Great Performances "From the Acropolis: A Salute to the Games with the Berlin Philharmonic" From the spectacular Herodes Atticus amphitheatre, against a backdrop of ancient Athens, conductor Sir Simon Rattle leads the Berlin Philharmonic in a concert featuring works of Johannes Brahms. Daniel Barenboim is the soloist in the Piano Concerto No. 1. When's it on? Visit the Site Do you think the pieces played by the orchestra were appropriate for the setting and commemoration? Why? What do the Olympic Games mean to you? How important is it to you to see musicians as well as hear their playing? Do you think you'd enjoy a performance in an amphitheatre like Herodes Atticus? Why? How do you feel about someone's alteration of a composition (e.g. Schoenberg's orchestration of Brahms' piano quartet)? What are your thoughts about Simon Rattle's assertion that music doesn't exist until it's shared? Daniel Barenboim talks about the Greeks' dual attitudes toward music: that it promotes rationality and order and that it can excite dangerous passions. What do you think? Brahms' Piano Concerto No. 1 is now considered a masterpiece, but it was derided by both audiences and critics at its premiere. What do you think about this?
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