The world premiere of “What the Thunder Said”, a new large-scale work for six cellos and double bass by Arash Safaian. Presented by Berlin Confidential.

“What the Thunder Said” takes its title and inspiration from the final section of T. S. Eliot’s monumental 1922 poem The Waste Land. Written in the aftermath of the First World War, the Spanish flu, and Eliot’s personal crises, the poem became a defining modernist response to a shattered civilisation, with broken language and ruptured traditions. Safaian translates this atmosphere into sound, creating a multi-movement work for six cellos and double bass, optionally enhanced through guitar amplifiers.

Alongside this premiere, Berlin Confidential offers a rare opportunity to hear cello ensemble interpretations of major 20th-century works by Arvo Pärt, Alfred Schnittke, Krzysztof Penderecki, and Giovanni Sollima. Together they form a kaleidoscope of European music after 1945: from Pärt’s spiritual minimalism to Schnittke’s polystylism, Penderecki’s searing modernism, and Sollima’s unrestrained energy.

An outstanding roster of soloists brings this programme to life: Alexey Stadler, Claudio Bohorquez, Ivan Skanavi, Lena von Almen, Maciek Kulakowski, Oliwia Meiser, and Dusan Kostic (double bass). Each of them is an established performer in their own right, appearing here as a collective force.

The concert takes place in the unique setting of Berlin’s Musikbrauerei, a 19th-century brewery hall turned performance space in Prenzlauer Berg, whose raw architecture has made it one of the city’s most atmospheric venues.

21.11.2025 | Doors 19:00 | Starts 20:00 CET
Musikbrauerei , Greifswalder Strasse 23A in 10405 Berlin

Tickets and more: https://www.digitalinberlin.de/berlin-confidential-arash-safaian-musikbrauerei/