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Podcast Nr. 26
It was a very special meeting: the appearance of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, lead by star trumpeter Wynton Marsalis, and the Berliner Philharmoniker with principal conductor Sir Simon Rattle at the helm. The evening held another highlight in store with the premiere of Marsalis’s Swing Symphony, which showed just how well the worlds of jazz and classical music compliment and enrich each other. Learn more about this unique co-operation in our round-table discussion featuring Wynton Marsalis and Simon Rattle in conversation.
Podcast Nr. 25
It is always a great shame when composers are denied the opportunity to hear their works performed during their lifetime – as happened to Anton Bruckner, whose Sixth Symphony was not performed in public until three years after his death, with Gustav Mahler as conductor. In the meantime, however, the symphony has become a core work of the late-Romantic repertoire. For a recent performance by the Berliner Philharmoniker, Herbert Blomstedt, one of today’s eminent Bruckner exponents, occupied the conductor’s rostrum. In this intermission video, Blomstedt gives a very personal insight into his view of the work.
Podcast Nr. 24
The Berliner Philharmoniker have performed a cycle of Sibelius’s complete symphonies only once in the 20th century – and that was on vinyl. In May 2010, the orchestra’s first live cycle culminated in a concert with Sir Simon Rattle conducting three Sibelius symphonies in one evening. In our intermission interview the conductor talks to Harri Kuusisaari, editor-in-chief of the Finnish music magazine “Rondo”.
Podcast Nr. 23
The violin concerto by György Ligeti is a work with many faces. Among the sources of inspiration stated by the composer were not only concepts from contemporary music, but also African music and the “impossible reality” pictures of M. C. Escher. In May 2010, this multi-faceted work was performed by the Berliner Philharmoniker and Renaud Capuçon, one of today’s most promising young violinists and a former student of Isaac Stern, whose instrument he now plays – a 1721 Guarneri. In our intermission video Capuçon talks to Matthew Hunter, violist of the Berliner Philharmoniker.
Podcast Nr. 22
On the occasion of a recent concert with the Berliner Philharmoniker, Claudio Abbado conducted a memorable performance of Johannes Brahms’s cantata “Rinaldo” which has never been performed before by the orchestra and gives us an inkling of what an opera by this composer might well have sounded like. In our intermission video Simon Halsey, chief conductor of the Rundfunkchor Berlin, gives a profound insight ihn this unjustly forgotten work.
Podcast Nr. 21
In April 2010, Alisa Weilerstein made her debut with the Berliner Philharmoniker in a performance of Elgar’s Cello Concerto with Daniel Barenboim conducting. About this young American cellist Yo-Yo Ma wrote: “I remember that one of my first impressions of her playing was that she is so full of passion. More recently I was struck by how fearless Alisa is. Those two qualities, in combination with a great musical intelligence, really define her artistry for me.” Learn more about this fascinating artist in our interval talk with Ludwig Quandt, 1st principal cello of the Berliner Philharmoniker.
Podcast Nr. 20
Pierre-Laurent Aimard is a regular guest of the Berliner Philharmoniker – particularly since his time as “Pianist in Residence” in the 2006–07 season. In June of 2009 we heard him perform Ravel’s fiendishly difficult Concerto for the Left Hand. Berlin’s Tagesspiegel was astounded at how Aimard “elicits coloratura from the piano with his uncommonly virtuoso left hand, creating an intimate dialogue with the woodwind. Both style and soul, brilliance and sentiment, modesty and exuberance: Aimard combines these contrasting elements with a smoothly flowing touch.” In another concert from May 2010 Aimard played Schoenberg’s Piano Concerto – a work demonstrating just how colourful, lively and un-cerebral twelve-tone music can be. Our video shows the intermission talk for the latter performance with Aimard in conversation with Emmanuel Pahud, solo flautist at the Berliner Philharmoniker.
