Romantic Masterpieces

A four DVD Box combines some of the most famous and best loved romantic music, works which, with their lyrical emotion, their colourful sonority and their stunning virtuosity – were, are and always will be essential to our musical heritage. This selection, an attractive Christmas offer, brings famous masterpieces to the viewer in the form of first-class concert performances by all-star casts and a highly informative documentary in which musical examples are introduced by experts helping to understand the work’s structure. The bonus films also trace locations relevant to the composition, allowing the viewer to embark on a journey back to the time and place in which the work was written. The choice of works covers the whole range of Romantic masterpieces: Johannes Brahms’ (1833-1897) violin concerto is one of the most significant instrumental works in the repertoire. With unparalleled artistry the North German composer succeeded in infusing classical forms with new and stimulating romantic content. The American-Israeli virtuoso Gil Shaham and the Berlin Philharmonic under Claudio Abbado present one of the greatest masterpieces in the history of music. The world-renowned “Berliners” under Abbado also present Antonín Dvořák’s (1841-1904) Symphony No. 9 "From the New World." The symphony, composed and premiered during Dvořák’s visit to the USA in the mid 1890s is by far his most popular work in the genre. Mendelssohn’s Concerto for Violin and Orchestra makes up the third disc in the box. Frank Michael Erben, first violinist of the famous Gewandhaus Quartet, joins the Gewandhaus Orchestra Leipzig and Kurt Masur for this recording. Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy (1809-1847) was the orchestra’s first conductor and his famous Violin Concerto in E minor forged a link between Classicism and Romanticism creating a musically rich and virtuoso piece that remains a popular favourite with audiences. The fourth DVD features one of the world’s most fascinating pianists excelling in a performance of music by her favourite composer, Robert Schumann (1810-1856). Martha Argerich plays his Concerto for Piano and Orchestra, accompanied by the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig under Riccardo Chailly. Her consummate musicality and distinguished artistry show how the solo instrument and the orchestra create a particularly intense relationship in this most romantic of all piano concertos.