The Prokofiev Marathon

This suite of five concerts at Munich’s Philharmonic Hall performed by the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra, the Mariinsky Orchestra and several soloists, forms part of the MPhil 360° Festival. The MPhil 360° Festival is a new festival which marks the beginning of Valery Gergiev’s collaboration with the Munich Philharmonics. Core of the program of the festival’s first edition are the five piano concertos of Prokofiev which enter into a dialogue with history and modern age. All of Prokofiev’s piano concertos are complemented by works of the German musical literature. Such a compilation appeals to the audience – the press raved: “The interpretations [of the five piano concertos] were so different, that an extremely enlightening portrait of Prokofiev came off“, not least “the new maestro was shining with the Munich Philharmonics” (SZ).

The Prokofiev Marathon

This suite of five concerts at Munich’s Philharmonic Hall performed by the Münchner Philharmoniker, the Mariinsky Orchestra and several soloists, forms part of the MPhil 360° Festival. The MPhil 360° Festival is a new festival which marks the beginning of Valery Gergiev’s collaboration with the Münchner Philharmoniker. Core of the program of the festival’s first edition are the five piano concertos of Prokofiev who enter into a dialogue with history and modern age. All of Prokofiev’s piano concertos are complemented by works of the German musical literature. PROGRAM Prokofiev: Piano Concerto No. 5; Widmann: “Con Brio”, Concert Overture for Orchestra; Mozart: Clarinet Concerto in A major, KV 622

The Prokofiev Marathon

This suite of five concerts at Munich’s Philharmonic Hall performed by the Münchner Philharmoniker, the Mariinsky Orchestra and several soloists, forms part of the MPhil 360° Festival. The MPhil 360° Festival is a new festival which marks the beginning of Valery Gergiev’s collaboration with the Münchner Philharmoniker. Core of the program of the festival’s first edition are the five piano concertos of Prokofiev who enter into a dialogue with history and modern age. All of Prokofiev’s piano concertos are complemented by works of the German musical literature. PROGRAM Prokofiev: Piano Concerto No. 3; Max Reger: Four Tone Poems after Arnold Bocklin, Op. 128

Ein deutsches Requiem

Ein deutsches Requiem, Brahm´s majestic masterpiece, in a definite performance: Christian Thielemann and the Münchner Philharmoniker are a synonym for excellence in German late-Romantic repertoire. Soloists Christine Schäfer and Christian Gerhaher also rank among the best in their voice ranges. Through his almost surreal affinity to Brahm´s music, Thielemann has crafted a perfromance that places him among the best interpreters of this work, such as Furtwängler, Karajan or Guilini. “In Thielemann´s hands, this dying fall became the Requiem´s gently expressive high point.” (Süddeutsche Zeitung)

Mahler Symphony No. 2

Barcelona’s Palau de la Música Catalana, world heritage site and one of the world’s most beautiful concert halls, hosted Gustavo Dudamel and the Münchner Philharmoniker with an unforgettable performance of Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 „The Resurrection.“ The composer emphasizes life and death in all its terrible and stunning splendour in this overwhelming opus: “There is nothing except the complete substance of my whole life”, he remarked on his all-embracing oeuvre. Gustavo Dudamel, who said it was „a privilege to conduct this work in this unique venue“, and his ensemble were celebrated with more than then minutes of applause. American mezzo-soprano Tamara Mumford and Israeli soprano Chen Reiss as well as the seemingly weightless choirs of Orfeó Català and Cor de Cambra del Palau de la Música Catalana perform “a mark-shattering finale with goosebumps” (Münchner Merkur). “The dynamic range is enormous. But most fascinating are the moments of absolute silence, in which you can feel how the dramaturgy of the evening comes together: An audience holds its breath” (Süddeutsche Zeitung). „Really an event … a phantastic conjunction of stars … a memorable interpretation“. (El Periódico)

Bruckner, Symphony No. 4 “Romantic”, Symphony No. 7

Christian Thielemann is widely regarded as the leading Brucknerian of our age, and his performances with the Munich Philharmonic, of which he has been music director since 2004, enjoy cult status all around the globe. This DVD features Thielemann’s first-ever video recordings of Bruckner’s two most popular works, Symphonies No. 4 and No. 7, which he interprets as sublime cathedrals of late Romantic music, impressing his listeners in ways that few other conductors can.

Ein deutsches Requiem

Ein deutsches Requiem, Brahm´s majestic masterpiece, in a definite performance: Christian Thielemann and the Münchner Philharmoniker are a synonym for excellence in German late-Romantic repertoire. Soloists Christine Schäfer and Christian Gerhaher also rank among the best in their voice ranges. Through his almost surreal affinity to Brahm´s music, Thielemann has crafted a perfromance that places him among the best interpreters of this work, such as Furtwängler, Karajan or Guilini. “In Thielemann´s hands, this dying fall became the Requiem´s gently expressive high point.” (Süddeutsche Zeitung)

Christian Thielemann conducts Bruckner

Christian Thielemann is widely regarded as the leading Brucknerian of our age, and his performances with the Munich Philharmonic, of which he has been music director since 2004, enjoy cult status all over the world. This DVD features a world première of Bruckner´s two most popular works, the Symphonies No. 4 and No. 7, which he interprets as sublime cathedrals of late Romantic music, impressing his listeners in ways that few other conductors can do.

Symphony No. 5

A rare opportunity to see the work of the great conductor Sergiu Celibidache (1912-96). He agreed to set aside his long-held antipathy to recordings of his work to enable the cameras to capture this concert from the Philharmonie in Munich, in which he conducts the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra.

Dudamel conducts Mahler No. 2

Charismatic Venezuelan conductor Gustavo Dudamel returns to Palau de la Música Catalana, world heritage site and one of the most beautiful concert halls in the world, conducting Mahler’s existential Second Symphony with the outstanding Münchner Philharmoniker. Mahler was keen to emphasize life and death in all its terrible and stunning splendour in this overwhelming opus, also referred to as “Resurrection Symphony”: “In my two symphonies there is nothing except the complete substance of my whole life” he remarked on his all-embracing oeuvre American mezzo-soprano Tamara Mumford and Israeli soprano Chen Reiss as well as the seemingly weightless choirs of Orfeó Català and

Cor de Cambra del Palau de la Música Catalana perform “a mark-shattering finale with goosebumps” (Münchner Merkur). “The dynamic range is enormous. But most fascinating are the moments of absolute silence, in which you can feel how the dramaturgy of the evening comes together: An audience holds its breath” (Süddeutsche Zeitung).