Choir of King’s College, Cambridge / Stephen Cleobury
The essential Christmas disc for every lover of traditional seasonal music is set in the candlelit chapel of King’s College Cambridge, with the college’s famous choir superbly directed and recorded in its premiere Surround Sound release (dts).The Millennial recording from December 2000 is complemented with an historic tele-cast from 1954, in which the legendary Boris Ord conducts the choir’s first-ever televised recording. extra features include • New 30-minute conversation between Sir David Willcocks, Sir Philip Ledger and Stephen Cleobury, the three Directors of Music at King’s College since 1957. • ‘Carols only’ or ‘complete service’ user options ‘...as for the musical standards,they are surely as high as ever.’ gramophone ‘...one almost feels privileged to watch...If you have a 5.1 surround system,you can enjoy this DVD in ‘true surround sound mix’ - guaranteed to get you in the mood for Christmas.’ classic fm

Also available on Blu-ray

La Bête et la Belle is renowned French choreographer Kader Belarbi's compelling reimagining of the classic fairy tale Beauty and the Beast - a psychological drama that explores the rejection or acceptance of difference, centring around Beauty's discovery of the depth of true love. First performed by the Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal in 2005. Théâtre du Capitole's reprise of Belarbi's acclaimed production has confirmed its status as among the best of modern ballets, combining stunning set and costume designs with striking choreography that reflects the unique soundscapes of the Ligeti-dominant musical score. Takafumi Watanabe and Julie Loria assume the lead roles in a production that instantly transports us into the beautiful dream world of this timeless masterpiece reinterpreted.

This 2 DVD set is a unique and intimate live performance by a chamber ensemble of actors, singers, and instrumentalists, portraying the deep and ultimately tragic love between the composer Robert Schumann (Sting/Simon Keelyside) and his pianist wife Clara.

Acclaimed for his ‘extraordinary top notes’ (Guardian), Mexican singer Jesus Leon is one of today’s most exciting lyric tenors.For his recording debut, he presents a selection of his favorite bel canto arias, uniting three 19th c. giants of Italian opera in a dramatic and expressive program revealing his sweet, light and flexible voice.‘‘…his light tenor was mellifluous in its phrasing and even in tone.’ (Seen & Heard Int’l) {Don Giovanni/Garsington Opera}‘‘…a voice with a homogeneous color and secure high tessitura…’ (Der Opernfreund) {Maria di Rohan/Radialsystem Theater, Berlin}

This Blu-ray Disc is only playable on Blu-ray Disc players and not compatible with standard DVD players.

Handel’s oratorio Saul is taken from the First Book of Samuel, and focuses on the first king of Israel’s relationship with David, his eventual successor, which eventually leads to his demise. The three act work with libretto by Charles Jennens premiered in January 1739, and was an immediate success. This production directed by Barrie Kosky was recorded live at Glyndebourne Opera House, Lewes, October 2015. It was ranked by The Independent amongst five top opera and classical performances of 2015. “Musically this evening is well-nigh flawless.” (The Independent) “A theatrical and musical feast of energetic choruses, surreal choreography and gorgeous singing.” (The Guardian)

Subtitles: English, French, German, Korean
Sound Formats: 2.0 LPCM, 5.1 (5.0) DTS
Running Time 185 mins
Region Code: 0 (All)

The Royal Shakespeare Company presents a Shakespearean rarity in this exciting production. Richard the Lionheart is dead. His brother John is King of England. Threatened from all sides by Europe, the English noblemen, and even his own family, King John will stop at nothing to keep hold of his crown. Shakespeare's rarely performed tale of a nation in turmoil vibrates with modern resonance in this vivid new production by director Eleanor Rhode. "Director Eleanor Rhode's version is bombastic, stylish and stylized, an impressive visual spectacle... " (The Stage) "In a cast that has not a single weak link... Michael Abubakar's strident, bull-headed Bastard, Tom McCall's achingly tormented would-be murdered Hubert, Katherine Pearce's carefully comic turn as Cardinal Pandulph and a blistering, heart-wrenching Charlotte Randle as Constance." (WhatsOnStage)

This Blu-ray Disc is only playable on Blu-ray Disc players and not compatible with standard DVD players.

