Krystian Zimerman joined forces with Sir Simon Rattle and the London Symphony Orchestra last December in Beethoven’s five piano concertos. Their spellbinding performances, streamed on DG Stage from LSO St Luke’s and recorded live by Deutsche Grammophon, harvested a bumper crop of critical superlatives.

A compilation of Sir Simon Rattle's finest performances from the BBC archive that features his work at the BBC Proms as well as his love of contemporary music.

Underestimated by his contemporaries, but today acclaimed as one of the greatest and imaginative composers of his time. Anton Bruckner was a genius of tones. Such great conductors like Kent Nagano, Valery Gergiev and Simon Rattle let the composer comes alive in the documentary „Anton Bruckner – The Making of a Giant“ telling the ups and downs of life through his music.

This film captures Rattle's very first performance as Music Director; a programme in which British composers took centre-stage. The world-premiere of Helen Grime's Fanfares, which became the first movement of the work Woven Space, opened the concert before violinist Christian Tetzlaff took to the stage to perform the concerto written for him in 2010 by Harrison Birtwistle. Two more works close to Rattle's heart followed: Thomas Adès' Asyla and the pocket-sized Symphony No 3 by the late Oliver Knussen. Finally, Rattle's stunning interpretation of the Enigma Variations brought the concert to a close and then the audience to its feet, filling the Barbican Hall with rapturous applause.

There is hardly a better way to approach Ludwig van Beethoven than through his piano concertos. Beethoven’s own instrument was the piano, and in his improvisations – which made him the darling of the Viennese salons – he merged virtuosity and unbridled expression. The piano concertos give a clear idea of these performances. At the same time, they are prime examples of Beethoven’s ability to create large orchestral works with seemingly endless arcs of tension. The complete recording of all five works with Mitsuko Uchida and Sir Simon Rattle was one of the most spectacular projects of the Berliner Philharmoniker during the Rattle era – and at the same time the highlight of the collaboration between the orchestra and the pianist, which began in 1984.

Sir Simon Rattle and the LSO are joined by revered French pianist Pierre-Laurent Aimard in a concert film that brings together music by Anton Bruckner and Olivier Messiaen: two composers as united in their devotion to the Catholic faith as they are divergent in their approaches to writing music.

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 2017 concert was conducted by Simon Rattle and featured Joyce DiDonato (mezzo-soprano). On the programme: Antonín Dvořák:Carnival: Overture, Op. 92 , Igor Strawinsky Apollon Musagète. No. 8, Pas de deux 5:03, Richard Strauss: Zueignung Op. 10, No. 1; Wiegenlied Op. 41, No. 1; Muttertändelei Op. 43, No. 2; Morgen Op. 27, No. 4; Die heiligen drei Könige aus Morgenland Op. 56k, No. 6, Leonard Bernstein: Three dance episodes from "On the town“, Take Care of this House from "1600 Pennsylvania Avenue", Dmitri Shostakovich: Suite from The Golden Age, Op. 22a, Antonín Dvořák: Slavonic Dance Op. 72, No. 2, Johannes Brahms: Hungarian Dance No 1 in G minor.

Simon Rattle is one of the most distinguished Sibelius conductors of our time. Consequently, his recording of all the composer’s seven symphonies, which he performed with the Berliner Philharmoniker in 2015, attracted all the more attention.

Sir Simon Rattle is joined by virtuosic soprano Barbara Hannigan for a modernist programme that showcases the immense capabilities of the London Symphony Orchestra. At the heart of this concert is The Rite of Spring. Once decried, it is now a cornerstone of orchestral repertoire and considered by many to be the greatest work of the 20th century. Its elemental nature is best summed up by Stravinsky, who, in an unaccustomed moment of humilty, said that he didn’t feel he was the composer of the piece, but simply the vessel through which it passsed. Sir Simon Rattle says: ‘I’ve been conduting it since I was 19...it’s one of those pieces that reminds you what the shock of the new is about and it’s still one of the great challenges and one of the great thrills to perform.’

Recorded in January 2016, this beautiful programme of French music was chosen by Music Director Designate Sir Simon Rattle and features world class soloists Leonidas Kavakos and Julia Bullock.

