Ivo Pogorelich: Chopin, Haydn, Mozart(1987)

Mozart: La clemenza di Tito(it)

How do we live together in an age of conflict? How do you heal a divided and angry people? In their 2017 production of Mozart’s La clemenza di Tito, Peter Sellars and Teodor Currentzis examine these questions through the story of a warrior-emperor who brings peace to his divided land and pardons his own would-be assassins. Written under a time crunch (legend has it that it was written in only 18 days, although it is likely an exaggeration) during the last year of Mozart’s life, the opera is based on a libretto written more than half a century earlier by Pietro Metastasio. It was commissioned for the coronation of Leopold II as King of Bohemia, and received its first public performance at the Estates Theatre in Prague on September 6, 1791.

Salzburg Festival 2017: Mozart, Requiem in D minor, K. 626(en)

Mozart’s Requiem – his final and unfinished masterpiece – is an extraordinary work. Discover the piece at the Salzburg Festival in the hands of conductor Teodor Currentzis, the ensemble musicAeterna, Anna Prohaska (soprano), Katharina Magiera (contralto), Mauro Peter (tenor), and Tareq Nazmi (bass). Few musical works are as steeped in legend as Mozart’s Requiem in D minor, K. 626. Commissioned anonymously by the eccentric count Franz von Walsegg, the funereal oeuvre would become Mozart’s last: when he died on December 5, 1791, only the Requiem aeternam and Kyrie movements were fully composed and orchestrated. Completed by other composers (Mozart’s student Franz Xaver Süssmayer in particular) using Mozart’s sketches and notes, the resulting work weaves the emotions we associate with death into a timeless musical exploration of every human being’s destiny, and constitutes a powerful final testament to its creator’s genius.

The Lover's Garden(it)

In the garden of a Baroque villa, a chamber orchestra is playing Mozart’s wonderful quartets and quintets, and everywhere is pervaded with echoes and references to the composer’s world. As if by magic or conjured by the imagination, figures emerge from the shadows of the labyrinthine garden: they are Mozart’s characters, and they play with – or perhaps make fun of – the guests at the party, embroiling them in their well-known amorous dalliances. This piece, in which the spectator encounters among the dreamlike medley many well-known protagonists from Mozart’s operas (including Figaro, Don Giovanni, and the Queen of the Night), is a full-length choreographic work by Massimiliano Volpini, who himself performed on stage for many years as a dancer with the Scala ensemble.

The New Music(en)

After a Parkinson's diagnosis a classically trained pianist embarks on a path of self discovery leading him to a punk band. Their rebellious lifestyle and music provide a distraction to his troubles and a sharp contrast to his old life.

Head Rag Hop(en)

A proto-music video: three minutes of experimental animation set to the tune of Romeo Nelson's 'Head Rag Hop'.

Maestro(en)

Set against the backdrop of a 1960s jungle seaport in tropical Australia and the rich concert halls of wintry Vienna, talented eighteen year old pianist Paul Crabbe moves to an exotic outpost of far Northern Australia. There, he is forced to study under the only piano teacher his father can find – the eccentric, enigmatic Herr Keller, a Viennese refugee with a shadowed past. Living above a dilapidated hotel in the dripping heat of this seaport, Keller is known to the locals as 'Maestro', a broken, elegant drunkard. But who is he? Does he come from a lineage of great European pianists, or is he a fraud?

Die Zauberflöte(de)

Liberace Live(en)

He had style, he had wit and he had class. Watch this video and enjoy the classical stylings of a true virtuoso: the one, the only, Liberace!

The Magic Flute(de)

The Queen of the Night enlists a handsome prince named Tamino to rescue her beautiful kidnapped daughter, Princess Pamina. Aided by the lovelorn bird hunter Papageno and a magical flute that holds the power to change the hearts of men, young Tamino embarks on a quest for true love, leading to the evil Sarastro's temple where Pamina is held captive.

Così fan tutte(en)

Semyon Bychkov conducts a cast of young, up-and-coming talent including American soprano Corinne Winters in a new production of Mozart’s opera on the nature of love.

