From Berlin to Hollywood

From Berlin to Hollywood – an intimate cinematic journey presented by the Hof Symphony Orchestra. Under the baton of Chief Conductor Martijn Dendievel, the orchestra invites you to experience the remarkable world of two exile composers whose brilliance bridged Europe and America. First, we follow the storied life of Kurt Weill, renowned for his collaborations with Bertolt Brecht on classics like *The Threepenny Opera*. Forced to flee Nazi‑Germany, Weill reinvented himself as a Broadway maestro in the United States. Narrated by celebrated Hof Theater actor Ralf Hocke, who steps into the role of the composer, the performance weaves together his triumphs and trials. Soprano Katharina Persicke dazzles with a versatile set of Weill’s most powerful songs, each lovingly re‑arranged for orchestra by Peter Lawrence, the ensemble’s principal trumpeter and seasoned arranger. After the intermission, the orchestra turns to the glittering legacy of Erich Wolfgang Korngold, another Jewish exile who found fame in Hollywood’s “dream factory” and earned two Academy Awards. In a breathtaking recital of Korngold’s Symphony in F♯ Op. 40, listeners will hear cinematic themes from *Elizabeth & Essex*, *Captain Blood*, and *Kings Row* woven into lush orchestral textures, culminating in a triumphant finale. The film concludes with an engaging “finale: questions asked” session where Ralf Hocke and Katharina Persicke share insights from their forthcoming masterclass for aspiring vocalists at the orchestra’s music school—an unforgettable close to a night that celebrates resilience, creativity, and transatlantic collaboration.