00:00
Lehár - The Merry Widow
Paris, the city of love (and loose morals) is an excellent setting for an operetta, Franz Lehár must have thought when he was composing Die Lustige Witwe. Widow Hanna Glawari is perversely rich. The ambassador of the poverty-stricken Grand Duchy of Pontevedro wants to avoid that her money ends up in foreign hands, and means to find Hanna a suitable husband. He thinks that Count Danilo Danilovitsch, who had already had his eye on Hanna before her first marriage, fits his profile. Back in the day, the Count could not marry her, as she had nothing to her name. Now he is hesitant to proclaim his love to her, out of fear that she might think it is her 20 million he is after... Recorded in the Semperoper in Dresden in 2008, featuring Gunter Emmerlich, Bo Skovhus and Petra Maria Schnitzer.
02:25
A Tango Night - Live from Buenos Aires
2006 closed with a spectacular festival of Argentinean music broadcast live from Buenos Aires. At the height of the Argentinean summer, the Orquesta Filarmónica del Teatro Colon under Daniel Barenboim (conductor & soloist) join bandoneon virtuoso Leopoldo Federico and his Orquesta Tipica for an extraordinary New Year’s Eve show with popular tangos and Latin American orchestra classics. The old master of tango, José Carli, created enchanting new arrangements of works by Argentinean artists Astor Piazzolla, Carlos Gardel, Julio de Caro, Alberto Ginastera and Horacio Salgán. Performances by leading tango dancers Mora Godoy and Junior Cervilla from Buenos Aires add atmosphere and round off the night.
04:03
A Mozart Concert from Berlin
The Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach Chamber Orchestra delivers a program entirely devoted to Mozart at the Konzerthaus in Berlin under the direction of Hartmut Haenchen. In reduced form, the ensemble manages to bring to life the many characteristics of the music and the unique spirit of the famous composer, be it his gaiety of heart, his lyricism, his dramatic side or his polyphonic writing inspired. Criticism has always praised Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach's stylistic assurance, transparency of textures and technical precision. The extraordinary sensitivity and ease of Stefan Vladar make him an ideal partner for Haenchen and his orchestra. The evening's program includes Divertimento, K. 113; the Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 20, K. 466, and Symphony No. 41, K. 551.
05:16
Wagner - Ouverture from Der Fliegende Holländer
Europakonzert has been a tradition of the Berlin Philharmonic since 1991. Every year, the musicians commemorate the anniversary of the orchestra's founding (May 1st, 1882) and celebrate their heritage from the Old World. The Europakonzert of 1998 was held in a unique location: The Vasa museum in Stockholm which displays a 17th-century ship that capsized and sank during its maiden voyage in 1628. The ship measures 69 meters in length, 12 meters in width, and 1.210 tons in weight. It offers the perfect backdrop for the Berlin Philharmonic. Under the baton of Claudio Abbado, they perform melodies in tune with the maritime surroundings, such as the Overture to Richard Wagner’s The Flying Dutchman and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's symphonic fantasia The Tempest. The program also features Claude Debussy's Nocturnes. For the concert's main piece, discover a memorable and powerful impression of Giuseppe Verdi’s Quattro pezzi sacri. The orchestra is joined by the Swedish Radio Choir and the Eric Ericson Chamber Choir.
05:51
Liszt/Wagner - Isoldens Liebestod
Italian pianist Costantino Catena performs Franz Liszt’s transcription of ‘Isoldens Liebestod’ from Richard Wagner’s opera ‘Tristan und Isolde’. This performance was recorded at the Church of the Jesuit College in Trapani, Italy.
06:00
Sergiu Celibidache - The Triumphant Return
Maestro Sergiu Celibidache conducted the Berliner Philharmoniker from 1945 to 1954, and once in 1992. Wolfgang Becker's documentary The Triumphant Return documents Celibidache's long-awaited return to the Berlin Philharmonic after a 38-year-absence. Discover extensive footage from the rehearsals of Anton Bruckner's Symphony No. 7 (the only video recording in existence of Celibiadache), interviews with former orchestra members, and Celibidache's final concert with the Berliner Philharmoniker.
06:56
Works for cello and piano by Schumann, Chopin a.o.
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.
07:49
Gala from Berlin - 2012
On New Year’s Eve the Berliner Philharmoniker and Sir Simon Rattle invite us to join them together with Cecilia Bartoli, who graced their annual concert at the Philharmonie, Berlin with arias selected from her extraordinary repertoire. Also featured: exhilarating dances by Brahms and Dvořák that happily combine characteristics of their own idioms with Slavonic and Hungarian folk music. The program features following works: Rameau’s Dances Suite, Gavotte and Entr’acte from Les Boréades; Handel’s “Scherza in mar la navicella" from Lotario, “Ah che sol...M'adoro l'idol mio” from Teseo and “Lascia la spina” from Il Trionfo del Tempo e del Disinganno. This is followed by orchestral performances such as Dvořák’s Slavonic Dances Op. 46/1, No. 4, Op.72/4 and Op. 46/3, Suite No. 2 from Ravel’s Daphnis et Chloé and Brahms’ Hungarian Dance No. 1.
