Already during his life time Beethoven was regarded as a myth, being the first modern artist in the sense of an autonomous spirit, not dependent on any sovereign, only committed to his own work. But how did Beethoven become hero, myth and legend? This docuseries looks into his piano sonatas as the key to these and many more questions as into a “journal intime”. Featuring animations, enactments, Dutch Beethoven biographer and bestseller author Jan Caeyers and Beethoven expert & pianist Rudolf Buchbinder.
Thielemann conducts Brahms, Tchaikovsky, Liszt
Lisa Batiashvili, Gautier Capuçon, Christian Thielemann and the Staatskapelle Dresden present a sophisticated programme about love and death from the perspective of three 19th century composers: The stages of life can be viewed as preludes to the melody of death, as Liszt proposed in Les Préludes. It is only at the very end that the inadequacies of life are resolved – the tragedy behind the love of Romeo and Juliet in Tchaikovsky’s Fantasy Overture. In the jaws of death, Eros enjoys his strongest impulse, one that transcends time. What results is the desire for the epic and heroic, which in Brahms’ final orchestral work, the Double Concerto, achieves a certain consummation. The Double Concerto forms part of Thielemann’s extensive Brahms cycle, containing symphonies and solo concertos performed to frenetic acclaim in Dresden and Tokyo.
Baden-Baden Opera Gala
“An extraordinary evening full of emotions!” that is how the press called “the concert event of the year”: Anja Harteros, Ekaterina Gubanova, Jonas Kaufmann and Bryn Terfel, four singers in a league of their own presented an extraordinary summit of classical music superstars. The star-studded cast took the audience on a long journey, exploring some of the most remarkable and popular operas and combining all the features of this supreme musical genre in a single concert: beauty, magical sound, tragedy, and overflowing passion.
Hampson and Grubinger at Heidelberger Frühling
Works by George Crumb, Sting, Cole Porter, George Gershwin, Kurt Weill and others
Strauss: A Hero’s Life
A Hero’s Life: In 2014, the year that marked the 150th birthday of the composer, Daniel Barenboim conducted his Staatskapelle Berlin with Strauss’ tone poem. The aplomb with which the composer is quoting his own works in this musical portrait of a “hero” was criticized as well as admired… but A Hero’s Life stays one Strauss’ masterpieces.
Simon Rattle conducts Schumann and Brahms
Repertoire: Schumann, Symphony No. 4 / Brahms, Symphony No. 4
Paavo Järvi conducts Mahler: The Symphony Cycle
„Mahler’s heaven’s gates open“ exults the press on the occasion of Mahler’s first symphony, presented by Paavo Järvi and the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra during the Rheingau Music Festival, as part of a multi-year cycle “at the highest niveau” (FAZ). Not only with this one, but with each individual symphony, succeeds Järvi, “the musical dramatist of superior vision” (FAZ) to excite the audience. Also in Mahler’s Eighth, he creates “richness of colour, depth and a visionary force that literally sweeps the listener” (FAZ). And so it is this very cycle that „contributes significantly to the rise of the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra into the top group of German Radio Orchestras” (FAZ) and with which they reinforce their reputation as Mahler specialists. The Rheingau Music Festival provides for the Mahler cycle, not least for the “Symphony of a Thousand” the ideal stage: it is one of Europe’s largest music festivals with numerous concerts in churches and palaces, among others the very prestigious performing arts centers Kloster Eberbach and the Frankfurt Opera House. Programme includes Symphonys 1-10.
Richard Strauss – Birthday Gala
Richard Strauss premiered nine of his fifteen operas at the Semperoper Dresden – this unique relationship was celebrated with a special gala in honour of the composer’s 150th birthday in 2014, featuring the famous arias from Elektra, Salome, Arabella, Die ägyptische Helena and Daphne as well as orchestral music from Der Rosenkavalier, Intermezzo and Die schweigsame Frau. —– Program: Der Rosenkavalier, Waltz Suites 1 & 2 / Elektra, Monologue / Feuersnot, Love Scene / Salome, Final Scene / Arabella, Final Scene Act I / Intermezzo, 2nd Orchestral Interlude / Die ägyptische Helena, “Zweite Brautnacht” / Die schweigsame Frau, Potpourri Overture / Daphne, Final Scene
The Odeonsplatz Concert – “Russian Night”
The 2014 open air concert with Mariss Jansons and the Balalaika-ensemble Terem-Quartet from the stunning Odeonsplatz in Munich includes works by Pjotr Iljitsch TCHAIKOVSKY: Capriccio Italien op. 45, Alexander TCHAIKOVSKY: Garden Symphony – Concert for Balalaika-quartet and orchestra (dedicated to Mariss Jansons – world premiere) / Dmitri SHOSTAKOVICH: Festive Overture, op. 96 / Aram KHATCHATURIAN: Music from “Spartakus” and “Gayaneh” / Alexander GLASUNOV: Music from “Raymonda” / Nikolai RIMSKY-KOSRAKOV: Capriccio espagnol
From War To Peace
This documentary celebrates 20 years of the World Orchestra for Peace (1995-2015 ), with excerpts from the 2014 UNESCO Concert for Peace at the BBC Proms, with works by Gustav Mahler, Richard Strauss and Roxanna Panufnik, conducted by Valery Gergiev. Also featured are a rare archive of Georg Solti with Richard Strauss (1949), Solti’s 80th birthday concert at Buckingham Palace (1992) with additional contributions from Irina Bokova (UNESCO Director-General) and many leading players of the World Orchestra for Peace.