Gioacchino Rossini's Petite Messe Solennelle was written in 1863, "the last", the composer called it, of my "péchés de vieillesse" (sins of old age). For its first performance (1864) Rossini arranged the work with only two pianos and harmonium…

It was on the spur of the moment that András Schiff and a few of his friends decided to establish the Cappella. The pianist’s quirky humour is reflected in the rather ambiguous name of the ensemble, “Andrea Barca”. Schiff is fond of telling the story…

The Lucerne Festival Orchestra and Claudio Abbado performed a Russian night at Lucerne. Tchaikovsky’s symphonic poem The Tempest is based on the famous play by Shakespeare and shares many similarities in musical structure with Tchaikowsky’s better…

The Europa Concert 2008 took place in the Tchaikovsky Conservatory of Moscow. The Berliner Philharmoniker under the baton of Sir Simon Rattle have been heard with works by Stravinsky, Bruch and Beethoven. Soloist is the Russian Violin player Vadim…

The young musicians of the Simón Bolívar Youth Orchestra and their aspiring conductor Gustavo Dudamel invite the worldwide TV audience to an exceptional concert from the newly opened Concert Hall in Caracas. A rousing choice of Venezuelan and Latin…

The Venezuelan Brass Ensemble – a highly-acclaimed group with nearly 50 brass and percussion players drawn from the extraordinary Simón Bolivar Youth Orchestra of Venezuela. The repertoire of the Venezuelan Brass Ensemble is a regular firework…

The magic of Mozart takes center stage as pianist Leif Ove Andsnes and soprano Dorothea Röschmann join Franz Welser-Möst and The Cleveland Orchestra for an evening of Viennese favorites. The program includes Mozart's beloved “Piano Concerto No. 17, K…

Gidon Kremer is, and has always been, one of the most headstrong and original artists in the music business and he was once hailed by Herbert von Karajan as the world’s best violinist. He celebrated his 60th birthday in 2007 and he has always kept…

In time for his 65th birthday in November 2007, Daniel Barenboim has completed a cycle of Beethoven's piano concertos. Recorded live at the prestigious Klavier-Festival Ruhr in May 2007, this recording reflects both a very individual and special…

In time for his 65th birthday in November 2007, Daniel Barenboim has completed a cycle of Beethoven's piano concertos. Recorded live at the prestigious Klavier-Festival Ruhr in May 2007, this recording reflects both a very individual and special…