Falstaff is Verdi’s masterpiece of comic opera, in which the behavior of the ageing Sir John Falstaff, a devious freeloader and would-be ladykiller, causes uproar in the petty-bourgeois household of the Windsor’s. In this performance stage and film director Mario Martone updates the action to the present day and shows Falstaff as ageing rebel in dodgy sideburns and leather jacket. Among the “exquisit vocal cast” (Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung), Michael Volle gives his debut in the title role “with masterly dynamic shadings” (Financial Times) and “as if he had been preparing for this role for a lifetime.” (Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung) while “Daniel Barenboim and the Staatskapelle Berlin are tickling out all the wit and all the momentum from this score.” (Online Merker)

In the garden of a Baroque villa, a chamber orchestra is playing Mozart’s wonderful quartets and quintets, and everywhere is pervaded with echoes and references to the composer’s world. As if by magic or conjured by the imagination, figures emerge from the shadows of the labyrinthine garden: they are Mozart’s characters, and they play with – or perhaps make fun of – the guests at the party, embroiling them in their well-known amorous dalliances. With lightness and irony, this journey into the universe of Mozart tips its hat to the 1700s also with the scenery and costumes, and fills the garden with fun and passionate virtuoso dances, which follow each other dynamically and quickly with constant changes in the mood. Like in a dream where everything is jumbled together, where reality and illusion merge.

Max Emanuel Cencic excels with his celebrated and award-winning production of George Frideric Handel's masterpiece Arminio at the International Handel Festival Karlsruhe. The remarkable counter-tenor Cencic, who dedicates himself to the revival and performance of the music of the 18th century, demonstrates once more that Baroque singing can be both technically brilliant and at the same time modern and emotionally engaging. His enchanting staging of Arminio is the fulminant revival of the heroic story. When premiered in 1737 at London's Covent Garden, Arminio strangely received only six performances, despite being praised as "a miracle" and "in every respect excellent and vastly pleasing" by contemporaries. Handel's opera fell into oblivion - until Cencic put it into the limelight, resulting in the "rehabilitation of the piece" (FAZ). Cencic's production of Arminio, which created a furor when performed at the Theater an der Wien, features the ensemble Armonia Atenea under the baton of George Petrou and stars the stage director in the leading role: "Cencic is not only as counter-tenor but also as stage director at the peak of his success" (S�ddeutsche Zeitung).

An absolute highlight of Salzburg's Mozart Week with ''highest art of sound and riding'': the French equine artist and theatrical genius Bartabas presents Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Requime. Horses and riders from the formidable Academie Equestre de Versailles join forces with the Musiciens du Louvre, conducted by Marc Minkowski, the Salzburger Bachchor and ''an excellent quartet of soloists'', namely Genia Kuhmeier, Elisabeth Kulman, Julien Behr and Charles Dekeyser, to place the Requiem into a new theatrical context. Restoring the Felsenreitschule's original purpose - a riding school - and at the same time including its impressive architecture of arcades into the musical dramaturgy, the production is a breathtaking synthesis of the arts. By meticulously refining the skillfully regulated interactions between humans, animals, and music. Bartabas and his horsemen have created a production which is much more than a great show riding choreography: it's a moving exploration of the interconnectedness of existence. A piece of art with an ''exceptional power of attraction'', ''a requime for all senses''.

Also available on Blu-ray

One of opera’s most beautiful masterpieces, Gluck’s exquisite drama introduces us to Orpheus, the poet and musician whose every word and note communicate the most overwhelming love for his Eurydice. Lyric presents Orphée et Eurydice in the Paris version, which contains thrilling ballet sequences that will come to vivid life under the direction and choreography of the legendary John Neumeier. Lyric’s production stars Dmitry Korchak as Orphée with Andriana Chuchman as Eurydice and Lauren Snouffer as Amour. The Chicago Tribune deemed the production “triumphant” and “miraculously fresh and alive.” The production features Gluck’s reworking of the original German opera into a French-language production featuring ballet. “To hear [Gluck’s] songful art pour out uninterrupted…[is] to understand the overwhelming power of melody.” (New York Times)

On Saturday October 6, 2018 at the Philharmonie de Paris, Nicolas Horvath sat down to perform Erik Satie's complete works for piano without a break. The event was captured in this fascinating film by acclaimed director Thierry Villeneuve and features selections from Horvath's marathon eight-hour performance, filmed in black and white. This immersive visual experience sees Satie's mysterious and timeless music brought to life in a dreamlike conflation of past and present in front of a captivated audience. Horvath wrote of the evening: "This concert was remarkable, the press coverage was incredible (all of the main media previewed it as a 'must see concert'). Curiously, and unlike everything I had prepared, or even in my very own recordings - performing all of a composer's music with no break at the very same concert takes you to unexpected territories. I was very surprised at the risks I took from time to time, both musically and technically. But listening to the whole eight hours of musical evolution makes clear that each decision was a logical part of a larger unity, as it was mirrored in other later pieces..."

