Performer: Valery Gergiev

Beethoven à la Gergiev is measured and classically elegant, with precise playing from a thoughtful Beatrice Rana.

François Girard’s production presents the moody, stormy atmosphere of Norwegian seascapes with stunning visuals, but offers few fresh ideas on the doomed love between the Dutchman and Senta.

Valery Gergiev and the Munich Philharmonic deliver a dark, satisfying rendition of Shostakovich's Fifth Symphony. 

Abduraimov's Tchaikovsky was less a display of power and agility and more about lyricism and subtlety, without ever sliding into sentimentality.

Think of a poet irresistibly teasing your senses by his creative use of rhythm, his unpredictable style of speech and his unfailing imagination.