PROGRAM: Wagner: Ouvertüre zu »Der fliegende Holländer«, »Eine Faust-Ouvertüre« d-Moll (Fassung 1855), Gebet des Rienzi »Allmächt´ger Vater«, Ouvertüre zu »Rienzi«, Vorspiel zu »Lohengrin«, »Gralserzählung« des Lohengrin »In fernem Land«; Henze: “Fraternité”. Air pour Orchestre (1999); Wagner: »Rom-Erzählung« des Tannhäuser »Inbrunst im Herzen«, Ouvertüre zu »Tannhäuser«
125 Years Wiener Symphoniker – The Anniversary Concert
The Wiener Symphoniker celebrate their anniversary at the Wiener Musikverein, the very place where their inaugural concert took place 125 years ago. The concert looks back to the orchestra’s very first program in 1900 with Wagner’s rarely performed Faust Overture. It also celebrates two landmark premieres: In Alban Berg’s Seven Early Songs, “the orchestra provided Hanna-Elisabeth Müller with a soundscape reminiscent of an Art Nouveau painting” (Kurier); Anna Vinnitskaya’s performance of Ravel’s Piano Concerto for the Left Hand was “gripping and full of energy” (Der Standard) The evening concludes with Mozart’s Jupiter Symphony, performed an extraordinary 282 times over the orchestra’s 125-year history. PROGRAM Wagner: Faust Overture; Berg: Sieben Frühe Lieder (Seven Early Songs); Ravel: Piano Concerto for the Left Hand; Mozart: Symphony No. 41
Grafenegg: Midsummer Night’s Gala 2023
For a decade and a half, the Midsummer Night’s Gala has ushered-in the summer season at the Wolkenturm. It is also Grafenegg’s flagship media event, televised around the world. The best artists take centre stage, casting their spell over the audience amidst the idyllic scenery of the Castle grounds. For the cast of this edition – Lithuanian soprano Asmik Grigorian, American tenor Eric Cutler and French cellist Gautier Capuçon – Yutaka Sado, principal conductor of the Tonkünstler-Orchester, has put together a dramatic gala programme, with works by Verdi, Wagner, Puccini, Prokofiev, Leoncavallo and Dvorák. “Eric Cutler’s tenor was soaring, Gautier Capuçon’s cello melting, the Tonkünstler Orchestra sovereign. And simply stunning the soprano of Lithuania’s opera superstar Asmik Grigorian” (Niederösterreichische Nachrichten)
Grafenegg: Midsummer Night’s Gala 2021
Every year some of the world’s finest soloists meet at the Wolkenturm in Grafenegg. The Tonkünstler Orchestra, under the baton of Yutaka Sado, rolls out a scintillating carpet of sound in the Schlosspark. In 2021, soprano Rachel Willis-Sorensen, one of the most exsiting contemporary vocalists, takes charge of the Wolkenturm. Together with tenor Benjamin Bruns and the pianist and artistic director of Grafenegg, Rudolf Buchbinder, they delight the audience with masterpieces from Schumann to Lehár. The wonderful open-air setting is illuminated by a “light score” by light artist Marcus Neustetter.
150th Anniversary Wiener Staatsoper – Open Air Gala
The Vienna State Opera celebrates its 150th birthday with a glamorous open-air gala, gathering an extraordinary summit of operatic superstars like Bulgarian soprano Sonya Yoncheva, Swedish soprano Nina Stemme, French tenor Roberto Alagna, Uruguayan baritone Erwin Schrott or Italian bass Feruccio Furlanetto to name only a few. Together with soloists of the new generation of the house like sopranos Valentina Nafornita or Olga Bezsmertna – “a triumph for the ensemble” (Die Presse) – they present a firework of famous opera arias, accompanied by the Orchestra and Choir of the Wiener Staatsoper under the rousing baton of Maestro Marco Armiliato, a regular and appreciated guest at the Vienna State Opera. Nestled in the beautiful city centre, the State Opera is one of the most prestigous opera houses in the world with a long and significant history, a Mecca for international opera fans. Praised by critics as “mega event”, about 10,000 spectators came to witness this jubilee concert and celebrate musical passion in a fantastic atmosphere,
a feast for the ears and for the eyes.
