Waldbuehne 2016 - Czech Night

"An evening in Berlin that could not have been more perfect." (Tagesspiegel) •This concert is a dual premiere for Yannick Nezet-Seguin (Artist of the Year 2016 and winner of the ECHO Klassik 2014): for the first time, the Canadian is conducting the Berliner Philharmoniker at their last concert of the season at the Waldbühne. This is also his first appearance with the orchestra since his debut in 2010, with an interpretation of the two major Czech national composers, Bedrich Smetana and Antonin Dvorak. •With his orchestra cycle Ma vlast, Smetana created a musical portrait of his home country; particularly the second part, The Moldau, came to stand as the embodiment of Czech music. Smetana combines rhythmic and melodic elements of Czech folklore with stylistic devices of Western symphonic music. •The same applies for Antonin Dvorak, fashioning his own musical language, shaped by the Bohemian idiom, in the Slavonic Dances. Thus his Sixth Symphony contains many allusions to Czech folk songs and dances that are typical of Dvorak’s music. •The Violin Concerto is also inspired by Slavic dance rhythms. This captivating piece is played by the Georgian violinist Lisa Batiashvili, acclaimed by the press as a "ballerina on the violin". •Including 'conductor camera' option: switch to the ‘picture-in-picture’ or ‘full screen’ in the conductor’s camera feature (full concert length) and experience maestro Nezet-Seguin from the orchestra’s perspective. Recorded live at the Waldbuehne Berlin, 2016, directed by Henning Kasten