00:00
Beethoven - Violin Concerto, Op. 61
Les Dissonances is a collective of artists founded by violinist David Grimal in 2004. The conductorless ensemble consists of musicians from the most prestigious European orchestras, international soloists, and young talents. In this performance, Les Dissonances play Ludwig van Beethoven’s Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 61. Leading violinist Grimal is the soloist. Beethoven’s Violin Concerto was composed in 1806 and is the composer’s only work in this genre. Its premiere was not very successful, and the work saw few performances in the decades that followed. However, a remarkable performance by 12-year old violinist Joseph Joachim in 1844 gave the Violin Concerto a new lease of life. Ever since, it is one of the most performed works in the genre. As an encore, Grimal performs the Allegro from J. S. Bach’s Violin Sonata No. 2 in A minor, BWV 1003. This performance was recorded at Philharmonie de Paris, France, in 2015.
00:52
Mozart - Mass in c minor, K. 427
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.
01:54
In Rehearsal: Esa-Pekka Salonen
The Finnish composer and conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen (1958) was Music Director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic from 1992 until 2009. Under his dynamic leadership, it was recognized as one of the world's most outstanding orchestras. The exciting musical partnership Salonen established with his musicians was widely acclaimed in the international press. The conductor's lucidity, efficiency, and lack of pretension, promoted a relaxed collaboration between himself and the orchestra, which is particularly evident in the rehearsal process. This ‘In Rehearsal’ episode features Salonen rehearsing Claude Debussy's Impressionistic orchestral piece La Mer with the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion of the Music Center of Los Angeles County. It gives a fascinating insight into Salonen’s rapport with his musicians and also into Debussy’s masterpiece.
02:49
Verdi - La traviata
This production of Giuseppe Verdi's popular opera La Traviata was performed outdoors at the St. Margarethen Festival in 2008 by the Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra under the direction of Ernst Märzendorfer. Soloists Kristiane Kaiser, Magdalena Anna Hofmann, and Stefanie Kopinits perform in a striking physical setting against the backdrop of the Austrian mountains. Several men are courting the rich courtesan Violetta, but when she meets Alfredo, she chooses to live a new life with him. She then moves from Paris to the French countryside, but unfortunately is haunted by her past: Alfredo's father does not approve of his past and convinces her to abandon his son. Alfredo is ignorant of his father's torment and, thinking that Violetta has used him, he becomes furious. In the end, he understands that Violetta has abandoned him to be free, but it is too late. Reaching an incurable illness, Violetta dies in his arms.
05:02
PIAM - Semi-final II: Mozart and Bartók
Acclaimed classical music talent scout Antonio Mormone (1930-2017) lives on as the name-giver of the Premio Internazionale Antonio Mormone (PIAM), awarded to the winner of the Italian music competition of the same name. The first edition of this competition, which was held in various venues in Milan from 2019 to 2021, was dedicated to the piano. As part of this competition, Ying Li (China, 1997) performs Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Sonata No. 13 in B-flat major, K. 333, and Béla Bartók’s Sonata, BB 88, Sz.80. This performance was recorded at Nuovo Teatro Ariberto in Milan, in June 2021.