{"title":"Ernie Watts","description":"","products":[{"product_id":"mahler-symphony-no-2-in-c-minor-resurrection","title":"Mahler: Symphony No. 2 in C Minor \"Resurrection\"","description":"Mahler: Symphony No. 2 in C Minor \"Resurrection\"","brand":"Vox","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":44679416611050,"sku":"047163721328","price":29.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/268941.jpg?v=1778345582"},{"product_id":"marzette-watts-company-1","title":"MARZETTE WATTS \u0026 COMPANY","description":"The Alabama born saxophonist\/clarinetist had a short lived career as a member of the sixties avant-garde but achieved legendary status for the company he kept in his Cooper Square loft where the likes of Ornette Coleman, Cecil Taylor, Don Cherry, Archie Shepp, and Pharaoh Sanders often congregated. This debut date is best known for the presence of players, who like Watts, were to become renowned for the rareness of their recorded output, including Sonny Sharrock, Byard Lancaster, Clifford Thornton, Karl Berger and Henry Grimes.","brand":"ESP DISK LTD.","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":44930227634410,"sku":"824810010444","price":9.54,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/1973888_46827a80-6c20-4e88-8260-7e184536ebc3.jpg?v=1778355051"},{"product_id":"moire-music-trio","title":"MOIRE MUSIC TRIO","description":"MOIRE MUSIC TRIO","brand":"INTAKT RECORDS","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":44936855060714,"sku":"7619942503925","price":18.35,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/1815072.jpg?v=1778355148"},{"product_id":"the-princess-the-bear","title":"PRINCESS \u0026 THE BEAR","description":"Performers: Laurence Perkins (bassoon), Sarah Watts (clarinet), Martin Roscoe (piano), Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Sian Edwards (conductor) - The Duet-Concertino is one of those lyrical, bittersweet scores from Strauss's Indian summer. Laurence Perkins argues that behind the notes lies a hitherto little-known programme-whence the album's title-and that this misunderstood work has good claims to be regarded as Strauss's final tone poem.","brand":"HYPERION","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":45079976706282,"sku":"034571282633","price":18.33,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/3527028-2612275.jpg?v=1778375911"},{"product_id":"gilbert-sullivan-hms-pinafore-egarr-scottish-opera-93118","title":"Gilbert \u0026 Sullivan: H.M.S. Pinafore \/ Egarr, Scottish Opera","description":"This new release is a live recording from a sold out performance at the Edinburgh International Festival 2015. The Scottish Opera is joined by an outstanding soloist cast, including John Mark Ainsley, Elizabeth Watts and Toby Spence. Comedian Tim Brooke-Taylor serves as narrator. HMS Pinafore is thick with comedy, parodying the Italian operas of its day. This is truly a fun release!","brand":"Linn Records","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46012847620330,"sku":"691062052221","price":29.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/3351405.jpg?v=1778292850"},{"product_id":"mahler-symphony-no-4-albrecht-netherlands-philharmonic-228299","title":"Mahler: Symphony No. 4  \/ Albrecht,  Netherlands Philharmonic","description":"The Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra lives up to its reputation for its brilliant Mahler performances and surpasses all expectations under the baton of conductor Marc Albrecht. And Elizabeth Watts’ performance in the final movement is surely one not to be missed. The chemistry between Watts and the orchestra is utterly pervasive. With a voice described by International Record Review as “one of the most beautiful Britain has produced in a generation”, Watts sweeps the listener off their feet with this sunny, accessible symphony from Mahler.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  Review:\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  This is a lovely performance–sensitive, very well played, shapely and effortless. Conductor Marc Albrecht makes his points without exaggeration, revealing personal touches in his care for proper observance of Mahler’s dynamics and his concern for textural clarity. Yet the big climaxes in the first movement and Adagio have plenty of impact, and in soprano Elizabeth Watts we have one of the best singers set loose on the tricky finale in many a moon.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  This being Mahler, of course, there will always be a criticism here and there. The trio sections of the scherzo might just be a touch too relaxed, and Albrecht’s fondness for portamento could well strike some listeners as excessive, particularly in the Adagio, but these are quibbles. I am less happy with the sonics, which are quite impressive when the music is loud, but lack body at lower dynamic levels, even with the substantial boost in the volume. Still, this small reservation could very easily be a non-issue on your own sound system.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  Holland being “Mahler central” some of the idiomatic response to the music was to be expected, but that doesn’t do anything to diminish Albrecht’s sympathetic handling of the score overall. A winner.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  - ClassicsToday","brand":"PENTATONE","offers":[{"title":"SACD","offer_id":46012860924138,"sku":"827949048760","price":16.