Gershwin Rhapsody - Jean-Yves Thibaudet & Michael Feinstein / Commemorating the 1924 premiere of Rhapsody in Blue, pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet collabs with Michael Feinstein, the 'one-man encyclopaedia of the Great American Songbook' to celebrate the magic of Gershwin. Gershwin Rhapsody sees best-loved Gershwin melodies sit alongside world premiere recordings of 4 rediscovered Gershwin songs: 'Graceful and Elegant', 'Dance of the Waves', 'Sutton Place' and 'Under the Cinnamon Tree'. The album also includes a medley based on Rhapsody in Blue comprising a selection of piano duos, solos and Feinstein vocals featuring the music of George & Ira Gershwin. The two also perform a Gershwin-esque setting of Vincent Youman's classic tune, 'Tea for Two' and the programme rounds off with 'Jasbo Brown Blues' from Porgy & Bess. Michael Feinstein and Jean-Yves Thibaudet extensively toured this programme around the US under the title 'Who Could Ask For Anything More?' including a date at Carnegie Hall on December 13th.
Naxos Bach Edition 4 - Bach: Harpsichord Concertos II / Hill
Naxos
CD
$19.99Jan 01, 2000
One of the nicest things about Naxos' complete survey of Bach's orchestral music is that each disc always includes a substantial musical "bonus" that distinguishes it from the numerous competing performances available. In this case, conductor Helmut Müller-Brühl and his intrepid band of keyboard and string players offer a reconstruction of the Concerto for Three Harpsichords BWV 1064 in its original version for three violins. Comparison of the two versions is fascinating, not least because the players offer a fractionally more expansive tempo in the slow movement of the violin version, acknowledging the stringed instrument's superior ability to sustain a long, lyrical melody. It's this sensitivity to the natural qualities of the solo instruments themselves that allows the players to set ideal tempos, and to perform each work with just the right mix of high spirits and idiomatic musicianship. In short, these are performances as good as any, and a great buy. --David Hurwitz, ClassicsToday.com
Britten: Billy Budd / Elder, Ainsley, Ens, Paterson, Imbrailo
Opus Arte
DVD
$39.99Jun 28, 2011
Also available on Blu-ray
Glyndebourne has a proud association with the operas of Benjamin Britten, however until 2010 had never staged Billy Budd. The all-male opera with a libretto co-written by EM Forster, is based on the battle between pure good and blind evil, and is set on a British man-‘o-war ship. Michael Grandage, Artistic Director of the Donmar Warehouse, chose this work to make his long-awaited operatic debut. Sir Mark Elder returned to conduct the production, marking the 100th opera production in his illustrious career.
Benjamin Britten BILLY BUDD
Captain Vere – John Mark Ainsley Billy Budd – Jacques Imbrailo Claggart – Phillip Ens Mr. Redburn – Iain Paterson Mr. Flint – Matthew Rose Lieutenant Ratcliffe – Darren Jeffery Red Whiskers – Alasdair Elliott Donald – John Moore Dansker – Jeremy White Novice – Ben Johnson Squeak – Colin Judson Bosun – Richard Mosley-Evans
The Glyndebourne Chorus London Philharmonic Orchestra Mark Elder, conductor Michael Grandage, stage director Bonus: - Introducing Billy Budd - Designs on Billy Budd
Picture format: NTSC 16:9 Anamorphic Sound format: LPCM Stereo 2.0 / DTS 5.1 Region code: 0 (worldwide) Menu language: English Subtitles: English, French, German, Spanish Running time: 200 mins No. of DVDs: 1
Digitally remastered and expanded triple vinyl LP edition of this classic album from the King of Pop. Disc Two features 12 tracks including previously unreleased recordings and remixes. Bad was the third Michael Jackson album produced by Quincy Jones and was originally released on August 31, 1987. It was monumental in many ways; Michael wrote nine of the album's 11 tracks and received co-producer credit for the entire album. The album was #1 around the world, made history with five consecutive #1 singles on the Billboard chart, produced 10 chart-topping singles, nine ground breaking short films and to date, the Bad album has generated over 45 million units in sales. Bad was nominated for six Grammys and won two.
Disillusioned with life, the aged philosopher Faust calls upon Satan to help him. The devil Méphistophélès appears and strikes a bargain with the philosopher: Faust can have youth and the love of the beautiful Marguerite, but only in exchange for his soul... Gounod’s masterpiece is given the grandest of Royal Opera stagings in David McVicar’s richly layered and theatrically exuberant production, with the drama moved to Second Empire Paris, spectacular sets and costumes, and extensive dance. Michael Fabiano as a seductively witty Faust, Erwin Schrott as a devilish Méphistophélès and Irina Lungu as a passionate Marguerite are joined by the Royal Opera Chorus and a cast of Royal Opera favourites. Dan Ettinger conducts the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House in Gounod’s gloriously tuneful score.
Michael Spyres is a singer who challenges and reshapes perceptions - as his albums BariTenor and Contra-Tenor have shown. Now, preparing for his debut at the Bayreuth Festival in Summer 2024, he searches In the Shadows to reveal more about Wagner and the origins of his music dramas. "Wagner evokes a varying spectrum of emotions - awe, ecstasy, even trepidation," explains Spyres. "This album endeavours to illuminate the composers who languish in the shadows, who formed the foundation of Wagner's compositions and sculpted the framework of vocal writing for the Wagnerian tenor." In the Shadows culminates with three arias by Wagner - from Lohengrin and the lesser-known Die Feen and Rienzi. Preceding them are early 19 th century arias by composers of the French, German and Italian schools: Mehul, Beethoven, Rossini, Meyerbeer, Weber, Auber, Spontini, Bellini and Marschner. Spyres' distinguished companions in his exploration are the players of Les Talens Lyriques and their conductor Christophe Rousset. Michael Spyres's new album seeks to illuminate the composers who "languish in the shadows": those who formed the foundation for Wagner's compositions and sculpted the vocal writing framework of the Wagnerian tenor. In performing and exploring works by pre-Wagnerian composers such as Auber, Bellini, Berlioz, Mehul, Meyerbeer, Rossini, and Spontini, he shines a light on the influences that shaped Wagner into the legendary composer he became. For Michael Spyres, Mehul and Spontini laid the groundwork for Wagner's orchestral and dramatic palette; Meyerbeer, Halevy, and Rossini shaped his understanding of compositional form, overtures, and the structural nuances of storytelling. On the his most recent album, Contra-Tenor, Gramophone wrote: "... it's an enthralling disc as one might expect, and the best of it is sensational indeed."
2022 release. Michael Feinstein reimagines the timeless Gershwin songbook through the contemporary lens of country music. Co-produced by Kyle Lehning, Gershwin Country pairs Feinstein with the biggest names in country, including Dolly Parton, Alison Krauss, Brad Paisley and Rosanne Cash. Booklet includes new liner notes. A portion of all album proceeds will benefit MusiCares, the charitable wing of The Recording Academy, which provides critical health and welfare services to members of the music community.
