A 29-year-old maestro and a Latvian mezzo-soprano walk into Berlin...
The annual New Year’s Eve Concert is one of the highlights in the calendar of every classical music fan in Berlin and beyond. On New Year‘s Eve, the Berliner Philharmoniker invite an exceptional soloist for a festive gala. Together, the musicians bid farewell to the old year and welcome the new. The 2010 concert was conducted by Gustavo Dudamel and featured Elīna Garanča (mezzo-soprano). On the programme: Hector Berlioz: La Carnaval romain, Op. 9; La Damnation de Faust “D’amour l’ardente flamme”, Camille Saint-Saëns: Samson et Dalila (Excerpts), Georges Bizet: Carmen (Excerpts), Manuel de Falla: El sombrero de tres picos, Ruperto Chapi: Las hijas del Zebedeo, Manuel de Falla: La vida breve, Agustin Lara: Granada.
Direction
Dudamel's kinetic, almost dance-like conducting style.
Sound
Berlin Phil's precision meets Spanish fire in Falla.
Production
Garanča's three costume changes across the programme.
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
This was Dudamel's first New Year's Eve concert with the Berlin Phil — he became their youngest-ever guest conductor for this annual tradition at age 29.
The programme deliberately bridges European 'high art' (Berlioz, Saint-Saëns) with Spanish and Latin American repertoire, reflecting Dudamel's Venezuelan roots and his mission to democratize classical music.
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