In The Little Mermaid, Hamburg Ballet Director and Chief Choreographer John Neumeier blends dance, dramatic storytelling and spectacle into a stunning interpretation of Hans Christian Andersen’s fable. The talented, award-winning Russian composer, Lera Auerbach, presents a dramatic score that evokes both atmosphere and emotional tone. With choreography, sets and costumes all by Neumeier, this ballet – as much theater as it is dance – reveals the depths of the choreographer’s imagination. Neumeier elevates a fantasy into a sophisticated portrayal of psychological transformation and the resilience of the spirit, human or otherwise. “Neumeier‘s place in the ballet world is as singular as his interpretation of the tale.“ (San Francisco Chronicle)
Rudolf Buchbinder/Wiener Philharmoniker Beethoven Piano Concertos Nos. 1 – 5
After decades of work on Beethoven’s original scores, the Austrian pianist Rudolf Buchbinder offers a definitive interpretation of all of Beethoven’s piano concertos in this series of live recordings of his ecstatically acclaimed performances in the Musikverein in Vienna. Buchbinder conducts the Vienna Philharmonic from the piano and achieves a rare degree of tension and chamber-like concentration. “There is no one else who plays Beethoven with such classical perfection and at such a high level.” Der Kurier, Vienna