Europa Konzert from Lisbon [2011] / Contributer: Maria João Pires, Berliner Philharmoniker / Actor: Maria João Pires / Berliner Philharmoniker / Bonus Film: A Portrait of Lisbon / DVD

Format: NTSC

Running Time: 120 Minutes

UPC: 880242202185

• Aspect Ratio ‏ : ‎ 16:9 - 1.78:1
• Is discontinued by manufacturer ‏ : ‎ Yes
• Rated ‏ : ‎ Exempt
• Language ‏ : ‎ German, English, French
• Product Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 19.3 x 13.72 x 1.91 cm; 83.16 Grams
• Media Format ‏ : ‎ NTSC
• Run time ‏ : ‎ 2 hours
• Release date ‏ : ‎ 31 Oct. 2011
• Actors ‏ : ‎ Maria João Pires, Berliner Philharmoniker
• Subtitles: ‏ : ‎ French, German
• Studio ‏ : ‎ EUROARTS
• Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 1

Pierre Boulez conducts the Berliner Philharmoniker and pianist Maria Joâo Pires in this concert featuring selections by Bartok, Mozart, Ravel and Debussy recorded live at the 'Mosteiro dos Jerónimos', Lisbon in 2003.

Every year since 1991 the Berlin Philharmonic has given a 'Europa-Konzert' ('European Concert') in a major European city to commemorate the founding of the orchestra. The 2003 concert was in Lisbon, Portugal, at the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos (Monastery of St. Heironymus), a gorgeous group of buildings of golden hue built by a Portuguese king to honor the discoveries of Portuguese explorer, Vasco da Gama. I've seen several DVDs of these concerts and this one, led by Pierre Boulez, is the best one yet. The program plays to Boulez's strengths, namely his ability to delineate form, line and instrumental color, and both the orchestra and the piano soloist, Maria João Pires, are in topmost form.

The program consists of Ravel's 'Le Tombeau de Couperin,' Mozart's D Minor Piano Concerto, K. 466, and Bartók's 'Concerto for Orchestra'--three favorites well-loved by general audiences and cognoscenti alike. It's almost as if the program had been chosen to spotlight the BPO's extraordinarily talented principal oboist, Albrecht Mayer, as he does yeoman duty here, especially in the Ravel and Bartók, as well as in the encore, 'Fêtes' from Debussy's 'Trois Nocturnes.' Indeed, every department of the orchestra stands out, but it is the BPO's winds who are featured most prominently in this repertoire. The sound captured by the technicians is worth comment. It is rich and full, and in spite of a bit of cathedral acoustic with a moderately long decay-time, the inner voices and contrapuntal lines are crystal clear, even in the fastest passages. The monastery's acoustic, indeed, envelops the orchestra's sound in a warmth that is sometimes not heard in Boulez's often ultra-clinical-sounding recordings. Frankly, I liked it a lot, because we get the best of both worlds--clarity along with refulgent sound, the latter matching the glow of the monastery's rich interior.