{"title":"Staatskapelle Dresden","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"clarinet-concertos-3","title":"CLARINET CONCERTOS 1 \u0026 2 \/ CONCERTINO IN E FLAT","description":"Classical Music","brand":"WARNER CLASSICS","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":44932259512554,"sku":"825646075898","price":10.49,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/2975123.jpg?v=1778371941"},{"product_id":"clarinet-concerto-in-a-1","title":"CLARINET CONCERTO IN A","description":"Classical Music","brand":"WARNER CLASSICS","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":44932259938538,"sku":"724356689725","price":10.49,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/1262549.jpg?v=1778374628"},{"product_id":"r-strauss-also-sprach-zarathustra-till","title":"R. STRAUSS: ALSO SPRACH ZARATHUSTRA TILL","description":"Rudolf Kempe's recordings of Richard Strauss have long been prized for their unparalleled clarity and subtlety in music that has come to define the late-Romantic temperament and it's expression of highly strung emotions, whether in a state of Nietzschean exaltation, on the summits of 'Also sprach Zarathustra' or in the post-war despair of 'Metamorphosen'. Strauss loves the complex textures that Kempe and the Staatskapelle Dresden clarify with the utmost skill and sympathy","brand":"WARNER CLASSICS","offers":[{"title":"Vinyl","offer_id":44947095126250,"sku":"190296198281","price":35.49,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/4154589-2914816.jpg?v=1780140914"},{"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":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/4337089-3177571.jpg?v=1778371592"},{"product_id":"wagner-wintersturme-concert-with-excerpts-from-richard-wagners-der-ring-des-niebelungen","title":"Wintersturme - Concert with Excerpts from Wagner`s \"The Ring of the Nibelung\"","description":"\u003cp\u003eChristian Thielemann on Wagner’s Ring of the Nibelung “From 2006 to 2010, I spent some 300 hours in the orchestra pit in Bayreuth just on the Ring… Each year I looked forward to this task anew, and I am by no means of the opinion that I have completely finished with it. The Ring is so multifaceted musically that it can never exhaust one’s curiosity and one’s urge to explore further. In the Ring, the conductor feels like a battery that is permanently being recharged. That’s because of the contrasting worlds you move through for 15 whole hours, and the four highly different temperaments of the tetralogy. The orchestra is gigantic, with contrabassoon, bass tuba and eight horns – yet how nuanced and differentiated Wagner’s handling of this machine is!... As I see it, then, the Ring cuts a swathe through “the German sound”, it shows its extremes and its facets, from light and playful to heavy, serious and fraught with meaning. The German sound, Wagner teaches us, is never only the one thing and never just the other. Holländer, Tannhäuser, Lohengrin, Tristan, Meistersinger: when he comes to the Ring, Wagner starts again from scratch. In its compositional technique, in its treatment of the orchestra, in terms of its dimensions, harmonically, everything is different. When he composed the Ring, Wagner had no orchestra at his disposal to test whether what he imagined actually worked. Everything was playing out in his head. When he finally heard it in 1876, he did alter a thing or two – and would undoubtedly have liked to make even more alterations later. Not that I see any point in speculating about it. We have to address ourselves to the work as it is, and that task is hard enough.”\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Profil","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46012432089322,"sku":"881488220384","price":32.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/4098128-2846036.jpg?v=1778239101"},{"product_id":"beethoven-brahms-wilhelm-backhaus-edition-early-recordings-1927-1939-881488230017","title":"Wilhelm Backhaus Edition - Early Recordings 1927-1939","description":"\u003cp\u003eEssentially, in the incredible ease and naturalness of his pianism, in the unassuming simplicity and absorption of the man, Backhaus was much the same artist and personality then. And he was far from unknown. Even before he won the Rubinstein Prize in 1905, Backhaus was internationally celebrated as a prodigious virtuoso. Backhaus never failed to win a succès d'estime among professional musicians. They always knew his qualities, always marveled at his instrumental perfection, his titanic mastery that scorned every complexity, his unsurpassed freedom and endurance. There was never a time when Backhaus could not toss off any or all of the Chopin études or the Brahms-Paganini variations with an imperturbable calm, an implacable security that left one open-mouthed. Not everyone, for only the pianists really knew what was happening before their eyes and ears, knew how to measure such achievement. There they all sat, in breathless astonishment and envy and despair. Backhaus was a shy, unaffected, recessive personality whose sensational capacities were so unsensationally projected that lay audiences remained totally unconscious of his fabulous accomplishments. (Gerhard Melchert)\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Profil","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46012457189610,"sku":"881488230017","price":18.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/4169807-2941238.jpg?v=1778207937"},{"product_id":"475-jahre-sachsische-staatskapelle-dresden","title":"475 Years of the Saxon State Orchestra of Dresden","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe preserved “miraculous harp:” 475 years of orchestra history – and a whole century is there to be listened to. This CD box is an invitation to a musical journey through time with one of the world’s best orchestras! Not only that, it is one of the world’s oldest, founded in 1548 and active without a break ever since. The former Hofkapelle, the court orchestra of Saxony, now proudly bears the name Sachsische Staatskapelle Dresden. “Kapellkonzerte“ since the beginning of sound recordings under conductors like: Fritz Busch, Richard Strauss, Karl Böhm, Joseph Keilberth, Kurt Sanderling, Otmar Suitner, Herbert Blomstedt, Giuseppe Sinopoli, Bernard Haitink, Fabio Luisi, Christian Thielemann and many more\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Profil","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46012461089002,"sku":"0881488230079","price":42.97,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/4391523-3325940.jpg?v=1778237030"},{"product_id":"sunwook-kim-plays-beethoven-brahms-franck-4260234832969","title":"Sunwook Kim Plays Beethoven, Brahms \u0026 Franck","description":"\u003cp\u003eWith this CD box set, 35-year-old pianist Sunwook Kim presents a first-class curated selection of works by composers Ludwig van Beethoven, Johannes Brahms and César Franck. Beethoven's piano sonatas hold a special place in Sunwook Kim's repertoire. This box set contains recordings of his most famous sonatas, among others No. 8 \"Pathétique\", No. 21 \"Waldstein\" and the last three sonatas op. 109-111. With recordings of Johannes Brahms' Piano Concerto No. 1 with the Staatskapelle Dresden and Myung-Whun Chung, the Sonata No. 3 and the Six Piano Pieces, Op. 118, Sunwook Kim highlights his deep understanding of the composer's music. The collection is completed by a sensitive interpretation of the emotionally charged and highly complex work \"Prélude, Choral et Fugue\" by French composer César Franck.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Accentus Music","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46012628926698,"sku":"4260234832969","price":41.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/4202627-3129920.jpg?v=1778234524"},{"product_id":"anton-bruckner-symphony-no-9-in-d-minor-wab-109-live-fr","title":"Anton Bruckner: Symphony No. 9 in D Minor, WAB 109 - Live fr","description":"PH16063 Bruckner 9, Vol. 54 Edition Staatskapelle Dresden.  Christian Thielemann, Staatskapelle Dresden, Live Aufnahme der Saison 2014\/2015 aus der Semperoper   �Ich mag die Neunte gar nicht anfangen, ich traue mich nicht, denn auch  Beethoven machte mit der Neunten den Abschluss seines Lebens!� Anton Bruckner","brand":"Profil","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46012719595754,"sku":"881488160635","price":20.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/4491421-3522717.jpg?v=1778196473"},{"product_id":"edition-staatskapelle-dresden-vol-51","title":"Bach, Berlioz, Verdi, Mahler: Mute Sighs, Silent Laments \/ Saxon Staatskapelle Dresden","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eThe musicians of the Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden were committed to their tradition of staging an annual commemorative concert even under these difficult circumstances and decided to organize a Memento Mori to mark this date that is inscribed in the annals of city history. The program comprised a small ensemble conducted by an expert for Baroque music and two ideally suited voices for the format. The concert was recorded for the Deutschlandfunk Kultur station and broadcast as a message of peace in the world. There were fewer than ten people in the auditorium of the Semperoper, all socially distanced and listening raptly to this unique event. Ultimately this was the first sign of life, the first musical greeting from the orchestra in a concert not open to the public after months of inactivity due to the pandemic. When, barely a year ago, Arnold Schoenberg’s “Gurre-Lieder” (featuring more than 300 performers on stage to a full house!) were performed and produced for album shortly afterwards (Edition Staatskapelle Vol. 50, PH 20052), no one would have predicted that this sonorous performance would be followed by a long phase of silence. May the present recording serve as testimony in the form of a contemporary sign of a cultural reawakening.