The 1996 Berliner Philharmoniker Europakonzert in St. Petersburg

It is 1996 and the sixth edition of the Berliner Philharmoniker’s prestigious Europakonzert brings the orchestra to Saint Petersburg’s Mariinsky Theater, celebrating the 114th anniversary of its founding! In the birthplace of the legendary Ballets Russes, on the very stage where Petipa and Fokine staged so many world premieres, maestro Claudio Abbado and the Berlin Phil open aptly with excerpts from Sergei Prokofiev's iconic ballet Romeo and Juliet, followed by Ukrainian bass Anatoli Kotscherga’s stunning interpretation of the cavatina “Vyes' tabor spit” from Rachmaninov's opera Aleko. German violinist Kolja Blacher then graces the stage with the charm and intimacy of Beethoven's Romance No. 1 in G major and No. 2 in F major for violin and orchestra. Beethoven’s triumphant Symphony No. 7 propels us into the vibrant and energetic second half of the program, which rounds out with Tchaikovsky's majestic “Waltz of the Flowers” from his beloved ballet The Nutcracker.