“There had never been a communicator about music with anywhere near Bernstein’s brilliance, humor, energy, reach and importance.” (New York Times). Young People’s Concerts Vol. 3 comprises 18 episodes of the legendary series, which remains unmatched until today. “Leonard Bernstein did this better than anyone. He was brilliant – as a musician and as an ambassador for music” (Whoopie Goldberg). Awarded three Emmys and hailed by Variety as “a rare moment in the symbiosis of the arts and broadcasting”, Leonard Bernstein’s Young People’s Concerts left their mark on television history. Aired at prime-time on CBS from 1958 to 1972, 52 one-hour programs were written and hosted by Leonard Bernstein, “certainly the most influential American maestro of the 20th century” (New York Times). With the New York Philharmonic and guest artists providing the live music, these programs brought musical concepts and music history to life for generations of viewers. Volume III includes 18 Episodes – the Concerts Nos. 29-43 plus Young Performers Nos. 7-9 (featuring Edo de Waart, Horacio Gutiérrez, Young Uck Kim)
John Cranko’s Romeo and Juliet
55 years after its premiere, the Stuttgart Ballet revisits John Cranko’s legendary Romeo and Juliet – the very choreography which laid the foundations for the “Stuttgart Ballet Miracle”, the company’s meteoric rise to fame. In this anniversary performance of the stunning, timeless production, experienced Cranko-performers and highly talented young dancers share the stage to tell the most famous love story of all time. John Cranko, who led the Stuttgart Ballet from 1961 until his death in 1973, created the choreography of Romeo and Juliet especially for his ensemble. Set to the superb score by Sergei Prokofiev, William Shakespeare’s story about two star-crossed lovers, caught in their families’ feuds, offers dramatic roles for the top-notch soloists: Elisa Badenes shines as “youthful, fresh, entirely natural and spontaneous Juliet”, while her partner David Moore dances a Romeo who is “expressing his love with the greatest sensitivity” (Der Neue Merker).
John Cranko’s Onegin
John Cranko’s mastery of the art of the pas de deux finds its climax in Onegin, one of the most successful full length ballets of the 20th century. Set to sweeping music by Tchaikovsky, it tells Alexander Pushkin’s tragic love story of the world-weary aristocrat Onegin and the naïve country girl Tatiana in a superbly nuanced way. Featuring world stars Friedemann Vogel and Alicia Amatriain, this production is a must for all lovers of dramatic – and romantic – ballets. With Onegin, John Cranko secured his place in the pantheon of great 20th century choreographers. He created the three act work for the Stuttgart Ballet – of which he was Director – in 1965 and revised the ballet two years later. Over the last 50 years, the ballet has entered the repertoire of almost every leading ballet company in the world, including the Paris Opera Ballet, the Royal Ballet in London, the Bolshoi Ballet, the Ballet of the Teatro alla Scala and the American Ballet Theatre. Friedemann Vogel and Alicia Amatriain – the leading couple of the Stuttgart Ballet who have been showered with international prizes and accolades – demonstrate here why they are deemed the elite of the dance world. But it is legendary prima ballerina Marcia Haydee (80 years) who creates the night’s special magic: Once Cranko chose her to be the very first Tatiana in 1965, now she guest stars as nurse; the close bonds between Haydee and the ensemble are palpable throughout and it is a truly touching moment when the original Tatiana meets the current one.“Onegin is the perfect Ballet” (Marcia Haydée); “Onegin is so good, that it can easily hold its own against any Broadway show!” (Newsday)
New Year‘s Concert – Teatro la Fenice 2025
The Teatro La Fenice opened in 1792 and is one of the most renowned and most beautiful theaters in the world. “Amid mirrors, flowers and confetti, New Year’s Eve at La Fenice is a ritual” (MusicPaper). The Teatro Fenice’s Concerto di Capodanno – one of the world’s most celebrated New Year’s concerts – welcomes Daniel Harding back to the podium. After the monumental opening with Beethoven’s Fifth, soloists Mariangela Sicilia and Francesco Demuro perform beloved arias by Rossini, Leoncavallo, Puccini, Wolf-Ferrari, Bizet, Gounod and Verdi. Interwoven with the concert are scenes of Aterballetto dancers, choreographed by Marcos Morau, performing in Venice’s most iconic locations. The soloists’ “perfect vocal blend” in Libiamo ne’ lieti calici truly stands out (MusicPaper).
