Schedule

Italian conductor Gianandrea Noseda leads the London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) in a performance of Ludwig van Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-flat major, Op. 73, famously known as the ‘Emperor’ Concerto. Italian pianist Beatrice Rana features as the soloist here. The New York Times describes her as ‘one of the most insightful and prodigiously gifted artists of the new generation’. Beethoven’s Fifth Piano Concerto opens with a grand, majestic chord followed by a brilliant flourish from the piano, setting the tone for one of the most celebrated works in the piano repertoire. Composed between 1809 and 1811, it reflects Beethoven’s heroic spirit during a turbulent period in European history and is admired for its boldness, lyricism, and virtuosic demands. This concert was recorded at London’s Barbican Hall, UK, on February 2, 2022.

Mahler's Symphony No. 6 is a monumental work exploring deep personal tragedy, incorporating a unique, famous "hammer" blows that symbolize the inevitable blows of fate. This symphony's intense emotional power, epic scope, and the composer's eventual wrestling with fate and personal loss make it an unforgettable, profoundly moving experience for audiences.

Olivier Latry is the current holder of the Great Organ of Notre Dame. Between its original religious function and the interest of composers of all times, the great organ Cavaillé-Coll reveals its absolute modernity. Latry is considered one of the greatest organists of his generation, both in France and internationally. He sees himself as an ambassador of French music from the 17th through the 20th centuries as well as an advocate for the art of improvisation. Pieces played in the film are: Pierre Cochereau’s Boléro, Louis Vierne’s Carillon of Westminster and Scherzo from Symphony No. 2, Alexandre Guilmant’s Sonata No. 1, Charles-Marie Widor’s Gothic Symphony, Marcel Dupre’s Cortège, Litanie and J. S. Bach’s Passacaille & Fugue.

Bulgarian conductor Pavel Baleff conducts the Orchestra and Choir of the Opéra de Limoges in a performance of Antonín Dvořák’s lyric fairytale opera Rusalka (1900). The work’s libretto is written by Czech poet Jaroslav Kvapil. Rusalka, an elusive water nymph, falls in love with the Prince, who happens to swim in her lake. Rusalka longs to become human herself so that she can be together with the Prince. The witch Ježibaba is willing to help Rusalka, but warns her that the transition to a mortal human being comes at a high price: the nymph will lose the power of speech. What is more, if mute Rusalka cannot keep the love of a human, she will be damned for eternity. Stage director Nicola Raab and TV director Arnaud Lalanne created a truly filmic production of Dvořák’s masterpiece. Among the soloists are Ruzan Mantashyan, Adam Smith, Rafal Pawnuk, Marie-Adeline Henry, Marion Lebègue, and Alexandra Marcellier. This performance was recorded at the Opéra de Limoges, France, in February 2021.

After recording all 32 Ludwig van Beethoven piano sonatas to celebrate the composer's 250th birth anniversary, celebrated Italian pianist Riccardo Schwartz decided to record solo piano works by Robert Schumann. Schumann composed his Piano Sonata No. 3 in F minor, Op. 14 (a "Concerto for piano without orchestra", in the words of music publisher Tobias Haslinger) in 1836. He dedicated it to piano virtuoso Ignaz Moscheles. In 1853, Schumann revised the work and added a Scherzo as a second movement. The final movement is reminiscent of Schumann’s earlier composition Kreisleriana, Op. 16. Acclaimed pianist Riccardo Schwartz (1986) has performed as a soloist with many world-renowned conductors, including Gustav Kuhn and Yuri Temirkanov. His acclaimed performances include recitals and concertos for piano and orchestra in many prestigious concert halls.

Mezzo-soprano Esther Valentin (Germany, 1993) and pianist Anastasia Grishutina (Russia, 1988) perform Henri Duparc’s L’invitation au voyage; Aleksandr Borodin’s ‘Dlya beregov otchizni dal’noy’ (For the shores of thy far native land); ‘Fleur jetée’ from Gabriel Fauré’s Quatre melodies, Op. 39; Franz Schubert’s Die Liebe hat gelogen, Op. 23 No. 1 (D. 751); ‘Begegnung’ and ‘Der Feuerreiter’ from Hugo Wolf’s Mörike-Lieder; Brechtje van Dijk’s ‘Endangered’; and, ‘The crucifixion’ from Samuel Barber’s Hermit songs, Op. 29, during the final round of the International Vocal Competition 2019 – Lied Duo. This performance was recorded at Theater aan de Parade in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands.

