Norwegian violin virtuoso Vilde Frang joins Sir Antonio Pappano and the London Symphony Orchestra to perform the thrillingly cinematic and sweepingly romantic Violin Concerto by Korngold, which premiered to ecstatic audiences in the hands of Jascha Heifetz in 1947. By the time Korngold had begun his 1945 Violin Concerto, the Austrian composer had scored the soundtracks for fifteen Hollywood films. You’ll hear that cinematic sheen in his wonderful concerto, from its sweeping opening to the helter-skelter hoe-down of the finale. In his Fifth Symphony, Shostakovich proved his music could achieve mass appeal, as Stalin demanded. But beneath its brilliant tunes lies a darker, more sardonic work … The concert begins with Imogen Holst’s, the daughter of Gustav (The Planets), Persephone, a beautifully orchestrated depiction of the mythical character, with hints of Debussy and Ravel in the music. PROGRAM Imogen Holst: Persephone; Korngold: Violin Concerto; Shostakovich: Symphony No 5
John Neumeier Collection
Four Ballets by John Neumeier: The Little Mermaid / Die kleine Meerjungfrau, Tatiana, Weihnachtsoratorium / Christmas Oratorio and Nijinsky.“Neumeier´s place in the ballet world is as singular as his interpretation of the tale.” (San Francisco Chronicle about The Little Mermaid) “Once again it is impossible not to be impressed by the flawless technique of the ensemble … When at the end Lloyd Riggins tap-dances his way across the stage like Fred Astaire, the Christmas Oratorio is complete.” (Süddeutsche Zeitung) “Nearly nobody else besides John Neumeier can tell stories with the bodies of his dancers. Tatiana is three hours of danced poetry.” (Hamburger Morgenpost) “Nijinsky – an inexhaustible topic. Where to begin, where to end?” (John Neumeier) John Neumeier, the artistic director and chief choreographer of the Hamburg Ballet and the longest serving artistic director in the world, will celebrate his 80th birthday on February 24th, 2019.
Andris Nelsons, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra Shostakovich Symphony No. 8
The Latvian maestro Andris Nelsons is already one of the most sought-after young conductors in the world and once again served notice of his extraordinary talent when he conducted two concerts with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra of Amsterdam at the prestigious Lucerne Festival. In the present recording of the first of these concerts (which are both available on DVD and Blu-ray from C Major Entertainment), orchestra and conductor demonstrate their brilliance in some of the most spectacular orchestral works ever written. “A profoundly moving interpretation” (Neue Zürcher Zeitung).
Lahav Shani conducts the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra
In his inaugural performance as the new Music Director of the Rotterdam Philharmonic, Lahav Shani leads the orchestra in Shostakovich’s Fifth Symphony, a work from 1937 that returned the composer into Stalin’s good political graces after being denounced by the Soviet regime. And a renowned Beethoven interpreter with hundreds of recordings of the composer’s music to his name, Daniel Barenboim performs Beethoven’s Third Piano Concerto, a startlingly dramatic work inspired by Mozart’s own in C Minor (K. 491). PROGRAM Shostakovich No. 5; Beethoven: Third Piano Concerto; Orthel, Scherzo No. 2 for Orchestra
RCO: Nelsons conducts Sibelius with Anne-Sophie Mutter
“Stradivari on eight cylinders” was the headline for the rich cornucopia of sound that Anne-Sophie Mutter poured out with the Sibelius Violin Concerto. “Her Stradivari lets her sing the arches of melody with warm vibrato and lends real fire to her double-stopping; she stages great leaps as soaring stairways to heaven or headlong descents to hell”, reports the Süddeutsche Zeitung with admiration. “It can be played differently, but not better.” (Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung) Mutter’s violin concerto is wonderfully complemented by Shostakovich’s 10th, in which Nelsons truly triumphs: “World-class, these exponents from Amsterdam” (Süddeutsche Zeitung)
Gatti conducts Shostakovich, Tschaikovsky & Stravinsky
