The Elbphilharmonie is undoubtedly the new landmark of Hamburg, a monumental synthesis of breath-taking architecture, a unique location and a world-class concert hall. For this documentary Thorsten Mack and Annette Schmaltz closely followed the entire development process of the building over the course of ten years. From the initial plans to the rehearsals just before the opening ceremony they show a story of enthusiasm and disappointment, of hard work and triumph. And the uncertain question whether all this has paid off.
In dulci jubilo – Alison Balsom & The Balsom Ensemble
The trumpets’ carolling sound and the festive baroque repertoire associated with it are the key ingredients for this most atmospheric of Christmas concerts. Award-winning British musician Alison Balsom explores dazzling original compositions by Bach, Bendinelli, Biber, Zamboni, and Handel. The trumpet’s lyrical voice is also present in her transcriptions and arrangements of songs by Dowland and Arcangelo Corelli’s Concerto grosso in G minor, known commonly as the “Christmas Concerto”. The Balsom Ensemble, accompanying the “Queen of trumpet” (Hamburger Abendblatt), consists of “splendid musicians of historical performance practice” (Die Welt), all hand-picked by Balsom.
Living with Beethoven – The Nine Symphonies with the BPO and Sir Simon Rattle
“A Beethoven symphony cycle is a kind of Mount Everest for all of us to climb” Sir Simon Rattle said about his first full cycle of all nine symphonies with his Berliner Philharmoniker. In this documentary Sir Simon Rattle presents us his approach to the cycle with extended explanations on the piano, we see him rehearsing with the orchestra resulting in the first – by audience and press equally enthusiastically – celebrated performances in Berlin. Next to the one hand documentation how the new Beethoven cycle originated, we the films tries to give answers to what is the motivation and fascination for a conductor as well as for an orchestra musicians to “climb” this musical monument? What makes those symphonies true milestones and unique masterpieces, with impact even on our lives! What was Beethoven’s message… ?
Helmuth Rilling: The Weimar Bach Cantata Academy – Lecture and Concert II
For this edition of the Weimar Bach Cantata Academy, which forms part of the Thuringia Bach Festival, the great Bach interpreter and promoter, Helmuth Rilling, invited young musicians from across the world to come to Germany to study and perform Bach’s cantatas in their authentic location in Weimar. 63 musicians from 18 countries were chosen from countless applicants who evolved in the shortest time into an excellent choir and orchestra with immense enthusiasm and great musical talent. This documentation by director Tilo Krause shows impressions of the Academy as well as of concerts in the historic Bach places in Muehlhausen, Arnstadt and Eisenach. With the Bach Cantata Academy Ensemble and selected soloists Helmuth Rilling performs and explains two cantatas in lecture concerts – an intensive course on the cantatas with one of the leading specialists of our time. PROGRAM Bach: Cantata “Christ lag in Todesbanden”, BWV 4
Max Raabe & Palast Orchester – Let’s do it
In their new concert recording Max Raabe & Palast Orchester show how they impress their audience with such varying titles as “Millions Of Kisses And Millions Of Smiles”, “Wenn ich Liebe brauch` dann geh ich zur Pauline” and “Cubanacan”. It was long known to Max Raabe that the songs from the 20s and 30s have an inherent magic, regardless of the country of origin, shown by the wide selection of works in English. The crucial factor is how the music is presented and on that, Max Raabe & Palast Orchester are unrivalled. Alongside the musical perfection, this evening from the Admiralspalast in Berlin displays all facets of an intelligently choreographed concert. Whether through “Stormy Weather” or “Dort tanzt Lulu”, the hot Latin rhythms of “Heartaches” or “Du hast mich nie geliebt” in waltz, Max Raabe & Palast Orchester are enchanting with music from both sides of the Atlantic.
Festive Advent Concert at the Frauenkirche Dresden 2015
Since the first of these annual events in 2000, when the magnificent Frauenkirche was still a building site – destroyed during World War II, it was painstakingly reconstructed out of the ruins – the Advent Concert has become a new holiday tradition in Dresden, to be enjoyed by music lovers throughout the world. That appeal is reflected in the concert’s lineup of artists. This time they are headed by renowned Scottish maestro Donald Runnicles, featured “in the solid, German repertoire which is his chief glory” (Financial Times). His soloists are rising-star soprano Sonya Yoncheva, “charismatic” (New York Times) and bass-baritone Luca Pisaroni. Beginning in a blaze of glory with the opening chorus from Bach’s Christmas Oratorio, the thoughtfully compiled programme features seasonally appropriate selections by Handel, Seidel, Weber, Mendelssohn, Humperdinck, Gounod and Reger. “A thrilling concert, festive, ambitious and impressively filmed.” (Sächsische Zeitung)
Strauss: A Hero’s Life
A Hero’s Life: In 2014, the year that marked the 150th birthday of the composer, Daniel Barenboim conducted his Staatskapelle Berlin with Strauss’ tone poem. The aplomb with which the composer is quoting his own works in this musical portrait of a “hero” was criticized as well as admired… but A Hero’s Life stays one Strauss’ masterpieces.
Festive Advent Concert at the Frauenkirche Dresden 2014
Elina Garanca, the star of this festal Advent concert, proves once more “that she has one of the loveliest and finest voices in the whole world”. In Georges Bizet’s “Agnus Dei”, in the “Regina Coeli” from Mascagni’s Cavalleria rusticana, she lets her voice “shine and beam, bringing tears to many eyes”, the critics enthuse. Meanwhile Christiane Karg captivates us with her crystalclear soprano, winging its way straight to our hearts. The concert is conducted by maestro Pablo Heras-Casado, whose sensitive touch and style-conscious precision brings out to the full the particularly refined sound of the Staatskapelle. (Der neue Merker)
Christian Thielemann – My Strauss
On the occasion of Richard Strauss‘ 150th birthday, conductor Christian Thielemann reflects in an intensive portrait about his personal relation to the composer. Most interesting for Thielemann of course is the conductor and composer Strauss. But also the person, the director, the festival founder and careerist in times of National Socialism finds its place in this documentary.
From War To Peace
This documentary celebrates 20 years of the World Orchestra for Peace (1995-2015 ), with excerpts from the 2014 UNESCO Concert for Peace at the BBC Proms, with works by Gustav Mahler, Richard Strauss and Roxanna Panufnik, conducted by Valery Gergiev. Also featured are a rare archive of Georg Solti with Richard Strauss (1949), Solti’s 80th birthday concert at Buckingham Palace (1992) with additional contributions from Irina Bokova (UNESCO Director-General) and many leading players of the World Orchestra for Peace.