The founding of the Berliner Philharmoniker on the first of May, 1882 is celebrated annually with a concert in a European city of cultural significance. In 2014 the Europakonzert took again place in Berlin.

The concert was conducted by a man who has been associated with the Berliner Philharmoniker for 50 years: Daniel Barenboim.

Otto Nicolai’s The Merry Wives of Windsor is based on William Shakespeare’s comedy of the same name, and its lively overture has long since secured a place on the concert stage. Also inspired by a Shakespearean comedy hero is Edward Elgar’s symphonic study Falstaff.

We then turn from comedy to the tragic twists of fate: the Fifth Symphony of Piotr Tchaikovsky is characterized by a sombre main theme that for the Russian composer symbolizes “a complete resignation before fate, which is the same as the inscrutable predestination of fate”.

Bonus: Interview with Maestro Barenboim

Picture format: 1080i Full HD – 16:9
Sound format: PCM Stereo, DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Region code: 0 (worldwide)
Booklet notes: English, German, French
Running time: 90 mins + 10 mins Bonus (Interview Daniel Barenboim)
German FSK: 0
Available Worldwide