Schedule

Cristian Sandrin (Romania, 1993) performs J.S. Bach’s Goldberg Variations, BWV 988, during the semi-finals of the 2021 Piano Edition of the Concours musical international de Montréal (CMIM). This performance was recorded at the Burgess Recital Hall of the Royal Academy of Music in London, United Kingdom.

Indian conductor Zubin Mehta (1936) became Music Director of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra (IPO) in 1977 and was appointed Music Director for Life in 1981. On July 18, 1996, Mehta led the IPO in its first-ever performance of Richard Strauss’s tone poem Till Eulenspiegels lustige Streiche, Op. 28. Renowned as one of the world’s foremost interpreters of the great symphonic repertoire—especially the Romantic works of Anton Bruckner, Gustav Mahler, and Richard Strauss—Mehta had conducted this popular masterpiece many times before. However, this was the first occasion he rehearsed it from the very beginning with the orchestra. This episode of ‘In Rehearsal’ offers an intimate look at the dialogue between Mehta and the musicians as they explore Strauss’s tone poem together.

Renowned French string quartet Quatuor Ébène marked the 250th birth anniversary of Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) with a remarkable project: recording all of the great composer’s sixteen string quartets. For five years, violinists Pierre Colombet and Gabriel Le Magadure, violist Marie Chilemme, and cellist Raphaël Merlin immersed themselves in Beethoven’s 650 pages of sheet music. Their efforts culminated in the performance of the composer’s complete repertoire for string quartet, which covers three decades of Beethoven's musical creativity, during six impressive concerts at Philharmonie de Paris in the autumn of 2020. Quatuor Ébène explored every facet of Beethoven's string quartet repertoire: from the youthful Opus 18 string quartets to the Razumovsky, Harp, and Serioso quartets (Opus 59, 74, and 95) from his middle period, and finally, the depth of his late quartets (Opus 127 to 135). This program features Quatuor Ébène performing Beethoven’s String Quartet No. 5 in A major, Op. 18, No. 5; String Quartet No. 4 in C minor, Op. 18, No. 4; and String Quartet No. 12 in E-flat major, Op. 127. This concert was recorded at Philharmonie de Paris on December 17, 2020.

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, Ludwig van Beethoven’s ‘Symphony No. 5’ is discussed. The piece has the character of an appeal from the very start, when the four-note “fate” motif casts a spell on listeners. The German musicologist Armin Koch analyses the work, while the German Beethoven expert Wulf Konold illustrates the ingenious variations of the “fate” motif on piano, and also explains other features of this magnificent work.

Roberto Prosseda (1975) performs Mozart's Piano Sonata No. 5 (KV. 283) and four Impromptus Op. 90 by Franz Schubert. The performance ends with Chopin's technically demanding Ballade No. 4, Op. 52. Prosseda is particularly noted for his performances of newly discovered works by Mendelssohn and has recorded a nine-CD series for Decca of the piano works of Mendelssohn. Since 2012, Prosseda also gives lecture-concerts with the robot pianist TeoTronico, as educational or family concerts, to demonstrate differences between a literal production of music and human interpretation.

Soprano Sarah Dufresne (Canada, 1994) performs ‘Ach, ich fühl’s’ from Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s opera Die Zauberflöte; ‘Caro nome’ from Giuseppe Verdi’s opera Rigoletto; and ‘Ah! Je veux vivre’ from Charles Gounod’s opera Roméo et Juliette, during the final round of the Aria division of the Concours musical international de Montréal 2022 (CMIM). She is accompanied by the Montreal Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Jacques Lacombe. This performance was recorded at Montreal Symphony House.

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, trumpetist Sergei Nakariakov and pianist Maria Meerovitch perform Lensky’s aria from Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s opera Eugene Onegin.

Before Porpora, Scarlatti and Pergolesi ruled the Neapolitan music scene there was Gaetano Greco, one of the finest music teachers and composers of his day. Andrea Buccarella, a young harpsichordist from Rome (also performing in the Festival with his Abchordis Ensemble), pairs Greco’s most beautiful toccatas and famous Ballo di Mantua with works by his pupil Durante, who with his ‘quattro stagioni’ explores every nook and cranny of the keyboard.

Violinist Kristof Barati and Pianist Lucas Debargue pair for the first time in a duo concert at the 25th anniversary edition of the Swiss Verbier Festival in 2018. Although this was their inaugural collaboration, the two young artists found a perfect understanding around this romantic programme. The two featured works were written very few years apart from one another (Brahms’ first sonata for violin and piano in 1879 and Franck’s sonata in A in 1886). The Brahms sonata was recorded by Kristof Barati a few years ago, while Franck’s is known to be a favourite of Lucas Debargue. The virtuoso piano part suits his gigantic hands and the fantasy of the third movement his love for improvisation. The cyclic form and the many echoes between the piano and violin parts unite the two artists, like accomplices in possession of the best assets to bring in all the emotion these romantic works have to offer. The listener is suddenly in a position to re-discover the scores and cannot but join the admiration marks that escape from the audience in between the movements. A very moving performance which deserves its benchmark status.

