Schedule

Mahler's Third Symphony, composed between 1895 and 1896, is an expansive, programmatic work that explores themes of nature, humanity, and spiritual ascent. It features a massive orchestra, a female choir, a children's choir, and a mezzo-soprano soloist, creating a vast soundscape depicting everything from nature's beauty to deeper philosophical questions about existence. The symphony is structured in six movements, moving from the "awakening of nature" to a spiritual conclusion, inspired by Nietzsche and folk poetry.

Iván Fischer leads his Budapest Festival Orchestra in an exciting concert program consisting of works by J. S. Bach, Béla Bartók, and Johannes Brahms. The program opens with Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 in G major, BWV 1048. This is followed by one of Bartók’s best-known pieces: Music for strings, percussion and celesta. Remarkable is the work’s instrumentation: Bartók divided the strings into two groups that are placed on opposite sides of the stage, to create antiphonal effects. The program ends with Brahms’s Symphony No. 3 in F major, Op. 90. This performance was recorded at the Béla Bartók National Concert Hall in Budapest, Hungary, on December 4, 2017.

On December 24, 2011, one of the world’s most renowned classical orchestras, the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, celebrated the 75th anniversary of its founding. The film portrays the orchestra and its eventful history against the backdrop of Israel and the holocaust. Interwoven with individual biographies and archival footage, the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra’s 75 years of history are brought back to life in concerts featuring Arturo Toscanini, Arthur Rubinstein, Leonard Bernstein, Isaac Stern, Zubin Mehta, Daniel Barenboim and Itzhak Perlman. We also get the opportunity to watch the Israel Philharmonic in rehearsals, concerts and on tour

Claudio Abbado was one of the world's finest and most-respected conductors. He held the post of musical director with La Scala in Milan from 1968 to 1986, with the Vienna Opera from 1986 to 1991, and the Berlin Philharmonic from 1989 to 2002. He was strong advocate of the development of young musical talent, and was instrumental in the foundation of the Chamber Orchestra of Europe, the European Union Youth Orchestra, and the Gustav Mahler Youth Orchestra. He also founded the new Lucerne Festival Orchestra. Filmmaker Paul Smaczny has followed his career over the years, regularly filming and interviewing him. In this profile, Abbado talks about his life and work, his conception of music, and his favourite compositions. Discover never-before-seen interviews combined with images of the conductor during rehearsals and concerts, interviews with friends and colleagues, and archival material. The result: a complete portrait under a new and unexpected light.

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.

Italian cellist Silvia Chiesa and Italian pianist Maurizio Baglini perform a wonderful recital of works by Ferruccio Busoni, Franz Liszt, Frédéric Chopin, and Sergei Rachmaninoff. On the program are Busoni’s Kultaselle – 10 variations on a Finnish folksong; Liszt’s Two Elegies for cello and piano; Chopin’s Introduction and Polonaise brillante in C major, Op. 3; and Rachmaninoff’s Sonata in G minor for cello and piano, Op. 19. As an encore, the duo plays Leonard Bernstein’s iconic composition ‘Tonight’ from the musical West Side Story. This performance was recorded at Sala Verdi of the Conservatorio Giuseppe Verdi in Milan, Italy, on November 4, 2024.

From the Rammenau Castle, the Gewandhaus-Quartett performs String Quartet No. 14 in G major, K. 387 by Mozart. Composed in Vienna in 1782, this play dubbed Spring is the first of the Haydn Quartets, a suite of six string quartets composed by Mozart during his early years in Vienna in honor of Joseph Haydn, considered by many as the father of string quartets. Founded in 1808, the Gewandhaus-Quartett is the oldest quartet in the world, continuously performing for more than 200 years. It is currently composed of Frank Michael Erben (first violin), Conrad Suske (second violin), Volker Metz (viola), Jürnjakob Timm (cello), and Steffen Adelmann (double bass).

The Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra, also known simply as Tafelmusik, is a Toronto-based Canadian baroque orchestra, specialised in early music. The ensemble is directed by violinist Jeanne Lamon. In ‘The Galileo Project: Music of the Spheres’ they perform music by Monteverdi, Vivaldi, Bach and Handel to a backdrop of high-definition images from the Hubble telescope, NASA and Canadian astronomers. Explore the fusion of arts, science and culture in the 17th and 18th centuries in this imaginative concert commemorating Galileo’s first public demonstration of the telescope. Actor Shaun Smyth narrates a compelling script while the musicians weave in and around a magical stage set by Marshal Pynkoski. Created and scripted by Alison Mackay.

