{"title":"London Philharmonic Orchestra","description":"\u003cp\u003eb. 1932. British orchestra.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOne of the UK's most prestigious orchestras founded in 1932; broad repertoire spanning Romantic to contemporary including British composers such as Vaughan Williams and Parry.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"the-complete-rachmaninov-recordings-recorded-1937-1943","title":"The Complete Rachmaninoff Recordings (Recorded 1937-1943) \/ Moiseiwitsch","description":"Benno Moiseiwitsch was one of the many great Russian pianists born in Odessa. He recorded prolifically from 1916 until just before his death and was particularly highly regarded for his Chopin, Schumann and Rachmaninov. Moiseiwitsch met Rachmaninov at his American debut in 1919 and the composer praised Moiseiwitsch's interpretations of his works and even claimed the recording of the Piano Concerto No.2 presented here was superior to his own. All these recordings present Moiseiwitsch at the height of his powers.","brand":"APR","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":44711628898538,"sku":"5024709155057","price":18.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/2800013.jpg?v=1778283891"},{"product_id":"beethoven-l-van-symphony-no-6-pastoral-dvorak-a-4","title":"Beethoven, L. Van: Symphony No. 6, \"Pastoral\" \/ Dvorak, A.:","description":"Classical Music","brand":"IDIS","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":44937661350122,"sku":"8021945000469","price":16.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/2818157.jpg?v=1778290195"},{"product_id":"alfred-cortot-the-warner-classics-edition","title":"Alfred Cortot - The Warner Classics Edition","description":"\u003cp\u003eHis exceptional touch and sense of phrasing, his deep and personal understanding of the most varied repertoires, or even the legendary trio he formed together with Jacques Thibaud and Pablo Casals, made Alfred Cortot the greatest pianist of his time. Master of many disciples, notably the brilliant Dinu Lipatti, Samson François and Clara Haskil, Cortot also had a lasting influence on the Russian piano school through Samuil Feinberg and Heinrich Neuhaus, the latter himself being the revered teacher of Sviatoslav Richter.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAll of the recordings in this set had undergone careful sound restoration in 2012, in order to respect as closely as possible the original sound. The remastering was carried out under the expert control of Mr. Guthrie Luke, a former disciple of Alfred Cortot who attended many recording sessions by Cortot. These recordings do not represent a \"complete\" edition: the many rolls engraved by the artist for Duo-Art, Aeolian and Pleyela labels have not been reproduced here, most of them doubling the 78-RPM repertoire. The first recordings are acoustic; and the ones with an electric microphone appeared as early as 1926.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"WARNER CLASSICS","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":45862022086890,"sku":"5054197471940","price":83.75,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/4205540-2970830.jpg?v=1778371309"},{"product_id":"wolfgang-sawallisch-complete-symphonic-lieder-choral-recordings-warner-classics-edition-vol-1","title":"Wolfgang Sawallisch: Complete Symphonic, Lieder \u0026 Choral Recordings - Warner Classics Edition, Vol. 1","description":"For five decades Wolfgang Sawallisch (1923-2013) held a central position in the musical world. That centrality was reflected in a series of top orchestral and operatic posts and in his interpretations, free of self-regarding eccentricities. His modest but highly effective conducting technique also made him the ideal recording artist. Sawallisch was a Bavarian born in Munich, city of orchestras and a great opera company, which he headed for 21 years. He started his career as an outstanding pianist and remained a sought-after accompanist to great Lieder singers and instrumentalists. Volume 1 of a complete conspectus of his Warner Classics recordings (made for Electrola and EMI Classics between 1954 to 1997) includes wonderful Lieder and song collaborations, as well as famous concerto accompaniments for eminent soloists and a heartwarming traversal of Schubert's secular vocal and sacred choral music with Bavarian Radio colleagues. But the main focus among the 65 discs is on his symphonic achievements: Beethoven, Schumann, Mendelssohn, Brahms, Bruckner and Dvor�k - the latter's Eighth Symphony was his first published recording, from 1954. Richard Strauss, an early influence, is strongly represented. This 65CD-box brings together all the non-operatic recordings that the German conductor and pianist Wolfgang Sawallisch (1923-2013) made in the years from 1954 to 1997 for EMI Classics and Electrola (now Warner Classics).","brand":"WARNER CLASSICS","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":45862031163626,"sku":"5054197832178","price":200.17,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/4337089-3177571.jpg?v=1778371592"},{"product_id":"serge-koussevitzky-conducts-the-london-philharmonic-orchestra-live-748871501720","title":"Tchaikovsky \u0026 Sibelius: Serge Koussevitzky Conducts the London Philharmonic (Live)","description":"\u003cp\u003eSOMM Recordings announces a major new release: the first appearance on album of live performances of Tchaikovsky’s Fifth and Sibelius’ Second Symphonies by the iconic conductor Serge Koussevitzky and the London Philharmonic Orchestra. This historic, two-album set includes an exclusive, specially-commissioned documentary about Koussevitzky’s Boston Symphony Orchestra tenure and his LPO guest appearances, featuring interviews with four key players from both orchestras by Jon Tolansky. Tolansky’s revealing hour-long documentary includes wide-ranging musical excerpts and contributions from former BSO players Harry Ellis Dickson (violin), Everett ‘Vic’ Firth (timpani), and Harry Shapiro (sub-principal horn), and erstwhile LPO sub-principal horn Patrick Strevens. The symphonies are heard in performances Koussevitzky conducted with the LPO in London’s Royal Albert Hall in 1950. Both have been expertly restored by Lani Spahr. Noted authority on historical recordings Rob Cowan provides detailed booklet notes on the “individual, flexible, flammable, emotionally candid and utterly spontaneous” Koussevitzky’s stewardship of both orchestras. He describes the Tchaikovsky as “especially unique [in] its unsparing volatility.... The explosive climaxes leave the audience stunned”. Of the Sibelius, he says: “Koussevitzky’s London Second is as comprehensive an overview of the work as we have”.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLani Spahr’s previous restorations for SOMM include the four-disc Elgar Remastered (SOMMCD 261-4) featuring recordings from the composer’s own collection, hailed by Audiophilia as “a fascinating achievement which will have you wishing for more”. George Szell: The Forgotten Recordings was a Gramophone Editor’s Choice and awarded a Diapason d’Or as “a major discovery”. Jon Tolansky is the founder of the Music Performance Research Centre (now Music Preserved) and a widely admired producer of audio documentaries on classical musicians. For Spahr’s restorations on Beecham Conducts Sibelius, he produced a 30-minute audio documentary. MusicWeb International declared it “an unmissable disc [that] walks straight into a position of eminence in the catalogue”.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"SOMM Recordings","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46012535931114,"sku":"748871501720","price":24.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/4115388-2872256.jpg?v=1778229516"},{"product_id":"vaughan-williams-live-vol-3-london-so-2-cds-748871501928","title":"Vaughan Williams Live, Vol. 3 \/ London SO [2 CDs]","description":"\u003cp\u003eSomm Recordings celebrates the 150th anniversary of Ralph Vaughan Williams’ birth with Vaughan Williams Live, Volume 3, featuring signature works conducted by the composer including the 1943 world premiere of his Fifth Symphony with the London Philharmonic Orchestra. All performances on this double-album set have been expertly restored and re-mastered by Lani Spahr.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"SOMM Recordings","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46012537405674,"sku":"748871501928","price":24.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/4144581-2910976.jpg?v=1778207312"},{"product_id":"holst-vaughan-villiams-walton-butterworth-adrian-boult","title":"Holst, Vaughan Williams, Walton, \u0026 Butterworth \/ Works for Orchestra","description":"\u003cp\u003eSir Adrian Boult (1889–1983) was probably Britain’s most authoritative interpreter of the music of Gustav Holst and Ralph Vaughan Williams. He formed close relationships with both composers; particularly with Vaughan Williams; giving premieres of three of his symphonies.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"ICA Classics","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46012568830186,"sku":"5060244551732","price":26.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/4237926-3141961.jpg?v=1778232463"},{"product_id":"ica-beethoven-brahms-5242024","title":"Andrian Boult Conducts Beethoven, Schubert, \u0026 Brahms","description":"\u003cp\u003eIn addition to Sir Adrian Boult’s (1889–1983) masterly conducting of Beethoven’s and Schubert’s symphonies, these live stereo performances include several new additions to the conductor’s illustrious discography: Rossini’s La scala di seta and Beethoven’s Die Weihe des Hauses Overtures, as well as Weber’s Euryanthe Overture which he last recorded in 1937.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"ICA Classics","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46012573647082,"sku":"5060244551794","price":26.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/4327409-3147364.jpg?v=1778233861"},{"product_id":"skalkottas-two-concertos-7318599925547","title":"Skalkottas: Two Concertos \/ Zacharias, Koustas, Brabbins, London Philharmonic","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe fact that Nikos Skalkottas was one of Schoenberg’s elite composition students obscures the fact that he began his career as a violinist of concert-artist level. The two concertos gathered here highlight this violinist\/composer duality. The programme features the Concerto for Violin and Orchestra performed from the new critical edition, as well as the world première recording of the Concerto for violin, viola and wind orchestra. This performance is based on the first, critical edition of the work, prepared by violinist George Zacharias, who also appears here as the soloist in both works.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBoth concertos were composed in the late 1930s, a critical period in the life of the composer who, owing to the political situation, was unable to stay in Germany and had to return to his Athenian home. There, Skalkottas continued to work on his compositional language, resulting in an idiosyncratic system described as ‘fractal serialism’. Despite its complexity, the music also presents tonal references, a classical structure and even echoes of military bands and jazz, an allusion no doubt to the occupation forces and music banned by the authorities. George Zacharias, with violist Alexandros Koustas, the London Philharmonic Orchestra and conductor Martyn Brabbins bring us two mature works by the Greek modernist.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eREVIEWS:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eConductor Martyn Brabbins and the London Philharmonic fully enter into the spirit of this concerto as well as the soloists do. I say that because, as a rule, British musicians tend not to be able to relax and have fun with really serious music as well as some Germans and Scandinavians do, but somehow or other Brabbins and his forces really play in a very peppy manner, mirroring their soloists. Only in the second movement does the feeling become more serious, and it is here that Skalkottas’ orchestration leans more heavily on a strange combination of the winds and brasses to create an almost mechanical sound.