The successful duo of Jossi Wieler und Sergio Morabito have rediscovered a Baroque gem in Niccolò Jommelli’s opera Il Vologeso. Their exciting staging, relocated to the present day, delighted both the audience and the press. Born in Naples in 1714, Niccolò Jommelli was in his day a superstar among composers. In the course of his life he set some 80 librettos. For this, the first staged performance of Il Vologeso for more than 200 years, a strong cast has been assembled. Sebastian Kohlhepp, Sophie, Ana Durlovski, Helene Schneiderman and Catriona Smith all bring the story of Vologeso to life again with their captivating and beautiful singing. Gabriele Ferro, conducting the State Orchestra, transforms Jommelli’s music into great waves of emotion with his differentiated and thrilling conducting style.
Bernard Haitink conducts Beethoven Missa Solemnis
“Bernard Haitink found great nuances and nice timbres of the orchestra effectively and impressively underlining the bombastic passages of the piece” (Münchner Merkur). Teaming up with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra and Choir, the grandseigneur of the stars of the podium devoted himself to the “Missa Solemnis” of Ludwig van
Beethoven.
Hollywood in Vienna – A Tribute to Randy Newman
The legendary Film Music Gala from the Wiener Konzerthaus with the Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra , in 2014 was dedicated to Randy Newman. The program contains favourite film music from War of the Roses to The Simpsons, from Sabrina to Life of Brian, Pink Panther, The Artist, Mr. Bean, Love … actually, and several Randy Newman song medleys.
Verdi & Wagner – 6 part documentary series
“Wagner vs. Verdi” illuminates the two composers, the Italian Giuseppe Verdi and the German Richard Wagner from different and very personal angles: Six episodes that explore various aspects of live and work of the two titans of opera: politics, love, music and emotions. Big names of the classical music scene such as conductor Christian Thielemann and singer Rolando Villazón are being interviewed as well as music experts and designated Verdi and Wagner fans and haters. A diverse and entertaining documentary series for newcomers and connoisseurs alike. PART 1: … and the Effects of their Music – Director: Christian Kugler (Length: 26′ – A045500090001) / PART 2: The Chant – Director: Thomas Macho (Length: 27′ – A045500090002) / PART 3: The Revolutionairies – Director: Pepe Pippig (Length: 27′ – A045500090003) / PART 4: …and the Women – Director: Martin Betz (Length: 27′ – A045500090004) / PART 5: The Wagner Religion – Director: Daniel Gerlach (Length: 27′ – A045500090005) / PART 6: Verdi’s World – Director: Anna Schmidt (Length: 27′ – A045500090006) // ALSO AVAILABLE: Wagner Madness! – Director: Martin Schneider (Length: 43′ – A04550010)
Andris Nelsons – Boston Symphony: Inaugural Concert
This event celebrates the start of Andris Nelsons’ tenure as the 15th music director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and features two of the conductor’s close colleagues, the acclaimed Latvian soprano Kristine Opolais and the outstanding German tenor Jonas Kaufmann. Singing’s selections from the Wagnerian and the Italian verismo repertoires, they join forces for a powerful duet from Puccini’s Manon Lescaut. The concert opens with Wagner’s Tannhäuser Overture – the work that first inspired a five year old Nelsons to a life in music – and closes with Respighi’s spectacular orchestral showcases “Pines of Rome”.
A Trio For Schubert: Voyage d’hiver
Schubert’s masterpiece is seen through the eyes and heard through the voice of baritone Matthias Goerne in this documentary about the making of Schubert’s song-cycle for the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence, as visualized by William Kentridge.
Daniel Barenboim & West Eastern Divan Orchestra in Marseille
Daniel Barenboim and the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra at the Festival International de Piano de la Roque d’Anthéron in Marseille. The performance is part of the celebration of Marseille-Provence as the 2013 European Capital of Culture. On the programworks Giuseppe Verdi and Hector Berlioz. —– PROGRAM: Verdi: La Traviata, Preludes to act 1 and 3; Overture to Les Vêpres siciliennes; Overture to La forza del destino / Berlioz: Symphonie fantastique op. 14.
La Pietra del Paragone
Considering that Rossini’s opera buffa “La pietra del paragone” (The Touchstone) is hardly ever staged and that its title is not even known through its overture, like “La scala di seta” or “La gazza ladra,” music lovers can be forgiven for being in the dark about this sparklingly luminous work. One of Rossini’s first operas, it was written for Milan’s La Scala and premiered there in 1812. It was a resounding success – in spite of its standard libretto filled with disguises, mistaken identities and trials of love and loyalty. But it boasts a splendidly varied orchestral writing, which includes dramatic hunt and storm scenes, and betrays a love of language and wordplay which presages Rossini’s later works. For this alone, it deserves an above-average treatment. The least one can say about this magical, multi-media and often side-splitting production by Pierrick Sorin and Giorgio Barberio Corsetti – and its video recording by Philippe Béziat presented here – is that Rossini’s “Touchstone” is given an incomparably special treatment here! Known for his video installations and live video performances, Sorin magnifies Rossini’s buffo humor by having the singers recorded live on stage by five cameras, integrated into decors filmed elsewhere on the stage, and having the result projected onto three large screens. The visual gags and optical illusions are as sweetly mischievous and cleverly absurd as Rossini’s libretto and musical setting.
Franz Schubert – Winterreise
“Winterreise” by Franz Schubert – unquestionably one of the best known works in the lieder repertoire – engages with its audience in a new and unexpected form: in a creative encounter with Schubert’s masterpiece, the celebrated lieder specialist Matthias Goerne, pianist Markus Hinterhäuser and South African director, set designer and
theatre artist William Kentridge joined forces on stage and traced newly imagined, deeply moving images. In short animated films, Kentridge visualises Goerne’s and Hinterhäuser’s sonic contribution. A memorable meeting “of melancholy and magic” (La Marseillaise).