The 2018 New Year’s Eve Concert: an introduction (15 min.)

The Berliner Philharmoniker’s 2018 New Year’s Eve Concert featured Mozart’s Coronation concerto and Spanish-inspired works by Maurice Ravel. As pianist and conductor of the evening, Daniel Barenboim continued his longstanding artistic partnership with the orchestra. In this short film, the musician addresses the specific appeal of Mozart’s 26th Piano Concerto, the challenge of performing as both soloist and musical director, and Ravel’s special closeness to the idiom of Spain, his mother’s country of origin. In addition, orchestral members, including principal oboist Albrecht Mayer, clarinetist Walter Seyfarth and percussionist Raphael Haeger, talk about their fascination for the famous Boléro, with which Ravel succeeded in creating one of the most effective pieces in music history using the most economical of means.