150 days later to the day, Johannes Brahms’s “Ein Deutsches Requiem” returns to the place of its triumphal premiere on 10th April 1868, the stunning Bremen Cathedral, thanks to Grammy Award winner Paavo Järvi. He conducts the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen & State Choir Latvija as well as acclaimed soloists Matthias Goerne and Valentina Farcas – “rarely you hear such an insightful performance!” (FAZ) Järvi shows the masterpiece in Brahms’s final version with all seven movements, using the same number of musicians as the composer himself, which is less than what is common practice today.
The Creation (Die Schöpfung)
To mark its 40th anniversary, the International Baroque Days of Melk Abbey are returning to their roots: Under the musical direction of Stefan Gottfried, the Concentus Musicus Wien, the Bach Choir Salzburg, together with soloists Anna Lucia Richter, Michael Schade and Florian Boesch, perform Joseph Haydn’s famous oratorio “Die Schöpfung” (The Creation). First performed in Vienna in 1798, Haydn’s three-part oratorio is still considered a reference work today. The creation of the world, the chaos of all beginnings is marked by picturesque depictions of nature in the composition.
Bregenz Festival – Lake Stage Opera Box
“Stage director Graham Vick and set designer Paul Brown conjure up an “open-air spectacle of superlatives” (Die Zeit about Aida) “A gigantic set with iconic qulities – a masterly achievment“ (Die Welt about Andrea Chénier) “David Pountney finds stunning answers to the everlasting questions surrounding ‘The Magic Flute’.” (Der Tagesspiegel about Die Zauberflöte) „A bit of Hollywood in Bregenz: Melodies for the millions, impressively staged grand opera.“(ZDF heute journal about Turandot) „… Kasper Holten’s production of Carmen on Es Devlin’s extraordinary set was a knockout. …“ (The Telegraph)
Salzburg Festival Concert Box
A Box Set releasing 6 Concerts from the Salzburg Festival recorded between 2007 and 2013, featuring the Wiener Philharmoniker, the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, the National Children´s Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela under the batons of Pierre Boulez, Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Daniel Barenboim and Sir Simon Rattle.
Martinu Symphony Cycle: Martinu 3 & 6
With the Symphonies Nos. 1 and 4, Jirí Belohlávek and his Czech Philharmonic started the ambitious project of recording the complete Martinu symphonies cycle at the visually and acoustically spectacular Rudolfinum Prague. After the death of his mentor Jirí Belohlávek, who was considered one of the world’s most renowned Martinu experts, rising star conductor Jakub Hruša is going to complete the cycle with performances of Martinu’s Symphonies Nos. 2, 3, 5 and 6 between March 2018 and January 2019. Hruša has recently been hailed by the New York Times for his “passionate, thrilling” way of presenting his ‘all-Czech’ concert at the BBC Proms.
Martinu Symphony Cycle: Martinu 2
Jirí Belohlávek and his Czech Philharmonic embarked on the ambitious project of recording the complete Martinu symphonies at the visually and acoustically spectacular Rudolfinum Prague, starting with Nos. 1 and 4. After the death of Belohlávek, his pupil Jakub Hruša took over the project, continuing the cycle with Symphonies Nos. 2, 3 and 6. Praised for his “passionate, thrilling” way of conducting his ‘all-Czech’ BBC Proms concert by the NYT, Hruša is uniquely qualified to face the task of performing the works of Martinu, who is deemed the greatest Czech composer of his generation.
Busch Trio – Antonín Dvorák‘s complete chamber works for piano and strings
Named after the legendary violinist Adolf Busch, this young piano trio has received enthusiastic responses from audiences and critics across Europe. Winners of the 2012 Royal Overseas League Competition and further prizes in international competitions in Italy and Germany, the Trio performs regularly in some of Europe’s leading venues and festivals. They have been recognized for their achievements and playing of “incredible verve” with their recent Wigmore Hall appearance described in The Times as “most impressive was the group’s effortless musicianship and unity of thought and attack. The threesome even seemed to be breathing in synch.”
RCO: Gatti conducts Bruch & Mahler
Chief conductor Daniele Gatti and star violinist Janine Jansen unite in Max Bruch’s First Violin Concerto, a warm-blooded work which fits Jansen like a glove. Listening to the concerto, with its sweetly flowing melodies and blazing solo passages, one would never know that it took Bruch four years of frustration to write. Almost immediately after it was premiered, it was considered one of the most popular violin concertos in the repertoire. Daniele Gatti and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra are pursuing their Mahler series with the First Symphony. At the premiere in 1889, the audience was ill-prepared for Mahler’s bold orchestration, but the symphony gradually gained in popularity. The Concertgebouw Orchestra, conducted by the composer himself, gave the Dutch premiere in 1903. Mahler was absolutely delighted, exclaiming, ‘The musical culture in this country is stupendous! The way the people can just listen!’ PROGRAM: Bruch: Violin Concerto; Mahler: Symphony No. 1
RCO Opening Night 2018: Thomas Hengelbrock & Evgeny Kissin
RCO Opening Night is the festive opening of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra’s new season in the company of loyal audience members and new friends. The fourth RCO Opening Night in the history of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra is led by Thomas Hengelbrock. Pianist Evgeny Kissin, without a doubt one of the biggest piano players of our time – some say a living legend – is returning to the Concertgebouw Orchestra for the first time since 1994. He is playing the solo in Liszt’s First Piano Concerto. This concert, suffused with the spirit of Romanticism, opens with Berlioz’s concert overture Le Carnaval Romain with its beautiful English horn solo. Mendelssohn’s passionate ‘Italian’ symphony is flanked by works from beloved Italian operas, with several more musical surprises to follow.
RCO: Herreweghe conducts Beethoven & Brahms
With Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4 and Brahms’ Symphony No. 2, Philippe Herreweghe is highlighting the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra’s most important function since ist founding, namely to perform the best works from the Classical and Romantic periods. Herreweghe joins forces here with star pianist Yefim Bronfman, the Russian-Israeli-American master who is known as a heavyweight, excelling in tumultuous works. Remarkably enough, Bronfman now turns to the subtlest and most tender of piano concertos that Beethoven composed.