The Philadelphia Orchestra was founded in 1900. Eugene Ormandy (1899-1985) stood at its head as principal conductor from 1936 to 1980. Continuing the work of his predecessor Leopold Stokowski, he turned the orchestra into one of the leading ensembles not only of the United States, but of the world. Under his direction, the orchestra became renowned in particular for its performances of late romantic and early 20th-century music.
Rachmaninov, Piano Concerto No.2 in C minor, op.18
One of the great concert pianists of his time, Sergey Rachmaninov (1873- 1943) is also one of the great late-romantic Russian composers. Only the second and third piano concertos, along with the “Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini”, have gained a foothold in the repertoire and are frequently performed. Concerto No. 3 achieved unexpected popularity when it played a central role in the film “Shine”, whose star Geoffrey Rush was awarded an Oscar as Best Actor in 1997. In all three works a characteristic combination of surging melody, rhythmic excitement and brilliant pianistic display carries the composer’s unmistakable and personal stamp. Alexis Weissenberg, born in Sofia, Bulgaria, in 1929, gave his first triumphal recital in New York’s Carnegie Hall in 1947. He secured his international reputation especially with his interpretations of the works of Chopin, Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninov. This concert with the Berlin Philharmonic conducted by Herbert von Karajan was recorded live at the Berlin Philharmonie in 1973.
The Best of the Bolshoi Ballet
Paris Concert March 2007 – Anna Netrebko and Rolando Villazón
The tension is palpable at Paris’ Théâtre des Champs-Elysées this 28th of March 2007. Anna Netrebko is not only making her debut in France, but she is making it with Rolando Villazón. The ‘dream couple’ of the opera world is about to bring its incomparable charm and magnetism to France’s ‘mélomanes.’ And the result is nothing less than phenomenal: ‘An unforgettable evening, rich in emotions, which many spectators will look back on with nostalgia one day and say: ‘I was there!’. No matter where they appear, Netrebko and Villazón inevitably work their magic on the audience, whether it consists of hundreds or, when broadcast on TV, of millions. For their Paris concert, the duo chose a broad selection of chiefly late-romantic works – the style for which their voices seem to be tailor-made..