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 2016 concert was conducted by Simon Rattle and featured Daniil Trifonov on piano. On the programme: Dimitri Kabalewsky: Overture Colas Breugnon, Op.90, Sergei Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 3 in D minor, Op. 30, Nikolai Medtner: Fairy Tale F minor, Op. 26/3, William Walton: Orchestral Pieces from Façade arranged in form of a suite by Sir Simon Rattle, Antonín Dvořák: Slavonic Dances, Dimitri Kabalewsky: The Comedians, Op. 26: Galop, Johannes Brahms: Hungarian Dance No. in 1 G-Minor.

Argentinian cellist Sol Gabetta made her Philharmoniker debut at the 2014 Easter Festival in Baden-Baden with Edward Elgar’s Cello Concerto, the final great work of the composer. The orchestra and conductor also performed the prelude to Wagner’s Lohengrin, György Ligeti’s orchestral piece Atmosphères and Igor Stravinsky’s Le Sacre du Printemps, a work which is entirely focused on the future and pushes the boundaries of classical music in terms of sound, rhythm and energy.

Recordings of all the Beethoven symphonies with their chief conductor are always a milestone in the artistic work of the Berliner Philharmoniker. So it was with Herbert von Karajan and Claudio Abbado, and expectations are correspondingly high for this cycle conducted by Sir Simon Rattle. Where does the special status of these symphonies come from? Simon Rattle has an explanation: “One of the things Beethoven does is to give you a mirror into yourself – where you are now as a musician.” In fact, this music contains such a wealth of extreme emotions and brilliant compositional ideas that reveal the qualities of the orchestra and its conductor as if under a magnifying glass.

Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy: Violin Concerto in E minor, Op. 64 Ludwig van Beethoven: Symphony No. 3 in E-flat Major, Op. 55 Bjarne Brustad: Veslefrikk Edvard Grieg: Evening in the Mountains, Op. 68/4

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 2015 concert was conducted by Simon Rattle and featured Anne-Sophie Mutter (violin). On the programme: Emmanuel Chabrier: Overture to L'Étoile, Camille Saint-Saëns: Introduction et Rondo capriccioso for violin and orchestra in A minor, Jules Massenet: Pieces for orchestra from Le Cid (Suite), Maurice Ravel: Tzigane, Francis Poulenc: Les Biches, Ballet Suite, Maurice Ravel: La Valse, Johannes Brahms: Hungarian Dance No. 1.

The Waldbühne in Berlin, one of the most appealing outdoor amphitheatres on the European continent, is the home of the Berliner Philharmoniker’s summer concerts. With over 20.000 in attendance, they are some of the most popular classical music concerts in the world. In 2015 the Berliner Philharmoniker surrounded themselves with plenty of celebrities, including not only conductor Sir Simon Rattle, but also many figures from film history: Indiana Jones, Robin Hood, Ben Hur and many more. They were all brought to life musically when the orchestra performed some of Hollywood’s most famous film music. With film music from Star Wars, Indiana Jones, E.T. composed by John Williams. Live from the Waldbühne Berlin, 2015.

Gioacchino Rossini: “Semiramide” Overture Jean Sibelius: Violin Concerto in D minor, Op. 47 Johann Sebastian Bach: “Largo” from Sonata No.3 in C major, BWV 1005 Robert Schumann: Symphony No. 3 in E-flat major, Op. 97 »Rhenish«

This documentary portrait, the first television biography of Rattle for 15 years, follows him through an extraordinary year of concerts, oratorios and opera with five different orchestras. We see his rigorous preparation and experience his irresistible dynamism in rehearsal and performance. We will watch him at work with the Berliner Philharmoniker, often described as the world’s leading orchestra. We will also see him with the Orchestra Of The Age Of Enlightenment and with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. We see him preparing a score for performance, share his experiences with the players and gain privileged insights into the day-to-day life of a conductor

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 2014 concert was conducted by Simon Rattle and featured Menahem Pressler. On the programme: Jean-Philippe Rameau: Suite from Les Indes galantes, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Piano Concerto in A major K. 488, Frédéric Chopin: Nocturne in C-sharp minor Op. 27 No.1, Antonín Dvořák: Slavonic Dance in E minor Op. 46 No. 2 & Op. 72 No. 7, Zoltán Kodály: Háry János Suite, Johannes Brahms: Hungarian Dance No. 1 in G minor, Aram Khatchaturian: Gayaneh: Suite No. 1 Lezginka (Bonus: The Life I Love – The pianist Menahem Pressler).