Red Ribbon Celebration Concert
Red Ribbon Gala Concert from the stunning Burgtheater Vienna presented by a unique cast of world-famous singers. —– PROGRAM: Johann Strauss: Intermezzo from Tausend und eine Nacht / Arrigo Boito: “Ave Signor” from Mefistofele / Camille Saint-Saëns: “Mon coeur s´ouvre à ta voix” from Samson et Dalila / Antonín Dvorák: “Beda, Beda!” from Rusalka / Pjotr Iljitsch Tschaikowski: Arabischer Tanz aus: Nussknacker-Suite op. 71a / Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakow: Song of the Indian Merchant from Sadko; “Plenivšis’ rozoy, solovey” (The Nightingale and the Rose); Romanze op.2/2 / Georges Bizet: Intermezzo from Carmen Suite No. 1 / Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Overture from Don Giovanni; “Deh, vieni alla finestra” from Don Giovanni / Georges Bizet: “Seguidilla” from Carmen / Charles Gounod: “Le veau d´or” from Faust / Astor Piazzolla (arr. Pablo Ziegler): Oblivion (Rojotango) / Franz Lehár “Lippen schweigen” from Die lustige Witwe / Aram Khachaturian: Dance of the Young Kurds from Gayane // Pablo Ziegler: Rojotango
Andris Nelsons – Boston Symphony: Inaugural Concert
This event celebrates the start of Andris Nelsons’ tenure as the 15th music director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and features two of the conductor’s close colleagues, the acclaimed Latvian soprano Kristine Opolais and the outstanding German tenor Jonas Kaufmann. Singing’s selections from the Wagnerian and the Italian verismo repertoires, they join forces for a powerful duet from Puccini’s Manon Lescaut. The concert opens with Wagner’s Tannhäuser Overture – the work that first inspired a five year old Nelsons to a life in music – and closes with Respighi’s spectacular orchestral showcases “Pines of Rome”.
Christmas Special: Christmas in the Erzgebirge
Christmas in the Erzgebirge is one of Saxony’s most treasurable cultural traditions. The region’s centuries old mining industry has produced a unique response to Christmas, which is celebrated by means of numerous customs in which music plays a decisive role. The Renaissance town of Marienberg at the very heart of the historic Erzgebirge is the setting for a concert of classical and seasonal works performed by Germany’s only classical orchestra made up exclusively of wind instruments, the Sächsische Bläserphilharmonie (Saxon Wind Philharmonic). They were joined by the Rundfunk Jugendchor Wernigerode (Wernigerode Radio Youth Choir) and German soprano Ruth Ziesak. —– Works by Felix MENDELSSOHN-BARTHOLDY, Engelbert HUMPERDINCK, Pjotr Iljitsch TCHAIKOWSKY and Richard WAGNER.
Lucerne Festival: Moving to Modern Times: Simon Rattle conducts works by Ligeti, Wagner, Sibelius, Debussy and Ravel
In 2011, theBerliner Philharmoniker under Sir Simon Rattle started their Lucerne series ‘Moving to Modern Times’. In 2012 they continued their celebrated and acclaimed start with pieces by Ligeti, Sibelius and Wagner. —— PROGRAM: György LIGETI ‘Atmosphères’ for full orchestra; Richard WAGNER: Prelude to ‘Lohengrin’; Jean SIBELIUS: Symphony No.4 in A minor, op. 63; Claude DEBUSSY ‘Jeux. Poème dansé pour orchestre’; Maurice RAVEL: ‘Daphnis et Chloé’. 2ème Suite
Placído Domingo live at Loreley
Placido Domingo performing on the spectacular stage near the famous Loreley rock! He is joined by the two sopranos Angel Blue, who has been described by Placido as ‘the next Leontyne Price’, and Micaëla Oeste, who was a member of the ‘Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist’ program with Washington National Opera, where she triumphed after stepping in mid-performance as Ophelie in Hamlet. —– Program: PART 1 – 200 Years Wagner & Verdi: Wagner: Die Meistersinger – overture / Walkuere – Winterstuerme / Tannhäuser – Dich theure Halle / O du, mein holder Abendstern // Verdi: Luisa Miller – Lo vidi, e il primo palpito / La Traviata – Pura siccome un angelo / Un giorno di regno – overture / Il trovatore – Udiste … Mira, d’acerbe lagrime /// PART 2: Catalani: Lorelei – Danza delle ondine // Lehár: Das Land des Lächelns – Dein ist mein ganzes Herz // Kálmán: Gräfin Maritza – Höre ich Zigeunergeigen // Lehár: Die Lustige Witwe – Lippen schweigen // Von Suppé: Leichte Kavallerie – overture // Strauss: Die Fledermaus – Trio Act 1 // Luna: El niño judio / D’España vengo // Moreno Torroba: Luisa Fernanda – En mi tierra extremena // Chapí: Las hijas del Zebedeo – Carceleras // Moreno Torroba: Maravilla – Amor, vida de mi vida // Encores