"It would be hard to find anything greater, more significant or more moving anywhere in musical life today: total harmony of mind and heart, poetry and outcry, fear and consolation, knowing and feeling," declared the Berne paper Der Bund after this stunning performance of Mahler's Resurrection Symphony in August 2003 by the newly founded Lucerne Festival Orchestra. Claudio Abbado had formed this ensemble from famous instrumentalists, celebrated chamber-musicians and experienced soloists from the world's best orchestras, and the event was sold out months in advance. In this performance, the magnificent soloists Eteri Gvazava (soprano) and Anna Larsson (mezzo-soprano) are accompanied by Orfeón Donostiarra choir.

In this performance from the 25th anniversary edition of the Verbier Festival, Seong-Jin Cho pays tribute to Debussy on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the French composer’s death. Cho’s refined palette of color and superb technical mastery is perfectly suited for revealing the subtle harmonic invention of Images. Schumann’s Fantasiestücke, Op.12 are rarely featured in concert programs. This half-hour long cycle is a challenge for the performer who has to demonstrate an extreme versatility of moods ranging from the dark “Des Abends”, the angst-filled “In der Nacht” to the virtuous “Traumeswirren”. With Chopin’s Op.58, Cho shows his ability in the grand sonata form and his affinity for the composer that earned him the distinction by winning the First Prize of the 2015 Chopin competition. Recorded at the 2018 edition of the Verbier Festival in Switzerland.

Johann Sebastian Bach probably wrote this set of six Sonatas for Violin and Harpsichord during his time as chapel master in Köthen. Presumably, he wrote these sonatas for Prince Leopold and later adapted them for further use in Leipzig. Maybe this is why these pieces are well playable for amateurs, while every sonata still has the finesse that can offer a challenge to professional musicians. The different pieces are meant to be a set, just like the Brandenburg concertos.

The Europakonzert has been a tradition of the Berlin Philharmonic since 1991. The musicians commemorate the anniversary of the orchestra's founding on May 1, 1882 by playing in different European cities every year. This concert was recorded at St. Mary's Church in Kraków, Poland, where Bernard Haitink wielded the baton over the Berlin Philharmonic along with soloist Christine Schäfer (soprano) The performance features Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Exsultate, jubilate, K. 165.

Conductor Lorenzo Passerini leads the Orchestra Antonio Vivaldi in a performance of ‘Katharsis’ for cello and orchestra (2013) by contemporary Italian composer and cellist Umberto Pedraglio (*1978). The composer is the featured cellist here. Pedraglio has appeared as a soloist with various Italian orchestras, performing throughout Europe. His works have been performed by renowned artists, various instrumental ensembles and orchestras. Pedraglio’s experimental compositions are characterized by great thematic wealth, timbral exploration, and rhythmic expressivity. This performance was recorded at Teatro Sociale di Como, Italy.

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, Su Yeon Kim (South Korea, 1994) performs various works by Frédéric Chopin: Nocturne in C minor, Op. 48, No. 1; Mazurka, Op. 2, No. 2 and 4; Scherzo No. 3 in C-sharp minor, Op. 39; and Waltz in A-flat major, Op. 34 No. 1. The recital comes to a close with Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Gigue in G major, KV 574. This performance was recorded at Teatro EDI Barrio’s in Milan, in January 2020.

This dance concert - performed in the languages of both music and movement - features, in addition to works by Liszt, some of the finest pieces of Hungary's national romanticism that served to inspire them, antecedents of sacred music reaching as far back as the Gregorian period and compositions by contemporaries who influenced Liszt: Paganini and Chopin. Liszt Mosaics is founded on three thematic pillars. Although all three directly evoke Liszt - with emblematic aspects of his life's work: Liszt the Hungarian, Liszt the priest and Liszt the virtuoso - they speak at least as much to us as people of the 21st century. The Hungarian State Folk Ensemble was established in 1951 and has traveled to over 40 countries, playing authentic folk music and folk dances.

This concert may be called a meeting of musical giants: Manfred Honeck conducts the Berlin Philharmonic while cellist Yo-Yo Ma features as soloist. Success guaranteed when these artists take the stage at the 2016 Easter Concert from the Festspielhaus in Baden-Baden! Honeck, musical director of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, made his successful debut with the Berlin Philharmonic in 2013. Yo-Yo Ma has played regularly with the orchestra since 1978. The concert opens with Brahms' Tragic Overture, Op. 81, followed by Schumann's Concerto for Cello, Op. 129. The orchestra concludes with a performance of Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 6 “Pathétique.” While Schumann’s Cello Concerto was never played during his lifetime, Tchaikovsky died just nine days after the premiere of his Symphony No. 6.

Azerbaijan-born artist Seljan Nasibli moved to England at an early age, where she was encouraged to take up music. Although Nasibli chose to sing jazz, her Oxford teachers heard an operatic tendency in her voice and advised to train classically. Nasibli completed her studies at The Royal College of Music, where she graduated with a master's degree in Vocal Performance. In this episode of Stingray Originals, Nasibli performs three of Giacomo Puccini's most beautiful arias: 'Signore, ascolta!' and 'Tu, che di gel sei cinta' from the opera Turandot, and 'Quando m'en vo' (Musetta's Waltz) from the opera La bohème.

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.