Filmed mainly in Vienna’s splendid “Musikvereinssaal,” the Mozart symphonies conducted by Karl Böhm are all interpreted by one of the world’s foremost orchestras, the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, whose principal conductors have included Wilhelm Furtwängler, Bruno Walter, Herbert von Karajan, Claudio Abbado and, of course, Karl Böhm. “Thanks to Bruno Walter’s exemplary performances, particularly of Mozart’s works, I grabbed on to Mozart and fell in love with him so much that I had only one wish: to conduct Mozart, Mozart, Mozart.” (Karl Böhm) Unhappy with his situation in Salzburg, Mozart undertook a journey to Mannheim and Paris with his mother in 1778. The trip was overshadowed by tragedy – Mozart’s mother died in Paris – and was almost a complete failure. Almost, for it did give birth to a masterpiece like the “Paris Symphony,” written for the illustrious “Concerts Spirituels.” Knowing of the Parisians’ taste for brilliance and splendor, Mozart wrote a grand symphony for large orchestra, glowing with mellow woodwinds and ablaze with brass. Karl Böhm was universally acclaimed for his Mozart interpretations. Though Wagner was one of Böhm’s first loves, his friendship with Richard Strauss led to a deep knowledge and appreciation of Mozart. In his autobiography, Böhm wrote that “Richard Strauss revealed to me the ultimate secrets of this, in my opinion, greatest of all musical geniuses, Mozart.” Filmed in Vienna’s splendid “Musikvereinssaal”, this work is interpreted by the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, the orchestra with which Böhm made many of his finest recordings.
Mozart, Symphony No.25 in G minor, K. 183
Filmed mainly in Vienna’s splendid “Musikvereinssaal,” the Mozart symphonies conducted by Karl Böhm are all interpreted by one of the world’s foremost orchestras, the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, whose principal conductors have included Wilhelm Furtwängler, Bruno Walter, Herbert von Karajan, Claudio Abbado and, of course, Karl Böhm. “Thanks to Bruno Walter’s exemplary performances, particularly of Mozart’s works, I grabbed on to Mozart and fell in love with him so much that I had only one wish: to conduct Mozart, Mozart, Mozart.” (Karl Böhm) Written in Salzburg in 1773, the “Little” G minor (thus distinguished from the “Great” G minor K. 550) is one of the most striking works in the group of nine symphonies Mozart wrote in 1773/74, as well as Mozart’s first symphony in a minor key. Music historians have often wondered about the origin of this stormy and dramatic work that echoes the “Storm and Stress” movement surging through Central Europe at that time. K. 183 also follows the model of the minor-key symphonies of other composers such as Joseph Haydn and, particularly, J. C. Bach, whose Op. 6 No. 6 even contains some similar turns. Karl Böhm was universally acclaimed for his Mozart interpretations. Though Wagner was one of Böhm’s first loves, his friendship with Richard Strauss led to a deep knowledge and appreciation of Mozart. In his autobiography, Böhm wrote that “Richard Strauss revealed to me the ultimate secrets of this, in my opinion, greatest of all musical geniuses, Mozart.” Filmed in Vienna’s splendid “Musikvereinssaal”, this work is interpreted by the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, the orchestra with which Böhm made many of his finest recordings.
Mozart, Symphony No.1 in E flat major, K. 16
Filmed mainly in Vienna’s splendid “Musikvereinssaal,” the Mozart symphonies conducted by Karl Böhm are all interpreted by one of the world’s foremost orchestras, the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, whose principal conductors have included Wilhelm Furtwängler, Bruno Walter, Herbert von Karajan, Claudio Abbado and, of course, Karl Böhm. “Thanks to Bruno Walter’s exemplary performances, particularly of Mozart’s works, I grabbed on to Mozart and fell in love with him so much that I had only one wish: to conduct Mozart, Mozart, Mozart.” (Karl Böhm) Mozart wrote his first symphony in London in 1764/65 at the age of 8. The boy sought his inspiration above all in the works of a German composer who had settled in London: Johann Christian Bach, the youngest son of the great Johann Sebastian, who became a lifelong friend of Mozart and exerted a strong influence on his style. The work reflects the Italian opera buffa atmosphere of the young symphonic genre, and its freshness and experimental delight in sonorities anticipate the inventiveness and mastery of Mozart’s later works. Karl Böhm was universally acclaimed for his Mozart interpretations. Though Wagner was one of Böhm’s first loves, his friendship with Richard Strauss led to a deep knowledge and appreciation of Mozart. In his autobiography, Böhm wrote that “Richard Strauss revealed to me the ultimate secrets of this, in my opinion, greatest of all musical geniuses, Mozart.” Filmed in Vienna’s splendid “Musikvereinssaal”, this work is interpreted by the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, the orchestra with which Böhm made many of his finest recordings.
