Schedule

Fabio Luisi conducts the Danish National Symphony Orchestra in this powerful performance taken from the 150th Anniversary celebrations of Denmark’s national composer, Carl Nielsen. Alongside Nielsen’s inscrutably ironic Symphony No. 6, this performance features world-renowned French pianist Lise de la Salle as soloist in Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No. 4. This lesser-known concerto saw three separate iterations throughout the composer’s life and is characterized by bold chromaticism and a distinctly Jazz-like quality. Luisi and de la Salle have prior experience with this piece, having previously performed and recorded it together. This performance was recorded at the DR Koncerthuset in Copenhagen, Denmark, in 2017.

Soprano Harriet Burns (United Kingdom, 1989) and pianist Ian Tindale (United Kingdom, 1990) perform Franz Schubert’s Verklärung, D. 59; Clara Schumann’s Er ist gekommen in Sturm und Regen, Op. 12, No. 2; ‘L’heure exquise’ from Reynaldo Hahn’s Chansons grises, and ‘Le printemps’ from Hahn’s Douze rondels; ‘Herzeleid’ from Robert Schumann’s Sechs Gesänge, Op. 107; ‘Le corbeau et le renard’ from André Caplet’s Trois fables; Alphons Diepenbrock’s Die Liebende schreibt, RC 20; ‘Seranilla de la zarzuela’ from Judith Weir’s A Spanish liederbooklet; Muriel Herbert’s Renouncement; and ‘Waldmädchen’ from Hugo Wolf’s Eichendorff-Lieder, 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.

Set in the magnificent Cistercian Monastery Schulpforte near Naumburg, Germany, Sounds like Christmas combines festive music with the spontaneity and freshness of jazz. This Christmas program is the musical encounter between soprano Angelika Kirchschlager and jazz trumpeter Tomasz Stańko. Interpreting popular and lesser-known Christmas songs, the soloists are accompanied by the outstanding Freiburg Baroque Orchestra and the Leipzig a cappella ensemble Amarcord, consisting of former members of St. Thomas Boys Choir. The artists' different backgrounds and stylistic preferences create a suspenseful, varied musical experience. The origins of the monastery date back to the Benedictine convent founded in Schmölln in 1127. Concert footage is juxtaposed with snowy mountain landscapes and cities decorated for Christmas.

Young Venezuelan conductor Glass Marcano is a rising star. Having played in various local youth and symphony orchestras as a violinist, her first experience conducting an ensemble followed in 2012. In September 2020, she won the Orchestra Prize at La Maestra Competition – the first orchestra direction contest for women – held in Paris. In this concert, recorded at Opéra de Tours in February 2021, Marcano leads the Orchestre Symphonique Région Centre-Val de Loire/Tours in performances of two Romantic masterpieces. The program opens with Ludwig van Beethoven’s Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 61, featuring Stéphanie-Marie Degand as the soloist. This piece is one of the most important works in its genre. The program concludes with Georges Bizet’s 1855 Symphony in C major, written when the composer was only 17 years old.

Franz Welser-Möst conducts The Cleveland Orchestra in this performance of Brahms' Symphony No. 1. Few symphonic works have taken longer to come into fruition than Brahms' first. The composer had basic ideas about this work as early as 1855 when he was just 22 years old. It saw numerous revisions before its completion, as Brahms was encouraged by his peers, most notably Clara Schumann and musicologist Philipp Spitta, to press forward despite the fear of living in Beethoven's shadow. Also included in this performance is the U.K. premiere of Jörg Widmann's Flûte en suite featuring soloist Joshua Smith. This performance was recorded as part of the 2014 BBC proms season at The Royal Albert Hall in London, U.K.

Soprano Lauren Margison (Canada, 1992) performs ‘Tu che di gel sei cinta’ from Giacomo Puccini’s opera Turandot; ‘Embroidery in childhood’ from Benjamin Britten’s opera Peter Grimes; and ‘Ah! Je ris’ from Charles Gounod’s opera Faust, during the first round of the Voice Edition of the Concours musical international de Montréal 2022 (CMIM). This performance was recorded at the Bourgie Hall of the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts.

The exceptional Russian pianists Nikolay Lugansky and Vadim Rudenko join forces in a performance of Maurice Ravel’s La Valse, in an arrangement for two pianos. This performance was recorded at the Tchaikovsky Concert Hall in Moscow, Russia, on November 25, 2021.

J. S. Bach’s six Brandenburg Concerto’s belong to his best-known works. The composer wrote these concertos between 1711 and 1720 and dedicated them in 1721 to Christian Ludwig, Margrave of Brandenburg. In celebration of the pieces’ 300th anniversary, Czech harpsichordist and conductor Václav Luks and the renowned Baroque ensemble Collegium 1704 recorded all six Brandenburg Concertos on historical instruments in 2021. The concertos are based on the Italian concerto grosso form, in which a group of solo instruments is set against a large ensemble. Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos feature remarkable combinations of solo instruments and virtuoso solos. This performance was recorded at the Hall of Mirrors in the Köthen Castle, Germany.