Also available on standard DVD
Natalia Makarova’s acclaimed production of this 19th-century classic ballet brings an exotic world of temple dancers and noble warriors to life. Featuring opulent sets by Pier Luigi Samaritani and beautiful costumes by Yolanda Sonnabend, it stars Marianela Nuñez as the Bayadère (temple dancer) Nikiya, Vadim Muntagirov as Solor, and Natalia Osipova as Gamzatti, whose alluring presence challenges Solor’s love for Nikiya. La Bayadere (The Temple Dancer) was originally staged in four acts and seven tableaux by French choreographer Marius Petipa to the music of Ludwig Minkus. The ballet was staged especially for the benefit performance of the Russian Prima ballerina Ekaterina Vazem, who created the principal role of Nikiya. From the first performance the ballet was universally hailed by contemporary critics as one of the choreographer Petipa's supreme masterpieces, particularly the scene from the ballet known as The Kingdom of the Shades, which became one of the most celebrated pieces in all of classical ballet.

... one of the most profoundly moving and emotionally compelling dance performances you are ever likely to see. (THE HERALD) The Mother is a powerful, narrative dance production choreographed and directed by Arthur Pita - a master storyteller. Inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's dark tale, The Story of a Mother, this sumptuously designed production stars international dance superstar Natalia Osipova and multi-award-winning dancer Jonathan Goddard. This is an inventive new production which conjures up a dangerous, kaleidoscopic world, combining narrative dance and drama. In setting out to save her sick child a young mother journeys into the unknown to face life and death. Will she succumb to the forces of evil, or will the power of motherhood prevail? "The Mother is a truly original piece that satisfies on all levels, from it's stunning visual imagery to the downright weirdness of it's characters and the eerie musical score." (DANCING TIMES)

This Blu-ray Disc is only playable on Blu-ray Disc players and not compatible with standard DVD players.

Also available on standard DVD

“Visually, it’s a theatrical feast of eccentricity … witty, irrepressible, unforgettable ...” (The Guardian) One of Mozart’s most enchanting works, Die Zauberflöte is a fairytale that uses familiar archetypes to ask provocative and difficult questions about religion, the nature of power, the bonds of family, and of course love. Premiered just months before Mozart’s death, Die Zauberflöte in many ways represents a new departure for the composer. Catching the spirit of revolution in the air, Mozart turned his attention for the first time from court opera to popular opera, writing this singspiel (‘sung-play’) for a new and much broader audience. Celebrated Canadian directing duo Barbe & Doucet make both their British and Glyndebourne debuts here with their new Die Zauberflöte, a veritable “theatrical feast of eccentricity.” (The Guardian). Ryan Wiggleworth conducts an outstanding cast including Russian soprano Sofia Fomina as Pamina, David Portillo as her beloved Tamino, Brindley Sherratt as Sarastro, and the ebullient Björn Bürger as Papageno.

Visually, it's a theatrical feast of eccentricity... witty, irrepressible, unforgettable... (The Guardian) One of Mozart's most enchanting works, Die Zauberflöte is a fairytale that uses familiar archetypes to ask provocative and difficult questions about religion, the nature of power, the bonds of family, and of course love. Premiered just months before Mozart's death, Die Zauberflöte in many ways represents a new departure for the composer. Catching the spirit of revolution in the air, Mozart turned his attention for the first time from court opera to popular opera, writing this singspiel ('sung-play') for a new and much broader audience. Celebrated Canadian directing duo Barbe & Doucet make both their British and Glyndebourne debuts here with their new Die Zauberflöte, a veritable "theatrical feast of eccentricity." (The Guardian). Ryan Wiggleworth conducts an outstanding cast including Russian soprano Sofia Fomina as Pamina, David Portillo as her beloved Tamino, Brindley Sherratt as Sarastro, and the ebullient Björn Bürger as Papageno.

