“It is not every day that Brahms sounds as perfect as this,” enthuses the Kurier newspaper, describing Buchbinder’s performance with the Wiener Philharmoniker. The “phenomenal piano virtuoso” (Kurier) plays the First and Second Piano Concertos of Johannes Brahms in the Golden Hall of the Vienna Musikverein. On the rostrum is maestro Zubin Mehta, no less, who has long been intensively associated both with the orchestra and with soloist Rudolf Buchbinder. “What Rudolf Buchbinder, the Wiener Philharmoniker and conductor Zubin Mehta delivered at the Musikverein easily deserves the accolade ‘milestone’.” (Kurier)
Lang Lang at Schönbrunn
Lang Lang, Zubin Mehta, the Wiener Philharmoniker – the only thing that could make an outdoor orchestral concert more attractive would be a spectacular venue, such as a majestic Baroque palace. And here it is: Vienna’s Schönbrunn Palace, with its brightly lit facade on a resplendent summer evening! Held the day before the final match of the Euro 2008 football championship, this concert rallied both football fans and music lovers to Vienna’s most beautiful imperial palace. At 26, Lang Lang is already considered as one of the top pianists in the world. He made his international breakthrough at the age of 17, and has since been performing with all major orchestras and leading conductors. In this concert, the young Chinese artist – the “pop star” of the international piano elite – dazzled his way into the hearts of the audience with his rendition of Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 2. “His mighty, lightning-fast finger acrobatics were virtuoso and technically perfect – amazing to the eyes and ears.” (Wiener Zeitung) Conductor Zubin Mehta, who had warmed up the Wiener Philharmoniker with Weber’s Oberon Overture before tackling the Chopin, led his musicians in a rousing performance of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony after the intermission. Now crisply outlined against the dark-blue sky, Schönbrunn Palace transformed itself into an expressive backdrop for Beethoven’s dramatic symphonic masterpiece. The excitement was not over with the last chord, however, as Lang Lang returned to give several encores, including Chopin’s A-flat major Polonaise, which “roused the audience to rapturous standing ovations.” (Wiener Zeitung)
Salzburg Festival 2013: Verdi, Falstaff
Italian director Damiano Michieletto put on his Falstaff for the Salzburg Festival in the present-day “Casa Verdi”, a retirement home for elderly musicians Verdi founded at the time of the composition of this opera. As Falstaff Amborgio Maestri, who has played the role in 19 new productions so far. “His physique is just right for the part, as are his powerful voice, flair for drama and feeling for the Verdi style.” (New York Times) He is joined by soprano Fiorenza Cedolins as Alice Ford, the mezzo-soprano Stephanie Houtzeel as Meg Page and mezzo-soprano Elisabeth Kulman as Mrs. Quickly. Zubin Mehta leads the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra.
La forza del destino
“The cast is a dream team”, wrote the Financial Times after the premiere of this production of Verdi’s “La forza del destino” at the Wiener Staatsoper. At the top of the list is soprano Nina Stemme, who gives a full blooded portrayal of Leonora. Passionate, forceful readings are also provided by Salvatore Licitra as Alvaro, Leonora’s lover, and by Carlos Alvarez as Don Carlo, Leonora’s vengeful brother. Zubin Mehta leads the Staatsoper Orchestra with agility, subtleness and relaxed mastery. Director David Pountney establishes the randomness of fate at the outset in a video depicting a butterfly flapping its wings and setting fortune’s wheel into motion.
Verdi, Otello
Enthusiastically celebrated by audience and critics: The new production of Verdi’s Otello from the Palau de les Arts “Reina Sofía” in Valencia is featuring one of best casts one can imagine for this opera: American tenor Gregory Kunde as Otello, Italian soprano Maria Agresta as Desdemona and Spanish baritone Carlos Álvarez as Iago. On the rostrum: Zubin Metha. Stage by Davide Livermore, artistic director of the “Centro de perfeccionamiento Placido Domingo” of the Palau de les Arts.
LA Phil 100 – The Centennial Birthday Gala
A century to the day after the orchestra’s first concert on 24th October 1919, the centennial season culminate in a baton-waving conductor’s summit at the Walt Disney Concert Hall with Dudamel, Mehta and Salonen sharing the podium. The repertoire is a true reflection of the DNA that makes the LA Phil the LA Phil. If you’re wondering why the New York Times recently called the LA Phil “America’s most important orchestra. Period.”, look no further than this concert’s program: Ravel’s La Valse conducted by Zubin Mehta; Lutoslawski’s Symphony No. 4 conducted by Esa-Pekka Salonen; Strawinsky’s Firebird Suite conducted by Gustavo Dudamel and the World Premiere of Daníel Bjarnason’s
New Work for Three Conductors!
Zubin Mehta for his 80th – The Gala Concert in Mumbai
On April 29, 2016, Zubin Mehta will celebrate his 80th birthday. On April 17, however, he will offer himself a birthday present of his own, together with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, which has appointed him Musical Director for Life. The event will take place in the new National Centre for the Performing Arts in Mehta’s birthplace, Mumbai, in India.
It will be a celebratory concert with works by three of Mehta’s favorite composers: The program will include Dvoráks “Carnival Overture”, Beethoven’s Concerto for Violin in D major, Op. 61 as well as Ravels’ “La Valse” and the second suite of “Daphnis & Chloé”. Pinchas Zukerman, one of Mehta’s closest colleagues – who has also always had a close connection to the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra – will be the soloist.
Zubin Mehta for his 80th – The Gala Concert in Mumbai 2
PROGRAM: Johann Strauss: Overture from The Bat; Johannes Brahms: Double Concerto in A minor, Op. 102; Peter Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-flat minor, Op. 23
The Three Tenors – The Birth of a Legend
Excitement after a spectacular open-air concert. At the 1990 Football World Cup, the three tenors, José Carreras, Plácido Domingo and Luciano Pavarotti met the first time together with the conductor Zubin Mehta for an extraordinary musical experience. Six thousand excited live viewers and one billion watching on television. The beginning of a new era of classical music. In the following years, the 3 Tenors held audiences around the world under their spell in over thirty performances. They helped to bring about an unexpected flourishing of classical music. The concert in the Caracalla Baths of Rome was the Birth of a Legend. The programme interweaves performance and background information, including previously unseen material.
80 Years Israel Philharmonic Orchestra – The Jubilee Concert
Over the past 47 years, Zubin Metha has given more than 3000 concerts with “his” Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, individually selecting each musician himself. “We are one great family. One can both see and hear that,” explains Metha on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the IPO. Founded in 1936 by Bronislaw Huberman as the Palestine Symphony Orchestra, ist inaugural concert on 26 December was conducted by Arturo Toscanini. 80 years later on the very same day, Zubin Mehta, the orchestra’s musical director for life, conducted the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra in a veritable Jubilee Concert with an all-Beethoven program. Mehta was joined by his longtime artistic friends Pinchas Zukerman, Amanda Forsyth, and Yefim Bronfman. PROGRAM Beethoven: Leonore Overture No. 3; Violin Concerto; Triple Concerto for Violin, Cello and Piano