{"title":"Bobby Watson","description":"","products":[{"product_id":"poulenc-gloria-stabat-mater-095115934128","title":"POULENC: Gloria \/ Stabat Mater","description":"Classical Music","brand":"Chandos","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":44624154951914,"sku":"095115934128","price":21.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/107438.jpg?v=1778349701"},{"product_id":"talbot-the-winters-tale","title":"Talbot: The Winter's Tale","description":"Talbot: The Winter's Tale","brand":"Opus Arte","offers":[{"title":"DVD","offer_id":46012855943402,"sku":"809478011590","price":29.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/2832897.jpg?v=1778311741"},{"product_id":"beethoven-sonatas-for-fortepiano-violin-watson-ogata-290507","title":"Beethoven: Sonatas for Fortepiano \u0026 Violin \/ Watson, Ogata","description":"\u003cp\u003eIn celebration of the 250th anniversary of Beethoven’s birth, CORO Connections is delighted to present Ian Watson and Susanna Ogata’s acclaimed complete exploration of the Sonatas for Fortepiano and Violin in one stunning boxed-set edition. All 10 sonatas, performed exclusively on period instruments, from the epic ‘Kreutzer’ to the sublime ‘Spring’ feature in this four volume set. “The music's moody outbursts and vivacity come fully alive in elegant readings that are attentive to quicksilver changes in dynamics and articulation...the Sonata No. 4 in A minor is darkly played, their 'Kreutzer' Sonata brilliant and stormy.” (The New York Times) “There's something positively gleeful about the way the pair deliver the opening gambit of Op. 30 No. 3, and the same sonata's Haydnesque finale practically swings.” (Gramophone) “Their trim, alert reading of Op.24 arguably provides their most effective and expansive vehicle yet...it combines an appropriate sense of idiom with an abundance of vitality, sensitivity and insight, and furnishes Beethoven’s textures with a clarity rarely achieved.” (The Strad)\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Coro","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46012856271082,"sku":"828021617720","price":28.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/3770567-2540011.jpg?v=1778270983"},{"product_id":"opera-in-english-mozart-cosi-fan-tutte-162783","title":"Opera In English - Mozart: Così Fan Tutte, K 588 \/ Mackerras","description":"\u003cp\u003eCosì fan tutte is Mozart's third opera to a Da Ponte libretto. It is in opera buffa style and has only six characters, two couples and an elderly philosopher and a trusted maid. In this recording Lesley Garrett sings the part of the maid, Despina, and the celebrated veteran Sir Thomas Allen the philosopher, Don Alfonso. Despite the somewhat cynical storyline this opera contains some of Mozart's most memorable and sublime music. The conductor, Sir Charles Mackerras, has spent many years researching performance practice of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries and is a noted authority on Mozart's operas. He writes of this recording, 'it is indeed a pleasure having the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment lending its expertise in tonal colour, phrasing and rhythmic impulse to Mozart's wonderful score...I have chosen to record this English version of Così fan tutte with the traditional cuts, thus making it closer to a staged performance'. The English translation, by the Rev. Browne, was first used in London at a performance conducted by Sir Charles Villiers Stanford in 1890.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Chandos","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46012934389994,"sku":"095115315224","price":13.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/1334214.jpg?v=1778341199"},{"product_id":"janacek-jenufa-sung-in-english-095115310625","title":"Janáček: Jenufa (Sung in English)","description":"Classical Music","brand":"Chandos","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46013043376362,"sku":"095115310625","price":13.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/639824.jpg?v=1778189236"},{"product_id":"schmidt-celebration-original-broadway-cast-various-394652","title":"Schmidt: Celebration (Original Broadway Cast) \/ Various","description":"This first reissue in 25 years of a classic Original Cast Recording is a must-have for discriminating lovers of musical theater. Written by Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt (THE FANTASTICKS, 110 IN THE SHADE and I DO! I DO!), CELEBRATION was produced on Broadway in 1969 and is considered one of the most provocative and entertaining musicals of the decade. Says Jones (now 92 and still writing for the stage): “CELEBRATION, along with HAIR, was one of the 1960s shows that sought to reinvent our musical theater...The score is rich and varied, the premise interesting and the characters and scenes funny and touching. I’m so grateful to Harbinger Records for wanting to share it with at least three generations!” In this battle between the Old Year and the New, Jones \u0026amp; Schmidt mixed symbolic figures with then-current prototypes. “Thus the Old Man typifies all the misgivings that the youth culture of the time had about the previous generation,” says Jones. “The Young Boy is the ultimate flower child. The Narrator is a sixties dropout who’s into booze and drugs. And the Girl is a teenybopper dreaming of being a celebrity.” The package contains a 24-album booklet with extensive notes by author Tom Jones; memories from two original-cast members, Susan Watson and Michael Glenn-Smith; and many recently unearthed photos of the original production. The album has been remastered by multiple Grammy Award winner Alan Silverman.","brand":"Harbinger Records","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46013048193258,"sku":"632433360224","price":9.49,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/3797452-2653418.jpg?v=1778275146"},{"product_id":"out-of-print","title":"Out of Print","description":"Classical Music","brand":"Outnote Records","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46013049700586,"sku":"3760195730102","price":10.5,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/1899541.jpg?v=1778338003"},{"product_id":"arthur-pitas-the-metamorphosis-royal-ballet-blu-140393","title":"Arthur Pita's The Metamorphosis \/ Royal Ballet [blu-ray]","description":"\u003cb\u003eThis 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   \u003ca class=\"links\" href=\"album.jsp?album_id=1086156\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eAlso available on standard DVD\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Opus Arte","offers":[{"title":"Blu-Ray","offer_id":46013085450474,"sku":"809478071372","price":32.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/2503302.jpg?v=1778387907"},{"product_id":"alices-adventures-in-wonderland-royal-ballet-talbot-50468","title":"Alice's Adventures In Wonderland - Royal Ballet \/ Talbot, Wheeldon","description":"\u003ca class=\"links\" href=\"album.jsp?album_id=640951\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eAlso available on Blu-ray\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e Joby Talbot \u003cbr\u003e  ALICE’S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  Ballet in 2 Acts\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  Alice – Lauren Cuthbertson\u003cbr\u003e  Jack \/ Knave of Hearts – Sergei Polunin\u003cbr\u003e  Lewis Carroll \/ White Rabbit – Edward Watson\u003cbr\u003e  Mother \/ Queen of Hearts – Zenaida Yanowsky\u003cbr\u003e  Father \/ King of Hearts – Christopher Saunders\u003cbr\u003e  Magician \/ Mad Hatter – Steven McRae\u003cbr\u003e  Duchess – Simon Russell Beale\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  Royal Ballet\u003cbr\u003e  Royal Opera House Orchestra\u003cbr\u003e  Barry Wordsworth, conductor\u003cbr\u003e  Christopher Wheeldon, choreography\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  Bob Crowley, designs\u003cbr\u003e  Nicholas Wright, scenario\u003cbr\u003e  Natasha Katz, lighting design\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  Recorded live from the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, 9 March 2011.