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/2874641.jpg?v=1778303185"},{"product_id":"bach-corelli-handel-works-for-recorder","title":"Bach, Corelli \u0026 Händel: Works for Recorder","description":"This 3CD collection highlights past releases by the young renowned recorder and blockflöte virtuoso, early music specialist and OehmsClassics artist Stefan Temmingh.  CD1, ‘Corelli À la Mode’, features, among other works, the groundbreaking op. 5 sonatas in world premiere recordings of the 18th c. ornamented versions.  CD2, ‘The Gentleman’s Flute, follows on with works by Handel and the last disc features select excerpts from the French and English works by J.S. 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This CD set includes works from Johann Adolph Hasse, Giovanni Battista Pergolesi, Henry Purcell, and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, among others.","brand":"Oehms Classics","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46013261414634,"sku":"4260034860117","price":14.49,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/3085862.jpg?v=1778306416"},{"product_id":"handel-messiah-11","title":"Handel: Messiah","description":"Classical Music","brand":"Signum Classics","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46013468606698,"sku":"635212024621","price":20.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/1845363.jpg?v=1778316714"},{"product_id":"andre-watts-live-in-tokyo-1980-188317","title":"André Watts Live In Tokyo 1980","description":"ANDRE WATTS LIVE IN TOKYO 1980","brand":"Sony Masterworks","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46015497076970,"sku":"999990002524","price":17.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/0216493.jpg?v=1778252064"},{"product_id":"canadian-brass-super-hits","title":"CANADIAN BRASS SUPER HITS","description":"CANADIAN BRASS SUPER HITS","brand":"Sony Masterworks","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46025495707882,"sku":"696998927025","price":17.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/4361707-3215449.jpg?v=1778237115"},{"product_id":"dyson-choral-symphony-hill-bach-choir-bournemouth-235478","title":"Dyson: Choral Symphony \/ Hill, Bach Choir, Bournemouth Symphony","description":"\u003cp\u003eBorn into a working-class family, George Dyson became one of the most important musicians and composers of his day. The previously unknown Choral Symphony was written as an examination work while Dyson was studying at Oxford, and it was only recently discovered at the Bodleian Library. Dyson relishes his dramatic chosen text from Psalm 107 on the expulsion from and homecoming of the Jews to Israel, a narrative that inspires trademark features that would make his later works so attractive. Its seascape finale links neatly with St. Paul’s Voyage to Melita, another vivid text from which Technicolor musical images are conjured.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Naxos","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46025562849514,"sku":"747313377077","price":19.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/3744848.jpg?v=1778277308"},{"product_id":"mozart-don-giovanni-luisotti-gens-watts-esposito-84125","title":"Mozart: Don Giovanni \/ Luisotti, Gens, Watts, Esposito, Kwiecien","description":"\u003ca class=\"links\" href=\"album.jsp?album_id=1517645\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eAlso available on Blu-ray\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  Don Giovanni, Mozart’s sublime tragic comedy, offers boundless scope for directors. Kasper Holten shifts the emphasis from Don Giovanni’s sex life into a darker place, showing Giovanni’s womanizing as an attempt to stave off his own mortality. Each woman he seduces represents a life he could have had. Though it is a dark piece, Holten handles it all with a light touch. Led by conductor Nicola Luisotti, the superb cast features Mariusz Kwiecien as Don Giovanni, Alex Esposito and French soprano Véronique Gens. ‘‘…a cast that can’t be bettered today…demands to be seen.’’ Seen and Heard Int’l\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart\u003cbr\u003e  DON GIOVANNI\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  Don Giovanni - Mariusz Kwiecien\u003cbr\u003e  Leporello - Alex Esposito\u003cbr\u003e  Donna Anna - Malin Byström\u003cbr\u003e  Commendatore - Alexander Tsymbalyuk\u003cbr\u003e  Don Ottavio - Antonio Poli\u003cbr\u003e  Donna Elvira - Véronique Gens\u003cbr\u003e  Zerlina - Elizabeth Watts\u003cbr\u003e  Masetto - Dawid Kimberg\u003cbr\u003e  Donna Elvira’s Maid - Josephine Arden\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  Royal Opera Chorus\u003cbr\u003e  (chorus master: Renato Balsadonna)\u003cbr\u003e  Royal Opera House Orchestra\u003cbr\u003e  Nicola Luisotti, conductor\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  Kasper Holten, stage director\u003cbr\u003e  Es Devlin, set designer\u003cbr\u003e  Anja Vang Kragh, costume designer\u003cbr\u003e  Bruno Poet, lighting designer\u003cbr\u003e  Signe Fabricius, choreographer \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  Recorded live at the Royal Opera House, February 2014 \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  Bonus:\u003cbr\u003e  - Introductions: Don Giovanni’s Women\u003cbr\u003e  - Director’s Commentary\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, Japanese, Korean\u003cbr\u003e  Running time: 187 mins\u003cbr\u003e  No. of DVDs: 1\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  R E V I E W:\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  There used to be an old line about leaving the theater humming the scenery; often it applied to Franco Zeffirelli-like productions–lavish, flowery, big-boned, visually melodious eye-candy. Well, the same might be said for this recent Covent Garden show designed by Es Devlin and directed by Kasper Holton with video designs by Luke Halls, except that one would have to be able to hum scenery that was atonal and intensely complex, albeit spectacularly interesting.