Birgit Nilsson – A league of her own
An intimate portrait of Birgit Nilsson (1918–2005) on the occasion of her centennial on 17th May 2018: The Swedish soprano had an incredible technique and was the world’s leading dramatic soprano between 1955 and 1975. Rare TV and archive footage shows Nilsson at work, and is complemented by interviews with Plácido Domingo, Otto Schenk, James Levine, Nina Stemme, Jonas Kaufmann, Marilyn Horne, Christa Ludwig and many others. The film reveals a sensitive woman behind the honest, down to earth, quick-witted artist, who had “a voice like fire and ice” (Antonio Pappano). The documentary was shot at the farm in Bastad/Sweden, where Nilsson grew up and spent the summers until the end of her life, at the Royal Opera in Stockholm, where the legendary Wagnerian singer made her operatic debut in 1946, and in places like the Bayreuth Festival, the Wiener Staatsoper and the Metropolitan Opera in New York, where Nilsson was the star and box office draw.
Leonard Bernstein – Young People’s Concert (Vol. I)
Awarded three Emmys and hailed by Variety as “a rare moment in the symbiosis of the arts and broadcasting”, Leonard Bernstein’s Young People’s Concerts left their mark on television history. Aired at prime-time on CBS from 1958 to 1972, 52 one-hour programs were written and hosted by Leonard Bernstein, “certainly the most influential American maestro of the 20th century” (New York Times). With the New York Philharmonic and guest artists providing the live music, these programs brought musical concepts and music history to life for generations of viewers. Young People’s Concerts Vol. 1 comprises 17 episodes of the legendary series, which remains unmatched until today. “Leonard Bernstein did this better than anyone. He was brilliant – as a musician and as an ambassador for music” (Whoopie Goldberg). “There had never been a communicator about music with anywhere near Bernstein’s brilliance, humor, energy, reach and importance.” (New York Times). Volume 1 includes 17 Episodes – the Concerts Nos. 1-14 plus Young Performers Nos. 1-3 (featuring Seiji Ozawa and Lynn Harrell)
Tristan und Isolde
Semperoper Dresden presents an historic performance of Tristan and Isolde, directed by Marco Arturo Marelli and conducted by world-leading conductor Christian Thielemann. The sound he obtains from the Wagnerian score “fills the room with elegiac longing, drawing listeners into the emotional depths of the famous lovers.” (Opera Online) Klaus Florian Vogt, in his debut as Tristan, is “fully present and convincing with natural phrasing and clear diction” (Opernmagazin), while Camilla Nylund as Isolde “convinced with her still incredibly lyrical, light soprano” (Sächsische Zeitung). At the zenith of his career, Christian Thielemann manages to set a new standard with his permeation of this difficult score and leads the Staatskapelle Dresden to new heights of artistic expression. “It would be most wonderful if this Tristan never ended.” (Opernmagazin). “Brilliant performances that bring you to your knees”. (Sächsische Zeitung)
Faust
In occasion of its 200th season opening, Teatro Real presents a spectacular new production of Gounod’s Faust directed by Àlex Ollé (La Fura dels Baus). Set in a futuristic laboratory, Goethe’s timeless themes of knowledge, desire and redemption are reimagined through the lens of artificial intelligence and human emotion. Star singers including Piotr Beczala, Marina Rebeka, and Luca Pisaroni lead the cast in this gripping drama. Under the baton of Dan Ettinger, the Orchestra and Chorus of the Teatro Real deliver a thrilling performance that, as Bachtrack wrote, “takes its cue from Goethe but doesn’t shy away from theatrical imagination.”
The Exclusive Subscription Concert Series – Andris Nelsons
Mahler’s unusually expansive five-movement Symphony No. 7 is among the composer’s most ambiguous and enigmatic works, often regarded as his most challenging to perform. As part of the Wiener Philharmoniker’s acclaimed Subscription Concert Series, Andris Nelsons leads the orchestra in a new chapter of their Mahler cycle, reaffirming his stature as “one of the most celebrated conductors of our time” (Salzburger Nachrichten). Under his baton, the Seventh becomes “magic in the Golden Hall. […] Rarely has one heard this work so finely chiselled, so dynamically balanced. An event.” (Kurier)
Le nozze di Figaro
Barrie Kosky, one of the most innovative opera directors of our time, creates a new interpretation of Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro at the Vienna State Opera with a very young ensemble: Andrè Schuen and Hanna-Elisabeth Müller in the roles of Count and Countess Almaviva, Peter Kellner as Figaro, Patricia Nolz as Cherubino. Susanna’s role is interpreted by both Ying Fang (acting) and Maria Nazarova (singing), as Ying Fang could not sing due to a vocal cord illness. Philippe Jordan conducts the Orchestra of the Wiener Staatsoper and together they “deliver an ideal mixture of elegant lyricism and concentrated expression – each and every one” (Wiener Zeitung) // “Beauty and pointedness are combined in the noblest way.” (Der Standard) // “A triumph of Barrie Kosky’s directorial brilliance – hilarious yet deeply engaging and thought-provoking.” (klassik-begeistert.de)