Schedule

In 'Dance on screen', renowned film maker Reiner E. Moritz explores how twentieth-century modern media influenced the development of dance, and vice versa. The invention of the film camera and television has allowed audiences to see not only beautiful dancing and wonderful choreography, but it also brought the dancers’ facial expressions and stage presence to the screen. These technical developments allowed this essentially ephemeral art form to be preserved. 'Dance on screen', about both classical ballet and modern dance, features interviews with recognized choreographers and directors. Moreover, many of the great dancers of the twentieth century are seen in performance, including Alvin Ailey, Anna Pavlova, and Pina Bausch.

In May 2019, the new principal conductor of the Gewandhaus, Andris Nelsons, presented Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5 with his orchestra in combination with Shostakovich’s Violin Concerto No. 1 with outstanding violinist Baiba Skride as the soloist. In this composition, the violin does not allow itself a break, continually tells its dark story and gets into a vicious circle of ostinato Passacaglia bass lines again and again falls into beguilingly beautiful singing. Tchaikovsky initially thought his 'Symphony of Fate' was a failure and believed himself to be at the end of his creative powers. It was probably the composer's nature, plagued by self-doubt, that made it almost impossible for him to develop a self-confident attitude to his own creative power. Between this two works, Skride performs Stravinsky's Elegy for Solo Violin.

Soprano Sara Gouzy (France, 1991) and pianist Seri Dan (South Korea, 1992) perform ‘Chevaux de bois’ from Claude Debussy’s Ariettes oubliées, L. 63; Franz Schubert’s An den Mond, Op. 57, No. 3, D. 193; ‘Le collier’ from Olivier Messiaen’s Poèmes pour Mi; ‘Margaritki’ (Daisies) from Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Six Romances, Op. 38; ‘Quelle aventure!’, and ‘La reine de coeur’ from Francis Poulenc’s La courte paille; Bart Visman’s Vermeer’s Gold; and ‘Wie Lange schon war immer mein Verlangen’, and ‘Ich hab’ in Penna einen Liebsten wohnen’ from Hugo Wolf’s Italienisches Liederbuch, 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.

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.

The German Brass ensemble delivers some of Bach's most popular tunes in breathtaking brass arrangements. Recorded live from the magnificent St. Thomas Church in Leipzig, this concert features timeless pieces by the legendary German composer, such as Toccata and Fugue in D minor, Adagio in G minor, and Jesus bleibet meine Freude. The German Brass is one of the most popular brass ensembles of our time and includes musicians from the best German orchestras, including the philharmonic orchestras of Berlin and Munich. Offering a complete view of the church for which Bach has designed most of his works and taking advantage of the room's exceptional acoustics, this cutting-edge recording is a veritable visual and aural feast, and a perfect celebration of Bach's work.

Les Dissonances is a collective of artists founded by violinist David Grimal in 2004. The conductorless ensemble consists of musicians from the most prestigious European orchestras, international soloists, and young talents. In this performance, Les Dissonances play Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 4 in D major, K. 218. Leading violinist Grimal features as the soloist. With the exception of the first violin concerto, Mozart composed his other four violin concertos in 1775 at a time when he was concertmaster at the Salzburg court. Among his five concertos, Violin Concerto No. 4 is one of the best-known. This performance was recorded at Cité de la Musique, France, in 2014.

Current holder of “Great Organ of the Notre Dame,” Olivier Latry began his musical career when he enrolled in Gaston Litaize’s organ class at the Academy of Saint-Maur at the age of 16. In 1985, at 23 years of age, Latry was awarded the post of one of four “titulaires des grands orgues” of Notre Dame, Paris. Besides enriching the musical world as an organist, improvisor and composer, Olivier Latry also works as a Professor of Organ at the Conservatoire de Paris. This performance of his, showcasing pieces of Bach, Vierne and Daquin, was recorded in 2015, at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris.

Soprano Harriet Burns (United Kingdom, 1989) performs Robert Schumann’s Singet nicht in Trauertönen, Op. 98; Franz Schubert’s Atys, D. 585; ‘L’absent’ from Gabriel Fauré’s Trois chansons, Op. 5; ‘Seranilla de la Zarzuela’ from Judith Weir’s A Spanish Liederbooklet; ‘Tournoiement’ (Songe d’opium) from Camille Saint-Saëns’s song cycle Mélodies persanes, Op. 26; James K. Wright’s Quilled Sonnet; Charles Gounod’s Au rossignol, CG. 332; and ‘Och Moder, ich well en Ding han’ from Johannes Brahms’s 49 Deutches Volkslieder, WoO. 33, during the semi-finals of the Art Song division of the Concours musical international de Montréal 2022 (CMIM). This performance was recorded at the Bourgie Hall of the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts.