Ola Gjeilo was born in Norway in 1978 and moved to America in 2001 to begin his composition studies at the Juilliard School in New York City. Presently a full-time composer and pianist based in the US, his published concert works are performed all over the world. Ola is also very interested in film, and his music draws a lot of inspiration from movies and cinematic music. "Although many of the pieces on this album are free improvisations recorded in one take, the first three tracks are fantasies around three of my own choral works; Ubi Caritas, Tota Pulchra Es and Prelude." - Ola Gjeilo, 2012.

What happens when traditional Sami music meets mainstream western sacred music?This is the question Cantus meets head-on in Spes.Under the direction of its conductor Tove Ramlo-Ystad, and in collaboration with composer and musician Frode Fjellheim, the choir explores a new and little-known musical world, a world with a wide range of emotions: sorrow, joy and vulnerability.Through these songs, sounds and musical forms - some familiar, others scarcely known - Cantus challenges both itself and its audience with a strikingly varied repertoire united in one thing: its expression of hope in the music by Frode Fjellheim, Mia Makaroff, Eriks Esenvalds, Eva Ugalde, Ko Matsushita, Knut Nystedt, Franz Xaver Biebl and Kim André Arnesen.In 2013 Cantus was asked to sing Fjellheim's Vuelie as the musical opening to Disney's new animation film Frozen.This blend of Sami elements, whose roots go deep into an aboriginal people's culture, with music from the Mass and other church music that we are more familiar with, has proved popular with audiences all over the world.In the spirit of hope, Cantus has recorded a revised edition of Vuelie for this album.

GRIEG Holberg Suite. 2 Nordic Melodies, op. 63. AMPER Abrégé 1. G. LARSEN Diplom 2 • Trondheim Soloists; 1 Amilia Amper (nyckelharpa); 2 Gjermund Larsen (fiddle) • 2L 68 (Blu-ray and SACD: 57:34)


Simply put, this release offers the most stunning engineering I’ve ever experienced. It’s hard to describe it without falling back on over-familiar tropes, but if I ever wanted to demonstrate the value of high-resolution, multichannel sound, this is the recording I’d choose, the one that best creates the illusion that the musicians are actually there in the room with you. Granted, there are a dizzying number of possible formats: 2L offers an audio-only Blu-ray (with 7.1 DTS HA MA 24/96kHz and both 5.1 DTS HD MA and 2.0 LPCM in 24/192kHz), as well as an SACD with the usual three options, and (in case that’s not enough) online access to MP3 and FLAC versions. I haven’t listened to the downloads, but I’ve sampled the rest, and to my ears, the 7.1 version offers the most engaging acoustical environment. In immediate comparison, the two-channel versions are distinctly less involving—and I suspect that would be true even if the surround tracks didn’t put you at the center of the ensemble (with violins behind you, soloists and other strings in front—it makes a particularly wonderful effect at the beginning of the second half of Grieg’s op. 63/2). Heard on their own, though, the stereo versions certainly offer first-class sound, too.


The music and performances are a consistent delight. The Trondheim Soloists take a buoyant and textually transparent approach to the Holberg Suite , playing down its potential neoclassical severity and playing up its charm. Thus, for instance, the accents on the Gavotte are clear, but never biting; the Air achieves its poignance without a trace of pain; rhythms throughout are infectious, but never aggressive. The same qualities mark the performance of the Nordic Melodies . Not the only way to deliver this music, of course, but entirely engrossing.


The disc is filled out with two folk-inspired suites by contemporary musicians. The notes, unfortunately, are not as lucid as the performances, but the five-movement Abrégé seems to be a compilation of pieces by the Norwegian folk group Väsen (one based on a traditional tune, the others apparently not), arranged by Johannes Leonard Rusten of the Trondheim Soloists. Although Amelia Amper is listed as “composer,” it’s not clear what her compositional role is. She does, however, contribute virtuoso solo work on the nyckelharpa (described in the notes as “a type of fiddle with a chromatic keyboard, … played with a bow and … [including] resonating strings”), its slightly acrid sound adding considerably to the effect. Diplom , by fiddler Gjermund Larsen, is described as “a new composition … composed using traditional styles.” Both works are for the most part simple in outline and texture (no Bartók or even Grainger here), with catchy tunes and rhythms. I could single out, for special mention, the hypnotic rhythms in the last movement of Abrégé or the supple lamentation of the solo fiddle in the middle movement of the Larsen; but in fact, from beginning to end, these pieces will keep you spellbound. I only wish that 2L had translated the titles of the movements: knowing, for instance, that “Kapten Kapsyl” means “Captain Bottlecap” or that “Till Farmor” means “To Grandmother” (information I picked up from the Väsen Web site) adds to our appreciation.


All in all, though, exuberantly recommended, especially for people with the equipment necessary to take full advantage.