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  Riveting to behold and almost constantly changing either subtly or dramatically, it is a two-storey structure that takes up the whole stage and is made up of rooms with doors that appear and disappear, as well as interior and exterior staircases that, Escher-like, seem to end in mid-journey, or in fact never end at all. And it revolves. Onto its vast surfaces video designer Lukas Hall offers projections of everything from the names of Giovanni’s lovers (written in script) to subtle or dramatic changes in color, to a labyrinthine confusion of rooms in which each character seems lost and wandering, to sheer meaningless graffiti and scribbling. Rather than distracting from the drama, it allows it to be fluid: corners can be created instantly, allowing, for instance, Leporello and Giovanni to hide from Elvira and her maid in Act 2. (A brilliant effect has Leporello disappear into the scenery by imposing projections on top of him.) In short, it’s inspired and fascinating, and aside from a few moments that dazzle so thoroughly that they take our mind off the music, I suspect you’ll be riveted.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  Anja Vang Kragh’s costumes imply a late-Victorian era; the dress and winged cape for Elvira make her look vaguely like an angel of death. Masetto looks like a prim clerk in a lawyer’s office and Zerlina always wears her wedding dress; Ottavio is a stuffed shirt (which he finally unbuttons at one point). The Don wears a blue fur-collared coat; Leporello is dressed as the perfect sad sack. The dead Commendatore, in white black-smeared sheet and face, is quite scary.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  And so, musically and dramatically, there is only one performance that lives up to the scenery, and the direction, which gets clearer as the evening goes on, seems wayward for the first three quarters of the opera. The punchline is that Giovanni’s punishment is madness and loneliness–a type of hell. Throughout, it is difficult to figure out each character’s motivation, or even personality. Anna seems less than bothered by her “rape” by Giovanni in the first scene: there he is, doing up his cuffs, while she is embracing him; later, during Ottavio’s “Dalla sua pace”, she spots the Don up on the set’s second level and goes to him and follows him into a room. Of course, who can blame her for walking out on Ottavio: when she sings “Don Ottavio, son morta!” and goes on to explain that “that man” is the man who attacked her and killed her father, Ottavio giggles! He’s simply a dope.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  Donna Elvira seems merely lost, although my instinct about her being an angel of death may not be too far off: she kisses Giovanni tenderly at one point when most Elvira’s are loony. Perhaps she and she alone senses his isolation? Zerlina, by Act 2, is repentant for her bad, flirty behavior in Act 1 (she starts tearing off her clothes in the finale), and she and Masetto–a nerd if ever there were one–stroll off happily. Leporello adores the Don while trying to stop him from being crazy; he weeps uncontrollably in the final scene when it becomes clear that Giovanni is going mad. And the Don, who invariably is somewhere on stage during all of the action, is always seeking and increasingly alone.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  Real problems: Kasper Holten eliminates the flames, or any sense of hell; instead of a handshake (from the Commendatore, who is two storeys above the Don), the Don grips his heart and stumbles into a corner. Worse: Holten cuts the first part of the final scene, the sextet in which the others explain what their lives will be like now that the Don is gone. All we get is the opera’s two-minute moral, sung offstage: ”Questo e il fin di chi fa mal.” I know that Mozart himself (may have) cut part or all of the opera’s last moments for Vienna, but with your main character in hell, it almost makes sense. The six characters have a right to express themselves, unless, of course, the director’s entire concept has implied their lack of importance, with the Don the utter center of his own universe and the others just throw-aways who no longer exist. It’s problematic–not foolish or outlandish, but problematic–and goes along with the lack of characterization of these people throughout.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  Holten succeeds with his idea, but is it a good idea? You will either buy it or not; I suspect that you’ll wonder where it’s all going until the end, and even then, when you understand (“Ah – he’s alone!”), the musical cut will irritate you. All that being said, anyone who misses Marius Kweicien’s performance here will regret it. In 40 years of opera-going, and having seen 15 different Dons, never have I seen a final scene so aggressively personal, so mad, so viciously without repentance, so insane. It will leave you exhausted (and wishing for the usual sextet!). He’s terrific throughout the opera even if we don’t quite understand his raison d’etre, singing with accuracy, charm, bite when necessary, dead-center pitch, and a smooth, seductive legato. He also moves like a born actor. Malin Byström’s Anna acts demurely but sings with passion–occasionally harridan-like and in strange-sounding Italian–but invariably involved, although apparently not interested in vengeance. Véronique Gens is a glamorous Elvira even if her character is undersized here; she dispatches her second-act aria with aplomb. Elizabeth Watts’ Zerlina is charming and pure-toned.