Over twenty-five years after his death in July 1989, the controversial Austrian conductor Herbert von Karajan remains an enigma. He was the most successful conductor in the history of classical music. Many of his recordings - of Italian opera, of Wagner and Richard Strauss, of Sibelius, Beethoven and Brahms - are treasured by music lovers around the world. Yet, even at the peak of his fame, his performances were variously criticised for being too opulent, too manicured, lacking warmth or spiritual depth. This musical profile explores the many paradoxes in the life and music of this controversial figure, who forged his international reputation in London with the Philharmonia Orchestra shortly after the end of the Second World War and went on to reign supreme in the classical music world during his three decades with the Berlin Philharmonic. The film also examines Karajan's belief in the visual power of music, and his determination to leave behind a substantial legacy of music on film.

The film follows Canadian singer, conductor and actress Barbara Hannigan backstage in an attempt to reveal the secret behind this wild, fearless and remarkably versatile woman.

Johann Sebastian Bach’s St John Passion with the Berliner Philharmoniker and Sir Simon Rattle was one of the outstanding events of the past season. As before with the St Matthew Passion, star director Peter Sellars succeeded in creating a staging which made the spiritual and dramatic content of the Passion story even more intensive. The New York Times also praised the “brilliant and energetic” playing of the orchestra, the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung the “haunting, almost unsurpassable singing of all those involved.”

Live from the Kabelwerk Oberspree in Berlin, Simon Rattle is conductor to the Berlin Philharmonic on its 125th anniversary on May 2007. With superb acoustics and magnificent architecture, the building proved to be an ideal setting for the annual Europa-Konzert. This recording features the magnificent works of Wagner and Brahms to be amazingly performed by Rattle, the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra and featured artists Lisa Batiashvili (violinist) and Truls Mørk (cellist). Richard Wagner Prelude to ‘Parsifal’ Johannes Brahms Concerto for violin and cello in A minor, Op. 102, Symphony No. 4 in E minor, Op. 98

Ralph Vaughan Williams: Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis Antonín Dvořák: Biblical Songs op. 99 Ludwig van Beethoven: Symphony No. 6 in F major op. 68 «Pastoral»

The New Year’s Gala Concert is a tradition for the Berliner Philharmoniker and its music director, Sir Simon Rattle. This 2011 concert, Dances and Dreams, has a theme of dances (two Dvorak Slavonic Dances, Stravinksy’s Firebird Suite, Grieg’s Symphonic Dance, Richard Strauss’s Dance of the Seven Veils, and Brahms’ Hungarian Dance No. 1) and dreams (Ravel’s Alborado del Gracisoso and the famous Grieg Piano Concerto in A minor). This generous mix of romantic and impressionistic music shows off the magnificent Berlin ensemble at its best. It is also great to see star pianist Evgeny Kissin at the keyboards.

The London 2012 Olympic Games Opening Ceremony took place at 9pm on 27 July 2012. Titled 'Isles of Wonder', the Ceremony welcomed the finest athletes from more than 200 nations for the start of the London 2012 Olympic Games, marking an historic third time the capital has hosted the world’s biggest and most important sporting event. The Opening Ceremony reflected the key themes and priorities of the London 2012 Games, based on sport, inspiration, youth and urban transformation. It was a Ceremony 'for everyone' and celebrated contributions the UK has made to the world through innovation and revolution, as well as the creativity and exuberance of British people.

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 2011 concert was conducted by Simon Rattle and featured Evgeny Kissin on piano. On the programme: Antonín Dvořák: Slavonic Dance No. 1, Op. 46 in C Major, Edvard Grieg: Symphonic Dance No. 2, Op. 64, Edvard Grieg: Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 16, Maurice Ravel: Alborada del gracioso, Richard Strauss: Salome’s dance from “Salome”, Igor Stravinsky: The Firebird, Johannes Brahms: Hungarian Dance No. 1 in G minor, Antonín Dvořák: Slavonic Dance No. 7, Op. 72 in C Major.

Recorded live at Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay, Singapore, 22 & 23 November 2010 The orchestra presents Mahler's unique and breathtaking First Symphony and Rachmaninov's late Symphonic Dances. The Philharmonic's beautiful rendering of Mahler's homage to nature and Rachmaninov's nostalgic ode to Russia is taken to a new level in this 3D recording using state-of-the-art video and audio technology. Join Sir Simon Rattle and the Berliner Philharmoniker on a musical journey that takes the concert experience to a breathtaking new level a feast for eyes and ears in 3D!