This documentary by Mark Perna shows the training and professional growth actions for opera singers, the promotion and enhancement of the cultural offer of the city and province of Modena and the maintenance and development of the Modenese musical tradition in the field of opera.

Italian pianist Andrea Molteni (1998) performs Alban Berg’s Piano Sonata in B minor, Op. 1. 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 appeared 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 Verbrugghen Hall of the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, Australia, in 2023.

Swiss conductor Philippe Jordan and the Orchestre de l’Opéra national de Paris recorded all of Ludwig van Beethoven’s symphonies in 2014-2015. In this program, Jordan conducts Beethoven’s Symphony No. 3 in E-flat major, Op. 55, ‘Eroica’. Composed in 1803 and 1804, this symphony is regarded as a major turning point in Beethoven’s oeuvre as well as Western music history. Symphony No. 3 is longer in duration than any previous symphony. The customary long introduction is replaced by two powerful chords, followed by the introduction of the main theme by the lower strings. The slow second movement is a Funeral March, followed by a quick Scherzo. The fourth and final movement is dominated by a theme from Beethoven’s ballet music for ‘The Creatures of Prometheus’. This performance was recorded at Opéra Bastille in Paris, France, in 2014.

For the audience in the famous ballroom El Palacio in Buenos Aires, the year 2012 began with tango rhythms and Argentinean folk music. This festive broadcast opens with a tango performance by dance partners Eduardo and Gloria, accompanied by the renowned ensemble Café de los Maestros. Another highlights is a performance by bandoneon player Rodolfo Mederos and his trio. In addition, the concert features a performance by Teresa Parodi, former lead singer of the Astor Piazzolla Band, accompanied by the Fernando Suárez Paz Quintet. Also on the bill is the contemporary electronic tango formation Otros Aires. Founded by Miguel Di Genova in 2003, Otros Aires combines electronic rhythms and traditional tango instruments, such as the bandoneon, piano, and guitar. On the program are compositions by Astor Piazzolla, Pedro Maffia, Pedro Laurenz, Gustavo Mozzi, and many others. Enjoy this concert of music and dance, featuring some of Argentine's tango scene's finest artists!

Directed in 2012 by Enrique Sánchez Lansch, the documentary The 12 Cellists follows the 12 cellists of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. Since 1972, this group is a staple of the international musical universe. Whether they play classical music, jazz, tango or avant-garde music, these talented musicians invariably enthrall audiences with the wide range of unique and bewitching sounds they produce with their cellos. Their combination of seriousness and humor, depth, and lightness promises to captivate listeners of all ages.

Argentinian conductor and harpsichordist Leonardo García Alarcón leads his ensemble Cappella Mediterranea in a program of Italian Baroque music. The ensemble performs some of the finest Baroque pieces composed by Francesco Cavalli, a prominent composer in 17th-century Venice, and two of his famous students, Barbara Strozzi and Antonia Bembo. Argentinian soprano Mariana Flores presents the vocal works. On the program: Strozzi’s Sino alla morte. This performance was recorded at the magnificent Église Notre-Dame of Sablé-sur-Sarthe, France, on August 26, 2020.

The beautiful Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg formed the background for the 1996 edition of the annual Europakonzert of the Berliner Philharmoniker. In honour of the Russian hosts, the concert opened with highlights from Prokofiev's 'Romeo and Juliet', followed by the Cavatina from Rachmaninoff's opera 'Aleko'. After the intermission, Kolja Blacher featured in the two 'Violin Romances' by Beethoven, followed by a performance of his 'Seventh Symphony'. The orchestra is led by maestro Claudio Abbado.

Having achieved incredible success with consistently sold-out concerts, the Jerusalem International Chamber Music Festival is renowned for its exceptional repertoire of performances by top soloists who otherwise seldom share a stage. This program presents highlights of the 2008 edition, of which the theme centered on the exploration of the “national spirit” of music.

Young Euro Classic is the world’s most important platform for international young orchestra musicians in the European classical music tradition, and for its development. For 17 days every summer, orchestras from all over the world perform at Berlin’s Konzerthaus, on Gendarmenmarkt. This performance features some highlights of the Young Euro Classic edition of 2016. On the program are well-known classical pieces, like the third movement of Vivaldi’s “Summer” from Four Seasons, Mussorgky’s “Night on Bald Mountain,” and “Habanera” from Bizet’s Carmen. Tenor Alan Pingarrón sings “Gratia plena,” by Mario Talavera, and “Dime Que Si,” by Alfonso Oteo. On the program are also famous orchestral works like the Adagietto from Mahler’s Symphony No. 5, and the third movement of Rachmaninoff’s Symphony No. 3.

