00:00
Bellini - I Capuleti e I Montecchi
Omer Meir Wellber leads the Orchestra and Chorus of Teatro La Fenice in a performance of Vincenzo Bellini's tragic opera 'I Capuleti e i Montecchi'. Felice Romani's libretto is not based on William Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet' but on Luigi Scevola's 1818 play 'Giulietta e Romeo'. Teatro La Fenice commissioned Vincenzo Bellini's opera for the Venetian Carnival of 1830. Bellini composed 'I Capuleti e i Montecchi' in just a month and a half, recycling material from his previous opera 'Zaira', which enjoyed little popular success. In this production, English-born soprano Jessica Pratt performs the role of Giulietta, and Italian mezzo-soprano Sonia Ganassi performs the role of Romeo. Among the other soloists are Rubén Amoretti, Shalva Mukeria, and Luca Dall'Amico. This performance was recorded at Teatro la Fenice di Venezia in Venice, Italy, on January 18, 2015.
02:17
Antonio Manna: Il basso napolitano
Stefano Demicheli conducts the Ensemble Talenti Vulcanici and soloists Nicola Cianncio (bass) and Catherine Jones (cello) in a varied baroque music program, recorded at Chiesa di Santa Caterina da Seina in Naples, Italy. On the program are Alessandro Scarlatti's Quante i boschi han piane (from his serenade Erminia); Nicola Fago's Contro colpi di fortuna (from the opera Il faraone sommerso); Nicola Porpora's Idre, arpie, draghi e leoni (from his serenade La Iole); Angelo Ragazzi's Sonata a quattro, no. 1 in G major; Alessandro Scarlatti's cantata Nel mar che bagna al bel Sebeto; Giovanni Bononcini's Quanto abbraccia il mar (from Euleo festeggiante); Georg Frideric Handel's Precipitoso il mar che freme (from his cantata Aci, Galatea e Polifemo); Nicola Porpora's Concerto for Cello and Strings in G major; Nicola Fago's Miei fidi armatevi (from his cantata Il faraone sommerso); and Giovanni Bononcini's Per molti lustri (from Euleo festeggiante).
03:15
Bacchetti performs Bach, Haydn and Mozart
Italian pianist Andrea Bacchetti appears both as conductor and soloist in this concert recorded at Teatro Chiabrera in the Italian city of Savona. He is accompanied by I Musici di Parma. On the program are J. S. Bach’s Prelude and Fugue in E major, BWV 878 (The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book II, No. 9), Joseph Haydn's Piano Concerto No. 11 in D major (Hob. XVIII: 11), Bach's Prelude and Fugue in A minor, BWV 889 (The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book II, No. 20), Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 24 in C minor, K. 491, and Bach's Prelude and Fugue in C minor, BWV 871 (The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book II, No. 2). This performance was recorded on January 17, 2025.
04:33
Prokofiev - Peter and the Wolf
Mexican conductor Carlos Miguel Prieto leads the Orquesta Sinfónica de Minería in a performance of Sergei Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf, Op. 67. Written in 1936, Peter and the Wolf is a short, narrated orchestral suite, telling the story of a brave boy named Peter, who lives with his grandfather on the edge of a forest. With the help of his animal friends, Peter outsmarts a villainous wolf and captures it, eventually leading it to the zoo. Maestro Prieto gives an introduction to the different parts of the suite. In each part, each character is represented by a different instrument or instrument section, offering a vivid introduction to the orchestra's instrumental families. This performance was recorded at Auditorio Nacional in Mexico City, in 2021.
04:59
Piano works by Bruckner
Lithuanian pianist Vadim Chaimovich (*1978) has won several prizes at international piano competitions, such as the Schubert Competition in Dortmund, the William Kapell International Piano Competition in Maryland, and the 29th Masterplayers International Music Competition in Lugano. Moreover, the pianist has performed in several European countries, Japan, and the USA , and has played at many international music festivals. In the current recital, Chaimovich performs piano works by Anton Bruckner. On the program are Klavierstück in E-flat major, WAB 119, Erinnerung in A-flat major, WAB 117, Lancier-Quadrille Nos. 1, 2, 3 & 4 in C major, WAB 120, Steiermärker in G major, WAB 122, Stille Betrachtung an einem Herbstabend ('Quiet meditation on an autumn evening') in F-sharp minor, WAB 123, Fantasie in G major, WAB 118, and Piano sonata in G minor, WAB 243.
06:00
Mozart - Piano Concerto No. 24, K 491
With sublimely beautiful music that supports, intensifies, and enhances the drama every step of the way, the Piano Concerto No. 24, K 491 is solid drama from start to finish, with a minor harmonic structure reminiscent of Don Giovanni. In this performance, recorded at Schönbrunn palace in Vienna, Andre Previn is the soloist and conductor of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
06:36
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.
