The Concerto Grosso is a popular Baroque form, in which two instrumental groups complete against each other: a small group of soloists and the tutti of the orchestral group. It is the forerunner of the solo concerto form, which features only one solo instrument. This set present the complete Concerti Grossi by Pietro Antonio Locatelli, modelled on the popular concerti grossi of his teacher Corelli. The writing, as might be expected from Locatelli the devil violinist, is highly virtuosic and brilliant, inventive in harmony and counterpoint, written to impress and entertain. This set is part IV of the Locatelli Edition, the complete works by Locatelli, as performed by Igor Ruhadze and his early music band Violini Capricciosi, playing with great gusto, zest and dazzling virtuosity. Virtuosity, showy improvisation and stratospherically high violin playing are the characteristics of Baroque composer Pietro Antonio Locatelli's theatrical concerti grossi for soloists and ripieno. While concerti grossi from this time could usually be divided into two types, 'da camera' and 'da chiesa' - with the former containing more dance movements - Locatelli went down his own distinct path, creating a new model more like that of Torelli. His ripieno section was larger than the traditional accompanying group, and his slow movements contained drawn-out notes over which the first violinist or harpsichordist was free to improvise. Indeed, one harpsichord passage in Op.7 is so extraordinarily virtuosic that Locatelli labelled it 'ad libitum', presumably to avoid frightening the amateur musician. Only the most consummate and accomplished musicians can perform works of this calibre. Igor Ruhadze and his ensemble Violini Capricciosi have spent years recording Locatelli's works, having previously released his violin concertos and trio sonatas, described by Gramophone magazine as 'brilliantly and at times breathtakingly performed'. They bring their expertise to this release once more, with a tight and supple ripieno section supporting the sumptuous, virtuosic solo playing.
A 4 CD extravaganza of John Williams’ soundtrack and film score music joins the 12th batch of box sets released as a part of the Sony Classical Masters Series and provides a colossal reminder of Williams’ prodigious breadth and ubiquity of his works in some of the most culture defining films of the recent Hollywood era. With a disc devoted to his Star War scores, and another to his orchestral works and Olympics inspired works; the collection also features popular orchestras and soloists including Yo-Yo Ma, Itzhak Perlman, the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic and more.
An extraordinary 4 DVD box set that brings together three of America's most lauded contemporary opera productions that collectively are a brilliant introduction to the astonishing diversity of 20th-century opera : John Adams' Dr. Atomic directed by librettist Peter Sellars, a riveting morality drama about the father of the atomic bomb, J. Robert Oppenheimer. Philip Glass', The Perfect American, like the book from which it is based, seeks to reveal an unvarnished Walt Disney, based on an imagined series of reflections and memories that might have occurred during the icon's dying months; and finally the 2001 cinematic film version of Trouble in Tahiti, Leonard Bernstein's satire on American suburban married life, with the characteristically jubilant conjoining of jazz and musical comedy; lyric art with popular entertainment. A marvelous collection of consummate direction, compelling designs, a collection of inspired musical performances by the Netherlands Philharmonic, Madrid's Orquesta de Teatro Real and City of London Sinfonia along with brilliant casting and stand-out performances - among them Gerald Finley's Oppenheimer and Christopher Purves' Walt Disney. Filmed in High Definition and recorded in true Surround Sound.
The violist and conductor, Rudolf Barshai is considered one of the great Russian musicians of the 20th century and his emigration to the West allowed for greater global exposure and marked a second chapter to his creative life. On the occasion of the 5th anniversary of his death, this monumental 20 CD box set is a unique homage to the legacy of Barshai featuring never-before-published radio and studio recordings along with live concerts from 1951 to 2012, many of his viola recordings along with his famous Mahler Symphony Nr. 10 with an ending scored by Barshai, and much much more. Also including a 49 page booklet of rare photographs and accompanying essays.
Pianist Karim Said came to the public spotlight as the subject of Christopher Nupen's celebrated 2008 documentary Karim's Journey. The film traces the development of an exceptional musical talent from childhood to the beginnings of musical maturity and is one of a series of Nupen films focusing on young artists in the early stages of their careers. Echoes from an Empire, Said's debut album on Opus Arte, was hailed by Gramophone as 'superbly executed' and by The Guardian as 'Wonderfully full-blooded.' His sophomore album on Rubicon, Legacy, features works by Byrd, Schoenberg and Brahms, among others. Said said of the recording's wide-ranging program, 'The way in which composers influence each other, whether across generations or more directly through the master/pupil relationships that they often cultivate, fascinates me.'
