07 APRIL 2020 (TORONTO, ON) – Deutsche Grammophon and its peerless family of artists have responded with speed and ingenuity to today’s challenge of presenting live performances. Together they have created “Moment Musical”, a series of professional live streams and delayed relays of concerts that was launched on 27 March at Berlin’s legendary Meistersaal. The initiative is now set to expand to the city’s Pierre Boulez Saal, with recitals given by Daniel Barenboim and chamber music partners. Their “Moment Musical” concerts, presented in partnership with medici.tv and Mezzo, start on Friday 10 April (19.00 CET) and continue on Easter Monday 13 April (19.00 CET), Friday 17 April (19.00 CET), Sunday 19 April (16.00 CET) and Friday 24 April (19.00 CET).

Maestro Barenboim will perform solo programmes on 10, 19 and 24 April, his repertoire including Beethoven’s “Diabelli” Variations, a monument to mankind’s creativity, courage and resilience. He will also partner with Michael Barenboim in two Mozart programmes, the first featuring Violin Sonatas Nos 32 & 33, K454 & K481 (13 April), the second pairing the Six Variations on “Hélas, j’ai perdu mon amant”, K360/374b with Violin Sonata No.35, K526 (17 April). Each performance, in compliance with government health regulations, will be filmed using remote cameras, with members of the video and audio crew safely dispersed in separate rooms.
“Beethoven in so many of his late works, including the “Diabelli” Variations, appears to me to enter into a state of total isolation from the world,” observes Daniel Barenboim. “With each performance this is a place of new discovery for soloist and audience members. I am very happy that, thanks to Deutsche Grammophon and its partners, hundreds of thousands of listeners around the world will be able to share in this experience as if they were with us at the Pierre Boulez Saal.”

Ole Baekhoej, Director Pierre Boulez Saal, underlines the need for maintaining the communal potential of concerts: “In times of distance and isolation, music can create moments of proximity. I think that’s exactly what we need right now. Because of the Pierre Boulez Saal’s unique architecture, the physical boundary between artists and audience usually disappears. We are grateful to share a sense of this intimacy with our audience across the globe through our online concert series INTERMISSION and as hosts of ‘Moment Musical’. A room filled with music is never empty. I would like to thank Daniel Barenboim, Michael Barenboim, Deutsche Grammophon, Medici, Mezzo TV and everyone involved for making this project possible with tremendous curiosity and flexibility.”

Dr Clemens Trautmann, President Deutsche Grammophon, highlights the importance of bringing the Yellow Label’s stars together for rare live performances. “Musicians have for centuries turned to chamber music as a way of exploring and expressing their innermost feelings,” he notes. “It is this often overlooked genre which is at the heart of ‘Moment Musical’. It allows us to perform masterworks safely and support our artists as, together, we use innovative high-quality initiatives to connect them with their audiences and inspire music lovers worldwide. I want to thank Maestro Barenboim, the team of the Pierre Boulez Saal, our co-production partners medici.tv and Mezzo TV and everyone involved for being part of this extraordinary series.”

Hervé Boissière, CEO, medici.tv and Mezzo, emphasises “the crucial need to continue our mission to connect artists with their audiences around the world. With opera houses and concert halls closed in this new context of self-isolation and social distancing, it is essential that the power of music be able to reach as many people at home as possible. This responsibility couldn’t be in better hands than those of legendary artist Daniel Barenboim. We are sincerely delighted and grateful to Maestro Barenboim, Michael Barenboim and all the crews from the Pierre Boulez Saal and Deutsche Grammophon for making this truly remarkable event possible.”

Anyone who misses the live performances or wants to watch them again will be able to catch up on demand for up to 72 hours after the event via the Deutsche Grammophon, medici.tv and Mezzo channels. Highlights will then be made available by Deutsche Grammophon as audio and video releases on streaming and subscription platforms. The full concerts will be available on demand on medici.tv and on Mezzo, free of charge for an initial period of time.