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  Alex Esposito offers a star turn as Leporello. Looking downtrodden, somewhat like a silent-movie bum, he is fascinated and infuriated by his boss. He’s funny (he seems to have some of Rolando Villazon’s comic charm, although they look nothing alike) and not a fool, and his singing is rich and nuanced. Antonio Poli is vocally better than good as Ottavio and the same can be said of Dawid Kimberg’s Masetto, but their blandness may have something to do with Holten’s outlook. (Maybe all men are either duds, servants, or dead, except for Don Giovanni?) Alexander Tsymbalyuk makes little impression as the Commendatore until the final scene, where he may be amplified. Nicola Luisotti’s leadership varies–the overture is splendid, but much of Act 1 just passes by without highlights; he certainly pulls out the stops later, however. The Covent Garden forces are downright magnificent.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  At the conclusion, what can one say about a Don Giovanni that is neither sexy nor dangerous, but interestingly philosophical? If the answer is that the Hell is, in fact, not other people, but loneliness, then we have a hypothesis, not a great opera. But as I said, Kweicien will knock you out by the end.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  A truly great DVD version of this opera? Well, except for the weird constant changes of hairstyles and outfits (yes, we get it–the story is universal), the Riccardo Muti-led performance on TDK is magnificent, while Terfel, Furlanetto, and Fleming lead a terrific cast from the Met on DG on Zeffirelli’s rather ordinary set. Most of the others (more than a dozen) have too many quirks: one takes place in a mattress showroom; in another the Don and Leporello are junkies; in a third, the Don is killed in Act 1 but the opera continues…. It’s up to you.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  -- Robert Levine, ClassicsToday.com\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Opus Arte","offers":[{"title":"DVD","offer_id":46025599123690,"sku":"809478011453","price":39.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/2778482.jpg?v=1778189813"},{"product_id":"dyson-st-pauls-voyage-to-melita-agincourt","title":"Dyson: St Paul's Voyage to Melita \u0026 Agincourt","description":"Classical Music","brand":"SOMM Recordings","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46025610232042,"sku":"748871223424","price":20.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/1982888.jpg?v=1778305562"},{"product_id":"birtwistle-the-minotaur-tomlinson-reuter-pappano-blu-140987","title":"Birtwistle: The Minotaur \/ Tomlinson, Reuter, Pappano [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 Harrison Birtwistle \u003cbr\u003e  THE MINOTAUR \u003cbr\u003e  (Blu-ray Disc Version)\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e The Minotaur – John Tomlinson \u003cbr\u003e  Theseus – Johan Reuter \u003cbr\u003e  Ariadne – Christine Rice \u003cbr\u003e  Snake Priestess – Andrew Watts \u003cbr\u003e  Hiereus – Philip Langridge \u003cbr\u003e  Ker – Amanda Echalaz\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e The Royal Opera Chorus \u003cbr\u003e  The Orchestra of the Royal Opera House \u003cbr\u003e  Antonio Pappano, conductor\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e Stephen Langridge, stage director\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e Recorded live at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden on 25, 30 April and 3 May 2008.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e Bonus: \u003cbr\u003e  - Documentary: Myth is Universal \u003cbr\u003e  - Illustrated synopsis and cast gallery\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e Picture format: 1080i High Definition \u003cbr\u003e  Sound format: PCM Stereo 2.0 and 5.0 \u003cbr\u003e  Region code: 0 (All Regions) \u003cbr\u003e  Menu languages: English \u003cbr\u003e  Subtitles: English, German, French, Spanish, Italian \u003cbr\u003e  Running time: 175 mins \u003cbr\u003e  No. of Discs: 1 (BD 50)\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Opus Arte","offers":[{"title":"Blu-Ray","offer_id":46025612132586,"sku":"809478070528","price":30.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/1612429.jpg?v=1778386901"},{"product_id":"messiah-highlights","title":"MESSIAH [HIGHLIGHTS]","description":"MESSIAH [HIGHLIGHTS]","brand":"Apex","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46025612722410,"sku":"809274872623","price":8.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/4318860-3144039.jpg?v=1778207083"},{"product_id":"mozart-don-giovanni-luisotti-gens-watts-esposito-84143","title":"Mozart: Don Giovanni \/ Luisotti, Gens, Watts, Esposito, Kwiecien [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=1517642\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eAlso available on standard DVD\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e Don Giovanni, Mozart’s sublime tragic comedy, offers boundless scope for directors. 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