Recorded at the prestigious Poznan Philharmonic Concert Hall, this concert brings together three major figures of Polish music history. The Poznan Philharmonic Orchestra performs under the baton of Lukasz Borowicz, with celebrated pianist Alim Beisembayev as soloist. The programme opens with Stanislaw Moniuszko’s Overture to the opera Halka, one of the key works of Poland’s national operatic tradition. This is followed by Mieczyslaw Karlowicz’s Eternal Songs, Op. 10, a richly atmospheric symphonic poem and a landmark of the Polish late-Romantic repertoire. The centrepiece of the evening is Fryderyk Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 1 in E minor, Op. 11, a celebrated concerto that combines virtuosic brilliance with lyrical intimacy, placing the solo piano at the heart of an evocative orchestral setting.
Lucerne Festival 2026: Riccardo Chailly & Lukas Sternath
A program of rich colors and late-Romantic intensity unfolds as Riccardo Chailly and the Lucerne Festival Orchestra open the evening with Scriabin’s shimmering Rêverie, a brief yet atmospheric sound vision. Rising star Lukas Sternath then performs Sergei Rachmaninoff’s rarely heard Piano Concerto No. 4, presented in the composer’s 1941 revision, where virtuosity, modern clarity, and lyrical depth find a remarkable balance. After the interval, the orchestra explores the dramatic world of Rachmaninoff’s opera Aleko through a selection of orchestral scenes full of passion, contrast, and dance. The concert concludes with Ottorino Respighi’s brilliant orchestrations of Rachmaninoff’s Cinq Études-Tableaux, transforming the piano pieces into vivid symphonic landscapes.
Lucerne Festival 2026: Opening Concert with Riccardo Chailly
The Lucerne Festival launches its 2026 summer season with a program celebrating the breadth of American music. Riccardo Chailly and the Lucerne Festival Orchestra pair the vibrant sound world of George Gershwin with the early symphonic voice of Charles Ives. Gershwin’s Cuban Overture sets a spirited opening, alive with rhythmic drive and Caribbean color. Pianist Frank Dupree then brings his versatility to the Concerto in F major, where Gershwin seamlessly fuses the pulse of jazz with classical structure, culminating in a sparkling, high-energy finale. After the interval comes a shift in tone with Ives’s Symphony No. 1 in D minor, a work rooted in the late-Romantic tradition yet already hinting at the originality that would define his later music. Its lush orchestral writing and subtle surprises offer a compelling counterpart to Gershwin’s urban flair. Together, these works form an opening night that blends vitality, virtuosity, and the spirit of discovery—an ideal start to the Festival’s summer season.
Romeo and Juliet – A ballet by Cathy Marston
In Cathy Marston’s reinterpretation of Shakespeare’s world-famous story, everything is turned on its head in a fraction of a second: from love to violence, from desire to loss. Marston defies expectations and tells the story without traditional props such as swords or poison; instead, poetic imagery, precise characterizations, and new perspectives take center stage. The stage design combines a multi-layered urban backdrop with deliberately placed visual accents. The costumes are by Australian costume designer David Fleischer. General Music Director Gianandrea Noseda conducts the Zurich Opera Orchestra through Sergei Prokofiev’s passionate score.
The power of the Ring – 150 Years ‘The Ring of the Nibelung
Wagner’s ‘The Ring of the Nibelung’ is the musical embodiment of the motto “Think big.” The documentary ‘The Power of the Ring – 150 Years of the Ring of the Nibelung’ embarks on an entertaining journey of discovery into the fascinating world of Wagner’s operatic cycle. With conductors Gianandrea Noseda, Simone Young ; Philosopher Slavoj Žižek ; Scientist Eva Rieger ; Author Boris Schumatsky ; Stage Director Andreas Homoki
Blomstedt conducts Beethoven and Nielsen
Since his time as chief conductor of the Leipzig Gewandhausorchester between 1998 and 2005, Herbert Blomstedt – now its honorary conductor – has returned to Leipzig every year to conduct one or more always celebrated concerts. In 2015, he conducted Carl Nielsen’s Symphony No. 3 and Ludwig van Beethoven’s Symphony No.7 in three sold-out concerts at the Gewandhaus. The combination of these two symphonies was also one of the first concerts Blomstedt conducted during his time in Leipzig, even then bringing the people in the audience to their feet and making them discover the music of Danish composer Carl Nielsen, whose works – until then – had only been rarely played in German concert halls. In 2015, 150 years after Nielsen’s birth, the combination and juxtaposition of his Third with Beethoven’s Seventh was again a big success.
Ein deutsches Requiem
The “German Requiem” made Johannes Brahms one of the most famous composers of his time. He himself later said of his work, “I have now found consolation.” Under the direction of Gianandrea Noseda, who presented himself with this extraordinary concert as the new General Music Director of the Zurich Opera House, the choir and orchestra performed in an empty hall – the orchestra on the stage, the choir facing it in the parquet and the tiers of the auditorium. Distanced, yet united in consolation. “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”
The Nutcracker
Because of Tchaikovsky’s imaginative music, “The Nutcracker“ is one of the most popular works of the ballet repertoire, instantly bringing to mind scenes of a splendidly decorated Christmas room, dancing snowflakes and the waltz of the flowers. The plot of “The Nutcracker“ is based on a novella by E.T.A. Hoffmann. While the masterful fairytale virtuously jumps back and forth from a dream to reality, in its adaptation as a ballet libretto by Alexandre Dumas and Marius Petipa, it lost much of its dark romantic fantasy. Christian Spuck attempts to distance himself from the Dumas/Petipas version in his choreography and puts the literary origin at the heart of his ballet, emphasizing the fantastical nature of the original rather than the delightful Christmas fairytale and bringing back the fairytale of the princess Pirlipat, who turns into a nut monster, as told by E.T.A. Hoffmann. In Rufus Didwiszus’ stage setting, the workshop of the godfather Drosselmeier turns into an old revue-theater, where the characters of the ballet come to life. Spuck’s choreography plays with the richness of characters in Hoffmann’s narrative cosmos, the absurdity and overwrought humor that inhabit them while at the same time looking down into the dark abyss of Romanticism.
Lucerne Festival: Andris Nelsons conducts Brahms
Claudio Abbado himself chose Brahms’ Alto Rhapsody as the center of the opening concert 2014, and Andris Nelsons and the Lucerne Festival Orchestra probe its psychological depths – while further exploring the psychic landscape of this German Romantic’s music as expressed in the Second Serenade and the Second Symphony. —– PROGRAM: Brahms: Serenade No. 2 in D major op. 16 for Small Orchestra / Alto Rhapsody op. 53 for Alto, Male Chorus and Orchestra / Symphony No. 2 in D major op. 73. (Cat. No. UNITEL: A955500030000)
When the evening and morning meet – A Journey into the Music of the Baltic
Not only is the beauty of the Baltic region stunning, it also offers a varied music scene. The film “When the evening and morning meet” embarks on a fascinating journey through Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia. With their knowledge and charm, musicians of diverse styles show the similarities and differences of their musical culture, guiding the viewer by land and sea from the major cities to the musical province and presenting the eventful history of the Baltic States. The result is a multifaceted and entertaining portrait of three small countries with huge musical potential.