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReview\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eWith this latest release entitled \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eStumme Seufzer, stille Klagen\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e (\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMute Sighs, Silent Laments\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e) the Edition Staatskapelle Dresden series has reached volume 51. Contained here is a pair of J.S. Bach’s greatest church cantatas from the 2021 anniversary concert held in memory of the destruction of Dresden in 1945. The themes of chosen cantatas are death and hope of salvation seen from the standpoint of their being a gateway to everlasting life.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eThe city of Dresden was destroyed by three days of Allied bombing raids, in February 1945. It is now an annual tradition for the Sachsische Staatskapelle Dresden to mark the anniversary date with a commemorative concert with no interval and or applause during the performance or at the conclusion. For the 2021 memorial concert, the Staatskapelle Dresden was keen to maintain the tradition and went ahead while observing coronavirus regulations – specifically, without a public audience and players socially distanced players on stage.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eDorothee Mields sings Bach’s original 1714 version of \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMein Herze schwimmt im Blut\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e a solo cantata for soprano with obbligato parts for oboe and viola. As the cantata begins with a recitative and aria, Herreweghe has chosen to start the score with the \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eSinfonia\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e from the church cantata \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eWeinen, klagen, sorgen, zagen\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e (\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eWeeping, lamenting, sorrow, sighing\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e) BWV 12. Such an exquisite lament, the aria \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eStumme Seufzer, stille Klagen\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e (\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMute Sighs, Silent Laments\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e) is sung sublimely by Mields, the overall effect heightened by the accompanying oboe part played by Rafael Sousa. In the following short \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003echorale\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e: \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eIch, dein betrübtes Kind\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e (\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eI, your troubled child\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e) one senses that Mields is living the words of the penitent sinner while the viola part played by Sebastian Herberg is very much her equal.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eRecorded in the outstanding acoustic of Semperoper, the sound has clarity and first-class balance. The second ‘bonus’ CD contains extracts from three huge works for chorus and orchestra appropriate to the theme of death and hope of salvation by Verdi, Berlioz and Mahler, all recorded and previously released for the Edition Staatskapelle Dresden series on Profil. Included on the ‘bonus’ CD are the interviews that Stefan Lang held in German with Philippe Herreweghe and with violist Andreas Schreiber.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eVerdi completed his \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMessa da Requiem\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e in 1874...[the] three chosen extracts, the sections: \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eRequiem\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eDies irae\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e and \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eTuba mirum\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e are from the \u003c\/span\u003erecording\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e conducted by Christian Thielemann at the Memorial Concert held on 13th February 2014 in the Semperoper, Dresden.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eBerlioz wrote his \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eGrande Messe des Morts\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e a massive work using a huge orchestra and choral forces, in 1837...[the] recording\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e here is the \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eDies irae\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e by Sir Colin Davis, conducting the Memorial Concert given on the 13th February 1994 at the Kreuzkirche, Dresden.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eThe chosen extract [from Mahler's \u003cem\u003eSymphony no. 2 \"Resurrection\" \u003c\/em\u003e[is]\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e the \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eFinale...\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003epart of the \u003c\/span\u003erecording\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e conducted by Bernard Haitink at the Memorial Concert on the 13th February 1995 in the Semperoper.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eA valuable feature of this Edition Staatskapelle Dresden series, a bilingual edition in German and English, is the scrupulously produced booklets, produced to a high standard[.] \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eThese are exemplary performances. From first to last note, I am totally engaged by Herreweghe’s rewarding accounts of two of J.S. Bach’s greatest church cantatas.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e--\u003cem\u003eMusicWeb International \u003c\/em\u003e(Michael Cookson)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Profil","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46012732309738,"sku":"881488210248","price":32.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/4038078-2781389.jpg?v=1778226327"},{"product_id":"puccini-tosca-thielemann-staatskapelle-dresden-62392","title":"Puccini: Tosca \/ Thielemann, Staatskapelle Dresden","description":"\u003ca class=\"links\" href=\"album.jsp?album_id=2278574\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eAlso available on Blu-ray\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e Premiered in 1900 with huge success, Puccini’s “melodramma” Tosca is a political thriller with a heart-breaking love story. With his gripping opening scene, stage director Michael Sturminger sets the tone for a cinematic, richly detailed Tosca which is set in the Mafiosi world of modern day Rome and which is “the perfect thriller … reminiscent of Scorsese’s ‘Goodfellas’” (Kleine Zeitung), a “film noir” (FAZ). In this production soprano Anja Harteros is “a phenomenal Tosca!” (Kurier), “unparalleled in the world” (Der Standard) and Aleksandrs Antonenko is “a Cavaradossi of superlatives” (Kieler Nachrichten). The Staatskapelle Dresden under Christian Thielemann „show again that he is not only a master of German repertoire but also strikes the right note in Italian repertoire.“ (Focus)\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"C Major Entertainment","offers":[{"title":"DVD","offer_id":46012834873578,"sku":"814337014834","price":17.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Blu-Ray","offer_id":46025403760874,"sku":"814337014841","price":34.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/3897680.jpg?v=1778184313"},{"product_id":"wagner-die-walkure-thielemann-staatskapelle-dresden-223176","title":"Wagner: Die Walküre \/ Thielemann, Staatskapelle Dresden","description":"Christian Thielemann has recorded Die Walküre more than once before, not least as part of his Ring cycles for both the Vienna State Opera and the Bayreuth Festival. This is a little different. For its 50th anniversary in 2017, the Salzburg Easter Festival mounted a recreation of Herbert von Karajan’s 1967 production of Die Walküre, which had opened the very first Easter Festival. Gunther Schneider-Siemssen’s sets were reconstructed and the booklet also refers to his original “sophisticated lighting concept” and the “impressive video backdrops inspired by the original glass paintings”. Karajan’s biographer Richard Osborne recorded the disputes between designer and conductor over lighting – Karajan liked things a bit darker it seems. Costumes and stage direction are new, but seem generally in harmony with the concept of the stage as a timeless world, a universe bounded by a proscenium arch.