Designed to be the follow up to the best-selling 2012 'Ballets for Children' box set, Fairytale Ballets collects performances from the Paris Opera Ballet and Dutch National Ballet troupes of some of the most popular ballets in the repertory: Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake, Cinderella and Coppélia. With a handsomely bound box and individual slipcases for each ballet featuring a specially-commissioned cover illustration from the artist that designs the covers for the top-selling Terry Pratchett fantasy novels. Intended to specifically appeal to the 10-16 age group, but all fans of these immortal ballets will find much to be compelled by with this budget priced box set.
Considered one of China's great classical novels, Wu Ch'êng-ên's Journey to the West was translated by Arthur waley in abridged form as Monkey in 1942 and has delighted English readers ever since. It is a riveting adventure story about a priest's quest to obtain holy Buddhist scriptures for the Tang emperor; joining him on this rollicking journey: Sandy, Pigs and the mischievous Monkey King, Sn Wukong, whose flying cloud and magic cudgel are never far from his infamous deeds. Waley's accessible rendition of Wu Ch'êng-ên's novel has become a classic in it's own right: Gods, demons and disobedient monkey spirits all come alive in this entertaining work.
Outstanding singers, conductors and directors come together in five diverse but compelling operas by Benjamin Britten. The turbulent, inward fishing community of Peter Grimes is transposed to a merciless 1980s society in Richard Jones' production. An 'outstanding' Sarah Connolly (Guardian) stars in The Rape of Lucretia, navigating the difficult tale with superb poise. Billy Budd is grippingly staged aboard the claustrophobic MS Indomitable, with Jacques Imbrailo portraying the troubled sailor in the 2010 Glyndebourne Festival Opera production by Michael Grandage. More light-hearted is the Royal Opera House staging of Gloriana, penned by Britten to celebrate the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II and featuring Susan Bullock as the monarch. Finally, Edward Gardner conducts the English National Opera in Deborah Warner's highly acclaimed production of Death in Venice, In which John Graham-Hall stars as the ageing Gustav von Aschenbach. These productions from some of the world's best opera houses offer five masterful performances that are an ideal way to experience Benjamin Britten's music. Filmed in High Definition and recorded in true Surround Sound.
A BRITTEN COLLECTION (7-DVD Box Set)
PETER GRIMES
Peter Grimes - John Graham Hall
Boy - Francesco Malvuccio Ellen Orford - Susan Gritton Captain Balstrode - Christopher Purves Auntie - Felicity Palmer First Niece - Ida Falk Winland Second Niece - Simona Mihai Bob Boles - Peter Hoare Swallow - Daniel Okulitch Mrs. Sedley - Catherine Wyn-Rogers Rev. Horace Adams - Christopher Gillett Ned Keene - George von Bergen
Milan La Scala Chorus and Orchestra Robin Ticciati, conductor Richard Jones, stage director
Recorded live at the Teatro alla Scala, June 2012
THE RAPE OF LUCRETIA
Lucretia - Sarah Connolly Tarquinius - Christopher Maltman Bianca - Catherine Wyn-Rogers Lucia - Mary Nelson Junius - Leigh Melrose Collatinus - Clive Bayley Female Chorus - Orla Boylan Male Chorus - John Mark Ainsley
English National Opera Orchestra Paul Daniel, conductor
David McVicar, stage director
Recorded live at the Aldeburgh Festival, The Maltings, Snape, 2001
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
Glyndebourne Chorus London Philharmonic Orchestra Mark Elder, conductor Michael Grandage, stage director
Recorded live at the Glyndebourne Opera House, 8 and 11 June 2010
GLORIANA
Queen Elizabeth I - Susan Bullock Earl of Essex - Toby Spence Countess of Essex - Patricia Bardon Lord Mountjoy - Mark Stone Lady Rich - Kate Royal Sir Robert Cecil - Jeremy Carpenter Sir Walter Raleigh - Clive Bayley Ballad Singer - Brindley Sherratt