Rodrigo / Chabrier / Rachmaninov / Cañizares / Berliner Philharmoniker / Sir Simon Rattle

Emmanuel Chabrier: España Joaquín Rodrigo: Concierto de Aranjuez Sergey Rachmaninov: Symphony No. 2 in E minor, Op. 27

Sir Simon Rattle was in no doubt: the performance of the St Matthew Passion which he realised together with the Berliner Philharmoniker and the Rundfunkchor Berlin in 2010 was for him “the single most important thing we ever did here”. Critics around the world agreed. They praised the semi-staged “ritualization” by American star-director Peter Sellars, as well as the outstanding musical performances by the soloists, including Magdalena Kožená, Christian Gerhaher, Thomas Quasthoff and Mark Padmore as the Evangelist.

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 2009 concert was conducted by Simon Rattle and featured Lang Lang (piano). On the programme: Sergej Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto No. 2, Op. 18, Frédéric Chopin: Etude, Op. 25, No. 1, Pyotr Tchaikovsky: “The Nutcracker”, op. 71.

Every year, the Berliner Philharmoniker hold a kind of classical-music fête with a bright, cheerful concert to end the season. In 2009 about 22,000 people had come together at the Berlin Waldbühne to enjoy the traditional summer picnic concert. The theme of the evening was “Russian rhythms”, and star conductor Sir Simon Rattle, the Berliner Philharmoniker and Yefim Bronfman, one of the most famous pianists in the world today, presented a superb selection of Russian music. Repertoire Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker, op. 71, Overture, The Christmas Tree, March, Pas de deux (Intrada) Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No.3 in D minor, op. 30 Stravinsky: Le Sacre du printemps Lincke: Berliner Luft

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 2008 concert was conducted by Simon Rattle and featured Pauline Malefane (soprano), Thomas Quasthoff (bass-baritone). On the programme: George Gershwin: Cuban Overture, Samuel Barber: Adagio for Strings, op. 11 , Aaron Copland: Old American Songs, John Adams: Short Ride in a Fast Machine, George Gershwin: Porgy and Bess (Excerpts), George Gershwin: An American in Paris, Jerome Kern: Show Boat (Ol' Man River).

With a career that includes a 35-year tenure as composer of the Berlin Philharmonic and record sales topping 200 million, Herbert von Karajan is one of the most legendary figures in 20th-century classical music. Comprised of archival footage, performance highlights and interviews with the likes of Anne-Sophie Mutter, Christa Ludwig and Seiji Ozawa, this retrospective chronicles the life and times of the iconic Austrian maestro.

The Berliner Philharmoniker’s European Concert, held each year on 1 May, is invariably an international highlight. Performing in 2008 in Moscow's renowned Tchaikovsky Conservatory, the orchestra under Sir Simon Rattle presented outstanding performances of works by Beethoven, Stravinsky and Bruch, whose Violin Concerto featured one of today’s most fascinating artists, the Russian violinist Vadim Repin. Stravinsky: Symphony in Three Movements Bruch: Concerto for Violin No.1, op.26 Beethoven: Symphony No.7 in A major, op. 92

Russian-born composer Sofia Gubaidulina entered the international spotlight at a relatively late age, when the 49-year-old came forward with her premier violin concerto, "Offertorium," in 1980. Gubaidulina authored that piece for Gideon Kremer. Curiously, it would be another 12 years before Gubaidulina received a commission (from Paul Sacher) to author her second violin concerto, and another 15 years after that until the notes fell on ears ripe with anticipation. For the debut of the "Second Violin Concerto," Gubaidulina insisted that no one other than German violin virtuoso Anne-Sophie Mutter perform it. That Mutter performance from August 2007 appears, in its entirety, in this classical concert film. Jan Schmidt-Garre directs.

Journey with the musicians of the Berlin Philharmonic and their conductor Sir Simon Rattle on a breakneck concert tour of six metropolises across Asia: Beijing, Seoul, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Taipei and Tokyo. Their artistic triumph onstage belies a dynamic and dramatic life backstage. The orchestra is a closed society that observes its own laws and traditions, and in the words of one of its musicians is, “an island, a democratic microcosm – almost without precedent in the music world - whose social structure and cohesion is not only founded on a common love for music but also informed by competition, compulsion and the pressure to perform to a high pitch of excellence... .” Never before has the Berlin Philharmonic allowed such intimate and exclusive access into its private world.

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 2007 concert was conducted by Simon Rattle. On the programme: Alexander Borodin: Polovtsian Dances from the Opera "Prince Igor", Symphony No. 2 in B Minor, Modest Mussorgsky: Introduction to the opera "Khovantchina", Pictures at an Exhibition, Dmitri Shostakovich: Dance from “The Golden Age“, Ballet Suite, Op. 22.

