Description
Herbert von Karajan: New Year's Eve Concert 1988 | Berliner Philharmoniker with Evgeny Kissin | DVD
Product Information
UPC: 5099704598697
ISBN: 1573301477
Product Type: Classical Concert DVD
Label: Sony Classical (SVD 45986)
Series: His Legacy For Home Video
Format: DVD, PAL
Audio: PCM Stereo, Dolby Digital
Duration: 59:58 minutes
Recording Date: December 31, 1988
Recording Location: Philharmonie, Berlin
Languages: English, Deutsch, Français
Overview
This DVD captures a historic musical event: the legendary 1988 New Year's Eve Concert featuring the incomparable Herbert von Karajan conducting the Berliner Philharmoniker with the remarkable debut of 17-year-old piano prodigy Evgeny Kissin. The program includes Prokofiev's neoclassical Symphony No. 1 "Classical" followed by Tchaikovsky's monumental Piano Concerto No. 1, a performance that catapulted Kissin to international fame. This concert represents a significant moment in classical music history, as it features one of Karajan's final New Year's Eve appearances with the orchestra he led for 34 years, paired with the brilliant emergence of a young pianist who would become one of the greatest virtuosos of his generation.
Német Nyelvű Áttekintés (German Overview)
Diese DVD dokumentiert ein historisches musikalisches Ereignis: das legendäre Silvesterkonzert 1988 mit dem unvergleichlichen Herbert von Karajan am Dirigentenpult der Berliner Philharmoniker und dem bemerkenswerten Debüt des 17-jährigen Klavierwunderkinds Evgeny Kissin. Das Programm umfasst Prokofjews neoklassische Symphonie Nr. 1 "Klassische", gefolgt von Tschaikowskys monumentalem Klavierkonzert Nr. 1, eine Aufführung, die Kissin zu internationalem Ruhm verhalf. Dieses Konzert stellt einen bedeutenden Moment in der Geschichte der klassischen Musik dar, da es einen von Karajans letzten Silvesterauftritten mit dem Orchester, das er 34 Jahre lang leitete, in Verbindung mit dem brillanten Aufstieg eines jungen Pianisten zeigt, der zu einem der größten Virtuosen seiner Generation werden sollte.
Product Features
- Complete recording of the historic 1988 New Year's Eve Concert
- Pristine PCM Stereo and Dolby Digital audio
- Interactive menus
- Liner notes and artist biographies in three languages
- Six-page booklet included
- Special features including artist biographies
- High-quality filming directed by Herbert von Karajan himself and Ernst Wild
Interesting Facts
A Momentous First Encounter
The collaboration between Karajan and Kissin came about through a remarkable chain of events. In August 1988, the 17-year-old Kissin auditioned privately for Karajan in Salzburg. After hearing the young pianist perform Chopin, the 80-year-old maestro was so impressed that he immediately invited Kissin to perform Tchaikovsky's demanding Piano Concerto No. 1 at the prestigious New Year's Eve Concert in Berlin—one of the most high-profile concerts in the classical calendar.
Unconventional Interpretation
This performance is notable for Karajan's unusually slow tempi in the Tchaikovsky concerto. Years later, Kissin reflected on this approach, saying, "He simply didn't like the way this concerto had been performed in the past – too fast, too hasty, he thought – and so the result was these extremely slow tempi. I think this approach probably reflected his age at the time... But with no other conductor was I able to create something so new. This Tchaikovsky was unusual, it took some getting used to, but it was still very exciting."
Global Impact
The concert was broadcast internationally on television, bringing Kissin instant worldwide recognition. This performance is widely considered the moment when Kissin became a household name in classical music. Karajan himself proclaimed the young pianist a "genius," a tremendous endorsement from one of the twentieth century's most influential conductors.
One of Karajan's Final Performances
This concert took place less than seven months before Karajan's death in July 1989. It represents one of his final appearances with the Berliner Philharmoniker, an orchestra he had led since 1955 and transformed into one of the world's most prestigious ensembles. The DVD thus captures not only the birth of a new star but also the twilight of a legendary conducting career.
Track Listing
SERGEI PROKOFIEV (1891-1953)
Symphony No. 1 in D Major, Op. 25 "Classical"
- I. Allegro - 4:38
- II. Larghetto - 3:36
- III. Gavotta. Non troppo allegro - 3:43
- IV. Finale. Molto vivace - 4:15
PETER ILYICH TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893)
Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-flat Minor, Op. 23
- I. Allegro non troppo e molto maestoso - Allegro con spirito - 23:40
- II. Andantino semplice - Prestissimo - Tempo I - 8:32
- III. Allegro con fuoco - 7:32
Production Credits
- Conductor: Herbert von Karajan
- Piano: Evgeny Kissin
- Orchestra: Berliner Philharmoniker
- Realization: Herbert von Karajan, Ernst Wild
- Producer: Uli Märkle
- Recording Supervision: Michel Glotz
- Recording Director: Günter Hermanns
- Director of Photography: Ernst Wild
Publishers
A co-production of ZDF and TELEMONDIAL.
Program © 1989 TELEMONDIAL
Package © 1999 Sony Music Entertainment Inc.
Made in Austria. Printed in West Germany.
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#HerbertVonKarajan #EvgenyKissin #BerlinerPhilharmoniker #TchaikovskyPianoConcerto #ProkofievSymphony #NewYearsEveConcert #ClassicalMusic #KarajanLegacy