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  Bonus:\u003cbr\u003e  - Cast Gallery\u003cbr\u003e  - Documentary – Being Alice\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  Picture format: NTSC 16:9 anamorphic\u003cbr\u003e  Sound format: LPCM 2.0 \/ DTS 5.1\u003cbr\u003e  Region code: 0 (worldwide)\u003cbr\u003e  Subtitles: English, French, German, Spanish\u003cbr\u003e  Running time: 120 mins (ballet) + 30 mins (bonus)\u003cbr\u003e  No. of DVDs: 1 (DVD 9)\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  R E V I E W:\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e   \u003cb\u003eA stimulating production. \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  It is a brave company that is prepared to take such a surrealist novel and turn it into a stage show. Where film can provide the visual trickery necessary to give visual magic, theatre machinery is cumbersome and pedantic in comparison. Yet the development of technical resources and video projection can help. With ballet, a large part of the stage must be kept free of obstructions to allow ballet routines to progress unimpeded. \u003cbr\u003e  To then faithfully transfer to a video medium without high level on-line visual trickery may not ideally help the viewer. So how then has Covent Garden fared in bringing about a stimulating production? \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  Very well, in fact. The prologue where Dodgson (Lewis Carroll) is taking photographs of the family group works excellently. It is set in a realistic deanery garden. Bob Crowley’s backdrop painting in faded Victorian hues is in keeping. In this opening scene we are introduced to the personalities that later appear as stereotypes in the fantasy world Alice uncovers. The only odd thing in a private deanery garden is having a nurse wheel a perambulator across the stage as if in a busy street. \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  Some of the settings contain more subtlety than might at first sight be noticed. Monotone backdrops, the Cheshire Cat and a paper boat are styled on the engravings found in Carroll’s first edition book. As the ballet progresses the settings become more flamboyant and graphically modern. \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  Particularly stunning is the Playing Cards scene. Choreography and costumes strike just the right note. A clever routine with a segmented Cheshire Cat allows believable animation. \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  As one might expect, the dancing is up to the exacting standards of the corps with a Covent Garden reputation. The problem of having Alice change size was well contrived and Lauren Cuthbertson’s acting is excellent. The character of the White Rabbit is extremely officious throughout I noticed, yet pales before the bombastic pomp of the Queen of Hearts (Zenaida Yanowsky). \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  The orchestra plays well under the secure direction of Barry Wordsworth, a conductor not seen enough of nowadays. Talbot’s music has facets of talent and although classical harmony is mainly maintained, it is heavy, strongly percussive and is often reminiscent of the fight scene of West Side Story. One could hardly call the music melodious which is a pity as it misses out in appealing to the younger generation for whom the story is intended. I find the scoring unnecessarily heavy and is an ill fit with the elegance of classical ballet choreography. \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  The DVD is divided into play chapters, and contains a gallery photographs of the key dancers. It has the bonus of a well compiled and informative BBC documentary ‘Being Alice’. In it we see the planning, realisation and execution of the staging through the eyes of the principal dancer, Lauren Cuthbertson. Subtitles are provided in English, French, German and Spanish. In-depth background production notes with synopsis by David Nice are written in English, French and German. \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  -- Raymond J Walker, MusicWeb International\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Opus Arte","offers":[{"title":"DVD","offer_id":46013092135146,"sku":"809478010562","price":26.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/1900726.jpg?v=1778325348"},{"product_id":"beethoven-sonatas-for-fortepiano-violin-vol-4","title":"Beethoven: Sonatas for Fortepiano \u0026 Violin, Vol. 4","description":"Ian Watson and Susanna Ogata's acclaimed series on Coro Connections continues with the fourth album in their exploration of Beethoven's Sonatas for Fortepiano and Violin. The Opus 12 Sonatas that are explored on this final volume are among the most Mozartian of the sonatas. They are, however, filled with Beethoven's inimitable voice, from the assertive Sonata No. 1, in the violin's most brilliant and sonorous key of D major, to the pianistically brilliant No. 3 in E flat with it's cascades of triplets and sextuplets. Unmistakably Beethoven! Susanna Ogata has been praised for her \"totally convincing, spontaneous and free-flowing playing\" (The Berkshire Review) and is a tenured member of the Handel and Haydn Society where she was appointed Assistant Concertmaster of the orchestra in 2014. Ian Watson has been described by the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung as \"a conductor of formidable ability,\" and by The Times in London as a keyboard performer with \"virtuosic panache and brilliantly articulated playing\" and \"a world-class soloist.\" He was appointed Associate Conductor of Boston's Handel and Haydn Society in 2016.","brand":"Coro","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46013197353194,"sku":"828021616129","price":20.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/3793326.jpg?v=1778276529"},{"product_id":"lopera-des-operas-niquet-le-concert-spirituel-66191","title":"L'Opera des Operas \/ Niquet, Le Concert Spirituel","description":"\u003cp\u003eTo celebrate 30 years of the Concert Spirituel, Hervé Niquet pays homage to the French musical patrimony of the 17th and 18th centuries, to whose exploration he remains passionately devoted. In close collaboration with Benoit Dratwicki and the Centre de Musique Baroque de Versailles – which also celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2018 –they have devised an intriguingly unconventional programme idea. Following the example of Louis XIV, who in 1671 asked Lully to create a Ballet of ballets consisting of extracts from the thirty or so ballets that the composer had put on at court, they have conceived ‘An Imaginary Opera,’ a veritable ‘Opera of Operas’: around thirty extracts, with well-known repertoire alongside rarities – some completely unknown and unpublished – have been put together to create a plot centered around three dramatic archetypes of the period: a princess in love, a witch queen (her rival) and a courageous prince. All the themes of French baroque opera are illustrated in turn, according to the rules of the genre: battle, tempest, sorcery, love duets, religious invocations, and sleep. The virtuoso arias, dazzling ballets and imposing ceremonial choruses are by Lully and Rameau, naturally – but also by Campra, Marais, Bertin de La Doué, Destouches, Stück, Gervais, Colin de Blamont, Rebel, Francœur, Montéclair, Leclair and Dauvergne. Brilliantly brought to life by the very finest of today’s baroque lyric artists, this recording was made at the Opéra Royal de Versailles.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Alpha","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46013210657002,"sku":"3760014194429","price":15.