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTo recap, I found the Violin Concerto cerebral but extraordinarily constructed, the Violin-Viola Concerto well constructed but somewhat more appealing to an average listener. Both are very well played and recorded; the SACD sound allows you to hear every little detail and nuance in Skalkottas’ extremely interesting scores. In fact, the sound is so clear that you almost don’t even need to see the score. Kudos to everyone concerned with this project. These are outstanding performances and recordings of two outstanding works.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e-- MusicWeb International\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAn interesting encounter: Nikos Skalkottas’ Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in the new critical edition is a complex work with fluttering rhythms, set between the twelve-tone method and tonal elements, performed with captivating clarity by the performers.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe following Concerto for Violin, Viola and Wind Orchestra, A\/K 25 sounds like a blend of Hindemith and Prokofiev with Stravinsky as the icing on the cake. This is the world premiere recording of the concerto based on the first critical edition of the work prepared by violinist George Zacharias, who is also the soloist along with violist Alexandros Koustas. Both are convincing in their gripping interpretations, whose exquisite sonorities attest to a motivated musicality.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMartyn Brabbins sharpens Skalkottas’ music without making it nervous, as one might initially fear.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e-- Pizzicato\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"BIS","offers":[{"title":"SACD","offer_id":46012597502186,"sku":"7318599925547","price":15.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/4179707-3143313.jpg?v=1778208148"},{"product_id":"the-young-friedrich-gulda","title":"The Young Friedrich Gulda","description":"\u003cp\u003eFriedrich Gulda was born in Vienna on May 16, 1930. He began his musical education at the Grossmann Conservatory and subsequently took private lessons from Felix Pazofsky. From 1942 to 1947 he studied piano at the Vienna Academy of Music under Bruno Seidlhofer and Music Theory and Composition under Joseph Marx. He gave his first public performance in 1944 and, two years later when just 16 years old, won the Geneva International Music Competition. Starting after the Second World War, as a 20-year-old, Gulda established himself as a piano soloist with an excellent international reputation and even performed at Carnegie Hall in New York City in 1950. In the 1950s he was celebrated and considered the leading interpreter of Beethoven in his generation. He founded his own Klassische Orchester Gulda for chamber music with members of the Vienna Symphony Orchestra.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn addition to Beethoven, Gulda’s repertoire encompasses works by Johann Sebastian Bach, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Franz Schubert, Frédéric Chopin, Claude Debussy, Maurice Ravel and Richard Strauss, whose Burleske in D minor and lieder are included in this release, with Gulda accompanying soprano Hilde Güden. Gulda was essentially an out-and-out contrarian who showed that a great genius can sometimes be only a step away from a certain madness. While Karl Böhm or Rubinstein admired him as a magnificently talented interpreter of Bach, Mozart and Beethoven, Gulda could also be provocative – including inciting his fellow concert pianists. Asked about Vladimir Horowitz, Gulda once responded: “Horowitz is a master. Because he is able to do – whatever he wants,” but also added: “But what he is after doesn’t interest me” (Joachim Kaiser).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eREVIEW:\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan class=\"dxeBase_PlasticBlue\" id=\"ctl00_MainContent_gvReviews_cell3_12_ASPxPopupControl1_ASPxLabel2\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eFriedrich Gulda (1930-2000) was certainly never a conformist pianist. But he was less flamboyant in his youth than in his later years, and he did present new perspectives at the beginning of his career, which helped to provoke a change in thinking. The recordings in this CD box set date from this period. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan class=\"dxeBase_PlasticBlue\" id=\"ctl00_MainContent_gvReviews_cell3_12_ASPxPopupControl1_ASPxLabel2\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eHe recorded the freshly perky Mozart Sonata K. 576 in 1948, and both Concertos K. 503 and 537 in 1955 with the New Symphony Orchestra under Anthony Collins. Gulda’s fresh yet nuanced playing compensates for the weak orchestra’s playing. The Beethoven sonatas Nos. 4, 7, 8 and 19 show the still searching Gulda of 1955 on his way to the 1967 complete recording. The 3rd CD includes the concerto piece by Carl Maria von Weber and the Strauss Burlesque, as well as a set of Strauss songs that Gulda recorded with Hilde Güden in 1956. These are wonderful interpretations of rare freshness and suppleness. Güden’s silvery timbre and her confidently controlled, light vocal line coupled with Gulda’s spontaneous and sensitive playing make for an uncommonly natural performance. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan class=\"dxeBase_PlasticBlue\" id=\"ctl00_MainContent_gvReviews_cell3_12_ASPxPopupControl1_ASPxLabel2\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eRecorded in 1954, Chopin’s compositions, the 4 Ballades and the 1st Piano Concerto, are among Gulda’s ‘immortal’ recordings. In the 1st Piano Concerto, Gulda collaborates with the more traditional Adrian Boult, but it is precisely the contrast in temperament that leads to special tension and dynamics. This recording has been available several times on various labels, but here it definitely sounds in the best quality so far. Also very exciting are the four ballads, which he plays dramatically and narratively. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan class=\"dxeBase_PlasticBlue\" id=\"ctl00_MainContent_gvReviews_cell3_12_ASPxPopupControl1_ASPxLabel2\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eDebussy and Ravel, the composers represented on CDs Nos. 5 and 6 of this box, have been Gulda’s recurring preoccupation. The early recordings from 1953 and 1955 may not yet be as stylistically tested on the hard, sharp and pithy of jazz as the late recordings, but their analytically modern style, with clear, precise lines and contours and good transparency, shows the intellectual brilliance of these interpretations. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan class=\"dxeBase_PlasticBlue\" id=\"ctl00_MainContent_gvReviews_cell3_12_ASPxPopupControl1_ASPxLabel2\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eThe bottom line is that this encounter with the young Gulda is a very important one that should help one understand the older musician and could help bring respect to Gulda among those who did not appreciate his later work as much.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e-- Pizzicato\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Profil","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46012721889514,"sku":"881488190175","price":20.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/4119057-2891777.jpg?v=1778241578"},{"product_id":"symphonic-touch-of-andersson-svarfvar","title":"The Symphonic Touch of Benny Andersson \/ Svarfvar, Berlund, LPO","description":"\u003cp\u003eBenny Andersson started out as a keyboard player and composer in a Swedish rock band in the sixties. After meeting Bjorn Ulvaeus in 1966, his writing developed through their creative companionship and a couple of years later, ABBA was born. With Benny’s music, Bjorn’s lyrics and the girls’ voices, the success was unprecedented. Benny has since then explored and developed his composing skills through musicals, music for film and theater, folk music etc. Bjorn Ulvaeus has been a very important and invaluable partner through the years, but this album is focused on the very music composed by Benny. Despite lack of musical education and not reading music he writes like a classical composer. This has been Anders Berglund’s inspiration for these new arrangements and with the beautiful playing of virtuoso Christian Svarfvar and the great London Philharmonic Orchestra, this album wants to shed new light over Benny Andersson’s music.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Ladybird Production","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46012739027178,"sku":"7330658516022","price":18.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/4201695-2975004.jpg?v=1778206031"},{"product_id":"hamlet-223581","title":"Dean: Hamlet \/ Jurowski, London Philharmonic Orchestra [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=2271966\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eAlso available on standard DVD\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e \u003cbr\u003eThis release is the world premiere recording of Brett Dean’s new opera based on Shakespeare’s best-known tragedy: To be, or not to be. This is Hamlet’s dilemma, and the essence of Shakespeare’s most famous and arguably greatest work, given new life in operatic form in this original Glyndebourne commission. Thoughts of murder and revenge drive Hamlet when he learns that it was his uncle Claudius who killed his father, the King of Denmark, then seized his father’s crown and wife. But Hamlet’s vengeance vies with the question: is suicide a morally valid deed in an unbearably painful world? Dean’s colorful, energetic, witty and richly lyrical music expertly captures the modernity of Shakespeare’s timeless tale, while also exploiting the traditional operatic elements of arias, ensembles and choruses. Matthew Jocelyn’s inspired libretto is pure Shakespeare, adhering to the Bard’s narrative thread but abridging, reconfiguring and interweaving it into motifs that highlight the main dramatic themes: death, madness, the impossibility of certainty and the complexities of action. ‘World Premiere of the Year’, 2018 International Opera Awards, London ‘…one of the unmissable operatic events of the year.’ (The Sunday Times 4 Stars) ‘…a richly imaginative composer at the top of his game.’ (The Times 4 Stars) ‘Dean’s music is many-layered, full of long, clear vocal lines … new opera doesn’t often get to sound this good … Hannigan’s spectacular high-soprano unhinging is the more shocking following her poise and inwardness’ (The Guardian 4 Stars) Clayton triumphs with ‘unimpeachable vocal and acting credentials’ (The Independent 4 Stars)","brand":"Opus Arte","offers":[{"title":"Blu-Ray","offer_id":46012840804586,"sku":"809478072317","price":29.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/3803619.jpg?v=1778767546"},{"product_id":"love-passion-deceit-rossini-mozart-strauss-glyndebourne-256552","title":"Love, Passion \u0026 Deceit - Rossini, Mozart, Strauss \/ Glyndebourne Festival","description":"R E V I E W S:\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003ci\u003eDie Fledermaus\u003c\/i\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e  When a director and a production team have a concept for an opera production that alters the composer-librettist’s original vision, the results can vary from imaginative to hubristic expressions of a director trying to be unique—or just unusual. The concepts that work best are the ones that retain the integrity of the opera. Such is the case with this DVD of Die Fledermaus derived from performances at Glyndebourne. The action has been moved into the early 20th century, art deco simplicity has replaced 19th-century fussiness. The score remains intact, but the dialogue is new—yet it remains quite faithful to the story line. It was adapted by Stephen Lawless and Daniel Dooner, written in English, and then translated into German by Johanna Mayr. Purists are not likely to be offended by Glyndebourne’s updated Die Fledermaus, and most viewers will probably greatly enjoy this production.