Andris Nelsons conducts Mahler 3

Among the most powerful works by Gustav Mahler and one of the longest symphonies of the Romantic period, the Symphony No. 3 is performed by Andris Nelsons and the Wiener Philharmoniker as part of their Mahler cycle. The composer’s intention to create a musical reflection of the world is perfectly caught by Nelsons, who shapes the work’s immense forces into a compelling narrative, from primordial darkness to transcendent affirmation. With Violeta Urmana as soloist, the Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks and Salzburger Festspiele und Theater Kinderchor, the performance unfolds with luminous transparency and emotional depth. “A melancholic giant, unleashed” (Der Standard)

Program: Gustav Mahler: Symphony No. 3

Pique Dame

“Magnetic pull: Soprano Asmik Grigorian shines” (Salzburger Nachrichten) “Madness in close-up” (BR Klassik): Director Benedict Andrews plunges Tchaikovsky’s Pique Dame at the Bavarian State Opera into a cinematic film noir aesthetic, in which the characters regularly seem to vanish into shadow and mystery. Brandon Jovanovich “plays a credibly broken anti-hero as Hermann” (Münchner Merkur) and Asmik Grigorian as Lisa once again steals the show with her unerring dramatic and vocal skills. Conductor Aziz Shokhakimov gives a convincing debut at the podium of the state orchestra, managing a “dramatically stirring, propulsive interpretation” (FAZ).

The Gambler

Based on a short novel by Dostoyevsky, Prokofiev’s The Gambler unfolds in the fictional casino town of Roulettenburg, where a variety of characters converge and clash. These characters include a General indebted to a covetous Marquis, the General’s resentful stepdaughter Polina, and Alexey, who harbors feelings for her. Director Peter Sellars, known for his insightful interpretations of overlooked masterpieces, challenges us to mirror the bravery of Dostoyevsky and Prokofiev – the courage to confront our inner darkness. The musical direction of Russian conductor Timur Zangiev shines together with the vocal performances of the exceptional cast: “Asmik Grigorian portraying a passionate Polina, and Sean Panikkar delivering a powerful performance as Alexei” (Financial Times) “Peter Sellars…has done what this exceptional director always tries to do: present an old, distant story as an analysis of the here and now” (Süddeutsche Zeitung) “A triumph of vision and passion” (European News Agency) “Grand sound cinema” (Bachtrack)

Der Ring des Nibelungen

“Velvety sound of unmatched beauty” (The Guardian)

“Musically, this ‘Ring’ blew away everything that had gone before – and we are talking about a performance history of more than one hundred years.” (Die Welt)

“Christian Thielemann creates a sound paradise.” (Süddeutsche Zeitung)

“Tcherniakov, as usual, manages details on a level rarely seen in opera.” (The New York Times)

“A dream cast of voices” (Le Monde)

“Wagner at his best.” (BR Klassik)

“Spectacular und breath-takingly precise, that’s how Thielemann illuminates the Wagner score.” (NZZ)

“Michael Volle’s Wotan […] is an event, […] Rolando Villazón plays a fabulous Loge.” (FAZ)

Götterdämmerung

Wagner’s immense imagination reveals itself in the composer’s 16-hour Ring cycle, being able to fully captivate worldwide audiences since its complete performance in 1876 in Bayreuth. Christian Thielemann’s conducting of “Velvety sound of unmatched beauty” (The Guardian) leads an extremely sophisticated production, with Tcherniakov’s stage that meets the highest technical standards, evolved in ever new, impressive spaces. Götterdämmerung is the concluding chapter of Wagner’s monumental four-part opus, which he conceived in the light of the revolution of 1848/49 and completed in 1874 after numerous attempts and a long interruption. In many ways, the thematic and musical threads are intertwined in a highly artistic and complex manner. “Tcherniakov, as usual, manages details on a 

level rarely seen in opera.” (The New York Times) 

Parsifal – Search for the Holy Grail

The Grail – the cup which Jesus Christ used at the Last Supper, and which subsequently collected His blood as He bled on the Cross – is one of the most powerful symbols in the last two thousand years of Western culture.

Parsifal, Wagner’ three-act opera, is the most famous work to celebrate the Search for the Grail. First performed in 1882, and written especially for the composer’s revolutionary theatre in Bayreuth, Parsifal has towered above twentieth-century culture, in so far as it became a principal source of inspiration for Hitler.

Tony Palmer’s film centres round a performance of Parsifal, with the unmistakable Placido Domingo in the title role, and conducted by the distinguished Valery Gergiev. The striking documentary, narrated by Domingo himself, offers a description of the plot and explores theories about Parsifal’s origins and considerable sphere of influence.

The music was recorded at the Mariinsky Theatre in St Petersburg and in the gardens of the Villa Rufolo in Ravello, Italy, which had been a principal source of inspiration for Wagner.

This powerful and controversial film provides an invaluable oppurtanity to explore Wagner and his most intense opera.

Betrothal in a Monastery

At the Staatsoper Unter den Linden Dmitri Tcherniakov stages Prokofiev’s lyrical comic opera Betrothal in a Monastery under Daniel Barenboim’s baton. The Russian director recasts the complete opera as therapeutic role play for “Opera-Addict Anonymus”. Daniel Barenboim conducts the Staatskapelle Berlin and “the uniformly excellent cast” (Financial Times), led by Aida Garifullina, Bogdan Volkov and Stephan Rügamer among others. “Musically, this performance is a celebration in every respect”, praises BR Klassik.

Salzburg Festival 2024: The Gambler

Based on a short novel by Dostoyevsky, Prokofiev’s The Gambler unfolds in the fictional casino town of Roulettenburg, where a variety of characters converge and clash. These characters include a General indebted to a covetous Marquis, the General’s resentful stepdaughter Polina, and Alexey, who harbors feelings for her. Director Peter Sellars, known for his insightful interpretations of overlooked masterpieces, challenges us to mirror the bravery of Dostoyevsky and Prokofiev – the courage to confront our inner darkness. The musical direction of Russian conductor Timur Zangiev shines together with the vocal performances of the exceptional cast:”Asmik Grigorian portraying a passionate Polina, and Sean Panikkar delivering a powerful performance as Alexei” (Financial Times).

Salzburg Festival 2021: Nelsons conducts Mahler No. 3

Praised as an “exuberant, intoxicating conductor” (Boston Globe), Grammy Award-winning Andris Nelsons is one of the most renowned and innovative conductors on the international scene today and his connection with the Vienna Philharmonic is something special: he has developed a physical language with the players whose musical partner he has been since 2010. At the 2021 Salzburg Festival edition, Andris Nelsons and the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra continue their acclaimed Mahler cycle with the Third Symphony. PROGRAM Mahler: Symphony No. 3