Berliner Philharmoniker, Sir Simon Rattle & Elina Garanca in Baden-Baden (Blu-ray)

At this concert performance from the Easter Festival in Baden-Baden the Berliner Philharmoniker, Sir Simon Rattle and the Latvian mezzo-soprano Elīna Garanča performed music from the early 20th century. It was an incredibly exciting epoch, in which the developments of the dawning Modernism began to be felt, while the sensuousness of late Romanticism still echoed. The Seven Early Songs by Alban Berg were youthful works from the early twentieth century which Berg later revised and orchestrated. Maurice Ravel’s three-part cycle Shéhérazade was premiered in 1903, the protagonist is the famous storyteller from the One Thousand and One Nights collection of tales. With Petrushka Stravinsky captures the colour of a nineteenth-century Russian fair. Richard Strauss’s Don Juan is characterized by a combination of youthful temperament and astonishing compositional self-assurance. Mezzo-soprano Elīna Garanča has been the recipient of many awards: Musical America’s ‘Vocalist of the Year’ 2010; MIDEM’s ‘Singer of the Year’ 2007 and the ECHO Klassik award for ‘Female Singer of the Year’ the same year. A singer surely destined to join the greats… There’s nothing unfinished about her. (Gramophone) Richard Strauss: Don Juan, Op. 20 Alban Berg: Seven Early Songs Maurice Ravel: Shéhérazade Igor Stravinsky: Pétrouchka

Strauss: Don Juan op. 20

Berg: 7 Frühe Lieder für Gesang & Orchester

Ravel: Sheherazade für Gesang & Orchester

Strawinsky: Petruschka