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e The cast is a talented ensemble that excels not only as musicians but actors as well. Thomas Allen and Pamela Armstrong are wonderful as the Eisensteins. Their comic timing creates characterizations that are in equal measure sophisticated and droll. The act-II seduction with the watch is terrific. Lyubov Petrova makes the most out of Adele, the chambermaid with a mind of her own. Håkan Hagegård is an especially genial Dr. Falke, with intriguing glimpses of the anger prompting the Revenge of the Bat. Pär Lindskog makes a suitably lecherous Afredo. Special kudos to Malena Ernman in the trouser role of Prince Orlofsky. She does a convincing male impersonation complete with bushy mustache.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e Udo Samel has the non-singing role of Frosch, the jailer. Frequently the role is assigned to the comedian of the day who pads the third act with a monologue of trademark shtick or topical humor. Mr. Samel introduces himself as Frosch — James Frosch. He admits his banter is intended to cover a scene change; however, this interplay with the audience has been edited from the operetta and appears as part of the Extras.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e The biggest liability of Die Fledermaus is the third act. The first act lays the groundwork for the disguises and intrigues in act II. The third act serves as the dénouement, the unmasking after the splashy second-act party...Happily, this Glyndebourne production keeps affairs moving along nicely. The cast maintains the energy level from the first two acts. Quite a feat, since it appears the entire performance was done without intermissions.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e Scene designer Benoit Dugardyn has created a clever set on a revolving stage...in this case the set is interesting and adapts quite well to the scenic demands of each act. A rather nifty scene change transforms the Eisenstein home into the Orlofsky ballroom. During the second act, the set frequently revolves, adding interesting dimensions and scenic interest.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e Acts I and II and the Entr’acte to act III are on the first disc, act III is on the second disc, along with a number of interesting extra features and interviews. A compliment is due to television director Francesca Kemp and television producer Ross MacGibbon for the excellent transference of a stage production to home video. This video is respectful of the stage production without gimmicky distractions. There is very much a sense of being in the theater while watching....the new Glyndebourne production makes any evening New Years Eve.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e David L. Kirk, FANFARE\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003ci\u003eLa cenerentola\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e This is a conventional production of  \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eLa cenerentola\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e in most respects. The stage sets are sparsely suggestive rather than literal and detailed, but sufficient. Costumes are excellent, and Peter Hall gets superior comic acting from his principals. Timing and definition of gesture are especially good, with Di Pasquale and Alberghini making the most of their respective parts, minus any distracting add-on gags that all too often disrupt both the work’s rhythm and audience’s attention. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cspan\u003eI have one reservation concerning Hall’s production, however: his treatment of the \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003econcertato\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e. This Italian operatic convention completely stops the action and allows all characters on stage to express their thoughts simultaneously; which in Rossini’s comic operas invariably means stupefaction and derision. Hall exchanges conventional lighting at these instances for blue scrims, and sets his performers moving and weaving about in odd, slow motion patterns. In theory, this is interesting; in practice, I admittedly found it hard not to laugh at something Hall intended to be taken earnestly. I could only recall Eugene O’Neill’s pretentious 1929 play, \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eStrange Interlude\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e, with its characters given to occasional zombie-like speeches out of time, revealing their thoughts; or to Groucho Marx’s satire on it in the 1930 movie, \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eAnimal Crackers\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e: “I see figures . . . strange figures . . . weird figures . . . Steel 186, Anaconda 74, American Can 138 . . .”. Hall’s desire to gussy up each \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003econcertato \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e(and there are several, if you count smaller sections of otherwise standard ensembles, as Hall does) with a psychological dimension definitely raised a specter, but I don’t think Rossini had bushy eyebrows, a moustache, and a cigar. It’s possible to work up an academic thesis about the depth and seriousness of anything meant humorously, and the liner notes accompanying this release strive earnestly to accomplish this. But sometimes the light is just that—all light, no shadows; and this composer wasn’t a post-modernist. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cspan\u003eLike most other Rossini operas, for many years \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eLa cenerentola \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003ewent unperformed because of changing public tastes that in turn led to an absence of singers who could handle the parts. This was a vicious circle—for a lack of appropriate voices meant a lack of productions, and the absence of productions meant no need to train the voices. What are Rossini voices? They require the same qualities that can be found in other \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003ebel canto\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e music: great agility, firm breath support, good enunciation, proper score-reading habits, and schooling in style. All of these qualities can be found in varying degrees in the seven performers who take a major stage part in this \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eLa cenerentola\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e. Please note this; because if you ever doubted we’re entering a renewed age of \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003ebel canto\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e, then a Rossini production that can boast of three basses, a tenor, two sopranos, and a mezzo, all reasonably fluent in coloratura, is surely as good an indication as any. However, I will single out only Ruxandra Donose for praise. Hers is a dusky mezzo, even in coloration, volume, and support across the registers. The voice is able to handle exacting coloratura without any aspiration or evidence of strain. Her forthright, focused attack in her final aria (“Non più mesta”) brought memories of Marilyn Horne in the 1970s; and like Horne, Donose builds her part from the text, not by working around it. A young singer with little as yet on CD or DVD, she clearly bears watching. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cspan\u003eJurowski is incisive, and alert to his singers’ needs. Sound is available in LPCM stereo and surround sound, while the video is offered in 16:9 anamorphic. Finally, there are subtitles in English, French, German, Spanish, and Italian, as well as one of those bits-and-pieces interviews (entitled “Insights,” just in case you missed what it offered) that tries to sell a darker view of the opera. It doesn’t work, but it also doesn’t matter. This production of \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eLa cenerentola\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e was a good one for Rossini, and the audience agreed. I think you will, too. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cspan style=\"font-weight:bold\"\u003eFANFARE: Barry Brenesal \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003ci\u003eCosi Fan Tutte\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Simply put, this widely praised Glyndebourne production is the  \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eCosì\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e we’ve been waiting for. Yes, there are plenty of alternatives. But little of the video competition has fared well on these pages. Sometimes the problems stem from the musical performance: the Pritchard-led Glyndebourne predecessor was dismissed as “largely routine” by David Kirk (29:5); the Östman was ruled out of court by Barry Brenesal, who said that the “conducting belonged to the then-new movement that found only three tempos in Mozart operas: fast, faster, fast forward” (30:4). Others were panned because of inadequate production values: Chereau’s “takes itself far too seriously,” according to Brian Robins (30:3); Bob Rose was less charitable still with Hermanns’ “simply rotten” production that, he said, “reveals the producers’ lack of understanding Mozart’s genius” (30:6). Only Muti’s Vienna production (Brenesal 32:3) and Harnoncourt’s from Zurich (Christopher Williams, 30:1) received passing grades. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cspan\u003eSo what makes this performance stand out? First, the singing of the young cast is uniformly excellent. Or perhaps not quite uniformly: as is the case with her new Susanna in Pappano’s \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eFigaro\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e, Miah Persson is even better than excellent, combining a gorgeous, flexible, and stunningly controlled voice (even in the most challenging coloratura passages) with her by-now familiar depth of dramatic insight. Just listen to (and watch) the solid scorn on “Come scoglio”—or, even better, the subtle variations in mood in her wrenching account of “Per pietà”—and you’ll understand why she’s my favorite Mozart soprano these days. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cspan\u003eBut the rest of the cast is nearly as good. Anke Vondung holds her own as Dorabella (certainly, a less rich part), and their voices blend extremely well. Topi Lehtipuu and Luca Pisaroni capture the emotional wobbles of the two self-deluded lovers—their ardor, their ungrounded confidence, their fury—with unerring security and luxurious tone. More than most performances, too, this one reveals a key social dynamic: the deception works in part because they’re so much sexier when their costumes allow them to abandon the constraining propriety imposed by the social conventions that normally govern their behavior. Ainhoa Garmendia is a pert, disdainful Despina who doesn’t over-camp the impersonations; and running the show tactfully is Nicholas Rivenq. An unusually attractive Don Alfonso, he’s younger and far more fit than most in this role (he looks as if he just came off the racquet-ball court), and he seems an intellectual without a trace of pedantry; you can really believe that he wants to educate these two naive friends. Iván Fischer conducts with more romantic flexibility than you often get with period-instrument orchestras—and balance (both among the singers and between stage and pit) is finely calibrated. Purely as an audio version, this would stand up to any I’ve heard. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cspan\u003eFortunately, Nicholas Hytner’s production is equally impressive—hardly a false step from beginning to end. In general, this staging takes the opera—arguably, Mozart’s most intellectually challenging—seriously. But the seriousness does not bring solemnity. Hytner may avoid extreme farce, but there’s plenty of wit, energy, and color throughout. More important, he doesn’t condescend to the characters: you can understand both why they’re so foolish and why they’re so torn, and the final shots (where the resolution is clearly only partial) create tremendous poignance. The sets and costumes—simple but far from austere—suggest the late 18th or early 19th century, without creating a very specific moment; and while the production doesn’t ostentatiously update the action, it stresses those aspects of character and situation that still ring true today. One point highlighted here is the bond between the sisters—indeed, one could argue that it’s really Dorabella who seduces Fiordiligi; and while there is nothing louche or tasteless in the presentation of their relationship, it’s obvious that they have a strong erotic link. Not that there’s any lack of heterosexual electricity—as a result, the final scene, where nearly every possible pairing seems highly charged, is as smoldering as any you’ll see. Yet aside from one or two moments, the sex is handled with tact: the performance is hardly prudish, but it’s never aggressive either. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cspan\u003eThe Blu-ray video quality is stunning: you can see each leaf on the salads that our heroines are eating in act I. The 5.0 channel PCM is excellent as well. And while the extras are nothing special, both the conductor and the director offer intelligent insights into the opera. Two numbers are omitted, No. 7 (the duet “Al fato dan legge”) and No. 24 (Ferrando’s “Ah, io veggio”), but that’s a minor issue. All in all, if this doesn’t make it to my next Want List, we’ve got quite a year in store for us. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cspan style=\"font-weight:bold\"\u003eFANFARE: Peter J. Rabinowitz \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Opus Arte","offers":[{"title":"DVD","offer_id":46012853682410,"sku":"809478010746","price":23.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/2002843.jpg?v=1778325325"},{"product_id":"symphony-no-6-symphony-no-4","title":"SYMPHONY NO. 6  SYMPHONY NO. 4","description":"SYMPHONY NO. 6  SYMPHONY NO. 4","brand":"Medici Masters","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46012858990826,"sku":"827565027422","price":13.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/1482583.jpg?v=1778336782"},{"product_id":"early-recordings-5029365918923","title":"Early Recordings \/ Christoph Eschenbach","description":"EARLY RECORDINGS","brand":"Brilliant Classics","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46012868428010,"sku":"5029365918923","price":26.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/1867216.jpg?v=1778328622"},{"product_id":"verdi-g-falstaff","title":"Verdi, G.: Falstaff","description":"Chirstopher Purves, Tassis Christovannis, Dina Kuznetsova, Marie-Nicole Lemieux, and Adriana Kucerova star in this Glyndebourne production of the Verdi opera conducted by Vladimir Jurowski.","brand":"Opus Arte","offers":[{"title":"DVD","offer_id":46012883730666,"sku":"809478010210","price":26.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/1626654.jpg?v=1778286837"},{"product_id":"intermezzo-095115317426","title":"Strauss: Intermezzo \/ Elisabeth Söderström","description":"Classical Music","brand":"Chandos","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46012898148586,"sku":"095115317426","price":13.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/1796873_833ecc3d-6310-4a12-a048-9add40fcfab0.jpg?v=1778323482"},{"product_id":"puccini-madama-butterfly-5","title":"Puccini: Madama Butterfly","description":"Olga Busuioc's 'performance of sustained dramatic intensity and vocal brilliance... brings direction and shape to the Miskimmon \"concept\"' (The Arts Desk), in a Festival-premiere Butterfly revived from the 2016 tour. 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'Elizabeth DeShong's Suzuki was more striking - a rock of sanity and compassion, with a voice of superb authority' and 'the chorus under it's new master Nicholas Jenkins sounded luminous in it's humming serenade' (Telegraph)","brand":"Opus Arte","offers":[{"title":"DVD","offer_id":46013019324650,"sku":"809478011675","price":26.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/3682557-2410750.jpg?v=1778256778"},{"product_id":"donizetti-don-pasquale-mazzola-corbelli-de-niese-96197","title":"Donizetti: Don Pasquale  \/ Mazzola, Corbelli,  De Niese, Borchev, Shrader, Platt","description":"\u003ca class=\"links\" href=\"album.jsp?album_id=1256553\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eAlso available on Blu-ray\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e Gaetano Donizetti\u003cbr\u003e  DON PASQUALE \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  Don Pasquale – Alessandro Corbelli\u003cbr\u003e  Norina – Danielle de Niese\u003cbr\u003e  Malatesta – Nikolay Borchev\u003cbr\u003e  Ernesto – Alek Shrader\u003cbr\u003e  A Notary – James Platt\u003cbr\u003e  Servant – Anna-Marie Sullivan\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  Glyndebourne Chorus\u003cbr\u003e  London Philharmonic Orchestra\u003cbr\u003e  Enrique Mazzola, conductor\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  Mariame Clément, stage director\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  Recorded live at the Glyndebourne Festival, 2013 \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  Bonus:\u003cbr\u003e  - Behind the Curtain\u003cbr\u003e  - Danielle de Niese introduction\u003cbr\u003e  - Staging the Opera\u003cbr\u003e  - Cast gallery\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  Picture format: NTSC 16:9\u003cbr\u003e  Sound format: LPCM 2.0 \/ DTS 5.1\u003cbr\u003e  Region code: 0 (worldwide)\u003cbr\u003e  Subtitles: English, French, German, Korean\u003cbr\u003e  Running time: 128 mins\u003cbr\u003e  No. of DVDs: 1\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Opus Arte","offers":[{"title":"DVD","offer_id":46013071786218,"sku":"809478011347","price":28.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/2565678.jpg?v=1778289577"},{"product_id":"puccini-madama-butterfly-6","title":"Puccini: Madama Butterfly","description":"Olga Busuioc's 'performance of sustained dramatic intensity and vocal brilliance... brings direction and shape to the Miskimmon \"concept\"' (The Arts Desk), in a Festival-premiere Butterfly revived from the 2016 tour. 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In both cases audience and press reception was unanimously enthusiastic. Desmond Shawe-Taylor, in a review in the Sunday Times headed “Power of Robert Simpson”, detected “some shattering personal crisis” and observed that the 4th and 5th Symphonies “compel all but the most rigidly advanced of listeners to take a closer look at this remarkable composer.” He found the Fifth “bolder, tougher and more mysterious in substance.” Simpson’s Sixth Symphony, of 1977, was commissioned by the London Philharmonic Orchestra with funds provided by the Arts Council, who later sponsored the recording of the Sixth and Seventh, and also contributed to a number of later Commissions. It received its premiere performance on 8 April 1980 at the Royal Festival Hall with The London Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Sir Charles Groves. Edward Greenfield wrote in his Guardian review: “Happily Dr Simpson’s metaphors are incidental to his genuinely musical imagination. So after the fragmentary germinal motives at the start, he turns very quickly to a bold tonal melody such as Nielsen might have written. One might even say that another of Dr Simpson’s great influences is represented too; he has often acknowledged his debt to Beethoven and here he has in effect written a Pastoral symphony for the 20th century, a view of nature observed not through the eye of the individual but through the microscope.”\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Lyrita","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46013306372330,"sku":"5020926038920","price":12.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/3940284-2678326.jpg?v=1778239155"},{"product_id":"bizet-carmen-jordan-von-otter-glyndebourne-festival-256614","title":"Bizet: Carmen \/ Jordan, Von Otter, Glyndebourne Festival","description":"Georges Bizet\u003cbr\u003e  CARMEN \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  Moralès – Hans Voschezang\u003cbr\u003e  Micaëla – Lisa Milne\u003cbr\u003e  Don José – Marcus Haddock\u003cbr\u003e  Zuniga – Jonathan Best\u003cbr\u003e  Carmen – Anne Sofie von Otter\u003cbr\u003e  Frasquita – Marty Hegarty\u003cbr\u003e  Mercédès – Christine Rice\u003cbr\u003e  Lillas Pastia – Anthony Wise\u003cbr\u003e  Escamillo – Laurent Naouri\u003cbr\u003e  Le Dancaïre – Quentin Hayes\u003cbr\u003e  Le Remendado – Colin Judson\u003cbr\u003e  Le Guide – Franck Lopez\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  Stoke Brunswick School Children’s Chorus\u003cbr\u003e  (chorus master: East Grinstead)\u003cbr\u003e  Glyndebourne Chorus\u003cbr\u003e  (chorus master: Tecwyn Evans)\u003cbr\u003e  London Philharmonic Orchestra\u003cbr\u003e  Philippe Jordan, conductor \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  David McVicar, stage director\u003cbr\u003e  Michael Vale, set designer\u003cbr\u003e  Sue Blane, costume designer\u003cbr\u003e  Paule Constable, lighting designer\u003cbr\u003e  Andrew George, choreographer\u003cbr\u003e  Nicholas Hall, fight director \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  Recorded live at the Glyndebourne Opera House, Lewes, Sussex, 17 August 2002 \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  Bonus:\u003cbr\u003e  - Illustrated synopsis\u003cbr\u003e  - Cast gallery\u003cbr\u003e  - Costume design\u003cbr\u003e  - How to fight on stage\u003cbr\u003e  - Choreographing Carmen\u003cbr\u003e  - The music of Carmen\u003cbr\u003e  - The Gardens of Glyndebourne \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  Picture format: NTSC 16:9\u003cbr\u003e  Sound format: LPCM Stereo \/ DTS 5.1\u003cbr\u003e  Region code: 0 (worldwide)\u003cbr\u003e  Menu language: English\u003cbr\u003e  Subtitles: English, French, German, Spanish\u003cbr\u003e  Running time: 220 mins\u003cbr\u003e  No. of DVDs: 2\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  R E V I E W:\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  Carmen can justifiably lay claim to be the world’s most popular opera. As director David McVicar points out in one of the revealing documentary extras on this excellent BBC release, it ‘is probably the first musical, with hit tune after hit tune’. He’s right, but as his own thought-provoking production makes amply clear, it is so much more than that, having deep psychological layers that he teases out very effectively. He has (rightly in my opinion) opted for a colourful, naturalistic production, with costumes and sets all conveying the correct period and general feel; no stylised or ‘concept’ nonsense to distract the viewer. This leaves him clear to get the cast to really act and get under the skin of the complex characters that inhabit the work. This makes for a riveting dramatic experience, with the many famous melodies and set pieces all in proper context. There is an erotic charge running through many of the exchanges of the principals, and McVicar sees sexual frustration as the key to many of these characters’ problems. This may have led to raised eyebrows at Glyndebourne, but it does make a lot of sense, given the ultimate events of the tragedy. He also opts to include the original spoken dialogue rather than the spurious recitatives, another aspect that works remarkably well. It fleshes the story out properly instead of holding up the action until the next big tune, as one might suspect it would.