{"title":"Angelina Jordan","description":"","products":[{"product_id":"american-psalmody-vol-2-by-the-rivers-of-babylon","title":"American Psalmody, Vol. 2: By the Rivers of Babylon","description":"By the Rivers of Babylon - Following on the success of Make His Praise Glorious, Gloriae Dei Cantores continued a distinguished series of recordings dedicated to psalm settings by American composers. By the Rivers of Babylon shows a wide range of style and includes several works recorded for the first time. 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Under-recognized tenor Clifford Jordan blew in from Chicago with a trio of excellent Blue Note sessions in 1957, including this self-titled release featuring a septet with Lee Morgan (trumpet), Curtis Fuller (trombone), John Jenkins (alto sax), Ray Bryant (piano), Paul Chambers (bass) and Art Taylor (drums). This Blue Note Tone Poet Series mono edition was produced by Joe Harley, mastered by Kevin Gray from the original analog master tapes, pressed on 180g vinyl at RTI.","brand":"BLUE NOTE RECORDS","offers":[{"title":"Vinyl","offer_id":44908011847914,"sku":"602448819475","price":41.51,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/4371842-3288067_bb401849-6edb-4044-952f-a12591d2bc81.jpg?v=1780137235"},{"product_id":"cliff-craft-blue-note-classic-vinyl-series","title":"CLIFF CRAFT (BLUE NOTE CLASSIC VINYL SERIES)","description":"Vinyl LP pressing. Tenor saxophonist Clifford Jordan blew in from Chicago in 1957 and put the NYC jazz scene on notice with a trio of excellent Blue Note sessions including Blowing in from Chicago co-led with John Gilmore, the self-title Cliff Jordan, and Cliff Craft. This third album featured Jordan at the helm of first-rate hard bop quintet with Art Farmer on trumpet, Sonny Clark on piano, George Tucker on bass, and Louis Hayes on drums. Side 1 presented three Jordan originals including the sublime \"Laconia,\" \"Soul-Lo Blues,\" and the hard-swinging title track. Side 2 found Jordan playing well-known tunes by Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, and Duke Ellington including \"Confirmation,\" \"Anthropology,\" and a show-stopping version of the ballad \"Sophisticated Lady.\"","brand":"BLUE NOTE RECORDS","offers":[{"title":"Vinyl","offer_id":44908014928106,"sku":"602458807844","price":32.18,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/4347001-3219658.jpg?v=1780137490"},{"product_id":"loop","title":"LOOP","description":"LOOP","brand":"DECCA","offers":[{"title":"Vinyl","offer_id":44913628709098,"sku":"602458661200","price":41.4,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/4297597-3103157.jpg?v=1780138024"},{"product_id":"yesterdays-1","title":"YESTERDAYS","description":"2012 NEA Jazz Master Sheila Jordan's performances are always intriguing blends of imaginative music making and deeply felt, richly emotional story telling. 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WBS was a transcription company created in the early years of commercial radio that provided popular contemporary music programming on 16\" discs to subscribing radio stations. These nationally syndicated music broadcasts were not commercially available to the public and are unique in this regard.  The George H. Buck Jazz Foundation formally purchased the World Broadcast Service company in 1969. This historic collection was sourced from existing 16\" Acetates, Test Pressings, and World Subscription Discs, and has been beautifully restored. The release is a must for any collection of swing era vocal groups.","brand":"GHB JAZZ FOUNDATION","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":44937636151530,"sku":"762247419327","price":26.03,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/4348471-3190238.jpg?v=1778351988"},{"product_id":"royal-ballads","title":"ROYAL BALLADS","description":"Quartet with Kevin O'Connell on piano, Ed Howard on Vernell Fournier on drums, recorded December 23, 1986.","brand":"CRISS CROSS","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":44938813636842,"sku":"8712474102525","price":20.21,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/144252.jpg?v=1778360857"},{"product_id":"jukebox-jump-greatest-hits-1942-49","title":"JUKEBOX JUMP: GREATEST HITS 1942-49","description":"JUKEBOX JUMP: GREATEST HITS 1942-49","brand":"ACROBAT","offers":[{"title":"Vinyl","offer_id":44945487790314,"sku":"824046166120","price":28.64,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/4359924-3207994_707db62b-c1db-41d8-9257-e71183e68cf2.jpg?v=1780137696"},{"product_id":"songs-of-the-questioner","title":"Songs of the Questioner","description":"The human condition causes each of us to ponder questions that have no answers. What is the purpose of our living? How do connections with others happen? What is the meaning of sacredness and spiritual light? And: How do we continually affirm ourselves as we walk our individual journeys? This album explores all of those questions through words and music-presenting a broad canvas of questions with really no answers, except those answers that are defined by our own lives. On this release, life's unanswered questions are explored in Thomas LaVoy's 'Songs of the Questioner.' How we abide with ourselves and others through love is one of life's most poignant questions, and is explored in Dan Forrest's 'Abide' through the words of Jake Adam York. LaVoy's 'White Stones' paints a musical scene of a child's night terrors, and of his parents' struggle to reassure him and to teach the child spiritual comfort while dealing with the reality of life. Two pieces by Peter Relph allow the listener to journey into the world of spiritual \"enlightenment\" by creating a luminous and comforting spiritual presence. Spiritual questioning throughout life asks us to seek answers to some of life's most human questions: 'The Dream I Knew' provides answers to the basic life question of the value of others in our life's journey; LaVoy's 'Salvator mundi' reminds us all of the spiritual stillness that abiding and questioning provides. Paul Mealor's setting of C. S. Lewis reminds us of the pivotal role that love plays in our life journey. The Same Stream was born out of a close-knit family of singers who are dedicated to a commonly shared musical experience. 