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  Overall this production, designed originally and very specifically for the very wide stage of the Festspielhaus, impresses as a worthwhile piece of theatrical archaeology, for the initial production concept of the Ring as a whole cosmos, and its homage to the stripped-back aesthetic of Wieland Wagner’s Bayreuth, remain highly effective scenically. There are just enough long shots to remind us of the epic scale within which the intimate drama is unfolding. The giant tree that also forms Hunding’s hut in Act I, and the ring-shaped platform for Act II, still functions well – simple, effective design does not date. The chalked up listing of the cast of characters on the floor, then back wall, in Act II is an intelligent reminder that after Das Rheingold, the Ring is deeply engaged with its own back-story, like the Oresteia of Aeschylus that formed part of its genesis. One wonders what Karajan would have made of some new directorial details, such as Hunding’s nastily aggressive groping of Sieglinde’s crotch, but generally the characters and their situations are well served by the direction. There is little here to upset a traditionalist, for Brünnhilde even has a winged helmet and a spear for the great ‘annunciation of death’ scene with Siegmund in Act II. The filming, editing and sound recording do it all justice.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  Karajan liked younger, fresher voices rather than what he called the “old Wagnerian cannons”. He would not have liked Siegmund’s ill-focussed barking of “Wälse, Wälse” in Act I, but for much of the part Peter Seiffert still makes a very good Walsung. Anja Harteros has the measure of his twin Sieglinde to a still greater degree, vocally bright and secure through the range, and looking the part. Christa Mayer as Fricka is outstanding too, imposing in her insistence on her moral stance, but in full command of her rich voice so that she is never shrill or shrewish, which gives her an authority that makes the drama more interestingly ambiguous. It’s not just a case here, as it sometimes is, of ‘Fricka wrong, Wotan right’. The Wotan of Vitalij Kowaljow is splendidly focussed of voice and suitably imposing in presence – not at all the sort of woolly-voiced veteran Wotan which is the undoing of too many recordings of this work. Anja Kampe is on top vocal form as Brünnhilde, whose interactions with Wotan are the emotional heart of this most human of the Ring dramas. Her wide experience in Wagner really tells, and she acts and sings those scenes with her father most affectingly. Her eight spear-voiced (and spear-carrying) Valkyrie sisters make a joyous noise in the opening to Act III.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  Christian Thielemann’s pedigree could hardly be more auspicious for this enterprise, since as a young man he was an assistant to Karajan, as well as to Barenboim at Bayreuth. He even followed the traditional route of progressing through smaller German opera houses, learning his craft en route to his current eminence as one of the world’s leading Wagner conductors. His musical direction is superb, for he has the essential long-term perception of Wagner’s musico-dramatic structures, control of the broad tempi he often favours, and a truly magnificent orchestra in the Dresden Staatskapelle. Like Karajan, he understands that the drama is essentially in the pit. Perhaps too Thielemann was inspired by this reclamation of a classic production by his mentor. Karajan once said in a BBC interview “When I see staging and lighting that is right, the music runs out of my hand without effort”. So it does for Thielemann here, not least in the magnificent account of Wotan’s moving farewell to his favourite daughter that closes the opera.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  – MusicWeb International (Roy Westbrook)\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  The sound of Thielemann’s orchestra, darker-sounding than usual from more Western-based orchestras and with plangent winds and an aggressively present timpani balance, is one of the pleasures of this set. Thielemann has long been a ‘stopgoer’ in Wagner with large tempo contrasts. Now, perhaps following his Bayreuth Tristan, he is even more daringly slow in his pointing up of love and suffering. For that and the cast this set is valuable.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  – Gramophone","brand":"C Major Entertainment","offers":[{"title":"DVD","offer_id":46012842836202,"sku":"814337014285","price":25.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Blu-Ray","offer_id":46025482928362,"sku":"814337014292","price":45.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/0218543.jpg?v=1778184164"},{"product_id":"mozart-complete-wind-concertos-serenades-290483","title":"Mozart: Complete Wind Concertos \u0026 Serenades","description":"Brilliant Classics proudly presents the brand-new 5-album sets series: QUINTESSENCE, attractively priced compact box sets containing essential core classical repertoire in outstanding performances. Aimed at attracting both the discerning classical connoisseur and the classical newcomer it presents the pillars of classical music: Bach Famous Cantatas, Dvorák Complete Concertos and Symphonic Poems. Mozart Complete Wind Concertos and Serenades, Beethoven Complete Violin Sonatas and Cello Sonatas and Sibelius Complete Symphonies and Symphonic Poems. World class performers include Staatskapelle Dresden with Herbert Blomstedt, Netherlands Bach Collegium with Pieter Jan Leusink, Klára Würtz, Timora Rosler, Kristóf Baráti, Berliner Sinfonie-Orchester with Kurt Sanderling and others. The fresh and colorful artwork is eye-catching while the booklet contains liner notes in English. A new series at an unbeatable price! The present release features Mozart’s complete wind concertos and serenades, performed by the Staatskapelle Dresden, Les Violins du Roy, and the Netherlands Chamber Orchestra.","brand":"Brilliant Classics","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46012877340906,"sku":"5028421961118","price":28.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/3770544-2541654.jpg?v=1778252872"},{"product_id":"wagner-siegfried-kollo-janowski-staatskapelle-dresden-224400","title":"Wagner: Siegfried \/ Kollo, Janowski, Staatskapelle Dresden","description":"Wagner’s Siegfried is the third opera in the cycle that makes up Der Ring des Nibelungen. It premiered during the first complete performance of the cycle in August 1876 at the Bayreuth Festspielhaus. Rene Kollo performs in one of his greatest recorded performances in the title role of Siegfried. German conductor Marek Janowski is a brilliant interpreter of Wagner, having conducted the first digitally recorded Ring cycle between 1980 and 1983.","brand":"Sony Masterworks","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46012927672554,"sku":"888751964426","price":7.49,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/3312451_30fdafb2-ef16-4bae-9a13-f05c8d381665.jpg?v=1778258106"},{"product_id":"beethoven-the-complete-symponies-missa-solemnis-thielemann-290244","title":"Beethoven: The Complete Symponies \u0026 Missa Solemnis \/ Thielemann, Vienna Philharmonic, Staatskapelle Dresden","description":"The Beethoven cycle of the 21st century! Christian Thielemann’s and Wiener Philharmoniker’s recording of BEETHOVEN 9 had been their first recording in HD of all nine Beethoven symphonies, accompanied by nine hour-long documentaries, one on each symphony, featuring Thielemann and Prof. Joachim Kaiser. From insights into Beethoven’s musical thinking to interpretational comparisons, including excerpts from performances by Karajan, Böhm, Bernstein, Järvi etc., to historical perspectives – no aspect of Beethoven’s symphonic oeuvre will remain untreated! “Thielemann’s recordings of the Beethoven symphonies stand head and shoulders above the countless and mostly undistinguishable versions on offer.“ (Die Presse) “The Vienna Philharmonic literally grew beyond itself that evening in the Konzerthaus.“ (Neue Züricher Zeitung) Missa Solemnis: Thielemann “conjured up the gigantic cosmos of the Missa with such lightness and grace that its mystery seemed to reveal itself.“ (FAZ)","brand":"C Major Entertainment","offers":[{"title":"Blu-Ray","offer_id":46012931637482,"sku":"814337014995","price":69.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/3766035-2563553.jpg?v=1781981814"},{"product_id":"beethoven-leonore-blomstedt-staatskapelle-dresden-291249","title":"Beethoven: Leonore \/ Blomstedt, Staatskapelle Dresden","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe opportunity to celebrate, in 2020, the 250th birthday of Ludwig van Beethoven alongside the 30th anniversary of German reunification is akin to a gift for a label that has been instrumental in preserving the recording heritage of the GDR, offering as it does the opportunity for a retrospective view and assessment of the past. This series with 10 new editions from the archive of ETERNA recordings includes audio productions from the early days of the label as well as later productions from the late 80s. Partly remastered from the original tapes and provided with the original covers, these historic-legendary recordings shine in new glamour. The present volume presents Lenore in its original 1805 version.