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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=1786633233"},{"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":20.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/4327409-3147364.jpg?v=1786653996"},{"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":21.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/4179707-3143313.jpg?v=1786684606"},{"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":27.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/4119057-2891777.jpg?v=1786632732"},{"product_id":"banks-18-pieces-for-orchestra-7-6-5","title":"Banks: 18 Pieces for Orchestra - 7 • 6 • 5","description":"Famous for his role as the keyboard player in rock band Genesis and as a solo artist, Tony Banks was always fascinated by the idea of writing orchestral music. His success incomposing for films led to the acclaimed Seven - A Suite for Orchestra. The intense orchestral sound pictures in Seven, Six and Five rank among some of Banks's most accomplished works, marrying experimentation with form and structure, and a trademark melodic character which powerfully conveys both melancholy and joy.    Originally released on individual discs as 8.57414, 8.572986, 8.557466","brand":"Naxos","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46012732965098,"sku":"747313330034","price":35.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/4353062-3264320.jpg?v=1786636475"},{"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=1786664944"},{"product_id":"gluck-orfeo-ed-euridice-baker-leppard-london-philharmonic","title":"Gluck: Orfeo ed Euridice \/ Baker, Leppard, LPO","description":"\u003cp\u003eBritish mezzo-soprano, Dame Janet Baker, chose to retire from the operatic stage singing the title role in Sir Peter Hall's acclaimed production of Orfeo ed Euridice. This 1982 recording from Glyndebourne, where Dame Janet appropriately began her professional career, proved a suitable crowning glory to the career of one of the great singing actresses of our age. Dame Janet's realisation of Orfeo, the grieving musician from Greek mythology, who follows his beloved wife Euridice to the depths of Hades in an attempt to bring her back from the dead, is totally convincing “… a quite staggering performance …” (MusicWeb International)\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Opus Arte","offers":[{"title":"DVD","offer_id":46012795781354,"sku":"809478013723","price":24.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/4411229-3438212.jpg?v=1786673111"},{"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":39.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/3803619.jpg?v=1786831794"},{"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=1786705253"},{"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":18.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/1482583.jpg?v=1786759381"},{"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":37.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/1867216.jpg?v=1786762844"},{"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":34.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/1626654.jpg?v=1786737861"},{"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.jpg?v=1786751824"},{"product_id":"verdi-masked-ball-the-sung-in-english-095115311622","title":"Verdi: Masked Ball (The) (Sung in English)","description":"Classical Music","brand":"Chandos","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46012960768234,"sku":"095115311622","price":13.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/668134_ab2158fc-737b-4582-90ef-c92c2443daca.jpg?v=1786767694"},{"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":34.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/3682557-2410750.jpg?v=1786688099"},{"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":40.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/2565678.jpg?v=1786691337"},{"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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'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":"Blu-Ray","offer_id":46013091283178,"sku":"809478071662","price":39.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/3682559-2410752.jpg?v=1786835399"},{"product_id":"rossini-two-classic-operas-london-philharmonic-glyndebourne-84102","title":"Rossini: Two Classic Operas \/ London Philharmonic, Glyndebourne Chorus","description":"\u003ca class=\"links\" href=\"album.jsp?album_id=2275913\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eAlso available on Blu-ray\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003ePaired here are two of Rossini’s best-loved operas in stunning Glyndebourne stagings showcasing the composer’s threefold genius for comic storytelling, musical energy and vocal fireworks. Vladimir Jurowski and Sir Peter Hall unite for a fresh and vibrant yet timelessly elegant production of Rossini’s setting of the Cinderella story, with a fine cast led by Ruxandra Donose in the title role. While the magical, boldly theatrical world that Annabel Arden creates for the amorous plots and intrigues of young Figaro’s Seville bustles with a gifted ensemble of singer–actors and merry mischief from the London Philharmonic Orchestra under Enrique Mazzola. Recorded in true SS. ‘This is a truly marvellous performance on all counts - staging, conducting and singing...The sense of an ensemble on top form is underlined by Vladimir Jurowski's exacting, pellucid and vivid interpretation, so that the music, like the libretto, is presented afresh. The superb cast has no weaknesses and many strengths...’ (Gramophone) ‘…conductor Enrique Mazzola gets Rossini’s music to sizzle. No slouching, no lingering here and there – just razor-sharp playing from the London Philharmonic Orchestra at helter-skelter speeds.’ (The Financial Times)","brand":"Opus Arte","offers":[{"title":"DVD","offer_id":46013093118186,"sku":"809478012771","price":26.