The Full Works Concert: Monday 2 March 2015, 8pm

Jane Jones gets Great Orchestras of the World month underway with a concert from the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra.

March on the Full Works Concert is Great Orchestras of the World month. 

Tonight Jane Jones begins with arguably the greatest of all – the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. 

Discover the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra > 

From its earliest days, the Berlin Phil was shaped by mercurial figures: Hans von Bülow, Arthur Nikisch and Wilherm Furtwängler instilled a self-confidence and promoted a virtuosity amongst its musicians that would become their hallmark. Herbert von Karajan joined the orchestra as its artistic director in 1955. He remained in the post for 35 years, Berlin Philharmonic's longest serving conductor to date.

Sir Simon Rattle became artistic director in 2001, following Claudio Abbado's successful tenure. The Liverpool-born conductor quickly established a trail-blazing educational programme and converted the orchestra into a public foundation.

We hear two recordings from Rattle tonight: a landmark recording of Brahms’s First Piano Concerto with Krystian Zimerman and Dvorak’s charming tone poem The Water Goblin.

Claudio Abbado takes to the podium for Beethoven’s First Symphony, and we hear some Bach from the 12 Cellists of the orchestra.

Johannes Brahms: Piano Concerto No.1 in D minor
Piano: Krystian Zimerman
Simon Rattle conducts the Berlin Philharmonic

Ludwig van Beethoven: Symphony No.1 in C major
Claudio Abbado conducts the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra

Johann Sebastian Bach: ‘Jesu, joy of man’s desiring’
The 12 Cellists of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra

Antonin Dvorak: The Water Goblin
Simon Rattle conducts the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra