A collaboration between American filmmaker Sofia Coppola and Italian haute couture king Valentino Garavani comes in the form of a revival of Giuseppe Verdi's classic opera, La Traviata. Sofia Coppola joined this production of La Traviata when Valentino personally invited her to direct. It has become one of the most successful revivals of "La Traviata", immediately selling out it's 15 performances in Rome. Coppola brings new life into Verdi's 1853 opera that tells the story of tempestuous love and heartbreak. Violetta Valery is a well-known courtesan in Paris whose life appears to be glamorous. But she's suffering from a serious illness and living on the money given to her by her male patrons. She ends up meeting and falling in love with Alfredo Germont, a young man from a good family, through tragic circumstances they are torn apart.

For the past several years, Isabelle Faust has been exploring Johann Sebastian Bach's music for the violin. First came her recording of the solo Sonatas and Partitas, which earned widespread acclaim. It was followed by the sonatas for violin and harpsichord, violin concertos and transcriptions, and the Brandenburg Concertos. Each reading was marked by equal freshness, an unfailing sense of rediscovery, precision, and generosity. Isabelle Faust here regales us with a treasure that reveals a thrilling story. A bonus DVD, recorded at the Leipzig Thomaskirche, next to it's most famous Cantor's tomb, completes this monumental tribute.

Arthaus Musik presents a DVD release of Weber's masterpiece Der Freischutz in a production by the legendary director Ruth Berghaus. Chorus and orchestra of the Zurich opera are conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt, universally celebrated for the structural t

Philippe Jordan ranks among the most established and moust sought-after conductors of his generation. As Music Director of the Paris Opera he performed the complete symphonies of Tchaikovsky in total three concerts at the Opera Bastille and the Philharmonie de Paris from October 2017 to May 2018. What makes this cycle special is Jordan's combination of the less well-known first three symphonies with the final three "great" symphonies in every concert. Jordan has chosen to bring together the third and sixth as they represent milestones in the symphonic ensemble. The second and fourth share a proximity in writing (one rewritten in 1879 reflects the other created in 1878); the first, the most imaginative, and the fifth, the most positive, constitute an introduction to the cycle. The Swiss conductor appreciates Tchaikovsky as one of the most important Russian composers and his aim was to perform the complete symphonies with his Paris Opera Orchestra. All works underline the exceptional talent of Tchaikovsky as composer. The latest cycle of Tchaikovskys symphonic masterworks featuring Jordan and his Paris Opera Orchestra is available for the first time on DVD and Blu-ray

Sanderling conducts Shostakovich: Two names which, in this combination, really make you sit up and notice. With his recordings of the Russian's great symphonies, Michael's father Kurt Sanderling left the ultimate reference recordings. A legacy too for Michael Sanderling, just as the 15th, Shostakovich's final symphony, was a legacy from the composer himself. As Dmitri Shostakovich began his 15th and final symphony, he was already physically ailing, but he was able to summon up all his powers for one last time. Compared to many of his earlier symphonies, the work's instrumentation is almost reminiscent of chamber music. Bonus: Interview with Michael Sanderling.

Music is a crucial element in every Oscar-winning film. In this concert you will be taken on a musical journey through the sounds of the greatest Oscar winners of all time, from classics like Casablanca and Citizen Kane to monumental cinematic works like The Godfather and blockbusters like Forrest Gump - blockbusters with music that for almost a century have made us shudder, melt and cry in the darkness of the cinema. The DN Symphony Orchestra, DN Concert Choir, solo singers and hosts are ready on stage to bring this classics and blockbusters to life with Music from Robin Hood, James Bond, The Mission, Apocalypse Now, Breakfast at Tiffany's, Dances with Wolves and more.

Mikhail Pletnev and the then newly formed Rachmaninoff International Orchestra (RIO) performed under the baton of Kent Nagano all four Rachmaninoff piano concertos and the Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini in October 2023. In the piano repertoire there might be no more challenging task than performing Rachmaninoff's complete piano concertos - nor an artist more up to this task than the great Mikhail Pletnev. Rounding out this concert is legendary maestro Kent Nagano, who leads Pletnev and his ensemble with his usual deft hand and the unshakeable confidence required to unify these monumental works.