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The four symphonies that emerged in the following decade are not only touching measurements of the human soul's landscape but also the central creative legacy of the great romantic composer. All four symphonies were recorded live in the Golden Hall of the Wiener Musikverein in autumn 2019 – a hall that arguably meets the tonal requirements of the works like no other. After all two of the four symphonies had been premiered here while the other two had been performed here for the first time in Austria. This latest production by the Wiener Symphoniker marks the end of Philippe Jordan's tenure as Music Director of the traditional Viennese orchestra but also represents the culmination of their internationally celebrated artistic collaboration. With the new publication, the Wiener Symphoniker are presenting the twenty-first release on their eponymous label founded in 2012.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Wiener Symphoniker","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46012953264362,"sku":"4260313960217","price":40.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/3836032-2582277.jpg?v=1778250525"},{"product_id":"serenity","title":"Serenity","description":"Conductor James Jordan writes, \"Paul Mealor's music is simple. Usually constructed of only several harmonic chords, which are added to or subtracted from, that are intimately bonded to Paul's melodic gift. Melodies that touch one deeply and immediately... His music, to quote Ezra Pound, is truly 'undivided light,' rooted in deep, spiritual places that are there hidden within if you wish to explore those places with a direct and 'sincere' heart.\" Born in St Asaph, North Wales in 1975, Paul Mealor studied composition privately as a boy with William Mathias and later with John Pickard, and at the University of York with Nicola LeFanu (BA Hons, 1997, PhD, 2002) and in Copenhagen with Hans Abrahamsen and Per N�rg�rd. His music has been commissioned and performed at many festivals and by many orchestras and choruses and has been broadcast on every major TV and Radio station throughout the world. 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As director David McVicar points out in one of the revealing documentary extras on this excellent BBC release, it ‘is probably the first musical, with hit tune after hit tune’. He’s right, but as his own thought-provoking production makes amply clear, it is so much more than that, having deep psychological layers that he teases out very effectively. He has (rightly in my opinion) opted for a colourful, naturalistic production, with costumes and sets all conveying the correct period and general feel; no stylised or ‘concept’ nonsense to distract the viewer. This leaves him clear to get the cast to really act and get under the skin of the complex characters that inhabit the work. This makes for a riveting dramatic experience, with the many famous melodies and set pieces all in proper context. There is an erotic charge running through many of the exchanges of the principals, and McVicar sees sexual frustration as the key to many of these characters’ problems. This may have led to raised eyebrows at Glyndebourne, but it does make a lot of sense, given the ultimate events of the tragedy. He also opts to include the original spoken dialogue rather than the spurious recitatives, another aspect that works remarkably well. It fleshes the story out properly instead of holding up the action until the next big tune, as one might suspect it would.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  So full marks for not messing with Bizet’s general instructions too much. Praise must also be heaped on the London Philharmonic, who respond magnificently to the flamboyant young maestro, Philippe Jordan (any relation to Armin, I wonder?). His energy and physical intensity, which is visibly there for all to see in the hectic, brilliant prelude (where he resembles Escamillo!), communicates through to the orchestra at every turn, and Bizet’s wonderful scoring is heard in all its glory. One could cite numerous examples, but hear particularly the characterful wind solos of the Act 2 Entr’acte, or the beautifully weighted brass chords that punctuate the famous ‘Toreador Song’, helping one to appreciate the harmony afresh. It really is a superb aural-only experience, the Gallic lightness making one understand why Richard Strauss once advised young composers learning orchestration to study Bizet’s scores, not Wagner’s.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  So the reported controversy surrounding this production appears to be wholly related to the central casting. Here we have one of the world’s finest mezzos seemingly cast against type. Anne Sofie von Otter herself admits that she may not be everyone’s idea of the ideal Carmen – \"too tall, Nordic and cool\", as she puts it, and remembering great Carmens of the past (Berganza, de los Angeles, Price, Migenes etc.) she does have a point. All I can say is that she seemed to me wholly convincing, sporting a blazing auburn wig to help with the gypsy look (plus Sue Blane’s magnificent costumes) and acting and singing with such conviction that criticism was all but silenced. McVicar and von Otter have obviously worked on other aspects of the character, and rather than the smouldering wildcat, we get a more mature portrayal of a woman who can, as the director has it \"eat men whole – and laugh while she’s doing it\". She is a woman desperately seeking love, a free spirit that simply needs the right partner. This really does make the final tragedy all the more poignant, because we really believe that she has at last found the right person in Escamillo, but, as the cards tell her, fate has something else in store for her. The famous routines are all superbly choreographed, and she raises a laugh from the audience as she manages the second verse of her ‘Seguidilla’ while lighting a cigar, quite a feat!\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  Her Don José, American tenor Marcus Haddock, also gives a multi-layered portrayal, and his character probably develops more than any other. He constantly reminds us that this is a man hiding many demons, not least the fact that he killed a man in a duel, so we begin to realise early on what he is capable of. There is also the shadow of his mother, who we learn wanted him to become a priest (all this is in the invaluable spoken dialogue), so he is an unstable individual. His beautifully sung ‘Flower Song’ is not just a showstopper, but tinged with all the psychological baggage of a haunted man. The final confrontation with Carmen is riveting, with the fatal stabbing ghastly but not in the least melodramatic. This is believable verismo.