Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker [Mariinsky Theatre, Gergiev]

The famous ballet in two acts, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s “The Nutcracker”, from the Mariinsky Theatre in St Petersburg, December 2012. Valery Gergiev: conductor, Vasily Vainonen: choreography, Benjamin Tyrrell: stage and costumes. This successful production is recorded exclusively for EuroArts Music (see the sources). The film creates spectacular images of this great ballet production for the …

Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 [Leonard Bernstein, The Berlin Celebration Concert in 1989]

Leonard Bernstein conducted a performance of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 to celebrate the fall of the Berlin Wall and the reunification of Germany on December 25, 1989. The performance took place in the Schauspielhaus in the eastern part of Berlin (it had now been renamed “Konzerthaus” – concert hall) and featured musicians from both East …

Wagner: Ride of the Valkyries [Berlin Philharmonic, Levine]

Conducted by the American conductor and pianist James Levine, the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra (Berliner Philharmoniker) plays “Ride of the Valkyries”, (German: Walkürenritt or Ritt der Walküren), the beginning of act 3 of Die Walküre, (The Valkyrie), WWV 86B, an opera in three acts by Richard Wagner with a German libretto by the composer himself. From …

Tchaikovsky: Violin Concerto [David Oistrakh, 1968]

Accompanied by the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, renowned Soviet classical violinist David Oistrakh performs Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 35. Conductor: Gennady Rozhdestvensky. Written in 1878, the piece is one of the best-known violin concertos and is considered one of the most technically difficult works for the violin. Performed and recorded in …