Mariss Jansons conducts Richard Strauss’ famous tone poem “Tod und Verklärung” together with Tchaikovskys famous 5th symphony and a work by Dutch composer Johan Wagenaar, who died in 1942 and who’s music was considerably influenced by Richard Strauss. —– PROGRAM: Johan Wagenaar: The Taming of the Shrew / Richard Strauss: Tod und Verklärung / Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 5
Khatia Buniatishvili – Mind in the Wilderness
Khatia Buniatishvili’s playing has been described as having ‘an aura of elegant solitude and even melancholy. It’s a perfect characterization of the pianist with such a wide palette of expression. Khatia Buniatishvili commands a natural musicality. ‘Force of nature’, ‘Spiritedness’, or ‘Infinite freedom’ are frequently mentioned attributes on her interpretation. Buniatishvili’s artistic approach to making music is undoubtedly associated with the Romantic tradition, always maintaining a fine balance between unhinged wildness and lyrical introspection. The repertoire comprises cheerful moments, melancholic passages and nocturne-like episodes: virtuously brought to life throughout a concert experience with a great quality of intimacy and generous ardour. —- Works by Bach, Tchaikovsky, Mendelssohn Bartholdy, Kancheli, Brahms, Ravel, Grieg, Händel, Liszt, Dvorák, Buniatishvili, Pärt, Ligeti.
The Glory of Russia – Sound and Sights of Saint Petersburg
Renée Fleming, America’s Queen of Opera, performing with the internationally acclaimed Russian baritone Dmitri Hvorostovsky, in the Palaces of the Czars in Saint Petersburg. Fleming and Hvorostovsky lead the audience through Saint Petersburg performing in the Gold Ballroom of Peterhof Palace, the White Column Room and the extraordinary baroque Theater of the Yusupov Palace.
Lucerne Festival 2017: Long Yu conducts Tchaikovsky and Shostakovich
For the first time ever, a Chinese symphony orchestra is performing at Lucerne Festival. If yet more evidence that classical music has long since become a global language were needed, it would be this appearance by the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra under music director Long Yu. Their concert is dedicated to Russian composers, among them Tchaikovsky whose immortal Violin Concerto is performed by one of the leading virtuosos of our time: Maxim Vengerov and Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5.
New Year’s Eve Concert 1988
Salzburg, August 1988: the 17-year-old Evgeny Kissin meets the legendary conductor Karajan for a private audition, and his performance of a Chopin Fantasy brings the maestro to tears. A few months later, Kissin is at his side to perform Tchaikovsky’s First Piano Concerto as part of a New Year’s Eve concert in Berlin. The success would follow the pianist for years to come: as he put it, “the miracle happened again. Still today, people speak to me about this concert.” (L’Express). Experience the archival film footage of his acclaimed performance from that day, which captures not just the astonishing virtuosity of a young Kissin, but also Karajan’s last appearance with his orchestra the Berliner Philharmoniker. Just seven months later, this “monster of classical music” (France Musique) would pass away at the age of 81.
Lang Lang live in Berlin featuring Herbie Hancock
To celebrate Lang Lang’s 30th birthday, ‘the hottest pianist on the classical music planet’, and iconic jazz pianist, Herbie Hancock, joined forces together for an extraordinary performance at the famous O2 WORLD in Berlin, Germany in June 2012. Lang Lang and Herbie Hancock performed a program including Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue and Bernstein’s Tonight (from ‘Westside Story’) in arrangement for two pianos and orchestra, arrangements of classical hits like, Brahms’ Hungarian Dance No. 5 and Schubert´s Marche millitaire, where Lang Lang and Hancock were joined by the 50 children pianists. —— VERSION I (Total Length): Happy Birthday, Lang Lang! featuring Herbie Hancock – P. TCHAIKOVSKY: Piano Concerto No. 1 / F. CHOPIN: Étude Op. 25, No. 1 A-flat major op. 25 / L. BERNSTEIN: Tonight from ‘West Side Story’ / F. Schubert: Marche militaire / J. BRAHMS: Hungarian Dance No. 5 / G. GERSHWIN: Rhapsody in Blue / Prelude No. 1 / LU WEN CHEN: Reflections of the Moon on the Calm Lake / M. & P. HILL: Happy Birthday, Length: 96’ min —— VERSION 2: Lang Lang – Live in Berlin! featuring Herbie Hancock – P. TCHAIKOVSKY: Piano Concerto No. 1 / F. CHOPIN: Étude Op. 25, No. 1 A-flat major op. 25 / L. BERNSTEIN: Tonight from ‘West Side Story’ / G. GERSHWIN: Rhapsody in Blue / Prelude No. 1 / LU WEN CHEN: Reflections of the Moon on the Calm Lake, Length: 82’ min.
A Swan Lake
After his acclaimed literary adaptations of »Carmen« and »Peer Gynt«, The Swedish choreographer Johan Inger now turns towards a story that has become a ballet classic in the performance canon and that represents another facet of the choreographer: “A Swan Lake”. The new production of the Semperoper Ballett asks profound questions such as: What influence do violence and manipulation have on interpersonal relationships? What role do personal freedom, respect and acceptance play in a romantic relationship?
Mischa Maisky – A Birthday Concert
The cellist Mischa Maisky is one of the greats of his profession. Now he has given a concert with Paavo Järvi and the German Chamber Philharmonic Bremen, performing the works that have given particular shape to his life. The occasion for the concert on July 3rd, 2023, as part of the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival, was Maisky’s 75th birthday. PROGRAM Tchaikovsky: Variations on a Rococo Theme, Nocturne in D minor; Bruch: Kol Nidrei; Haydn: Symphony Nos. 93 and 104
Nelsons conducts Weinberg, Schnittke & Tchaikovsky
Many composers dedicate their works to important people or quite often to the musicians premiering them. In his Violin Concerto No° 4, Alfred Schnittke not only prefaced the piece with the dedication to the premiering soloist Gidon Kremer. He also put this dedication into music and placed it at the very beginning of the concerto, known as the “Kremer theme”. Kremer, who turns 75 in February 2022, performed this concerto for the first time at the Leipzig Gewandhaus under the baton of fellow Latvian Andris Nelsons. Nelsons and the Gewandhausorchester also performed Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 1, Winter Dreams. PROGRAM: Weinberg: Jüdische Rhapsodie; Schnittke: Concerto for Violin and Orchestra No. 4; Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 1
Aida Garifullina at Teatro Colón
The Russian-Austrian soprano singer has dedicated her life of the world of opera and songs. Aida Garifullina is acclamind as the next Netrebko – since her stunning performance for the football world championship 2018 and in the film „Florence Foster Jenkins“. She is a popular star, film star and Instagram star. Aida slips into the role of Norma, Juliette, Rusalka, the Snow Maiden – and is dressed up in harnd-tailored couture dresses. Arias and songs from France, Russia, Italy & Argentina