00:00
Meyerbeer - Les Huguenots
The dramatic events surrounding the St. Bartholomew's Day massacre, in which approximately 3000 Protestants were murdered by Catholics, forms the setting for this historical ‘grand opera’ by Giacomo Meyerbeer. Protestant Raoul is in love with Catholic Valentine: an impossible love. Religion is not the only matter that keeps the two lovers apart, as Valentine has been promised to the Catholic Comte de Nevers, his enemy... This work enjoyed an incredible popularity after it premiered, but suffered oblivion shortly after. This production of the Deutsche Oper Berlin (1991) marks a triumphant comeback for this timeless work, presented in a contemporary setting. Soloists: Angela Denning (Margarethe von Valois), Lucy Peacock (Valentine), Richard Leech (Raoul von Nangis), Hartmut Welker (Graf von Saint-Bris), Camille Capasso (Urban), Martin Blasius (Marcel). Conductor: Stefan Soltesz. Directed by John Dew.
02:40
Festive Mozart Concert from Salzburg
This performance was recorded during Mozart Week on January 27, 2006 in Salzburg, Austria, at the Großes Festspielhaus (Large Festival House) in celebration of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's 250th birthday. Under conductor Riccardo Muti, it features Thomas Hampson (baritone), Mitsuko Uchida (piano), Gidon Kremer (violin), Yuri Bashmet (viola), Wiener Singverein, and Wiener Philharmoniker. Pieces include Piano Concerto No. 25 in C major, Sinfonia concertante in E-flat major, K. 364, arias and scenes from Così fan tutte, Le nozze di Figaro, The Magic Flute and Symphony No. 35 in D major, K. 385 ("Haffner").
04:30
Discovering Masterpieces – Mendelssohn
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, Felix Mendelssohn’s ‘Violin Concerto’ is discussed. Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy (1809-1847) was the Gewandhaus Orchestra Leipzig’s first conductor. Violinist Frank Michael Erben and musicologist Armin Koch reveal how the composer created a musically rich and virtuoso piece that remains a popular favourite with audiences until today.
04:56
Mussorgsky/Ravel - Pictures at an Exhibition
American conductor Leonard Slatkin leads the Orchestre National de Lyon in a concert recorded at the Auditorium de Lyon in 2014. The concert opens with William Bolcom´s Circus Ouverture, which was specially composed for Slatkin's 70th birthday. The concert continues with a performance of Beethoven's Triple Concerto in C, Op. 56 performed by three female soloists: Olga Kern (piano), Baibe Skride (violin) and Sol Gabetta (cello). The work is the only concerto which Beethoven ever completed for more than one solo instrument. The concert closes with Ravel's beloved orchestration of Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition.
05:32
IVC 2019 - Final: Schubert, Schumann et al.
Soprano Harriet Burns (United Kingdom, 1989) and pianist Ian Tindale (United Kingdom, 1990) perform Franz Schubert’s Verklärung, D. 59; Clara Schumann’s Er ist gekommen in Sturm und Regen, Op. 12, No. 2; ‘L’heure exquise’ from Reynaldo Hahn’s Chansons grises, and ‘Le printemps’ from Hahn’s Douze rondels; ‘Herzeleid’ from Robert Schumann’s Sechs Gesänge, Op. 107; ‘Le corbeau et le renard’ from André Caplet’s Trois fables; Alphons Diepenbrock’s Die Liebende schreibt, RC 20; ‘Seranilla de la zarzuela’ from Judith Weir’s A Spanish liederbooklet; Muriel Herbert’s Renouncement; and ‘Waldmädchen’ from Hugo Wolf’s Eichendorff-Lieder, during the final round of the International Vocal Competition 2019 – Lied Duo. This performance was recorded at Theater aan de Parade in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands.
06:00
De Falla - El sombrero de tres picos
Spanish conductor Garcia Navarro leads the Radio Sinfonieorchester Stuttgart in a performance of Manuel de Falla’s El sombrero de tres picos (‘The three-cornered hat’). Originally a ballet score, De Falla composed the piece in 1916 and 1917. The ballet was commissioned by Russian impresario Sergei Diaghilev for his Ballets Russes, and saw its premiere at the London Alhambra Theatre in 1919. As De Falla was interested in traditional Spanish folk music, he included elements of this music in his score. The mezzo-soprano’s parts are examples of cante jondo, a vocal style in flamenco. In this performance, recorded in 1988, mezzo-soprano Paloma Pérez Iñigo handles those vocal parts with conviction.
06:47
Rachmaninoff - Piano Concerto No. 4, Op. 40
Fabio Luisi conducts the Danish National Symphony Orchestra in this powerful performance taken from the 150th Anniversary celebrations of Denmark’s national composer, Carl Nielsen. Alongside Nielsen’s inscrutably ironic Symphony No. 6, this performance features world-renowned French pianist Lise de la Salle as soloist in Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No. 4. This lesser-known concerto saw three separate iterations throughout the composer’s life and is characterized by bold chromaticism and a distinctly Jazz-like quality. Luisi and de la Salle have prior experience with this piece, having previously performed and recorded it together. This performance was recorded at the DR Koncerthuset in Copenhagen, Denmark, in 2017.