FANFARE: Peter J. Rabinowitz

In 2013, The Church of Norway adopted their new Hymnal. The goal of this new hymnal was to hold firmly to the traditions of earlier hymn books, and two bring a modern spin to them with new harmonic ideas. This Nordic hymns are an irreplaceable part of Scandinavian heritage. The texts deal with joy and sorrow, faith and doubt, and put into words some of life’s most joyful and painful vents. The hymn tradition is a constantly moving, living, breathing part of this culture. Formed in 2002, Uranienborg Vocal Ensemble consists of 20-24 singers and is conducted by its founder, Elisabeth Holte. The choir frequently performs in church services at Uranienborg church in Oslo. The group has also toured across Europe and the United States.

"• The works featured on this album reflect the universal and timeless balance between tradition and innovation, and the Royal Norwegian Navy Band under Ingar Bergby illuminate this balance in their recordings of these works, and breathe new life into this music. • Rolf Wallin (b. 1957), has written music that portrays ""the dancing dynamics of the universe"", where nothing is stable and everything is volatile. • Blu-ray Audio Disc • Hybrid SACD"

A 2021 GRAMMY Nominee for Best Immersive Audio Album!

The Norwegian Girls Choir and pianist Tord Gustavsen combine their talents in a programme of much-loved Christmas carols, leading the audience through expressive improvisations and quiet melancholy to glittering, ecstatic moments. Anne Karin Sundal-Ask directs the performances with attention to each individual singer and to the distinctive sound of the choir as a whole. The result is an uplifting, emotional encounter in which these radiant, young voices appeal to our very hearts. The Norwegian Girls Choir is an independent continuation of The Norwegian Broadcasting Company’s Girls Choir, which was established in 1947. The choir has long been a strong institution in Norwegian cultural life, and it has fostered a number of great singers, musicians and artists.

This 2-disc set consists of a hybrid Super Audio CD playable on both regular and Super Audio CD players plus an audio-only (i.e., with no video content) Blu-ray disc of the same music playable only on Blu-ray players.

The magic of a "time machine" brings Percy Grainger's original performance back to life in this modern surround-sound recording with the Kristiansand Symphony Orchestra conducted by Rolf Gupta. Edvard Grieg himself bears witness to the validity and authenticity of Grainger's interpretation through his own enthusiastic endorsement: "I had to become sixty-four years old to hear Norwegian piano music interpreted so understandingly and brilliantly. He breaks new ground for himself, for me, and for Norway. And then this enchanting, profound, serious, and childlike naturalness! What a joy to gain a young friend with such qualities!"

In 2007, conductor Rolf Gupta gave the first Norwegian performance of Edvard Grieg's Piano Concerto in A minor with the legendary Australian pianist Percy Grainger (1882-1961) as the posthumous soloist. On this recording, the Kristiansand Symphony Orchestra accompanies Grainger's original and controversial interpretation of the concerto. In addition, the violinist Øyvind Bjorå and pianolist Rex Lawson perform Grieg's Violin Sonata in C minor. The recording also includes a handful of Grieg's Lyric Pieces, performed by the composer himself. Astonishingly, these performances have not been available to the public until now.

Two different instruments have facilitated Grainger's and Grieg's encounters with the KSO/Gupta in modern times. Grainger plays on a form of musical time machine, the Duo-Art reproducing piano, which is something like an analogue predecessor of the computer, powered by an electric suction pump, and controlled automatically by perforated rolls of paper. Grieg, on the other hand, has been restored to life by means of a foot-pedalled pianola, played by Rex Lawson. For this recording, both instruments were fitted in front of a Steinway concert grand piano and re-performed the playing of Grainger in 1921 and Grieg in 1906.

This is an audio-only (i.e., with no video content) Blu-ray disc playable only on Blu-ray players.

It is also available on standard CD.

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

Joseph Haydn
Complete works for Solo Keyboard

Tom Beghin, keyboard

* The First Naxos Blu-Ray- a recording of the complete works of Joseph Haydn for solo keyboard in nine virtual reconstructions of the rooms in which these pieces would have been originally performed, using seven specially-crafted historical keyboards.
* A trail-blazing project of four Blu-Ray discs featuring 14.5 hours of music with an added “picture in picture” option, plus a three-hour documentary on the “making of” the recordings, directed by award-winning director and screen-writer Robert J. Litz.
* A fully interactive experience, this epic set offers users the opportunity to “direct” their own performance of a short Andante for Musical Clock; by selecting from a choice of rooms and instruments users can freely navigate 63 possible combinations to experiment with sound and acoustics as if wandering the 18th century halls themselves.

Picture format: 1080i High Definition
Sound format: PCM 2.0 / DTS-HD Master Audio 5.0
Region code: 0 (worldwide)
Subtitles: Dutch, French, German, Japanese
Running time: 18 hours
No. of Discs: 4 (BD 50) N