The Berliner Philharmoniker’s New Year’s Eve Concert: 2004

In its most ambitious effort yet to bring the joy and artistry of opera to audiences everywhere during the Met’s closure, the company presented an unprecedented virtual At-Home Gala, featuring more than 40 leading artists performing in a live stream from their homes all around the world.

In the 18th century, in the palace of Pasha Selim, in a purely imaginary Turkey. Belmonte, a young Spanish nobleman, is searching for his fiancée, Constance, who has been captured by pirates and sold to Pasha Selim. Blonde, Constance’s English maid, and her lover Pedrillo, Belmonte’s servant, have suffered the same fate and are at the mercy of the cruel Osmin, the seraglio’s guardian. Belmonte and Pedrillo devise a plan to rescue Constance, who is determined to die rather than succumb to the advances of Pasha Selim, who is eager to win the heart of his beautiful captive. ‘The Abduction from the Seraglio’ (‘Die Entführung aus dem Serail’ K.384) is a three-act singspiel by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, with a German libretto by Gottlieb Stephanie, based on the play by Christoph Friedrich Bretzner. It premiered at the Burgtheater in Vienna on 16 July 1782, conducted by the composer. Recorded live at Glyndebourne Festival, July 19, 2015.

Staatsoper Berlin’s new production of Rameau’s tragédie lyrique, directed by Alletta Collins; featuring costumes, sets and lighting designed by Ólafur Eliasson; and musical direction by Simon Rattle, who makes his debut with the Freiburg Baroque Orchestra.

Kirill Serebrennikov is staging *Das Rheingold* as a global post-apocalyptic drama for the 2026 Easter Festival. The director is known for his uncompromising productions. In this new interpretation, he transforms the material into a symbol-laden global theatre piece. Kirill Petrenko will be the musical director of *Das Rheingold*.

In the 18th century, in the palace of Pasha Selim, in a purely imaginary Turkey. Belmonte, a young Spanish nobleman, is searching for his fiancée, Constance, who has been captured by pirates and sold to Pasha Selim. Blonde, Constance’s English maid, and her lover Pedrillo, Belmonte’s servant, have suffered the same fate and are at the mercy of the cruel Osmin, the seraglio’s guardian. Belmonte and Pedrillo devise a plan to rescue Constance, who is determined to die rather than succumb to the advances of Pasha Selim, who is eager to win the heart of his beautiful captive. ‘The Abduction from the Seraglio’ (‘Die Entführung aus dem Serail’ K.384) is a three-act singspiel by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, with a German libretto by Gottlieb Stephanie, based on the play by Christoph Friedrich Bretzner. It premiered at the Burgtheater in Vienna on 16 July 1782, conducted by the composer. Recorded live at Glyndebourne Festival, July 19, 2015.

Praised by critics as “magnificent”, “breathtakingly theatrical” and full of “zestful imagination”, Melly Still’s “spine-tingling” Rusalka is a Glyndebourne classic – a magical contemporary reimagining of a much-loved fairy tale. Light and darkness, beauty and danger come together in this passionate tale of love against the odds. At once evocative and unsettling, this production collides two contrasting worlds in Rae Smith’s elegant designs made of “brilliant stage-pictures”. Rusalka’s forest home is a dappled space of sunshine and shadows, full of strange woodland creatures, while the Prince’s court is a world of sleek modernity and sophistication – a world of man.

The Queen of the Night enlists a handsome prince named Tamino to rescue her beautiful kidnapped daughter, Princess Pamina. Aided by the lovelorn bird hunter Papageno and a magical flute that holds the power to change the hearts of men, young Tamino embarks on a quest for true love, leading to the evil Sarastro's temple where Pamina is held captive. The Pierre Audi production of Mozart's Die Zauberflöte was recorded live at the 2006 Salzburger Festpiele.

Rosina from *The Barber of Seville* is now Countess Almaviva, his wife. However, he is far from being a paragon of virtue. Among others, he is pursuing his wife’s maid, Susanna—who is to marry Figaro, now in the Count’s service—and his gardener’s daughter, Barbarina. He faces competition from the page Cherubino, who is in love with all women and in particular with the Countess, his godmother. Meanwhile, the elderly Marcellina, aided by Doctor Bartolo and the music master Basilio, seeks to prevent the marriage of Susanna and Figaro, as the latter has promised to marry her. ‘The Marriage of Figaro’ (‘Le nozze di Figaro’, K. 492) is a four-act opera buffa by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, with an Italian libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte inspired by Beaumarchais’s comedy, ‘Le Mariage de Figaro’.