The Italian-Swiss ensemble Trio des Alpes, consisting of Hana Kotková (violin), Claude Hauri (cello), and Corrado Greco (piano), and the Orchestra da Camera di Mantova join forces in this performance of the Concertino for Piano Trio and String Orchestra, H. 232 by Czech composer Bohuslav Martin (1890-1959). Martin was a prolific composer, creating an oeuvre of almost 400 works. The four-movement Concertino was completed in 1933 and saw its first performance in 1936, by the Basler Kammerorchester under the baton of Paul Sacher. During the years 1931-1943, Martin wrote multiple concertante compositions. Many of these works were more or less influenced by the Baroque ‘concerto grosso’ form, in which a group of solo instruments is set against a large ensemble, a principle that appealed to the composer. This performance was recorded at Teatro Bibiena in Mantua, Italy, on January 21, 2016.

In Geneva, the Swiss city where she has spent most of her life, Argentinian pianist Martha Argerich invites her lifelong music partner, the cellist Mischa Maisky, to play chamber music. Between the pieces, Martha opens up to her daughter Annie Dutoit in an intimate interview that addresses both their relationship and the music. On the program are Ludwig van Beethoven’s 7 variations after "The Magic Flute"; Robert Schumann’s Fantasiestücke, Op. 73; Frédéric Chopin’s Introduction and Polonaise brillante in C major, Op. 3; ‘Lerchengesang’ (No. 2) from Johannes Brahms’s 4 Gesänge, Op. 70; and ‘Largo’ from Chopin’s Cello Sonata in G minor, Op. 65. This broadcast was recorded on November 12 and 13, 2020, in Geneva, Switzerland.

Luca Vignali (oboe), Angelo De Angelis (clarinet), Carmine Pinto (horn), Eliseo Smordoni (bassoon), and Linda Di Carlo (piano) perform Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Quintet for piano and winds in E-flat major, K. 452. The work premiered at the Viennese Burgtheater on April 1, 1784, with the composer himself at the piano. Shortly after the performance, Mozart wrote to his father Leopold, “I consider it the best work I have ever written…”. Striking is the Quintet’s unusual instrumentation, which presented the composer with a challenge “as single winds, as opposed to pairs, pose problems of blend”. Therefore, Mozart explored numerous different permutations of instruments to produce various sonorities, and used short phrases and motifs for variety. This performance was recorded at Perugia’s Auditorium Santa Cecilia, Italy, on June 23, 2022.

Founded by Daniel Barenboim and Edward Said, the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra is composed of young musicians from Israel, Palestine, several other Arab countries, and Spain. The musicians band together at least once a year to rehearse and perform on stage, where their shared love of music crosses national, ethnic, and religious boundaries. For three years, Daniel Barenboim and the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra performed a world tour to present all nine of Beethoven's symphonies. Director Michael Waldman captured the orchestral rehearsals in Spain and his stint in South Korea and China to produce this unique and captivating documentary that presents memorable musical moments, punctuated by the reflections of the young musicians on Beethoven ... and on maestro Barenboim.

After recording all 32 Ludwig van Beethoven piano sonatas to celebrate the composer's 250th birth anniversary, celebrated Italian pianist Riccardo Schwartz decided to record solo piano works by Robert Schumann. In this performance, Schwartz presents Schumann’s Piano Sonata No. 2 in G minor, Op. 22. The composer completed the work in 1838. Of Schumann’s three piano sonatas, Piano Sonata No. 2 is performed and recorded most frequently. It opens with an energetic first movement, followed by a beautiful, slow Andantino based on Schumann’s song ‘Im Herbste’ (1828). The third movement is a short Scherzo. At the request of his future spouse, Clara, the composer replaced the original finale by a less demanding movement. Acclaimed pianist Riccardo Schwartz (1986) has performed as a soloist with many world-renowned conductors, including Gustav Kuhn and Yuri Temirkanov. His acclaimed performances include recitals and concertos for piano and orchestra in many prestigious concert halls.

