Nikolaus Harnoncourt The Complete Sony Recordings brings together for the first time Harnoncourt s complete recordings from 2002-2015 with his Concentus Musicus Wien, the Wiener Philharmonike, the Chamber Orchestra of Europe and the Symphonieorchester des Bayrischen Rundfunks. The Sony Classical edition features his famous symphony recordings of Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven and Bruckner, alongside his celebrated performances of great choral works such as the Verdi, Brahms and Mozart Requiems and Haydn's Die Schöpfung, as well as Mozart's opera Zaide, Haydn's Orlando paladino and Gershwin's Porgy and Bess. Also included are previously authorized but unreleased recordings of J. S. Bach s Cantatas Nos. 26 & 36, Beethoven's Christus am Ölberge and Dvorák's Stabat Mater.

To celebrate their traditional New Year's Eve Concert, Daniel Barenboim and the Berliner Philharmoniker encouraged the audience to dance. The result was a lively whirl of catchy and melodious numbers selected from over 300 years of music history - a heady cocktail of old and new that put a spring in the steps of both connoisseurs of brilliant orchestral miniatures and lovers of Latin American rhythms.

During Claudio Abbado’s time as chief conductor of the Berliner Philharmoniker, the great symphonic repertoire naturally formed the core of his artistic work, and it was almost forgotten just what an important role the music theatre of his Italian homeland played in his life – after all, he had led La Scala in Milan from 1968 to 1986. Just how special the works of Verdi were to him could be heard in the New Year’s Eve Concert from 2000 which, with famous scenes and arias, rang in the Verdi year 2001 when the music world commemorated the 100th anniversary of the composer’s death.

Conductor Wilhelm Furtwangler already enjoyed a worldwide legendary standing during his lifetime - he was considered the German conductor and performances were greeted with rapturous applause. Today, more than 50 years after his death, Wilhelm Furtwangler is still an icon and his work has become an integral part ofthe music scene.

The 2021 New Year's Concert was a New Year's Concert like none before. Due to the current Corona protection measures, it was only allowed to be played in the golden hall of the Vienna Musikverein without an audience. The Vienna Philharmonic and Riccardo Muti were alone with the 14 cameras of the ORF. Worldwide, the television broadcast of this traditional concert reached more than 50 million viewers in over 90 countries. It was eagerly awaited to see what the concert would be like without applause, without the traditional interruption of the second encore introduced by clapping, and without clapping along to the Radetzky March.

Invitation to the Dance is the 2001 New Year's Eve Gala Concert with the Berlin Philharmonic. The annual concert is famous for having a varied program from year to year, and in 2001 conductor Daniel Barenboim treated the world to a fantastic program of musical "dance." From Bach to Sibelius, from classical to samba, this concert has it all! The BPO and Barenboim go all out for this one, and experiencing the DVD is the next best thing to being there!

“A glittering account of the most perfect of all operettas, with an incredibly starry cast, all in peak condition. Karl Böhm's conducting is relaxed but sparkling.” (BBC Music Magazine)

Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna is once again this year the beautiful backdrop for a classical music concert in a class of its own. Every year, the famous summer night concert of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra takes place there. This year, the orchestra is conducted by Valery Gergiev, who has been working with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra for many years. For the first time this year, the German world star Jonas Kaufmann will be the star guest at the Summer Night Concert. The programme is still secret, but as every year it will be a particularly beautiful mixture of classical hits and special works by Richard Strauss, Richard Wagner, Jacques Offenbach, Jules Massenet, Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, Emmerich Kálmán, Maurice Jarre, Aram Khachaturian and Giacomo Puccini.

With this open air concert in Schönbrunn, the Vienna Philharmonic wishes to provide all Viennese, as well as visitors to the city, with a special musical experience in the impressive setting of Schönbrunn Palace and its beautiful baroque gardens, a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site. Since 2008 the Vienna Philharmonic have provided an outstanding experience for all visitors. In the recent years the orchestra has been conducted by Gustavo Dudamel, Valery Gergiev, Franz Welser-Möst, Daniel Barenboim, Christoph Eschenbach and Zubin Mehta. Among the previous guest soloists: Renée Fleming, Lang Lang, Rudolf Buchbinder, and Katia and Marielle Labèque.

