Richard Wagner

Elisabeth Linhart and Karl Eichinger perform lieder and piano solos by Liszt and Wagner, including Liszt’s Sechs Ausgewählte Lieder for soprano and piano, Wagner’s Fünf Gedichte von Mathilde Wesendonck and Liszt’s “Liebestraum”.

Pierre Boulez, renowned for championing the most daring music of the 20th century, leads this 2003 Tokyo concert, played in the presence of Japan’s Emperor and Empress. Schoenberg’s Pelleas and Melisande could have received no treatment more royal than Boulez gives it at Suntory Hall with the Gustav Mahler Youth Orchestra

The Guardian observed, “For a quarter of a century now Boulez’s performances of all the modernists have set benchmarks . . . he remains unrivalled in the works of the Second Viennese School, and in Schoenberg in particular”

The voice of the Bavarian tenor Karl Liebl was recognised while he was studying to become a school teacher. In 1945, after serving in World War II, he became a Jugendlicher Heldentenor at the Stadttheater of Regensburg. Here he sang, among others, Riccardo in 'Un Ballo in Maschera', Radames and his first Wagner role: Siegmund. The first of his frequent appearances at the Staatstheater of Wiesbaden was in 1951, thereafter, he began to develop into a Heldentenor. From 1955 through 1959 he sang at the Cologne Opera including Hüon in 'Oberon' at the opening of the new house. From 1956-59 he was a member of the Staatsoper in Vienna, where he sang in premiere of 'Mathis der Maler' by Hindemith.

From 1959 to 1968 he performed at the Metropolitan Opera (debut role: Lohengrin) in such roles such as Tristan, Walther von Stolzing, Erik, Loge, Siegmund, Siegfried, Parsifal and Herod in 'Salome' - in all, eight major roles in 57 performances. He died in 2007.

He's no match for Nilsson, in stupendous voice here, but pretty marvellous, nonetheless.

A Dangerous Method is the story of the relationship between two of the great pioneers of modern psychology, Carl Jung (played by Michael Fassbender) and Sigmund Freud (Viggo Mortensen), and of Jung’s relationship with his brilliant and beautiful young patient Sabina Spielrein, a wonderful role for Keira Knightley. Jung successfully treats Sabina, who with his encouragement becomes a psychiatrist herself, and through correspondence about her case Jung gains the friendship of Freud. When Jung breaks off his love affair with Sabina, she becomes Freud’s patient, and differences on moral and intellectual issues open a gap between the two men.

Director David Cronenberg has chosen Howard Shore to write the score for all but one of his films in the last 30 years. Shore has composed music for more than 80 films in all, including the Lord of the Rings trilogy, for which he received three Academy Awards.

A major part of the soundtrack is a recording of Richard Wagner’s Siegfried Idyll by one of the most exciting pianists of our time, Lang Lang.

The highly acclaimed piano festival, founded in 1987, is a major event. Danacord proudly release the recording from the 24th festival, featuring rare piano music played by some of the leading pianists of today.