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  As Escamillo, Laurent Naouri is also encouraged to act with some subtlety, to enjoy his big moments but give us some character insight. Thus his oft-heard ‘Toreador Song’ is punctuated by glances towards Carmen, who responds with knowing eye contact (obviously the camera close-up helps here), and an immediate chemistry is established. His is less a testosterone-fuelled macho man than a virile counterpart to Carmen herself; one can actually believe they would have made a satisfied couple.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  The Micaëlla, Lisa Milne, is a touch matronly for me, but I suppose we have to believe in her as the saintly sister figure, and while I miss some of the fragility of others in this part, she sings beautifully and makes a good contrast to Carmen. All the smaller parts are taken with real relish, and I particularly liked Jonathan Best’s Zuniga. Costumes, as mentioned, are stunning, with the stage for the final act dominated by black and a symbolic blood red. The dancing is a delight, sexy and energetic, and stage designs (by Michael Vale) atmospheric yet practical.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  The extras on the double DVD set are worth having. There are revealing interviews with director and principals, as well as substantial individual features on music, costume, choreography and stage fighting. There is an illustrated synopsis, cast gallery and a ten-minute feature on the famous Glyndebourne garden. Having loaded the discs with the extras, the booklet is devoted to a specially commissioned reworking of the Carmen libretto by Jeanette Winterson, entitled ‘The World Beyond’, a moving and worthwhile updating of the basic story.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  Whether you want to fork out for two full price discs may depend totally on your idea of the casting of the eponymous heroine. When this was broadcast last year, some of my colleagues thought von Otter so wrong they couldn’t watch it through to the end. While I accept she may not be what is expected visually, I think it is short-sighted to not see the whole package. Carmen does dominate, but there is an awful lot going on around her, and David McVicar has managed quite the most intelligent, believable opera production I’ve seen for some time. This is ensemble directing at its best. With von Otter (and everyone else, for that matter) in absolutely superb voice, accompanied by gloriously inspired orchestral playing, this is a musical and visual feast. Sue Judd’s subtle camera work helps the television experience. The BBC packaging is first rate, making an altogether outstanding record of a thrilling event.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  -- Tony Haywood, MusicWeb International\u003cbr\u003e  , Reviewing original release, Opus Arte 868","brand":"Opus Arte","offers":[{"title":"DVD","offer_id":46013310632170,"sku":"809478060116","price":16.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/2335590.jpg?v=1778291781"},{"product_id":"maxwell-davies-symphony-no-3-maxwell-davies-190463","title":"Maxwell Davies: Symphony No 3 \/ Maxwell Davies, Bbc Philharmonic Orchestra","description":"\u003cb\u003eAn almost essential purchase for everyone interested in contemporary British music.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e After the success of Peter Maxwell Davies's ten 'Naxos' Quartets commissioned by the label (see  \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/www.musicweb-international.com\/classrev\/2010\/Feb10\/Maxwell_Davies_NaxosSQ_8505225.htm\"\u003ereview\u003c\/a\u003e of boxed set for details), here come the Symphonies, with the first five re-released by Naxos in 2012 so far.\u003cbr\u003e   \u003cbr\u003e  Like the first two and the following two, this recording of Symphony no.3 originally appeared on the now subsumed Collins Classics label in the mid-Nineties (14162). Back then, it was the only work on the disc, the ink still wet on the score of  \u003cem\u003eCross Lane Fair\u003c\/em\u003e, which came out a year later on the same label (14602), coupled with the much shorter Fifth Symphony.\u003cbr\u003e   \u003cbr\u003e  The Third is a sprawling, elemental work, as wind-swept and rain-lashed as Maxwell Davies's home on Orkney, although the tumultuous seascape is perhaps more abstractly represented than in the Second Symphony. Those who know the composer only through the simple, pretty piano piece  \u003cem\u003eFarewell to Stromness\u003c\/em\u003e, or even his most popular orchestral piece,  \u003cem\u003eAn Orkney Wedding With Sunrise\u003c\/em\u003e, are in for a surprise!\u003cbr\u003e   \u003cbr\u003e  The Malcolm Arnoldish pizzazz, wit and sound effects of  \u003cem\u003eAn Orkney Wedding\u003c\/em\u003e are more in evidence in the nine-section  \u003cem\u003eCross Lane Fair\u003c\/em\u003e, in which Maxwell Davies reanimates childhood fairground visits around his native Salford. Quite what Northumbrian smallpipes and Irish bodhrán players were doing in Salford is never explained, nor how he manages to recall so vividly the sounds and atmosphere of evenings from nearly sixty years previously, when by his own admission a lad of only four or five!\u003cbr\u003e   \u003cbr\u003e  Northumbrian smallpipes are like the archetypal Highland bagpipes but smaller, and kept inflated by an underarm bellows rather than a player's necessarily strong lungs. Their harmonica-like tone, as this recording demonstrates, is considerably softer than the bagpipes, and pitting them against an orchestra is an unlikely idea. Maxwell Davies certainly knows how to orchestrate effectively, and the smallpipes and bodhrán do their stuff when the  \u003cem\u003etutti\u003c\/em\u003e are subdued or even silent, as in the bodhrán solo in the section entitled 'The Juggler' - which, bizarrely, is met by score-directed human cheers and applause.