In one of Johann Strauss' waltzes, a dream operetta couple of the 70s returns: Ingeborg Hallstein and Rene Kollo. Wiener Blut, filmed in 1971, is a thoroughly Viennese production whose strengths guarantee unadulterated operetta enjoyment: Beautiful voices, natural acting, more committed to the film than the opera stage and a cast of operetta stars even in supporting roles: Among others, Dagmar Koller, Ferry Gruber and the unforgettable Viennese original Fritz Muliar can be seen and heard.

For many years, Willi Boskovsky led the Vienna Philharmonic during the famous New Year's concerts. Violinist and conductor, he had this "Viennese Blood" essential to understand the music of Strauss and know how to mark the dynamics in the most accurate way. Although recorded many years ago (60' and 70') the recording was thoroughly remastered, giving us a fresh sound clarity as if it was recorded during last year's New Year's Concert. The CD includes the most famous waltzes by Johann Strauss (the Blue Danube, Emperor Waltz, Tales of the Vienna Woods…), along with 2 other ones written by his younger brother Joseph (Spharenklange and Dorschwalben aus Ostorreich).

The Verbier Festival is one of classical musics greatest events. In celebration of the festivals 25th anniversary, this unique concert brings together 36 classical stars in an unprecedented evening of ingenious programming and captivating performances. The line-up includes the worlds greatest violinists, violists, cellists and pianists as well as other leading performers conducted by Valery Gergiev and Gabor Takacs-Nagy. Founder and director Martin T:son Engstroem writes: We started this incredible adventure in 1994, and 25 years on, our Festival has become one of the worlds most important cultural events. But it is not just another festival; our vision right from the beginning was to build something which combined important musicians with a very visible youth and learning element. This is what we set out to do and this is what we achieved.

The Verbier Festival is one of classical musics greatest events. In celebration of the festivals 25th anniversary, this unique concert brings together 36 classical stars in an unprecedented evening of ingenious programming and captivating performances. The line-up includes the worlds greatest violinists, violists, cellists and pianists as well as other leading performers conducted by Valery Gergiev and Gabor Takacs-Nagy. Founder and director Martin T:son Engstroem writes: We started this incredible adventure in 1994, and 25 years on, our Festival has become one of the worlds most important cultural events. But it is not just another festival; our vision right from the beginning was to build something which combined important musicians with a very visible youth and learning element. This is what we set out to do and this is what we achieved.

Das berühmte Neujahrskonzert der Wiener Philharmoniker ist auch 2020 der prachtvolle und exzellente Auftakt zum neuen Klassik-Jahr.Im festlichen und für seinen Klang berühmten Goldenen Saal des Wiener Musikvereins präsentieren die Wiener Philharmoniker ein beschwingtes Programm.Erstmals leitet der lettische Dirigent Andris Nelsons, einer der besten Dirigenten der Welt und bekannt auch als Chef des Gewandhauses Leipzig, die Wiener Philharmoniker, mit denen er seit vielen Jahren eng verbunden ist.Das unterhaltsame Programm enthält bekannte und entdeckenswerte Walzer und Polkas von Johann Strauss Vater und Sohn, Carl Michael Ziehrer, Franz von Suppé, Hans Christian Lumbye und anderen Komponisten.Und das allererste Mal ist bei einem Neujahrskonzert auch Musik von Ludwig van Beethoven zu hören, dessen 250.Geburtstag die Klassik-Welt 2020 feiert.

Operatic powerhouse Olga Peretyatko is accompanied by the Munchner Rundfunkorchester (Munich Radio Orchestra) conducted by Miguel Gomez-Martinez on this high-quality album of (coloratura) soprano favorites. With an able, keen orchestra behind her, Peretyatko is free to demonstrate her considerable talents. Two arias are by opera legend Rossini. One, his "Non si dà follia maggiore," begins the album, and Peretyatko interprets it in a way that leaves the listener entranced. Peretyatko's voice is clean, bright, and full of vibrato. Her interpretation is also highly dramatic.