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S51E26

Vienna Philharmonic Summer Night Concert 2024

Premiere: 8/23/2024 | 0:30 |

Enjoy the world-renowned Vienna Philharmonic’s annual open-air concert from the gardens of Austria’s Imperial Schönbrunn Palace, featuring Andris Nelsons as guest conductor joined by soprano Lise Davidsen as guest soloist.

About the Episode

A long-standing annual event, Great Performances presents the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra’s summer night concert from Vienna’s Schönbrunn Palace Gardens. Focusing on popular works from the 19th and 20th centuries that highlight Europe’s rich musical heritage, the concert celebrates the bicentennial of distinguished Czech composer Bedřich Smetana with three musical compositions. The orchestra is led for the second time by Andris Nelsons, Music Director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and Gewandhauskapellmeister of the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, with internationally acclaimed soprano Lise Davidsen as guest soloist, who performs arias from Richard Wagner’s “Tannhäuser” and Giuseppe Verdi’s “La forza del destino.” Great Performances: Vienna Philharmonic Summer Night Concert 2024 premieres Friday, August 23 at 9 p.m. on PBS (check local listings), pbs.org/gperf and the PBS app.

 

Talent:

  • Andris Nelsons – Conductor
  • Lise Davidsen – Soloist
  • Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra

 

Musical program:

  • “The Ride of the Valkyries” from “The Valkyrie” – Richard Wagner
  • “Dich, teure Halle, grüß ich wieder” from “Tannhäuser” – Richard Wagner
  • “The Moldau” from “My Homeland” No. 2 – Bedřich Smetana
  • “Polka” from “The Two Widows” – Bedřich Smetana
  • “Dance of the Comedians” from “The Bartered Bride” – Bedřich Smetana
  • Overture to “The Force of Destiny” – Giuseppe Verdi
  • “Pace, pace mio” aria from “La forza del destino” – Giuseppe Verdi
  • “La Nuit et l’Amour” interlude from Ludus pro patria – Augusta Holmès
  • Sabre Dance from “Gajaneh” – Aram Iljitsch Khatschaturjan
  • Waltz No. 2 from the Suite for Variety Orchestra – Dmitri Schostakowitsch

 

Encore

  • “Heia, in den Bergen ist mein Heimatland” from “The Csárdás Princess” – Emmerich Kálmán
  • “Wiener Blut” Waltz – Johann Strauss

 

Noteworthy Facts:

  • This is the second time music conductor Andris Nelsons is conducting the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra’s summer concert.
  • International opera star Lise Davidsen makes her debut with the Vienna Philharmonic.
  • 2024 marks the 20th year the Vienna Philharmonic has performed the Summer Night Concert from the Schönbrunn Palace Gardens in Vienna.
  • The Summer Night Concert has been transmitted in more than 80 countries worldwide.
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SERIES OVERVIEW

For more than 50 years on PBS, Great Performances has provided an unparalleled showcase of the best in all genres of the performing arts, serving as America’s most prestigious and enduring broadcaster of cultural programming. Showcasing a diverse range of artists from around the world, the series has earned 67 Emmy Awards and six Peabody Awards. The Great Performances website hosts exclusive videos, interviews, photos, full episodes and more. The series is produced by The WNET Group. Great Performances is available for streaming concurrent with broadcast on PBS.org and the PBS App, available on iOS, Android, Roku streaming devices, Apple TV, Android TV, Amazon Fire TV, Samsung Smart TV, Chromecast and VIZIO.

PRODUCTION CREDITS

A production of Wiener Philharmoniker and ORF in association with The WNET Group, Vienna Philharmonic Summer Night Concert 2024 is directed by Henning Kasten and produced by Edith Hisch, with Karin Veitl as supervising producer; Martin Traxl is production executive. For Great Performances, John Walker is writer, Bill Kabel is producer, Bill O’Donnell is series producer and David Horn is executive producer.

FUNDING CREDITS

Series funding for Great Performances is provided by The Joseph & Robert Cornell Memorial Foundation, the Anna-Maria and Stephen Kellen Foundation, the LuEsther T. Mertz Charitable Trust, the Thea Petschek Iervolino Foundation, the Abra Prentice Foundation, Inc., Jody and John Arnhold, The Starr Foundation, The Philip and Janice Levin Foundation, Leni and Peter May, Seton J. Melvin, the Kate W. Cassidy Foundation, the Blanche and Hayward Cirker Charitable Trust, the Estate of Worthington Mayo-Smith, Ellen and James S. Marcus, Lorraine A. Egan and Richard T. Egan, and PBS. Exclusive corporate support for Great Performances: Vienna Philharmonic Summer Night Concert 2024 is provided by Rolex.

TRANSCRIPT

Enjoy a gran getaway to Austria's Schönbrunn Palace Gardens for the Vienna Philharmonic's 20th annual celebration of summer, with works that highlight Europe's rich musical heritage.

Conducted by maestro Andris Nelsons and featuring special guest Lise Davidsen.

Delight in the sublime Vienna Philharmonic Summer Night Concert 2024 on Great Performances.