Royal Opera Chorus Royal Opera House Orchestra Paul Daniel, conductor Richard Jones, stage director
Recorded live at the Royal Opera House, June 2013
DEATH IN VENICE
Gustav von Aschenbach - John Graham Hall Traveller / Elderly Fop / Gondolier / Barber / Hotel Manger / Player / Dionysus - Andrew Shore Apollo - Tim Mead Tadzio - Sam Zaldivar The Polish Mother - Laura Caldow Two Daughters - Mia Angelina Mather / Xhuliana Shehu The Governess - Joyce Henderson Jaschiu - Marcio Teixeira
English National Opera Chorus and Orchestra Edward Gardner, conductor Deborah Warner, stage director
Recorded live at the London Coliseum, June 2013
---
Bonus: - Cast gallery (all) - Introduction to the opera (Billy Budd, Gloriana) - Introduction to the designs (Billy Budd) - Interviews with the cast and crew (Peter Grimes) - Comments from the director (The Rape of Lucretia) - Britten’s Aldeburgh (Gloriana)
Picture format: NTSC 16:9 anamorphic Sound format: DTS 5.1 (all) / + LPCM 2.0 (The Rape of Lucretia, Billy Budd, Gloriana) / + Dolby Digital 2.0 (Peter Grimes, Death in Venice) Region code: 0 (worldwide) Audio Language: English Menu Language: English Subtitles: English, French, German (all) + Japanese (Peter Grimes, The Rape of Lucretia, Gloriana) + Korean (Death in Venice) / + Spanish (Billy Budd) Running time: 13 hrs 10 mins (opera) + 27 mins (bonus) No. of DVDs: 7 (DVD 9)
Anton Bruckner expanded the concept of the symphonic form in ways that have never been witnessed before or since. Daniel Barenboim and the Staatskapelle Berlin follow the harmonic development of Bruckner’s Symphonies Nos. 4-9, revealing the breathtaking musical panorama of these exceptional masterpieces. According to Der Tagesspiegel, this unforgettable Bruckner cycle sets new standards and guarantees the Staatskapelle Berlin and their principal conductor “a place in the Bruckner pantheon.”
Anton Bruckner THE MATURE SYMPHONIES (6-DVD Box Set)
Symphony No. 4 in E-Flat Major, WAB 104, “Romantic” (1881 version, ed. R. Haas) Symphony No. 5 in B-Flat Major, WAB 105 (1878 version, ed. L. Nowak) Symphony No. 6 in A Major, WAB 106 (ed. L. Nowak) Symphony No. 7 in E Major, WAB 107 (1885 version, ed. L. Nowak) Symphony No. 8 in C Minor, WAB 108 (ed. R. Haas from 1887 and 1890 versions) Symphony No. 9 in D Minor, WAB 109
Berlin Staatskapelle Daniel Barenboim, conductor
Recorded live at the Berlin Philharmonie, 20–27 June 2010
Picture format: NTSC 16:9 Sound format: PCM Stereo / Dolby Digital 5.1 / DTS 5.1 Region code: 0 (worldwide) Running time: 7 hrs 8 mins No. of DVDs: 6 (DVD 9)
Following a chance meeting at a European gambling hall, the separate lives of Daniel Deronda and Gwendolen Harleth are immediately intertwined. Daniel, an Englishman of uncertain parentage, becomes Gwendolen's redeemer as she, trapped in a loveless marriage, finds herself drawn to his spiritual and altruistic nature. But Daniel's path is set when he rescues a young Jewish woman from suicide... Daniel Deronda, George Eliot's final novel, is a remarkable work, encompassing themes of religion, imperialism and gender within it's broad scope. Juliet Stevenson is one of the UK's leading actresses, her film credits including Truly, Madly, Deeply and Emma. For Naxos AudioBooks she has recorded Lady Windermere's Fan, Sense and Sensibility, To the Lighthouse, Middlemarch and many more.
The sacred-music production of Augustinian friar Ippolito Ghezzi (1655-1725) is collected almost in full in this 4CD box set containing the complete edition of his Oratorios, Psalms and Lamentations for Holy Week. A fresh, inspired writing and a sober, but not austere style are the mainstays of the composer’s approach to the great Biblical episodes. The intention of this music is to reach the listeners’ understanding in a direct (and sometimes also dramatic) way, unfailingly guiding them towards a conversion to faith. Roberto Cascio leads the Cappella Musicale di San Giacomo Maggiore, Bologna.