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  So full marks for not messing with Bizet’s general instructions too much. Praise must also be heaped on the London Philharmonic, who respond magnificently to the flamboyant young maestro, Philippe Jordan (any relation to Armin, I wonder?). His energy and physical intensity, which is visibly there for all to see in the hectic, brilliant prelude (where he resembles Escamillo!), communicates through to the orchestra at every turn, and Bizet’s wonderful scoring is heard in all its glory. One could cite numerous examples, but hear particularly the characterful wind solos of the Act 2 Entr’acte, or the beautifully weighted brass chords that punctuate the famous ‘Toreador Song’, helping one to appreciate the harmony afresh. It really is a superb aural-only experience, the Gallic lightness making one understand why Richard Strauss once advised young composers learning orchestration to study Bizet’s scores, not Wagner’s.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  So the reported controversy surrounding this production appears to be wholly related to the central casting. Here we have one of the world’s finest mezzos seemingly cast against type. Anne Sofie von Otter herself admits that she may not be everyone’s idea of the ideal Carmen – \"too tall, Nordic and cool\", as she puts it, and remembering great Carmens of the past (Berganza, de los Angeles, Price, Migenes etc.) she does have a point. All I can say is that she seemed to me wholly convincing, sporting a blazing auburn wig to help with the gypsy look (plus Sue Blane’s magnificent costumes) and acting and singing with such conviction that criticism was all but silenced. McVicar and von Otter have obviously worked on other aspects of the character, and rather than the smouldering wildcat, we get a more mature portrayal of a woman who can, as the director has it \"eat men whole – and laugh while she’s doing it\". She is a woman desperately seeking love, a free spirit that simply needs the right partner. This really does make the final tragedy all the more poignant, because we really believe that she has at last found the right person in Escamillo, but, as the cards tell her, fate has something else in store for her. The famous routines are all superbly choreographed, and she raises a laugh from the audience as she manages the second verse of her ‘Seguidilla’ while lighting a cigar, quite a feat!\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  Her Don José, American tenor Marcus Haddock, also gives a multi-layered portrayal, and his character probably develops more than any other. He constantly reminds us that this is a man hiding many demons, not least the fact that he killed a man in a duel, so we begin to realise early on what he is capable of. There is also the shadow of his mother, who we learn wanted him to become a priest (all this is in the invaluable spoken dialogue), so he is an unstable individual. His beautifully sung ‘Flower Song’ is not just a showstopper, but tinged with all the psychological baggage of a haunted man. The final confrontation with Carmen is riveting, with the fatal stabbing ghastly but not in the least melodramatic. This is believable verismo.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  As Escamillo, Laurent Naouri is also encouraged to act with some subtlety, to enjoy his big moments but give us some character insight. Thus his oft-heard ‘Toreador Song’ is punctuated by glances towards Carmen, who responds with knowing eye contact (obviously the camera close-up helps here), and an immediate chemistry is established. His is less a testosterone-fuelled macho man than a virile counterpart to Carmen herself; one can actually believe they would have made a satisfied couple.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  The Micaëlla, Lisa Milne, is a touch matronly for me, but I suppose we have to believe in her as the saintly sister figure, and while I miss some of the fragility of others in this part, she sings beautifully and makes a good contrast to Carmen. All the smaller parts are taken with real relish, and I particularly liked Jonathan Best’s Zuniga. Costumes, as mentioned, are stunning, with the stage for the final act dominated by black and a symbolic blood red. The dancing is a delight, sexy and energetic, and stage designs (by Michael Vale) atmospheric yet practical.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  The extras on the double DVD set are worth having. There are revealing interviews with director and principals, as well as substantial individual features on music, costume, choreography and stage fighting. There is an illustrated synopsis, cast gallery and a ten-minute feature on the famous Glyndebourne garden. Having loaded the discs with the extras, the booklet is devoted to a specially commissioned reworking of the Carmen libretto by Jeanette Winterson, entitled ‘The World Beyond’, a moving and worthwhile updating of the basic story.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  Whether you want to fork out for two full price discs may depend totally on your idea of the casting of the eponymous heroine. When this was broadcast last year, some of my colleagues thought von Otter so wrong they couldn’t watch it through to the end. While I accept she may not be what is expected visually, I think it is short-sighted to not see the whole package. Carmen does dominate, but there is an awful lot going on around her, and David McVicar has managed quite the most intelligent, believable opera production I’ve seen for some time. This is ensemble directing at its best. With von Otter (and everyone else, for that matter) in absolutely superb voice, accompanied by gloriously inspired orchestral playing, this is a musical and visual feast. Sue Judd’s subtle camera work helps the television experience. The BBC packaging is first rate, making an altogether outstanding record of a thrilling event.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  -- Tony Haywood, MusicWeb International\u003cbr\u003e  , Reviewing original release, Opus Arte 868","brand":"Opus Arte","offers":[{"title":"DVD","offer_id":46013310632170,"sku":"809478060116","price":16.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/2335590.jpg?v=1778291781"},{"product_id":"rodrigo-concierto-de-aranjuez-kellermann-karlsen-lpo-397441","title":"Rodrigo: Concierto de Aranjuez \/ Kellermann, Karlsen, LPO, Norrbotten NEO","description":"\u003cp\u003eInspired by Miles Davis’s legendary album Sketches of Spain, this project intend to conjure up Spain ‘as if through a prism - as a concept rather than a place’. Guitarist Jacob Kellermann and conductor Christian Karlsen worked with hyped young composers Francisco Coll and Pete Harden, who have each contributed a concertante work for guitar and ensemble. With Turia, Coll has returned to his roots – the dried-out river that once flowed through his (and Rodrigo’s) hometown Valencia. He has described it as his most ‘flamenco-colored’ work so far, intended to ‘evoke the light and the respective shadows’ of Spain. Turia is followed by two classics of Spanish music: Manuel de Falla’s Homenaje for solo guitar and Evocación by Isaac Albéniz, here in Karlsen’s atmospheric arrangement for ensemble. The last word on the disc goes to British composer Pete Harden. His affinity to jazz and non-classical tradition shine through Solace and Shimmer, which is based on the same chords that underpins Rodrigo’s Adagio. Kellermann enjoys strong support by the London Philharmonic Orchestra (in Concierto de Aranjuez) and the seven members of Norrbotten NEO.\u003c\/p\u003e  \u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e  \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eREVIEW\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003c\/p\u003e  \u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e  \u003cp\u003eKellerman has everything the Concierto de Aranjuez needs: excellent technical skills, singing tone, impulsiveness. His nail tone is relatively soft, not hard-edged; his timbral contrasts are heard more with vibrant fingertip tone. 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Created to mark the 150th centenary of the composer's birth, the production is packed with energy and wit, its impeccable stagecraft by no means detracting from the first-class singing which underpins, among others, Tara Erraught's 'touching' (Guardian) performance as Octavian, Kate Royal's 'most graceful of Marschallins' and Lars Woldt's 'pitch-perfect' Baron Ochs (Sunday Telegraph). Conductor Robin Ticciati brings clarity and detail to the score, infusing the music with spirit and humanity. \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  R E V I E W:\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \"Lars Woldt’s Baron Ochs is rich in tone and dialect, a deliciously crude idiot, yet surprising in his muted final line and some sarcastic inflections opposite Octavian. Comic interest never flags, thanks to Jones’s deft blocking and inventive gags. Conductor Robin Ticciati, chief at Glyndebourne, keeps the London Philharmonic at a keen pitch, spreading glitter over all. It’s the standard menu in major companies today — visual provocation, musical reassurance.\" \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  -- David J. 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It is also the first DVD release with Solti performing Elgar's Symphony No.2. Solti, who prepared new works by listening to Elgar's own recordings, identified closely with his music. The virtuoso playing of the orchestra combined with his fresh, energetic approach make for an exciting, uplifting experience. The ICA Classics Legacy series presents a collection of historic performances by some of the world's greatest artists. These performances are released on DVD for the first time, incorporating rare archive footage that has been expertly and lovingly restored.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  Edward Elgar:\u003cbr\u003e  Symphony No. 2 in E flat major, Op. 63\u003cbr\u003e  Variations on an Original Theme, Op. 36, \"Enigma\"\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  London Philharmonic Orchestra\u003cbr\u003e  Georg Solti, conductor\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  Recorded at the Royal Festival Hall, London, 13 February 1975 \u003cbr\u003e  (Symphony No. 2), and 25 September 1979 (Enigma)\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  Picture format: NTSC 4:3\u003cbr\u003e  Sound format: LPCM Mono\u003cbr\u003e  Region code: 0 (worldwide)\u003cbr\u003e  Menu language: English\u003cbr\u003e  Running time: 84 mins\u003cbr\u003e  No. of DVDs: 1\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"ICA Classics","offers":[{"title":"DVD","offer_id":46013374464234,"sku":"5060244550117","price":20.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/1806879.jpg?v=1778316676"},{"product_id":"beethoven-l-van-symphonies-nos-3-and-8-de-sabata-1946","title":"BEETHOVEN, L. van: Symphonies Nos. 3 and 8 (De Sabata) (1946","description":"Classical Music","brand":"IDIS","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46013393993962,"sku":"8021945000674","price":8.49,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/2818175.jpg?v=1778311750"},{"product_id":"verdi-donizetti-opera-arias-fabiano-mazzola-london-50517","title":"Verdi \u0026 Donizetti: Opera Arias \/ Fabiano, Mazzola, London Philharmonic","description":"American star tenor Michael Fabiano presents a spectacular set of scenes taken from late Donizetti and middle Verdi operas, revealing the strong ties between these two composers. The album documents a paradigmatic shift in Italian opera, from the beautiful lines and crispness of belcanto to a richer, more dramatic musical universe. The historical line stretches from Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor, Poliuto and Maria di Rohan to mature Verdi operas such as Rigoletto and Un ballo in maschera. In many cases, Fabiano has selected original, rarely-heard versions, including the thunderous ‘Qual sangue sparsi’ from the original St. Petersburg edition of La Forza del Destino. Together, these arias and scenes constitute a world full of heartfelt tenderness and fire-laden drama. After numerous successes on the opera stage, this is Michael Fabiano’s debut album on PENTATONE. 