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Berlin Classics","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46012970959082,"sku":"885470014999","price":13.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/3802460-3145047.jpg?v=1778257825"},{"product_id":"thielemann-conducts-faust-liszt-wagner-202742","title":"Thielemann Conducts Faust - Liszt, Wagner","description":"\u003ca class=\"links\" href=\"album.jsp?album_id=640827\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eAlso available on Blu-ray\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e THIELEMANN CONDUCTS FAUST\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  Richard Wagner: A Faust Overture\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  Franz Liszt: A Faust Symphony, S108\/R425\u003cbr\u003e  Endrik Wottrich, tenor\u003cbr\u003e  Dresden State Opera Chorus\u003cbr\u003e  Dresden Staatskapelle\u003cbr\u003e  Christian Thielemann, conductor\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  Recorded live from the Semperoper Dresden, 2011.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  Picture format: NTSC 16:9\u003cbr\u003e  Sound format: PCM Stereo \/ DTS 5.1\u003cbr\u003e  Region code: 0 (worldwide)\u003cbr\u003e  Subtitles: German, English, French, Spanish, Korean, Chinese, Japanese\u003cbr\u003e  Running time: 90 mins\u003cbr\u003e  No. of DVDs: 1\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e R E V I E W:\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003ctitle\u003e3542380.az_LISZT_Faust_Symphony_WAGNER.html\u003c\/title\u003e  \u003cmeta http-equiv=\"Content-Type\" content=\"text\/html; charset=utf-8\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cspan class=\"COMPOSER12\"\u003e LISZT \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12bi\"\u003eA Faust Symphony. \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"COMPOSER12\"\u003eWAGNER \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12bi\"\u003eA Faust Overture \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"BULLET12\"\u003e • \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003eChristian Thielemann, cond; Endrik Wottrich (ten); Dresden St Op Ch; Staatskapelle Dresden \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"BULLET12\"\u003e • \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003eC \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12U\"\u003eMAJOR\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e 707708 (DVD: 90:00) Live: Semperoper, Dresden 02\/21–22\/2011 \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cspan\u003eNow here’s a good release, entering an uncluttered field with repertoire that coincides neatly with an anniversary and that fits its performers like a glove. Where I recently argued that Christian Thielemann just about makes a (flawed) case for himself in the congested world of Beethoven symphonies, his credentials for Wagner and Liszt are far less controversial. A retro knight of big-boned, smoothly contoured orchestral playing, he is here heard to great effect in repertoire that is shamefully underrepresented. I also cannot fault the pairing of a young Wagner’s aborted attempt at a symphony with Liszt’s epic achievement on the same subject. Before Cosima, what linked Wagner and Liszt were their respective attempts to set Goethe’s \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eFaust\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e to music. Wagner intended this, written during his Paris years, to be merely the first movement of a\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003e Faust \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003esymphony, before \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eDer fliegende Holländer\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e and his Saxony post got in the way. So it remained an overture, and it was Liszt who would carry on some of Wagner’s initial intentions, such as a second movement based on the character of Gretchen. Liszt himself conducted Wagner’s piece in 1852, but despite a final revision in 1855 (the version given here) and a sketch for Gretchen’s theme, Wagner’s “symphony” remains a tantalizing what-if, giving clearance for the older composer to work on his vast set of Faustian character portraits. As Tobias Niederschlag’s admirable notes point out, Lizst’s late addition of tenor and chorus (always a bit of an afterthought in my view) to his tonal portraits can be seen as a nod to Beethoven’s Ninth, a sign of the massive ambition on display. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cspan\u003eGiven its fractious birth, Wagner’s \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eA Faust Overture\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e tends, not surprisingly, to be dismissed as a rather nothingy, juvenile work, but Thielemann and the Dresdeners really do make a fine case for it. Despite the full string textures and grandly played climaxes, Thielemann wisely doesn’t linger or pull things about for effect, as he sometimes does, and the Dresdeners’ dark, burnished sound helps underline the familiar traits of mature Wagner, without preventing it from being an intense, nimble account of a work that deserves to be better known. Yes, there are hangovers of Weber in the tuttis, and obvious foreshadows of the \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eHolländer \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003eoverture, but also there is a germ of Wagner’s later epic arches of texture and melodic development. The dying chords of \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eTristan und Isolde\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e, for instance, can surely be heard in the finals bars of this piece. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cspan\u003eWith those mournful broken woodwind phrases in the “Nostalgia” opening, Wagner must have had Liszt’s symphony at the back of his mind during \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eTristan’s\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e development. Although grotesque humor doesn’t feature in Wagner’s opera, both pieces share that introverted sense of \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eWeltschmerz\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e that naturally brings out the best from Thielemann. Faust’s feverish obsession is brilliantly conveyed in the frenzied string writing, but Thielemann doesn’t let the symphony as a whole become the empty showpiece that some of Liszt’s vast tapestries can become. The second movement (Gretchen) is, likewise, very well controlled, with the love theme played with sincerity, but no less heartfelt than many more drawn-out versions, and with much exquisite solo playing from the orchestra. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cspan\u003eI still have the occasional feeling of extreme control-freakery, as on Thielemann’s recent Beethoven, but here his quirks and homogenized sound fit the repertoire brilliantly, and although as typically plush and molded an experience as I had predicted from this team, this DVD confounds a lot of my prejudices about him. Most surprising is how swift Thielemann is, with the Liszt falling roughly between young (Sony audio) and old (Euroarts DVD) Leonard Bernstein in basic length, and similar in scale to Barenboim’s audio version. Likewise I wouldn’t have predicted how well Thielemann creates a sense of fun on the podium; the \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eironisch\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e comes out well in the opening of the grotesque Mesphisto episode, spritely in tone, in complete contrast to the opening two sections. I would almost say light and fleet-footed, but after some comparison with 1960s Bernstein, or a terrific YouTube clip of Dmitri Mitropoulos rehearsing the same section, Thielemann cannot yield all of his steeliness. Choral singing is excellent, although I can think of more alluring sounds than the rather pinched, clunky tones of tenor Endrik Wottrich, in rather tense form here. DVD competition is scarce, but Kenneth Riegel on Leonard Bernstein’s 1976 Boston DVD is better. For true vocal allure, if weird German, Plácido Domingo on Barenboim’s Warner CD is the obvious choice. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cspan\u003eI do wish concert DVDs would come with the option of having an mp3 of the audio only. I, for one, would love the Wagner overture on my iPod. But C Major’s presentation is still very fine, with good booklet notes and logical DVD menuing. Pity that there are no extras (Thielemann’s Beethoven symphonies on the same label came with a 60-minute discussion of each work), but camerawork is unobtrusive and the sound is very clear and balanced, possibly at times allowing that Dresden acoustic to give quieter moments a rather cold demeanor. Perhaps, because of that last point, I find myself preferring the Bernstein DVD, boisterous and all-embracing despite much slower tempi throughout. But it is not a clear victory, especially considering modern picture, sound, and so fine a \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eFaust Overture\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e performance as a filler. So, yes, unlikely readers who only want one version: Get the Thielemann. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cspan style=\"font-weight:bold\"\u003eFANFARE: Barnaby Rayfield \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"C Major Entertainment","offers":[{"title":"DVD","offer_id":46012984131818,"sku":"814337010775","price":13.49,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/1900749.jpg?v=1778382211"},{"product_id":"bruckner-symphony-no-2-thielemann-staatskapelle-dresden-274892","title":"Bruckner: Symphony No. 2 \/ Thielemann, Staatskapelle Dresden","description":"\u003ca class=\"links\" href=\"album.jsp?album_id=2291765\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eAlso available on Blu-ray\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e Thielemann‘s brilliant interpretation of Bruckner´s Symphony No. 2 is performed wonderfully by the Staatskapelle Dresden, completing their critically acclaimed Bruckner cycle with a concert at the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg. “In the Elbphilharmonie Thielemann once again proved to be the unrestricted Ruler on his ancestral territory, German Romantic repertoire” (Hamburger Abendblatt) and critics praised how lucent and with how much musical intensity Thielemann conducted this symphony in the acoustics of this hall – an exceptional positive example for subsequent conductors and orchestras. Christian Thielemann has been Principal Conductor of the Staatskapelle Dresden since the 2012\/2013 season. As a UNITEL exclusive artist, Thielemann has a comprehensive catalogue of recordings.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"C Major Entertainment","offers":[{"title":"Blu-Ray","offer_id":46012984852714,"sku":"814337013066","price":22.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/3712952-2418096.jpg?v=1778257661"},{"product_id":"strauss-arabella-fleming-hampson-thielemann-214249","title":"Strauss: Arabella \/ Fleming, Hampson, Thielemann","description":"\u003ca class=\"links\" href=\"album.jsp?album_id=1517585\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eAlso available on Blu-ray\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  2014 marks a year of celebration recognizing the 150th birthday year of the German late-Romantic orchestral, operatic and lied master composer, Richard Strauss (1864-1949). Arabella (premiered 1933, Dresden) was the last of the half dozen Strauss works to feature a libretto by the great Austrian writer Hugo von Hofmannsthal. This production, from the most recent Salzburg Easter Festival is, after Capriccio, the second of three Richard Strauss operas C Major is releasing in honor of the composer’s birth, life and work. The star-laden cast includes soprano Renèe Fleming, baritone Thomas Hampson, Albert Dohmen (Covent Garden, Wiener Staatsoper, MET) and Gabriela Benacková (Wiener Staatsoper, Covent Garden). With Christian Thielemann and the Staatskapelle Dresden, “the music of Richard Strauss is in the best of hands.” (ORF) “Thielemann gets the best out of the cast...especially Renée Fleming with her “luxurious” soprano …” FAZ\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  Richard Strauss\u003cbr\u003e  ARABELLA\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  Graf Waldner - Albert Dohmen\u003cbr\u003e  Adelaide - Gabriela Be?a?ková\u003cbr\u003e  Arabella - Renée Fleming\u003cbr\u003e  Zdenka - Hanna-Elisabeth Müller\u003cbr\u003e  Mandryka - Thomas Hampson\u003cbr\u003e  Matteo - Daniel Behle\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  Sächsischer Staatsopernchor Dresden\u003cbr\u003e  (chorus master: Wolfram Tetzner)\u003cbr\u003e  Staatskapelle Dresden\u003cbr\u003e  Christian Thielemann, conductor\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  Florentine Klepper, stage director\u003cbr\u003e  Martina Segna, set designer\u003cbr\u003e  Anna Sofie Tuma, costume designer\u003cbr\u003e  Bernd Purkrabek, lighting designer\u003cbr\u003e  Volker Michl, choreographer \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  Recorded live at Salzburg Easter Festival, 2014 \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  Picture format: NTSC 16:9\u003cbr\u003e  Sound format: PCM Stereo \/ DTS 5.0br\u0026gt; Region code: 0 (worldwide)\u003cbr\u003e  Subtitles: German, English, French, Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Japanese\u003cbr\u003e  Booklet notes: English, German, French\u003cbr\u003e  Running time: 178 mins\u003cbr\u003e  No. of DVDs: 1\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"C Major Entertainment","offers":[{"title":"DVD","offer_id":46012995272938,"sku":"814337011727","price":21.48,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/2778365.jpg?v=1778185032"},{"product_id":"mozart-symphonies-38-41-blomstedt-staatskapelle-942748","title":"Mozart: Symphonies 38-41 \/ Blomstedt, Staatskapelle Dresden","description":"\u003cp\u003eHerbert Blomstedt has made more than 130 recordings with the Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden. Most of them were made during his time as principal conductor between 1975 and 1985. Thanks to the fruitful cooperation between Denon and MDG, selected gems from this inexhaustible treasure chest are now available again. After the brilliant opening with Bruckner's Symphonies 4 and 7, now follows the legendary interpretation of Mozart's last four symphonies from 1981 and 1982. Blomstedt knows how to make perfect use of the qualities of what is probably the world's most tradition-steeped orchestra with it's \"sound of old gold\" (Karajan): The Adagio introduction to the Prague Symphony sets in powerfully. The magical sound of the strings fills the famous acoustic of Lukaskirche without any effort, and even in the surprisingly broad tempo, a wide-ranging musical arc develops, which can do without fashionable, superimposed drama. Cleverly and with the overview of a mature artist, Blomstedt arranges the relations between the movements as well as within the symphonic quadriga: the Allegro is fresh without being rushed; this creates space for a Presto that really deserves this name. Out of itself, the Schlager in G minor begins to glow, and the beginning of the \"Jupiter\" Symphony radiates with almost Olympian grandeur. Herbert Blomstedt is now 94 years old. He is still in demand on the world's most important podiums. His Mozart interpretations are already a historical document and yet timelessly valid. At that time, the Denon sound engineers were already among the best in the world. This also benefits these recordings in immaculate audiophile quality.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"MDG","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46013052846314,"sku":"760623222226","price":18.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/3992041-3272014.jpg?v=1778231898"},{"product_id":"renee-fleming-in-concert-278615","title":"Renee Fleming in Concert","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAlso available on Blu-ray\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eTwo unforgettable evenings showcase the artistry of Renée Fleming alongside Christian Thielemann’s mastery of the Austro-German Romantic idiom, as the Salzburg Festival honours one of its founding fathers, Richard Strauss, and the Staatskapelle Dresden draws on the deep well of its living Bruckner tradition. The mixed vocal and symphonic programmes feature five lieder by the prolific Austrian songsmith Hugo Wolf in addition to four of Strauss’s finest and an opera scene featuring Fleming in one of her career-defining roles, Arabella. At Dresden’s Semperoper, the Staatskapelle’s then newly appointed music director leads them in Bruckner’s lyric Seventh in which the composer mourns the death of Wagner, whereas in Salzburg, Thielemann helms the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra for the spectacular mountain journey of Strauss’s titanic Alpine Symphony. Filmed in High Definition and recorded in true Surround Sound. \"Thielemann, whose reading is satisfyingly spacious, reveals the work's structural mastery in intermingling and transforming its many themes. The excellent video director Michael Beyer expertly lays out the orchestra in front of us, following the music sensibly so that we can relish Strauss's detailed scoring...[Fleming] sings gloriously and the result is ravishing \" (Gramophone)\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Opus Arte","offers":[{"title":"DVD","offer_id":46013294772458,"sku":"809478012580","price":29.