First performed in Rome in 1934, now ignited to spectacular effect in Berlin. The timeless, rarely performed drama about witch-hunts, power games between wife and husband, mother-in-law and daughter-in-law and prejudice is brought to life in a captivating way on the stage of the Deutsche Oper. Impressive singing and colossal tableaux accompany a story of intrigue, power struggles and an affair between stepmother and son in Ottorino Respighi's last great opera. Surrounded by political struggles, the characters become entangled in personal conflicts that mercilessly lead to catastrophe and end with a cruel outcome at the stake.

The Danish National Symphony Orchestra transforms the stage into enchanted musical landscapes inspired by legendary video games such as The Legend of Zelda and League of Legends, with Nordic singer Eivør as special guest in Legends Never Die and more. Experience the captivating sounds of epic game worlds brought to life by 150 musicians and singers at DR Koncerthuset. Featuring the music of Halo, World of Warcraft, League of Legends and much more: enjoy epic choir songs and magical solo tracks with the star from the Faroe Islands, Eivør, as well as Isabel Schwartzbach and Adam Riis.

Gaetano Donizetti's tragic opera Maria Stuarda depicts the merciless rivalry between Elizabeth I and Mary, Queen of Scots, who is seen as a martyr facing up to the illegitimate Queen of England. The opera was a victim of censorship at it's premiere and was beset by problems during rehearsals but is now seen as one of Donizetti's great operatic masterpieces. From the flamboyantly lyrical royal confrontations to the poignant final execution scene, this widely acclaimed production by David McVicar features monumental sets and sumptuous Elizabethan costumes, bringing the majesty and stark brutality of Elizabeth I's reign vividly to life.

Gaetano Donizetti's tragic opera Maria Stuarda depicts the merciless rivalry between Elizabeth I and Mary, Queen of Scots, who is seen as a martyr facing up to the illegitimate Queen of England. The opera was a victim of censorship at it's premiere and was beset by problems during rehearsals but is now seen as one of Donizetti's great operatic masterpieces. From the flamboyantly lyrical royal confrontations to the poignant final execution scene, this widely acclaimed production by David McVicar features monumental sets and sumptuous Elizabethan costumes, bringing the majesty and stark brutality of Elizabeth I's reign vividly to life.

Rusalka, a water spirit, lives with her family in the pure waters of the forest lake. When she falls in love with a Prince, she sacrifices her voice and leaves her home in the hope of finding true love in a new world - a world that does not love her back. Natalie Abrahami and Ann Yee create a poetic, contemporary new staging of Dvorak's lyric fairy tale, revealing our uneasy relationship with the natural world and humanity's attempts to own and tame it. Semyon Bychkov conducts an all-star cast featuring Asmik Grigorian in the title role.

Few concerts in the world are awaited with as much excitement as the New Year's Concert from Vienna. Under the direction of Riccardo Muti, the Vienna Philharmonic ushers in the New Year with a concert in the magnificent Golden Hall of the Vienna Musikverein. Marking his seventh time conducting this prestigious event, Riccardo Muti leads the orchestra in a program that celebrates the 200th birthday of Johann Strauss II, exploring new perspectives on the musical world of the Strauss family. Riccardo Muti has played an exceptional role in the history of the Vienna Philharmonic for over 50 years. The artistic collaboration with Maestro Muti began in 1971. Since then, he has conducted over 500 concerts with the orchestra, including six New Year's concerts, Philharmonic subscription concerts, memorial concerts, annual orchestral concerts at the Salzburg Festival, guest performances and tours, and numerous opera productions. He has been an honorary member of the Vienna Philharmonic since 2011. The annual New Year's Day Concert in Vienna has been a major event for more than eight decades, since 1939, being broadcasted on TV and radio, and reaching millions of viewers in over 90 countries across the globe. The concert has previously been conducted by world-famous maestros such as Herbert von Karajan, Lorin Maazel, Claudio Abbado, Carlos Kleiber, Zubin Mehta, Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Seiji Ozawa, Mariss Jansons, Franz Welser-Most, Gustavo Dudamel and others. The Vienna Philharmonic, as musical ambassadors of Austria, send people all over the world a New Year's greeting in the spirit of hope, friendship and peace with the lively and light-hearted and at the same time nostalgic and profound music from the vast repertoire of the family of Johann Strauss and it's contemporaries.

