Franz Schubert’s “Winterreise” is not only regarded as the zenith of Schubert’s song composition, but as the pinnacle of German art song in its entirety. German composer Hans Zender arranged the cycle in 1993 with the title “Schuberts Winterreise – a composed interpretation”. Zender’s version for tenor and chamber orchestra reveals the cycle’s potential to disturb, and approaches Wilhelm Müller’s poems in its own way. Like Hans Zender, Christian Spuck’s production, which was awarded the renowned «Prix Benois de la Danse» in 2019, undertakes a journey into the innermost self.
Daniil Trifonov – Bach: The Art of Life
Captivating the audience from the very first moment, Russian pianist Daniil Trifonov brings deep insight into the music-making of J.S. Bach at the Philharmonie in Berlin. Traversing the entirety of the keyboard with just his left hand, he performs a stunning rendition of Bach’s Chaconne in D Minor, before moving seamlessly into the monumental Art of Fugue. Trifonov navigates the 14 fugues and four canons with technical prowess, intimate understanding, careful detail, and exquisite touch and offers a self-composed conclusion of the final contrapunctus worthy of Bach’s genius, a performance of Dame Myra Hess’s moving transcription of “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring” and three encores by three of Bach’s sons, performed between bursts of thunderous applause. PROGRAM Bach: Chaconne in D Minor, Art of Fugue and encores
Mary Bauermeister: one and one is three
Mary Bauermeister is the ‘mother of Fluxus’ and was Stockausen’s muse. At the beginning of the 1960s, the who-is-who of the avant-garde met in her attic apartment in Cologne’s Lintgasse, among them John Cage, Hans G Helms, Nam June Paik, to only name a few. Today, at the age of 84, retirement is far from her mind. As long as her strength allows, she works in her studio near Cologne, the scene of the first feature-length documentary film about Mary Bauermeister and her extraordinary biography. “Mary Bauermeister – one and one is three” is a film about society, about the finiteness of life and the beauty of the world.
Ludovico Einaudi at the Waldbühne, Berlin
It started as just another warm night, back in June 2017 at the Waldbühne, Berlin. But when Ludovico Einaudi started to play, it became a Midsummer Night’s dream for everyone there. An unforgettable concert, in which he performed music from his album “Elements” as well as further repertoire, Nuvole Bianche, Una Mattina, Night and many more…
St John Passion
After performances in recent years of Bach’s liturgical cantatas and St Matthew Passion, John Eliot Gardiner and the Monteverdi ensembles turn to the composer’s other great meditation on the suffering and crucifixion of Jesus. Martin Luther described the Gospel of John as ‘unique in loveliness and, in truth, the principal Gospel, far superior to the other three and much to be preferred’; Bach responded to the text with music which is by turns evocative, stirring, exultant and profoundly moving – music that holds our attention from beginning to end. The Monteverdi Choir and English Baroque Soloists are joined by a dynamic cast of exciting soloists to bring the story of the passion to life. “This is a St John Passion that no music lover should miss.” The Times
Le Concert de Paris 2021
It is now a well-established tradition: every year, on July 14, the Orchestre National de France welcomes the summer with a large musical gathering at the foot of the Eiffel Tower with stunning fireworks. Conducted by Simone Young, and accompanied by the Chorus of Radio France, the orchestra invites the audience around the world, to experience great arias and famous concert pieces in the company of prestigious soloists like Pretty Yende, Piotr Beczala, Renaud Capuçon, Ksenija Sidorova, Clementine Margaine, and Ibrahim Maalouf!
Simon Boccanegra
Intrigue, family tragedies, power struggles – these words aptly describe Giuseppe Verdi’s opera “Simon Boccanegra”. And the opera is somehow frighteningly topical: in this piece with only one female role, the men write history and the women are the victims. The world premiere flopped, but almost 25 years later the opera received thunderous applause at a new performance in Milan’s La Scala. Andreas Homoki has staged this second and revised version at the Zurich Opera House. Its premiere was one of the last conducted by outgoing music director Fabio Luisi and Christian Gerhaher’s much-lauded role debut as Simon Boccanegra.
Krystian Zimerman – Beethoven Piano Concertos
Krystian Zimerman and Sir Simon Rattle have reunited to record Beethoven’s Complete Piano Concertos with the London Symphony Orchestra in one marathon concert. From the youthful first to the mighty ‘Emperor’, this is a real one-off: an unprecedented meeting of great musical minds. That’s no exaggeration: the unique rapport between Zimerman and Sir Simon is based upon years of shared ideals and mutual respect. Gramophone described their partnership as “a thing of wonder”, praising their “thrilling sense of purpose”. Crucially, neither of them ever forgets that Beethoven is bigger than both of them, making this unprecedented, unrepeatable concert a worthy tribute to Beethoven at the end of this, his 250th anniversary year.
Tosca
The appeal of Margarethe Wallmann’s »Tosca« production has stood the test of time since 1958. The staging has also garnered interest on account of its symbolic allure with the impressive number of renowned artistic personalities who have appeared before the Viennese audience in this very production with these very decorations and in these very costumes in memorable performances. The gallery of outstanding performers will now be continued with Viennese role debut of international audience favourite: Anna Netrebko as Tosca. “Anna Netrebko as Tosca in Vienna: fan-tastic!” (Kurier)
Pavarotti: Live in Central Park
When more than 500,000 people gathered in New York’s Central Park on 26 June 1993, they wanted to hear only one thing: The voice of the greatest tenor of the twentieth century: the voice of Luciano Pavarotti. A year earlier, Pavarotti had thrilled the crowds in London’s Hyde Park – here, in New York, he confirmed once again that he is an undisputed world star. He is accompanied by the New York Philharmonic Orchestra under Leone Magiera. The recording of this concert, without doubt one of Pavarotti’s most celebrated performances, achieved record sales. Arias by Giacomo Puccini, Giuseppe Verdi, Eduardo Di Capua, Ernesto De Curtis, including Nessun dorma, E lucevan le stelle, O sole mio … A new digitally remastered version is available now.