Podcast Nr. 19
Schiff is – in the words of Clavio magazine, “a magician of sound [...], who lends life and wings to works which uphold the [...] almost forgotten ideals of piano playing.” For his latest concert with the Berliner Philharmoniker he provided a captivatingly impressive concept for the programme. It included two austere D minor piano concertos by Bach and Mozart, with Schiff as both soloist and conductor. In this intermission interview, he talks to Jonathan Kelly, principal oboe of the Berliner Philharmoniker.
Podcast Nr. 18
The critics’ reviews of the Berliner Philharmoniker’s recent performance of St Matthew Passion were full of superlatives. The radio station RBB Kultur considered it to be “a moment of glory for Rattle! And one of the best evenings with the Philharmoniker for years." Media praise didn’t stop at the Berliner Philharmoniker and their principal conductor but extended to what is called the “ritualization” by American star director Peter Sellars. According to the Berliner Zeitung, this semi-staged production provided “the most moving concert and music theatre event of the season”. In this intermission conversation, Peter Sellars talks to Simon Halsey, chorus master of the Berliner Rundfunkchor.
Podcast Nr. 17
UNICEF usually gives the title “International Goodwill Ambassador” to outstanding individuals from the public arena. The Berliner Philharmoniker is the only institution in this exclusive club. As a result of the news about the devastating earthquake in Haiti on 10 January, the orchestra and its principal conductor Sir Simon Rattle gave a benefit concert for UNICEF on 18 February with all proceeds going to the children of Haiti. The evening’s soloist Mitsuko Uchida also donated her fee to this very good cause. Learn more about this very special occasion in our round-table discussion with Pamela Rosenberg, Sir Simon Rattle, Mitsuko Uchida, Sabine Christiansen and Emmanuel Pahud.
Podcast Nr. 16
It has been a very long time since there was a complete change of programme at such short notice for the Berliner Philharmoniker. Just one day before the planned concert with Christoph von Dohnányi, the conductor had to cancel due to illness. As luck would have it, Neeme Järvi, a partner of the orchestra of many years, was able to stand in at the last moment, bringing with him several popular favourites from the German and Scandinavian Romantic era. In this intermission talk we learn more about Järvi tackled this demanding situation.
Podcast Nr. 15
The performance of the complete piano concertos of Ludwig van Beethoven by Mitsuko Uchida, the Berliner Philharmoniker, and Sir Simon Rattle, was a highlight of the 2010-11 season - not least for the soloist of the project, who has had her her own piano brought to Berlin for this very special occasion. Learn more about this unique project in part 2 of our documentary with Mitsuko Uchida talking about her very special relationship with Beethoven.
Podcast Nr. 14
It is one of the highest accolades the Berliner Philharmoniker can award: to invite a soloist to perform a complete cycle of works with the orchestra. In the case of Mitsuko Uchida, this is not wholly unexpected: as “Pianist in Residence” she regularly performed in the Philharmonie in the 2008–09 season. In February 2010, all five of Beethoven’s piano concertos were included in the orchestra’s programme with Mitsuko Uchida as soloist. Learn more about this amazing project in the first part of our documentary.
Podcast Nr. 13
Ton Koopman is one of the outstanding musicians of the “Early Music” movement. He was one of the first who researched how Baroque and Classical music actually sounded when it was first performed. In January 2010 Ton Koopman conducted the Berliner Philharmoniker for the first time in a programme featuring works by Bach and Haydn. In this introducton Ton Koopman talks about his debut with the Berliner Philharmoniker and the repertoire he performed on this occasion.
Podcast Nr. 12
In December 2009 Christian Thielemann performed several great choral works by Johannes Brahms with the Rundfunkchor Berlin and the Berliner Philharmoniker. Sarah Willis, horn player of the orchester, talks to Thielemann on this occasion about his long history with the Berliner Philharmoniker - which he first encountered as a harpsichordist and viola player! - and about his time as assistant of Herbert von Karajan.
Podcast Nr. 11
In December 2009 Donald Runnicles and the Berliner Philharmoniker performed Johannes Brahms’s “A German Requiem” in the Berlin Philharmonie. The performance was particularly appealing due to the participation of the Atlanta Symphony Chorus who has partnered the orchestra on several occasions in the past and has always impressed with its sophisticated sound. In this intermission interview Runnicles and his fellow scotsman Fergus McWilliam, horn player of the Berliner Philharmoniker, talk about their common Scottish roots, the Requiem and the collaboration between conductor and orchestra.
