“I cannot begin even to describe what I have learnt with these musicians. Maybe they have learnt a little something from me, but that is nothing compared to what I have learnt from them, and the generations that came before.” (Zubin Mehta about the…

The founding of the Berliner Philharmoniker on the first of May in 1882, is annually celebrated in an European city of cultural significance. In 2015 the EUROPAKONZERT takes place for the second time after 2004 in Athens, with Leonidas Kavakos…

A Ghost Light – a single lamp that illuminates the stage when rehearsals or performances are finished – is part of a long theatrical tradition. Legend says that originally, the night light was for the ghosts of former artists so that they may cavort…

What Makes Music Symphonic? asked Leonard Bernstein in the course of one of his celebrated Young People’s Concerts. He found his answer in the music of Johannes Brahms: “He grows his music, like a master gardener … With Brahms music doesn’t just…

In Spring 2019, the Monteverdi Choir and English Baroque Soloists, led by John Eliot Gardiner, presented a critically-acclaimed European tour of Handel’s opera 'Semele', including Alexandra Palace Theatre in London, where this live recording took…

★★★★ “I have to tell the whole truth. I can tell the story of angels, but that wouldn't be the true story. My story is a mix of the devil and angels with a bit of meanness. You have to have a bit of everything to progress in life.” ★★★★ (Astor…

Seiji Ozawa has dedicated most of his life to the service of music. He is not only one of Japan’s best-known conductors but also the founder of the Saito Kinen Festival Matsumoto, better known as the Seiji Ozawa Festival. This Seiji Ozawa edition…

The New College Choir, Oxford, is one of the leading choral ensembles in the world, celebrated for its distinctive and stylish performance of music from five centuries. This DVD edition includes the moving documentary “Inspiring Voices” about Edward…

With his sixteen string quartets, Beethoven forged the backbone of this repertoire. The six quartets Opus 18 show the composer’s mastery of the classical form. In contrast, the five middle quartets burst this form, with a very free treatment of the…

“It is a very special art of conducting. One must try to embrace the musicians.” (Bernard Haitink) On 6 September 2019, Bernard Haitink bowed before his audience for the last time: after 65 years on the podium, the 90-year-old exceptional conductor…