\u003cbr\u003e   \u003cbr\u003e  Sound quality in both recordings is very good, especially when their age is taken into consideration.\u003cbr\u003e  The booklet notes are detailed with regard to the works themselves, but there is no information at all about the two soloists, nor about the bodhrán or Northumbrian smallpipes - in the latter's case, there are variations of and idiosyncrasies associated with the basic instrument, and a note of enlargement would not have gone amiss.\u003cbr\u003e   \u003cbr\u003e  The timing is generous, however, and the performances first-rate. In all, this is an almost essential purchase for everyone interested in contemporary British music.\u003cbr\u003e   \u003cbr\u003e  -- Byzantion, MusicWeb International\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Naxos","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46013406871786,"sku":"747313235070","price":13.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/2017559.jpg?v=1778382464"},{"product_id":"liszt-debussy-beethoven-piano-works-jordan-244485","title":"Liszt, Debussy \u0026 Beethoven: Piano Works \/ Jordan","description":"\u003cp\u003eKrassimira Jordan is Professor Piano and Artist-in-Residence at Baylor University, and has established for herself an international reputation as both a concert pianist and a recording artist. He has an impressive list of international prizes to her name, including the International Piano Competitions “Alfredo Casella” and “Alessandro Casagrande,” as well as the Mozart “Clara Haskil” Prize. She currently records and performs frequently as one half of the Vienna Piano Duo alongside fellow pianist Thomas Kreuzberger. She has chosen some of her favorite and most-performed works for this recording, including works by Franz Liszt, Claude Debussy, and Ludwig van Beethoven.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Centaur Records","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46013437575402,"sku":"044747351827","price":14.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/3545736.jpg?v=1778280741"},{"product_id":"daphnis-et-chloe-la-valse","title":"DAPHNIS ET CHLOE, LA VALSE","description":"Conducted by Philippe Jordan, this recording of Ravel's complete score for Daphnis et Chlo� followed performances of the ballet at Op�ra Bastille in Paris. The staging evoked the heady days of Diaghilev's Ballets Russes as it brought together Jordan, the choreographer Benjamin Millepied and the designer Daniel Buren. Jordan had never conducted a ballet production before: \"When I work on a symphony, it's different,\" he said, \"Here, the sense of phrasing, the physicality that dancers bring, make it something else. \"Completing the CD is another work by Ravel that was originally conceived for Diaghilev's Ballets Russe, the intoxicating and haunting La Valse. 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These three 20th century composers and their works are tied together not by creed, conviction, nationality (although all three have some roots in Scandinavia and the Netherlands), or style, but by their illuminations of humanity s need for salvation and their expressions of the intimacy and glory of these sacred encounters between heaven and earth.","brand":"Gloriae Dei Cantores","offers":[{"title":"SACD","offer_id":46017310458090,"sku":"709887004827","price":20.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/1534043-2524529.jpg?v=1778330522"},{"product_id":"eclipse-the-voice-of-jean-langlais","title":"Eclipse: The Voice of Jean Langlais","description":"Eclipse: The Voice of Jean Langlais - A centennial celebration of Langlais' legacy of sacred music, featuring three masses and nine anthems for choir, organ works, and rare compositions for brass.","brand":"Gloriae Dei Cantores","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46017310818538,"sku":"709887004124","price":32.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/1293180.jpg?v=1778341129"},{"product_id":"hole-in-the-sky-jordan-westminster-williamson-77220","title":"Hole in the Sky \/ Jordan, Westminster Williamson Voices","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe world renowned Westminster Choir College’s Williamson Voices presents this new release with music from some of the greatest choral composers of all time, including Britten, Bruckner, Mendelssohn, Part, and Whitacre. 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The Westminster Williamson Voices is conducted by James Jordan, and was described by Gramophone magazine as an ensemble of “intimate and forceful choral artistry,” with a tone that is “controlled and silken in sustained phrases as they are vibrantly sonorous in extroverted material.”\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"GIA","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46017348993258,"sku":"785147099529","price":18.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/3814815.jpg?v=1778277008"},{"product_id":"macfarren-robin-hood-corp-victorian-opera-chorus-162271","title":"Macfarren: Robin Hood \/ Corp, Victorian Opera Chorus And Orchestra","description":"\u003cb\u003eA great work; possibly the composer’s masterpiece. \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e I have to hold my hand up. In spite of thinking myself as being one of the world’s biggest enthusiasts of British music, I had my doubts about this opera when I heard that it was due to be released. I could not possibly imagine the claim that somehow this two and three quarter hour, three-act marathon by Sir George Alexander Macfarren could be anything other than a mediocre, third rate production from one of the ‘leading lights’ from the notorious ‘Land without Music’. Especially extravagant were claims that  \u003ci\u003eRobin Hood\u003c\/i\u003e is ‘a work of musical genius superior to any works of Verdi or Donizetti, [and] doubtless the chef d’oeuvre of the English school’. Hardly likely, I thought. Perhaps, just perhaps, I was able to concede that this opera may have been ‘very full of good fun and on the way to Sullivan’. How utterly wrong-headed can I have been? \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  The critic of English opera can work in at least two directions. He can begin with John Blow’s masque  \u003ci\u003eVenus and Adonis\u003c\/i\u003e followed by Purcell’s  \u003ci\u003eDido and Aeneas\u003c\/i\u003e,  \u003ci\u003eThe Fairy Queen\u003c\/i\u003e and  \u003ci\u003eKing Arthur\u003c\/i\u003e and work down the years by considering the works of Thomas Arne, such as  \u003ci\u003eThomas and Sally\u003c\/i\u003e. He can then explore the influence of Handel whose operas were unbelievably popular in the middle of the eighteenth century although, it must be recalled that he was a German who had visited Italy! My edition of the Harvard Dictionary of Music quite boldly states that ‘the writing of serious operas by English composers of the first rank practically ceased until the 20 \u003csup\u003eth\u003c\/sup\u003e century.’ This prejudice tends to ignore works such as Michael Balfe’s  \u003ci\u003eThe Bohemian Girl\u003c\/i\u003e, W.V. Wallace’s  \u003ci\u003eMaritana\u003c\/i\u003e and Julius Benedict’s  \u003ci\u003eThe Lily of Killarney\u003c\/i\u003e. These once extremely popular works were regarded as operas and not as operetta, in spite of their being ‘not too heavy’ in their theme and content. At the end of this period comes Sullivan – both with and without William Schwenck Gilbert. \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  Other critics will work backwards. Perhaps starting with Harrison Birtwistle’s  \u003ci\u003ePunch and Judy\u003c\/i\u003e they regress through the great operas by Benjamin Britten and Ralph Vaughan Williams. There are sometimes a few digressions to Tippett, Berkeley and Maconchy. However at the end of the day, they too end up with Sullivan before promptly dismissing him. They then investigate the purer waters of Purcell. \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  Somewhere in the middle of all this historical exploration is Sir George Alexander Macfarren who wrote a number of operas including  \u003ci\u003eAllan of Aberfeldy\u003c\/i\u003e,  \u003ci\u003eKing Charles II\u003c\/i\u003e,  \u003ci\u003eShe Stoops to Conquer\u003c\/i\u003e,  \u003ci\u003eHelvellyn\u003c\/i\u003e and  \u003ci\u003eRobin Hood\u003c\/i\u003e. David Chandler has defined the opera’s status as follows: - \u003cbr\u003e   \u003ci\u003e \u003c\/i\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  ‘ \u003ci\u003eRobin Hood \u003c\/i\u003ecertainly anticipates  \u003ci\u003eIvanhoe \u003c\/i\u003eand some later attempts at a truly English style of opera, but it also marks the end of an era. It belongs to the last and greatest period of the Victorian English romantic opera, along with Loder’s  \u003ci\u003eRaymond and Agnes \u003c\/i\u003e(1855), Wallace’s exactly contemporaneous  \u003ci\u003eLurline \u003c\/i\u003e(1860), the same composer’s  \u003ci\u003eThe Amber Witch \u003c\/i\u003e(1861), and Benedict’s  \u003ci\u003eThe Lily of\u003c\/i\u003e  \u003ci\u003eKillarney \u003c\/i\u003e(1862). It is totally distinct from these contemporary works however, and an impressive monument to Macfarren’s enduring and largely successful efforts to fashion a truly English species of musical theatre, at once looking back and looking forwards.’ \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  It is a bold endeavour indeed to embark on reviving an opera that many people will regard as being well past its sell by date. To consider making a recording is heroic. It is almost certain this will be the one and only version produced in our lifetimes. It has to be good: it has to sell the music and create something well beyond the experience of visiting a ‘museum’. There was considerable work involved in restoring the performing edition: the parts had gone missing and the full score was written in a ‘spidery hand’. This mammoth task was undertaken by Dr. Valerie Langfield. It is not just a case of copying out the bars into Sibelius and pressing the ‘print score and parts’ button. There was a heap of technical issues, such as the fact the Macfarren used a three-stringed double bass and horns with interchangeable crooks. \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  The CD liner-notes provide a synopsis of the opera and the full libretto is available on the Naxos website. However it will do no harm to give a thumbnail sketch of the story. The libretto was written by John Oxenford (1812–1877) who made use of a number of motifs from the corpus of Robin Hood stories as well as Sir Walter Scott’s  \u003ci\u003eIvanhoe\u003c\/i\u003e. \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  The first act sees Robin Hood disguised as Locksley, who is a suitor of Marian, the Sheriff of Nottingham’s daughter. The second act portrays the robbery of the Abbot or as presented here the ‘sompnour’ and this is followed by the archery contest which Robin\/Locksley wins and receives the hand of Marian. However the sompnour recognizes Robin who is cast into prison. The third act has Marian fleeing to the forest to summon Robin Hood’s followers who naturally come to the rescue. All ends happily with the death warrant received from King John actually being a pardon. Robin and Marion are reunited and there is ‘general rejoicing.’ Naturally there are many sub-plots and events worked into the story such as the ‘feasting in the forest’ and the ‘town fair’ scenes. \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  The score is full of attractive and often beautiful music that will leave the doubter speechless. It may not be Verdi or Donizetti - was all Verdi great? - but there is a quality of musical endeavour here that must surely strike the listener as being well beyond the perceived ‘dry as dust’ or overly sentimental qualities that have attached themselves to this period of British music. For example listen to Robin’s beautiful aria ‘My own, my guiding star’ from Act Two (CD2 Track 3) or to Marian’s gorgeous offering of True Love in Act 1 (CD1 Track 6). This is operatic music at its best, not over the top, but moving and attractive. The patriotic ballad ‘Englishmen by birth are free’ (CD1 Track 9) must be one of the highlights of the opera: one can imagine it going down exceptionally well at the height of the Victorian era. It is certainly as good as any of Sullivan’s arias such as Lord Mountararat’s ‘When Britain really ruled the waves’. One of the hits at the time of the first performance was Robin and the Greenwood men’s ‘The Grasping Normans’ (CD1 Track 14). It is difficult to say that any part of the opera is weak or falls below the standards set by these ‘hits’. \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  The performers in this groundbreaking recording are the Victorian Opera Chorus and Orchestra. Their mission is to record lost or forgotten operatic works by British composers. They are joined by the John Powell Singers. The soloists are professional and the chorus and orchestra are drawn from a variety of local groups and societies. The quality of the singing from the principals and chorus is excellent. All the players are kept in order by Ronald Corp, who has drawn an outstanding performance from all concerned. \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  The liner-notes are first-rate, the sound quality superb and the cover picture of ‘The Edge of Sherwood Forest’ is totally appropriate. Altogether a great production. \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  Let us hope that one day this work will be seen in all its glory on the stage: it is just the sort of opera that would go down a treat at the Buxton Festival. Meanwhile, the story of Robin Hood is so well known that even the least imaginative of listeners can provide the mental backcloth, scenery and props to this well-loved story. \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  So I was wrong.  \u003ci\u003eRobin Hood\u003c\/i\u003e has seriously impressed me. As preparation for this review I have listened to it two or three times as well as picking out the purple passages. The more I hear this music the more it appears competent, attractive, often beautiful, sometimes moving and always interesting. And I am not an opera buff! In fact, I am coming to love it as much as I love G\u0026amp;S. \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  This is a CD that  \u003ci\u003eall\u003c\/i\u003e opera fans ought to have. Some people will ignore it simply because it was written by an Englishman during Queen Victoria’s reign. They would be utterly misguided to do so. This is a great work; possibly the composer’s masterpiece and is a light opera (not operetta) that can hold its best up against anything offered by the Italians and the French and the Germans from the same period. \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  -- John France, MusicWeb International\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Naxos","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46025385738474,"sku":"730099030670","price":29.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/1900669.jpg?v=1778332389"},{"product_id":"bizet-carmen-jordan-von-otter-glyndebourne-festival-169094","title":"Bizet: Carmen \/ Jordan, Von Otter, Glyndebourne Festival [Blu-ray]","description":"\u003cb\u003e*** This Blu-ray Disc is only playable on Blu-ray Disc players and not compatible with standard DVD or HD DVD players. ***\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e David McVicar’s exhilarating production, with Anne Sofie von Otter in the title role, restores the Opera Comique to Bizet’s masterpiece. Philippe Jordan, in his Glyndebourne debut, conducts the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the Glyndebourne Chorus and a cast which includes Marcus Haddock, Laurent Naouri and Lisa Milne.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  Moralès: Hans Voschezang\u003cbr\u003e  Micaëla: Lisa Milne\u003cbr\u003e  Don José: Marcus Haddock\u003cbr\u003e  Zuniga: Jonathan Best\u003cbr\u003e  Carmen: Anne Sofie von Otter\u003cbr\u003e  Frasquita: Mary Hegarty\u003cbr\u003e  Mercédès: Christine Rice\u003cbr\u003e  Lillas Pastia: Anthony Wise\u003cbr\u003e  Escamillo: Laurent Naouri\u003cbr\u003e  Le Dancaïre: Quentin Hayes\u003cbr\u003e  Le Remendado: Colin Judson\u003cbr\u003e  Le Guide: Franck Lopez\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  The Glyndebourne Chorus\u003cbr\u003e  London Philharmonic Orchestra\u003cbr\u003e  Conductor: Philippe Jordan\u003cbr\u003e  Stage Director: David McVicar\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  Recorded live at the Glyndebourne Opera House, Sussex, on 17th August 2002.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  Plus:\u003cbr\u003e  Illustrated synopsis \u0026amp; cast gallery.\u003cbr\u003e  Costume design.\u003cbr\u003e  Choreographing Carmen.\u003cbr\u003e  How to fight on stage.\u003cbr\u003e  The Gardens of Glyndebourne.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  Reviews:\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \"Under the shrewd direction of McVicar, Anne Sofie von Otter gave us a gypsy of mercurial temperament, a tease, a dangerous flirt, and a woman intensely conscious of her sexual magnetism and of her public notoriety.\" -- Daily Telegraph\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \"Violent, passionate, superbly played… Glyndebourne’s Carmen is simply gripping.\" -- The Sunday Times\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  Region code: 0 (all regions)\u003cbr\u003e  Picture: 1080i\u003cbr\u003e  Sound: 2.0 \u0026amp; 5.1 Dolby True HD\u003cbr\u003e  Subtitles: English, French, German, Spanish\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Opus Arte","offers":[{"title":"Blu-Ray","offer_id":46025474670826,"sku":"809478070153","price":39.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/1446683.jpg?v=1778286936"},{"product_id":"messiaen-the-mystical-colors-of-christ","title":"Messiaen: The Mystical Colors of Christ","description":"Messiaen: The Mystical Colors of Christ - Explore the musical sound-world of French composer Olivier Messiaen in this collection of his organ works based on events from the life of Christ. The program booklet includes beautiful original artwork created especially for the recording, and insightful notes on the featured works. Recorded by the organists of Gloriae Dei Artes Foundation, on the E.M. Skinner organ of the Church of the Transfiguration. \"At approximately 100 ranks, it has a wonderful clarity and color, and the performers do it ample justice. All three performers are up to the formidable task of recreating Messiaen's music very much, one feels as he envisioned it. \" - The Diapason","brand":"Paraclete Recordings","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46025483288810,"sku":"709887004421","price":20.