“A great conductor and great singers in a jewel of the great operetta tradition” was the verdict of the press, converging on the Semperoper in Dresden to celebrate this operetta in grand style. Anna Netrebko sings Sylva Varescu in a concert performance of Emmerich Kálmán’s popular operetta “Die Csárdásfürstin”. Accompanied by the Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden under the direction of its conductor Christian Thielemann, Anna Netrebko is teamed with the Peruvian star tenor and darling of the public Juan-Diego Flórez, also making his role debut as Sylva’s lover Edwin. Yet again the Semperoper has produced “deluxe operetta for television” (Die Welt).
From Berlin to New York – Works by Gershwin, Bernstein and Weill
“From Berlin to New York” is the motto of German Television’s traditional New Year’s Eve Concert in 2013. And true to the motto Maestro Christian Thielemann, the Staatskapelle Dresden and the two world stars Reneé Fleming and Klaus Florian Vogt celebrate the New Year’s Eve 2013 with great hits and works from Eduard Künneke, Paul Lincke, George Gershwin, Leonard Bernstein and others.
The Kálmán Gala
With this Gala Concert from the Semperoper in Dresden, Christian Thielemann gives eloquent testimony to an early love of his, the operetta. Since the beginning of his conducting career he has had a fascination for this genre. Time and again he has drawn parallels between the heavyweight Wagner and lighter works, his principal aim being to demonstrate the skills he acquired while conducting operettas: “Anyone who can handle The Merry Widow,” he says, “will have no problems with Lohengrin.” For this gala he turned his attention to Lehár’s contempory Emmerich Kálmán. He found two enthusiastic partners in Ingeborg Schöpf, the leading soprano from the Dresden State Operetta company, and internationally acclaimed tenor Piotr Beczala, and was frenetically applauded by the audience. They are joined by the Dresden State Opera Chorus and the Dresden Opera Ballet dancing in the beautiful interiors of the Semperoper.
New Year‘s Eve Concert 2011 Gala Concert from the Semperoper
German Television’s traditional and most successful New Year’s Eve Concert from the stunning Semperoper will feature this year Angela Denoke, Ana Maria Labin and Piotr Beczala. Maestro Christian Thielemann and the Staatskapelle Dresden will celebrate the New Year’s Eve with the most beautiful melodies from operettas by Franz Lehár. A short entr’acte performed in the foyer by members of the theater’s ballet ensemble allows the viewer a glimpse into the luxurious interior of the Semperoper.
On the Road – On the Trail of Jack Kerouac
In 1951- 60 years ago – Jack Kerouac wrote ‘On The Road’. The novel tells the story of Jack Kerouac’s travels across the America of the late forties, always searching for freedom, for himself, for drugs, sex and the next great adventure. ‘On The Road’ lies at the core of pop culture. This book is the key to everything that followed. We want the 60th anniversary of its orginal publication to be the moment we take a closer look at it, as well: Four young people got the opportunity to get into an old convertible and drive that car straight across America on Jack Kerouac’s route. How will these modern young people experience a trip through modern America with ‘On The Road’ shining in the background? The result: a road movie, a collage of original locations, poetry slams, cinema verite, jam sessions, and new adventures on the road, with music by Bob Dylan, Simon and Garfunkel, Pink Floyd, The Beatles, Gotye, Scott McKenzie, REM, Morcheeba, Eric Clapton, Fleetwood Mac, John Coltrane and Don McLean, amongst others.
Welcome to the Eigthies!
Welcome to the 80s – This 6 x 52min music documentary is a unique production showing a fascinating musical journey through the 80s featuring all the facets of this exciting area: Synthiepop & New Romantic, Charts, Clips & Commerce, Rap, Breakdance & Graffiti, House Nation & Acid Parties, Gothic, Industrial & Black Metal.
TRIO – “Da, Da, Da”
Trio celebrated their biggest commercial success in the early 80s during the ‘Neue Deutsche Welle’ (New German Wave). Their signature sound was the programmed Rockbeat from the semi professional Casio-synthesizer, played by Stephan Remmler. Their biggest hit, ‘Da da da’, released in April 1982, was an international success, topping the charts all over Europe, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, Asia. There are more than a hundred cover versions of this song and the song is still frequently used in commercials. The minimalistic concept can be heard at its best on the first album (‘Trio’, 1981). It is considered to be one oft he three most important albums in German pop history. All in all Trio released three studio-albums from 1981 to 1985. They were produced by world-famous musician and Beatles-Collaborator Klaus Voormann who supported their style which reminded him of his work with John Lennon in The Plastic Ono Band. Trio became some kind of cult – and they still are today.
Kraftwerk – Pop Art
The amazing story of how a group of reclusive Rhineland experimentalists became one of the most influential pop groups of all time. The documentary features three exclusive live tracks filmed, at their Tate Modern shows in London (Feb 2013), interwoven with expert analysis, archive footage of the group, newsreel of the era and newly-shot cinematic evocations of their obsessions – motion, cycling, travel, globalism, communication, automation and the harmonious coexistence of man, nature and technology.
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.
Summer of Love
In four (two) creatively composed episodes provided with clips from Jefferson Airplane, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, The Rolling Stones, Cat Stevens, Led Zeppelin and many other legendary artists of that time, the documentary deals with the central topics of this unique phenomenon in pop history: The Summer of Love. The sexual liberation and the search for new, spiritual ways were most important for an attitude towards life that established its own event- and party culture for the first time in history. The documentary is based on interviews with vocalists like Donovan, Art Garfunkel, Adam Green, Bob Marley, Yoko Ono and Michelle Philipps from „The Mamas & The Papas”. As a leitmotif we pose the question of actuality of the cultural achievements in which the hippies succeeded.