Rousseau's Discourse sets out to explore the origin of inequality among people, a journey that sees him trace the evolution of humans from the savage man to the foundations of civil society. With verve and passion, the philosopher argues that the birth of private property was the 'beginning of evil'. Throughout the book we are lead to consider the development of language, reason, self-preservation, benevolence, pity and law - all through the lens of perhaps the most original thinker of the 18th c. Neville Jason trained at RADA, where he was awarded the diction prize by Sir John Gielgud. He has been a member of the BBC Radio Drama Company three times, and may be heard in radio plays, documentaries and arts programs. For Naxos AudioBooks his readings include War and Peace, The Once and Future King, Evgenii Onegin and Remembrance of Things Past, both unabridged and abridged.
‘I am an EU singer’, Hermann Prey always said about himself. However, by that he did not mean so much his citizenship of a European Union country as the fact that he felt at home in the fields of ‘E’ and ‘U’, i.e. in ‘serious’ and entertainment music alike. For Prey, this distinction never existed, but only the issue of the quality of music, and he found this not only in opera and Lied, but also in operetta, the musical and the well-made hit. For forty-six years Prey convinced audiences; this five-disc collection reveals his fascinatingly wide-ranging repertoire and interpretative skill.
The one hundredth anniversary marking the death of Max Reger (1873-1916) is to be commemorated in 2016. In response to this occasion, OehmsClassics has presented and will continue to present yearly a single four-disc box set of Reger's extensive output of organ music during the years 2013-2016 in a co-production with the Bavarian Broadcasting Company (BR Klassik) in order to pay tribute to this magnificent Bavarian composer. Bernhard Buttmann, director of church music at Nürnberg's St. Sebald cathedral knows and plays the works of Reger to a degree paralleled by few contemporary organists.
Born in Odessa, pianist and conductor Boris Bloch has long been regarded as one of the most important interpreters of classical and romantic piano music. His large and ever expanding repertoire extends from Scarlatti and Bach, the Viennese Classicists, Chopin and Liszt, the German and Russian Romantics, and the most important composers of the 20th c. This new six-disc edition of Bloch live Liszt recordings contains the complete Annees de Pelerinage I-III, the Harmonies poetiques et religieuses, paraphrases on opera themes, as well as polonaises, concerto etudes and other piano pieces.
Performed for the first time in its original uncut version, this production of Guillaume Tell was the jewel in the crown of the 25-year history of the ‘Rossini in Wildbad’ opera festival. Rossini’s final, great, operatic masterpiece is a story of liberation, the oppressed Swiss attaining their ideal of emancipation by hounding the tyrannical Habsburgs out of their country. Although it was composed for the complex demands of the Paris Opéra, numerous dances, choruses and arias were dropped for reasons of practicality. These are restored in the present recording which also includes the stunning finale of the shorter 1831 version of the opera.
Johann Sebastian Bach trained his many sons to be the finest organists of their time, yet hardly any organ music survives from them. Through transcription, improvisation, and other acts of imaginative re-creation this recording reunites Bach and his boys for a program that recaptures the virtuosic panache, commanding counterpoint, impressive poise, and exuberant excess of this first family on the organ. Played by award-winning Bach scholar and organist David Yearsley on Cornell University's reconstruction of a Berlin organ from 1706, known to at least one of the Bach sons, this program explores new dimensions not only of Johann Sebastian's towering achievement but also of the kinds of now-lost contributions the next Bach generation might have made to their family instrument's long and glorious history.
Presenting the major singers of today and the stars of tomorrow, the Rosenblatt Recitals are London’s only world-class season of opera recitals. This set of CDs from the partnership with Opus Arte are based predominantly on studio recordings with occasional bonus live tracks.
![Rosenblatt Recitals, Vol. 1 / Tynan, Brownlee, Siurina, Meli, Perez, Michaels-Moore [6-CD Set]](http://arkivmusic.com/cdn/shop/files/2794967.jpg?v=1786771479&width=800)
![Rosenblatt Recitals, Vol. 1 / Tynan, Brownlee, Siurina, Meli, Perez, Michaels-Moore [6-CD Set]](http://arkivmusic.com/cdn/shop/files/2794967.jpg?v=1786771479&width=400)