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/1458704-2524526.jpg?v=1778323501"},{"product_id":"bizet-carmen-jordan-von-otter-glyndebourne-festival-133412","title":"Bizet: Carmen \/ Jordan, Von Otter, Glyndebourne Festival","description":"An exhilarating new Carmen from Glyndebourne. Director David McVicar describes Carmen as \"the first ever musical\", and in his new production, with Anne Sofie von Otter in the title role, Carmen is restored to the original Opera. Comique as Bizet wrote it, stripping away subsequent re-workings which turned it into a grand opera. Philippe Jordan makes his Glyndebourne debut with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the Glyndebourne Chorus and a cast that includes Marcus Haddock, Laurent Naouri and Lisa Milne. This double disc set also includes extensive extra features on costume, dance, characters and the gardens of Glyndebourne.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  Extra features include: \u003cbr\u003e  * Costume design\u003cbr\u003e  * How to fight on stage\u003cbr\u003e  * Illustrated synopsis\u003cbr\u003e  * The cast and their characters\u003cbr\u003e  * Choreographing Carmen\u003cbr\u003e  * The Gardens of Glyndebourne\u003cbr\u003e  * Booklet with new short story by novelist Jeanette Winterson\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  PICTURE FORMAT: 16:9\u003cbr\u003e  SOUND: dts Surround\/LPCM Stereo\u003cbr\u003e  SUBTITLES: English\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Opus Arte","offers":[{"title":"DVD","offer_id":46025600958698,"sku":"809478000587","price":34.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/497346.jpg?v=1778345979"},{"product_id":"whitbourn-carolae-music-for-christmas-jordan-westminster-183875","title":"Whitbourn: Carolae \u0026 Music for Christmas \/ Jordan, Westminster Williamson Voices","description":"\u003ca class=\"links\" href=\"http:\/\/blog.naxos.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/8.573715.mp3\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eListen to the Naxos Podcast to learn more about this release\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  James Whitbourn is a Grammy® nominated composer whose music is internationally admired for its direct connection with performers and audiences, The Observer describing him as \"a truly original communicator in modern British choral music.\" Carolae is a fusion of the great Christmas traditions at King’s College Cambridge and Princeton University Chapel, with the Missa Carolæ at its heart. Whitbourn’s love of medieval musical language is reflected in his clever use of original melody with famous carols such as Noël Nouvelet, combined with skillful new arrangements of seasonal favorites such as The Coventry Carol.","brand":"Naxos","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46025609412842,"sku":"747313371570","price":13.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/3445172.jpg?v=1778286134"},{"product_id":"one-century-of-music-premier-siecle-live","title":"One Century of Music: Premier siècle (Live)","description":"Premier si�cle; One Century of Music celebrates the centenary of the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande. The boxset contains a collection of rare radio recordings that have never been released before, spanning French, German, Russian and twentieth-century repertoire. A unique asset of Premier si�cle is the 1943 recording of the musical legend Les Armaillis (1906) by Swiss composer Gustave Doret. The album showcases the rich history and musical development of the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande and contain performances by all it's musical directors, from founding father Ernest Ansermet until current musical director Jonathan Nott, including all their intermediate colleagues: Paul Kletzki, Wolfgang Sawallisch, Horst Stein, Armin Jordan, Fabio Luisi, Pinchas Steinberg, Marek Janowski and Neeme J�rvi. The release comes with a voluminous, full-color booklet with texts on the orchestra's history and the repertoire presented in English, French and German as well as unique photos and archival materials.","brand":"PENTATONE","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46026432839914,"sku":"827949079160","price":40.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/3850133_2d4d8ded-0f12-4176-9bae-7ec8e9bd2a45.jpg?v=1778281618"},{"product_id":"beethoven-symphonies-nos-4-5-jordan-vienna-71910","title":"Beethoven: Symphonies Nos. 4 \u0026 5 \/ Jordan, Vienna Symphony","description":"\u003cimg src=\"\/graphics\/features\/gramophone_choice.jpg\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e For the first time in their history, the Wiener Symphoniker will release a complete Beethoven symphonies cycle. The Wiener Symphoniker wrote music history with the first performances of works by Bruckner, Ravel and Schoenberg. And under the baton of such illustrious music directors as Wilhelm Furtwängler, Herbert von Karajan, Carlo Maria Giulini or Georges Prêtre they acquired worldwide fame for their unique Viennese sound. Considering its rich, more than a century long history, it comes as a surprise that the orchestra has never before recorded a full cycle of the nine symphonies by Ludwig van Beethoven which are widely considered to constitute the apex of the symphonic repertoire. This shortcoming is about to be remedied: Starting in autumn 2017, the Wiener Symphoniker will release the full cycle on 5 albums. With a new release of the series to be issued every 6 months, the full cycle will be completed just in time for the 250th anniversary of the birth of Beethoven in 2020. The symphonies were recorded live during a critically acclaimed concert cycle in Spring\/Summer 2017 in the Great Hall of the Musikverein Wien. At these concerts, the international press specifically praised Jordan’s approach to combining a traditional Viennese sound with a more contemporary, slimmed down interpretation of the material, original tempi and insights from the historically informed performance practice. Through a close reading of the score and by focusing on the content of the works, Jordan aimed to create – in his words – a “more natural, direct, humanised“ image of the famous composer.","brand":"Wiener Symphoniker","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46027495637226,"sku":"4260313960149","price":20.