Podcast Nr. 10
In December 2009 the Greek violinist Leonidas Kavakos made a guest appearance with the Berliner Philhamoniker playing Ludwig van Beethoven's Violin Concerto. Walter Küssner, viola player of the Berliner Philharmoniker, talks to him about the general character of the piece, it's "Classical" expression and the particuliar role of the solo instrument.
Podcast Nr. 9
John Carewe - composer, conductor and former teacher at the Royal Academy of Music - tells the story of one of the most amazing dramatic works from the beginning of the 20th century: the monodrama “Erwartung”, composed by Arnold Schoenberg in 1909. This podacast was produced on the occasion of a performance with soprano Evelyn Herlitzius and the Berliner Philharmoniker under the baton of Sir Simon Rattle.
Podcast Nr. 8
In October 2009 Iván Fischer conducted the Berliner Philharmoniker in a "Ungarian Night" featuring works by Haydn, Bartók, Kodály, Brahms and Liszt. On this occasion Emmanual Pahud, internationally acclaimed soloist and principal flute of the Berliner Philharmoniker, led this insightful conversation with the Hungarian conductor.
Podcast Nr. 7
In an interview given on the occasion of the opening of the Berliner Philharmoniker's 2009-10 season Principal conductor Sir Simon Rattle talks to Claus Spahn, music critic of the German publication "Die Zeit". Main topics of the interview are the orchestra's Digital Concert Hall, an innovative video platform opened in January 2009, and the repertoire of the new season.
Podcast Nr. 6
In October 2009 violinist Janine Jansen made her debut in a philharmonic concert in Berlin with Benjamin Britten's Violin Concerto and Daniel Harding conducting the Berliner Philharmoniker. In this intermission interview Sarah Willis, horn player of the Berliner Philharmoniker, introduces the artists to the orchestra's online audience.
Podcast Nr. 5
Guy Braunstein, 1st Konzertmeister of the Berliner Philharmoniker since 2000, was soloist in a performance of Shostakovich's Violin Concerto No. 1 with the Berliner Philharmoniker and Semyon Bychkov conducting. In this intermission interview Stanley Dodds, violinist of the orchestra, talks to Bychkov and Braunstein about this concert which also included Stravinsky's Symphony of Wind Instruments and Schoenberg's "Verklärte Nacht".
Podcast Nr. 4
Daniel Barenboim and conductor Asher Fisch talk with Stanley Dodds, violinist of the Berliner Philharmoniker, on the occasion of a "Polish Evening" of the orchestra including Chopin's Piano Concertos Nos. 1 and 2 with Barenboim as soloist. The concert is available as a video stream from the Berliner Philharmoniker's Digital Concert Hall.
Podcast Nr. 3
Simon Halsey, chorus master and chief conductor of the Berliner Rundfunkchor, introduces Joseph Haydn's oratorio "The Seasons", its history and musical characteristics. The Rundfunkchor performed the work with the Berliner Philharmoniker and Sir Simon Rattle in September 2009. A recording is available from the orchestra's Digital Concert Hall at www.berliner-philharmoniker.de/dch
Podcast Nr. 2
In June 2009 conductor Pierre Boulez and pianist Pierre-Laurent Aimard performed Maurice Ravel's Piano Concerto for the Left Hand with the Berliner Philharmoniker. In an interview with Christoph Franke they talk about this amazing collaboration. The concert also included works by Bartók and Boulez himself and is available as a video stream from the Berliner Philharmoniker's Digital Concert Hall at www.berliner-philharmoniker.de/dch.
Podcast Nr. 1
Magic, morals and Mozart – Pamela Rosenberg speaks with John Adams about his musical fairy tale "A Flowering Tree", performed on 21 and 22 December 2006 in the Berlin Philharmonie.
