In Rehearsal: Valery Gergiev

Featuring some of today’s leading conductors in rehearsal, the “In Rehearsal” series gives a unique insight into the process of creating great music. The conductors’ very different styles and methods; the dialogue between an orchestra and an inspired interpreter; the intensity of the preparations for a concert performance; and the struggle towards perfection are captured in these revealing audio-visual records. Most episodes include a full run-through of the work rehearsed. All include interviews with the conductor who is seen at work. Valéry Gergiev works with the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra on Prokofiev’s Scythian Suite Op. 20. Directed by Rob van den Berg 59′

Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake

Matthew Bourne’s triumphant modern re-interpretation of Swan Lake, with its cast of male swans, has turned tradition upside down and taken the ballet fraternity by storm. Never has such a contemporary re-working of a traditional ballet thrilled both ardent critics and modern dance enthusiasts in such equal measure. “Matthew Bourne has turned Swan Lake on its head, he has given it a sex change and catapulted it into another universe … some of the best performances you will ever see on a ballet stage. It will be a great big hit” The Times

Marta and Gyorgy Kurtag in Concert

When Márta and György Kurtág visited the Jerusalem Music Centre in 1996, it was to pass on their wisdom in multiple ways. On the first day, György worked with young musicians in masterclasses on his works. On the second, he and Márta offered a masterclass of their own in a very special concert featuring excerpts from the composer’s Játékok and a selection of his hauntingly beautiful Bach arrangements for four hands.

Kurtag in Jerusalem

This remarkable film made in 1996 follows one of the world’s greatest living composers, György Kurtág, as he travels to Jerusalem share his wisdom in a series of masterclasses with young musicians at the Jerusalem Music Centre. A dedicated teacher, Kurtág helps the students get to the heart of his works, with an emphasis less on instrumental technique than on meticulous interpretation. The masterclass is followed by a concert given by the students, demonstrating the effect of Kurtág’s guidance. A fascinating insight into the composer, his work, and how he inspires musicians of the next generation.

Scythian Suite Op.20

The energy and excitement of performances under the baton of maestro Valéry Gergiev are thrilling. This concert, with the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, was recorded live at the city’s Doelen Hall. The programme includes Debussy’s Fragments Symphoniques for D’Annunzio’s mystery play Le Martyre de St Sébastien, Prokofiev’s Scythian Suite, Stravinsky’s Fireworks and his Piano Concerto. The soloist for the concerto is the Georgian virtuoso Alexander Toradze, a singularly imposing figure at the keyboard.

Interview with Leonard Slatkin

Leonard Slatkin was born in Los Angeles, the son of two musicians. He now takes his place among the leading conductors of the United States both in the domain of symphonic music as well as in the opera. His repertoire comprises the great standard works as well as the music of the 20th century and is documented in over a hundred recordings. Slatkin was music director of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra for many years and became the principal conductor of the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington in 1996/97. He has guested at the head of just about every major orchestra in the U.S. and Europe.