"What does the work of a conductor actually involve? He moves his hands, arms, his whole body, he makes use of his eyes and facial expressions - and he also sings and speaks, but only during rehearsals, of course. Being able to follow a conductor's interpretation makes for an exciting process, and conveys the basic idea behind a work far more vividly at the same time. 'Conductors in Rehearsal' is a BR-KLASSIK series that takes a closer look at the 'orchestral workshop'. One can experience first-hand how the conductor's wishes and instructions are implemented, how his explanations and his temperament change the resulting sound, and what concepts lie behind the interpretation of the work. Thanks to this series - which also now being released on CD - the special collaboration between Mariss Jansons and the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra can be documented. The first box set presented by BR-KLASSIK documents four rehearsals for concerts in the Munich Philharmonie im Gasteig, taken from different phases of the collaboration between Mariss Jansons’ work with the BRSO: For the concerts of October 11 and 12, 2001, there was a rehearsal for Igor Stravinsky's 'Petrushka'. At that time, Jansons had already been chosen as the orchestra's principal conductor, but had not yet taken up his post. Fairground music and barrel organ sounds depict the sad story of Petrushka, the wooden puppet that is brought to life. A rehearsal on June 21, 2004 for Munich concerts dealt with Peter Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 6 ('Pathétique'). Jansons' interpretation shows how touching this music is when conducted without any superficial pathos, and his unsentimental approach makes Tchaikovsky's 'Pathétique' deeply moving. The CD also includes the complete first movement as recorded live in concert on June 25, 2004. Dmitri Shostakovich's Symphony No. 7 ('Leningrad Symphony') was rehearsed for the concerts on February 9-12, 2016. Jansons keeps a tight hold on the reins here. He talks about the spirit behind Shostakovich's music, with which he was intimately familiar; he also mentions the impact of the 'Leningrad Symphony' and its misuse by Soviet propaganda. In rehearsals on January 24, 2017 for Munich concerts, Jansons worked with the BRSO on Sergei Rachmaninov's 'Symphonic Dances'. The conductor succeeds in bringing a uniquely special brilliance to the composer's opulent sound. Rachmaninov considered the 'Symphonic Dances' his best composition, and the thought of death was uppermost on his mind when he wrote them. They would be his last great work. Each of the four CDs begins with a concise introduction to the respective work by Friedrich Schloffer. The concert versions of the four works rehearsed have already been released on CD by BR-KLASSIK."