07:04
Daucé conducts Charpentier and Du Mont
Harpsichordist and organist Sébastien Daucé leads Ensemble Correspondances in this concert recorded as part of the Valletta International Baroque Festival of 2017 at the Co-Cathédrale de St-Jean de la Valette in Malta. The concert opens with a rendition of Marc-Antoine Charpentier’s late-17th century composition Te Deum. The joyful and popular prelude of this piece is familiar to many as the Eurovision Anthem. Furthermore, the concert program is made up of motets by Henry du Mont (1610-1694), an organist and baroque composer of the French school, born in the Southern Netherlands. Among his musical heirs were Jean-Baptiste Lully (1632-1687) and François Couperin (1668-1733).
08:32
Bach - Cantata "Ich habe genug", BWV 82
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.
08:57
England, my England - I
From August 28 to September 6, 2015, the Early Music Festival Utrecht focused on England, my England. On the basis of the festival theme, presenter Lex Bohlmeijer takes the viewer in a two-part documentary on an intriguing journey through England of the Middle Ages, Renaissance and Baroque, and relates this to the city of Utrecht. Episode 1 offers a peek into the inner city churches of Utrecht, visiting the source of inspiration if this year's festival: the English estate Boughton House, where the Duke of Buccleuch shows us around.
09:17
Schumann - Piano Sonata No. 3, Op. 14
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. Schumann composed his Piano Sonata No. 3 in F minor, Op. 14 (a "Concerto for piano without orchestra", in the words of music publisher Tobias Haslinger) in 1836. He dedicated it to piano virtuoso Ignaz Moscheles. In 1853, Schumann revised the work and added a Scherzo as a second movement. The final movement is reminiscent of Schumann’s earlier composition Kreisleriana, Op. 16. 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.
10:00
Beethoven - Last Sonatas, Op. 109, 110 & 111
Beethoven’s last three sonatas – Opus 109, 110 and 111 – explore the intimate meanders of the human soul, from despair to transfiguration. At the time of their composition, Beethoven was already locked in himself by his deafness. This deeply affected his relationship to others and to the world. This "psychological framework" is explored by director Mariano Nante, setting pianist Alexandre Tharaud in a film inspired by the universe of Tarkovski. Filmed in abandoned castles, and lit by director of photography Yorgos Arvanitis, this work evokes solitude and introspection and offers an inner journey through images and music.
11:05
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).
13:01
Discovering Masterpieces - Brandenburg Concertos
This episode presents the Brandenburg Concertos by Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750). Musical excerpts played by the Freiburger Barockorchester conducted by Gottfried von der Goltz. Bach's six Brandenburg Concertos rank among the undisputed favorites of all baroque fans. They have become a firm fixture in music education and an integral part of our international musical heritage. So what's their secret? The internationally acclaimed pianist and Bach expert Robert Levin provides an answer.
13:30
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.
13:41
Mozart - Symphony No. 35
Conrad van Alphen conducts Sinfonia Rotterdam in a performance of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Symphony No. 35 in D Major, K. 385, recorded at the Nieuwe Kerk, The Hague, in 2020. Van Alphen founded Sinfonia Rotterdam in 2000. Under his passionate leadership, this orchestra has developed into one of the Netherland’s best-known orchestras. Mozart’s Symphony No. 35 is also known as the “Haffner Symphony”. In 1782, the Haffner family from Salzburg commissioned Mozart to write a new piece on the occasion of the ennoblement of Sigmund Haffner. Mozart agreed, and initially composed a serenade before recasting it as a symphony a few months later: the “Haffner Symphony”. One of his revisions was the addition of more instruments in the first and last movement, resulting in a fuller sound. The symphony consists of four movements: Allegro con spirito, Andante, Menuetto, and Presto.
14:01
Beethoven - Symphonies and Piano Concerto No. 4
Iván Fischer leads his Budapest Festival Orchestra (BFO) in a concert program dedicated to the music of Ludwig van Beethoven. The program opens with the composer’s Symphony No. 1 in C major, Op. 21. Afterward, Fischer conducts Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4 in G major, Op. 58, in which Richard Goode features as the soloist. The acclaimed American pianist (1943) is known for his interpretations of the Beethoven repertoire. Goode recorded all five Beethoven piano concertos with the BFO and Fischer, earning him exceptional critical acclaim and a Grammy Award nomination. As an encore, Goode performs the Sarabande from J. S. Bach’s Partita in B-flat major, BWV 825. The program closes with Beethoven’s famous Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67. This performance was recorded at the Béla Bartók National Concert Hall in Budapest, Hungary, on January 29, 2017.
15:42
Ravel - Ma mère l'Oye
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, pianists Martha Argerich and Khramouchin’s widow Eliane Reyes perform Maurice Ravel’s Ma mère l'Oye. This five-part suite was written for piano four hands.
15:59
Romeo and Juliet
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.