Mahler's "Resurrection" Symphony, written between 1888 and 1894, is a colossal five-movement work exploring themes of death and resurrection. It was one of Mahler's most popular and acclaimed works during his lifetime, famously culminating in a powerful choral finale. The symphony features immense orchestral forces, including offstage brass and a large choir, which combine to create overwhelming sonic experiences that depict profound spiritual and emotional narratives. The grand scale and dramatic structure represent the triumph of life over death.

This episode of the series 'In the Artist's Workshop' features a masterclass by French classical pianist Philippe Cassard in the works of Claude Debussy.

Dutch violinist Simone Lamsma brings lyricism and fire to Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s virtuosic Violin Concerto, joining conductor Gianandrea Noseda and the London Symphony Orchestra. Tchaikovsky wrote the piece in 1878 on the shores of Lake Geneva, collaborating closely with his former student and lover, violinist Iosif Kotek. The composer initially intended to dedicate the piece to the young Kotek, but eventually dedicated it to another violinist, Leopold Auer, as he was afraid of the gossip the dedication would cause. This performance was recorded at the Barbican Hall in London, UK, on April 10, 2022.

After recording all 32 Ludwig van Beethoven piano sonatas to celebrate the composer's 250th birth anniversary, celebrated Italian pianist Riccardo Schwartz decided to record solo piano works by Robert Schumann. In this performance, Schwartz presents Schumann’s Kreisleriana, Op. 16. Schumann claimed that he penned this 1838 composition in just four days. He dedicated it to Frédéric Chopin, his contemporary. The work’s title refers to the musician Johannes Kreisler, a fictional character from the writings of German Romantic author E. T. A. Hoffmann. Schumann regarded the composition as one of his finest. Kreisleriana is a dramatic, eight-movement piece. Its contrasting sections invoke the imaginary musician’s violent mood swings as well as the conflict between Schumann’s own two fictional characters, Florestan and Eusebius, which represent the duality of the composer’s own personality. Acclaimed pianist Riccardo Schwartz (1986) has performed as a soloist with many world-renowned conductors, including Gustav Kuhn and Yuri Temirkanov. His acclaimed performances include recitals and concertos for piano and orchestra in many prestigious concert halls.

At the behest of Argentinian pianist Martha Argerich, several classical music stars took part in this concert in aid of the Erasmus Fund for medical research in intensive care, recorded at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels, Belgium, on October 21, 2023. The concert pays tribute to the renowned cellist Aleksandr Khramouchin (1979) who suddenly passed away on May 13, 2023. As part of this concert, pianists Martha Argerich and Khramouchin’s widow Eliane Reyes perform Maurice Ravel’s Ma mère l'Oye. This five-part suite was written for piano four hands.

Mahler's Symphony No. 9, a profoundly emotional and technically complex work from 1909-1910, is characterized by its sprawling, late-Romantic style, exploring themes of human experience, love, and existential questions against the backdrop of Mahler's own impending death. Audiences are drawn to the symphony's deeply personal expression of vulnerability and its transcendent final movement, which serves as a poignant farewell and a profound exploration of the human condition.

Mexican conductor Carlos Miguel Prieto leads the Orquesta Sinfónica de Minería in a performance of Sergei Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf, Op. 67. Written in 1936, Peter and the Wolf is a short, narrated orchestral suite, telling the story of a brave boy named Peter, who lives with his grandfather on the edge of a forest. With the help of his animal friends, Peter outsmarts a villainous wolf and captures it, eventually leading it to the zoo. Maestro Prieto gives an introduction to the different parts of the suite. In each part, each character is represented by a different instrument or instrument section, offering a vivid introduction to the orchestra's instrumental families. This performance was recorded at Auditorio Nacional in Mexico City, in 2021.