07:15
Jaroussky sings Bach & Telemann
The film Jaroussky sings Bach & Telemann is a portrait of a very special vocalist, and of two exceptional composers. When Philippe Jaroussky - whose angelic voice seems almost timeless, not belonging to any one epoque or decade - sings works by Telemann and Bach, it becomes abundantly clear that the sheer emotional force and the purifying power of their music have not diminished over the centuries. The works performed in this film are Telemann's Jesus liegt in letzten Zügen and Sinfonia from Brockes-Passion; Der am Ölberg zagende Jesus, and Bach's Sinfonia from Ich hatte viel Bekümmernis and Ich habe genug.
08:37
IVC 2021 - Semi-finals: Debussy, Haydn a. o.
Soprano Isabel Weller (Germany, 1994) and pianist Yuriko Watanabe (Japan, 1994) perform Claude Debussy’s Nuit d’étoiles, L. 2, and Mandoline, L. 43; Joseph Haydn’s Piercing eyes, Hob. XXVIa, No. 35; ‘Die Mainacht’ from Johannes Brahms’s Vier Gesänge, Op. 43; ‘Pietà’ from Paul Hindemith’s Das Marienleben, Op. 27; Bart Visman’s Vermeer’s Gold; and ‘Lied vom Winde’ from Hugo Wolf’s Mörike-Lieder, during the semi-finals of the International Vocal Competition 2021 – Lied Duo. This performance was recorded at Het Noordbrabants Museum in ’s-Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands.
09:00
Teatro Regio behind the scenes
Few Italian theatres can boast of being an absolute point of reference for national and world culture. The Teatro Regio in Turin is both a symbol of excellence in the national operatic tradition and a prestigious stage hosting operas, ballets, concerts, and musicals of great substance. This short documentary offers a behind-the-scenes tour of the Teatro Regio Torino and bears witness to the enviable reputation that has prevailed since its opening in 1740.
09:31
Chopin - Fantaisie in F minor, Op. 49
Italian pianist Andrea Molteni (1998) performs Frédéric Chopin’s Fantaisie in F minor, Op. 49. Molteni began studying the piano at the age of six. He graduated with honors and honorable mention at the Conservatorio di musica Giuseppe Verdi di Como, and was awarded a master’s degree Magna cum Laude in Advanced Performance Studies by the Conservatorio della Svizzera Italiana in Lugano. He has performed at the Wiener Saal of the Mozarteum University in Salzburg, Scriabin Museum in Moscow, National Opera Center in New York, and several other international venues. This performance was recorded at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, Ohio, USA, in 2022.
10:01
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.
11:08
Works for violin and piano: Mozart, Beethoven a.o.
On the occasion of International Women’s Day, Italian violinist Laura Marzadori and Italian pianist Andrea Bacchetti performed a wonderful concert at Teatro Sociale di Camogli, Italy. On the program are Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Sonata No. 18 in G major, K. 301; Ludwig van Beethoven’s Sonata No. 5 in F major, Op. 24; Manuel de Falla’s Suite Populaire Espagnole (transcription by Paul Kochaniski); Camille Saint-Saëns’ Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso in A minor, Op. 28; and ‘Méditation’ from Jules Massenet’s opera Thaïs. This performance was recorded on March 8, 2022.
12:22
How to get out of the Cage - A year with John Cage
The compelling documentary How to Get Out of the Cage (2012) by award-winning filmmaker Frank Scheffer presents an intimate portrait of John Cage (1912-1992), one of 20th century's most important composers. From 1982 to 1992, Scheffer worked with Cage on numerous occasions, which resulted in unique archives of historical audio-visual material, including interviews, musical performances, and images of locations related to the composer’s life and work. In all Scheffer’s works related to Cage, he used the old Chinese method of chance operations based on the Yi Jing – as often used by Cage himself in his compositions. Instead of using chance operations, Scheffer edited the film in the usual way that is based on choice.
13:18
CMIM Piano 2024 - Semi-final I: Arisa Onoda
Pianist Arisa Onoda (Japan, 1996) joins the CMIM ensemble, consisting of three principal strings players of the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, in a performance of the first movement, Allegro molto moderato, of Gabriel Fauré’s Piano Quartet No. 1 in C minor, Op. 15. This performance took place during the chamber music round of the two-part semi-final of the Piano Edition of the Concours musical international de Montréal 2024 (CMIM). It was recorded at Bourgie Hall in the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts.
13:29
Ravel - Mother Goose Suite
Marin Alsop conducts the Britten-Pears Orchestra in a performance of Maurice Ravel’s ‘Ma mère l'Oye’ (Mother Goose). This performance took place at Snape Maltings Concert Hall, Snape Bridge in the UK in 2017. This five-part orchestral suite was originally as a piano duet in 1910, but the composer orchestrated the work the year after. Ravel originally composed the work as a piano duet for the two children of Polish sculptor Gobeski and dedicated the work for four hands to the children.