In the mid-20th century, in Fucecchio, near Florence, Buoso Donati, an elderly collector and wealthy antique dealer, has just passed away. He lies in his bed, surrounded by relatives feigning grief. They are all worried, as the deceased has bequeathed his entire fortune to a monastery. They search frantically for the will. The young Riniccio, Donati’s nephew, finds it but agrees to show it to the family only if they promise to let him marry Lauretta, the daughter of Gianni Schicchi, a local figure of dubious reputation. Everyone accepts the condition and discovers to their horror that the rumour was true: the monks are set to inherit the fortune. Riniccio suggests calling on Schicchi for help, much to the family’s disgust. Summoned, Riniccio arrives at the house accompanied by his daughter. He proposes keeping the death a secret, taking his place, and instructing a doctor and a notary to alter ‘his’ testamentary dispositions. But has the hunter become the hunted? Not so sure...

After the acclaimed Met premiere of Thomas Adès's "The Tempest" in 2012, the composer returned with another masterpiece, this time inspired by filmmaker Luis Buñuel's seminal surrealist classic "El Ángel Exterminador", during the 2017–18 season. As the opera opens, a group of elegant socialites gather for a lavish dinner party, but when it is time to leave for the night, no one is able to escape. Soon, their behavior becomes increasingly erratic and savage. The large ensemble cast tackles both the vocal and dramatic demands of Adès's opera with one riveting performance after another. Tom Cairns, who also penned the work's libretto, directs an engrossing and inventive production, using a towering wooden archway to trap the characters onstage. And Adès himself takes the podium to conduct the frenzied score, which features a host of unconventional instruments, including the eerie electronic ondes Martenot.

A production of an opera by George Frideric Handel, about the Skyrian princess Deidamia helping Achilles while he is disguised as a girl to avoid dying in the Trojan War, based on Greek mythology.

"Irresistible" (Opera News) rising-star mezzo Elina Garanca triumphs as Rossini's Cinderella in this delightful Metropolitan Opera production. "As close to pure joy as you will find in a big-time opera house" (New Yorker), conquering audiences and critics alike, "Garanca has a gorgeous voice that she uses with exceptional skill, melting tenderness; but when the part calls for coloratura fireworks, she unleashes a flawless technique and ringing high notes of impressive power" (Associated Press). Filmed in High Definition Widescreen.

Nothing is for forever. And people make mistakes. And yet, letting go is the hardest challenge when you're burning with love for the first time and want nothing more than to hold on to it forever. But can you feel as intensely forever as you did in the beginning? Così fan tutte in Benedict Andrews’s new production deals with the exuberant feelings that drive young love in the rush of hormones. Sometimes it touches the fringes of human relationships, where one threatens to lose oneself in the search for intensity. Thus the two young couples, who think they have already discovered the essence of true love, meet two experienced counterparts in Don Alfonso and Despina. An experiment begins in which the men put the fidelity of their partners to the test by playing a game of disguise. What remains is disillusionment. And the possibility of a painful realization: only freedom and the longing for union are certain. Disappointment and rejection are part of the game – because no love is ideal.

In celebration of the 150th anniversary of Mahler’s birth and just one month short of his own 85th birthday, composer-conductor Pierre Boulez marked his forty-five-year collaboration with the Cleveland Orchestra by directing this very special Mahler-only concert at Ohio’s splendid Severance Hall. Following the Adagio from the unfinished Tenth Symphony, he presented Twelve Songs from Des Knaben Wunderhorn with soloists Magdalena Kožená and Christian Gerhaher, both much-sought-after opera and concert singers on the world’s leading stages.

A live recording of the premier of Korean composer Unsuk Chin's Alice in Wonderland opera at National Theater Munich in June 2007. It is a modern opera based on Lewis Carroll's fantasy novel of the same name. The amazing characters Alice meets are portrayed with a colorful combination of puppets and singer-actors.

Gala concert from Berlin the world famous Berlin Philharmonic conducted by Sir Simon Rattle, in Carl Orff's famous Carmina Burana, an intensely dramatic cantata that remains one of the most performed works of the twentieth century. With an extraordinary vocal line-up soprano Sally Matthews, tenor Lawrence Brownlee and baritone Christian Gerhaher. With Rundfunchor Berlin with Chorus Master Simon Halesey as well as the Knabenchor des Staats- und Domchores Berlin.

A young student, Ernesto, who lives with his old bachelor uncle, Don Pasquale, has refused to wed the woman of his uncle’s choosing because he is in love with a young widow, Norina. Pasquale has decided to punish Ernesto by getting married and fathering an heir, thereby cutting off his nephew without a penny. Dr. Malatesta, a friend of Pasquale as well as Ernesto and Norina, has devised a plan to both save Pasquale from his folly and help the young couple.

It is a rare opera indeed that calls for one soprano diva and no fewer than six tenors. Mary Zimmerman’s fanciful production of Rossini’s drama, designed by Richard Hudson and with choreography by Graciela Daniele, provides the perfect setting for superstar Renée Fleming’s captivating performance of the title role. A beautiful but evil sorceress in the times of the Crusades, Armida sets out to regain the love of the Frankish knight Rinaldo (Lawrence Brownlee) by putting her magical spells on him. She at first succeeds to draw him into her web of sorcery, but ultimately divine intervention—and his fellow soldiers—free Rinaldo from his enchantment—much to the vengeful fury of Armida and her demons.

