This recording was made live in concert in Berlin only last month, with the Financial Times declaring: ‘It is impossible to imagine a more consummate account. Zimerman’s pianism was extraordinary’. The Polish pianist was a huge favourite of Bernstein; they performed the work together during the 1980s, and Zimerman promised the composer that he’d perform it on his 100th birthday.

Two CD set of EMI Classics of Stravinsky with The Rite of Spring. Petrushka, The Firebird, Apollo. The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Simon Rattle.

Mahler called himself a "summer composer," writing most of his music in the countryside he loved during vacations from his duties as director of the Vienna Opera. His Fifth Symphony was composed in 1901 and 1902 in his new summer home at the lovely Carinthian Wörther Lake, just after his marriage to the famous beauty Alma Schindler. His happiness is reflected in the second part of the symphony: a tender, humorous, exhilarating Scherzo, (really a Ländler, that characteristically Austrian rustic waltz), featuring a big horn solo; the famous ardent, glowing Adagietto, which Alma claimed was a love song for her; and an exuberant, joyful, triumphant Finale that quotes one of Mahler's gently ironic songs. The first two movements, however, are exactly the opposite: a heavy, tragic Funeral March introduced by a trumpet fanfare, followed by an outburst of turbulent ferocity interrupted by mournful lamentations. In this live performance, the great Berlin Philharmonic and Simon Rattle play masterfully, with an all-out, no-holds-barred approach. The sound is simply glorious, though the dynamic contrasts tend to be so extreme as to require a finger on the volume control. Rattle brings out each movement's character, going to the emotional edge but never beyond. The Adagietto glows passionately, the second movement has a wild but controlled abandon, the Waltz lilts without becoming vulgar. He gives the music a grand, surging sweep, yet not a detail is lost. His transitions are smooth, and he can change mood, sound, and expression instantly. --Edith Eisler

Lang Lang's first concerto album on the Sony label unites the world’s greatest International music stars: Lang Lang, Sir Simon Rattle and the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. This highly awaited collaboration resulted in a recording which will mark one of this year's most important core classical releases in the music industry.
Recorded at Berlin's Philharmonie, the album presents two mile stones of the 20th century piano literature: Prokofiev’s explosive Piano Concerto No. 3, (one of the great show stoppers in the concert literature), and the Bartók Concerto Nr. 2, probably the most technically challenging piece ever written for piano and orchestra.
Comes in luxuriously designed photo-loaded deluxe packaging.
An up-close and highly personal TV documentary (Working Title: "At the Highest Level") will accompany the release. The film will give an exclusive insight into processes that are normally hidden: the preparations of the musicians, the recordings at the Philharmonie in Berlin and the struggle to get the best sound, as well as the post-production phase.
Produced by award winning company BFMI (Bernhard Fleischer Moving Images) and directed by Christian Berger the 60” TV documentary “The Highest Level” gives an exclusive insight into processes that are normally hidden: the preparations of the musicians, the recordings at the Philharmonie in Berlin and the struggle to get the best sound, as well as the post-production phase. The viewer gets unusually close to the stars of the film.

齐默尔曼最新推出的这张《布拉姆斯第一钢琴协奏曲》可以说是大家期待已久的一个录音。齐默尔曼与勒图继两人与柏林爱乐乐团的精彩现场演出大获好评后，在此联手在录音室里录制了这部精彩的布拉姆斯钢琴作品。我们回头看看齐默尔曼之前推出过的唱片肖邦的作品占据了很大的数量，而对于他本人来讲演奏肖邦无疑是最得心应手，对于布拉姆斯得作品齐默尔曼则较少涉猎，而他在DG公司也只是和伯恩斯坦合作录制过一次《布拉姆斯第二钢琴协奏曲》，不过这个录音距今已经有很多年，想必齐默尔曼《布拉姆斯第一钢琴协奏曲》一定做了充分的准备和深入的研究才决定录下这个曲目。从这个曲目中我们一如以往地感受到齐默尔曼琴声中的贵气，对复杂的乐句处理轻松自如精湛的技巧可见一班，当然勒图带领下的柏林爱乐也功不可没，无论低回委婉的柔板或是气势磅礴的高潮，都能与钢琴结合得紧密和谐。可以说是一张当代大师擦出火花之力作。 (引用verycd文字）