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For complicated reasons it is usually cut in performance, but Fabiano shows us just what we are missing as his lashing phrases unite with the fervent crowd (sung by the London Voices) and the brilliant, searing sounds of the London Philharmonic Orchestra…Still, what happens on a recording is of course only half the story: Fabiano’s acclaimed impact on stage needs to be experienced in the theatre.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e– BBC Music Magazine","brand":"PENTATONE","offers":[{"title":"SACD","offer_id":46013399597290,"sku":"827949075063","price":16.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/3914410_5f4c141c-eb3e-4f8b-80ac-6773d09de1ed.jpg?v=1778273280"},{"product_id":"bax-dyson-veale-bliss-violin-concertos-148217","title":"Bax, Dyson, Veale, Bliss: Violin Concertos \/ Mordkovitch, Hickox, BBCSO, BBCNO Wales","description":"\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eThis two-disc set, offering four, fine British 20th c. violin concertos by the composers Bax, Dyson, Veale and Bliss, is released in tribute to the late violinist Lydia Mordkovitch (1944-2014). • After her 1979 British debut, Ms. Mordkovitch became one of the first artists to record for Chandos, founded the same year. • During her UK residency of nearly thirty-five years, she devoted many of her sixty recordings to British repertoire. • A “charismatic performer and a faithful interpreter of a composer’s wishes.” (Guardian) • “… real flair and richness of tone…” (Gramophone) • Recorded 1995-2006.\u003c\/span\u003e","brand":"Chandos","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46013428629738,"sku":"095115245323","price":16.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/2932372.jpg?v=1778301584"},{"product_id":"rosner-requiem-palmer-london-philharmonic","title":"Rosner: Requiem, Op. 59 \/ Palmer, London Philharmonic Orchestra","description":"\u003cp\u003eFar from being a treatment of the usual Latin, the Requiem of the New York-based Arnold Rosner (1945–2013) sets spiritual and secular texts on death from a number of the world’s cultures, including Whitman, Villon, the Tibetan Book of the Dead, a sutra from Zen Buddhism and the Jewish Kaddish. The work of a young man (Rosner was 28 when he wrote it), this Requiem is both monumental and wildly energetic – but it also encompasses passages of transcendent beauty. His musical language clothes the modal harmony and rhythm of pre-Baroque polyphony in rich Romantic colors, producing a style that is instantly recognizable and immediately appealing. Some of the music was first written for an aborted operatic treatment of Ingmar Bergman’s film The Seventh Seal, where the main character plays chess with Death; in like spirit, Rosner’s Requiem is a major statement of human defiance in the face of mortality, even if its gentle closing pages bring uneasy acceptance.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eREVIEW\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eArnold Rosner’s Requiem (1973), no exaggeration intended, is one of the great works of the 20th Century. Rosner (1945-2013) was a postmodernist at a time when modernism was unshakable in academic circles. He studied at SUNY\/Buffalo—a notorious hotbed: the faculty laughed at him. They were wrong. They couldn’t deal with his love of Renaissance and early music (Dufay especially), his tonality and post-tonal language. Written when he was 28, the maturity and vision is striking. Inspiration for this work was triggered by his fascination with Ingmar Bergman’s Seventh Seal. He wanted to adapt it for an opera, but Bergman refused permission. He began to write it anyway, and some of it appears in the Requiem. His sources include the New Testament, François Villon, the Kama Sutra, Whitman (When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloomed), Dante, the Kaddish, and the Dies Irae. All are set with sensitivity and profound musicality. The London Philharmonic is great, but Ms Hollis’s soprano is wobbly. Helpful notes by Rosner scholar Walter Simmons. Texts and translations. Don’t miss this.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e-- American Record Guide (Allen Gimbel)\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Toccata","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46013460709610,"sku":"5060113445452","price":15.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/3842186-2595659.jpg?v=1778250397"},{"product_id":"rusalka-293375","title":"Dvorak: Rusalka \/ Ticciati, London Philharmonic, Glyndebourne Chorus [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=2303989\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eAlso available on standard DVD\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e Praised by critics as “magnificent”, “breathtakingly theatrical” and full of “zestful imagination”, Melly Still’s “spine-tingling” Rusalka is a Glyndebourne classic – a magical contemporary reimagining of a much-loved fairy tale. Light and darkness, beauty and danger come together in this passionate tale of love against the odds. At once evocative and unsettling, this production collides two contrasting worlds in Rae Smith’s elegant designs made of “brilliant stage-pictures”. Rusalka’s forest home is a dappled space of sunshine and shadows, full of strange woodland creatures, while the Prince’s court is a world of sleek modernity and sophistication – a world of man.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Opus Arte","offers":[{"title":"Blu-Ray","offer_id":46013482762474,"sku":"809478072669","price":39.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/3837470-2583454.jpg?v=1778387916"},{"product_id":"vaughan-williams-job-a-masque-for-dancing-the-wasps-malc","title":"Vaughan Williams: Job A Masque For Dancing ; The Wasps; Malc","description":"Vaughan Williams: Job A Masque For Dancing ; The Wasps; Malc","brand":"Vanguard Records","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46015348703466,"sku":"723918900629","price":15.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/45419-3407328_bdb012d9-7b1f-4527-97fb-2fd0308bb60a.jpg?v=1778184639"},{"product_id":"rimsky-korsakov-scheherazade-etc-serebrier-london-po-67611","title":"Rimsky-korsakov: Scheherazade, Etc \/ Serebrier, London Po","description":"\u003cp\u003eThis selection is a High Definition Compatible Digital (HDCD) recording.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Reference Recordings","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46024133345514,"sku":"030911108922","price":18.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/283764.jpg?v=1778184639"},{"product_id":"brahms-symphony-no-4-hungarian-dances-alsop-176877","title":"Brahms: Symphony No 4, Hungarian Dances \/ Alsop, London PO","description":"\u003cb\u003eTop Brahms!\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e Here it is: the final release in the set of Brahms symphonies from Marin Alsop with the London Philharmonic. Previous reviews have praised just about every aspect of this new Naxos cycle, and while I admit to arriving somewhat late on the scene I have to admit that all expectations are realised.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e So that you know where I’m coming from, my formative introduction to the symphonies of Brahms came with the 1983 live cycle on DG with Leonard Bernstein and the Vienna Philharmonic. The influence of those initial impressions of intensity and edgy freedom of expression are of course hard to shake, but there is always more than one way to skin a great piece of music, and later on I was as likely to be found settling down with a good book and Herbert von Karajan’s 1989 recordings with the Berlin Philharmonic. Other versions have passed my way as well – Günter Wand’s 2001 RCA cycle with the North German Radio Symphony Orchestra for instance, and those lovely old Bruno Walter recordings with the Columbia Symphony Orchestra now on Sony, which still sound surprisingly good given their vintage.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e If done properly, Brahms’s symphonic writing means that you will have read the same page a multitude of times in that ‘good book’ you have in your hand while listening. The content and meaning of the words will remain as obscure as at the first attempt as your ears and attention are absorbed and enthralled by the lush musical garden that gradually unfolds through your loudspeakers, or in my case headphones. With Alsop and the LPO you might as well give up on reading at all, and give yourself over to a feast of wonderful music-making.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e Marin Alsop’s tempi are measured and sustained in what seems to me an ideal way in this symphony. The first movement seems at first urbane and restrained, but the ceiling is set high, and there is plenty of room for bite and drama in the music – never hurried or unstable, but with a gloss of perfect preparation which seems to allow the listener to plunge directly and deeply into Brahms’s inspired vision. The same is true of the second Andante moderato movement, in which the winds initially shine with lush resonance. Intonation is crucial here, and the LSO’s wind and brass are spot on – playing as one. The timing and anticipation is beautifully measured in advance of the ‘big tune’ at 8:55, which is turned out here without histrionics, but as a noble and almost infinite field of sound – a bounteous source for a composer like Elgar, whose own ‘Enigma’ variations spring immediately to mind.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e A lightness of touch is required of the third movement’s Allegro giocoso, and Alsop blows away any cobwebs which may have gathered in a sweep of freshness. There’s a slightly anticipatory rhythm at 4:23 caused by an edit, but this will hopefully only be noticeable to fully trained and overly picky reviewers. The final movement brings back the measured, sustained feel of the first, but with that extra turbulence, and those quicksilver touches of detail in the orchestration pointed subtly and superbly by all concerned in this recording. I was wondering if that slow central section wasn’t just a little too slow and lingering, but the re-entry of the full orchestra at around 6:00 is made all the more magical for being delayed for that extra few ounces of ‘down-time’, and the final run builds in intensity to create a fully satisfying close.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e The Hungarian Dances presented here are the ‘leftovers’ from Brahms’s own orchestrations of nos. 1, 3 and 10, covered in volume 2 of this series. The dances here have been newly orchestrated by Peter Breiner in an imaginative commission from Naxos especially for this recording. Breiner’s versions respect Brahms’s orchestral resonances for the most part, but inject quite a bit of extra jazzy impact and violinistic Hungarian idiom, emphasising some of those seriously fun syncopations with extra percussion and brass. There is a danger of creating a set of little P.D.Q. Bach monsters here, but with the essence of Brahms’s ideas held largely intact I admire the way Breiner has stretched these pieces just enough to make them into genuine orchestral showpieces, without turning the smiles they bring into disrespectful guffaws.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e I think the way is clear – I simply must have the rest of this set.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e -- Dominy Clements, MusicWeb International\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Naxos","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46025355395306,"sku":"747313023370","price":13.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/1136429.jpg?v=1778328134"},{"product_id":"stravinsky-the-rakes-progress","title":"Stravinsky: The Rake's Progress","description":"Miah Persson, Topi Lehtipuu, Clive Bayley, Matthew Rose, Susan Gorton, Elena Manistina, Graham Clark, and Duncan Rock star in this Glyndebourne proudction of the Stravinsky opera conducted by Vladimir Jurowski and directed by John Cox, with David Hockney.","brand":"Opus Arte","offers":[{"title":"Blu-Ray","offer_id":46025391669482,"sku":"809478070948","price":40.