The main event of this festival was Tosca, conducted by Simon Rattle. The guest artists included violinist Lisa Batiashvili and – making his debut at the Easter Festival – Kirill Petrenko with a performance of Tchaikovsky’s Pathétique which received a tumultuous reception.
... the leading couples... Kristine Opolais and Marcelo Alvarez with Lioba Zebhauser and Andreas Mölich-Zebhauser, Intendant of the Festspielhaus Baden-Baden
Marcelo Alvarez and Marco Vratogna
The Latvian connection: Kristine Opolais and our double bass player Gunars Upatnieks
20 Apr 2017
Ok, we won’t leave the festival without a nice Derniere-Party… See you on Saturday in Berlin for the concertant version of “Tosca”. If you can’t come in person, you may watch it here: https://www.digitalconcerthall.com/de/concert/23503
The fourth and last “Tosca” in Baden-Baden with our new Scarpia, Marco Vratogna, jumping in for Evgeny Nikitin, who had to cancel due to health issues.
Luis Felipe Coelho, 1st violin, Romano Tommasini, 2nd violin, Wolfgang Talirz, viola and moderator, Janusz Widzyk, double bass, and David Riniker, cello
20 Apr 2017
The Philharmonic String Quintet played at the beautiful Florentinersaal at the Casino Baden-Baden on Easter Monday.
Principal cellist Ludwig Quandt remembering his times at the BJO
Sarah Willis interviewed three members of the orchestra before the performance
Always on stage: Konrad, the bear, the official mascot of the BJO
17 Apr 2017
…and finished with big orchestra: The German National Youth Orchestra played together with some Philharmonic colleagues Rachmaninov’s third symphony under the baton of Sir Simon.
Who's that guy sitting with the flutes over there?
No chairs....
Ah! That's better, but why am I playing Tschaikowsky 5?
Hey Noah, you don't mind me sitting here?
Ok, ok, I'm going to play Elgar Violin concerto as well, don't worry folks!
16 Apr 2017
Rehearsal with Zubin Mehta and a new member of the first violins - uhm… stop! He’s supposed to be the soloist! Pinchas Zukerman obviously had a lot of fun with our orchestra.
Wenzel Fuchs, prinicpal clarinet, tuning in the Walküre set
Good old friends and colleagues: Michael Hasel, flute, meets our former prinicpal flute Andreas Blau and his wife Brigitte in front of the Festspielhaus in Salzburg
We are away for one day to congratulate our colleagues in Salzburg to the 50th anniversary of the Easter Festival! On Thursday we will be back in Baden-Baden.
Christoph von der Nahmer and Cornelia Gartemann, violin, Martin von der Nahmer and Julia Gartemann, viola, and Martin Menking, cello and moderator
12 Apr 2017
Sisters and brothers in concert. Families von der Nahmer and Gartemann played a Master concert at the beautiful Spitalkirche together with their colleagues Martin Menking and Knut Weber.
The musical quartet discussed about Bartok’s “Concerto for orchestra”. Our percussionist Raphael Haeger took the fourth seat this time. The other three were Lotte Thaler (SWR), Bernd Künzig (SWR) and Peter Hagmann (NZZ).
Philharmonia Quartett: Daniel Stabrawa, 1st violin, Christian Stadelmann, 2nd violin, Neithard Resa, viola, and Dietmar Schwalke, cello
11 Apr 2017
Every year a special occasion: Our Master concerts at the Museum Frieder Burda. This year the Philharmonia Quartet played in front of pictures by Sigmar Polke.
Daishin Kashimoto, 1st principal concertmaster, Sarah Willis, French horn and moderator, Wenzel Fuchs, principal clarinet, Philipp Bohnen, 2nd violin
Marlene Ito and Philipp Bohnen fighting with Apple...
Jakob von Bernstorff, our technical mastermind
Daishin Kashimoto tuning for the musical surprise
Kristine Opolais, our Tosca, with her lounge partners
Great mood and great audience at the LA8!
The Live Lounge chat and talk team: Noah Bendix-Balgley and Daishin Kashimoto, Sarah Willis, Wenzel Fuchs, Kristine Opolais, Philipp Bohnen and Marlene Ito
10 Apr 2017
Impressions of our Live Lounge, this year with Kristine Opolais as “special guest”.
Photos: Monika Rittershaus and Jakob von Bernstorff
Moderator Christian Thees, Neithard Resa and Christian Stadelmann
09 Apr 2017
Good bye Neithard Resa! This year’s farewell at the Lounge was dedicated to one of the few real Berliners of our orchestra. Neithard playd as solo viola and in the viola tutti since 1978. He was accompanied by his friend and colleague at the Philharmonia Quartet, Christian Stadelmann.