The Solti Centenary Concert in Chicago celebrated Sir Georg Solti’s 100th birthday on October 21, 2012, featuring the World Orchestra for Peace. This unique ensemble owes its existence to the vision of its founder, Sir Georg Solti, who believed passionately in peace and the power of music and musicians to be ambassadors for peace.

Charmingly hosted by Solti’s widow, Lady Valerie Solti, and featuring soloists such as Angela Gheorghiu and René Pape as well as members of the Georg Solti Accademia, this memorable evening presents musical highlights, all of which played a significant role in Solti’s life and career.

Besides excerpts from Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro, Die Zauberflöte and Don Giovanni or Verdi’s La Traviata and Rigoletto, this concert finds lovely musical moments in the 'Adagietto' from Mahler’s Fifth Symphony, Strauss’ Don Juan and Bartók’s masterful Concerto for Orchestra. Sousa’s Stars and Stripes Forever as the encore closes the performance with a smash.

Conductor Valery Gergiev was a good friend of his advisor Georg Solti. Together with Lady Valerie Solti and the World Orchestra for Peace he carries on Solti’s vision and maintains his memory.

Host: Valerie Solti

Contents:
1. Opening
2. Welcome – Valerie Solti
3. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Overture to The Marriage of Figaro, K.492
4. Commentary – Valerie Solti
5. Richard Strauss: Don Juan, op.20
(Solo: Rainer Küchl)
6. Commentary – Valerie Solti
Tributes to Solti from Plácido Domingo, René Pape, Renée Fleming and Angela Gheorghiu
7. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: "In diesen heil'gen Hallen" from The Magic Flute
(René Pape)
8. Giuseppe Verdi: "Addio del passato" from La Traviata
(Angela Gheorghiu)
9. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: "La ci darem la mano" from Don Giovanni
(René Pape, Angela Gheorghiu)
10. Commentary – Valerie Solti
11. Giuseppe Verdi: "Bella figlia dell'amore" from Rigoletto
(Roberto Gòmez-Ortiz, Matilda Paulsson, Tereza Gevorgyan, Ross Ramgobin, Conductor: Cristian Macelaru)
12. Gustav Mahler: "Adagietto" from Symphony No.5
13. Commentary – Valerie Solti
Tributes to Solti from Anne-Sophie Mutter, Dame Evelyn Glennie, András Schiff and Murray Perahia
14. Béla Bartók: Concerto for Orchestra, SZ116
15. Closing words – Valerie Solti
16. Encore – John Philip Sousa: March Stars and Stripes Forever
17. End Credits

Live recording from Symphony Center, Chicago, 2012

“A most exhilarating birthday bash” - Chicago Classical Review

Special Bonus Feature: 'Solti’s Vision', a film about the World Orchestra for Peace

Sound Format: PCM Stereo, DD 5.1, dts-HD Master Audio 5.1
Picture Format: 16:9, 1080i FULL HD
Format: DVD 9 / NTSC
Subtitle Languages: DE, FR / DE (Bonus)
Running Time: 112 mins + 21 mins (Bonus)
Blu-ray Disc: 25 GB (Single Layer)
FSK: 0
Region Code: Worldwide
Worldwide available