Christian Thielemann’s international fame rests to a large extent on his interpretations of BRUCKNER. In this concert with the Berliner Philharmoniker he conducts the composer’s most popular work, the Fourth Symphony. As the epithet “Romantic” implies, Bruckner here creates a vision of a better past. The Oboe Concerto by RICHARD STRAUSS which opens the concert has a similarly nostalgic flavour. The soloist is Albrecht Mayer, principal oboist with the Berliner Philharmoniker since 1992.—– Program: Richard STRAUSS, Oboe Concerto in D major; Johann Sebastian BACH, Sinfonia from Cantata BWV 156, Anton BRUCKNER, Symphony No. 4 in E flat major “Romantic”
Wolf, Songs for Soprano and Orchestra & Bruckner, Symphony No. 7
When conductor Christian Thielemann, master interpreter of the romantic repertoire, and Renée Fleming, late-romantic specialist par excellence, weave their talents into the orchestral tapestry unfolded by the Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden, one of the oldest and most revered orchestras in the world, they create, as put by the Süddeutsche Zeitung, “romantic music as magic for the ears”. For this special concert, the first concert of Christian Thielemann as the principal conductor of the Staatskapelle Dresden, they chose the orchestral songs by the Austrian composer HUGO WOLF and ANTON BRUCKNER’s Symphony No. 7.
A Chinese Night – Classical Music Open Air in Dresden
For their Chinese Night, staged in the open air by the Staatskapelle Dresden in the city’s central park, the long-established German orchestra – one of the oldest in the world – called upon the services of three artists from the land of Cathay: the young pianist Yuja Wang already hailed as a world star, the Paganini Competition prizewinner Mengla Huang and the world-class Chinese-American conductor Xian Zhang. The main work of the evening is RACHMANINOFF’s Third Piano Concerto, other pieces are RIMSKY-KORSAKOV’s Capriccio Espagnol, PROKOFIEV’s March from The Love For Three Oranges and also excerpts from the Butterfly Lovers’ Violin Concerto by the Chinese composers CHEN GANG and HE ZHANHAO, one of the best known works of contemporary Chinese music. —– Program: Chen GANG/He ZHANHAO: Parts from “The Butterfly Lovers’ Violin Concerto“; Nikolai RIMSKY-KORSAKOV: Capriccio Espagnol, Op. 34; Sergei RACHMANINOFF: Piano Concerto No. 3 in D minor, Op. 30; Vladimir HOROWITZ: Variations on a theme from Georges Bizet’s “Carmen“; Sergey PROKOFIEV: March from “The Love For Three Oranges“
Notte Italiana
Since its première in the year 2000, “Classics on Odeonsplatz” has been a highlight of the Munich cultural season. Flanked by stylishly illuminated historical edifices, such as the Theatiner Church and the Residence, some 16,000 people each year thrill to music in this unique atmosphere. The Feldherrnhalle as orchestral platform and the adjoining historical buildings make Odeonsplatz into an open-air arena with magnificent acoustics. On the program arias by Giuseppe VERDI (“Nabucco”, “Aida”, “La Traviata”), Giacomo PUCCINI (“Tosca”, Gianni Schicchi”, “La Bohème”) and Ruggero LEONCAVALLO “I Pagliacci”, amongst others.
Riccardo Chailly and Nicolaj Znaider: Mendelssohn, Mahler
Italian conductor Riccardo Chailly – a “long-time respected Mahlerian” (Financial Times) – and “his” Gewandhaus Orchestra Leipzig prove once again their exceptional grasp of the Mahler Symphonies. In this concert at the Gewandhaus Leipzig Mahler’s “Tragic Symphony” is combined with a piece of music that has its origin in that very place: Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto that Mendelssohn composed for his friend Ferdinand David, at that time concertmaster of the Gewandhaus Orchestra, and that was given his first performance at the Gewandhaus in 1845. In this concert, it is performed by young Danish star violinist Nikolaj Znaider. —– Program: Felix MENDELSSOHN BARTHOLDY, Violin Concerto in E minor, Op. 64; Gustav MAHLER, Symphony No. 6 in A minor; Johann Sebastian BACH (Encore), Partita No. 2 in D minor, BWV 1004 – Sarabande
Thielemann conducts Bach’s Christmas Oratorio
By performing Bach’s Christmas Oratorio, Christian Thielemann, the new chief conductor of the Staatskapelle Dresden, fulfilled a long-cherished wish: he always wanted to conduct this work and in Dresden he found the ideal conditions. At the same time he brought it back on the schedule of the Staatskappelle after a pause of over 20 years. The Christmas Oratorio BWV 248 by Johann Sebastian Bach was written for the Christmas season of 1734 in Leipzig. Christian Thielemann leads the Staatskapelle Dresden along with a roster of top soloists: Sibylla Rubens (Soprano), Christa Mayer (Alto), Daniel Behle Tenor) and Florian Boesch (Bass).
Bruckner, Symphony No. 8 in c minor
Christian Thielemann’s Bruckner “is so mighty, and with such a depth of sound … that one would have to be hard-hearted not to be touched by this heartfelt music” wrote the Berlin daily Der Tagesspiegel after this concert featuring Anton Bruckner’s Eighth Symphony performed by the Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden. The recording of this symphony shall start a cycle of Bruckner’s complete symphonies with the Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden under their principal conductor Christian Thielemann that is to be produced over the course of several years – a living monument of musical architecture.
Monteverdi Cycle from Berlin: Orpheus
Monteverdi’s La Favola d’Orfeo is acknowledged as the very first opera, his three surviving complete operas are accordingly right at the start of operatic history, and yet Berlin’s Komische Oper has succeeded in making these three works “so modern and thrilling” that, as Bayerischer Rundfunk said, “the 400 intervening years sometimes seemed to have been eliminated”. In a stage production by Barrie Kosky and a new instrumentation by the Tashkent-born, internationally successful composer Elena Kats-Chernin, conductor André de Ridder presents a brilliantly selected ensemble, comprising 32 soloists and a supporting cast of over 200. The electrifying curtain-raiser is Orpheus, compelling as a rich feast of the senses in a lush blooming stage Arcadia, peopled by a fantastic company of nymphs and satyrs. Amid joyful song and captivating dance interludes, the mythical singer’s passionate young love for Eurydice blossoms till its tragic end at her death.
Monteverdi Cycle from Berlin: Odysseus
Odysseus on is a character study with moving moments. A man weary of wandering and a waiting wife at home long for one another, only to find it hard to approach each other again after years of separation.
Monteverdi Cycle from Berlin: Poppea
The highlight of the idiosyncratic orchestration and direction comes in Poppea with a glorification of immorality that is almost unbelievable from a composer who was a priest. In a bleak rocky landscape, the innocence of Arcadian love is perverted into naked lust, degraded to an unrestrained exercise of brutality and arbitrary power.