0:00:02 > 0:00:05MUSIC: Te Deum: Marche en rondeau by Marc-Antoine Charpentier
0:00:38 > 0:00:40APPLAUSE
0:00:44 > 0:00:47Hello and a very warm welcome to this summer night concert
0:00:47 > 0:00:50from the magnificent gardens of the Schonbrunn Palace
0:00:50 > 0:00:53overlooking the city of Vienna.
0:00:53 > 0:00:55The Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra is joined this year
0:00:55 > 0:00:58by the Russian-born conductor Semyon Bychkov,
0:00:58 > 0:01:00and we start with music by Bizet.
0:04:37 > 0:04:40APPLAUSE
0:04:40 > 0:04:42The Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra getting our summer night
0:04:42 > 0:04:44off to an energetic start there
0:04:44 > 0:04:47with the Farandole from L'Arlesienne by Bizet.
0:04:49 > 0:04:52Tonight's concert is a real selection of French fancies,
0:04:52 > 0:04:56and there'll be a chance to get your dancing shoes on later too,
0:04:56 > 0:04:58but first a short diversion to Hungary,
0:04:58 > 0:05:01care of French composer Hector Berlioz and the Rakoczi March
0:05:01 > 0:05:03from his Damnation Of Faust.
0:10:08 > 0:10:10APPLAUSE
0:10:11 > 0:10:16The Rakoczi March from Berlioz's Damnation Of Faust.
0:10:18 > 0:10:22Semyon Bychkov has worked with most of the world's greatest orchestras,
0:10:22 > 0:10:25and it was during his time as music director of the Orchestre de Paris
0:10:25 > 0:10:29that he says he really began to appreciate French music.
0:10:29 > 0:10:31It was also where he met his wife,
0:10:31 > 0:10:34pianist Marielle Labeque, who - together with her sister Katia -
0:10:34 > 0:10:40form arguably the most famous piano duo performing today.
0:10:40 > 0:10:44And they join us now at the Schonbrunn Palace Gardens
0:10:44 > 0:10:46to perform Poulenc's Concerto In D Minor
0:10:46 > 0:10:50for two pianos, and orchestra.
0:10:50 > 0:10:52The sisters love playing this piece. It's been in their repertoire
0:10:52 > 0:10:54since the start of their careers,
0:10:54 > 0:10:57and it's still a favourite after more than 40 years
0:10:57 > 0:10:58of playing together.
0:10:58 > 0:11:01It's a work that Marielle describes as "a very, very beautiful piece
0:11:01 > 0:11:02"that gives me a lot of energy."
0:23:51 > 0:23:53APPLAUSE
0:30:01 > 0:30:03APPLAUSE
0:30:10 > 0:30:11Concerto for two pianos
0:30:11 > 0:30:13and orchestra played by the Labeque sisters
0:30:13 > 0:30:16with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra,
0:30:16 > 0:30:18conducted by Semyon Bychkov.
0:30:18 > 0:30:20It is an extraordinary piece
0:30:20 > 0:30:23and a real chance for the sisters to demonstrate their virtuosity.
0:30:27 > 0:30:29Written in 1932, Poulenc combined many
0:30:29 > 0:30:32influences from all over the world into the Concerto.
0:30:32 > 0:30:35You may have detected a touch of French chanson,
0:30:35 > 0:30:37a hint of Balinese gamelan,
0:30:37 > 0:30:41a morsel of Mozart and a splash of Stravinsky amongst others.
0:30:42 > 0:30:45The stunning dresses the sisters are wearing were designed
0:30:45 > 0:30:47especially for this concert by Riccardo Tisci.
0:30:47 > 0:30:49Every sequin individually sewn on by hand.
0:31:00 > 0:31:02The audience here at the Schonbrunn Palace Gardens
0:31:02 > 0:31:04don't seem to want the Labeque sisters to go,
0:31:04 > 0:31:08and it looks as though we're going to hear a little more from them now.
0:33:05 > 0:33:07APPLAUSE
0:33:09 > 0:33:12Well, what a treat! An encore by Katia and Marielle Labeque
0:33:12 > 0:33:17of that perennial favourite, the Finale from Carnival of the Animals
0:33:17 > 0:33:19by French composer Camille Saint-Saens.
0:33:26 > 0:33:30APPLAUSE CONTINUES
0:33:33 > 0:33:38Semyon Bychkov joining his wife Marielle and her sister Katia
0:33:38 > 0:33:41to receive the warm applause from the audience here
0:33:41 > 0:33:43in the Schonbrunn Palace Gardens.
0:33:48 > 0:33:51The Gardens are only open on this one night every year,
0:33:51 > 0:33:55so this is a rare opportunity, not only to enjoy some wonderful music,
0:33:55 > 0:33:59but to experience the park at night and be part of this great tradition.
0:34:05 > 0:34:08Our next French composer is Maurice Ravel
0:34:08 > 0:34:11and we're going to hear two of his best-loved works.
0:34:11 > 0:34:13In a moment, the remarkable Bolero,
0:34:13 > 0:34:15but first we'll hear a suite of music
0:34:15 > 0:34:17from his ballet Daphnis And Chloe.
