Commanding the podium with his slender figure, theatrical shock of hair and penetrating blue eyes, Herbert von Karajan projected the hieratic image of the conductor as officiant of some quasi-mystic rite. And anyone who ever saw him conduct live or on his many audiovisual recordings will agree that in his performances, music did indeed become a religion and Karajan its high-priest. Karajan (1908-1989) embodied classical music in the general consciousness as an epoch-making conductor, media star, opera producer, festival director and festival founder. But in spite of his Promethean and widely varied activities, he remained a superb conductor, with a grasp of the standard orchestral and operatic repertory from Mozart to Schoenberg that was unsurpassed among his peers. The Symphony No. 3 was recorded live at the Berlin Philharmonie in 1973.
Sousa, The Stars and Stripes Forever
Brahms, Symphony No.1 in C minor, op.68
Commanding the podium with his slender figure, theatrical shock of hair and penetrating blue eyes, Herbert von Karajan projected the hieratic image of the conductor as officiant of some quasi-mystic rite. And anyone who ever saw him conduct live or on his many audiovisual recordings will agree that in his performances, music did indeed become a religion and Karajan its high-priest. Karajan (1908-1989) embodied classical music in the general consciousness as an epoch-making conductor, media star, opera producer, festival director and festival founder. But in spite of his Promethean and widely varied activities, he remained a superb conductor, with a grasp of the standard orchestral and operatic repertory from Mozart to Schoenberg that was unsurpassed among his peers. The Symphony No. 1 was recorded live at the Berlin Philharmonie in 1973.
Gershwin, Rhapsody in Blue
Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990) and George Gershwin (1898-1937), two musicians inseparably linked with America, form an exuberant and stimulating combination in this program with the New York Philharmonic. Gershwin was one of the American composers Bernstein revered the most and one who, along with Mahler, Copland and Blitzstein, exerted a great influence on him as a composer. This performance with the New York Philharmonic and Leonard Bernstein as soloist and conductor was
recorded at the Jahrhunderthalle in Hoechst, Germany, in 1976.
Beethoven, Symphony No.5 in C minor, op.67
“A rhapsody of genius” are the words the noted German poet, composer and painter E.T.A. Hoffmann used to describe the Fifth Symphony. One of the best known and most beloved in music literature, it was composed in the years 1804-1807, although sketches for the first three movements date back to 1800. The first performance took place on 22 December 1808 in Vienna with Beethoven conducting. Perhaps the most famous phrase in symphonic music opens the work and dominates the first movement, which then gives way to a set of variations on one long, extended theme in the second movement. The four-note introduction reemerges in the third movement, a Scherzo, with the double bass taking on a tremendous role. Finally, the fourth movement is a magnificent, joyous explosion of music, almost a triumphant march. Leonard Bernstein recorded this work in an all-Beethoven concert with the Orchestra of the Bavarian Radio at Munich’s Deutsches Museum in 1976.
Bernstein, Overture to “Candide”
Written in 1955/56 in collaboration with famed author Lillian Hellman, the musical comedy “Candide” (based loosely on Voltaire’s story) consists of nearly two hours of music and more than thirty different numbers including solos, ensembles, choruses and purely orchestral music. While Bernstein described it as a “Valentine card to European music,” it struck others as derisive of European opera and operetta. After the premiere, Variety wrote: “It’s a spectacular, opulent and racy musical, verging on operetta. It’s replete with eye-filling costumes, lavish settings, a big cast and fine musical score.” 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 London’s Royal Albert Hall in 1976.
LSO: Antonio Pappano and Vilde Frang
Norwegian violin virtuoso Vilde Frang joins Sir Antonio Pappano and the London Symphony Orchestra to perform the thrillingly cinematic and sweepingly romantic Violin Concerto by Korngold, which premiered to ecstatic audiences in the hands of Jascha Heifetz in 1947. By the time Korngold had begun his 1945 Violin Concerto, the Austrian composer had scored the soundtracks for fifteen Hollywood films. You’ll hear that cinematic sheen in his wonderful concerto, from its sweeping opening to the helter-skelter hoe-down of the finale. In his Fifth Symphony, Shostakovich proved his music could achieve mass appeal, as Stalin demanded. But beneath its brilliant tunes lies a darker, more sardonic work … The concert begins with Imogen Holst’s, the daughter of Gustav (The Planets), Persephone, a beautifully orchestrated depiction of the mythical character, with hints of Debussy and Ravel in the music. PROGRAM Imogen Holst: Persephone; Korngold: Violin Concerto; Shostakovich: Symphony No 5
Hermann Prey – The Schubert Song Cycles
Prey’s legendary Schubert song cycle for the first time on BD. Prey, best known as a master of German art song, was a worldwide celebrated baritone with an international career over 45 years at the MET, Bayreuth, Salzburg, Japan, La Scala, etc. “In his finest interpretations Hermann Prey sang Winterreise and Die schöne Müllerin with a captivatingly natural phrasing that flowed organically like a river and as such was the very opposite of the more intellectual approach of his rival, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau.” – DIE ZEIT Online, 1998
Leonard Bernstein conducts Sibelius
In the mid 1980s, Unitel began recording a complete cycle of Sibelius symphonies with Leonard Bernstein and the Vienna Philharmonic. Bernstein’s death in 1990 unfortunately cut short this project after the release of Symphonies Nos. 1, 2, 5 and 7. Recorded live at Vienna’s Musikverein, these ecstatic performances were the object of stellar reviews. On this disc, Bernstein’s unique and by now legendary interpretations of Sibelius are released for the first time on Blu-ray.
Highlights of Neuschwanstein Castle Concerts
My dear swan! – No other line from Richard Wagner’s “Lohengrin” sums up the diverse programme of the Neuschwanstein Concerts 2025 better than this one.
The inner courtyard of Neuschwanstein Castle is once again be transformed into a world-class sound cosmos. The five exclusive open-air concerts in front of the breathtakingly illuminated dream backdrop are a true summit meeting of the classical music scene. World-class artists present unmistakable arias and works from the Romantic and modern eras, which merge with musical flair and artistic finesse to create a unique overall composition.