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/3763196.jpg?v=1778279131"},{"product_id":"bizet-carmen-semperoper-edition-vol-12-1942-863837","title":"Bizet: Carmen (Semperoper Edition, Vol. 12) (1942) \/ Böhm, Dresden State Opera","description":"\u003ctable\u003e  \u003ctbody\u003e  \u003ctr\u003e  \u003ctd\u003eThe present release is a live recording of 1942 from the opera house of the State Theatre of Saxony, the Semperoper, destroyed by bombing three years later and finally reopened in 1985. The opera chorus and orchestra are to be heard performing alongside an outstanding ensemble of soloists under the musical direction of Karl Böhm, then principal conductor in Dresden as successor to Fritz Busch. Sung in German to a text by Julius Hopp, the new production – advertised as being in its 500th performance in mid-June 1942 – was created by Heinz Arnold, then Oberspielleiter (chief production supervisor) and post-war opera director to the Dresden State Opera. Stage sets and costumes (given as Trachten, “outfits”, work clothes or regional dress) were the responsibility of Adolf Mahnke and Richard Panzer. What little has survived as evidence of this historic staging suggests that it was strongly influenced by the Paris premiere. The Hispanic-Moorish elements of the stage façades clearly suggest the architecture of faraway lands. This thrill of the exotic is also to be found in the “outfits” and of course in the music. Georges Bizet thus combined and compared the charm of folklore with the (normally forbidden) deviant behavior of his characters. With their dusky harmonies, these psychologically convincing sequences of tuneful numbers hold the audience under their spell. The performance is an irresistible delight, especially in this realization under a maestro like Karl Böhm.\u003c\/td\u003e  \u003c\/tr\u003e  \u003c\/tbody\u003e  \u003c\/table\u003e","brand":"Profil","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46013358047466,"sku":"881488160765","price":18.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/3973030-2734462.jpg?v=1778261002"},{"product_id":"arnold-schonberg-gurre-lieder-live-from-the-397285","title":"Schonberg: \"Gurre-Lieder\" \/ Thielemann, Staatskapelle Dresden","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe Gurre-Lieder occupied various phases in Schoenberg’s life. He explained it to Alban Berg thus: “I wrote the first and second parts and much of the third in March 1900. Then a long break, filled with operetta orchestration. Rest completed March 1901. Then orchestration commenced in August 1901 (again held up by other work). Continued in Berlin mid-1902. Then long interruption by operetta orchestrations. Last worked on in 1903. After that put aside and totally abandoned! Taken up again in Vienna in July 1910. All orchestrated except for the closing chorus. Finished in 1911 in Zehlendorf (outside Berlin).” On this release, the Gurre-Lieder is presented by the Staatskapelle Dresden as the 50th volume in their Edition Staatskapelle Dresden.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Profil","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46013399040234,"sku":"881488200522","price":44.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/3867623-2632706.jpg?v=1778250531"},{"product_id":"bruckner-symphony-no-5-thielemann-dresden-staatskapelle-233019","title":"Bruckner: Symphony No 5 \/ Thielemann, Dresden Staatskapelle [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=1559156\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eAlso available on standard DVD\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  Christian Thielemann and the Staatskapelle Dresden are continuing their internationally acclaimed Bruckner cycle with the Symphony No. 5. For Anton Bruckner, his Fifth Symphony was a glorious confrontation with the music of the past – from a personal, biographical angle, but also as a departure from the composition techniques he preferred up to this point. Not for nothing is this tremendous opus magnum regarded as Bruckner’s “contrapuntal masterpiece”. In this universally lauded performance, Christian Thielemann, already the leading Bruckner interpreter of our times, has once again proven himself to be a “magician of the Bruckner sound”. 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After posts as an orchestra musician in Dortmund and Leipzig he made his debut as a conductor in Leipzig in 1935. After further conducting posts in Chemnitz and Weimar he was brought to Dresden in 1949 by Joseph Keilberth and made General Music Director of the Dresden Opera and Staatskapelle the following year. Semper’s famous opera house lay in ruins, like the whole of the city centre, whereas the evacuated Staatskapelle had survived the war and the post-war years largely intact. Kempe later recalled: “For my career, those were the happiest years of my life – the last glimpse of ‘Paradise’: with opera, concerts and chamber music all year round in the same place.” Eterna producer Dieter-Gerhardt Worm considers Rudolf Kempe to be one of the most significant conductors of the twentieth century and regards the recordings he made with the Dresden Staatskapelle as ideal: “There have surely been very few conductors who have fathomed the nature of the Staatskapelle so deeply and so widely exploited this orchestra’s potential as Rudolf Kempe. In the studio, he was a highly effective ‘worker’. Kempe was the only conductor I have known who did not explain to the musicians what he wanted of the orchestra but simply showed them.” Rudolf Kempe’s early death prevented the implementation of numerous planned projects with the Staatskapelle. When the present recording of Stravinsky’s Firebird ballet suite and Britten’s Sinfonia da Requiem was made in January 1976 none of the participants had an inkling that it would be Kempe’s last.","brand":"Berlin Classics","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46015604392170,"sku":"885470008905","price":16.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/3570022.jpg?v=1778301078"},{"product_id":"michael-jurowski-in-gohrisch","title":"MICHAEL JUROWSKI IN GOHRISCH","description":"In July of 1960 Dmitri Shostakovich composed his famous String Quartet No. 8 in C minor, Op. 110 in the small spa resort of Gohrisch in ''Saxon Switzerland'' national park. The quartet is the only work Shostakovich composed outside the Soviet Union. To commemorate the visit by Shostakovich, in 2010, exactly 50 years later, the International Shostakovich Festival in Gohrisch was established. Since then, the festival has attracted concert-goers from around the world to the spa resort near the Elbe River. The Sachsische Staatskapelle Dresden played an important role in initiating the festival and performs in Gohrisch with well-known concert artists - and in the first year of the festival already received high praise from the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung: ''At an authentic setting and with the support of enthusiastic music lovers, unique festival programming was created with a balance of works that would normally be expected at established festivals such as in Salzburg or Bayreuth: a judicious and deftly concentrated concept performed by renowned artists, and refined by the charm and spirit of the location.''","brand":"Berlin Classics","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46015606587626,"sku":"885470009353","price":20.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/3705898.jpg?v=1778382785"},{"product_id":"thielemann-conducts-faust-liszt-wagner-blu-ray-179588","title":"Thielemann Conducts Faust - Liszt, Wagner [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=640826\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eAlso available on standard DVD\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e Under the musical direction of their chief conductor designate, Christian Thielemann, the Staatskapelle Dresden performed this special concert to celebrate Franz Liszt and his bicentenary. At its home, the prestigious Semperoper in Dresden, the orchestra presented a Faust-themed concert with two works by Wagner and Liszt inspired by Goethe’s drama. “Fired up by inspiration, the Dresden musicians and their leader offer a superb demonstration of their ability, their precision and their feeling for colour and temperament … A top orchestra and a top conductor have found each other” (Die Welt).\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e THIELEMANN CONDUCTS FAUST\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  Richard Wagner: A Faust Overture\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  Franz Liszt: A Faust Symphony, S108\/R425\u003cbr\u003e  Endrik Wottrich, tenor\u003cbr\u003e  Dresden State Opera Chorus\u003cbr\u003e  Dresden Staatskapelle\u003cbr\u003e  Christian Thielemann, conductor\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  Recorded live from the Semperoper Dresden, 2011.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  Picture format: 1080p High Definition\u003cbr\u003e  Sound format: PCM Stereo \/ DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1\u003cbr\u003e  Region code: 0 (worldwide)\u003cbr\u003e  Subtitles: German, English, French, Spanish, Korean, Chinese, Japanese\u003cbr\u003e  Running time: 90 mins\u003cbr\u003e  No. of Discs: 1 (BD 25)\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"C Major Entertainment","offers":[{"title":"Blu-Ray","offer_id":46019960570090,"sku":"814337010782","price":50.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/1900762.jpg?v=1778385155"},{"product_id":"staatskapelle-dresden-edition-vol-34","title":"Staatskapelle Dresden Edition, Vol. 34","description":"When Thielemann became principal conductor of the Dresden Staatskapelle in 2012, he surprised many people for giving special attention to forgotten works from the periods of upheaval before and after WWI—works closely connected to Dresden, some having premiered with the Staatsakpelle and its predecessor, the Hofkapelle. 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Both the conductor and orchestra have  fond memories of Herbert Blomstedt's Dresden years, from 1975 to 1985. The recordings of all of Beethoven's symphonies conducted by Blomstedt are proof of an intensive and artistically outstanding collaboration.","brand":"Berlin Classics","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46025296511210,"sku":"885470015248","price":29.