Virtual concert from Russia and Germany commemorating end of WW2: for the first time, ceremonies marked the end of the Second World War were held online due to the Covid-19 pandemic. BFMI produced this cross-border concert for Deutsche Welle, who contributed to the 75^th anniversary by building a musical bridge between Russia and Germany.

May 8, 2020 is a special date: On this day, the entire world is commemorating the Nazis' unconditional surrender 75 years ago. But for Germany and Russia, it possesses particular importance. The date stands for a new beginning in the history of Germany and Europe, leading to a new reconciliation between peoples. Major celebrations and concerts in Russia and Germany were to commemorate the end of the Second World War, but the coronavirus pandemic overturned all plans. Nevertheless, with the support of DW and other partners, the artists and organizers found a way to honour the anniversary, by producing a video version of the concert.

Top musicians played for the program "Musical Bridge Russia-Germany" in the Moscow State Philharmonic, in the concert halls of the Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg and in the concert hall on Gendarmenmarkt in Berlin. The program will ran on May 8, 2020 on DW TV's German and English channels, as well as on the DW website under the title "May 8, 2020: Building A Bridge of Harmony Between Russia and Germany."

The project received broad support — both from the artists and the Russian and German governments, under the patronage of the Foreign Ministers of Russia and Germany, Sergei Lavrov and Heiko Maas. Both politicians contribute to the program with a greeting:
"We commemorate today the memory of the millions of victims of Germany's actions during the Second World War. To be holding a common concert today is a sign of remarkable reconciliation between our peoples after World War II," says Heiko Maas.

His Russian counterpart Lavrov emphasizes how the project contributes "to remembering together the victory over National Socialism in these difficult times, when people are forced to be separated due to the coronavirus pandemic." "We are very pleased to be producing new, high-quality concerts to mark this important occasion in times when cultural life is severely restricted worldwide," says Rolf Rische, DW's Head of Culture about the "Musical Bridge" project. The concert was filmed in the three cities, with strong precautionary measures and without an audience — knowing that it would nevertheless reach an even broader international audience through Deutsche Welle, thereby creating a musical bridge between the two countries.

The program includes works by Russian and German composers: Piotr Tchaikovsky, Dmitri Shostakovich, Igor Stravinsky, Johann Sebastian Bach, Ludwig van Beethoven and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. It also features works referring to past crises in the world, such as "Quatuor pour la fin du temps" by Olivier Messiaen. The great French composer created it during his detention in a prisoner of war camp during World War II.

Renowned young artists from both countries, including pianists Martin Helmchen and Denis Matsuev and violinist Antje Weithaas, are taking part in the concert, as well as promising musicians who have participated in projects of the Russian-German Music Academy.

TCHAIKOVSKY CONCERT HALL MOSCOW

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikofsky
THE SEASONS: MAY (STARLIT NIGHTS)
Denis Leonidovich Matsuev, piano

KONZERTHAUS BERLIN

Johann Sebastian Bach
CELLO SUITE NO. 5 IN C MINOR, BWV 1011
Jens Peter Maintz, cello

Ludwig van Beethoven
VIOLIN SONATA NO. 9, OP. 47 IN A MAJOR - III. PRESTO
Antje Weithaas, violin
Thomas Hoppe, piano

Johann Sebastian Bach
PARTITA NO. 2 IN C MINOR, BWV 826 – I. SINFONIA
Martin Helmchen, piano

Dmitri Dmitriyevich Shostakovich
SONATA FOR CELLO & PIANO IN D MINOR, OP. 40
Vashti Hunter, cello
Nikolaus Rexroth, piano

Olivier Messiaen
QUARTET FOR THE END OF TIME – II. VOCALISE
Sayako Kusaka, violin
Taneli Turunen, cello
Ralf Forster, clarinet
Martin Helmchen, piano

Samuel Barber
ADAGIO FOR STRINGS
Tobias Feldmann, violin
Marina Graumann, violin
Muriel Razavi, viola
Florian Schmidt-Bartha, cello

MARIINSKY CONCERT HALL ST PETERSBURG

Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky
PICTURES AT AN EXHIBITION - TUILERIES
Mariinsky Wind Quintet

STRAVINSKY FOYER - MARIINSKY II ST PETERSBURG

Sergei Vasilyevich Rachmaninoff
ROMANCES – SPRING WATERS
Timur Martynov, trumpet
Andrej Telkov, piano