09:20
CMIM Piano 2024 – First Round: Adrian Herpe
Pianist Adrian Herpe (France/Ukraine, 2000) performs Novellette No. 8 in F-sharp minor from Robert Schumann’s Novelletten, Op. 21; Domenico Scarlatti’s Sonata in B minor, K. 27, and Sonata in E minor, K. 98; and Guido Agosti’s transcription of Igor Stravinksy’s The Firebird Suite (Danse infernale, Berceuse, and Finale), during the first round of the Piano Edition of the Concours musical international de Montréal 2024 (CMIM). This performance was recorded at the Bourgie Hall of the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts.
10:05
Bruckner - Symphony No. 7
Franz Welser-Möst conducts the Cleveland Orchestra in a performance of Bruckner's Symphony No. 7. The work occupies a singularly important place in the composer's output. It was with this piece that Bruckner finally achieved widespread recognition and it has remained one of his most popular works. The symphony adheres to the classical four-movement format. The heart of the work is a long and deeply felt Adagio, composed as a memorial to Wagner. The first movement begins with a soaring theme announced by cellos. The Scherzo relieves the somber atmosphere of the preceding Adagio and the Finale concludes the symphony on a note of unrestrained joy. Recorded in Severance Hall, Cleveland in 2008.
11:14
The 12 Cellists of the Berliner Philharmoniker
Since 1972 the 12 Cellists of the Berliner Philharmoniker have been a prominent institution in international musical life. Listeners around the world are invariably fascinated by the wide range of the unique and intoxicating timbres that these twelve cellos can produce, whether they are playing classical music, jazz, tango or avant-garde. Their mixture of seriousness and humour, of depth and lightness, appeals to audiences of all ages. Recorded in the Philharmonie Berlin on occasion of the 40th anniversary of the ensemble; soloists: Annette Dasch (soprano), Till Brönner (trumpet).
13:09
Summertime at the Domaine Forget
The documentary Summertime at the Domaine Forget introduces internationally renowned treasure: Domaine Forget festival in Saint-Irénée, Québec. Domaine Forget is one of Canada's leading music academies and hosts this annual festival to promote music and dance. Every summer, 500 music students from around the world gather for an intensive course program featuring: masterclasses, individual lessons, chamber music sessions, lectures, and special workshops.
13:24
Schumann - Faschingsschwank aus Wien, Op. 26
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.
13:47
Smetana – Vltava (The Moldau) from Má vlast
Canadian conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin leads the Berliner Philharmoniker in a wonderful performance of the symphonic poem Vltava (The Moldau) from Bedřich Smetana’s Má Vlast (My Country). This performance was part of the Waldbühne Concert 2016 in Berlin.
14:00
Homage to Yehudi Menuhin
On 22 April 2016, Yehudi Menuhin would have celebrated his 100th birthday. One of his most famous students - and one of his best friends - is violinist Daniel Hope. For him, Yehudi Menuhin was the reason he become a violinist. At first, his mother became the secretary of Menuhin when Daniel Hoe and his parents moved to London. Hope grew up in Menuhin's house and learned not only to love music, but also to make the violin a part of his life. Playing the violin every day is like walking every day, or drinking and eating. He played with Menuhin some of Bartok's Duos which was, according to Hope, an introduction to Bartok’s extraordinary music. A piece of Bartok had to be part of this program as well as Ravel's Kaddish, the encore Daniel Hope choose when Menuhin conducted his last concert in Düsseldorf. But this concert starts with Elgar's Violin Concerto. Hope plays with the Konzerthausorchester Berlin under the baton of Iván Fischer.
15:43
Brahms - Symphony No. 2, Op. 73
The Berliner Philharmoniker, Daniel Barenboim and Claudio Abbado star at the Europakonzert 1994 in Meiningen, Germany, performing Ludwig van Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 5 and Johannes Brahms’ Symphony No. 2. Popularly known as the Emperor Concerto and composed in Vienna between 1809 and 1811, Piano Concerto No. 5 is Beethoven’s last completed piano concerto and often performed by star pianists such as Daniel Barenboim. A few decades later in 1877, Brahms completed his Second Symphony, which is often compared to Beethoven’s Sixth Symphony given its cheerful and pastoral character.
16:26
La Belle
'La Belle' (The Sleeping Beauty) is a three-act ballet by award-winning French choreographer Jean-Christophe Maillot. In 1993, Maillot became artistic director of the Ballets de Monte-Carlo, creating over 30 ballets for the company, including 'Romeo and Juliet' (1996), 'Scheherazade' (2009), and 'Opus 50' (2011). Based on Charles Perrault’s famous fairy tale, Maillot staged this unconventional and unique version of 'La Belle', which explores the darker side of Perrault’s story. The incredible choreography is set to the score of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, performed by the Monte-Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Nicolas Brochot. Besides the performers of the Ballets de Monte-Carlo, the production features star dancers of the Bolshoi Ballet: Semyon Chudin (Prince) and Olga Smirnova (La Belle). This performance was recorded at the Salle des Princes of the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco, in December 2016.
