Latest news with #ViennaPhilharmonic
DW
17-07-2025
- Entertainment
- DW
Salzburg Festival 2025: Between power struggles and hope – DW – 07/17/2025
This year's program mirrors the state of the world. Bloody conflicts and power-hungry figures take the stage by storm — but the festival hopes for light at the end of the tunnel. Theater is a reflection of the human experience, with all its emotions and conflicts. That's why the team behind this year's Salzburg Festival, led by artistic director Markus Hinterhäuser, has put together a program that embodies the crises happening around the world. Bloodshed and power struggles are thus dominating not only events in the world today but also the festival itself (July 18 to August 31). The program spans brutal rivalries from antiquity to the First World War. There have always been people like Trump and Putin, says Hinterhäuser. The lust for power has been part of world history. Thus, it comes as no surprise that power, that universal drug, has inspired numerous operas. For instance, George Frideric Handel's "Giulio Cesare in Egitto" about Roman general Julius Caesar will be staged, just like Gaetano Donizetti's "Maria Stuarda," which is dedicated to Scottish queen, Mary Stuart. Mozart is represented with his opera "Mitridate, re di Ponto," about the ruler of the fallen empire of Pontus in Asia Minor, and Verdi's "Macbeth" tells the story of the royal army commander and later Scottish king. And finally, "The Last Days of Mankind," a play based on Karl Kraus' disturbing book, deals with the horrors of World War I. The rulers of the past have one thing in common: Their power is crumbling. And each reacts differently to the inevitable end — whether with rigidity, fear, despair or a choleric attempt to escape fate. Opera, musical theater and stage plays act as a magnifying glass, illuminating the various scenarios of their demise. "This gives us, the audience, the opportunity to act," says Markus Hinterhäuser. The performing arts open up "spaces of change, of transformation." The festival's website says that around 222,500 tickets are available for a total of 174 opera, drama and concert performances. Musical theater is traditionally the program's flagship, and this year it features 12 productions ranging from Baroque to contemporary works. With both unconventional and traditional performances by big-name soloists — such as the annual production of "Jedermann" (or "Everyman") on the steps of the Salzburg Cathedral — the festival remains true to the guiding principle established over 100 years ago by theater producers Max Reinhardt and Hugo von Hoffmannsthal: To offer something for everyone. Among others, director Peter Sellars and conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen leading the Vienna Philharmonic orchestra will present a daring new production titled "One Morning Turns into an Eternity." They will combine Arnold Schoenberg's monodrama "Erwartung" (Expectation) with the "Der Abschied" (The Farewell) from Gustav Mahler's symphony "Lied von der Erde" (Song of the Earth) — Schoenberg's role model. There is also the play "The Blizzard," based on a book by Vladimir Sorokin, a well-known Russian writer who fled from Putin and his followers. In a deadly storm, his hero, a young doctor, searches for light and hope. Even the Greek conductor Teodor Currentzis, a controversial figure on account of his dual Russian citizenship and his unwillingness to distance himself from Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, will be back in 2025 with his Utopia Orchestra, an ensemble that Currentzis founded specifically for performances in the West. In December 2024, the scandal surrounding the dismissal of Russian festival director Marina Davydova overshadowed the presentation of the Salzburg program. The dramaturge — who is also a vocal critic of the Putin regime — was dismissed for breach of contract: Davydova had worked for another festival without informing nor getting authorization to do so from the Salzburg Festival. Apart from that, the festival program shows a great deal of solidarity with artists who have turned their backs on Putin's empire: for example, Russian directors Kirill Serebrennikov (Sorokin's "The Blizzard"), Dmitri Tcherniakov (Handel's "Giulio Cesare in Egitto") and Evgeny Titov (Chekhov's "Three Sisters" in the version by the recently deceased Peter Eotvos) are all participating in Salzburg. "I make no secret of the fact that, as a pianist, I am a great admirer of the Russian pianistic tradition," Salzburg Festival director Hinterhäuser told DW. Grigory Sokolov, Arcadi Volodos, Evgeny Kissin, Daniil Trifonov and Alexander Malofeev will perform in Salzburg. They will honor composer and pianist Dmitri Shostakovich in particular with a series of concerts marking the 50th anniversary of his death on August 9. There are also plans for a reading by Ukrainian author Marianna Kiyanovska from her multi-award-winning work "The Voices of Babyn Yar," in which she recounts the murder of more than 30,000 Jews by the Nazis in September 1941.
Times
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Times
The best Proms to book for summer 2025 — and how to watch on TV
Y our cultural summer begins here with the BBC Proms season of concerts: 86 performances, with stars ranging from Simon Rattle to Alison Balsom, Klaus Makela to Yunchan Lim. The season begins on July 18 at the Royal Albert Hall, but there are 14 concerts taking place outside London this year, including in Bradford (this year's UK City of Culture), Bristol and Gateshead. This is the first year in which the Radio 3 controller Sam Jackson takes direct control of running the festival. If he is seen as a crowd-pleaser, there is still plenty of chewy fare in the lineup, including seminal works by anniversary composers Berio and Boulez. Shostakovich and Ravel anniversaries are also being marked with generous helpings of works — don't worry, that includes the dreaded earworm Boléro. Claudia Winkleman dons her hood for the first Traitors Prom, including music from the hit series and inspired by it. Visiting international orchestras include the Royal Concertgebouw and the Vienna Philharmonic.