This Blu-ray Disc is only playable on Blu-ray Disc players and not compatible with standard DVD players.

Also available on standard DVD
This incredible box set presents the best of Russian opera. Included in the set are Mussorgsky’s Boris Godunov, Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin and Pique Dame, Rimsky-Korsakov’s The Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh, and Shostakovich’s Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk. Recorded in renowned opera houses such as Teatro Regio, Torino, and De Nederlandse Opera, these performances are not to be missed.

Sound Format: 2.0LPCM + 5.1(5.0) DTS
Subtitles: EN, FR, DE, IT, ES, NE
Running Time: 919 mins

This Blu-ray Disc is only playable on Blu-ray Disc players and not compatible with standard DVD players.

Also available on standard DVD

Strauss's musically ravishing comic masterpiece is given a visual updating in director Richard Jones's stylish and 'gently subversive' Glyndebourne staging, one which offers 'a dreamlike distortion not just of Vienna's 18th-century past, but also of everything we know about reality' (Financial Times). Created to mark the 150th centenary of the composer's birth, the production is packed with energy and wit, its impeccable stagecraft by no means detracting from the first-class singing which underpins, among others, Tara Erraught's 'touching' (Guardian) performance as Octavian, Kate Royal's 'most graceful of Marschallins' and Lars Woldt's 'pitch-perfect' Baron Ochs (Sunday Telegraph). Conductor Robin Ticciati brings clarity and detail to the score, infusing the music with spirit and humanity.

R E V I E W:

"Lars Woldt’s Baron Ochs is rich in tone and dialect, a deliciously crude idiot, yet surprising in his muted final line and some sarcastic inflections opposite Octavian. Comic interest never flags, thanks to Jones’s deft blocking and inventive gags. Conductor Robin Ticciati, chief at Glyndebourne, keeps the London Philharmonic at a keen pitch, spreading glitter over all. It’s the standard menu in major companies today — visual provocation, musical reassurance."

-- David J. Baker, Opera News [11/2015]

Richard Strauss
DER ROSENKAVALIER
(Blu-ray Disc Version)

Octavian - Tara Erraught
The Marschallin - Kate Royal
Baron Ochs auf Lerchenau - Lars Woldt
Sophie - Teodora Gheorghiu
Herr von Faninal - Michael Kraus
Marianne Leitmetzerin - Miranda Keys
Valzacchi - Christopher Gillett
Annina - Helene Schneiderman
Italian Tenor - Andrej Dunaev
Notary - Gwynne Howell
Innkeeper - Robert Wörle
Police Inspector - Scott Conner

Glyndebourne Chorus
(chorus master: Jeremy Bines)
London Philharmonic Orchestra
Robin Ticciati, conductor

Richard Jones, stage director
Paul Steinberg, set designer
Nicky Gillibrand, costume designer
Mimi Jordan Sherin, lighting designer

Recorded live at Glyndebourne Opera House, May 2014

Bonus:
- Robin Ticciati, Taking the Baton
- The Trio
- Sights and smells of a production
- Cast gallery

Picture format: 1080i High Definition
Sound format: LPCM 2.0 / DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Region code: 0 (worldwide)
Subtitles: English, French, German, Japanese, Korean
Running time: 191 mins (opera) + 22 mins (bonus)
No. of Discs: 1 (BD 50)

Parsifal, Wagner's last opera, is a work of intense humanity. + Created in honor of the Wagner bicentenary, Stephen Langridge's new production, with designs by Alison Chitty, distils with 'intellectual fiber and visual eloquence' (Financial Times) the timeless and universal nature of the Parsifal story. + Tenor Simon O'Neill stars in the title role. + René Pape as Gurnemanz is 'immaculate' (Guardian), Gerald Finley as Amfortas is 'compelling' (Telegraph) and Angela Denoke as Kundry is 'dramatically electrifying' (Telegraph). + Antonio Pappano leads the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House