Jean-Baptiste Grenouille, born in the stench of 18th century Paris, develops a superior olfactory sense, which he uses to create the world's finest perfumes. However, his work takes a dark turn as he tries to preserve scents in the search for the ultimate perfume.

In 1415, in the midst of the Hundred Years' War, the young King Henry V of England embarks on the conquest of France.

Johann Sebastian Bach’s St John Passion with the Berliner Philharmoniker and Sir Simon Rattle was one of the outstanding events of the past season. As before with the St Matthew Passion, star director Peter Sellars succeeded in creating a staging which made the spiritual and dramatic content of the Passion story even more intensive. The New York Times also praised the “brilliant and energetic” playing of the orchestra, the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung the “haunting, almost unsurpassable singing of all those involved.”

The London 2012 Olympic Games Opening Ceremony took place at 9pm on 27 July 2012. Titled 'Isles of Wonder', the Ceremony welcomed the finest athletes from more than 200 nations for the start of the London 2012 Olympic Games, marking an historic third time the capital has hosted the world’s biggest and most important sporting event. The Opening Ceremony reflected the key themes and priorities of the London 2012 Games, based on sport, inspiration, youth and urban transformation. It was a Ceremony 'for everyone' and celebrated contributions the UK has made to the world through innovation and revolution, as well as the creativity and exuberance of British people.

The Marschallin is relishing time with her young lover, when her cousin’s sudden arrival ignites a comic chain of events. With honour at risk, social status bartered and happiness illusive, the Marschallin accepts time cannot be stopped and she must set young love free. After opening the 2022-23 season in Brussels with Pikovaya Dama, La Monnaie / De Munt now streams Der Rosenkavalier live on OperaVision. The mystery of time resonates throughout Hugo von Hofmannsthal’s highly spiritual and nostalgic libretto, for which Richard Strauss took a step back in time to eighteenth-century Vienna. Waltzing in neoclassical style, with sublime lyricism and a refined orchestral palette, the opera looks back to the past, faded beauty, lost loves.

With a career that includes a 35-year tenure as composer of the Berlin Philharmonic and record sales topping 200 million, Herbert von Karajan is one of the most legendary figures in 20th-century classical music. Comprised of archival footage, performance highlights and interviews with the likes of Anne-Sophie Mutter, Christa Ludwig and Seiji Ozawa, this retrospective chronicles the life and times of the iconic Austrian maestro.

A youthful cast brings Rossini’s immortal comedy to sparkling life, led by Christopher Maltman as Figaro, the resourceful barber and man-about-town of the title. The lovely Isabel Leonard is Rosina, the clever young woman at the center of the story, and Lawrence Brownlee sings Count Almaviva, the man who loves her and—with Figaro’s help—rescues her from the house of her elderly and smitten guardian, Bartolo, played by Maurizio Muraro. Paata Burchuladze is the bumbling music master Basilio, and rising conductor and bel canto specialist Michele Mariotti leads the Met’s musical forces in Bartlett Sher’s lively production.

Sir Simon Rattle was in no doubt: the performance of the St Matthew Passion which he realised together with the Berliner Philharmoniker and the Rundfunkchor Berlin in 2010 was for him “the single most important thing we ever did here”. Critics around the world agreed. They praised the semi-staged “ritualization” by American star-director Peter Sellars, as well as the outstanding musical performances by the soloists, including Magdalena Kožená, Christian Gerhaher, Thomas Quasthoff and Mark Padmore as the Evangelist.

Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 Herbert Blomstedt (Actor), Gewandhausorchester (Actor), Ute Feudel (Director)

The composer's opera buffa transcends the spirit of Beaumarchais’ comedy and combines the absurd with a touch of satirical realism in a score where rhythm and virtuosity place the comic effects in an ongoing dramatic narration. As a result, the characters – Rosina in particular – gain a new degree of realism and break with the usual archetypes. Damiano Michieletto’s giddying production embraces this perpetual motion and carries in its wake the happy couple formed by Lawrence Brownlee and Pretty Yende.

When it comes to beautiful melodies, captivating coloratura and virtuoso vocal fireworks, few operas can match Bellini's I puritani. The action takes place in England during the civil war between Royalists and Puritans. At its heart is the tragic love story between Elvira and Arturo, whose happiness is destroyed by the conflict between love and political duty.

When Rosina falls in love with mysterious young suitor Lindoro, she must use all her cunning – and a little help from her local barber – to outwit her calculating guardian Dr Bartolo. Expect heart-melting serenades, ridiculous disguises and a fairytale ending waiting just out of reach. From the barber’s opening number ‘Largo al factotum,’ with its cry of ‘Figaro!,’ to Rosina’s feisty aria ‘Una voce poco fa,’ Gioachino Rossini’s comic opera is a riotously entertaining affair. Rafael Payare makes his House debut, and joins Christopher Willis in conducting a cast that includes Andrzej Filończyk, Aigul Akhmetshina, Laurence Brownlee, Konu Kim and Bryn Terfel.