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/3846390.jpg?v=1778381566"},{"product_id":"american-originals-russell-cincinnati-pops-157105","title":"American Originals \/ Russell, Cincinnati Pops","description":"\u003cp\u003eAmerican Originals: 1918 is the newest release from the Cincinnati Pops conducted by John Morris Russell and features iconic American songs interpreted by a diverse array of acclaimed musical collaborators including MacArthur “Genius” Fellow Rhiannon Giddens, Grammy-winning Steep Canyon Rangers, Americana artist Pokey LaFarge, and tap dancer Robyn Watson. The follow-up to the Pops’ innovative American Originals album, American Originals: 1918 reimagines songs first brought to life in the first third of the 20th century as well as American popular standards from World War I and some of the first well-known tunes from the advent of jazz. The 95th Cincinnati Pops album includes fresh new renditions of “Over There,” “God Bless America,” “Swing Along,” “Memphis Blues,” “I’m Just Wild About Harry,” “How Ya Gonna Keep ‘em Down on the Farm,” and “I Ain’t Got Nobody,” among many other classic tunes. In addition, the collection includes the world premiere of Grammy-nominated composer Peter Boyer’s “In the Cause of the Free,” commissioned by the Pops to commemorate the 100th Anniversary of the end of World War I.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Fanfare Cincinnati","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46013223829738,"sku":"870362000136","price":9.49,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/3832325.jpg?v=1778281680"},{"product_id":"rameau-hippolyte-et-aricie-lyon-karg-christie-oae","title":"Rameau: Hippolyte et Aricie \/ Lyon, Karg, Christie, OAE","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNote: The Blu-ray version is only playable on Blu-ray Disc players and not compatible with standard DVD players.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"For its first staging of a Rameau opera, the Glyndebourne Festival in England went big: a riotous yet sophisticated production, by Jonathan Kent, that captures both the frigidity and the passions of human relations, and that has the leadership of the French Baroque master William Christie, conducting the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment. Ed Lyon, Christiane Karg, Sarah Connolly, and Stéphane Degout all give standout performances.\" – Zachary Woolfe, The New York Times\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e In Glyndebourne's first-ever staging of a opera by Rameau, director Jonathan Kent presents a production which, in his own words, strives to appeal to every sense and show audiences how engrossing and musically ravishing French Baroque opera can be. Rameau's inventive take on Racine's great tragedy Phèdre is brought to life by Paul Browns colourful and elegant designs and Ashley Pages playful choreography. Ed Lyon and Christiane Karg give captivating performances as the titular young lovers, while Sarah Connolly, making a welcome return to Glyndebourne, invests Phaedra with both grandeur and a desperately human vulnerability (The Independent). Leading exponent of early music William Christie sets an exhilarating pace, galvanising the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment to playing of tremendous panache (The DailyTelegraph).\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Jonathan Kent, stage director\u003cbr\u003e Paul Brown, set and costume designer\u003cbr\u003e Mark Henderson, lighting designer\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Recorded live at Glyndebourne Festival Opera, Lewes, June 2013\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eBonus\u003c\/strong\u003e: - \u003cbr\u003e An opera to surprise and delight\u003cbr\u003e - Cast gallery\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePicture format: NTSC 16:9\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSound format: LPCM 2.0 \/ DTS 5.1\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRegion code: 0 (worldwide)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSubtitles: English, French, German, Dutch, Japanese, Korean\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRunning time: 187 mins\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eof DVDs: 2\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eof Blu-ray discs: 1\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eREVIEW\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan class=\"dxeBase_PlasticBlue\" id=\"ctl00_MainContent_gvReviews_cell5_12_ASPxPopupControl1_ASPxLabel2\"\u003eIt could be argued that the loose-limbed structure of Hippolyte et Aricie strays too widely from Phèdre, though its major excursions are drawn from the mythological variants Racine himself discusses in the play’s preface. Its controlled extravagance makes it one of the great French Baroque entertainments, though Rameau’s insights into Phèdre’s emotional and moral torment form a real heart of darkness. Christie conducted a superb Glyndebourne cast in 2013. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan class=\"dxeBase_PlasticBlue\"\u003e-- Gramophone\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Opus Arte","offers":[{"title":"Blu-Ray","offer_id":46013255647466,"sku":"809478071501","price":29.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/oa1143d_cover_d0c11620-1b85-4bae-a32a-b950bbcc5501.jpg?v=1778295456"},{"product_id":"verdi-g-don-carlos-095115316221","title":"Verdi, G.: Don Carlos","description":"Classical Music","brand":"Chandos","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46013304635626,"sku":"095115316221","price":20.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/1579669.jpg?v=1778333455"},{"product_id":"for-queen-and-country-music-for-a-129640","title":"For Queen And Country: Music For A Royal Celebration","description":"\u003cp\u003eIn April, the United Kingdom celebrated the birthday of the longest serving monarch in British history. This release is the perfect soundtrack to the celebrations. Some of Britain’s most popular artists and ensembles have gathered together for this two-disc set, which includes patriotic anthems and popular tunes. Musicians include Russell Watson, Jonathan and Charlotte, The Band of H.M. Royal Marines, The Choir of Trinity College Cambridge, and The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Sony Masterworks","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46013332324586,"sku":"889853011520","price":7.49,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/3335714.jpg?v=1778261473"},{"product_id":"vespers-timeless-music-for-contemplation-69375","title":"Vespers: Timeless Music For Contemplation","description":"Vespers is the ancient office of prayer, celebrated every evening throughout Christendom as the sun goes down. This beautiful and reflective music, plainsong chants sung in praise and contemplation contrast with the magnificent organ works of Marcel Dupré and the splendor of choral music by David Bevan, John Sheppard and John Duggan. David Bevan (b.1951) has worked as a singer, organist, composer and music teacher since 1980 and has held Master of Music, Director of Music and organist positions at churches in England and America. John Sheppard was a 16th c. composer, working in the time of Tallis, Taverner, and the like. His only recent rehabilitation is uncovering a composer of distinction despite the lack of hard knowledge about him. Composer and singer John Duggan has written for a number of choirs, received a number of commissions and is co-founder of Oxford-based choir Sospiri.","brand":"Gift of Music","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46013422305514,"sku":"658592128222","price":18.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/2953765.jpg?v=1778302547"},{"product_id":"hidden-treasures-1951-2001-76999","title":"Hidden Treasures \/ O.s.t. (2pk)","description":"This album is a retrospective that is a must-have for all lovers of musical theater. Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt first won fame as the creators of The Fantasticks- the longest-running musical in the history of the world, with more than 21,000 performances given in New York over a period of 58 years. But the Jones \u0026amp; Schmidt musicals also include Broadway classics such as \"I Do! I Do!,\" \"110 in the Shade,\" and \"Celebration.\" Selections from these and 12 other shows are included in this deluxe release, which features many previously unreleased \"demos\" by the songwriters themselves. Jones \u0026amp; Schmidt worked closely with Producer Bill Rudman for over two years to ensure that this album would best represent their legacy. \"The purpose of theater is always to reveal us to ourselves. To help us perceive the 'poetry' beneath the prose and the minutiae of our lives. To make us exalt. To make us feel. And not least of all, to make us laugh.\" (Tom Jones)","brand":"Harbinger Records","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46013443506410,"sku":"632433340424","price":13.49,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/3793165.jpg?v=1778263851"},{"product_id":"talbot-the-winters-tale-briskin-royal-opera-84145","title":"Talbot: The Winter's Tale \/ Briskin, Royal Opera House Ballet [blu-ray]","description":"\u003cb\u003eThis Blu-ray Disc is only playable on Blu-ray Disc players and not compatible with standard DVD players.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003ca class=\"links\" href=\"album.jsp?album_id=1653187\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eAlso available on standard DVD\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e Following his delightful full-length ballet Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Christopher Wheeldon continues his highly successful collaboration with designer Bob Crowley and composer Joby Talbot to create his first ballet based on a Shakespeare play, the late romance The Winter’s Tale. The story follows the destruction of marriage through consuming jealousy, the abandonment of a child, and a seemingly hopeless love. Yet through remorse and regret–and after a statue comes miraculously to life–the ending is one of forgiveness and reconciliation. It is powerful material for ballet, with a story that allows for the portrayal of intense emotions between and within the characters, and the opportunity for the Company to create not just new central characters, but the whole world around them.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e ACCLAIM\u003cbr\u003e  “Steven McRae and Sarah Lamb lead the company in flurries of joyful movement in a buoyant Act II, as the plot turns into a hugely enjoyable caper. By the time they’re in a chase across the high seas, you’ll be hooked.” - Evening Standard\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e “‘A game-changer for Wheeldon’ – Christopher Wheeldon rises to the challenge of translating Shakespeare into dance, creating one of most fully achieved story ballets to be staged at Covent Garden in years. Yet Christopher Wheeldon has turned these challenges into inspiration. Together with composer Joby Talbot and designer Bob Crowley (whose mix of video, light and set design vividly illuminates the story), Wheeldon has used this play to develop the most expressive and inventive dance language we’ve yet seen from him.” - The Guardian\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Opus Arte","offers":[{"title":"Blu-Ray","offer_id":46013453893866,"sku":"809478071570","price":29.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/2832899.jpg?v=1779055683"},{"product_id":"beethoven-sonatas-for-fortepiano-and-violin-vol-3","title":"Beethoven: Sonatas for Fortepiano and Violin, Vol. 3","description":"Ian Watson and Susanna Ogata's acclaimed series on Coro Connections continues with the third album in their exploration of Beethoven's Sonatas for fortepiano and violin. Written at a time when the composer was struggling to accept his growing deafness, the three sonatas on this volume were published together in 1803 as his Opus 30 and provide a remarkable trilogy - a collection of incredible variety and sophistication. The wide compositional range of this set demonstrates Beethoven's prowess in creating bucolic, even humorous moments, contrasted with deep intensity, pathos and the truly sublime. Susanna Ogata has been praised for her ''totally convincing, spontaneous and free-flowing playing'' (The Berkshire Review) and is a tenured member of the Handel and Haydn Society where she was appointed Assistant Concertmaster of the orchestra in 2014. Ian Watson has been described by the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung as ''a conductor of formidable ability'', and by The Times in London as a keyboard performer with ''virtuosic panache and brilliantly articulated playing'' and ''a world-class soloist.'' He was appointed Associate Conductor of Boston's Handel and Haydn Society in 2016.","brand":"Coro","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46013456777450,"sku":"828021615429","price":10.49,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/3647976.jpg?v=1778292488"},{"product_id":"delius-a-mass-of-life-idyll-opie-204653","title":"Delius: A Mass of Life, Idyll \/ Opie, Hill","description":"\u003cimg src=\"\/graphics\/features\/misc\/edchoice2012_79.jpg\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  To witness a performance of Delius’s A Mass of Life, arguably his supreme creative achievement, is to look into the heart of the composer and his Nietzsche-inspired world. Moreover, this ravishing music, written between 1898 and 1905, represents Delius at the height of his powers, when musical ideas seemed to pour out of him at a time when he had finally learned to assimilate, in an entirely individual, not to say maverick manner, a confluence of modernist styles embracing Grieg, Wagner, Strauss, Charpentier and Debussy.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  There is no doubt from the vivid opening choruses of Parts 1 and 2 of this recording (and what openings!) that the message of the work is a life-affirming one. There is a dynamic momentum to the tempi which perfectly evokes Zarathustra’s ruling passion, the Will of Man, and there is a richness to the orchestral sound which adds to the sense of muscularity. The chorus negotiate Delius’s often awkward vocal intervals with great skill and the intonation is virtually flawless. Just occasionally the sheer weight of the orchestral sound, which is quite forward on this recording (more so than Hickox), is apt to overwhelm the voices but this is a minor distraction.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  Hill brings energy and élan to the third section, ‘In deine Auge’ (for me perhaps the most exhilarating section of Part 1), where the parallel with the end of Act 2 of Die Meistersinger is almost palpable and where the most unusual example of a Delius fugue (!) is given life, vigour and meaning.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  Alan Opie, who has the lion’s share of the solo music in the work, is almost Wotan-like in his performances. From his first Nietzschean dance he is majestic and brings out of the score that vibrant, heady, Teutonic contemporaneity with which Delius had clearly become enthralled at this point in his career. Opie’s singing of what is effectively the role of Zarathustra has immense authority and his impressive range (up to high G) is ideal for Delius’s onerous vocal demands.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  Andrew Kennedy, Catherine Wyn-Rogers and Janice Watson also offer fine lyrical interpretations of their solo parts and the choral accompaniments are allowed to intermingle subtly as an extension of the orchestra. The BSO are on fine form too, and special mention needs to be made of the haunting horn-playing in the introduction to Part 2 (‘On the Mountains’), a sound which sums up so much of Delius’s nature music.