SHOSTAKOVICH: FILM MUSIC, VOL

This album was nominated for the 2004 Grammy Awards for Best Classical
Album and Best Orchestral Performance.

The Violin Concerto is one of Schuman's most powerful works. Emotionally packed, it could almost be considered a symphony for violin and orchestra. Rather than "accompanying" the soloist in the classic tradition, the orchestra becomes a participant in the high drama. The work is indeed extremely theatrical, evoking powerful emotions in a highly charged romantic atmosphere. Schuman was a poet at heart. His earliest interests actually included the writing of poetry. The concerto has some of the most poetic music ever written by Schuman. The work underwent several transformations after each of the first performances. Schuman seemed unsatisfied with the form, eventually settling for the final version of two very large movements instead of the original three. The final version of the work was performed by Roman Totenberg at the Aspen Festival in Colorado in 1959. - Jose Serebrier

This selection was nominated for the 2001 Grammy Awards for "Best Orchestral Performance" and "Best Instrumental Soloist(s) Performance (with Orchestra)."

Falstaff
Sir John Falstaff - Bryn Terfel
Ford - Roberto Frontali
Fenton - Kenneth Tarver
Dr Caius - Robin Leggate
Bardolph - Peter Hoare
Pistol - Gwynne Howell
Alice Ford - Barbara Frittoli
Nannetta - Desirée Rancatore
The Orchestra and Chorus of the Royal Opera House
Bernard Haitink, Conductor
Graham Vick, Stage Director

Il trovatore
Manrico - José Cura
Count di Luna - Dmitri Hvorostovsky
Leonora - Verónica Villarroel
Azucena - Yvonne Naef
Ferrando - Tómas Tómasson
Ines - Gweneth-Ann Jeffers
Old gypsy - Thomas Barnard
The Orchestra and Chorus of the Royal Opera House
Carlo Rizzi, Conductor
Elijah Moshinsky, Stage Director

Rigoletto
Duke of Mantua - Marcelo Alvarez
Matteo Borsa - Peter Auty
Count Ceprano - Graeme Broadbent
Countess Ceprano - Dervla Ramsay
Rigoletto - Paolo Gavanelli
Marullo - Quentin Hayes
Sparafucile - Eric Halfvarson
Gilda - Christine Schäfer
The Orchestra and Chorus of the Royal Opera House
Edward Downes, Conductor
David McVicar, Stage Director

Extras:
Each opera has an illustrated synopsis, various documentaries and interviews with members of the creative team

Picture format: NTSC 16:9 Anamorphic
Sound format: Dolby Surround / Dolby Stereo
Region code: 0 (All Regions)
Menu Language: English
Subtitles: English
Running time: 8 hours 15 minutes
No. of DVDs: 3