2013 marked the 50th anniversary of the Élysée Treaty, a landmark agreement that brought centuries of Franco-German rivalry to an end. In this concert of masterworks by Saint-Saëns and Beethoven at the Berliner Philharmonie, Marek Janowski and the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin celebrated the historic day (January 22, 1963) when German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer and French President Charles de Gaulle signed the treaty. Beethoven’s beloved Egmont Overture opens the program, followed by Saint-Saëns Symphony No. 3 (the “organ” symphony), and Beethoven’s Ode to Joy.  

Photo: Marek Janowski © Felix Broede