The great conductors of the world are not the only important artistic companions of the Berliner Philharmoniker. It is always exceptional soloists who perform regularly with the orchestra, providing individual impulses in the collaboration and opening up stimulating perspectives on the music. The Berliner Philharmoniker enjoys a fertile partnership with many of these esteemed companions – and even a friendship with some of them.

One such friend is Frank Peter Zimmermann. Since their first concert together, in 1985 at the Waldbühne, he and the Berliner Philharmoniker have been closely connected. His performances weave a thread between generations of musicians; hardly any of the conductors who shaped the orchestra in those years did not work with the exceptional violinist.

Now, four outstanding snapshots of this intensive musical partnership are being released on their own label in an exclusive edition: the first is – in the words of Frank Peter Zimmermann – the “Mount Everest of violin concertos”, the Violin Concerto by Ludwig van Beethoven. Its forward-looking peculiarity lies above all in the close interlocking of solo voice and orchestra. Daniel Harding can be experienced here as a conductor with great stylistic sensitivity.

For Frank Peter Zimmermann, the second work in this edition is also among the greatest that violin literature has to offer. As a kind of requiem for Manon Gropius, who died young, Alban Berg composed his Violin Concerto dedicated “to the memory of an angel”, which the violinist recorded with Kirill Petrenko. Frank Peter Zimmermann’s interpretation reveals the deeply romantic tone of the twelve-tone work, which the soloist says “took a piece of [his] soul” after each performance. Frank Peter Zimmermann considers the time he spent making music with Kirill Petrenko to be unforgettable “great moments”.

The first two big “B “s are complemented by another no less big one: Béla Bartók. Frank Peter Zimmermann approached his music, which is enormously rich in detail and nuance, with the greatest respect. It was only relatively late in his artistic career that he began the time-consuming study of the composer’s two violin concertos – which then immediately captivated him. Today they are an indispensable part of his repertoire. Frank Peter Zimmermann recorded both violin concertos in 2016 with the Berliner Philharmoniker and Alan Gilbert, with whom he has had a close friendship for over 20 years. While the rapturous first is entirely dedicated to the composer’s love for the young violinist Stefi Geyer, the second captivates with its sensual melodicism and highly original formal design. Frank Peter Zimmermann calls the latter “one of the three greatest violin concertos ever composed”.

In addition to the recordings on two CDs and a Blu-ray, the high-quality hardcover edition contains an extensive booklet with essays, introductions and numerous photos. It was designed by artist Jorinde Voigt.