xn--vrossignol-b7a: Philharmonie, Berlin 29. March 2010

Anna Netrebko, accompanied by Daniel Barenboim at the piano, gave the eagerly awaited vocal recital at the Philharmonie, Berlin on 29. March 2010, as part of the Festtage 2010. The programme of the vocal recital was a selection of works by Russian composers Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov and Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Two encores were given at the end of the recital: "When my old mother taught me to sing" by Antonín Dvořák and "Cäcilie" by Richard Strauss. Part of the recital, just 45 minutes, will be broadcast by Arte TV on 18. April 2010.

Anna Netrebko had previously sung recitals with the same programme in Mannheim on 12. August 2009, with Elena Bashkirova at the piano, Salzburg on 17. August 2009, with Daniel Barenboim at the piano, and Moscow on 23. March 2010 and St. Petersburg on 26. March 2010, with Elena Bashkirova at the piano.

The new Anna Netrebko album "In the Still of Night", a live recording of her recital at the Salzburger Festspiele on 17. August 2009 with Daniel Barenboim at the piano, was released by Deutsche Grammophon on 26. March 2010. A signature session by Anna Netrebko and Daniel Barenboim, lasting for 1 hour, took place at the Philharmonie on 29. March 2010, just after the vocal recital.

Programme

Anna Netrebko, Soprano

Daniel Barenboim, Piano

Philharmonie, Berlin

Monday 29. March 2010

1. PART

Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakow • Worüber in der Stille der Nacht op. 40 Nr. 3 | O chem v tishi nochey op. 40 Nr. 3 | What it is, in the still of night op. 40 Nr. 3

Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakow • Verzeih! Erinnere dich nicht an die kummervollen Tage op. 27 Nr. 4 | Prosti! Ne pomni dney naden’ya op. 27 Nr. 4 | Forgive me! Remember not the downcast days op. 27 Nr. 4

Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakow • Es ist nicht der Wind, der von der Höhe weht op. 43 Nr. 2 | Ne veter, veya s vïsotï op. 43 Nr. 2 | It was not the wind, blowing from the heights op. 43 Nr. 2

Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakow • Klingender ist das Lied der Lerche op. 43 Nr. 1 | Zvonche zhavoronka pen’ye op. 43 Nr. 1 | The lark sings louder op. 43 Nr. 1

Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakow • Auf Grusiniens Hügeln op. 3 Nr. 4 | Na kholmakh Gruzii op. 3 Nr. 4 | On the hills of Georgia op. 3 Nr. 4

Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakow • Im Reich der Rose und des Weins op. 8 Nr. 5 | V tsarstvo rozï i vina op. 8 Nr. 5 | In the kingdom of roses and wine op. 8 Nr. 5

Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakow • Suleikas Lied op. 26 Nr. 4 | Pesnya Zyuleyki op. 26 Nr. 4 | Zuleika’s song op. 26 Nr. 4

Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakow • Die Nachtigall wurde Sklavin der Rose op. 2 Nr. 2 | Plenivshis’ rozoy, solovey (Vostochnïy romans) op. 2 Nr. 2 | Enslaved by the rose, the nightingale op. 2 Nr. 2

Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakow • Der Wolken Luftgebirg löst sich im Winde sacht op. 42 Nr. 3 | Redeyet oblakov letuchaya gryada op. 42 Nr. 3 | The clouds begin to scatter op. 42 Nr. 3

Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakow • Die Nymphe op. 56 Nr. 1 | Nimfa op. 56 Nr. 1 | The nymph op. 56 Nr. 1

Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakow • Ein Sommernachtstraum op. 56 Nr. 2 | Son v letnyuyu noch’ op. 56 Nr. 2 | Summer night’s dream op. 56 Nr. 2

2. PART

Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky • Sag mir, wovon im dunklen Grün op. 57 Nr. 1 | Skazhi, o chom v teni vetvey op. 57 Nr. 1 | Say, when under shady boughs op. 57 Nr. 1

Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky • So schnell vergessen (1870) | Zabït tak skoro (1870) | So soon forgotten (1870)

Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky • Trunkene Nächte op. 60 Nr. 6 | Nochy bezumnïye op. 60 Nr. 6 | Reckless nights op. 60 Nr. 6

Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky • Warum? op. 6 Nr. 5 | Otchevo? op. 6 Nr. 5 | Why? op. 6 Nr. 5

Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky • Serenade, O Kind, ich singe dir op. 63 Nr. 6 | Serenada op. 63 Nr. 6 | Serenade op. 63 Nr. 6

Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky • Wiegenlied op. 16 Nr. 1 | Kolïbel’naya pesnya op. 16 Nr. 1 | Lullaby op. 16 Nr. 1

Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky • War ich nicht ein Gräslein im Felde op. 47 Nr. 7 | Ya li v pole da ne travushka bïla op. 47 Nr. 7 | Was I not a little blade of grass? op. 47 Nr. 7

Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky • In trüben Tagen op. 73 Nr. 5 | Sred mrachnïkh dnei op. 73 Nr. 5 | Mid sombre days op. 73 Nr. 5

Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky • Herrschet der Tag op. 47 Nr. 6 | Den li tsarit? op. 47 Nr. 6 | Does the day reign op. 47 Nr. 6

ENCORES

Antonín Dvořák • Zigeunermelodien op. 55 Nr. 4 (Als die alte Mutter mich noch lehrte singen) | Ciganske melodie op. 55 Nr. 4 (Kdyz mne stará matka zpívat, zpívat ucívala) | Gypsy Songs op. 55 Nr. 4 (When my old mother taught me to sing)

Richard Strauss • Cäcilie op. 27 Nr. 2

Personal Report

From 27. March to 1. April, I have been in Berlin attending three opera performances at the Staatsoper, Tristan und Isolde, Simon Boccanegra and Eugene Onegin, all of them conducted by Daniel Barenboim, and a song recital by Anna Netrebko accompanied by Daniel Barenboim at the Philharmonie. Those performances were part of the Festtage 2010 programme.

The cast for the opera performances was really good. Peter Seiffert and Waltraud Meier in the title roles of Tristan und Isolde, with René Pape as King Marke, Roman Trekel as Kurwenal, Reiner Goldberg as Melot and Ekaterina Gubanova as Brangäne in the Harry Kupfer's production of Wagner's Tristan und Isolde, Andrzej Dobber, substituting Plácido Domingo, in the title role of Simon Boccanegra, with Ailyn Perez as Amelia, Ferruccio Furlaneto as Jacopo Fiesco, Aquiles Machado as Gabriele Adorno in the Federico Tiezzi's production of Verdi's Simon Boccanegra and Artur Rucinski in the title role of Eugene Onegin, with Anna Samuil as Tatiana, Rolando Villazón as Lenski, René Pape as Gremin and Maria Gortsevskaya as Olga in the silly Achim Freyer's production of Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin.

Nevertheless, the highlight of the Festtage 2010 was the song recital of Anna Netrebko accompanied by Daniel Barenboim at the piano. The recital took place at the Philharmonie, a spectacular concert house designed by the Architect Hans Scharoum.

We arrived to the Philharmonie around one hour and a half in advance, but we were not able to see Anna Netrebko or Daniel Barenboim arriving. The doors were still closed, but we were able to see an announcement saying that Anna Netrebko and Daniel Barenboim would make a signing session of the new Album "In the Still of Night" at the end of the recital. As usual, we saw some people looking for tickets showing "Suche Karte" cards.

The doors opened and we entered the concert house. I bought a simple but complete programme, including the lyrics of all the songs. We saw some busts of legendary conductors such as the ones of Wilhelm Furtwängler and Herbert von Karajan. Before enetering the concert hall, we met Anna Samuil. She was very friendly and I told her that I would see her as Tatiana on 31. March. We took our seats, waiting for the recital to start. We saw Roberto Alagna in Section A of the concert hall

Anna Netrebko showed up radiant, stunning, wearing the same dress that we had see in the first part of her recital in Moscow on 23. March 2010. Daniel Barenboim was at her side. We had been listening many times recordings and broadcasts of some of her previous song recitals with the same programme, but nothing compares to hear her live. She was gorgeous. The songs by Rimski-Korsakov have an outstanding beauty mixed with a touch of melancholy. Anna's voice was flawless.

For the second part of the song recital, Anna chose the beautiful blue dress that she had also worn in the second part of her Moscow recital on 23. March 2010. Awesome second part, devoted to selected songs by Tchaikovsky.

At the end of the recital we went to the autographs session. The waiting line was huge. After a while, Anna Netrebko and Daniel Barenboim arrived. Sean M. Gross, Press Representative of Anna Netrebko for Nort America was also there. I met him and we were talking for a long while. Anna Netrebko and Daniel Barenboim were signing for almost one hour. It was a superb night.