0:34:17 > 0:34:20The story is about the love between the Grecian goatherd Daphnis
0:34:20 > 0:34:24and the shepherdess Chloe, and Ravel's music is widely regarded
0:34:24 > 0:34:26as his masterpiece for orchestra,
0:34:26 > 0:34:29evoking the sun-baked Greek islands dreamingly overflowing
0:34:29 > 0:34:31with the birds and nymphs.
0:51:24 > 0:51:27APPLAUSE
0:51:27 > 0:51:31Ravel's sublime music from his ballet Daphnis And Chloe.
0:51:31 > 0:51:36A special call for flautist Karl-Heinz Schutz.
0:51:36 > 0:51:39The Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Semyon Bychkov.
0:51:43 > 0:51:45I think you have to agree with Stravinsky's opinion
0:51:45 > 0:51:48of that being one of the most beautiful products
0:51:48 > 0:51:50of all French music.
0:51:50 > 0:51:53Perfect for this lovely summer's evening in Vienna.
0:51:56 > 0:52:00Now for one of the most instantly recognisable pieces of music
0:52:00 > 0:52:01in the world.
0:52:01 > 0:52:05Composed by Ravel in 1928 for his friend, the dancer Ida Rubinstein,
0:52:05 > 0:52:07who'd asked him to write her a piece.
0:52:07 > 0:52:09It was originally called Fandango,
0:52:09 > 0:52:12but Ravel changed the name of the piece to Bolero.
1:07:46 > 1:07:48CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
1:07:51 > 1:07:54Ravel's Bolero played there in all its rhythmic
1:07:54 > 1:07:58and mesmerising splendour by the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra,
1:07:58 > 1:08:00conducted by Semyon Bychkov.
1:08:08 > 1:08:11Ravel was somewhat surprised by the success of Bolero,
1:08:11 > 1:08:14joking to a friend that, "I've only written one masterpiece,
1:08:14 > 1:08:17"but unfortunately there's no music in it."
1:08:20 > 1:08:23But it is undoubtedly his most popular work,
1:08:23 > 1:08:27certainly with the crowd here in the Schonbrunn Palace Gardens.
1:08:30 > 1:08:32I think the orchestra enjoyed playing that too.
1:08:32 > 1:08:35Conductor Semyon Bychkov acknowledging all the featured
1:08:35 > 1:08:38members of the orchestra in their fantastic rendition.
1:08:41 > 1:08:44He's worked with the Vienna Philharmonic before, of course,
1:08:44 > 1:08:47but this is his first time at the Schonbrunn Palace Gardens,
1:08:47 > 1:08:50and he is clearly loving every minute of it.
1:08:57 > 1:08:59APPLAUSE CONTINUES
1:09:13 > 1:09:15That sparkling performance brings to an end
1:09:15 > 1:09:18the official Summer Night Concert from Vienna,
1:09:18 > 1:09:21but I did promise you a chance to get out your dancing shoes,
1:09:21 > 1:09:22and here we go,
1:09:22 > 1:09:26with possibly the most exciting dance number ever composed.
1:09:26 > 1:09:29Originally written for Offenbach's Orpheus In The Underworld,
1:09:29 > 1:09:34the Galop Infernal has become one of the best known dance tunes ever.
1:09:34 > 1:09:36We, of course, know it simply as the Can-Can.
1:09:36 > 1:09:38Doesn't come much more French than this.
1:11:57 > 1:11:59CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
1:12:04 > 1:12:07Featured in the final act of Orpheus In The Underworld
1:12:07 > 1:12:11during a party scene in hell, the Can-Can by Offenbach.
1:12:12 > 1:12:14Offenbach was actually born in Germany,
1:12:14 > 1:12:17but he gained his French citizenship in 1860,
1:12:17 > 1:12:22and Rossini famously referred to him as the Mozart of the Champs-Elysees.
1:12:26 > 1:12:28Now for our final piece of the evening.
1:12:28 > 1:12:32It simply wouldn't be a summer night in Vienna without a waltz.
1:22:03 > 1:22:05CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
1:22:09 > 1:22:11Well, after our tour of the best
1:22:11 > 1:22:13and brightest French classical tunes,
1:22:13 > 1:22:15the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra,
1:22:15 > 1:22:19under the baton of Semyon Bychkov, brings us back home
1:22:19 > 1:22:22with the legendary Wiener Blut, Viennese Blood,
1:22:22 > 1:22:24written by Johann Strauss Jr,
1:22:24 > 1:22:29and closing this concert from the stunning Schonbrunn Palace Gardens.
1:22:35 > 1:22:39Thank you so much for joining us on this summer's night in Vienna.
1:22:39 > 1:22:42From me, Katie Derham, goodbye.
1:22:51 > 1:22:54APPLAUSE CONTINUES
1:23:45 > 1:23:49APPLAUSE CONTINUES
1:24:14 > 1:24:18MUSIC: Te Deum: Marche en rondeau by Marc-Antoine Charpentier