Founded in 1998, the Piano Salon Christophori in the listed Uferhallen in Berlin’s Gesundbrunnen district is a gem for piano lovers and those who aspire to become one. Solo, chamber, and jazz concerts with exquisite programs take place almost daily in the former tram depot, which salon founder Christoph Schreiber also uses as a workshop for the restoration of historic grand pianos. Numerous individual parts from the instruments adorn the walls of the 600-square-meter hall, which seats 199 spectators. Schreiber’s collection includes around 120 examples from two centuries of piano making, and just under a dozen are available to the artists in a playable state. The venue and workshop are named after Bartolomeo Cristofori, who developed the first fortepiano at the beginning of the 18th century.
Christoph Schreiber no longer works as a doctor. He speaks about this profession in a tone that makes it clear he would be extremely reluctant to put on the white coat again. Now he has time for his passion. But that also means having to make time for his passion. Being a music promoter is a 24/7 job. He’s on the phone an incredible amount, has music and musicians to manage. And, of course, the family is still there, says the father of three.
Christoph Schreiber’s true passion isn’t organizing concerts. His enthusiasm is for historical instruments. He’s gone from being a doctor for people to being a full-time doctor for pianos. In other words: Christoph Schreiber restores old grand pianos, upright pianos, and upright pianos. “I’d like to do more hands-on work,” he says. He sounds a bit regretful. But he doesn’t seem dissatisfied either. Apparently, life has now put him in the right place. Somewhere in a salon with over 100 historical pianos. Where he can afford to turn down commissioned restorations. Because it’s “too much effort to do it properly.”
So he restores historic grand pianos for his own purposes—for concerts, for performances. He calls this part of his daily work “keeping it in concert condition.” He considers which instrument is right for a guest musician’s performance in his salon and repairs it. But he relies on the audience. And that has changed his habits during the lockdown years. In the piano salon, he says, he’s fortunate to attract a diverse audience, “even if the mix is less than before Corona.”
It’s noticeable that this sentence isn’t meant to sound plaintive, just descriptive. That’s why Christoph Schreiber speaks in the next sentence about responsibility and the task facing music promoters. As if to say, you have to bring people back. Convince them again. Re-engage them. His contribution: At the Piano Salon, students pay 15 euros for admission (the regular price is usually 25 euros). A drink is always included. And he encourages them to bring children. In his experience, most of them listen attentively.
The music facilitator has set up 160 chairs in the warehouse. Previously, there were 199. People today don’t want to sit as tightly as they normally would a few years ago. And he organizes concerts on a donation basis less frequently, now generally setting fixed prices. Has the coronavirus pandemic also eroded the willingness to financially reward good performance, even without being asked? It’s a question everyone has to ask themselves to answer. Christoph Schreiber has to raise a good 5,000 euros a month for rent. Covid hasn’t changed the system of space for rent.
https://www.konzertfluegel.com
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piano_Salon_Christophori