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.
Joe Hisaishi in Concert
Joe Hisaishi wrote the score for some of his country’s most successful films, Japanese Anime movies, popular around the globe. In this concert, he presents and conducts some of his best-known compositions: the scores of Princess Mononoke, Ponyo, Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, as well as a symphony of his own. Joe Hisaishi is without doubt the most popular Japanese composer in the world. His collaboration with director Hayao Miyazaki has been compared to that of director Steven Spielberg and composer John Williams. “As a composer, I have chosen not to restrict myself” (Joe Hisaishi). PROGRAM Hisaishi: Symphony No. 2, Woman, Princess Mononoke, One Summer’s Day, World Dreams
Thielemann conducts Strauss
Following the complete recordings of the symphonies of Brahms and Schumann, the Staatskapelle Dresden and Christian Thielemann are turning their attention to the work of Richard Strauss. While the Sächsische Zeitung wrote about Morley that she “indulged the songs with great delight and the finest feeling”, Der Standard wrote about Thielemann: “Great clarity, great class. The inner charge of the instrumental, this intensity palpable in every note, with which the Staatskapelle Dresden immediately stormed into Strauss’s Heldenleben, revealed Thielemann’s well-known strengths: he succeeds in uniting impulsivity and balance in the sound as well as expressive melodic surging and structural clarity.” PROGRAM: Strauss “An die Nacht“, “Ich wollt ein Sträußlein binden“, “Säusle, liebe Myrthe!“, “Als mir dein Lied erklang“, “Amor“ from Op. 68 “Muttertändelei“, “Ein Heldenleben“; Hennig: “Nacht“
Ein Deutsches Requiem
150 days later to the day, Johannes Brahms’s “Ein Deutsches Requiem” returns to the place of its triumphal premiere on 10th April 1868, the stunning Bremen Cathedral, thanks to Grammy Award winner Paavo Järvi. He conducts the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen & State Choir Latvija as well as acclaimed soloists Matthias Goerne and Valentina Farcas – “rarely you hear such an insightful performance!” (FAZ) Järvi shows the masterpiece in Brahms’s final version with all seven movements, using the same number of musicians as the composer himself, which is less than what is common practice today.
Thielemann conducts Bruckner No. 1
Christian Thielemann and his Staatskapelle Dresden embark on their Bruckner Cycle at the Philharmonie in Munich with a radiant performance of Symphony No. 1. Thielemann, a more than experienced Bruckner interpreter, demonstrates his skill once more and shows a masterly control over his orchestra. “How Thielemann elicits diabolical trills and how he puts emphasis on syncopation, no matter how small – that’s in a class of ist own.” (Die Presse.com)
Symphony No. 4 in F minor Op. 36
Hailed by the press as “the definitive video production” of Tchaikovsky’s music, this exceptional concert series, recorded live from the Alte Oper Frankfurt, features the leading Russian conductor Vladimir Fedoseyev and the Moscow Radio Symphony Orchestra. Fedoseyev’s perceptive reading of the works of his fellow countryman, the masterly playing of the orchestra and guest soloists combine to produce performances which are revelatory in their execution and understanding of Tchaikovsky’s music and the Russian heritage.
Thielemann conducts Bruckner No. 3
Christian Thielemann and his Staatskapelle Dresden continue their Bruckner Cycle at the Philharmonie in Munich with a “radiant and majestic” (The Guardian) performance of Symphony No. 3, also known as “Wagner Symphony”. Thielemann, a more than experienced Bruckner interpreter, has once again proven himself as the top of his class with masterly control over a shining wind section, which “pushed the audience deeply into their seats”. With “moments of disruptive suspense and intense audio density he displays the full musical maelstrom of Bruckners Symphony No. 3” (Münchner Merkur).
Brahms, Symphony No.1 in C minor, op.68
The opening of Copenhagen’s new concert hall, the spectacular Koncerthuset, was celebrated with a very special project: to present their new home to a broad public the Danish National Symphony Orchestra and its chief conductor Thomas Dausgaard performed four popular works within the classical symphonic tradition, Nielsen’s Symphony No. 3 (Length: 39’), Dvorák’s Symphony No. 9 (Length: 45’), Brahms’ Symphony No. 1 (Length: 49’) and Sibelius’ Symphony No. 5 (Length: 35’). Additionally, the performances were filmed on highest standards and with an extensive setup of cameras.
Sibelius, Symphony No.5 in E flat major, op.82
The opening of Copenhagen’s new concert hall, the spectacular Koncerthuset, was celebrated with a very special project: to present their new home to a broad public the Danish National Symphony Orchestra and its chief conductor Thomas Dausgaard performed four popular works within the classical symphonic tradition, Nielsen’s Symphony No. 3 (Length: 39’), Dvorák’s Symphony No. 9 (Length: 45’), Brahms’ Symphony No. 1 (Length: 49’) and Sibelius’ Symphony No. 5 (Length: 35’). Additionally, the performances were filmed on highest standards and with an extensive setup of cameras.
Bruckner, Symphony No.7 in E major
The performance of all six of Anton Bruckner’s mature symphonies on six nearly consecutive evenings is an accomplishment that can truly be called “superhuman” (Der Tagesspiegel). Daniel Barenboim – conductor, pianist, all-round musical genius – set himself this task in June 2010 with the Staatskapelle Berlin at the Berlin Philharmonie. What Barenboim and his orchestra – he has been its principal conductor since 1992 – achieve in this marathon is a new view of the Bruckner opus that opts for grandeur and the mighty theatrical gesture. Bruckner’s symphonies as “operas without words” (Der Tagesspiegel).