Famous Orchestras - The world's finest orchestras : The Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra

Discovering the world’s most prestigious orchestras. In this episode: founded in 1882, the Berlin Philharmonic initially comprised around fifty musicians. Following Hans von Bülow, its first permanent conductor, his successors , notably Wilhelm Furtwängler, Sergiu Celibidache and Herbert von Karajan, helped to establish its international reputation.

Founded in 1934, the Orchestre national de France is based at the Maison de la Radio in Paris. Currently conducted by Cristian Macelaru, the orchestra owes a great deal to maestros such as Sergiu Celibidache, Leonard Bernstein, Lorin Maazel, Seiji Ozawa, Kurt Masur and Daniele Gatti.

Discovering the world’s most prestigious orchestras. Founded in 1842, the Vienna Philharmonic is a true institution. Horn player Wolfgang Vladar, timpanist Thomas Lechner and oboist Clemens Horak explain how this legacy is passed on to each new generation.

Massenet's opera centres on its charming but contrary heroine, the vivacious young Manon who longs for luxury and excitement. We first encounter her en route to a convent, where her family are sending her to be educated. Along the way, she falls in love with the young student Des Grieux, and, impetuously, runs off with him. She soon leaves him, however, to become the mistress of a rich nobleman. Thus begins her descent into criminality and depravity, all too soon dragging the besotted Des Grieux with her, until she is imprisoned. Despite its tragic story, the opera is full of French charm and vitality – typified by the ambiguous Manon herself. Her plight is touching because of the subtle play of innocence and calculation in her character. The score contains many sparkling arias and ensembles, moving rapidly from moods of exuberance to tenderness, with perfect dramatic timing. Recorded live at the Staatsoper Unter den Linden, Berlin, April/May 2007.

Understanding how the musical world was impacted by the World War I.

A bunch of terrorists take over a school to get to an instructor who has access to an advanced scientific device. A core group of youngsters fight back to try and stop the bad guys.

SOKO Leipzig is a German police procedural television programme, a spin-off of the earlier German police programme SOKO 5113. It was first broadcast on 31 January 2001, on German television channel ZDF. On 12 November 2008, the first part of a two-part crossover between SOKO Leipzig and British police procedural The Bill was aired, with the same version being shown on both ZDF and British television channel ITV1.

Daniel Barenboim is an expert in exploiting the impact of cyclical performances of composers works: This time he focuses his sharp intellect on all six of Anton Bruckners mature symphonies. Der Tagesspiegel described Barenboim's performance of the works with the Staatskapelle Berlin on six nearly consecutive evenings in June 2010 as a superhuman accomplishment and went on to praise how: His Bruckner is conceived and performed very theatrically, like an opera without words. Bruckners famous Romantic Symphony No. 4 forms the prelude to a spectacular DVD series from Accentus Music and Unitel Classica, exploring Bruckners symphonic cosmos.

Both Florez and Diana Damrau brought their bel canto expertise and superb vocalism to the service of Verdi's music. The Rigoletto, Zeljko Lucic, ran the gamut from tenderness with his Gilda to thundering fury with everyone else. I also liked the production. At first, when Rigoletto was putting on his grease paint during the overture, I was afraid that it might be a typical "Euro-trash" production, with a bit of warmed over I Pagliacci. But the sets and dramatic action really served the music and libretto. I would have to say that I came to a deeper understanding and appreciation of the story and characters as a result of seeing this performance.

During a Christmas Eve party and a young girl, Clara, being given a nutcracker doll by her godfather, Drosselmeyer. Later in the evening when Clara sleeps, she finds herself in the midst of the Nutcracker’s battle against the Mouse King and his army of mice. Coming to Clara’s aid, the Nutcracker is transformed into a Prince and journeys with her to an enchanted island where spectacular celebrations are held in their honor. Pre-recorded at the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg in December 2011, Wassili Vainonen’s version of the beloved holiday ballet is for the first time in 3-D in select theaters.

What a prestigious cast for this Brahms evening! Renaud Capuçon and Julia Hagen, two internationally acclaimed artists, first perform the Double Concerto for violin and cello. They are accompanied by the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra conducted by Jakub Hrůša. The concert ends in style with Symphony No. 4.

The richness and intensity of Richard Strauss's masterful one-act opera, in Herbert Wernicke's compelling production, vividly portrays the relentless pursuit and ecstatic realization of vengeance. Featuring Linda Watson, Jane Henschel, Manuela Uhl, Rene Kollo, and Albert Dohmen. The Philharmonia Chor Wien and Münchner Philharmoniker are conducted by Christian Thielemann

At Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany, Croatian cellist Stjepan Hauser blends genres alongside the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by maestro Ulf Schirmer. The soloist performs Bach's famous Air on the G String, the theme from The Godfather by Ennio Morricone, and music from the series Game of Thrones, composed by Ramin Djawadi.

In the second part of this magnificent concert celebrating music from across Europe, Lukas Sternath, Martha Argerich, Bruce Liu and Hayato Sumino perform the finest piano concertos by Beethoven, Schumann, Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff.

The Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen, conducted by Omer Meir Wellber, takes over Neuschwanstein Castle in southern Germany for a lyrical concert featuring soprano Golda Schultz, tenor Rolando Villazón, and baritone Ludovic Tézier. In this grandiose building constructed by Ludwig II of Bavaria, the prestigious trio performs works by Mozart, Verdi, and Lehár.