Schedule

The opera ‘Mariken in the Garden of Earthly Delights,’ to music by Calliope Tsoupaki, is based on the miracle play 'Mariken van Nieumeghen' (c. 1515). Over five centuries, this old story hasn’t lost a bit of its power and is unquestionably part of the canon of Dutch culture. In this opera, we follow the curious but vulnerable Mariken on a journey through a dark world. She encounters intriguing characters, such as a witchlike aunt, a seductive devil, and an inquisitorial pope. The ASKO|Schönberg and the Tetraktys Ensemble are under the musical direction of Hernán Schvartzman. Main soloists are Hannah Hoekstra (Mariken), Harry van der Kamp (Uncle), Jill Feldman (Aunt), Julian Podger (Moenen), and Michael Chance (Pope). Staged by Serge van Veggel, and directed by Sonia Herman Dolz. Recorded at the Royal Theater in The Hague, in 2015.

This rendition of Mozart’s Mass in c minor, KV 427 by the Gächinger Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart and conductor Helmuth Rilling is recorded at the Knights Hall in Schloss Wolfegg. Soloists are Ibolya Verebics, Andrea Rost, Uwe Heilmann and Daniel Lichti. After Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart had married Constanze Weber on the 4th of August 1782, he promised to compose a mass in her honour. He intended for the mass to be performed during the newlyweds’ visit to Mozart’s father in Salzburg. In January 1783 Mozart wrote to his father that his Mass in C minor ‘Grosse Messe’ was halfway finished, but when he arrived in Salzburg in July of the same year the mass was still incomplete. He would never finish the mass.The parts of the mass that Mozart did manage to compose (the Kyrie and Gloria) had their opening on the 26th of October 1783 in Salzburg, with Constanze as solo soprano.

Every summer, the Greek island of Patmos hosts the Patmos Musical Festival, a unique musical event comprising both a Chamber and a Sacred Music Festival. This documentary captures the 2024 edition, featuring performances by distinguished soloists and ensembles from around the world. The lineup includes the festival’s artistic director and pianist Roberto Prosseda, Steven Isserlis, Irène Duval, Michael Guttman and the Brussels Chamber Orchestra, and Peter Phillips and The Tallis Scholars. In interviews, several artists share their experiences of this intimate festival and the unique atmosphere of the island. The documentary was produced by the Patmos Music Festival Association and directed by Alberto Girotto.

Jean Paul’s novel ‘Titan’, in which an artistically gifted young man, driven by his failure to find his way in society, eventually commits suicide in despair, inspired Gustav Mahler to compose his Symphony No. 1. The work did not come easily to Mahler: he composed it between 1887 and 1888 when he, in his twenties, was working as a conductor at the Oper Leipzig. The first version of the work was considered as a symphonic poem in two parts, as its titles told a specific musical story. This original version premiered in Budapest in 1898, but it did not go down well. Mahler decided to revise his work: he left out the expressionist titles and cut the second part (Blumine). This results in a wonderful symphony, full of musical references. The opening part quotes one of Mahler's earlier compositions (Ging heut' morgens übers Feld from Lieder eines Fahrenden Gesellen), the second movement is an Austrian ländler (a folk dance), and the third part refers to a very well-known melody: ‘Brother John'. All in all, this Symphony No. 1 marks an incredible achievement for a composer this young.

Soprano Sara Gouzy (France, 1991) and pianist Seri Dan (South Korea, 1992) perform ‘Chevaux de bois’ from Claude Debussy’s Ariettes oubliées, L. 63; Franz Schubert’s An den Mond, Op. 57, No. 3, D. 193; ‘Le collier’ from Olivier Messiaen’s Poèmes pour Mi; ‘Margaritki’ (Daisies) from Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Six Romances, Op. 38; ‘Quelle aventure!’, and ‘La reine de coeur’ from Francis Poulenc’s La courte paille; Bart Visman’s Vermeer’s Gold; and ‘Wie Lange schon war immer mein Verlangen’, and ‘Ich hab’ in Penna einen Liebsten wohnen’ from Hugo Wolf’s Italienisches Liederbuch, during the semi-finals of the International Vocal Competition 2021 – Lied Duo. This performance was recorded at Het Noordbrabants Museum in ’s-Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands.

With sublimely beautiful music that supports, intensifies, and enhances the drama every step of the way, the Piano Concerto No. 24, K 491 is solid drama from start to finish, with a minor harmonic structure reminiscent of Don Giovanni. In this performance, recorded at Schönbrunn palace in Vienna, Andre Previn is the soloist and conductor of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

Mikhail Pletnev leads the Russian National Orchestra (RNO) in a performance of Maurice Ravel's Piano Concerto No. 1 with Lucas Debargue as the soloist. The concert opens with a selection of music by Georges Bizet based on Alphonse Daudet's play 'L'Arlésienne'. The music is compiled by Mikhail Pletnev. The first movement of Ravel's Piano Concerto No. 1 contains five distinctive themes, of which three are reminiscent of jazz. Debargue's performance of Ravel's concerto is followed by Gabriel Fauré's Barcarolle No. 4. The performance was recorded at Tchaikovsky Concert Hall in Moscow as part of the Ninth RNO Grand Festival.

In 1722, when Johann Sebastian Bach lived in Köthen, Germany, he published a book of preludes and fugues in all 24 major and minor keys. This collection became known as The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book One, BWV 846–869. About two decades later, Bach compiled a second book in Leipzig, which became known as The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book Two, BWV 870-893. Bach intended these pieces for the clavier, which includes the harpsichord, clavichord, and organ. Despite this unclarity, these pieces are regarded as some of the most important works in the history of Western classical music. In this broadcast, Angela Hewitt plays Preludes and Fugues Nos. 13 to 24 (BWV 882-893) from Book Two of Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier, recorded at Wartburg in Eisenach, Germany, in 2010.

The film Jaroussky sings Bach & Telemann is a portrait of a very special vocalist, and of two exceptional composers. When Philippe Jaroussky - whose angelic voice seems almost timeless, not belonging to any one epoque or decade - sings works by Telemann and Bach, it becomes abundantly clear that the sheer emotional force and the purifying power of their music have not diminished over the centuries. The works performed in this film are Telemann's Jesus liegt in letzten Zügen and Sinfonia from Brockes-Passion; Der am Ölberg zagende Jesus, and Bach's Sinfonia from Ich hatte viel Bekümmernis and Ich habe genug.

This documentary by Christoph Keller follows various participants and teachers participating in the International Summer Piano Academy.

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 performs Faschingsschwank aus Wien, Op. 26 (Carnival Scenes from Vienna). Schumann composed most of the work during his stay in Vienna in 1839, where he wrote the first four movements, presenting pictures of lively carnival revelry. He completed the fifth, last movement on his return to Leipzig. This piano cycle is among the composer’s most popular. 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.

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.

After a successful inaugural recital in 2016, pianist Misha Fomin returns to the stage in the intimate hall of the Concertgebouw Amsterdam on November 11, 2017. Celebrated by the local and international press for his natural virtuosity, the rich texture of his play and his great musical intelligence, Fomin interprets Fantasia, op. 17 by Schumann, Piano Sonata No. 30, op. 109 of Beethoven, as well as works by Tchaikovsky, including the plays "May", "June" and "October" from the Seasons, op. 37b, and a Liszt transcription of the "Polonaise", taken from the opera Eugene Onegin.

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.