They are one of the most famous and most frequently performed works of classical music: Carl Orff’s “Carmina Burana”. The Latin title refers to a collection of songs from Benediktbeuern dating from the 11th and 12th centuries with texts written in Middle Latin, Old French and Middle High German. Orff chose 24 of these songs, their topics ranging widely from the volatility of happiness and prosperity to the fleeting nature of life, from the joy of the return of spring to the pleasures and dangers of drunkenness, gluttony, gambling, and lust. At the Palau de la Música in València, the Orquestra de València, one of the great Spanish symphony orchestras, together with one of Spain’s oldest choirs, Orféon Pamplones, perform this epic work under the musical direction of Alexander Liebreich. They are joined by the excellent soloists Sara Blanch, Joaquín Asiáin and André Baleiro, creating a memorable musical evening.
Concierto de Aranjuez
A perfect summer evening in the spectacular Palau de la Música València where the Orquesta de Valencia performs Joaquín Rodrigo’s “Concierto de Aranjuez”, under the direction of chief conductor Alexander Liebreich. The soloist on the classical guitar is the internationally acclaimed and multi-award-winning Croatian guitarist Ana Vidovic – one of the most impressive classical guitarists of our time. The Spanish composer Joaquín Rodrigo was always closely associated with València – it is the city where he grew up, studied, and later married. Since its foundation 80 years ago, the Orquesta de València has also identified with the heritage of Valencian culture, its composers, and the music of its homeland. The half-hour concert is a synthesis of the most diverse elements of Spanish music. It was quickly regarded abroad as the flagship of Spanish culture – and Joaquín Rodrigo as its ambassador. Interwoven with the concert recording, the documentary part of the program takes us to the Royal Gardens in Aranjuez, where Rodrigo was inspired to write his “Concierto de Aranjuez”. In interviews with conductor Alexander Liebreich, soloist Ana Vidovic and Cecilia Rodrigo, the composer’s daughter, we learn about the genesis of the work, how it was received and what the musicians associate with it.
RCO: Antonio Pappano & Joyce DiDonato
Antonio Pappano conducts two works in which love leads to lunacy: Berlioz’ Symphonie fantastique and Jake Heggie’s song cycle, Camille Claudel: Into the Fire, featuring mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato. Musical tales of boundless passion and madness come to life. Hector Berlioz explored his obsessive love in the Symphonie fantastique. Joyce DiDonato sings Into the Fire, Jake Heggie’s bittersweet song cycle about the French artist Camille Claudel, whose affair with her associate Auguste Rodin proved to be her undoing. Such a programme calls for a conductor who knows how to deliver drama in a perfectly measured way. Sir Antonio Pappano manages to lead the Concertgebouw Orchestra on this emotional roller coaster without going off the rails. PROGRAM Heggie: Camille Claudel – Into the Fire; Berlioz: Symphonie fantastique
Mythodea
The Mythodea concert in Athens, 2001, was a landmark event showcasing Vangelis’s visionary fusion of electronic and orchestral music. Held at the ancient Herodes Atticus Theater, the performance brought to life his composition Mythodea, originally created as the soundtrack for NASA’s Mars Odyssey Mission. Vangelis performed live on synthesizers, joined by the London Metropolitan Orchestra, sopranos Kathleen Battle and Jessye Norman, harpists, the Greek National Opera Chorus, and percussion ensembles Seistron and Typana. The concert combined sweeping electronic soundscapes with classical grandeur, evoking the mystery of space. It remains one of Vangelis’s most iconic performances, celebrating music as a bridge between earth and cosmos.
Carnegie Christmas Hall Concert
The film features thirty musical pieces performed at Carnegie Hall on December 8, 1991. Soloists like Kathleen Battle, Frederica von Stade, and Wynton Marsalis perform on a tiered stage before Christmas-themed panels. The uninterrupted program blends sacred and secular works from various traditions, including jazz, spirituals, European carols, and songs by composers like Hugh Martin and Mel Tormé. Performers also include the Wynton Marsalis Septet, the American Boychoir, and the Orchestra of St. Luke’s under André Previn.
Hélène Grimaud – Memory Recital
Hélène Grimaud presents the first part of a special two-part recital from the beautiful natural surroundings of south west Bavaria, a place which the pianist sees as one of her spiritual homes. “Memory” features music from her Deutsche Grammophon album of the same name: Grimaud brings her trademark sensitivity and poetic touch to a personal selection of reflective and atmospheric works by Satie, Debussy, Chopin and Valentin Silvestrov, the Ukrainian composer whose music has fascinated her for decades.
Peter Gregson: Quartets
Peter Gregson has called the string quartet a “deliciously expressive medium” and his four own Quartets – a “quartet of quartets” – push the boundaries of both the medium and its expressiveness by introducing a wealth of contemporary techniques into this most traditional of forms. This filmed performance, captured in Berlin’s Meistersaal in 2022, presents selected movements from all four quartets together in a format that brings the listener closer to both the works and the music. Gregson joins a quartet of superb string players on electronics for the quartets and on his cello for a brand-new and previously unreleased version of the 3.1 Allemande from his recomposition of Bach’s Cello Suites.
Julius Asal plays Scriabin, Scarlatti and Brahms
Live from the Seoul Arts Center, pianist Julius Asal presents a recital juxtaposing repertoire from his acclaimed first album with one of the great piano sonatas of the Romantic repertoire. The first half sees him perform works by Scriabin and Scarlatti, woven together into a compelling musical whole through the inclusion of brief transitions created by Asal himself. For the second half, it’s the monumental Piano Sonata No. 3 by the 20-year-old Brahms. Cast in five movements it represents a powerful test of any performer’s technique, stamina as well as their sensitivity and musicianship – and promises to provide a rousing finale to this concert.
Il Volo in Agrigento
With million of fans all over the world, Il Volo, the Italian operatic pop trio, has achieved great international success. This special concert brings the trio in a exclusive location in the south of Italy: Il Volo performs in the Valle dei Templi, the UNESCO World Heritage Site and impressive monumental ensemble of Hellenic architecture in Sicily. An unmissable opportunity to hear the greatest hits that conquered the hearts of many, with the unique personalities of Piero Barone, Ignazio Boschetto and Gianluca Ginoble.
Notre-Dame: The Renaissance
Over five years following the devastating fire, France’s renowned Notre-Dame de Paris has once again opened its doors, marked by a glamorous concert to honor its restoration. The event featured performances both within and around the cathedral, along with a breathtaking light show highlighting the structure’s exquisite façade. The cathedral welcomed a diverse lineup of performers, such as Pharrell Williams, Angélique Kidjo, Lang Lang, Benjamin Bernheim, Marion Cotillard, Yo-Yo Ma, Khatia Buniatishvili, Pretty Yende, and Daniel Lozakovich. The concert was conducted by Gustavo Dudamel and featured the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France.