In this splendid concert, exceptional Russian pianists Nikolay Lugansky and Vadim Rudenko join forces in a program for two pianos comprising works of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Maurice Ravel, Anton Arensky, Sergei Rachmaninoff, and Nikolai Kapustin. Both pianists, laureates of the prestigious International Tchaikovsky Competition in 1994, have received international recognition. They perform regularly in a duo. On the program: Mozart’s Sonata for two pianos in D major, K. 448/375 A; Ravel’s La Valse (arr. for two pianos); Arensky’s Suite No. 1 for two pianos, Op. 15; and Rachmaninoff’s Suite No. 1 (Fantasy) for two pianos, Op. 5. As an encore, the duo performs ‘Romance’ from Rachmaninoff’s Suite No. 2 for two pianos, Op. 17, followed by ‘Overture’ from Nikolai Kapustin’s Sinfonietta, Op. 49. This performance was recorded at the Tchaikovsky Concert Hall in Moscow, Russia, on November 25, 2021.

From August 28 to September 6, 2015, the Early Music Festival Utrecht was all about 'England, my England'. In line with this theme, presenter Lex Bohlmeijer takes the viewer on an intriguing journey through the England of the Middle Ages, Renaissance and Baroque, and relates this to the city of Utrecht. In episode 2 of this two-part documentary, René de Kam (Heritage Municipality of Utrecht) delves deeper into the Anglican past of the city of Utrecht. The viewer is introduced to festival artists Benjamin Bagby, Skip Sempé, and The Newcastle Kingsmen, who dance their traditional folk "Rapper Sword Dance" during the festival's pub sessions.

Every year, the Europakonzert is hosted by the Berliner Philharmoniker in a notorious concert hall or on a special location. This years concert is performed at the magnificent Royal Albert Hall in London. The Dutch conductor Bernard Haitink closes with Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring which he wrote in 1913 for Sergei Diaghilev's Ballets Russes. The première caused a lot of sensation and near-riot in the audience because of the avant-garde nature, music and choreography of the piece. The Rite of Spring is now considered as one of the masterpieces of classical music history and has influenced many 20th-century music composers. The encore is Tchaikovsky's Flower Waltz from the Nutcracker.

The shy and elusive Grigroy Sokolov is one of the greatest pianists of our time. His performances leave critics and audiences alike speechless, like they don't quite believe what they have just experienced. In 2015, he played a beautiful recital with works by Johann Sebastian Bach, Ludwig van Beethoven, Franz Schubert, Frédéric Chopin, and Claude Debussy that took place at the Festival La Roque D'Anthéron in Aix-en-Provence. And just as he was wont to do, Sokolov delivered an unforgettable, magical musical moment. On the program: Bach – Partita for keyboard No. 1, BWV 825, Beethoven – Piano Sonata No. 7 in D major, Schubert – Sonata in a minor op. 143, Schubert – Six Moments Musicaux. The encores are Chopin – Mazurka in A minor, Chopin – Prelude No. 15 and Debussy – Prelude Canope.

Can we get into Beethoven’s creative mind, especially in the last phase of his life, when he was coping with severe hearing loss? Tom Beghin’s new recording of Beethoven’s Piano Sonatas Opus 109, 110, and 111 is an artistic exploration of how Beethoven’s musicking was shaped by the work environment he created with the help of colleagues and friends. Not only does pianist Tom Beghin perform Beethoven’s trilogy of pianistic masterpieces on a magnificent new replica of Beethoven’s Broadwood piano, he uses a reconstruction of the Gehörmaschine that was mounted on the composer’s piano so he could continue to create music as his hearing declined. ‘You do hear better when you bring your head under this machine, don’t you?’ André Stein asked Beethoven. Two centuries later, we too can bring our heads under the machine and wonder: Do we hear Beethoven differently? Beghin draws us inside the hearing machine, where we feel as well as hear the essence of Beethoven’s rambunctious and irresistibly poetic musical vibrations. Inside the Hearing Machine invites us into the multisensory playground of a deaf composer for whom the machine was more than a hearing aid and who interacted with his instrument through much more than sound.

In this compilation of enchanting choreographies by George Balanchine, the New York City Ballet pays tribute to the man who founded the dance company in 1948 together with Lincoln Kirstein. Featured are "Walpurgisnacht Ballet", choreographed for a 1975 production of Faust by the Théâtre National de l’Opéra, "Sonatine", which was presented as the opening ballet of the New York City Ballet Ravel Festival during the 1975 Spring Season, "La Valse", created by Balanchine in 1951 to compositions by Maurice Ravel, and "Symphony in C (Le Palais de Christal)" to the music of George Bizet's rediscovered piece. For the latter, Balanchine required only two weeks to choreograph it for the Paris Opera Ballet in 1947, where he was serving as a guest ballet master. This compilation, recorded 2016 marks the return of the New York City Ballet to the Théâtre du Châtelet, Paris, after eight years of absence.