Strauss, Burleske for Piano and Orchestra in D minor
A versatile and highly respected conductor, Christoph von Dohnányi has pursued a remarkable career both in Europe and the United States. After completing a long tenure as musical director and manager of the Frankfurt Opera, he was appointed to the same posts at the Hamburg State Opera. In 1984 he succeeded Lorin Maazel as principal conductor of the Cleveland Orchestra. He became first guest conductor of the London Philharmonic in 1994 as well. His commitment to new music is evident both in concert and in recordings. He led the premieres of Henze’s “Der junge Lord” and “Die Bassariden”. The Austrian pianist Rudolf Buchbinder launched his international career as a soloist after winning the Lipatti Medal in 1962 and, particularly, the Special Prize in the Van Cliburn Competition in 1966. The “Burleske” was recorded in 1977 at Vienna’s Musikvereinssaal in a concert also featuring Bartók’s “The Miraculous Mandarin” Suite and Mendelssohn’s “Scottish” Symphony.
Mendelssohn, Symphony No.3 in A minor, op.56 “Scottish”
One of the leading conductors of our time, Christoph von Dohnanyi was born in Berlin in 1929 and studied law in Munich after the war, later deciding to devote himself exclusively to music. His most important teacher was his grandfather, the composer Ernst von Dohnanyi, with whom he studied at the University of Florida. Dohnanyi also took conducting courses in Tanglewood. His career began when Georg Solti called him to the Frankfurt Opera in 1953, where he was choral conductor and later orchestral conductor. He then took posts in various German cities before serving as principal conductor and general manager of the Hamburg State Opera from 1978 to 1984. In 1984 he succeeded Lorin Maazel as permanent conductor of the Cleveland Orchestra. It is rare to find a conductor of Dohnanyi’s eminence who devotes such a great deal of time and energy to contemporary music. He has led the world premieres of Hans Werner Henze’s operas “Der junge Lord” and “Die Bassariden,” Gottfried von Einem’s “Kabale und Liebe” and Friedrich Cerha’s “Baal,” along with a number of orchestral works. One of the highlights of Unitel’s recordings of 20th-century works is Gustav Rudolf Sellner’s Berlin production of Henze’s “Der junge Lord” with several members of the world premiere, including Edith Mathis, Donald Grobe and Loren Driscoll. Also available are recordings of Richard Strauss’s “Burleske,” Béla Bartók’s “The Miraculous Mandarin” and Mendelssohn’s “Symphony No. 3,” the “Scottish” – all three of which were recorded with the Vienna Philharmonic in 1977 at Vienna’s Musikvereinssaal.
Bartók, The Miraculous Mandarin, Suite, op. 19
A versatile and highly respected conductor, Christoph von Dohnányi has pursued a remarkable career both in Europe and the United States. After completing a long tenure as musical director and manager of the Frankfurt Opera, he was appointed to the same posts at the Hamburg State Opera. In 1984 he succeeded Lorin Maazel as principal conductor of the Cleveland Orchestra. He became first guest conductor of the London Philharmonic in 1994 as well. His commitment to new music is evident both in concert and in recordings. He led the premieres of Henze’s “Der junge Lord” and “Die Bassariden”. The “Miraculous Mandarin” was recorded in 1977 at Vienna’s Musikvereinssaal in a concert also featuring Richard Strauss’s “Burleske” and Mendelssohn’s “Scottish” Symphony.
Sousa, The Stars and Stripes Forever
Avowedly popular in style, spirit and feeling – and proud of it – was John Philip Sousa (1854-1932), whose march The Stars and Stripes Forever of 1897 not only brought him lasting fame among band lovers the world over, but also the handsome sum of $300,000 in royalties! Sousa, incidentally, wrote not only march music, but also successful operettas, books and poetry as well. Leonard Bernstein conducts the New York Philharmonic Orchestra. The concert was recorded at the Jahrhunderthalle in Hoechst, Germany, in 1976.
Copland, Symphony No.3
Aaron Copland (1900-1990), one of the most “American” of American composers, developed his unmistakable style by assimilating influences from popular and folk music of North and South America, as well as from European art music. He became friends with Bernstein in 1937 and, as his composition teacher, exercised perhaps the strongest influence on Bernstein, the composer. Copland’s Third Symphony is a very special work for Leonard Bernstein, since he conducted it several times with the Israel Philharmonic during his triumphal tour of Israel in 1948.
Bernstein, Overture to “Candide”
After the premiere of the musical comedy ‘Candide’ (based loosely on Voltaire’s story) in 1956, Variety wrote: ‘It’s a spectacular, opulent and racy musical, verging on operetta.’ It was with the New York Philharmonic that Bernstein first conducted a full orchestra version of his ‘Candide Overture’ in late 1956/early 1957. The critic Harold
Schonberg described it as ‘a smart, sophisticated little piece.’ It soon became Bernstein’s most popular concert work. This performance with the New York Philharmonic under the maestro and composer was recorded at the Jahrhunderthalle in Hoechst, Germany, in 1976.
Bernstein, Symphonic Dances from “West Side Story”
The Musical ‘West Side Story’ is Leonard Bernstein’s most popular stage work and contains songs that have achieved enormous popularity throughout the world. The first performance was in September 1957 in New York. Bernstein later prepared a suite of orchestral music from the show. This performance with the New York Philharmonic under the maestro and composer was recorded at the Jahrhunderthalle in Hoechst, Germany, in 1976.