Few concerts in the world are awaited with as much excitement as the New Year's Concert from Vienna. Under the direction of Riccardo Muti, the Vienna Philharmonic ushers in the New Year with a concert in the magnificent Golden Hall of the Vienna Musikverein. Marking his seventh time conducting this prestigious event, Riccardo Muti leads the orchestra in a program that celebrates the 200th birthday of Johann Strauss II, exploring new perspectives on the musical world of the Strauss family. Riccardo Muti has played an exceptional role in the history of the Vienna Philharmonic for over 50 years. The artistic collaboration with Maestro Muti began in 1971. Since then, he has conducted over 500 concerts with the orchestra, including six New Year's concerts, Philharmonic subscription concerts, memorial concerts, annual orchestral concerts at the Salzburg Festival, guest performances and tours, and numerous opera productions. He has been an honorary member of the Vienna Philharmonic since 2011. The annual New Year's Day Concert in Vienna has been a major event for more than eight decades, since 1939, being broadcasted on TV and radio, and reaching millions of viewers in over 90 countries across the globe. The concert has previously been conducted by world-famous maestros such as Herbert von Karajan, Lorin Maazel, Claudio Abbado, Carlos Kleiber, Zubin Mehta, Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Seiji Ozawa, Mariss Jansons, Franz Welser-Most, Gustavo Dudamel and others. The Vienna Philharmonic, as musical ambassadors of Austria, send people all over the world a New Year's greeting in the spirit of hope, friendship and peace with the lively and light-hearted and at the same time nostalgic and profound music from the vast repertoire of the family of Johann Strauss and it's contemporaries.

The All-Star Orchestra gives you a front row seat to the world's greatest music, performed by top players chosen from over 30 great American orchestras. The programs feature complete performances of popular masterpieces and world premieres of new works by leading American composers. Filmed in High-Definition with 19 cameras during a once-a-year 'summit' in New York's historic Grand Ballroom at Manhattan Center, the All-Star Orchestra celebrates the symphonic experience in the 21st century. Program #3 the New World and It's Music Inspired by American dreams and legends, Dvorák created some of his greatest works while living in the United States, above all the 'New World' Symphony. This program illuminates the multiple stories and influences Native American, African-American and Czech that Dvorák transformed in his most beloved work. Ellen Taaffe Zwilich's Avanti! Offers a contemporary interpretation of the American archetype of 'moving on.' Program #4 Politics and Art Music has sometimes reflected, and at other times challenged repressive ideologies. Shostakovich abandoned the premiere of his challenging 4th symphony for fear of reprisals from the Stalinist government. His triumphant 5th Symphony was next, and the authorities were pleased. To this day the 5th is Shostakovich's most popular symphony. What is it's message? What does 'political music' mean today?

If Bach had written only the Mass in B minor, he would be considered the leading composer of sacred music in the Baroque period. Composed between 1733 and 1749, on the eve of his death, this Great Mass is a musical testament for posterity: the most accomplished synthesis of the aesthetics that Bach mastered to perfection, but also an anthology of his sacred work, with it's perfectly mastered architecture. John Eliot Gardiner delivers a sensitive reading of this pinnacle of Western music, which he has frequented for half a century, with irresistible energy and compelling beauty. The Monteverdi Choir, undoubtedly the best choir in the world, delivers an extraordinary musical performance. This exceptional moment, filmed in the Chapelle Royale at the Château de Versailles, sumptuously captures the majesty of this masterpiece of sacred art.

PROM AT THE PALACE
Roberto Alagna, Angela Gheorghiu, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, Sir Thomas Allen,The London Adventist Chorale, Julian Bliss, Ashley Wass, Roberto Bolle, Zenaida Yanowsky, Mstislav Rostropovich with cello section LSO, The Band of Her Majesty’s Royal Marines, BBC Symphony Orchestra, BBC Symphony Chorus Sir Andrew Davis

All-time classical favourites from the first ever public concert held in the grounds of Buckingham Palace, hosted by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II
FEATURING Music by Walton, Handel, Bizet, Gershwin, Messager, Holst, Tchaikovsky, Rossini, German, Arnold, Villa-Lobos, Puccini, Verdi, Elgar and Arne. PLUS special performances from the magnificent ballroom & the music room of Buckingham Palace ‘...some of the world’s finest classical artists gave their all. ...The whole atmosphere even before the concert was great. It doesn’t get better than this.’ THE MAIL ON SUNDAY

‘This is a souvenir d’occasion of the first ever public concert held in the grounds of Buckingham Palace… Bob Coles’s slick direction captures the spirit of the evening… undoubtedly gives us – the uninvited millions – a better view and sound mix than that which those present experienced. …[an] unmissable turn was the astonishing 12-year-old clarinettist Julian Bliss in Messager’s Solo de concours.’ BBC Music Magazine