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/3586747.jpg?v=1786709334"},{"product_id":"boyer-symphony-no-1-boyer-london-philharmonic-235049","title":"Boyer: Symphony No 1 \/ Boyer, London Philharmonic Orchestra","description":"\u003cp\u003ePeter Boyer is one of the most frequently performed American orchestral composers of his generation, widely admired not least for his GRAMMY®-nominated Ellis Island: The Dream of America (Naxos 8.559246). The composer writes, “The five works included on this recording represent a cross-section of my orchestral music. Three Olympians reflects my interest in mythology and history. Often I have received invitations to compose music for celebratory concerts, and three of the works included here – Silver Fanfare, Festivities and Celebration Overture – were created for such occasions.” Symphony No. 1 is a lyrical and rhythmically charged work, dedicated to the memory of Leonard Bernstein.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Naxos","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46013101801706,"sku":"636943976920","price":19.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/2503400.jpg?v=1786691014"},{"product_id":"saint-saens-africa-op-89","title":"Saint-Saëns: Africa, Op. 89","description":"This album is one of a pair of distinctive Saint-Saëns recordings, made with the London Philharmonic Orchestra. It features several rarely-recorded works, alongside the premiere recording of Saint-Saëns's arrangement for tenor and orchestra of the iconic Danse macabre - which was originally a song for voice and piano to a poem Henri Cazalis before it's expansion into a celebrated tone poem. Australian conductor Geoffrey Simon is resident in London and has appeared there with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, London Chamber Orchestra, and English Chamber Orchestra. Internationally he has appeared with the Adelaide, Atlanta, Israel, Moscow, and American Symphonies, among others. He is Music Director Emeritus of the Northwest Mahler Orchestra in Seattle, with which he has conducted the Mahler symphonic cycle and Messiaen's Turangalila Symphony. 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But the Lyrita version has a raw, edgy quality--with swifter tempos and snappier rhythms--that's most welcome. The London Philharmonic sounds slightly less polished in 1968 than in 1976, but the playing is still excellent. Some collectors may find Lyrita's close and clear recorded sound preferable to EMI's plushy resonance (though the latter has greater dynamic range). As it stands, this Lyrita set, priced at 2-for-1, is an essential acquisition for Elgarians (and Boulters).\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e --Victor Carr Jr, ClassicsToday.com\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Lyrita","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46013225566442,"sku":"5020926022127","price":20.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/1121753.jpg?v=1786626687"},{"product_id":"symphonies-nos-5-6-493296","title":"Simpson: Symphonies Nos. 5 \u0026 6 \/ Davis, London Symphony; Groves, London Philharmonic","description":"\u003cp\u003eRobert Simpson wrote his Fifth Symphony in 1972 in response to a commission by the London Symphony Orchestra. The first performance of the symphony took place on 3 May 1973 at the Royal Festival Hall, under the direction of Andrew Davis. Another London performance took place on 29 March 1984, again in the Royal Festival Hall, with the Philharmonia, the conductor again being Andrew Davis. 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":16.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/3940284-2678326_570764db-fe64-4b5f-9b17-2f8a8ed44809.jpg?v=1786679216"},{"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":23.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/2335590.jpg?v=1786739516"},{"product_id":"stokowski-transcriptions-serebrier-bournemouth-symphony-95808","title":"Stokowski Transcriptions \/ Serebrier, Bournemouth Symphony","description":"One of the 20th century’s great conductors,  \u003cb\u003eLeopold Stokowski\u003c\/b\u003e was also a prolific transcriber of music for the symphony orchestra, creating a unique repertoire by bringing masterpieces to the concert hall that were often unfamiliar to audiences of the time.  \u003cb\u003eJosé Serebrier\u003c\/b\u003e was Stokowski’s associate conductor in New York, and drawing on memories of his special quality of orchestral sound has revived and revised the best of these sumptuous arrangements. These include a GRAMMY nominated Mussorgsky recording and Stokowski’s signature piece, Bach’s  \u003ci\u003eToccata and Fugue in D Minor\u003c\/i\u003e, immortalized as part of the soundtrack to Walt Disney’s film  \u003ci\u003eFantasia\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  -----\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  REVIEW:\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  Anyone who doubts the sustained power of Stokowski’s most famous transcription, Bach’s mighty Toccata and Fugue in D Minor, should experience Serebrier’s enthralling performance.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  – Fanfare","brand":"Naxos","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46013324984554,"sku":"747313830572","price":9.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/3328799.jpg?v=1786654375"},{"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. And the London Symphony has the horsepower as well as the fine soloists— especially the wonderful English horn in II—to make this a reading to remember.\u003c\/p\u003e  \u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e  \u003cp\u003e– American Record Guide\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"BIS","offers":[{"title":"SACD","offer_id":46013355458794,"sku":"7318599924854","price":21.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/3886780-2646882.jpg?v=1786652757"}],"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?page=5","provider":"ArkivMusic","version":"1.0","type":"link"}