Bonus video:
Documentary: »The Berliner Philharmoniker in Asia. A Tour Diary« (28 mins)
1. Don Juan, Op. 20 by Richard Strauss
Conductor: Simon Rattle
Orchestra/Ensemble: Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
Period: Romantic
Written: 1888-1889; Germany
2. Concerto for Piano no 2, Sz 95 by Bela Bartok
Performer: Yuja Wang (Piano)
Conductor: Simon Rattle
Orchestra/Ensemble: Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1930-1931; Budapest, Hungary
3. Symphony no 4 in E minor, Op. 98 by Johannes Brahms
Conductor: Simon Rattle
Orchestra/Ensemble: Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
Period: Romantic
Written: 1884-1885; Austria
4. Petrouchka by Igor Stravinsky
Conductor: Simon Rattle
Orchestra/Ensemble: Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
Period: 20th Century
Written: Switzerland
5. Choros Chordon by Unsuk Chin
Conductor: Simon Rattle
Orchestra/Ensemble: Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
Period: Contemporary
Written: South Korea
6. Symphony no 3 in A minor, Op. 44 by Sergei Rachmaninov
Conductor: Simon Rattle
Orchestra/Ensemble: Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
Period: Romantic
Written: 1936/1938; USA
7. Concerto for Piano in G major by Maurice Ravel
Performer: Seong-Jin Cho (Piano)
Conductor: Simon Rattle
Orchestra/Ensemble: Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1929-1931; France
Sir Simon Rattle’s last Asia tour as chief conductor of the Berliner Philharmoniker was a triumph, and is documented here in selected audio and video recordings. At the heart of this edition are audio recordings of the two final concerts at the legendary Suntory Hall in Tokyo – the musical and emotional highlight of the tour. 「The quality of the orchestra delighted audiences,」 said one critic. 「It was a virtuoso display of ensemble playing that is simply indescribable.」
The repertoire of the concerts was varied, sonorous and full of musical connections. It included Richard Strauss’ Don Juan and Brahms’ Fourth Symphony, two works of the Berliner Philharmoniker’s core repertoire. In addition, with Don Juan – which was played on the first Japan tour with Karajan – the musicians paid tribute to the now sixty-year partnership with the local audience. Brahms, on the other hand, was a programmatic focus of the Rattle era – as well as Igor Stravinsky, whose Petrushka was performed on this tour. An exciting contrast to Stravinsky was Sergei Rachmaninov: a fellow countryman and contemporary, but personifying a completely different world of expression, as his Third Symphony showed. There were also performances bridging the gap between East and West – the work Choros Chordon by Korean composer Unsuk Chin and two piano concertos with internationally successful Asian pianists: Maurice Ravel’s G major Concerto with Korea-born Seong-Jin Cho, and Bela Bartok’s Piano Concerto No. 2 with Chinese pianist Yuja Wang.