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/3764023.jpg?v=1778257729"},{"product_id":"beethoven-symphonies-nos-6-8-live","title":"Beethoven: Symphonies Nos. 6 \u0026 8 (Live)","description":"This release is the continuation of the Wiener Symphoniker's Road to Beethoven project, an undertaking in preparation of the 250th anniversary of the birth of the Viennese by choice and patriarch of classical music in 2020. Following the huge success of the respective releases of the cycle so far, the expectations are high indeed. The third part featuring Symphonies No. 2 and 7 received numerous accolades and ranked high in the annual best lists of international critics. The German classical music magazine Concerti, for instance, praised: \"There, Philippe Jordan with the Wiener Symphoniker succeeded in creating something amazing: The symbiosis of the fine Viennese sound and the directness and transparency of historical performance practice, dynamically flexible and driven by emphasis.\" The Wiener Symphoniker wrote music history with the premieres of works by Bruckner, Ravel and Sch�nberg. Under the direction of such illustrious conductors as Wilhelm Furtw�ngler, Herbert von Karajan, Carlo Maria Giulini or Georges Pr�tre, it gained worldwide fame for it's Viennese sound style. In light of this more than hundred-year magnificent history, it is all the more astonishing that the Orchestra has never so far recorded Beethoven's nine symphonies, which are often described as the peak of the symphonic repertoire. This gap in the Orchestra's discography has been in the process of being closed since autumn 2017: The Orchestra is releasing all nine symphonies of the great Viennese by choice at half-yearly intervals on a total of five albums. The whole cycle will then be available on the 250th anniversary of Beethoven's birth in 2020. They were recorded live under the direction of Music Director Philippe Jordan in the Golden Hall of the Musikverein during an acclaimed cycle in spring\/summer 2017.","brand":"Wiener Symphoniker","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46027618025706,"sku":"4260313960163","price":20.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/3900306_c2afc5db-2d24-4221-ad27-15f344514df6.jpg?v=1778273799"},{"product_id":"chabrier-espana-fete-polonaise-etc-niquet-et-95297","title":"Chabrier: España, Fête Polonaise, Etc \/ Niquet, Et Al","description":"It seems that every Chabrier collection differs slightly in one or two details, and this excellent offering is no exception. The Bourrée fantasque, which wasn't orchestrated by Chabrier in any case, is omitted, but in exchange we get an extremely rare and very beautiful Lamento for English horn and orchestra. Conductor Hervé Niquet and his Monte Carlo orchestra know this music well and play it with real affection, style, and sparkle. Right from the opening bars of España, you can tell that this is going to be a delightful recording: perfect tempo, excellent orchestral balances (the all-important harp clearly audible yet not artificially close), and the kind of rhythmic swagger that spells confidence without a hint of bombast. Next to Niquet and Co., Gardiner's Vienna recording for Deutsche Grammophon, highly praised in some quarters, sounds tight-fisted and grim. Chabrier is a much more important composer than many people realize. Mahler, who was a big fan, called España \"the origin of modern music.\" This inexpensive disc offers a perfect opportunity to discover what he meant. --David Hurwitz, ClassicsToday.com","brand":"Naxos","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46028048892138,"sku":"636943424827","price":19.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/297248.jpg?v=1778379298"},{"product_id":"gjeilo-sunrise-mass-jordan-westminster-williamson-voices-52750","title":"Gjeilo: Sunrise Mass \/ Jordan, Westminster Williamson Voices","description":"Sunrise Mass is a magical recording that includes compelling music by Ola Gjeilo along with several complementary selections by Durufle, Mendelssohn, and Mocnik. The title was chosen to hopefully represent the journey of each listener to hear new worlds ot colors in each of the selections. At the heart of this recording is Gjeilo’s Sunrise Mass, a spiritual, extended work in four movements that will bring you on a metaphysical journey from the heavens to earth. This recording is expertly sung by the Westminster Williamson Voices and conducted by James Jordan. It is simply exquisite. Jordan writes: “This has been our experience living with this music and, for me, allowing this choir to resonate these sounds in the most honest way we could. Gjeilo’s music allows us to connect to a vast wordless world that speaks directly to each of us in deeply personal and meaningful ways. His music was a gift to us, and hopefully will be a gift to you. All of the music on this recording connected itself to us and tethered each piece, one to the other, inside us. And for that reason, and all the reasons above, we are excited to share the magic we felt through sounding all of these incredible scores.”\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  -----\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  REVIEW:\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  Norwegian New Yorker Aja Gjeilo's music is thoroughly tonal. He seems to specialize in church music, with quotations in this mass from Duruflé and Mendelssohn. Texts by Hildegard von Bingen are rewritten and freely orchestrated. The others are by the composer. Harmony is clean and conservative, with occasional surprises in the voiceleading. For the most part, this is lovely and very beautiful. There is nothing here that could not be sung by well-schooled amateur choir singers. In fact, choral aficionados will surely enjoy this. \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  – American Record Guide (Allen Gimbel)","brand":"GIA","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46039804117226,"sku":"785147004820","price":14.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/3666469-2409118.jpg?v=1778813321"},{"product_id":"loop-1","title":"LOOP","description":"LOOP","brand":"DECCA","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46054990086378,"sku":"602458661248","price":14.62,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}]}],"url":"https:\/\/arkivmusic.com\/collections\/angelina-jordan.oembed?page=2","provider":"ArkivMusic","version":"1.0","type":"link"}