Enthusiastically celebrated by audience and critics: The new production of Verdi’s Otello from the Palau de les Arts “Reina Sofía” in Valencia is featuring one of best casts one can imagine for this opera: American tenor Gregory Kunde as Otello, Italian soprano Maria Agresta as Desdemona and Spanish baritone Carlos Álvarez as Iago. On the rostrum: Zubin Metha. Stage by Davide Livermore, artistic director of the “Centro de perfeccionamiento Placido Domingo” of the Palau de les Arts.
Rossini Festival Pesaro: L’Italiana in Algeri
Rossini’s first masterpiece, L’italiana in Algeri, from the prestigious Rossini Festival in Pesaro in a new production staged by Italian director Davide Livermore.
Rossini Festival Pesaro: Guillaume Tell
“The Rossini Festival supplied brilliant solutions” to the challenges of Rossini’s rarely performed work composed in the style of French “grand” opera. On the rostrum Gianfranco Mariotti, graduate of Pesaro’s Rossini Conservatory and one of the the world’s most sought after conductors for this repertoire, and “may be the only one person more appreciated in Pesaro than Juan Diego Flórez,” who performs the role of Arnold Melchtal in this production. (Opera Today)
Don Pasquale
“Don Pasquale” is, along with “L’elisir d’amore” and “La fille du régiment,” one of the three musical comedies by Gaetano Donizetti (1797–1848) that still rank highly in today’s operatic repertoire. In this production “full of energy and with a stellar cast” (La Repubblica), the celebrated Italian comedian, actor, writer and cabaretist Antonio Albanese brings all of his wit and spirit into play. He judiciously combines a bittersweet depiction of amorous relations and the liberating laughter that brings us back down to earth!
Tutto Verdi – La Traviata
Tutto Verdi – I Masnadieri
Soulpower
Given that soul has always developed under very particular socio-economic conditions and that the historical background is charged with a topicality that remains significant to this day, the music story will be told within both a historical and political context. In so doing, Soulpower unites a period that spans from the end of the Second World War to the new millennium. From race music to Rihanna. From Bo Diddley to Beyoncé. From Aretha to Adele. From Al Green to Alicia Keys. A thrillingly told, groovy documentary series presenting the big names, the music, the conflicts and the attitude to life of the past 60 years and allows them to resonate.
Riccardo Chailly – A Portrait
Riccardo Chailly is one of the most exciting musicians of our time. This very first portrait shows him working with the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig and other leading orchestras, accompanies him on tour and with his family in Italy. It delineates the artist, the conductor as well as the husband, (grand)father and patriarch. It shows him in private settings as well as at work with leading orchestras of the world: With the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig he continues his acclaimed Mahler cycle; his passion for opera is documented in Valencia, where he recently produced Puccini’s “La Bohéme” with young vocal talents (cf. Puccini, La Bohème from Valencia. Prog. No. A93050003).
The Piano Guys live at Red Butte Garden
Hailing from Utah, The Piano Guys became an Internet sensation by way of their immensely successful series of strikingly original self-made music videos. They’ve made 35 since joining forces a little more than a year ago, including their most recent hit video, an innovative 10-handed version of One Direction’s ‘What Makes You Beautiful.’ But it’s the Guys’ highly original blend of classical music with pop that has really been the cause of an Internet phenomenon that has now brought them to their major label debut album, The Piano Guys, released on Sony Masterworks.
Paths Through The Labyrinth – The Composer Krzysztof Penderecki
On the occasion of Penderecki’s 80th birthday in 2013, this film portraits the artist with a comprehensive ‘work in progress’ documentary: despite his growing age, Penderecki is still an unflinching and active composer and conductor. For one year, the author Anna Schmidt has been studying this world-famous artist, speaking also with high-carat companions: Anne-Sophie Mutter, Julian Rachlin and Janine Jansen, Mariss Jansons and Lorin Maazel; Johnny Greenwood (“Radiohead”) and Andrzej Wajda. The film follows Penderecki from Kraków to Munich, from Vienna to Leipzig, and on various occasions to his country estate in Luslawice. And throughout, the composer reflects on the meteoric beginning to his career, unexpected turning points in his life and ingenious ideas. Thoughts, dialogues, extracts from his music and film scores, encounters and the natural world all condense to create a fascinating, multi-layered portrait including also very rare archive material.