The captivating story of the Venezuelan Youth Orchestra System - an incredible network of hundreds of orchestras formed within most of Venezuela’s towns and villages. Once a modest program designed to expose rural children to the wonders of music, the system has become one of the most important and beautiful music phenomena in modern history. To Play and To Fight presents interviews and performances by many of the world’s most renowned musicians including the great tenor Placido Domingo, Claudio Abbado, Sir Simon Rattle, Guiseppe Sinopoli, and Eduardo Mata, as they reflect on the impact of such a far-reaching social project. The documentary also presents the inspirational stories of world class musicians who have been trained by the Venezuelan system, including The Berlin Philharmonic’s youngest player Edicson Ruiz and world class conductor Gustavo Dudamel.

Hector Berlioz: Le Corsaire: Ouverture Béla Bartók: Violin Concerto No. 2 Igor Stravinsky: The Firebird

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 2004 concert was conducted by Simon Rattle and featured Sally Matthews (soprano), Lawrence Brownlee (tenor), Christian Gerhaher (baritone), Rundfunkchor Berlin, Knabenchor des Staats- und Domchores Berlin. On the programme: Ludwig van Beethoven: Leonore - Overture, Carl Orff: Carmina Burana.

A weekly BBC Two magazine programme focusing on the best of the week's arts and culture news, covering books, art, film, architecture and more.

RHYTHM IS IT! records the first big educational project of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra under Sir Simon Rattle. The orchestra ventured out of the ivory tower of high culture into boroughs of low life for the sake of 250 youngsters. They had been strangers to classical music, but after arduous but thrilling preparation they danced to Stravinsky's 'Le Sacre du Printemps' ('The Rite of Spring'). Recorded with a breathtaking fidelity of sound, this film from Thomas Grube and Enrique Sánchez Lansch documents the stages of the Sacre project and offers deep insights into the rehearsals of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra.

Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 1, op. 15; Piano Quartet No. 1 arranged for orchestra by A. Schoenberg

The biggest names from the world of art, film, music, literature and dance. Alan Yentob gets close up with those shaping today's cultural world.

Sir Simon rattle conducts the Berliner Symphony Orchestra in Mahler's Symphony No. 5 i The video is useful for conveying Simon Rattle's expressive gestures, his fine control of the Berlin Philharmonic, and its precise playing in this his first performance as the orchestra's music director. Ades's Asyla (the plural of "Asylum," used in both its meanings, as a place of refuge and a scene of madness) is available only in the video format, which is sonically quite good and visually striking. It is energetic music, with a lot of percussion, including one piece that looks like a tomato juice can, and one movement that annotator Andrew Porter describes as "a sort of Rite of Spring cum disco." A video interview of Rattle is a fine bonus. --Joe McLellan

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 2002 concert was conducted by Simon Rattle and featured Wayne Marshall (piano). On the programme: Leonard Bernstein: Wonderful Town.

Sir Simon Rattle conducts the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain and massed choirs in Mahler’s epic Eighth Symphony, the 'Symphony of a Thousand'.

Documents the interpretations of Gustav Mahler's compositions by conductors Bernard Haitink, Riccardo Chailly, Riccardo Muti, Claudio Abbado, and Simon Rattle, who detail the special relationship they have with Mahler's work.

The classic musical by Bernstein, Comden and Green is performed live in concert in Berlin, starring Audra McDonald, Thomas Hampson, Brent Barrett and Kim Criswell, and conducted by Simon Rattle.

Written and presented by Sir Simon Rattle, the foremost British conductor of our day, this series forms a fascinating introduction to, and overview of, the music of the 20th century. Each of the seven programmes features over thirty minutes of specially-shot music in performance, with Rattle conducting the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. Simon Rattle leads viewers on an exhilarating journey through the music of our time, explaining the chief musical developments from Mahler to the present day. Each programme is illustrated with evocative imagery, archive film and photographs and the featured music is set within the broader context of artistic and social change.

The Waldbühne in Berlin is one of the most appealing outdoor amphitheatres, with over 20.000 in attendance, the annual concert of the Berliner Philharmoniker in the Waldbühne is a highlight of every concert season. In 2007 Sir Simon Rattle conducted a superb selection of symphonic rhapsodies. Pianist Stephen Hough is widely regarded as one of the most important and distinctive pianists of his generation.