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  This is a must for any Delius Liebhaber and, with the added bonus of the late Prelude and Idyll, a marvellous starting point for anyone new to Delius’s unique but compelling art.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  -- Jeremy Dibble, Gramophone\u003cbr\u003e    \u003ctitle\u003e3622320.az_DELIUS_Mass_Life_Prelude.html\u003c\/title\u003e  \u003cmeta http-equiv=\"Content-Type\" content=\"text\/html; charset=utf-8\"\u003e   \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan class=\"COMPOSER12\"\u003eDELIUS \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12bi\"\u003eA Mass of Life. Prelude and Idyll\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"SUPER12\"\u003e1 \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"BULLET12\"\u003e • \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e David Hill, Cond; \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"SUPER12\"\u003e1\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003eJanice Watson (sop); Catherine Wyn-Rogers (mez); Andrew Kennedy (ten); \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"SUPER12\"\u003e1\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003eAlan Opie (bar); Bach Ch; \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"SUPER12\"\u003e1\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003eBournemouth SO \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"BULLET12\"\u003e • \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e NAXOS 8.572861-62 (2 CDs: 118:19 Text and Translation) \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eA Mass of Life\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e is quintessential Delius, musically and existentially, composed over 1904–05 in the first great rush of his maturity. From the bounding affirmative choruses to the breathtakingly sustained nature contemplations, from the melancholy to the ecstatic, the \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eMass of Life\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e traces and forecasts the gamut of Delian affect with a concision, fullness, and abundance he might rival but never achieve so comprehensively again. Unless I’ve missed something, this is but the fourth recording of the work since Beecham’s \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003enonpareil\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e 1952 account. Though its musical demands are daunting—if nowhere near as challenging as those of Mahler’s “Symphony of a Thousand,” with which it invites comparison—the primary bar to frequent performance is its text, drawn by Delius’s friend Ernst Cassirier largely from the Dance Songs of Nietzsche’s \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eAlso sprach Zarathustra.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e For those coming in late, one recalls the oft-quoted passage in Eric Fenby’s \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eDelius as I Knew Him:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e “When, one wet day … he was looking for something to read in the library of a Norwegian friend … and had taken down a book, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eThus Spake Zarathustra\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e—a book for all and none—by one Friedrich Nietzsche, he was ripe for it. The book, he told me, never left his hands until he had devoured it from cover to cover. It was the very book he had been seeking all along, and finding that book he declared to be one of the most important events of his life. Nor did he rest content until he had read every work of Nietzsche that he could lay his hands on”—to which Fenby, a devout Catholic, adds—“and the poison entered his soul.” For listeners and performers today it may still be something of a jolt to find, in place of the supplicating Kyrie that the unfortunate term “Mass” leads one to expect, a glowingly charged hymn to the Will, “dispeller of need, my own necessity,” followed by Zarathustra’s brief praise of laughter (“My own laughter I pronounced holy”), succeeded by Zarathustra’s love duet with Life in a meadow filled with dancing girls, an archetypal encounter transpiring in a mythical dimension “beyond good and evil,” beyond place and time, crowned by the first, murmured, utterance of the Bell Song, the work’s central mystery. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eA Mass of Life\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e may, of course, be enjoyed for its power and sensuous magic without reference to its text, but only to those nurtured on Nietzsche will it reveal its full import. Shrugging incomprehension of the text renders Benjamin Luxon’s Zarathustra, for Charles Groves (with the London Philharmonic Chorus and Orchestra), merely mellifluous, while Peter Coleman-Wright’s deadpan delivery for the late Richard Hickox—with the Waynflete Singers directed by today’s conductor, David Hill, and the Bournemouth Symphony Chorus and Orchestra—proves anesthetically workmanlike. When it appeared in 1997, I rated that reading, on Chandos, the best since Beecham’s (\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eFanfare\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e 20:6). That honor goes now to the present offering. While Alan Opie does not efface memories of Bruce Boyce, for Beecham—whose delivery resonated from the nexus of Delius’s realization of Nietzsche—he teases the text gingerly, making a credible Zarathustra. In some numbers, Delius asks the soloists to share parts, with some of Zarathustra’s lines persuasively taken by Andrew Kennedy, and a portion of Life’s happily rendered by Janice Watson, though Catherine Wyn-Rogers’s beguiling, seductive Life recalls Monica Sinclair’s divinatory geste for Beecham. The choral work is beyond praise, though in Hill’s brisk approach the melting lyricism heard \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003echez\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Beecham tautens and leaps. \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eIdyll\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e is a late reworking of music from \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eMargot la Rouge\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, composed in 1902 for the new opera competition offered by the music publisher Sanzogno. Though it failed to score and was not heard in Delius’s lifetime, it comes from the composer’s ripest years and contains gorgeous swaths of his richest utterance, which he salvaged in 1932, recomposing it to words by Whitman and making an extended love duet of it. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eIdyll\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e has not lacked for vocally lustrous, persuasive performances submerging Whitman’s quaintness (“Behold me when I pass, hear my voice, approach, draw close, but speak not. Be not afraid of me”) in absolute conviction. Of major interest, the lovingly lingering 1981 account led by Eric Fenby—who took down the score from dictation by the blind, paralyzed Delius—features Felicity Lott and Thomas Allen (deleted Unicorn-Kanchana UKCD 2073). Meredith Davies’s still-available 1968 tilt at \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eIdyll\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, is made memorable by the divinatory partnership of Heather Harper and John Shirley-Quirk. In keeping with his go at the \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eMass of Life\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, Hill pushes the work a bit, spurring the impassioned moments to escalate from the pervasive tone of wistful elegy. Opie, as the anonymous man, is authoritatively resonant, in response to Janice Watson’s brightly edged soprano (touched by a bit of vibrato), with its gloriously amber lower register, buxomly filling the part of the nameless woman. \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOne caveat: In the headnote the title of the work is given per the album, but you will search the catalog of Delius’s works in vain for an orchestral Prelude. The work so designated is simply the first three minutes—an orchestral prelude, to be sure—of \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eIdyll\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e and has never, until now, been listed separately. The fake title generates a phantom work to bedevil buyers, scholars, and connoisseurs, and detracts from—rather than adding to—the program’s generosity. \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSound packs an immediate wallop making for occasional congestion. In the opening chorus, for instance, the leaping underlining of trombones and tubas becomes indistinct, overwhelmed by choral mass, and while one can pick out the glockenspiel, its function of festive accentuation is lost. In quieter passages, and in the capture of the vocalists, on the other hand, this upfront take is gratifyingly welcome. In German, Zarathustra’s pronouncements recall and parody the Lutheran Bible, in light of which the ostensibly stilted thee-ing and thou-ing of William Wallace’s singing translation—made for Beecham and used by him for all of his public performances (according to notes by Delius aficionado Lyndon Jenkins)—fall into place, if not quite into King James English. Whitman’s text is included. \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIn sum, a superb production and the grandest addition to the Delius discography in many years. Highest recommendation. \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight:bold\"\u003eFANFARE: Adrian Corleonis \u003c\/span\u003e","brand":"Naxos","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46013463396586,"sku":"747313286171","price":14.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/2002767.jpg?v=1778325506"},{"product_id":"the-colon-ring-wagner-in-buenos-aires","title":"The Colon Ring - Wagner in Buenos Aires","description":"The composer's great-granddaughter was keen to stage Cord Garben's abridged version of the cycle at the Teatro Colin in Buenos Aires, but in the event things turned out rather differently. The present documentary provides a thrilling and visually memorable account of the long journey taken by this version from it's inception to the first night.","brand":"C Major Entertainment","offers":[{"title":"Blu-Ray","offer_id":46025388425450,"sku":"814337011291","price":26.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/2248389.jpg?v=1778319206"},{"product_id":"wagner-der-ring-des-nibelungen-great-scenes","title":"Wagner: Der Ring des Nibelungen - Great Scenes","description":"“This set is essential” concluded Gramophone of the Ring cycle when this 2008 production was issued complete. 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At the centre of this bold and simple staging - the first opera production by comic actor Clement Hervieu-Leger - is the Queen of Carthage herself, sung with uncompromising intensity by Anna Bonitatibus. William Christie and his singers and players show themselves entirely attuned to the world of Cavalli, where meaning and music fuse.","brand":"Opus Arte","offers":[{"title":"Blu-Ray","offer_id":46025404743914,"sku":"809478071068","price":29.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/2042860.jpg?v=1778325378"},{"product_id":"purcell-dido-aeneas-connolly-meachem-hogwood-blu-80529","title":"Purcell: Dido \u0026 Aeneas \/ Connolly, Meachem, Hogwood [blu-ray]","description":"\u003cb\u003eNote: This Blu-ray Disc is only playable on Blu-ray Disc players, and not compatible with standard DVD players.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e \"The sensitivity of her (Sarah Connolly's) acting and her intense musicality was striking throughout. Lucy Crowe made a delightful Belinda, with Lucas Meachem a quarterback hunk of an Aeneas. The young ad-hoc chorus sang beautifully.\" -  \u003ci\u003eThe Telegraph\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e Henry Purcell \u003cbr\u003e  DIDO AND AENEAS \u003cbr\u003e  (Blu-ray Disc Version)\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e Dido – Sarah Connolly \u003cbr\u003e  Aeneas – Lucas Meachem \u003cbr\u003e  Belinda – Lucy Crowe \u003cbr\u003e  Sorceress – Sara Fulgoni \u003cbr\u003e  Second Woman – Anita Watson \u003cbr\u003e  First Witch – Eri Nakamura \u003cbr\u003e  Second Witch – Pumeza Matshikiza \u003cbr\u003e  Spirit – Iestyn Davies \u003cbr\u003e  Sailor – Ji-Min Park\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e The Royal Ballet \u003cbr\u003e  Royal Opera Extra Chorus \u003cbr\u003e  Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment \u003cbr\u003e  Christopher Hogwood, conductor\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e Wayne McGregor, choreographer and stage director\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e Recorded live at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London, on 3 and 8 April, 2009.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e Bonus: \u003cbr\u003e  - Illustrated synopsis and cast gallery - Interview with Wayne McGregor\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e Picture format: 1080i High Definition \u003cbr\u003e  Sound format: 2.0 and 5.1 PCM \u003cbr\u003e  Region code: 0 (worldwide) \u003cbr\u003e  Menu language: English \u003cbr\u003e  Subtitles: English, French, German, Spanish, Italian \u003cbr\u003e  Running time: 72 mins \u003cbr\u003e  No. of Discs: 1 (BD 25)\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Opus Arte","offers":[{"title":"Blu-Ray","offer_id":46025474867434,"sku":"809478070498","price":26.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/1579893.jpg?v=1778333412"},{"product_id":"humperdinck-hansel-gretel-davis-damrau-allen-silja-62636","title":"Humperdinck: Hansel \u0026 Gretel \/ Davis, Damrau, Allen, Silja","description":"Diana Damrau and Angelika Kirchschlager star in the acclaimed 2008 production of Humperdinck’s famous fairytale opera, in the company of two of Britain’s most revered musical figures: Thomas Allen, playing the role of the Father, and the legendary conductor Colin Davis. Directors Patrice Caurier and Moshe Leiser combine their characteristic wit and a dash of deliciously dark comedy with the opera’s fairytale charm. Humperdinck’s music mixes catchy folk-like songs with sumptuous instrumental colour, making the result as tunefully approachable, musically memorable and visually delightful as opera gets. 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Lucy Crowe made a delightful Belinda, with Lucas Meachem a quarterback hunk of an Aeneas. The young ad-hoc chorus sang beautifully.\" -  \u003ci\u003eThe Telegraph\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e Henry Purcell \u003cbr\u003e  DIDO AND AENEAS\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e Dido – Sarah Connolly \u003cbr\u003e  Aeneas – Lucas Meachem \u003cbr\u003e  Belinda – Lucy Crowe \u003cbr\u003e  Sorceress – Sara Fulgoni \u003cbr\u003e  Second Woman – Anita Watson \u003cbr\u003e  First Witch – Eri Nakamura \u003cbr\u003e  Second Witch – Pumeza Matshikiza \u003cbr\u003e  Spirit – Iestyn Davies \u003cbr\u003e  Sailor – Ji-Min Park\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e The Royal Ballet \u003cbr\u003e  Royal Opera Extra Chorus \u003cbr\u003e  Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment \u003cbr\u003e  Christopher Hogwood, conductor\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e Wayne McGregor, director and choreographer\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e Recorded live at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London, on 3 and 8 April 2009.