Violinist Lisa Batiashvili, cellist Gautier Capuçon, Christian Thielemann and the Staatskapelle Dresden present a sophisticated concert programme of three great composers: Johannes Brahms, Pyotr I. Tchaikovsky and Franz Liszt. In Brahms´ Double Concerto Lisa Bathiashvili is playing her Guarneri “with tenderness and devotion” (Der Neue Merker). Her lyrical, velevety performance is contrasted by Capuçon’s more throaty and vibrating tone: “The two ways of playing seem to collide sometimes but to match brilliantly at the same time”. Christian Thielemann and his Staatskapelle “are mixing different colours as if they were putting emeralds and rubies on precious metal, creating huge sonority but always retaining clarity in it” (Dresdner Neueste Nachrichten).
Bruckner: The Symphonies 1-9
This Blu-ray box contains the international acclaimed Bruckner cycle of Christian Thielemann, a “magician of the Bruckner sound”(Kurier on Symphony No. 5) and the Staatskapelle Dresden, whose own Bruckner tradition dates back more than a century. Outstanding reviews emphasize the exceptionally high artistic quality of the concerts: “Once again Thielemann proved to be the unrestricted ruler on his ancestral territory, German Romantic repertoire” (Hamburger Abendblatt on Symphony No. 2). Christian
Thielemann “displays the full musical maelstrom of Bruckner’s Symphony No. 3” (Münchner Merkur). “Another Bruckner triumph for Dresden” (Sächsische Zeitung on Symphony No. 6). “… one would have to be hard-hearted not to be touched by this heartfelt music” (Der Tagesspiegel on Symphony No. 8).
Kit Armstrong plays Wagner, Liszt and Mozart
Bayreuth is not only the city of Richard Wagner, but also of his father-in-law Franz Liszt. Described by the New York Times as a “brilliant pianist” who combines “musical maturity and youthful daring in his exceptional playing”, Kit Armstrong performed at the famous Margravial Opera House Bayreuth, a masterpiece of Baroque theatre architecture, works by
Wagner, Liszt and Mozart in a concert that was “technically sophisticated – and poetically poignant”. (Der Opernfreund) Alfred Brendel, who has guided Armstrong as teacher and mentor since 2005, ascribes to him “an understanding of the great piano works that combines freshness and subtlety, emotion and intellect”.
Juan Diego Flórez sings Mozart
Acclaimed across the globe for the beauty of his voice and the emotional power of his performances, Peruvian tenor Juan Diego Flórez, famous for his bel canto repertoire by Rossini, Donizetti and Bellini, shows in this concert another fascinating side to his vocal personality. The concert program includes many of the most popular Mozart arias – all of them magnificently performed by the Orchestra La Scintilla, an ensemble with outstanding reputation for their historical performance practice, led by Riccardo Minasi. This all-Mozart recital takes place at the Cuvilliés Theatre of Munich, one of the most beautiful Bavarian Rococo theatres. “Beautiful lyrical and elegant, Flórez shows all the emotions that Mozart captured in his scores – and the tenor’s multi-coloured spectrum of expression is impressive.” (Musik Heute)
Anne-Sophie Mutter, Herbert von Karajan, Berliner Philharmoniker
For the first time available on Blu-ray is this extraordinary artistic collaboration of three super stars: Herbert von Karajan, Anne-Sophie Mutter and the Berlin Philharmonic perform three popular violin concertos, filmed in 1984 and 1987 at the legendary Philharmonie Berlin. The very famous Beethoven Violin Concerto, the cardinal work in the violin repertoire, was filmed with 21-year old Anne-Sophie Mutter in 1984. In 1987 Karajan, together with Anne-Sophie Mutter and the Berlin Philharmonic, inaugurated the Chamber Music Hall at Berlin Philharmonie with this festive performance of Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons. And New Year´s Eve concert in 1984 celebrated the 300th birthday of Johann Sebastian Bach. These concerts show that Karajan, throughout his career, championed the use of visual media and new audio technology to enhance musical expression.
