Eumeralla, a war requiem for peace brings into focus a period of Australia’s history that is yet to be fully understood. Written and composed by acclaimed Yorta Yorta soprano and composer Deborah Cheetham, this requiem for peace will be sung entirely in the ancient dialects of the Gunditjmara people. Benjamin Northey is “superbly conducting” the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, receiving “well-deserved and spontaneous standing ovations” (Limelight Magazine). Above all, this performance is a sign of willingness to continue on the path of reconciliation, in which Eumeralla represents a significant step.
MSO: Hector Berlioz ” L’Enfance du Christ”
The 150th anniversary of Hector Berlioz’s death in 1869 will be commemorated in 2019. An ancient story with a modern parallel, Berlioz’s L’Enfance du Christ tells the story of the Holy Family fleeing their homeland and relying on the kindness of strangers as they journey across the desert to safety. Tender, intimate and intensely evocative, this oratorio is a stark musical contrast to the wild pagan dervishes, choruses of the damned and huge orchestral forces more commonly associated with Hector Berlioz. In almost cinematic style, Berlioz paints the human elements of the story in a series of visual tableaux: an uneasy night in Rome, the world-weariness of Herod, the blind fanaticism of the soothsayers, the joys and griefs of Jesus’ parents, the shepherds’ kindness and the bustling welcome of the Ishmaelite household. Prepare to be moved to tears, Berlioz would be proud! Why it’s a must-see: “This piece is very unusual for Berlioz as most of it is quite intimate. This work has wonderful writing for the chorus, it’s very varied and the narrator (sung by Andrew Staples) is so colourful. The final chorus is to die for!” (Sir Andrew Davis).
MSO: Kate Mille-Heidke and the MSO
A recording of a very special one-night-only event, Australian theatre and music sensation Kate Miller-Heidke joins the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, performing songs from her award-winning opera The Rabbits and popular hits featured on her new album ‘The Best of Kate Miller-Heidke: Act One’. Kate Miller-Heidke is a classically trained singer who traverses the worlds of contemporary pop, folk and opera. This is her first collaboration with the MSO. When the singer-songwriter combines her own material with a symphonic sound, you’re in for a special thrill! Featuring extraordinary visuals by Australian artist and film maker Amy Gebhardt, guitar accompaniment by Keir Nuttall and conducted by MSO’s Associate Conductor Benjamin Northey.
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.
Sounds Of The Universe
In 2018 the International Baroque Days of Melk Abbey, today one of the internationally most renowned early music festivals, celebrated their 40th anniversary. Director Volker Werner’s documentary focuses on the unique connection between the festival and Melk Abbey. Here a modern cultural institution meets the centuries-old religious living space of the monastery. By including eminent figures like Helmut Pilss, Alexander Hauer and Michael Schade, the documentary takes us on a journey from the present day to the beginnings of the Pentecost concerts and grants an unexpected look behind the scenes.
Il viaggio – A musical journey through Italian Renaissance
Vincent Dumestre and his ensemble Le Poeme Harmonique take us on a musical journey through the music of the Italian Renaissance to the beautiful Palazzo Farnese in Rome. On the occasion of its 20th anniversary, the baroque ensemble together with French mezzo-soprano Eva Zaicik pays homage to the unique musicality and sensitivity of Bellerofonte Castaldi and his contemporaries Monteverdi and Frescobaldi, as well as Rossi, Buonamente and Uccellini.
Karajan vs. Bernstein – Battle of Giants
Bernstein vs. Karajan: a musical Yalta. They were on top of the world of classical music, reflecting also the political conflicts of their time: the grandson of a rabbi against a member of Hitler’s national-socialist party, America against Europe, modernists against traditionalists. These two conductors mostly distinguished themselves by renovating the music industry, television and opera. They were icons of the 1970s who created a special sort of glamour in classical music and at the same time contributed to its democratization.
David Garrett – Unlimited
Star violinist David Garrett celebrates his ten-year spectacular crossover programme with thousands of fans in the extraordinary atmosphere of the Arena di Verona. Thanks to his passion for music, he has succeeded in creating a completely new audience not only for crossover but also for classical music. With his brilliant interpretations of rock hits like “Purple Rain” or “Smells Like Teen Spirit” and world-famous pop songs like “Viva la vida” or “Hey Jude” and his arrangements of classical melodies like Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony or “Clair de Lune” by Debussy, Garrett knows how to literally sweep his audience off their seats like no other.