Impromptu(en)

In 1830s France, pianist/composer Frédéric Chopin is pursued romantically by the determined, individualistic woman who uses the name George Sand.

Figaros Hochzeit(de)

Shortly after WWII, the DEFA Studios produced a series of operas and operettas which belonged to the classical German musical heritage. This enchanting film, the very first opera production of DEFA, stands out because of its lavish decor and costumes, its outstanding actors and their masterful voices of that time.

Beethoven Piano Concertos Nos. 3, 4 & 5(en)

Under the guidance of famed American composer and conductor Leonard Bernstein, Polish classical pianist Krystian Zimerman and the Vienna Philharmonic deliver a rousing performance of Ludwig van Beethoven's Piano Concertos nos. 3, 4 and 5. Premiered in 1808, Beethoven's fourth concerto marked the last time the composer would take the stage as a soloist with an orchestra.

The Beat That My Heart Skipped(fr)

A ruthless real estate agent discovers a passion for piano and auditions with help from a young virtuoso, but the pressures of his corrupt career threaten to derail his musical aspirations.

La Clemenza di Tito(it)

This is an effective staging, though the set looks medieval and the costumes are modern. It’s well paced, well played, well sung. Jonas Kaufmann is an ideal Tito. His voice is not only beautiful and flexible, it’s also ample, retaining warmth and sweetness when he sings out. The character of Tito is too good to be true, but Kaufmann makes him intense, noble, and beliveable. Vesselina Kasarova is riviting as Sesto. Her voice is gorgeous and multi-colored, her technique exquisite, her immersion in the role complete.

Bach pour tous(fr)

A musical journey in the footsteps of conductor Michel Brun, an atypical character, an atheist, who nevertheless plays sacred music, and who devotes his life to Johann Sebastian Bach. With the musicians of the Ensemble Baroque de Toulouse.

Jordi Savall dirige le Requiem de Mozart(la)

Chilly Gonzales Presents: A Very Chilly Christmas Special(en)

Pianist, entertainer and Grammy winner Chilly Gonzales performs traditional Christmas songs and new pop standards in this "Christmas Special." But there's no Christmas without family, so Gonzales has invited his musical gang to celebrate a special holiday with them. Because only together can they help Santa out of his impending depression. "A Very Chilly Christmas" takes the beloved old Christmas shows on TV as its model and subjects them to a contemporary makeover. For Santa, like all of us, has had an exhausting and challenging year. Overwhelmed by the world of goods and the consumer frenzy, he has to undergo therapy. So it's a good thing that Chilly Gonzales and his friends like Jarvis Cocker and Feist are on hand to help out musically. Because only together can they help Santa out of his impending depression and convince him to keep going - thus ending the year on a conciliatory note for him and all of us....

A Little Nightmare Music(fr)

The con­cert begins. The music is sub­lime. Not even a pin would dare drop. Sud­denly, a cell­phone rings and the mad­ness starts. The pianist loses his hand, the vio­lin­ist, while tun­ing, falls asleep, and later wakes up in the mid­dle of a motor­way, trans­formed into a “River­dancer”. When the pianist returns, the piano is locked, telling him to insert his credit card. Mean­while, the vio­lin­ist loses his bow to a vac­uum cleaner and his part­ner just talks on the phone while read­ing a paper, eat­ing, and, play­ing the piano upside down all at the same time. These and many other “night­mares” unfold before audi­ences’ eyes and ears. “A Lit­tle Night­mare Music” is a unique show, full of vir­tu­os­ity, enchant­ing music and zany, out­ra­geous humour. Ideal for audi­ences aged 8 to 88, this show is sure to cap­ti­vate you and crack you up whether you’re a clas­si­cal music enthu­si­ast or the type who runs for cover, at the mere men­tion of Mozart.

Not Mozart: Letters, Riddles and Writs(en)

Letters, Riddles and Writs is a one act opera for television by Michael Nyman broadcast in 1991.