Baritone Matthias Goerne teams up with violinist Vilde Frang, cellist Nicolas Altstaedt, flutist Stathis Karapanos, and harpsichordist Michaela Hasselt in this program dedicated to the music of J. S. Bach. They perform baritone arias from Bach’s most beautiful cantatas, as well as solo pieces and duets. On the program are Sonata No. 3 in C major for violin solo, BWV 1005; arias ‘Hier, in meines Vaters Stätte’, BWV 32 and ‘Die Welt mit allen Königreichen’, BWV 59; Suite No. 5 in C minor for cello solo, BWV 1011; ‘Wenn Trost und Hülf ermangeln muß’, BWV 117; ‘Ja, ja, ich halte Jesum fest’, BWV 157; Invention No. 7 in E minor, BWV 778; Invention in A major, BWV 783; and ‘Welt ade, ich bin dein müde’, BWV 158. This performance was recorded at St. Mary’s Church in Wittenberg, Germany.

The Zurich Opera House is one of the most renowned in Europe. Fifteen premieres are staged here every year - a significant achievement, when one considers just how much work goes into each individual production. In this exciting documentary, we go behind-the-scenes at the Zurich Opera House and follow the intensive progress of the new production of Gioachino Rossini's Il Barbiere di Siviglia with Vesselina Kasarova in the role of Rosina. The film also shows preparations for other productions, such as a workshop for Richard Wagner's Siegfried directed by Robert Wilson, and a rehearsal for Igor Stravinsky's Le Sacre du Printemps with choreography by Heinz Spoerli. This film opens the curtain to understanding an opera house’s many exciting facets.

Russian pianist Nikolay Lugansky has received world-wide praise for his interpretations of the music of Sergei Rachmaninoff. In this wonderful recital, the great pianist presents works by the Russian Romantic composer as well as Ludwig van Beethoven and Alexander Glazunov. Lugansky opens his concert with Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 14 in C-sharp minor, Op. 27 No. 2, ‘Moonlight’, followed by Alexander Glazunov’s Piano Sonata No. 2 in E minor, Op. 75. Then Lugansky performs a selection of works by Rachmaninoff: Rachmaninoff’s piano transcription of J. S. Bach’s Partita No. 3 in E major; a selection of Études-Tableaux (Nos. 1, 2, 4, and 8, Op, 33, and Nos. 5 and 6, Op. 39); Lilac (Op. 21, No. 5); Prelude in C minor, Op. 23 No. 7; and Rachmaninoff’s transcription of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Lullaby (Op. 16 No. 1). This performance was recorded at the Tchaikovsky Concert Hall in Moscow, Russia, on June 4, 2021.

The Messiah (HWV 56) by Georg Frederich Handel, also known as “A New Sacred Oratorio”, tells the life and suffering of Christ: a story of passion, fire, and sacrifice. This is one of Handel's best-known works, which took only three weeks to compose this oratorio and its famous "Hallelujah". The work has immense popularity since its premiere in Dublin in 1742, and is often presented at Easter. This performance of the Dutch ensemble Ribattuta Musica under the direction of conductor Dick Duijst was filmed in the grand church of the city of Ermelo, the Netherlands, in 2016. The soloists are Elvire Beekhuizen (soprano), Rosina Fabius (viola), Oscar Verhaar (counter-tenor) Satriya Krisna (tenor), and Hans Voschezang (bass). Ribattuta Musica is a professional ensemble that delivers authentic performances based on current musical practices at the time of the composers.

Italian cellist Silvia Chiesa and Italian pianist Maurizio Baglini perform a wonderful recital as part of the 2023 edition of the Amiata Piano Festival. On the program are Claude Debussy’s Cello Sonata, L. 135; Allegro moderato from Camille Saint-Saëns’s Cello Sonata No. 1 in C minor, Op. 32; Allegro ma non troppo from Johannes Brahms’s Cello Sonata No. 1 in E minor, Op. 38; Allegro scherzando from Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Cello Sonata in G minor, Op. 19; Alla Romanza – Largo doloroso from Francesco Cilea’s Cello Sonata in D major, Op. 38; Scherzo – Allegro molto from Ludwig van Beethoven’s Cello Sonata No. 3 in A major, Op. 69; Vive Henri IV (No. 2) and Charmante Gabrielle (No. 3) from Azio Corghi’s Après cinq chansons d’élite; and George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue (transcription for cello and piano by Thierry Huillet). This performance was recorded at the Forum Fondazione Bertarelli in Poggi del Sasso, Italy, on July 29, 2023.