Iván Fischer conducts the Budapest Festival Orchestra in a concert recorded at the Béla Bartók National Concert Hall in Budapest, Hungary in 2015. The concert opens with Sergei Prokofiev's Overture on Hebrew Themes, Op. 34. After this, Thomas Zehetmair stars as solo violinist in Prokofiev Violin Concerto No. 2, Op. 63. The second part of the concert is features music by Igor Stravinsky. On the program is music composed for the ballet 'Jeu de cartes' (1937) and the Firebird Suite, No. 2 (1919). 'Jeu de cartes' is one of Stravinsky's neo-classical works and consists of three parts ('deals'). The Firebird Suite, No. 2 is based on the music from the ballet of the same name, which was written for Sergei Diaghilev's Ballets Russes and premiered in Paris in 1910.

German conductor Christian Zacharias leads the Orchestre national de Lille in a concert program dedicated to Robert Schumann. The concert opens with the ‘Genoveva’ Overture, Op. 81. Although Schumann’s only opera Genoveva is not often performed, its overture established itself as an autonomous work in concert halls. After, the composer’s Violin Concerto in D minor, WoO 23, is performed, featuring Dutch violinist Isabelle van Keulen as the soloist. Written in 1853, it is Schumann’s only violin concerto. The concert ends with a performance of Schumann’s Symphony No. 1 in B-flat major, Op. 38, also known as the ‘Spring Symphony’. This optimistic work is written in 1841 and is the most performed of Schumann’s four symphonies. This concert was recorded at Auditorium du Nouveau Siècle in Lille, France, on June 16, 2017.

Watch the series ‘Discovering Masterpieces’, your audio-visual concert guide to the great masterpieces of classical music. The series brings you 20 half-hour documentaries on 20 classical masterpieces: acclaimed experts, famous soloists and outstanding conductors take you on a journey back to the time and place of composition. In today’s documentary, Bela Bartok’s ‘Concerto for Orchestra’ is discussed. This piece is one of the most frequently performed works of the twentieth century. Pierre Boulez explains how he interpreted this composition with the Berlin Philharmonic. He also describes its fascination against the backdrop of Bartok’s biography.

Europakonzert 2004 was held in Athens, Greece. This concert featured the Berliner Philharmoniker performing live at the ancient Herodes Atticus Theatre along with an interesting combination of conductor and soloist - Sir Simon Rattle wielding the baton as pianist Daniel Barenboim plays Johannes Brahms’ Piano Concerto No. 1. The Athens concert marked a double première: it was the first Europakonzert under the direction of the new chief conductor, as well as the first time Rattle and Barenboim appeared together. The Odeon of Herodes Atticus, an amphitheatre built in 161 AD in memory of Herodes Atticus’ wife, is situated on the slope of the Acropolis. With a seating capacity of at least 5,000 spectators, it was reputed to be the finest theatre in all of Greece.

Alexander Ullman (1991, United Kingdom) performs Die drei Zigeuner (S383), Die Zelle in Nonnenwerth (S382bis) and La lugubre gondola, (S134bis) during semi-final II (chamber music) of the 11th International Franz Liszt Piano Competition, held in TivoliVredenburg, Utrecht, in 2017. The competition actively presents, develops, and promotes piano talents from around the world. In doing so, it has become one of the prominent gateways to the international professional classical music scene for young musicians. The International Franz Liszt Piano Competition was founded in 1986 in the Netherlands and has since built a reputation as one of the world’s most prestigious piano competitions.

German conductor Christian Zacharias leads the Orchestre national de Lille in a performance of Robert Schumann’s Symphony No. 1 in B-flat major, Op. 38, also known as the ‘Spring Symphony’. This optimistic work is written in 1841 and is the most performed of Schumann’s four symphonies. This concert was recorded at Auditorium du Nouveau Siècle in Lille, France, on June 16, 2017.

French violinist Renaud Capuçon appears at the festival Les Coups de Cœur de Chantilly, presenting a chamber music program consisting of classical and 20th century repertoire. He performs with the soloists of the International Menuhin Music Academy led by French conductor Jean-Jacques Kantorow. First on the program is Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante in E-flat major, K. 364, in which Capuçon and violist Gérard Caussé appear as the soloists. Capuçon is then joined by pianist Iddo Bar-Shaï for a performance of Mozart’s Sonata for violin and piano in E minor, K. 304. The program closes with Dmitri Shostakovich’s Chamber Symphony in C minor, Op. 110a, which is a transcription of Shostakovich’s String Quartet No. 8 by Russian conductor Rudolf Barshai, the composer’s close friend. This performance was recorded at Château de Chantilly, on May 15, 2021.

Pianist Jakub Kuszlik (Poland, 1996) joins the CMIM ensemble, consisting of three principal strings players of the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, in a performance of the first movement, Sostenuto assai – Allegro ma non troppo, of Robert Schumann’s Piano Quartet in E-flat major, Op. 47. This performance took place during the chamber music round of the two-part semi-final of the Piano Edition of the Concours musical international de Montréal 2024 (CMIM). It was recorded at the Bourgie Hall of the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts.