Even a hundred years after his birth, Charles Mingus is still labelled as an artistic genius and the "angry man" of jazz, an uncompromising fighter against racial segregation and for unconditional truthfulness in his music, but who was also mentally unstable, could not control his emotions and often became violent enough in his anger. This image is confirmed by the circumstances of the world premiere of Mingus' "opus magnum", the two-hour suite "Epitaph" on 12 October 1962 in New York's Town Hall, which has long since become a myth in jazz history. Due to the short notice and rehearsal period, the performance itself fell short of the composer's artistic standards. As a result, Mingus asked the audience to leave the hall during the interval and offered to refund their entrance fee, which led to riots in the street outside the concert hall and ultimately forced the police to intervene. After that, Charles Mingus abandoned the attempt to realize "Epitaph" and it was not until the mid-1980s, after the musicologist Andrew Homzy discovered the music notes of the piece in Mingus' estate and, together with Gunther Schuller reconstructed it, that this masterpiece was premiered in 1989. At the finale of the "Musikfest Berlin" 2022, the musicians of the Deutsche Oper Berlin and their BigBand performed "Epitaph" as a tribute to the 100th birthday of Charles Mingus. Under the energetic baton of Titus Engel, the musicians of the BigBand and the Orchestra of the Deutsche Oper Berlin and the Jazzinstitut Berlin explore the realms of expression of dark threat, profound songfulness, conflict and ecstasy with irrepressible joy of playing and remarkable clarity. Star trumpeter Randy Brecker let's his wonderfully clear tone clear tone soar to the highest heights.
The Meistersaal Sessions are a 6-part series of chamber music theme concerts with the Freigeist Ensemble at the legendary Meistersaal Berlin, conducted by Joolz Gale. The series starts with arrangements of Schonberg, Strauss and Mahler. Each of the four sessions in this album features one musical work that represents the roots of Freigeist Ensemble's oeuvre. Linking the musical worlds of Berlin and Vienna, these early compositions by Richard Strauss, Gustav Mahler and Arnold Schoenberg are all featured in a chamber music format. Winner of the OPUS Klassik 2021, Freigeist Ensemble is a courageous collective of supersonic soloists from German symphony orchestras that repackages symphonic music for new audiences. It's mission is to revolutionize the style, sound and setting of classical concerts. Recent winner of the OPUS Klassik, Joolz Gale is a versatile British conductor who not only offers a historically-informed approach to baroque, classical and early romantic repertoire but also an extensive knowledge of early 20th-century choral and symphonic repertoire.
The setting of the novella Cavalleria Rusticana by the Sicilian writer Giovanni Verga by the Italian opera composer Pietro Mascagni (1863 - 1945) is regarded as the birth of a new style in Italian opera, "verismo", which gained great popularity throughout Italy from it's premiere in May 1890. In terms of content, Italian verismo is in the tradition of French naturalism and depicts the unadorned life of the simple, impoverished bourgeoisie at the turn of the century. The award-winning Spanish opera soprano Saioa Hernandez and the Orquestra Titular del Teatro Real under the direction of Carlo Montanaro invite you on an unforgettable musical journey of discovery through the aria world of Italian verismo and present a colorful, nuanced and melodic firework display of glamour and gold. The arias have been carefully selected and compiled by Saioa. The album comprises some of the most important verismo arias and offers a representative cross-section of the world of verismo.
Experience the popular melodies from "Swan Lake" and "Carmen" recorded by the world-class Rachmaninoff International Orchestra (RIO) under the baton of Mikhail Pletnev. In August 2022, the musicians of the Rachmaninoff International Orchestra gathered in Bratislava to perform their first recording under the direction of founder and artistic director Mikhail Pletnev. You can rediscover Swan Lake in an acclaimed arrangement by Mikhail Pletnev, while Rodion Shchedrin's arrangement of the Carmen Suite based on Bizet's masterpiece is legendary. The Swan Lake Suite is not the usual 6-part suite, but a different and more elaborate arrangement, which Pletnev himself has arranged to a hand-picked selection of Tchaikovsky's ballet music. With a superb RIO, he transforms Swan Lake into a captivating cocktail of color and atmosphere, beautifully poetic and full of fairytale magic, with Tchaikovsky's signature blend of theatrical drama and aristocratic elegance always in perfect balance.
An extensive collection of Martha Argerich concerts and two documentaries, allowing an intimate glance into Martha Argerich's life. A must-have for fans! 7 DVDs in a deluxe digipack, offering over 13 hours of concert and documentary footage. Martha Argerich is widely regarded as one of the greatest pianists of the 20th century. The documentary "Bloody Daughter" shows Martha Argerich through her daughter's eyes - an extraordinary family portrait, blending intimate conversations, harmony and disagreements, giving insight into the life of a passionate artist and mother. In "Evening Talks", Martha Argerich shares her memories, her doubts, and talks about her incredible hunger for music-making. The concert performances in this DVD set not only illustrate the sheer range of Martha Argerich's repertoire, they also represent an outline of the many various stages of her career.
Lucia di Lammermoor is one of the most iconic works of the bel canto repertoire, showcasing Gaetano Donizetti's masterful blend of lyrical beauty and dramatic intensity. Based on Walter Scott's novel The Bride of Lammermoor, the opera tells a haunting tale of love, political rivalry, and psychological collapse. At it's heart lies the tragic heroine Lucia (Lisette Oropesa), caught between familial duty and a forbidden love, whose descent into madness culminates in one of the most famous and demanding scenes in all of opera-the legendary 'mad scene'. What sets Lucia di Lammermoor apart is it's emotional depth paired with extraordinary vocal virtuosity. The opera demands immense technical precision, agility, and stamina from it's singers. Lucia's role, in particular, is a tour de force for any soprano, requiring crystalline coloratura, seamless legato, and the ability to convey both fragility and inner turmoil.
The Wild West meets the soulful sound of Italy. Fearless New York gangsters meet cowboys from the dusty prairie. Godfather meets Taxi Driver. And the magic of cinema meets the rich sound of a first-class symphony orchestra. This exclusive live concert production presents a unique selection of movie classics - from Sergio Leone's iconic Spaghetti Westerns to modern mafia masterpieces by Francis Ford Coppola and the cult movies of Tarantino. The Danish National Symphony Orchestra is conducted by Sarah Hicks and joined by a fistful of strong guest artists for this premiere performance of the authentic soundtracks by composer legends Ennio Morricone, Nino Rota, Sonny Bono and Bernard Herrmann. Blu-ray