Latvian maestro Mariss Jansons (1943-2019) was one of the world’s leading conductors. He served as Music Director of the Oslo Philharmonic from 1979 to 2000, during which time he transformed the orchestra into a front-rank ensemble. Under his leadership, the orchestra toured extensively and became a favorite at major festivals worldwide. The Oslo Philharmonic was celebrated for its fresh, open sound and for Jansons’s passionate interpretations of works by Dmitri Shostakovich, Richard Strauss, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, and Béla Bartók. In this episode of ‘In Rehearsal,’ Jansons guides the orchestra through the powerful Suite from Bartók’s pantomime ballet The Miraculous Mandarin, culminating in a performance at the Oslo Concert Hall.

Richard Danielpour (*1956) is one of the most beloved American composers of his generation due to his frequent referencing of and connection with the past, being inspired by American icons such as Aaron Copland, Samuel Barber and Leonard Bernstein. His lush musical language is often infused with swingy jazz rhythms just as is the music of Copland and Bernstein. Thus, he conveys an intense musical experience to the listener with his intuitive musical style, his exquisite melodic lines and accessible harmonic language. All this makes him to be a hugely popular composer with American orchestras. The initial idea for the composition of a song cycle “Elegies” came from the American mezzo soprano Frederica von Stade who was born in 1945, the same year in which her father was killed when the Jeep he was driving drove over a land mine. Charles von Stade is buried at the American cemetery in Margraten (South Netherlands). His daughter could thus only create a picture of him for herself via family stories and through his letters. These letters form the basis of the text of the songs, where father and daughter “meet” and communicate for the first time. The first movement Vigil, depicts the arrival of the daughter who hopes for a spiritual connection with her father. The second movement describes the intense sorrow of her father at the horrors of war and is as if his daughter is calling on him to return to her. In the third movement we hear the father give his unborn daughter his blessing, “Little soul, to where would you go from the darkness of the womb?” Movement four is the preparation for the reunion of the souls of father and daughter which takes place in movement five, Paradise. Here the daughter welcomes her father’s spiritual rest and sings, “Peace, the air which I breathe”. The philharmonie zuidnederland is conducted by Harmut Haenchen. The German born conductor who naturalized to become Dutch and was chief conductor of the Dutch Opera Amsterdam, the Dutch Philharmonic Orchestra and the Dutch Chamber Orchestra from 1986 to 1996. He was knighted for his services to Dutch music. Harmut Haenchen is a regular guest conductor with the philharmonie zuidnederland. Conductor: Hartmut Haenchen Orchestra: philharmonie zuidnederland Soloists: Marina Prudenskaya (mezzo-soprano), Thomas Oliemans (baritone)

Iván Fischer leads his Budapest Festival Orchestra (BFO) in a concert program dedicated to the music of Ludwig van Beethoven. The program opens with the composer’s Symphony No. 1 in C major, Op. 21. Afterward, Fischer conducts Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4 in G major, Op. 58, in which Richard Goode features as the soloist. The acclaimed American pianist (1943) is known for his interpretations of the Beethoven repertoire. Goode recorded all five Beethoven piano concertos with the BFO and Fischer, earning him exceptional critical acclaim and a Grammy Award nomination. As an encore, Goode performs the Sarabande from J. S. Bach’s Partita in B-flat major, BWV 825. The program closes with Beethoven’s famous Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67. This performance was recorded at the Béla Bartók National Concert Hall in Budapest, Hungary, on January 29, 2017.

For the 2016 edition of the Waldbühne, the Georgian violinist Lisa Batiashvili and the Québécois conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin join the Berliner Philharmoniker for a beautiful concert. They present an all Czech program! We always think of Germany, Austria, and Italy when we name great classical composers, but the Czech Republic also delivered some master composers such as Antonin Dvorák, Bedrich Smetana, Leos Janacek, and Bohuslav Martinu. This concert starts with Smetana’s famous Vltava from Má Vlast. Lisa Batiashvili plays Dvorák’s Violin Concerto in A minor, and the concerts centerpiece is Dvorák’s Symphony No. 6.