The Guardian
13-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
TV tonight: a gripping investigation into drug gangs who use children
9pm, Channel 4 This week's gripping investigation is at times surprisingly moving, as it exposes a wider problem of the exploitation of teenagers by organised crime groups. When a 15-year-old boy is reported missing again, it leads to police finding more young people being used to sell drugs, a phone with text messages threatening to hurt their family, and a 17-year-old who was first exposed to heroin as a child. Will they find the 'elders'? Hollie Richardson 8pm, Channel 4 Jamie Oliver's farming pal continues his attempt to expand his wildlife sanctuary to cater for ursine residents. This week, he attempts to rehome two new polar bears, as well a pack of 12 arctic wolves. Brace yourself for some dramatic escapes and adorable baby animals. Alexi Duggins 8pm, BBC Four A magical night of open-air classical music in the grounds of Schönbrunn Palace. Tugan Sokhiev will conduct the Vienna Philharmonic and world-class Polish tenor Piotr Beczala for goosepimply performances from Carmen and Turandot, and the Vienna Boys' Choir make their debut at the annual concert. HR 9pm, BBC Two The concluding episode of the star-stuffed documentary series about Bob Geldof's passion project, featuring Tony Blair, George Bush and Condoleezza Rice among others. But before we tip too far into hagiography, Bono has some frank words about 2005's Eurocentric Live 8, namely: 'We fucked up'. Hannah J Davies 9pm, More4 The stressful paramedic documentary series returns. A woman with low blood pressure is found on her kitchen floor – but she refuses to go to hospital because it's her mother's funeral the next day. Elsewhere, another woman isn't responding to pain and needs a second crew to take her to hospital. HR Midnight, Channel 4 This Dutch sci-fi has undertones of Black Mirror, imagining a near-future in which a person's 'citizenship score' dictates their life chances. When Pieter manages to tweak the algorithm in favour of his daughter, he thinks he's doing her a favour. Bad move: soon, his whole family is banished to the hostile wasteland of the show's title. Phil Harrison Passport Pimlico, 1.50pm, BBC Two Very possibly the greatest Ealing comedy ever made, Passport to Pimlico has one of the most wonderful premises of the 20th century; thanks to a confusing legal loophole, an area of Pimlico is declared part of Burgundy. As such, a forgotten bit of Westminster ends up breaking away from the rest of the country and becoming its own self-governing micronation, with all the greed and pettiness that comes with it. It might have been made in 1949, but the themes in Passport to Pimlico feel incredibly current, especially in post-Brexit Britain. Stuart Heritage Women's Euro 2025 Football: England v Wales, 7pm, ITV1 Third and final Group D matches.
Express Tribune
27-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Lalo Schifrin, composer of Mission: Impossible theme, dies at 93
Legendary film and television composer Lalo Schifrin has died at the age of 93. He passed away on June 26, 2025, in Los Angeles, due to complications from pneumonia, confirmed by his son William Schifrin. Born in Buenos Aires in 1932, Schifrin rose to global fame through his fusion of classical music, jazz, and Latin rhythms. Best known for composing the instantly recognizable Mission: Impossible theme, his work reshaped the sound of 20th-century Hollywood and beyond. The Mission: Impossible theme, written in an unconventional 5/4 time signature, debuted in the 1966 television series and became even more iconic through the blockbuster film franchise starring Tom Cruise. Its suspenseful rhythm remains one of the most enduring in pop culture. Schifrin earned six Academy Award nominations and won four Grammy Awards, and was honored with an Honorary Oscar in 2018 for his lifetime contributions to film music. His vast filmography includes Bullitt, Dirty Harry, Cool Hand Luke, Enter the Dragon, and The Amityville Horror. In addition to his film work, Schifrin collaborated with legends like Dizzy Gillespie and conducted world-class orchestras including the London Symphony and Vienna Philharmonic. His musical influence extended to modern artists, with his compositions sampled in hip-hop and electronica. Schifrin is survived by his wife, Donna, their three children, and four grandchildren. His legacy lives on in the countless scenes and soundtracks he helped define.
New Indian Express
19-06-2025
- Entertainment
- New Indian Express
Alfred Brendel, pianist renowned for refined playing of Beethoven, dies at age 94
LONDON: Alfred Brendel, a pianist and poet renowned for his refined playing of Beethoven over a six-decade career, died Tuesday at his home in London. He was 94. Brendel's death was announced by the public relations agency Bolton & Quinn. Born in what is now the Czech Republic, Brendel gave his first recital in Graz, Austria, in 1948 at age 17. His final concert was with the Vienna Philharmonic at the Musikverein on Dec. 18, 2008. 'I grew up in a family that was not musically inclined, not artistically inclined and not intellectual, so I had to find out a lot of things for myself,' he said in a 2012 interview for the Verbier Festival. 'I was a young person who in the early 20s did not think I have to achieve something within five years but I thought I would like to be able to do certain things when I'm 50. And when I was 50 I said to myself I have actually done most of the things I want to do.' Brendel also was praised for his interpretations of Mozart, Schubert, Liszt and Haydn. He recorded the 32 Beethoven piano sonatas three times, and he played them over a month at New York's Carnegie Hall in 1983, among 77 recitals in 11 cities during the 1982-83 season. He repeated the sonatas again at Carnegie over three seasons in the 1990s. 'With winks to the audience and demonstrative hand movements, he has a playful manner that offsets his serious, contemplative interpretations,' The Associated Press wrote during the 1990s cycle. Born on Jan. 5, 1931, in Wiesenberg, northern Moravia, Brendel studied piano in Zagreb, Yugoslavia, with Sofia Dezelic and then at the Graz Conservatory with Ludovika von Kaan. He also took composition lessons with Artur Michl. His studies were interrupted when he and his mother fled as the Russian army invaded during World War II.
