Name: Germany from above - Vivaldi: The Four Seasons
Start: 2026-03-17T20:00:00
Location: Alte Oper

Holger Engelhardt

Alte Oper Frankfurt

The programme ‘For Swinging Dancers’ naturally focuses on the music of Glenn Miller, who became an icon of the big band era during his lifetime with the unmistakable sound he created.

Glenn Miller Orchestra

Alte Oper

Music is always a mirror of its time. Bernstein's Age of Anxiety, composed between 1947 and 1949 and based on a poem by the British poet Wystan Hugh Auden, describes the uncertain and changeable attitude to life of people after the Second World War. The poem tells the story of four young people who wash down their fears and feelings of loneliness in a New York bar with copious amounts of alcohol, enter into changing relationships and desperately seek stability and faith in a world that has become strange.

Frankfurt Opera and Museum Orchestra

You should always be prepared for surprises with this young man. Asked what he would do if he had a whole day off, Sterling Elliott replied: "Work on my car. At the moment I'm trying to get the gearbox back into my car, a two-man job that I'm stubbornly trying to teach myself. It is not only in the garage that he is ambitious, otherwise the young man from Virginia would not have catapulted himself to where he now stands artistically: in the premier league of cellists of his generation. Elliott has long been a sought-after performer in the USA, but now he is also making a name for himself on this side of the Atlantic. Sterling Elliott presents himself in the Debut series and has another ambassador of the US classical music scene on board with the highly romantic Cello Sonata by Samuel Barber.

Sterling Elliott, Violoncello

With a stage name inspired by a martial arts icon and karting as a hobby, Bruce Liu is full of surprises. Just like his incredibly colourful piano playing, which has catapulted him into the premier league of the classical music world. Bruce Liu was born in Paris and grew up in Canada, but it was not least his Asian roots that shaped him. ‘I realise that the history of China - Confucianism, Taoism - is in my blood. But I am also closely connected to European culture through my profession.’ His touch definitely has a French vein, is elegant and incredibly light, while a haunting tension simmers beneath the surface. Excellent prerequisites for Tchaikovsky's legendary first piano concerto, which covers every emotional range from sensitive tenderness to an almost uncontrollable outburst of energy. Modest Mussorgsky's ‘Pictures at an Exhibition’, which will be performed by the renowned City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra conducted by Kazuki Yamada in the second half of the concert, evokes fewer emotional states, but instead marvellous visual associations. (Pro Arte Frankfurt)

City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra

In 1969, Fleetwood Mac sold more records than both the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. Their 1977 album Rumours is one of the best-selling albums in music history, selling over 19 million copies in the US alone. It's no wonder that the band, whose line-up has often changed, has such a huge following. And they still do! Since 1999, "Rumours of Fleetwood Mac" has been paying homage to this unique musical group that defined the zeitgeist of the 1960s to 1990s. However, to call this seven-man band a tribute band would be short-sighted. Their live videos have been viewed over 100 million times on YouTube, and their live shows have thrilled millions of Fleetwood Mac fans - including in Germany. Just in time for the grand finale of this year's tour here in Germany there is good news: "Rumors of Fleetwood Mac" will return to Germany in spring 2026 for 17 gigs.

Rumours of Fleetwood Mac

Whether from the car radio, the jukebox or the good old cassette, music - including your own favourite music - plays a role in Wim Wenders' films. It provides a glimpse into inner worlds, it is a motor and a source of inspiration, it structures and sets the rhythm. These close connections between moving images and music are the subject of a lecture performance specially conceived for the festival, with which Wim Wenders will open the festival dedicated to him. Wim Wenders will talk about the influence of music on his cinematic work, but also about his personal passion for music, his love of vinyl, his own music collection, his many close friendships with musicians and the soundtrack of his life.

Driven By Music

In 1895, just a few weeks before the Lumière brothers launched their cinematograph in France, the Skladanowsky brothers showed their first films on the Bioscop they had developed in Berlin. 100 years later, Wim Wenders and graduates of the University for Television and Film in Munich commemorated the birth of cinema with 'The Skladanowsky Brothers', a tribute to the two pioneers of film history. The film begins in 1895 and ends in the present day, 1996, with Max Skladanowsky's daughter Lucie, who still has fond memories of her father and the early days of cinema. Shot mainly on an old hand-cranked camera from the 1920s, it is a film in the best slapstick style.

The Skladanowsky brothers

There is an acute risk of congestion in front of the ‘Alte Oper’ multi-storey car park (operator: Parkhausbetriebsgesellschaft). Please allow sufficient time for your journey. You can find an up-to-date overview of the parking spaces currently available in Frankfurt city centre here.

Buena Vista Social Club

In 2002, Wim Wenders made his personal contribution to a major project produced by Martin Scorsese with the film The Soul of a Man, a poetic homage to the music that shaped his life. The project was a collection of seven films exploring the essence of the blues. Wenders focused on the life stories of three blues musicians, Skip James, J. B. Lenoir and Blind Willie Johnson, and commissioned contemporary musicians such as Lou Reed, Nick Cave and Cassandra Wilson to reinterpret their songs. "These songs meant the world to me," says Wenders. 'I felt there was more truth in them than in any book or film about America that I had read or seen. I tried to convey what touched me so deeply about these songs and these three unique voices of the blues in the form of a story, rather than in a 'documentary' way."

The Soul of a Man

Wim Wenders and Wolfgang Niedecken have been close friends for almost four decades. Both hail from the Rhineland and have a strong connection to music. They also both work as painters. Wenders' film Alice in the Cities had as much of an impact on Niedecken as BAP's music had on Wenders. Last but not least, a joint film project brought the director and singer closer together. In 2001, Wim Wenders shot a major documentary about the history of the Cologne rock band BAP and its founder. The conversation between the filmmaker and the singer explores these similarities and the different perspectives on artistic work.

Wim Wenders im Gespräch mit Wolfgang Niedecken

With his vlogs, humorous posts and captivating piano interpretations, Louis Philippson has inspired millions to take an interest in classical music and has gained almost 800,000 followers. In autumn 2024, he successfully participated in the ‘Night of the Proms’ concert series in large venues in Belgium and Germany, alongside pop greats such as Dave Stewart of the Eurythmics, Shaggy and Max Giesinger.

Louis Philippson

You've never seen the Four Seasons like this! A fascinating multimedia experience for all the family.