Great Conductors In Rehearsal
June 13 to 30
This June, Stingray Classica presents the captivating ‘In Rehearsal’ film series. This series offers unique insights into the rehearsal process of several leading conductors with their orchestras. It captures the conductors’ different styles and methods, the intensity of the preparations for a concert performance, and the pursuit of perfection. Starting on Friday, June 13 at 21:00, Finnish conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen rehearses Claude Debussy’s orchestral piece La Mer with the Los Angeles Philharmonic. One week later, on Friday, June 20 at 21:00, watch Latvian conductor Mariss Jansons in rehearsal with the Oslo Philharmonic, performing Béla Bartók's Suite from The Miraculous Mandarin. Lastly, on Friday, June 27, Indian conductor Zubin Mehta rehearses Richard Strauss’s tone poem Till Eulenspiegels lustige Streiche, Op. 28, with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra. These broadcasts are repeated on Monday, June 16, 23, and 30 at 21:00.
In Rehearsal: Esa-Pekka Salonen
June 13 and 16 | 21:00
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.
In Rehearsal: Mariss Jansons
June 20 and 23 | 21:00
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.
In Rehearsal: Zubin Mehta
June 27 and 30 | 21:00
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.
