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This captures much of the peerless tone-colour, shape, drive and above all those hushed dynamics of [the] performance, awarded what feels like an infinite silence at the end... Abbado's pacing is unrivalled... the mixture of close-ups and wide shots in the final rituals is superb as ever from this team. Finest concert DVD ever? I think so.

– David Nice, BBC Music Magazine [6/2011]

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Recorded live at the Concert Hall of the Culture and Convention Center, Lucerne, 19-21 August 2010.

Claudio Abbado and his hand-picked players of the Lucerne Festival Orchestra take their acclaimed Mahler cycle to a new level with this performance of the most complex and compelling of the symphonies, the intense, searching Ninth. Abbado brings all his renowned clarity of vision and the experience of a lifetime to this contradictory music – half valedictory, half life-affirming – and his “orchestra of soloists”, including some of the leading instrumentalists of our time, revels in the transparent textures and virtuosity of Mahler’s last completed symphony. “A rendition ... of astonishing depth and subtlety” (Daily Telegraph).

Extraordinary highlight of the program is the additional perspective of the “Conductor Camera”. This special feature offers the option to experience Claudio Abbado from the orchestra’s perspective. The Blu-ray even provides a multi-angle feature to change the video angle between the program and the conductor camera during the whole concert.

Picture format: 1080i Full-HD
Sound format: PCM Stereo / DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Region code: 0 (worldwide)
Running time: 95 mins
No. of Discs: 1

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Large industrial complexes, built of solid brick tell the story of industrialization of 19th century Leipzig. Where spinning wheels once rattled, chimneys smoked and thousands of workers carried out their daily work, new life has moved in over the past few years. Today, former factories are home to artists' studios, galleries and manufactories. The term "industrial culture" is taken literally here. The Kunstkraftwerk Leipzig is one of these buildings that tell the story of time and was now the chosen location for a very special audio and video production: the exceptional Korean pianist Sunwook Kim played Ludwig van Beethoven's last three Piano Sonatas op. 109-111 in an industrial setting framed by light projections that filled the brick hall. Beethoven's last three piano sonatas occupy a very special place within his oeuvre. Completely deaf by then, the composer puts three of his most intimate and personal works on paper, which at the same time radiate optimism and point musically into the future like hardly any other works.

With his unusually uncompromising artistic attitude, Gidon Kremer is considered worldwide to be one of the most original and convincing artists of his generation. "Extraordinary and unpredictable" was how the press cheered the young pianist Georgijs Osokins after he won the International Chopin Competition in 2015. Gidon Kremer is one of the early supporters of the young Lithuanian and together with Giedre Dirvanauskaite, which has played an important role in the Kremerata Baltica for many years, they now present their first joint recording with piano trios by Beethoven and Chopin. It begins with Beethoven's "Triple Concerto" in the arrangement for piano trio by Carl Reinecke. Here, the equal cooperation of all three voices can be experienced in a purely chamber music version: Full concentration on the democracy set in music by Beethoven and a permanent role reversal between orchestral compactness and soloistic virtuosity. Frédéric Chopin's rarely performed G Minor Trio is one of the composer's early chamber music works and, remarkably, the only one with violin. It follows the sonata form but is a true musical drama in four acts - with a conciliatory yet melancholy ending, not least because of its key of G minor.

 

REVIEW:

 

Gidon Kremer, Giedre Dirvanauskaite and Georgijs Osokins bring Beethoven’s Triple Concerto back to its chamber music essence. In this perfect arrangement by Carl Reinecke, one becomes aware of how finely structured great symphonic music can be thought and played. The three musicians reveal the complexity of Beethoven’s music, give way to the finest nuances of the score, reflect the music through their excellent rubati — moments in which time stands still for a moment, when the music can radiate its full power.

 

Their performance of Chopin’s Piano Trio is more passionate, it lets the melodic richness of the score shine in wonderful splendor, always against the background of a melancholic undertone that floats along with it. The trio elicits tender, dreamlike, internalized sounds from the Adagio, before it lifts to a finale of serene cheerfulness.

 

– Pizzicato

 

Gustav Mahler’s 8th Symphony breaks the boundaries of the symphonic form in a world-embracing gesture. Riccardo Chailly is one of the staunchest performers of this work, and therefore it seemed appropriate in many ways that he chose this work for his inaugural concert as Claudio Abbado’s successor and new music director of the Lucerne Festival Orchestra. The artistic statement was combined with a deeply personal conviction: it should be a “tribute to Claudio,” the highly esteemed friend and colleague to whom Chailly, as he emphasizes, owes very much. On 12 August 2016, Claudio Abbado’s unfinished Mahler cycle with the Lucerne Festival Orchestra was completed in a breathtaking performance of the Mahler 8th, simultaneously heralding in a new era in Lucerne.