Sergei Prokofiev based his ballet ‘Romeo and Juliet’ on William Shakespeare's famous play of the same name, telling the story of two young lovers from the feuding families Montague and Capulet. Acclaimed French choreographer Jean-Christophe Maillot created a distinctive choreography of the ballet in 1996, which has been performed to great success the world over. In his production, Maillot interprets Romeo and Juliet not as a social conflict or clan warfare governed by a strict code of honor, but as a tale of accidental tragedy that leads to the death of children more concerned with the path of love than that of hatred. This 2002 interpretation is performed by the dancers of Les Ballets de Monte Carlo. Chris Roelandt and Bernice Coppieters star in the title roles.

Ester Hoppe (violin), Christian Poltéra (cello) and Francesco Piemontesi (piano) perform Schubert's Piano Trio No. 2, Op. 100 (D. 929) during the International Chamber Music Festival in Bellinzona, Switzerland, in 2019. This trio was among the last compositions completed by Schubert and is dated November 1827. It was published late 1828, shortly before Schubert's death and first performed in January 1828 to celebrate the engagement of Schubert's friend Josef von Spaun. The second theme of the opening movement is based on a theme from the Trio of Schubert's Piano Sonata No. 18 (D. 894). The main theme of the second movement is used as a central musical theme in Kubrick's film Barry Lyndon (1975).

Pianist Mikhail Pletnev is accompanied by the Russian National Orchestra led by Kirill Karabits in a performance of Camille Saint-Saëns's Piano Concerto No. 2, Op. 22. At its premiere in 1868, the orchestra was led by Anton Rubinstein, with the composer himself at the piano. The current concert was recorded at the Moscow Philharmonic Society and opens with a performance of Sergei Prokofiev's symphonic picture 'Dreams'. The concert was part of the Ninth Russian National Orchestra Grand Festival from 2017.

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, Hector Berlioz’ ‘Symphonie Fantastique’. This ‘Fantastic Symphony’ is widely regarded as one of the most important and representative pieces of the early Romantic period. Leonard Bernstein once called it “the first musical expedition into psychedelia” because of its hallucinatory and dream-like nature. The German musicologist Wulf Konold describes the idea behind and the realization of this fascinating work.

Minsoo Hong (1993, South Korea) performs Franz Liszt's Piano Concerto No. 1 (S124) during the final of the 11th International Franz Liszt Piano Competition, held in TivoliVredenburg, Utrecht 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 since has built a reputation as one of the world’s most prestigious piano competitions.

Every two years, promising young vocalists gather in Wales’ capital city to take part in one of the world’s most prestigious singing competitions: the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World Competition. Past editions have helped launch the careers of some of the biggest stars in opera, including Karita Mattila, Dmitri Hvorostovsky, and Bryn Terfel. This broadcast features the 2021 edition of the renowned competition, showing the five finalists competing for the Main Prize. The show is presented by Josie d’Arby. Host Petroc Trelawny, along with mezzosoprano Alice Coote, and creative director of the English National Opera Annilese Miskimmon, then evaluate the contestants’ performances. In this episode, the following young singers take the stage: soprano Christina Gansch (Austria), baritone Gihoon Kim (South Korea), mezzosoprano Claire Barnett-Jones (England), soprano Masabane Cecilia Rangwanasha (South Africa), and mezzosoprano Natalia Kutateladze (Georgia). All participants are accompanied by the BBC National Orchestra of Wales under the baton of American conductors Michael Christie and Andrew Litton, recorded at St David’s Hall in Cardiff, Wales.

J. S. Bach’s six Brandenburg Concerto’s belong to his best-known works. The composer wrote these concertos between 1711 and 1720 and dedicated them in 1721 to Christian Ludwig, Margrave of Brandenburg. In celebration of the pieces’ 300th anniversary, Czech harpsichordist and conductor Václav Luks and the renowned Baroque ensemble Collegium 1704 recorded all six Brandenburg Concertos on historical instruments in 2021. The concertos are based on the Italian concerto grosso form, in which a group of solo instruments is set against a large ensemble. Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos feature remarkable combinations of solo instruments and virtuoso solos. In this performance at the Hall of Mirrors in the Köthen Castle, Germany, Luks and his Collegium 1704 present Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 1 in F major, BWV 1046. This concerto was written for strings, woodwinds, and brass, and features solos from each instrument group.