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e Bonus: \u003cbr\u003e  - Illustrated synopsis and cast gallery \u003cbr\u003e  - Interview with Wayne McGregor\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e Picture format: NTSC 16:9 anamorphic \u003cbr\u003e  Sound format: PCM Stereo \/ 5.1 Half DTS \u003cbr\u003e  Region code: 0 (worldwide) \u003cbr\u003e  Menu language: English \u003cbr\u003e  Subtitles: English, French, German, Spanish, Italian \u003cbr\u003e  Running time: 72 mins \u003cbr\u003e  No. of DVDs: 1 (DVD 9)\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Opus Arte","offers":[{"title":"DVD","offer_id":46025604006122,"sku":"809478010180","price":26.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/1579892_21a5902c-aa8b-4a01-92d3-c24d1c05b11c.jpg?v=1778333385"},{"product_id":"humperdinck-hansel-gretel-davis-damrau-allen-silja-151349","title":"Humperdinck: Hansel \u0026 Gretel \/ Davis, Damrau, Allen, Silja","description":"Diana Damrau and Angelika Kirchschlager star in the acclaimed 2008 production of Humperdinck’s famous fairytale opera, in the company of two of Britain’s most revered musical figures: Thomas Allen, playing the role of the Father, and the legendary conductor Colin Davis. 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The opening work has an obvious connection, as a setting of a speech of one of John Bunyan's characters. The disc's centerpiece, the Fifth Symphony, was begun in 1938 using themes from the opera, which Vaughan Williams feared might not be performed. The remaining semi-religious works are in somewhat the same spiritual vein.\u003cbr\u003eAlthough the entire program is well-performed, the Symphony stands out beyond mere length. Hickox and the London Symphony play their hearts out, bringing some of Vaughan William's best music to exquisite life. The stunningly beautiful Romanza and final Passacaglia alone make this disc well worth the price. Add three premiere recordings (including \"The Pilgrim Pavement,\" composed for the Dedication of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City) and vivid recording, and the result--like the discs which preceded it--is no less than essential.","brand":"Chandos","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46027548721386,"sku":"095115966624","price":22.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/252653.jpg?v=1778185166"},{"product_id":"haydn-masses-nos-1b-and-3-095115066720","title":"HAYDN: Masses Nos. 1b and 3","description":"Classical Music","brand":"Chandos","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46027573395690,"sku":"095115066720","price":16.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/367836.jpg?v=1778346838"},{"product_id":"howells-missa-sabrinensis-etc-rozhdestvensky-et-al-194033","title":"Howells: Missa Sabrinensis, Etc \/ Rozhdestvensky, Et Al","description":"\u003cp\u003eWell received when first released, these recordings are now issued as a two-CD set, available for the price of one full-price disc. These recordings were the works' premieres and are still considered by many to be first choice for the repertoire.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Chandos","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46027618615530,"sku":"095115242728","price":21.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/751475.jpg?v=1778333978"},{"product_id":"christa-ludwig-orfeo","title":"Christa Ludwig","description":"Classical Music","brand":"Orfeo","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46027744149738,"sku":"4011790758329","price":37.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/2056427.jpg?v=1778311146"},{"product_id":"beethoven-fidelio-maazel-marton-watson-king-adam-95962","title":"Beethoven: Fidelio \/ Maazel, Marton, Watson, King, Adam, Salzburg 1983","description":"In this 1983 performance, Maazel conducts Beethoven's liberation opera full of energy and precision, partnered by a highly dramatic Leonore, a Florestan in heroic voice and the Vienna Philharmonic in brilliant form.","brand":"Orfeo","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46027814109418,"sku":"4011790908229","price":26.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/3039251_3103d485-700f-4c04-862e-bdbe95febe23.jpg?v=1778306382"},{"product_id":"poet-as-muse-music-for-flute-clarinet-voice","title":"Poet as Muse: Music for Flute, Clarinet \u0026 Voice","description":"This is an album of works of the 20th Century for Flute, Clarinet, and Voice, also featuring piano, harpsichord, and viola. All of the musical compositions are based upon first-rate works of poetry. The compositions by composers such as Aaron Copland, Marilyn Biery, Cornelius Boots, Jay Batzner, and David Biedenbender feature text by poems such as “As It Fell Upon a Day,” by Richard Barnefield, “Provincetown, August,” by Terry Blackhawk, and even classics in the literature canon such as Canterbury Tales and works by William Shakespeare. This programme was recorded in 2015 at the Staples Family Concert Hall at Central Michigan University, Mt. Pleasant, Michigan. The artists are Central Michigan University Music School faculty, and the project was funded by a Creative and Scholarly Support Grant from the university.","brand":"Centaur Records","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46028038766826,"sku":"044747356822","price":14.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/3756808.jpg?v=1778379160"},{"product_id":"vorisek-symphony-in-d-mass-in-bb-86895","title":"Vorisek: Symphony In D, Mass In Bb \/ Freeman, Jantzi, Et Al","description":"\u003cimg src=\"\/graphics\/p10s10.gif\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  Czech composer Jan Vorišek (1791-1825) was a talented musician just beginning to make a name for himself, particularly as a composer of piano music, when he died prematurely of tuberculosis. The excessively enthusiastic notes to this release take full advantage of speculative historical hindsight and describe his orchestral style as an amalgam of Beethoven's (which he may have known) and Schubert's (which he certainly didn't), asserting in passing that \"Beethoven was never a great melodist...(!)\" This hardly corresponds to the reality of what you actually hear on the disc, but it represents the only questionable aspect of this otherwise splendid production.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  Vorišek's style arises directly from the classical language of Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven. Of incipient Romanticism or the Schubertian long melodic line there's nary a trace, and the music is none the worse for that. His single symphony might pass for early Beethoven: indeed, the end of the first movement exposition apparently lifts a famous passage directly from the finale of the older composer's Fourth Symphony, but this doesn't diminish Vorišek's modest originality. You can hear this at work, among other places, in the characterful use of timpani at the very beginning and in the wonderfully passionate minor-key opening of the slow movement. For some time now, the reference recording of this piece has been Charles Mackerras' reading on Hyperion with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra. Paul Freeman does him one better, having a superior orchestra, more tactile recorded sound, and slightly broader tempos that, combined with punchier accents (especially in the first movement), give the piece an appropriately grander stature. Let's just say that Freeman evidently views the work as closer to Beethoven while Mackerras places it closer to Haydn and Mozart.