The best Simon Rattle’s movies

The annual New Year’s Eve Concert is one of the highlights in the calendar of every classical music fan in Berlin and beyond. On New Year‘s Eve, the Berliner Philharmoniker invite an exceptional soloist for a festive gala. Together, the musicians bid farewell to the old year and welcome the new. The 2009 concert was conducted by Simon Rattle and featured Lang Lang (piano). On the programme: Sergej Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto No. 2, Op. 18, Frédéric Chopin: Etude, Op. 25, No. 1, Pyotr Tchaikovsky: “The Nutcracker”, op. 71.

Underestimated by his contemporaries, but today acclaimed as one of the greatest and imaginative composers of his time. Anton Bruckner was a genius of tones. Such great conductors like Kent Nagano, Valery Gergiev and Simon Rattle let the composer comes alive in the documentary „Anton Bruckner – The Making of a Giant“ telling the ups and downs of life through his music.

Every year, the Berliner Philharmoniker hold a kind of classical-music fête with a bright, cheerful concert to end the season. In 2009 about 22,000 people had come together at the Berlin Waldbühne to enjoy the traditional summer picnic concert. The theme of the evening was “Russian rhythms”, and star conductor Sir Simon Rattle, the Berliner Philharmoniker and Yefim Bronfman, one of the most famous pianists in the world today, presented a superb selection of Russian music. Repertoire Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker, op. 71, Overture, The Christmas Tree, March, Pas de deux (Intrada) Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No.3 in D minor, op. 30 Stravinsky: Le Sacre du printemps Lincke: Berliner Luft

The annual New Year’s Eve Concert is one of the highlights in the calendar of every classical music fan in Berlin and beyond. On New Year‘s Eve, the Berliner Philharmoniker invite an exceptional soloist for a festive gala. Together, the musicians bid farewell to the old year and welcome the new. The 2011 concert was conducted by Simon Rattle and featured Evgeny Kissin on piano. On the programme: Antonín Dvořák: Slavonic Dance No. 1, Op. 46 in C Major, Edvard Grieg: Symphonic Dance No. 2, Op. 64, Edvard Grieg: Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 16, Maurice Ravel: Alborada del gracioso, Richard Strauss: Salome’s dance from “Salome”, Igor Stravinsky: The Firebird, Johannes Brahms: Hungarian Dance No. 1 in G minor, Antonín Dvořák: Slavonic Dance No. 7, Op. 72 in C Major.

The annual New Year’s Eve Concert is one of the highlights in the calendar of every classical music fan in Berlin and beyond. On New Year‘s Eve, the Berliner Philharmoniker invite an exceptional soloist for a festive gala. Together, the musicians bid farewell to the old year and welcome the new. The 2004 concert was conducted by Simon Rattle and featured Sally Matthews (soprano), Lawrence Brownlee (tenor), Christian Gerhaher (baritone), Rundfunkchor Berlin, Knabenchor des Staats- und Domchores Berlin. On the programme: Ludwig van Beethoven: Leonore - Overture, Carl Orff: Carmina Burana.

Rodrigo / Chabrier / Rachmaninov / Cañizares / Berliner Philharmoniker / Sir Simon Rattle

The Berliner Philharmoniker’s European Concert, held each year on 1 May, is invariably an international highlight. Performing in 2008 in Moscow's renowned Tchaikovsky Conservatory, the orchestra under Sir Simon Rattle presented outstanding performances of works by Beethoven, Stravinsky and Bruch, whose Violin Concerto featured one of today’s most fascinating artists, the Russian violinist Vadim Repin. Repertoire Stravinsky: Symphony in Three Movements; Bruch: Concerto for Violin No.1, op.26; Beethoven: Symphony No.7 in A major, op. 92 Vadim Repin Sir Simon Rattle Berliner Philharmoniker Sir Simon Rattle

The annual New Year’s Eve Concert is one of the highlights in the calendar of every classical music fan in Berlin and beyond. On New Year‘s Eve, the Berliner Philharmoniker invite an exceptional soloist for a festive gala. Together, the musicians bid farewell to the old year and welcome the new. The 2002 concert was conducted by Simon Rattle and featured Wayne Marshall (piano). On the programme: Leonard Bernstein: Wonderful Town.

The annual New Year’s Eve Concert is one of the highlights in the calendar of every classical music fan in Berlin and beyond. On New Year‘s Eve, the Berliner Philharmoniker invite an exceptional soloist for a festive gala. Together, the musicians bid farewell to the old year and welcome the new. The 2007 concert was conducted by Simon Rattle. On the programme: Alexander Borodin: Polovtsian Dances from the Opera "Prince Igor", Symphony No. 2 in B Minor, Modest Mussorgsky: Introduction to the opera "Khovantchina", Pictures at an Exhibition, Dmitri Shostakovich: Dance from “The Golden Age“, Ballet Suite, Op. 22.

There is hardly a better way to approach Ludwig van Beethoven than through his piano concertos. Beethoven’s own instrument was the piano, and in his improvisations – which made him the darling of the Viennese salons – he merged virtuosity and unbridled expression. The piano concertos give a clear idea of these performances. At the same time, they are prime examples of Beethoven’s ability to create large orchestral works with seemingly endless arcs of tension. The complete recording of all five works with Mitsuko Uchida and Sir Simon Rattle was one of the most spectacular projects of the Berliner Philharmoniker during the Rattle era – and at the same time the highlight of the collaboration between the orchestra and the pianist, which began in 1984.