visit to Hamburg.
The Plaza opened on 4 November 2016, followed by the concert hall on 11 January 2017. At its heart is the Grand Hall with around 2,100 seats, complemented by the Recital Hall and other spaces. The public Plaza lies between the old brick warehouse and the glass structure, opening broad views across the harbour and city.
Although I live around 900 kilometres from Hamburg, I have returned to the city and the Elbphilharmonie many times. The videos on this page are therefore not compilations of stock footage: the photographs, film sequences and — where stated — the music are my own and document encounters with Hamburg across many years.
Elbphilharmonie
Two different approaches to a building that, for me, brings architecture and music together in a remarkable way.
Personal long-term portrait
My own photographs and footage from more than nine visits across nine years — before and after the opening, outside and inside, including both the Grand Hall and Recital Hall. Accompanied by “Nocturne in F-sharp Minor: Echoes of the Elbphilharmonie”.
Watch on YouTube →
Orchestral homage
An orchestral declaration of love to the Elbphilharmonie for strings, flute and oboe.
Watch on YouTube →Hamburg
A city portrait made from my own Hamburg photographs and footage, moving from evening light into night.
Evening to night
Speicherstadt, Elbphilharmonie and the harbour move from evening light into night in a quiet city portrait assembled from my own Hamburg photographs and footage.
Watch on YouTube →Music
The music also exists on its own as an independent release.
Official music release
The standalone music release from 5 March 2026: my composition presented with a still harbour image and reflections in the window.
Listen on YouTube →Official background on the Elbphilharmonie and the Speicherstadt:
Elbphilharmonie – architecture and history →
UNESCO – Speicherstadt and Kontorhaus District →
A small selection of films that show Hamburg and the Elbphilharmonie from very different perspectives:
A flight around the Elbphilharmonie →
A spectacular drone flight around and through the Elbphilharmonie, including the concert halls, backstage areas and rarely seen corners of the building.
Elbphilharmonie Sessions | MEUTE live on the Rooftop →
Hamburg techno marching band MEUTE performs live on the roof of the Elbphilharmonie – brass, percussion, an electronic sound world and the Hamburg skyline.
Elbphilharmonie Session: Pablo Barragán – Messiaen →
Olivier Messiaen's Abîme des oiseaux at the St. Nikolai Memorial: clarinet, architecture and Hamburg history in an unusually powerful combination.
For current and changing concert streams, the official mediatheque is the best starting point:
Elbphilharmonie Mediatheque – concert streams →
Live broadcasts and video-on-demand from the Grand Hall and Recital Hall.
High-quality concert recordings on YouTube
Igor Stravinsky: Le sacre du printemps – Alan Gilbert / NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra →
An ARD Klassik recording from the Grand Hall on 1 September 2023 – Stravinsky's rhythmically explosive ballet score in full.
Gustav Mahler: Symphony No. 1 “Titan” – Alan Gilbert / NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra →
A large-scale symphonic recording from the opening of the 2025/26 season.
Herbert Blomstedt conducts Mozart & Schubert →
Francesco Piemontesi plays Mozart's Piano Concerto K. 595, followed by Schubert's great C-major Symphony with the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra.
Elbphilharmonie Hamburg – The Opening Concert →
The historic concert of 11 January 2017 with Thomas Hengelbrock, the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra and numerous soloists.
NDR Bigband – American Cool Jazz →
A complete jazz concert from the Elbphilharmonie: a tribute to Miles Davis, Chet Baker and Cool Jazz, conducted and arranged by Jörg Achim Keller.
These films bring together city views, personal memories and original music. More Hamburg films can be added here as the collection grows.