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/4454915-3445293.jpg?v=1778196726"},{"product_id":"brahms-complete-symphonies-discovering-brahms-thielemann-233004","title":"Brahms: Complete Symphonies \u0026 Discovering Brahms \/ Thielemann","description":"\u003ca class=\"links\" href=\"album.jsp?album_id=1064163\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eAlso available on Blu-ray\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  Christian Thielemann and the Staatskapelle Dresden turn to the symphonic work of Johannes Brahms.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  Bonus features include: an extensive 52 minute interview with Christian Thielemann on Brahms’ Symphonies and provides and in-depth look into his interpretation of Brahms.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  Recorded live from the Semperoper Dresden (Nos. 2 and 4) and the NHK Hall, Tokyo (Nos. 1 and 3) \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  Picture format: NTSC 16:9\u003cbr\u003e  Sound format: PCM Stereo \/ DTS 5.0 \/ DTS 5.1 Surround\u003cbr\u003e  Region code: 0 (worldwide)\u003cbr\u003e  Language (bonus): German\u003cbr\u003e  Subtitles (bonus): English, Korean, Japanese\u003cbr\u003e  Running time: 208 mins (symphonies) + 52 mins (bonus)\u003cbr\u003e  No. of DVDs: 3","brand":"C Major Entertainment","offers":[{"title":"Blu-Ray","offer_id":46025382133994,"sku":"814337011529","price":50.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/2498192_2d0722e7-d8b1-4e77-8ad8-f61c8ce24ebe.jpg?v=1778308980"},{"product_id":"schumann-the-complete-symphonies-thielemann-staatskapelle-dresden-280635","title":"Schumann: The Complete Symphonies","description":"Star conductor Christian Thielemann and the Staatskapelle Dresden present a brand new recording of all four symphonies of Robert Schumann, who lived in Dresden from 1844 to 1850 and wrote his second symphony there. His symphonies are considered masterpieces amongst German romantic symphonic works. This cycle, which was recorded live at the Suntory Hall in Tokyo, receiving great critical acclaim, is a new milestone in Schumann interpretation. \"The Staatskapelle's sumptuous playing is hard to fault...\" (The Guardian) A bonus on this release is \"Discovering Schumann,\" which features Christian Thielemann talking about Schumann�s Symphonies and his interpretations.","brand":"C Major Entertainment","offers":[{"title":"Blu-Ray","offer_id":46025393537258,"sku":"814337010850","price":34.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/3726376-2508311.jpg?v=1778279280"},{"product_id":"strauss-four-last-songs-alpine-symphony-rihm-87598","title":"Strauss: Four Last Songs, Alpine Symphony; Rihm \/ Harteros, Thiielemann","description":"\u003ca class=\"links\" href=\"album.jsp?album_id=1653095\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eAlso available on Blu-ray\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  The city of Dresden and the Staatskapelle Dresden have a special relation to Richard Strauss. 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The program on this DVD, led by Christian Thielemann, includes Strauss’s aforementioned Alpine Symphony as well as his Four Last Songs and Wolfgang Rihm’s Ernster Gesang, sung by soprano Anja Harteros, as well as the German premiere of the last completed Strauss song \"Mallows\" in an orchestral version, arranged specifically for Dresden by Mr. Rihm.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"C Major Entertainment","offers":[{"title":"DVD","offer_id":46025405628650,"sku":"814337012649","price":32.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/2832852.jpg?v=1778303157"},{"product_id":"beethoven-missa-solemnis-thielemann-stoyanova-garanca-schade-79203","title":"Beethoven: Missa Solemnis \/ Thielemann, Stoyanova, Garanca, Schade, Selig","description":"\u003ca class=\"links\" href=\"album.jsp?album_id=550948\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eAlso available on Blu-ray\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e Beethoven's Missa Solemnis was performed on 13 and 14 February, 2010 at the traditional memorial concert to commemorate the bombardement of Dresden during the last weeks of World War II. Under Christian Thielemann, the Staatskapelle Dresden proved itself exeptionally qualified to master this work´s magnificent challenges. Thielemann “conjured up the gigantic cosmos of the Missa with such lightness and grace that its mystery seemed to reveal itself”, wrote the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. No less remarkable was the fabulously homogeneous solo quartet formed of El?na Garan?a, Krassimira Stoyanova Michael Schade, Franz-Josef Selig.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e Subtitles: German, English, French, Spanish, Japanese\u003cbr\u003e  Booklet: English, German, French\u003cbr\u003e  No. of Discs: 1\u003cbr\u003e  Run time: 90 minutes\u003cbr\u003e  Disc Format: DVD 9\u003cbr\u003e  Picture: NTSC, 16:9\u003cbr\u003e  Audio: PCM Stereo, PCM 5.1\u003cbr\u003e  Region Code: 0 (worldwide)\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"C Major Entertainment","offers":[{"title":"Blu-Ray","offer_id":46025480995050,"sku":"814337010553","price":45.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"DVD","offer_id":46025481027818,"sku":"814337010546","price":32.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/1813461.jpg?v=1778386004"},{"product_id":"mozart-piano-concertos-20-21-27-buchbinder-70425","title":"Mozart: Piano Concertos 20, 21 \u0026 27 \/ Buchbinder, Staatskapelle Dresden [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=2161907\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eAlso available on standard DVD\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e The Austrian piano virtuoso Rudolf Buchbinder, a known expert of Mozart plays and conducts three of Mozart’s most beloved piano concertos together with the Staatskapelle Dresden, where he was the first pianist to hold the title of “Capell-Virtous”. In advance to an extensive tour to Germany, Europe and Asia the concert was recorded in Dresden in an unique setting, being the first ultra-high definition recording of this work: especially for this purpose a stage was set up right inside the Gläserne Manufaktur, a luxury car manufacturer in the heart of the city of Dresden. \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  No. of Discs: 1\u003cbr\u003e  Run time: 93 minutes\u003cbr\u003e  Disc Format: BD 50\u003cbr\u003e  Picture: 16:9, HD\u003cbr\u003e  Audio: PCM Stereo, PCM 5.1\u003cbr\u003e  Region Code: 0 (worldwide)\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"C Major Entertainment","offers":[{"title":"Blu-Ray","offer_id":46025482535146,"sku":"814337013400","price":34.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/3077580.jpg?v=1781636972"},{"product_id":"edition-staatskapelle-dresden-vol-40-weber-beethoven-162965","title":"Edition Staatskapelle Dresden, Vol. 40: Weber, Beethoven, Brahms \/ Haitink, Zimmerman","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe works on this release were performed in the Dresden Staatskapelle’s second symphony concert of the 2002\/2003 season on September 29 and 30 and October 2, 2002. It was Bernard Haitink’s first subscription concert as Principal Conductor of the orchestra, after he had spontaneously declared his willingness to take over this position and support the Staatskapelle in the difficult situation that had arisen following the sudden death of Giuseppe Sinopoli the previous year. It still seems a stroke of luck for Dresden, and in particular for its orchestra, that it could find a personality of such international standing who had a deep understanding both of the Staatskapelle’s great tradition and of its special character and thus was uniquely qualified to maintain and enhance its high artistic level, its individual sound and its worldwide reputation. Orchestra and conductor had known each other since 1989 from recordings and concerts at home and abroad. This then was the beginning of a sustained, if all too short, period of continuous work togheter, which wonderfully met the highest expectations “at home” and on tour in Europe and the Far East.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Profil","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46025492988138,"sku":"881488090369","price":24.