14:00
Tales of Two Cities: Leipzig-Damascus Coffee House
The Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra also known simply as Tafelmusik, is a Toronto-based Canadian baroque orchestra, specialised in early music. Its musical director is Jeanne Lamon. Together with the Trio Arabica they celebrate the music and culture in the eighteenth century. The cities of Leipzig and Damascus both lay at the crossroads of ancient trading routes and are important centres of scholarship and famous for their coffee houses, where music was performed by the most brilliant musicians of the day. This concert presents works by Bach, Telemann, Handel and treasures of classical Arabic music. In this cross-cultural café, music, words, and images are used to explore the ways in which people separated by great distances are bound together by trade, ideas, and art. Recorded at the Aga Khan Museum in Toronto. Created by Alison Mackay and staging by Marshall Pynkoski.
15:39
Saint-Saëns - The Carnival of the Animals
Mexican conductor Carlos Miguel Prieto leads the Orquesta Sinfónica de Minería in a performance of Camille Saint-Saëns’s musical suite The Carnival of the Animals (Le carnaval des animaux, 1886). This suite consists of 14 movements, each depicting a different animal. The work was published posthumously in 1922, as Saint-Saëns was concerned that his animal miniatures, full of delightful jokes, might damage his reputation as a serious composer. Scored for cello and two pianos, ‘The Swan’ is the only movement that Saint-Saëns allowed to be published during his lifetime. This iconic movement features a beautiful flowing cello melody and gentle piano accompaniment, evoking the image of a swan gliding gracefully over the water. Each movement is introduced by Prieto. This performance was recorded at Auditorio Nacional in Mexico City, in 2021.
16:08
Anna Karenina
The Mariinsky Ballet performs 'Anna Karenina', a sweeping two-act ballet choreographed by Alexei Ratmansky. The ballet is based on Lev Tolstoy's 1877 novel that tells the tragic story of the married socialite Anna Karenina and her affair with cavalry officer Count Vronsky. The ballet opens where the novel ends: tormented by despair and loneliness, Anna throws herself under a train, whereupon Count Vronsky discovers his lover’s lifeless body. Ratmansky’s choreography is set to Rodion Shchedrin's music, which is performed by the Mariinsky Orchestra under the baton of Valery Gergiev. Among the dancers are Ulyana Lopatkina, Victor Baranov, Andrei Yermakov, and Svetlana Ivanova. This performance was recorded at the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, Russia, in March 2014.
17:35
Bach - Partita No. 2 and Sonata No. 3
Celebrated German violinist Isabelle Faust performs two of J. S. Bach’s incredible works for solo violin: Partita No. 2 in D minor (BWV 1004), and Sonata No. 3 in C major (BWV 1005). Both works are part of the composer’s well-known Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin (BWV 1001-1006). Partita No. 2 is made up of four dance movements, concluded by its famous Chaconne, a monumental piece within the violin repertoire. In this Chaconne, Bach develops a series of continuous variations from a theme, exploring a complex range of harmonic possibilities. Sonata No. 3 includes an extensive fugue in which Bach employs many contrapuntal techniques. In this wonderful performance, Faust shows her mastery of Bach’s technically challenging pieces. This performance was recorded at St. Thomas Church in Leipzig, Germany, in 2020.
18:34
Martha Argerich – A Birthday Celebration III
On the occasion of her 80th birthday, Argentinian pianist Martha Argerich explored chamber music repertoire in this wonderful concert, recorded at Château de Chantilly, France. The ‘Grande Dame’ of the piano is joined by various renowned artists, including pianists Lily Maisky and Iddo Bar-Shaï, violinists Tedi Papavrami and Akiko Suwanai, her daughter Lyda Chen-Argerich on viola, and cellist Mischa Maisky. On the program are Felix Mendelssohn’s Piano Trio No. 1 in D minor, Op. 49; Leoš Janáček’s Violin Sonata; Franz Schubert’s Rondo in A major, D. 951; and Johannes Brahms’s Piano Quartet No. 3 in C minor, Op. 60. These performances were recorded on May 4 and June 13, 2021.
20:16
Stingray Originals - Seljan Nasibli
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.
20:39
Semi Final II - Liszt Competition 2017
Michelle Candotti (1996, Italy) performs Die drei Zigeuner (S383), Die Zelle in Nonnenwerth (S382bis) and La lugubre gondola (S134bis) during semi-final II (chamber music) of the 11th International Franz Liszt Piano Competition, held in TivoliVredenburg, Utrecht, in 2017. The competition actively presents, develops, and promotes piano talents from around the world. In doing so, it has become one of the prominent gateways to the international professional classical music scene for young musicians. The International Franz Liszt Piano Competition was founded in 1986 in the Netherlands and has since built a reputation as one of the world’s most prestigious piano competitions.