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  Mackerras couples the Vorišek symphony with another singleton effort, by Arriaga. Cedille gives us more Vorišek, his marvelous Mass in B-flat, which (I believe) receives its CD debut recording here. This piece really is a find. Close in style to the language of Haydn's late masses, it contains numerous original touches, such as the thrilling augmentation of the fugue subject toward the end of the Gloria, an almost violent Crucifixus characterized by syncopated rhythms and jagged interjections from trumpets and drums, a sweetly lyrical second Hosanna following the Benedictus, and a startling ending scored for pianissimo timpani and brass. Its stylistic provenance may be clear, but there's no other mass setting quite like it, and fans of choral music really owe it to themselves to give it a listen.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  Once again Freeman turns in an excellent performance (though he should have had a soloist intone the opening lines of the Gloria and Credo, as Vorišek, designing the work for a genuine liturgical setting, leaves these to the officiating priest). His soloists manage their assignments capably, the Prague Chamber Chorus sings with appropriate fervor, and the recording copes with the vast reverberation of the Rudolfinum in Prague very well. At the loudest moments the textures tend to thicken a bit, but this seems primarily a result of Vorišek's tendency to keep all of the parts close to their middle register, creating a certain density of sound (and I suspect making the work easier to perform by early 19th century church choirs). This is, in any case, a major release and a very pleasant surprise. Good work, Cedille.\u003cbr\u003e  --David Hurwitz, ClassicsToday.com","brand":"Cedille","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46039803986154,"sku":"735131905824","price":19.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/389600.jpg?v=1778813316"},{"product_id":"wagner-lohengrin-bohm-watson-thomas-ludwig-wachter-190160","title":"Wagner: Lohengrin \/ Bohm, Watson, Thomas, Ludwig, Wachter","description":"\u003cimg src=\"\/graphics\/features\/misc\/edchoice2012_79.jpg\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eA remarkable record of a live performance, capturing a collection of Wagner greats and a few surprises. \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e This disc captures, unadulterated and unadorned, the opening night of a new production of Lohengrin at the Vienna Staatsoper. One glance down the cast-list will tell you that this is something special. It must have been even more special to have been in the theatre, for not only was Karl Böhm in the pit but Wieland Wagner himself was directing the staging, something illustrated generously in the accompanying booklet. The sound, recorded for broadcast by Austrian Radio, is in mono, which is undeniably regrettable, but it’s surprisingly good for its age. The only place where it brings real losses is in the chorus scenes, which are many in this opera. The natural point of comparison for this set is Kempe’s classic set, which shares the same orchestra, the same Lohengrin and the same Ortrud, and was recorded two years previously. The comparisons are fascinating.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e The most interesting contrast, and the factor which impels this release, is the conducting of Karl Böhm. Where Kempe is rapt, Böhm is driven. Like his live Ring and Tristan from Bayreuth, he prefers fast tempi, and this drives the drama along at an exciting pace. You can tell that when you compare the timings: Böhm is more than 20 minutes faster than Kempe. In fact he achieves the feat of making this one of the very few Lohengrins on disc (perhaps the only one?) to fit each act complete onto a single CD. Yet Böhm never feels unduly rushed. Instead, the strength of his vision convinces the listener that this is an entirely appropriate view of the piece. Furthermore, he knows how to relax when he needs to, and he does so liberally, particularly for the Grail music. The Act 1 Prelude is markedly slower than what follows it. He broadens out the soundscape after Lohengrin’s arrival in the middle of the act, the excitement of the crowd giving way to a gently meditative first utterance from the knight.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e That first utterance is, in fact, something pretty special. Jess Thomas is on top notch form here and he sounds sensational in his farewell to the swan in the first act, as in his declaration of love for Elsa. He is, perhaps, a little anonymous in the second act, but he is moving and remarkably sympathetic in the bridal chamber scene. In fernem Land, similarly slowed down by Böhm, unfolds at an unhurried pace and in one single-minded direction. He was an extraordinary swan knight for Kempe, and it’s exciting to hear him in the live context here. Claire Watson is also on her very finest form as Elsa. There is clarity and purity to her voice that, to my ears at least, comes close to making her the equal of Elisabeth Grümmer - high praise indeed. She is helpless and vulnerable in the first act but brims over with optimism at the start of the second, and her address to the breezes is a delight. Perhaps you don’t get quite the same sense of impending doom in the bridal chamber scene, but she summons up the correct sense of terror as that scene reaches its climax and she is full of pathos in her sense of loss in the final scene.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Kempe’s set gave us the finest Ortrud on disc in Christa Ludwig, and she is every bit as sensational here. If anything, the live event inspires her to give of herself with even more commitment. The dramatic temperature of the whole set rises when she enters at the start of Act 2. There is something darkly insidious in her vocal presence, and the way she seems to pour scorn on her husband is magnificently dramatic. She then inveigles her way into Elsa’s confidence with the skill of the greatest of con artists, and the power of her invocation at Entweihte Götter! is so great that it brings the house down, forcing Böhm to halt proceedings for about twenty seconds. She then chews up the scenery in the great crowd scene at the end of Act 2 and manages a wonderful groan of defeat when the swan is revealed as Gottfried at the very end of the opera. Her husband both on and off the stage, Walter Berry, isn’t quite the match for Fischer-Dieskau either in vocal beauty or in acting - he sounds overly gruff in the first act - but he rises to a climax at the start of Act 2 and is never less than a convincing stage presence. It’s a real treat having Martti Talvela as the King, his rich, fruity bass giving the part an extra level of character that it doesn’t always get. Eberhard Wächter is luxury casting as the Herald.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e I doubt that anyone will take this as a top choice, especially not over any stereo sets, because sound quality is important in this opera. However, it’s a remarkable record of a live performance, capturing a collection of Wagner greats and a few surprises, and it will be especially interesting for anyone who knows and loves the Kempe set.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Incidentally, this whole production was double cast. The other cast that alternated with this one included the likes of James King, Gustav Neidlinger and Astrid Varnay. Having not one but two such legendary casts available for one opera in the same city seems like an extravagant dream to us nowadays, but what fun to dream it!\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e -- Simon Thompson, MusicWeb International\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Orfeo","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46039864312042,"sku":"4011790862323","price":37.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/2248454.jpg?v=1778819613"}],"url":"https:\/\/arkivmusic.com\/collections\/bobby-watson.oembed?page=2","provider":"ArkivMusic","version":"1.0","type":"link"}