Waldbuhne Concert - French Night / Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra

French Night is subtitled An Exceptional Summer Concert from Waldbuhne Berlin, 1992 and was recorded on June 27 of that year with the Berlin Philharmonic delivering a program of French favorites under the baton of Georges Prêtre. The concert begins with Berlioz' Roman Carnival Overture, Ravel's Concerto for the Left Hand follows and is the most serious part of the program, soloist Leon Fleisher making the most of his showcase, then Debussy's L'Après-Midi d'un Faune.

Night has descended for Bizet's Carmen Suite and the show really takes off as the famous tunes fill the arena. The audience equally appreciates Ravel's Bolero before the French part of the evening is capped by some lively dance music from Offenbach and Bizet. Then, to restore local patriotic pride, the Berlin Philharmonic launch into an enthusiastic version of Johann Strauss' Radetzky-March, the familiar closing number from the Vienna Philharmonic's annual New Year's Day concerts. The finale is Paul Lincke's Berliner Luft, a whistle-along favorite which produces some entertainingly diverse audience reaction.

Berliner Philharmoniker Conducted by Georges Prêtre
Directed for Video By Brian Large
Soloist Leon Fleisher