Hélène Grimaud – Woodlands and beyond…
Together with photographer Mat Hennek, French star pianist Hélène Grimaud, comes up with a multimedia concert project at the Grand Hall of Hamburg’s Elbphilharmonie. Grimaud’s virtuous piano performance is accompanied by Hennek’s highly praised photo series “Woodlands”, which depicts genuine portraits of trees, Grimaud’s piano recital includes works by romantic and impressionistic composers. They are connected by seven “Transitions”, written exclusively for Grimaud by British composer and DJ Nitin Sawhney.
The motives of Hennek’s Woodlands series create an extraordinary visual backdrop, which in combination with Grimaud´s pianistic “impeccable clarity and articulation” (Hamburger Abendblatt) and the Elbphilharmonie’s splendid acoustics grants a concert experience of a special kind.
Yo-Yo Ma – Bach: Cello Suites
In 2018, Yo-Yo Ma began a two-year journey, setting out to perform Johann Sebastian Bach’s six suites for solo cello in one sitting, across 36 locations on 6 continents. For Yo-Yo, Bach’s 300-hundred-year-old music is one extraordinary example of how culture connects us and can help us to imagine and build a better future. In an unforgettable experience the 19 times Grammy ® Award winner and internationally acclaimed cellist performed the Cello Suites at the overwhelming Odeon of Herodes Atticus in Athens. Yo-Yo Ma says: “These suites are so meaningful. They’re not only companions and friends, but they’ve also been reference points in my life”. “Soft sounds around me suggested that others were caught up in similarly strong emotions. How Ma has this effect on people is a mystery: I suspect it has to do with the warmth he brings to music that is fundamentally beyond comprehension. He makes the godlike human.” Alex Ross, The New Yorker
LA Phil 100 – The LA Phil Centennial Birthday Gala
A century to the day after the orchestra’s first concert on 24th October 1919, the centennial season culminates in a “splashy gala night” (San Francisco Classical Voice) at the Walt Disney Concert Hall with the current and former chief conductors Dudamel, Mehta and Salonen sharing the podium. The repertoire is a true reflection of the DNA that makes the LA Phil the LA Phil and “the defining factor of this orchestra is its ability to blend genres and styles to create totally new takes on classical works.” (The Guardian) 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 – Zubin Mehta; Lutoslawski’s Symphony No. 4 – Esa-Pekka Salonen; Strawinsky’s Firebird Suite – Gustavo Dudamel and the World Premiere of Daníel Bjarnason’s New Work for Three Conductors! BONUS LA Phil – The Tradition of the New. The documentary portrays the LA Phil and its continual creative reinvention on the occasion of this jubilee. Including a historical part to trace the steps that played a part in where the orchestra stands today + interviews with the current and former chief conductors Dudamel, Mehta, Salonen + Frank Gehry, John Adams + music critics, and members of the Los Angeles Philharmonic staff.
A Musical Journey Across Austria
The Vienna Johann Strauss Orchestra can rightly claim to be one of the most authentic ensembles for interpreting the music of the Strauss dynasty. Founded in 1966 in Vienna, the aim of the new orchestra was to cultivate both the music of the Strauss dynasty, as well as so-called ‘light’ Viennese music. This festive concert from the Golden Hall of the Musikverein Vienna is a musical journey across Austria and includes beautiful footage of the Austrian landscape and famous historical monuments, as well as short introductions by the conductor Johannes Wildner. Enjoy the magic of the music of the Strauss family and the accompanying impressions of Austria.
Ein deutsches Requiem
“A powerful moment of musical history recreated” says Classic FM about the Brahms Requiem interpretation by Paavo Järvi, the Grammy Award-winning Estonian-American conductor, and his orchestra, Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen. The performance corresponds with Brahms’ final version including all seven movements and using the same number of musicians as the composer himself. The premiere of the German Requiem took place on April 10, 1868, in Bremen Cathedral under the direction of the composer himself, although the fifth movement, which was created later, was still missing. On April 10, 2018, for its 150th anniversary, the work is back to the exact place of its premiere in Bremen Cathedral. “Valentina Farcas was the perfect female counterpart to Goerne, which was not easy. She convinced with impeccable phrasing, diction, and legato, she never got shrill and she was not afraid to take risks in the high notes.” (El Pais), “rarely you hear such an insightful performance!” (FAZ)