In the Overture and Incidental Music to William Shakespeare’s ‘Midsummer Night’s Dream,’ Felix Mendelssohn brings the illustrious company of elves, lovers’ passions and the solitude of the forest or a moonlit night to musical life. It became a model for other literary reflections in music like Peter Tchaikovsky’s ‘Manfred Symphony.’ It’s four movements- or “images,” as the composer himself named them- capture the world-weariness of George Byron’s ‘Manfred: A Dramatic Poem’ in music. Riccardo Chailly and the Lucerne Festival Orchestra awaken the musical imagery of both works in a colorful, fresh, and enchanting performance. This release was recorded live at the Concert Hall of KKL Luzem, Lucerne Festival in August of 2017.

Large industrial complexes, built of solid brick tell the story of industrialization of 19th century Leipzig. Where spinning wheels once rattled, chimneys smoked and thousands of workers carried out their daily work, new life has moved in over the past few years. Today, former factories are home to artists' studios, galleries and manufactories. The term "industrial culture" is taken literally here. The Kunstkraftwerk Leipzig is one of these buildings that tell the story of time and was now the chosen location for a very special audio and video production: the exceptional Korean pianist Sunwook Kim played Ludwig van Beethoven's last three Piano Sonatas op. 109-111 in an industrial setting framed by light projections that filled the brick hall. Beethoven's last three piano sonatas occupy a very special place within his oeuvre. Completely deaf by then, the composer puts three of his most intimate and personal works on paper, which at the same time radiate optimism and point musically into the future like hardly any other works.

Also available on Blu-ray

Large industrial complexes, built of solid brick tell the story of industrialization of 19th century Leipzig. Where spinning wheels once rattled, chimneys smoked and thousands of workers carried out their daily work, new life has moved in over the past few years. Today, former factories are home to artists' studios, galleries and manufactories. The term "industrial culture" is taken literally here. The Kunstkraftwerk Leipzig is one of these buildings that tell the story of time and was now the chosen location for a very special audio and video production: the exceptional Korean pianist Sunwook Kim played Ludwig van Beethoven's last three Piano Sonatas op. 109-111 in an industrial setting framed by light projections that filled the brick hall. Beethoven's last three piano sonatas occupy a very special place within his oeuvre. Completely deaf by then, the composer puts three of his most intimate and personal works on paper, which at the same time radiate optimism and point musically into the future like hardly any other works.

He was "tremendously" impressed, Arvo Pärt recalls of the moment he stood in front of Anish Kapoor's "Marsyas" for the first time at London's Tate Modern. "Suddenly I found myself in a position from where I saw my life in a different light. At that moment, I had the strong feeling that I wasn't ready to die yet," said then-67-year-old Arvo Pärt. This was the creative impulse for "Lamentate". Arvo Pärt, who celebrates his 85th birthday on September 11, 2020, seems to have often been inspired to compose by external circumstances. This is demonstrated in the selection of works for or with piano, which Onute Gražinyte chose for her first recording. "Für Alina" is particularly important to the Lithuanian pianist. In 1976, Pärt dedicated it to a young woman who had decided to leave the Soviet Union for England. "I know Alina's mother personally and can sympathize with her indescribable pain", says Onute Gražinyte. The pianist was baffled by Pärt's simple musical notation. "First you ask yourself: What is this?" Her playing reveals: She understands. "Arvo Pärt has reached the core. It's no coincidence that he dedicated many piano pieces to children and that he intended the 'Vater Unser' (Our Father) to be sung by a boy soprano. It's the ideal, the purity that children are born with and the composer has found it again."

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Claudio Abbado-The Last Years features rarely released video recordings of the legendary conductor doing what he was known for in the final years of his life. This release has Abbado conducting the Lucerne Festival Orchestra and the Orchestra Mozart as they perform works from Mahler, Bruckner, Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms, Schubert, and Shoenberg. His last-ever video recording is included, where he performs Brahms’ Tragic Overture, Schoenberg’s “Song of the Wood Dove,” and Beethoven’s Eroica Symphony. These recordings were made in two beautiful halls- the Concert Hall of the KKL Luzern and the Haus fur Mozart, Salzburg. Among the numerous awards and honors Claudio Abbado received during his long career are the Evening Standard Opera Award for his Boris Godunov at Covent Garden; the Legion d'Honneur from the French Ministry of Culture; the Gran Croce, the highest honor of Italy, and the highest civilian honor of Germany, the Bundesverdienstkreuz (1992). In 1985 he was awarded the Gold Medal by the International Gustav Mahler Society, presented in recognition of his service to the music of Gustav Mahler. He is an honorary member of the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde in Vienna and received honorary degrees from the universities of Cambridge, Aberdeen and Ferrara. In 1994 Claudio Abbado was awarded the International Ernst von Siemens Music Prize, Germany's most prestigious music award.

Violinist Judith Ingolfsson and pianist Vladimir Stoupel are both soloists with accomplished international concert careers. They have also been equally successful since they began searching for new paths in chamber music together in 2006 and devoted themselves to the cultivation of an unusual repertoire. This undertaking also includes their project “Co cert-Centenaire.” It is dedicated to composers, whose lives were influenced by or lost during the First World War. This new box set combines the previously realeased Volumes 1 - 3 in a single release.

