Zubin Mehta, born in Bombay in 1936, is one of the greatest conductors on the rostrum. ‚I have been conducting the Berliner Philharmoniker longer than many of its musicians have been members. I began in 1961 and since then have not missed a single season. During all those years I have been able to observe continually that the Berliner Philharmoniker sets standards for outstanding orchestral achievements.‘
The theme of his ‚St. Petersburg Night‘ at the Berlin Waldbühne is, of course, Russian music. The centrepiece is one of Tchaikovsky‘s most frequently played and effective compositions: his Piano Concerto No. 1 in B fl at minor. This work has spread the fame of Russian music all over the world. Its memorable melodies and original rhythms never fail to captivate audiences.
Daniel Barenboim, was the soloist for the Tchaikovsky concerto in Zubin Mehta‘s music night. With this combination of master conductor, master pianist and leading orchestra, success was, of course, assured. The twenty thousand people in the audience at the Berlin Waldbühne, sold out weeks beforehand, expressed their thanks with tumultuous applause.
The other works in the programme were also enthusiastically received, in particular the familiar sounds of Tchaikovsky‘s ‚Swan Lake‘ and Rimsky-Korsakov‘s orchestral scherzo ‚The Flight of the Bumblebee‘ from his opera ‚The Legend of Tsar Saltan‘, which was played with astounding virtuosity.
Sound Format: PCM Stereo, DD 5.1
Picture Format: 4:3
DVD Format: DVD 9, PAL
Running Time: 97 mins
FSK: 0
Click on any of the works listed above for alternative recordings.
