Bach, Brandenburg Concerto No.1 in F major, BWV 1046

“It is very unusual that a three-movement Baroque concerto should suddenly give way to a four-movement piece, as is the case here. In my opinion, this has medical reasons: the audiences of the Baroque era were much more passionate listeners, they were more deeply moved by what they heard, and I think that Bach wanted to calm the listener with a little suite after this exciting third movement. The first Brandenburg Concerto is the one with the largest orchestral scoring, and the orchestra shows up a few peculiarities with respect to the instruments used: it is one of the first pieces in which the bassoon is treated as a solo instrument. In the first movement the hunting horns (immediately recognizable as such) are introduced into art music, and this movement is one of Bach’s most refined little pieces altogether. Then he uses a ‘violino piccolo’, a little violin – not to be confused with a child’s violin – which sounds a lot cheekier than its big sister.” (Nikolaus Harnoncourt) Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos, named after their dedicatee the Margrave Christian Ludwig von Brandenburg, have been part of Nikolaus Harnoncourt’s permanent repertoire ever since he founded his Concentus musicus ensemble. The ensemble has recorded them and played them on their tours throughout the world. The impulse which led Harnoncourt to establish the Concentus musicus in 1953 was his dissatisfaction with the traditional way of interpreting early music. The uncommon and sometimes radically different style of the Concentus musicus, as well as its exclusive use of historical instruments, secured the ensemble its international reputation. Harnoncourt introduces the concerto with a moving and fascinating analysis of the piece. Interesting musical examples, which Harnoncourt inserts in a humorous and relaxed manner, make this introduction an informative and entertaining guide to this masterpiece of music. The production was filmed in the historical Baroque monastery library in Wiblingen, Germany.

Dvorák, Symphony No.9 in E minor, op.95 “From the New World” (and Rehearsal)

In 1892 Antonin Dvorák accepted the invitation of a wealthy Mrs. Thurber to become the director of her National Conservatory of Music in New York. During the time he spent in America, he composed, among other works, the Symphony No. 9 (originally published as No. 5) “From the New World”. Dvorak was fascinated by Negro spirituals and the songs and dances of American Indians. In an interview, he claimed: “In the Negro melodies of America, I discovered all that is needed for a great and noble school of music.” Though the pentatonic and modal scales he used in the Ninth Symphony can also be found in folk music of many countries, including his native Bohemia, the melodies of the Ninth have become indelibly associated with America. Particularly “American” in flavor are the flute melody of the first movement, which recalls the spiritual “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot”, and the theme of the slow movement. The symphony was recorded during a concert given by the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra under Karl Böhm at Vienna’s Musikvereinssaal in the late 1970s.

Nelsons conducts Beethoven No. 9

Performances of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony have a long tradition in Leipzig: as early as 1826, two years after the premiere in Vienna, there was the first complete performance

in Leipzig with the Gewandhausorchester. Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy then finally established the symphony in the orchestra’s repertoire. The custom of performing the work on New Year’s Eve goes back to Arthur Nikisch in 1918. Later, conductors such as Hermann Scherchen, Wilhelm Furtwängler and Bruno Walter continued the New Year’s Eve concerts that take place regularly since the turn of the year 1945/46. Gewandhauskapellmeister Andris Nelsons is now continuing this tradition at the highest level.

Yutaka Sado conducts Mahler No. 5

During their first tour of Germany together, the Tonkunstler-Orchester and their music director Yutaka Sado give their acclaimed debut in the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg with Gustav Mahler’s impressive Symphony No. 5. Mahler described his Fifth Symphony as a “cursed work” that “no one understands”. While the extreme variety of expression actually overwhelmed the audience at the time, the symphony enjoys the highest popularity today, especially thanks to its gossamer-like Adagietto movement.

Elbphilharmonie: Gilbert conducts Mahler No. 3

Alan Gilbert marked his debut as Musical Director of the New York Philharmonic in 2009 with a performance of Gustav Mahler’s colossal Third Symphony. He has now also selected the work for his return to the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra. The former first guest conductor of the orchestra is a renowned interpreter of Mahler. Since first encountering Mahler’s work at the age of nine, the composer’s grip on Gilbert has never loosened. With compelling performances around the world, Gilbert repeatedly demonstrates his unique understanding of Mahler’s powerful scores. Alan Gilbert’s debut “was a fulminant success” (Welt).