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/1925714.jpg?v=1778388011"},{"product_id":"rossini-il-barbiere-di-siviglia","title":"Rossini: Il Barbiere di Siviglia","description":"The 'sheer visual sophistication' of Annabel Arden's Barbiere serves 'a triumphant celebration of Rossini's musical genius', featuring de Niese's 'powerfully sung' Rosina, Burger's 'gale-force' Figaro and Stayton's 'pure and mellifluous' Almaviva - a leading trio 'musically and dramatically beyond compare' (The Independet - 5 stars). 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With Enrique Mazzola at the helm of the London Philharmonic Orchestra, 'the score bubbles along on a Puckish current of merry mischief' (The Telegraph","brand":"Opus Arte","offers":[{"title":"DVD","offer_id":46025404449002,"sku":"809478012382","price":26.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/3662607.jpg?v=1778292482"},{"product_id":"beethoven-missa-solemnis-the-beecham-collection","title":"Beethoven: Missa Solemnis (The Beecham Collection)","description":"Classical Music","brand":"SOMM Recordings","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46025519759594,"sku":"748871251120","price":20.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/1153888.jpg?v=1778329406"},{"product_id":"baroque-repertoire","title":"BAROQUE REPERTOIRE","description":"Classical Music","brand":"Urania Records","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46025557999850,"sku":"8025726223238","price":32.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/950792.jpg?v=1778224778"},{"product_id":"rossini-il-barbiere-di-siviglia-mazzola-london-80516","title":"Rossini: Il barbiere di Siviglia \/ Mazzola, London Philharmonic [Blu-ray]","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe ''sheer visual sophistication'' of Annabel Arden's Barbiere serves ''a triumphant celebration of Rossini's musical genius'', featuring de Niese's ''powerfully sung'' Rosina, Burger's ''gale-force'' Figaro and Stayton's ''pure and mellifluous'' Almaviva - a leading trio ''musically and dramatically beyond compare'' (The Independet - 5 stars). Contributing to the ''ensemble precision'', the rest of the cast includes a ''scene-stealing'' Berta in Kelly, a ''suavely unctuous'' Basilio from Stamboglis and Corbelli's Bartolo, ''an object lesson in comic understatement'' (The Guardian). With Enrique Mazzola at the helm of the London Philharmonic Orchestra, ''the score bubbles along on a Puckish current of merry mischief'' (The Telegraph).\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Opus Arte","offers":[{"title":"Blu-Ray","offer_id":46025559277802,"sku":"809478072188","price":39.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/3662609.jpg?v=1778387863"},{"product_id":"beethoven-l-van-symphony-no-5-piano-concerto-no-2-ba","title":"BEETHOVEN, L. van: Symphony No. 5 \/ Piano Concerto No. 2 (Ba","description":"Classical Music","brand":"IDIS","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46025568157930,"sku":"8021945000889","price":12.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/2818194.jpg?v=1778290139"},{"product_id":"wagner-die-meistersinger-jurowski-finley-selinger-miles-65865","title":"Wagner: Die Meistersinger \/ Jurowski, Finley , Selinger, Miles, Gabler, Jentzsch [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=808093\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eAlso available on standard DVD\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  English-speaking audiences have always found Die Meistersinger to be a life-enhancing celebration of wisdom, art and song. So it proves in David McVicar's production – the first at Glyndebourne – which is updated to the early-19th century of Wagner's childhood. At the centre of a true ensemble cast is Gerald Finley, a 'gleamingly sung', 'eminently believable' Sachs (The Independent on Sunday), supported by the dynamic conducting of Vladimir Jurowski which, like McVicar's production, uses Glyndebourne's special intimacy to bring sharp focus to bear on the subtlety of Wagner's musical and dramatic counterpoint. \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  McVicar has put on a great show with style, intelligence and insight. -- The Telegraph \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  Musically, it was judged faultlessly for the scale of the theatre by Vladimir Jurowski, who conjured playing of mercurial clarity not the first words one would normally choose for this gargantuan score from the London Philharmonic Orchestra, sustained with unfailing vigilance and concentration. -- The Guardian \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  Richard Wagner \u003cbr\u003e  DIE MEISTERSINGER VON NÜRNBERG \u003cbr\u003e  (Blu-ray Disc Version) \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  Walther von Stolzing – Marco Jentzsch \u003cbr\u003e  Eva – Anna Gabler \u003cbr\u003e  Magdalene – Michaela Selinger \u003cbr\u003e  David – Topi Lehtipuu \u003cbr\u003e  Veit Pogner – Alastair Miles \u003cbr\u003e  Sixtus Beckmesser – Johannes Martin Kränzle \u003cbr\u003e  Hans Sachs – Gerald Finley \u003cbr\u003e  Kunz Vogelgesang – Colin Judson \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  The Glyndebourne Chorus \u003cbr\u003e  London Philharmonic Orchestra \u003cbr\u003e  Vladimir Jurowski, conductor \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  David McVicar, stage director \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  Recorded live at Glyndebourne, Lewes, July 2011 \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  Picture format: 1080i High Definition \u003cbr\u003e  Sound format: LPCM 2.0 \/ DTS 5.1 \u003cbr\u003e  Region code: 0 (worldwide) \u003cbr\u003e  Subtitles: English, French, German \u003cbr\u003e  Running time: 300 mins \u003cbr\u003e  No. of Discs: 1 (Blu-ray) \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  R E V I E W:  \u003ctitle\u003e3644250.az_WAGNER_Die_Meistersinger_Nurnberg.html\u003c\/title\u003e  \u003cmeta http-equiv=\"Content-Type\" content=\"text\/html; charset=utf-8\"\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cspan class=\"COMPOSER12\"\u003eWAGNER \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12bi\"\u003eDie Meistersinger von Nürnberg \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"BULLET12\"\u003e • \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e Vladimir Jurowski, cond; Anna Gabler (\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12i\"\u003eEva\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e); Michaela Selinger (\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12i\"\u003eMagdalene\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e); Marco Jentzsch (\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12i\"\u003eWalther von Stolzing\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e); Topi Lehtipuu (\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12i\"\u003eDavid\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e); Gerald Finley (\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12i\"\u003eHans Sachs\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e); Johannes Martin Kränzle (\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12i\"\u003eSixtus Beckmesser\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e); Alastair Miles (\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12i\"\u003eVeit Pogner\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e); Glyndebourne Festival Ch; London PO \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"BULLET12\"\u003e • \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e OPUS ARTE OA 1085 D (2 DVDs: 300:00) OA BD7108 (Blu-ray) Live: Glyndebourne 6\/2011 \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cspan\u003eJohn Christie, Glyndebourne’s founder, was Wagner-obsessed and would have dearly loved to present one of the composer’s operas early-on in the Festival’s history. But such an undertaking was not a reasonable possibility in Glyndebourne’s original 300-seat theater. As John Christie’s grandson recounts in one of this Blu-ray’s “extras,” an early Glyndebourne conductor commented “if you put on Wagner, you’ll need to put the audience on the stage and the stage in the auditorium.” Glyndebourne got a new opera house in the 1990s, seating 1,250, and Wagner finally came to East Sussex in 2003 with a production of \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eTristan und Isolde. \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003eThis David McVicar-directed \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eMeistersinger \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003erepresents Glyndebourne’s second Wagner staging, and it’s something special. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eDie Meistersinger\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e, at one level, is about intergenerational conflict and being able to cast younger singers as the quartet of lovers is a real plus. (The recent PentaTone \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eMeistersinger \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003eon SACD succeeds, in part, because those singers at least \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003esound \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003eyouthful.) At Glyndebourne, McVicar notes, he could “cast singers that are appropriate to the ages of their characters and are physically convincing.” Marco Jentzsch, the strapping Walther, has got to be 6’3” or 6’4”—a far cry from the all-too-common fireplug Stolzings, whose boots come up most of the way to their protuberant abdomens. If Jentzsch can’t belt out the Prize Song as powerfully as a Ben Heppner or Peter Seifert, he’s fully up to the lyrical requirements of the role and his voice has a pleasant timbre. The Finnish tenor Topi Lehtipuu handles the part of David very effectively, both his character’s palpable horniness and, more critically, the act I exegesis on song writing. Anna Gabler is a complex and passionate Eva, as confused as Nuremberg’s shoemaker about the possibility of a future as Mrs. Hans Sachs. Michaela Selinger, the Magdalena, is perky and vocally appealing. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cspan\u003eAlistair Miles portrays a Pogner that is Sach’s equal in intelligence and integrity, despite his fat-cat status; Johannes Martin Kränzle’s Beckmesser executes the requisite physical comedy and manages just the correct amount of pedantry and pride to define the town clerk’s obvious short-comings while leaving him a sympathetic character. Beckmesser, here, is a victim of his own personality failings rather than a fundamentally bad person. Any \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eMeistersinger, \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003eof course, depends on its Sachs to keep our interest up for five hours, and Gerald Finley is a superb one. He happens to be the best singer here, but his acting is what makes this production so compelling. Finley’s character, we know from the outset, is thoroughly engaged with the dual goals of achieving artistic progress and promoting Stolzing’s romantic efforts—but is also a very conflicted human being. When the curtain goes up for act III, it’s clear that Sachs has been drinking all night and he kicks some furniture around. He uncovers a portrait of his late wife. And just before Walther enters to compose his song, we see Sachs pick up a pen to write something—presumably a contest song to compete for Eva himself. The Knight comes into the workshop and Sachs backs away from the abyss. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cspan\u003eIt’s that sort of theatrical detail that makes this production exceptional. The size of the stage and hall is still small by Metropolitan Opera or Covent Garden standards and allows for a high level of intimacy. As McVicar tells us “Everyone on stage is a character and has a story.” Watch the Masters as they congregate in acts I and III, especially the guy with the ear trumpet. That’s “Ulrich Eisslinger,” not exactly a major role—he has one line in the act I roll call. The part is positively \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003esavored \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003eby Adrian Thomson, who responds to every event on stage with facial expressions and body language that are alone practically worth the price of admission. And look at the Masters’ faces when Walther’s final version of the Prize Song takes an unexpected harmonic turn. These guys—the singers \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eand \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003etheir characters—are really listening deeply. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cspan\u003eMcVicar moves the action from the 16th century to the early 19th, the era into which the composer was born. In a second extra feature, \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eDie Meistersinger\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e—An Opera with Baggage, the director reminds us that the 1820s and 1830s were a time before Unification when Germans “could point to their culture as an expression of their national identity.” By considering \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eMeistersinger \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003ein the context of this time frame, McVicar doesn’t need to directly address the future commandeering of this work for the vilest of nationalistic purposes. I like any \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eMeistersinger \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003ewhere Beckmesser stays on stage after his humiliation. He’s not the “other”—he’s still part of a community. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cspan\u003eThe production is sumptuously lit and filmed, in the same league as the Met’s venerable Otto Schenk version—and the meadow scene is a real eyeful. The sound is richly detailed with excellent vocal\/orchestral balances. (In multichannel, the “auf den theater” brass fanfares are definitely coming from afar.) Subtitles are offered in English, French, and German. Glyndebourne’s \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eMeistersinger \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003egoes straight to the top of the heap among the eight video versions in my collection. It registers here, to use David McVicar’s words, as “a profoundly human, wise, warm, loving work.” \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cspan style=\"font-weight:bold\"\u003eFANFARE: Andrew Quint \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Opus Arte","offers":[{"title":"Blu-Ray","offer_id":46025568714986,"sku":"809478071082","price":29.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/2059095.jpg?v=1778387871"},{"product_id":"berlioz-beatrice-et-benedict-manacorda-london-philharmonic-80539","title":"Berlioz: Beatrice et Benedict \/ Manacorda, London Philharmonic","description":"Through the eye of French director Laurent Pelly this expression of Berlioz's undying admiration for the Bard - his adaptation of Much Ado about Nothing as an opera comique - becomes ''an elegant treatise on love and music designed in shades of grey with 50's-era costumes'' (Sunday Express). Housed by designer Barbara de Limburg in a series of oversized boxes, it's ''terribly chic, terribly pretty'' (The Spectator). Soaring over the ''warmly graceful playing of the London Philharmonic'', Paul Appleby sings ''attractively'' as Benedict and Stephanie d'Oustrac ''makes a marvellously wiry and fiery Beatrice, singing with charm and acting with gusto'' (The Telegraph).\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  -----\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  REVIEW:\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  Antonello Manacorda is a natural-sounding guide to the stage events shown here. His cast sound and work together naturally. Stéphanie D’Oustrac (an expressive face to enjoy in close-up) and Paul Appleby (carefully less histrionic in duet) spar well. The Ursule of Katarina Bradic´ is quite a find, more comfortable with notes and character than Sophie Karthäuser’s Héro, accurate but less ethereal than ideal. The men do well, although Lionel Lhote’s effortful Somarone the music-master, falling everywhere on a sliding table in Act 2, will not be to everyone’s comic taste—but that may be Berlioz’s fault in falling (for once) for the cliché that audiences have always seemed to find onstage musical jokes especially hysterical.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  Despite some reservations, this only official DVD to date of such an important opera, well recorded and filmed in a slick modern production, deserves a place in the catalogue and on your shelves.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  – Gramophone","brand":"Opus Arte","offers":[{"title":"DVD","offer_id":46025570484458,"sku":"809478012399","price":34.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/3685372.jpg?v=1778272636"},{"product_id":"hamlet-84111","title":"Dean: Hamlet \/ Jurowski, London Philharmonic Orchestra","description":"\u003ca class=\"links\" href=\"album.jsp?album_id=2271968\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eAlso available on Blu-ray\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003eThis release is the world premiere recording of Brett Dean’s new opera based on Shakespeare’s best-known tragedy: To be, or not to be. This is Hamlet’s dilemma, and the essence of Shakespeare’s most famous and arguably greatest work, given new life in operatic form in this original Glyndebourne commission. Thoughts of murder and revenge drive Hamlet when he learns that it was his uncle Claudius who killed his father, the King of Denmark, then seized his father’s crown and wife. But Hamlet’s vengeance vies with the question: is suicide a morally valid deed in an unbearably painful world? Dean’s colorful, energetic, witty and richly lyrical music expertly captures the modernity of Shakespeare’s timeless tale, while also exploiting the traditional operatic elements of arias, ensembles and choruses. Matthew Jocelyn’s inspired libretto is pure Shakespeare, adhering to the Bard’s narrative thread but abridging, reconfiguring and interweaving it into motifs that highlight the main dramatic themes: death, madness, the impossibility of certainty and the complexities of action. ‘World Premiere of the Year’, 2018 International Opera Awards, London ‘…one of the unmissable operatic events of the year.’ (The Sunday Times 4 Stars) ‘…a richly imaginative composer at the top of his game.’ (The Times 4 Stars) ‘Dean’s music is many-layered, full of long, clear vocal lines … new opera doesn’t often get to sound this good … Hannigan’s spectacular high-soprano unhinging is the more shocking following her poise and inwardness’ (The Guardian 4 Stars) Clayton triumphs with ‘unimpeachable vocal and acting credentials’ (The Independent 4 Stars)","brand":"Opus Arte","offers":[{"title":"DVD","offer_id":46025571205354,"sku":"809478012542","price":26.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/3803617.jpg?v=1778279157"},{"product_id":"donizetti-don-pasquale","title":"Donizetti: Don Pasquale","description":"•This 2013 Royal Opera House staging of Gaetano Donizetti's Don Pasquale stars the great Italian baritone Alessandro Corbelli in title role, with Danielle de Niese as his reluctant wife. The London Philharmonic Chorus and Orchestra is led by bel canto specialist Enrique Mazzola. Mariame Clément’s sensitive and perceptive production was hailed by theFinancial Times as ‘classic’. Bonus features include Behind The Curtain, Ms. de Niese introduction, Staging the Opera and cast gallery.","brand":"Opus Arte","offers":[{"title":"Blu-Ray","offer_id":46025604956394,"sku":"809478071440","price":40.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/2565746.jpg?v=1778387889"},{"product_id":"walton-symphony-no-1-belshazzars-feast","title":"Walton: Symphony No. 1 \u0026 Belshazzar's Feast","description":"Classical Music","brand":"SOMM Recordings","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46025613770986,"sku":"748871209428","price":20.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/1720539.jpg?v=1778321609"},{"product_id":"stravinsky-the-rakes-progress-persson-lehtipu-jurowski-london-philharmonic","title":"Stravinsky: The Rake's Progress \/ Persson, Lehtipu, Jurowski, LPO","description":"\u003cp\u003eIn this celebrated Glyndebourne Festival production, David Hockney’s designs for director John Cox reinterpret the Hogarth etchings that inspired the opera’s libretto, written for Stravinsky by W.H. Auden and Chester Kallman. In 2010, this revival under Glyndebourne’s Music Director, Vladimir Jurowski, captured the opera’s neo-classical spirit and its juxtaposition of whimsy, cynicism and compassion, prompting the Financial Times to call it,‘‘as enjoyable a performance of Stravinsky’s opera as any that has come along\".\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Recorded live at the Glyndebourne Opera House 18–19 December 2010 \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Bonus:\u003cbr\u003e - Documentary includes an interview with David Hockney\u003cbr\u003e - Introduction to the Rake’s Progress\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: 140 mins\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNo. of DVDs: 1\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eREVIEW\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan id=\"ctl00_MainContent_gvReviews_cell4_12_ASPxPopupControl1_ASPxLabel2\" class=\"dxeBase_PlasticBlue\"\u003eNick Shadow speaks directly to the audience in Act 2, which justifies his winking and gurning at them at various points throughout, usually to show what a dupe his master is, and always to delicious comic effect. His costume, and in particular his hairdo, is ridiculous, yet strangely disquieting. Matthew Rose plays the part to the hilt, making clear from his very first scene that Tom is a pushover and that Anne is where the danger lies. He manages adeptly the comic aspects of the role, at least as far as the graveyard scene, when everything changes. It’s possible to imagine a darker voice for Shadow, but I find his assumption totally convincing. Topi Lehtipuu as Tom is very fine too. He captures very well indeed Tom’s love for Anne, which is genuine and will be his salvation, but which he abandons by weakness of will. Miah Persson is adorable as Anne. She brings out beautifully the vulnerability of the character, but crucially she has brilliantly understood the steely determination present in Anne’s music, and acts it out, both physically and vocally, to perfection. The smaller roles are beautifully taken, and the chorus sings and acts splendidly. Time and again I was struck, as never before, by the sheer beauty of the sound of this work, and the orchestra plays magnificently under the inspiring direction of Vladimir Jurowski.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan class=\"dxeBase_PlasticBlue\"\u003e\u003cspan id=\"ctl00_MainContent_gvReviews_cell4_12_ASPxPopupControl1_ASPxLabel2\" class=\"dxeBase_PlasticBlue\"\u003eThere are other performances of \u003ci\u003eThe Rake’s Progress\u003c\/i\u003e on DVD, including an earlier incarnation of this same production, finely sung but now superseded technically. Then there is the production from La Monnaie in Brussels, garishly updated to 1950s America. Rapturously received in many quarters, you are likely to love it or hate it. Either way, there is no question, this life-enhancing DVD from Glyndebourne is truly special and not to be missed.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan class=\"dxeBase_PlasticBlue\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"dxeBase_PlasticBlue\"\u003e-- MusicWeb International\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Opus Arte","offers":[{"title":"DVD","offer_id":46025614459114,"sku":"809478010623","price":26.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/1925846_d473a728-cff1-4cba-a057-5483dca1de7d.jpg?v=1778286842"}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/collections\/960px-Royalfestivalhall.jpg?v=1777638250","url":"https:\/\/arkivmusic.com\/collections\/london-philharmonic-orchestra.oembed","provider":"ArkivMusic","version":"1.0","type":"link"}