This 7-disc box set comprises award-winning documentaries and concert recordings produced and released by Accentus Music that shine the light on the lives and works of a few of the most important and most well-known composers of the 20th century: Erik Satie, Charles Ives, John Cage, Isang Yun, Krzysztof Penderecki, who died in 2020, and Arvo Pärt. Award-winning filmmakers are featured, including Anne-Kathrin Peitz, Allan Miller, Paul Smaczny, and Maria Stodtmeier. Also included are live performances from the Ruhrtriennale 2018 and the Teatr Wielki Warsaw, 2013

Daniel Ciobanu first attracted international acclaim in 2017 at the Arthur Rubinstein Competition in Tel Aviv where he won both Silver Medal and Audience Prize. Afterwards, he appeared at Carnegie Hall, Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, Konzerthaus Berlin, St John’s Smith Square in London, Enescu Festival in Bucharest, most recently the Gewandhaus zu Leipzig, and toured in Japan, China, Taiwan, South Africa and Brazil. This debut recording with piano works by Prokofiev, Enescu, Debussy, and Liszt showcases the wide range of his immense versatility and artistry! This release was recorded in the stunning acoustics of the Gewandhaus zu Leipzig in May 2020.

Yunjie Chen was born in Jiaxing city (Zhejiang province, China). Displaying extraordinary talent at a young age, Chen Yunjie's gifts were nurtured at the Shanghai Music Conservatory. Chen Yunjie subsequently earned degrees from the Manhattan School of Music, Juilliard School and Cleveland Institute of Music. His mentors include You Dachun, Shao Dan, Wu Ying , Phillip Kawin, Yoheved Kaplinsky, Matti Raekallio and Antonio Pompa-Baldi. Chen Yunjie won first prize in the national piano competition of China at the age of twelve. He then won the China international piano competition in 1994. During his studies in the United States, he won prizes in many important International piano competitions such as Santander in Spain; Cincinnati, Cleveland, YCA, Gina Bachuer in the States; Long-Thibaud in France; Isang Yun and Seoul in Korea. He is Professor of Piano of the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing where he became in 2011 the youngest piano faculty teacher. This recording was realized by Accentus Music in partnership with the Académie France-Chine. The academy was launched in 2018 by the outstanding pianist Zhu Xiao-Mei with the support of Cartier. The purpose of the academy is to promote music education and training, to encourage the emergence of highly talented young artists and to foster cultural exchange between Europe and China.

Born in 1999 in the Chinese province of Gansu, Chen Xue-Hong was quickly selected as part of the training program for the most talented students at the Beijing Central Conservatory of Music, where he studied with Zhang Xinning, Wei Danwen, and Du Taihang. He has won several national and international competitions as a young pianist, including the Chopin Competition in Beijing, the Astana Competition, the Horowitz Competition, and the St. Petersburg Competition. He has also already given numerous concerts in China as well as at prestigious venues in Europe and the United States. As a pianist of rare musical integrity and concentration, with a unique blend of depth and exceptional technical facilities, Chen Xue-Hong is currently studying in Beijing while pursuing his promising career as a concert soloist. Frédéric Chopin is one of Chen Xue-Hong’s favorite composers. He loves both the brilliant musician and the personality of his compositions. This recording was realized by Accentus Music in partnership with the Académie France-Chine. The academy was launched in 2018 by the outstanding pianist Zhu Xiao-Mei with the support of Cartier. The purpose of the academy is to promote music education and training, to encourage the emergence of highly talented young artists and to foster cultural exchange between Europe and China.

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Anton Bruckner expanded the concept of the symphonic form in ways that have never been witnessed before or since. Daniel Barenboim and the Staatskapelle Berlin follow the harmonic development of Bruckner’s Symphonies Nos. 4-9, revealing the breathtaking musical panorama of these exceptional masterpieces. According to Der Tagesspiegel, this unforgettable Bruckner cycle sets new standards and guarantees the Staatskapelle Berlin and their principal conductor “a place in the Bruckner pantheon.”

Anton Bruckner
THE MATURE SYMPHONIES
(6-DVD Box Set)

Symphony No. 4 in E-Flat Major, WAB 104, “Romantic” (1881 version, ed. R. Haas)
Symphony No. 5 in B-Flat Major, WAB 105 (1878 version, ed. L. Nowak)
Symphony No. 6 in A Major, WAB 106 (ed. L. Nowak)
Symphony No. 7 in E Major, WAB 107 (1885 version, ed. L. Nowak)
Symphony No. 8 in C Minor, WAB 108 (ed. R. Haas from 1887 and 1890 versions)
Symphony No. 9 in D Minor, WAB 109

Berlin Staatskapelle
Daniel Barenboim, conductor

Recorded live at the Berlin Philharmonie, 20–27 June 2010

Picture format: NTSC 16:9
Sound format: PCM Stereo / Dolby Digital 5.1 / DTS 5.1
Region code: 0 (worldwide)
Running time: 7 hrs 8 mins
No. of DVDs: 6 (DVD 9)