During their first tour of Germany together, the Tonkunstler-Orchester and their music director Yutaka Sado give their acclaimed debut in the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg with Gustav Mahler’s impressive Symphony No. 5. Mahler described his Fifth Symphony as a “cursed work” that “no one understands”. While the extreme variety of expression actually overwhelmed the audience at the time, the symphony enjoys the highest popularity today, especially thanks to its gossamer-like Adagietto movement.
Draw a Line
The documentary Draw a Line by Benedict Mirow accompanies Richard Siegal and Ballet of Difference during the rehearsal process for ON BODY up to the celebrated world premieres in Cologne and Munich. It shows how the diverse troupe blossoms into one of the best modern dance companies of today and it celebrates the creative talents behind Ballet of Difference. Mirow also shot in Africa to trace the African roots of Siegal’s style with which he transformed the German dance scene. A powerful film about artistic freedom, the rousing power of electronic music and the brutal passion, painful discipline and touching sensuality of dance.
Betrothal in a Monastery
At the Staatsoper Unter den Linden Dmitri Tcherniakov stages Prokofiev’s lyrical comic opera Betrothal in a Monastery under Daniel Barenboim’s baton. The Russian director recasts the complete opera as therapeutic role play for “Opera-Addict Anonymus”. Daniel Barenboim conducts the Staatskapelle Berlin and “the uniformly excellent cast” (Financial Times), led by Aida Garifullina, Bogdan Volkov and Stephan Rügamer among others. “Musically, this performance is a celebration in every respect”, praises BR Klassik.
Salzburg Festival 2019: Barenboim conducts the West–Eastern Divan Orchestra
Acclaimed by critics as an evening of superlative, Martha Argerich – arguably the greatest living pianist – joins Daniel Barenboim and his West-Eastern Divan Orchestra for an unforgettable interpretation of Tchaikovsky’s First Piano Concerto. Argerich’s playing is full of astonishing virtuosity and uncompromising, alternating with breakneck passages and tender tones: “Martha Argerich is and remains unique” (Die Presse). In addition to Tchaikovsky’s brilliant piece, Schubert’s Symphony “Unfinished” is played, a work that has never been performed during the composer’s lifetime, as well as Lutoslawski’s Concerto for Orchestra, completed in 1945 – a highly demanding technical piece that challenges orchestra members as virtuosos. PROGRAM Schubert: Symphony No 7; Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No 1; Lutoslawski: Concerto for Orchestra
Salzburg Festival 2019: Haitink conducts Bruckner & Beethoven
To end his active conducting career after 65 years, maestro Bernard Haitink together with the Wiener Philharmoniker gives a farewell concert at the Grosses Festspielhaus, leaving no doubt of being one of the best Bruckner interpreters ever. The Dutch conductor, who was appointed honorary member of the Wiener Philharmoniker shortly before the concert, is joined by star pianist Emanuel Ax in Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4. The concert ends with Bruckner’s monumental Symphony No. 7: “No more Bruckner under Haitink, that’s a cut in the history of interpretation” (Wiener Zeitung). PROGRAM Bruckner: Symphony No 7; Beethoven: Piano Concerto No 4
Rigoletto on the Lake – The creation of a spectacle
The open-air floating stage in Bregenz is one of the most spectacular opera venues in the world requiring a long and careful planning. Three years of preparation and ten months of construction, a scenery with a weight of 140 metric tons and a massive head of almost 14 metres: In Philipp Stölzl’s Rigoletto the stage design becomes the protagonist. The documentary gives an insight into the formation process of his ground-breaking production – so far the most lavish opera of Bregenz Festival, heralding “a new era in matter of stage technique.” (APA)
Hollywood in Vienna – A Night at the Oscars with Gabriel Yared
Hollywood in Vienna is the world’s first and unique film music gala concert, celebrating the most renowned film composers of our time. This year’s gala is dedicated to the motto “A Night at the Oscars” and to Gabriel Yared. Under the direction of Keith Lockhart, the ORF Radio Symphonieorchester Wien undertakes a glamorous journey through eight decades of film music. Gabriel Yared furthermore treats the Viennese audience to one of his rare public performances on the piano. Featuring music from The English Patient, Chocolat, The Talented Mr. Ripley, Cold Mountain, The Lives of Others, Jaws, Black Panther, Forrest Gump and many more
The Brahms Code
A music documentary with Paavo Järvi and the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen. The documentary by award winning film director Christian Berger explores the four symphonies by Johannes Brahms. Through the eyes of the musicians and their artistic director Paavo Järvi the viewer experiences the peaks of these romantic masterpieces and receives information for the better understanding.
Salzburg Wind Orchestra Gala with Martin Grubinger
A century after its collapse, the Danube Monarchy lives on – in the Waltz, the March, the Csárdás and the Polka. In a splendid gala concert the Bläserphilharmonie Mozarteum Salzburg, led by Hansjörg Angerer, brings the glamour of the world empire to life. The masterpieces of the leading composers who worked during the last hundred years of the Habsburg Monarchy are lively and triumphant, soulful and melancholic. Percussion superstar Martin Grubinger shines with a rousing performance of a specially arranged percussion suite. For the grand finale there is but one choice: The Blue Danube, the posthumous “national anthem” of the Danube Monarchy.
150th Anniversary Wiener Staatsoper – Open Air Gala
The Vienna State Opera celebrates its 150th birthday with a glamorous open-air gala, gathering an extraordinary summit of operatic superstars like Bulgarian soprano Sonya Yoncheva, Swedish soprano Nina Stemme, French tenor Roberto Alagna, Uruguayan baritone Erwin Schrott or Italian bass Feruccio Furlanetto to name only a few. Together with soloists of the new generation of the house like sopranos Valentina Nafornita or Olga Bezsmertna – “a triumph for the ensemble” (Die Presse) – they present a firework of famous opera arias, accompanied by the Orchestra and Choir of the Wiener Staatsoper under the rousing baton of Maestro Marco Armiliato, a regular and appreciated guest at the Vienna State Opera. Nestled in the beautiful city centre, the State Opera is one of the most prestigous opera houses in the world with a long and significant history, a Mecca for international opera fans. Praised by critics as “mega event”, about 10,000 spectators came to witness this jubilee concert and celebrate musical passion in a fantastic atmosphere,
a feast for the ears and for the eyes.