Sir Simon Rattle conducts Rameau, Mozart, Chopin, Dvořák, Kodály, Brahms, and Khatchaturian — With Menahem Pressler

Marvel at the subtlety and artistic sensitivity of legendary pianist Menahem Pressler at the sublime 2014 Gala from Berlin, the Berliner Philharmoniker's marquee winter event! This invigorating concert, conducted with great flair by Sir Simon Rattle, kicks off with the irresistible orchestral suite from Rameau's Les Indes Galantes, a perfect first note in a program that leads us from the Baroque period all the way through to the twentieth century.

The piano virtuoso then takes the stage to regale the audience with his technically masterful, utterly beguiling rendition of Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 23, followed by a poignant interpretation of Chopin's haunting posthumous Nocturne in C-Sharp Minor. Next, Sir Rattle and the Berliner Philharmoniker pay homage to some of Central Europe's greatest composers, performing works by Dvořák, Kodály, and Brahms—then finally capping off their program with a rousing excerpt from Khachaturian's ballet Gayaneh.

Photo © Marco Borggreve