Reports

Britta attended the recital and she has kindly written the following report:

„Wenn du es wüsstest was träumen heißt!“ Anna Netrebko sang at the very last encore of her concert in the Berliner Philarmonie and everyone at the sold out auditorium knew by then what it meant to dream.

In a night full of soul and emotions, a night full of melancholy and bitter sweet memories, Anna Netrebko took her audience on a journey to the depths of her Russian soul. A journey that reached everyone’s own soul in the end. And all that; In the still of the night.

The title of her new record couldn’t have been more appropriate, couldn’t have been more fitting and the minute Anna Netrebko and Maestro Barenboim entered the stage of the Philarmonie an aura filled the auditorium that bedded the audience in the soft and secure cocoon of this still of the night. Creating an intimate atmosphere where you could believe that she was singing just for you.

Wearing a beautiful dress with colourful flowers on it, she brought that touch of spring and youth onto the stage that fits so perfectly and naturally to the songs of Rimsky-Korsakov and the first song was all it took to know that this would be not just a recital and not just another night of Anna Netrebko letting her warm and dark soprano shine, but a night that would reach other heights.

Singing the first song she spanned an invisible band between herself and the audience that would become thicker and stronger with every song that followed. Luring the listener deeper and deeper into her world and by the end of the night we would have followed her everywhere. Even to the end of the world.

Changed into a beautiful turquoise evening gown Anna Netrebko returned after the break to devote the second half of the evening to the beautiful and melancholic songs of Peter Tchaikovsky. You could hear a pin drop between the songs, the audience being too afraid to applaud and destroy the magical atmosphere.

She sung with an amazing clarity and warmth, making it needless to read the translations of the songs. All you had to do, was open your heart and listen to her. It was all there in her voice and her gestic. And I’ve never heard her better, never understood her better than on this night, when she proved that the language of music is truly universal. That you don’t need to understand the words to understand the meaning and the soul of a song, when you have a performer and singer like Anna Netrebko guiding you through it. With her and Maestro Barenboim, the music always came first. It was always about the songs, never about themselves and with that they touched our souls and signed our hearts.

Thank you for reminding us what it means to dream ...

Press Reviews

[1] Wie Anna Netrebko die Berliner verführte | Morgenpost | By Volker Blech | 29. March 2010

[2] Comeback der schönen Mama | bz-Berlin | 30. March 2010

[3] Selige Sehnsucht | Der Tagesspiegel | By Frederik Hanssen | 31. March 2010

Photos

Anna Netrebko during the second part of the recital at the Philharmonie, Berlin 29. Mar 2010. Photo: Anne

Anna Netrebko and Daniel Barenboim during the second part of the recital at the Philharmonie, Berlin 29. Mar 2010. Photo: Anne

Anna Netrebko during the signing session after the recital at the Philharmonie, Berlin 29. Mar 2010. Photo: Anne

Anna Netrebko and Daniel Barenboim at the end of the signing session after the recital at the Philharmonie, Berlin 29. Mar 2010. Photo: Anne

Anna Netrebko at the end of the signing session after the recital at the Philharmonie, Berlin 29. Mar 2010. Photo: Anne

Anna Netrebko leaving the signing session after the recital at the Philharmonie, Berlin 29. Mar 2010. Photo: Anne

Videoclips
Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakow • Worüber in der Stille der Nacht op. 40 Nr. 3 | O chem v tishi nochey op. 40 Nr. 3 | Of what I dream in the quiet night op. 40 Nr. 3

Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakow • Es ist nicht der Wind, der von der Höhe weht op. 43 Nr. 2 | Ne veter, veya s vïsotï op. 43 Nr. 2 | Not the Wind, blowing from the hights op. 43 Nr. 2

Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakow • Klingender ist das Lied der Lerche op. 43 Nr. 1 | Zvonche zhavoronka pen’ye op. 43 Nr. 1 | The lark sings louder op. 43 Nr. 1

Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakow • Suleikas Lied op. 26 Nr. 4 | Pesnya Zyuleyki op. 26 Nr. 4 | Zuleika’s song op. 26 Nr. 4

Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakow • Der Wolken Luftgebirg löst sich im Winde sacht op. 42 Nr. 3 | Redeyet oblakov letuchaya gryada op. 42 Nr. 3 | The clouds begin to scatter op. 42 Nr. 3
Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakow • Ein Sommernachtstraum op. 56 Nr. 2 | Son v letnyuyu noch’ op. 56 Nr. 2 | Summer night’s dream op. 56 Nr. 2