This remarkable concert led by designated Chief Conductor Daniele Gatti marks the return of master cellist Yo-Yo Ma’s (after twenty years) to the Concertgebouw Orchestra. In this season opening night they perform Shostakovich’s intense First Cello Concerto, which bears witness to the strained relationship between the composer and the Soviet authorities. Maestro Gatti juxtaposes the concerto with two successful works from the great Russian dance tradition: The three-part suite from Tchaikovsky’s ballet “The Nutcracker” being enormously popular, partly as a result of the Disney film “Fantasia” and Stravinsky’s “Firebird”, which, with his phenomenal orchestration, is evoking an exotic and often brooding atmosphere. “After twenty years, this is a unique opportunity to work together with the wonderful RCO again – very special indeed!” (Yo-Yo Ma)
Nelsons conducts Shostakovich & Bartók
In this concert evening the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra and Andris Nelsons turn their attention to the Seventh Symphony of Shostakovich. The work, which Shostakovich wrote during the Germans’ siege of Leningrad, is a symbol of resistance against the Nazi regime and a musical testament to the millions of Soviet citizens who died during the Great Patriotic War. Furthermore, star violinist Janine Jansen performs Bartók’s Violin Concerto No. 1, a work which had to wait fifty years after it was written, in 1958, for its first performance.
Belcea Quartet & Antoine Tamestit at Pierre Boulez Saal
The Belcea Quartet, one of the world’s leading chamber music ensembles, teams up with viola player Antoine Tamestit to light up the Pierre Boulez Saal in Berlin with an exciting programme that ranges from the Classical and Romantic era to the 20th century: Mozart’s String Quintet in C major and Shostakovich’s String Quartet No. 8 in C minor, which the Russian composer wrote in only three days in 1960. Brahms’s String Quintet No. 2 in G major completes the impressive set of the Belcea Quartet, about whom “The Guardian” raves: “A world-class ensemble!”
Daniele Gatti conducts Stravinsky & Shostakovich
Featuring two contrasting pieces that could not be more different, Daniele Gatti leads the Wiener Philharmoniker in one of their exclusive subscription concerts. Stravinsky’s rarely performed ballet suite Apollon Musagète starts off the concert, in which Gatti “carefully and objectively brings out Stravinsky’s neoclassical style as in a copperplate engraving” (Kurier). After, the Wiener Philharmoniker take on the masterpiece that is Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 10 in E minor, “bringing the dystopian crescendos of the first movement to bear just as grippingly as the steamhammer scherzo and the happy ending. The wind solos are inspired across the board, from the clarinet lament to a warm Mahler horn to the final bassoon jubilation: cheers at the Musikverein” (Der Standard). PROGRAM: Stravinsky – Apollon Musagète, ballet suite; Shostakovich – Symphonie Nr. 10, Op. 93
Nijinsky – A Ballet by John Neumeier
„Nijinsky“ is the title of this „choreographic approach“ to a dance phenomenon that has been part of Neumeier‘s life ever since the beginning of his career. During his approximately ten years as a dancer, Vaslav Nijinsky set a new standard both technically and expressively, while in his choreographic work he pointed the way towards modern dance. His personal fate and mental illness that forced him to spend the last 30 years of his life in various asylums and in the keeping of his wife gave his short artistic career an even more aweinspiring and sensational quality. All three aspects – the dancer, the choreographer and the person Nijinsky – form the starting point for John Neumeier‘s latest creation. Neumeier, who as early as 1979 presented a short ballet „Vaslav“, is regarded as one of the leading Nijinsky experts worldwide. Nevertheless, it was not without reluctance that he took up the task of honouring through dance a dance legend: „In creating a work about a historical person, what aspect should we concentrate on? Who was he truly: The man? The artist? Which witness, what information can we trust, which theories should one follow? What point of view can we take towards the complex puzzle Nijinsky? An instinctive choice must be made…“ and sensational quality.