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/3525670.jpg?v=1778306494"},{"product_id":"bruckner-symphony-no-3-nezet-seguin-staatskapelle-67747","title":"Bruckner: Symphony No. 3 \/ Nezet-Seguin, Staatskapelle Dresden","description":"\u003cp\u003eIt was a debut that will long be remembered. It was in October 2006 that Yannick Nezet-Seguin first conducted the Dresden Staatskapelle, which with its invitations to younger conductors in particular was increasingly emerging “as a talent scout for the next generation of baton-wielders” (German daily Die Welt). The 31-year-old newcoming, whose very name was a tonguetwister for most, had hitherto attracted the most attention in his native Canada; since 2000 he had been directing the Orchestre Metropolitain, little brother of the Orchestre Symphonique in his birthplace of Montreal. After debuts with orchestras in Toulouse, Goteborg and Birmingham, he was now in the Semperoper, standing for the first time in his life before one of Europe’s long-established, tradition-steeped orchestras. Nezet-Seguin was no disappointment. In fact, he was just the opposite. Straight away at rehearsals, it was obvious that this young man knew exactly what he wanted in works by Britten, Ravel and Shostakovich; in concerts, he was in full command of musicians and audience alike with his energetic and precise conducting manner, his sens of sound and rhythmic structures. Word soon got around that news of “the Great Canadian Conductor for whom this country’s classical music buffs have been waiting” (Toronto Star) was more than a mere marketing device. And people believed him when he admitted that conducting had been “like a vocation” for him ever since he was ten years old. “Today I have the feeling that I am living the dream I had as a little boy,” he confessed.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Profil","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46025555050730,"sku":"881488120110","price":18.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/3495763.jpg?v=1778306559"},{"product_id":"v43-edition-staatskapelle-dre-96894","title":"Edition Staatskapelle Dresden, Vol. 43: Karl Bohm","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe focus of this impressive release is not only the stunning performance by the Staatskapelle Dresden, but the audiophile-quality sound engineering: “Real live recording – without a safety net, so to speak, without sound engineers in dark horn-rimmed glasses and white coats – belongs to the days of direct cutting to cylinder in the early days of sound recording up to the introduction of magnetic tape after World War II. From that moment on, editing and manipulation became the order of the day – indeed, it is clearly audible on many LPs and may often cause some amusement ... In the short period during which the Direct-to-Disc process was in use, in the 1970s, the aim was to transfer purist recordings to LP without tape noise – mainly in the area of jazz – and this produced some recordings that are hailed even today as ground-breaking and legendary. Made using just one single microphone, these Electrola shellac recordings remain, after a process of careful and time-consuming restoration, a benchmark to this day when it comes to motivation, joy of musicmaking and a determination to give the best performance possible on the part of the musicians, the orchestra, the conductor and the sound engineers. This is perceptible on nearly all the tracks on this album. And the conductor Karl Böhm was surely seldom in such good spirits, so carefree – brisk in his tempi – and yet simultaneously so sensitive in imparting subtle messages. All in the hope that the crackling needle will leave some of the sound for the restoration process ...“ (Sound engineer Holger Siedler)\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Profil","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46025556361450,"sku":"881488180350","price":24.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/3809565.jpg?v=1778261458"},{"product_id":"brucker-symphony-no-8-mozart-prague-symphony-60109","title":"Brucker: Symphony No 8;  Mozart: Prague Symphony K 504 \/ Haitink, Dresden Staatskapelle","description":"\u003cp\u003eAfter the “flood of the century” the Semperoper resumed limited activities towards the end of 2002. Light was appearing on the horizon, life was going on! The first events took place at the beginning of December, with symphony concerts in which the Staatskapelle performed Anton Bruckner's Eighth Symphony conducted by Bernard Haitink. Expectant audiences were again able to assemble in the opera. The concert of December 3 was broadcast live by MDR; the single recording made of that broadcast forms the basis of this CD.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Profil","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46025565995242,"sku":"881488705751","price":24.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/1463377.jpg?v=1778286726"},{"product_id":"horn-music","title":"HORN MUSIC","description":"Peter Damm, who is one of the 20th century’s leading horn players, has built up an impressive discography in the course of the last three decades. These naturally focus upon his instrument: the horn. The present Edition brings together many of his recordings for the Eterna label. It illustrates the history of horn music through a large and varied repertoire such as is only rarely to be encountered. From chamber music to the great horn concertos, from the music of the 17th century to twentieth-century works, the spectrum is immense. Peter Damm was born in Meiningen (Thuringia) in 1937. After learning the horn at the College of Music in Weimar he began his artistic career in 1957 as solo hornist with the Gera municipal orchestra. In 1959, Damm was appointed solo horn with the Gewandhaus Orchestra in Leipzig, which at that time was making numerous Gramophone recordings. Damm’s first solo recording was in 1961 with the Gewandhaus horn quartet, playing Robert Schumann’s Konzertstück op. 86 for four horns under the baton of Franz Konwitschny; he first appeared on a chamber-music recording in 1964. In 1969 Damm was appointed solo hornist with the Staatskapelle Dresden. His cantabile style of playing placed Damm firmly in the Dresden tradition and became the hallmark of the Dresden wind section for almost forty years. During those years in Dresden Peter Damm was involved in more than 100 studio recordings with the Sächsische Staatskapelle. Famous international conductors such as Herbert von Karajan, Herbert Blomstedt, Bernard Haitink and Giuseppe Sinopoli were fascinated by Damm’s horn playing at first hearing. Peter Damm would always champion new music and the rediscovery of forgotten works from all eras in his work as a soloist on record releases. This applied in particular to the works of the Dresden court composers. Peter Damm celebrates his 80th Birthday on July 27th, 2017.","brand":"Berlin Classics","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46025915302122,"sku":"885470009308","price":24.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/3191178-2476625.jpg?v=1778273887"},{"product_id":"mozart-w-a-flute-concerto-no-2-bassoon-concerto-k-19","title":"Mozart, W.A.: Flute Concerto No. 2 \/ Bassoon Concerto, K. 19","description":"Classical Music","brand":"Corona Classic Collection","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46025936371946,"sku":"782124012922","price":10.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/450821.jpg?v=1778187414"},{"product_id":"edition-staatskapelle-dresden-vol-44-richard-strauss-67743","title":"Edition Staatskapelle Dresden, Vol. 44: Richard Strauss \/ Thielemann, Langhein","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe way Richard Strauss spoke of his “beloved Dresdeners” rang of Bavarian humor blended with a subtle touch of mischievous irony and, first and foremost, a good dose of respect and appreciation. Home to the Königliche musikalische Kapelle (“Royal Musical Ensemble”) and the Court Opera, Dresden soon became a center of Strauss’s music; many of his works were given their premiere there. Ernst von Schuch, Strauss’s “most loyal conductor of choice”, was a key figure: at the symphony concerts given by the Kapelle, the Dresden General Music Director soon acquainted audiences with all of Strauss’s tone poems, from Till Eulenspiegels lustige Streiche through Also sprach Zarathustra to Sinfonia domestica. Strauss enthused that, years later, it was “the brilliant Schuch’s untiring magic wand” that eventually opened the series of “exemplary premieres” of his operas in Dresden. Works including Salome, Elektra and Der Rosenkavalier made Strauss the leading musical dramatist of his time. He had no fewer than nine operas premiered in Dresden, his “Eldorado for premieres”, and dedicated the Alpine Symphony to the Dresden Kapelle as a token of his gratitude. The present release is the 44th volume in the Staatskapelle Dresden’s exploration of Strauss’s work, and includes, most notably, his Konzert fur Horn und Orchester op. 11.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Profil","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46026133045482,"sku":"881488150162","price":18.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/3847152.jpg?v=1778281605"},{"product_id":"bruckner-symphonies-nos-4-5-bohm-staatskapelle-96883","title":"Bruckner: Symphonies Nos. 4 \u0026 5 \/ Bohm, Staatskapelle Dresden","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe first complete recordings of the original versions of the Symphonies Nos. 4 and 5 by Anton Bruckner.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Profil","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46026133176554,"sku":"881488902556","price":24.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/1948670.jpg?v=1778325124"},{"product_id":"sir-colin-davis-staatskapelle-dresden-257820","title":"Sir Colin Davis - Staatskapelle Dresden","description":"Sir Colin Davis leads the Staatskapelle Dresden in recordings from the 1988-2003 featuring music of  \u003cb\u003eBerlioz\u003c\/b\u003e,  \u003cb\u003eSibelius\u003c\/b\u003e,  \u003cb\u003eMendelssohn\u003c\/b\u003e, and more.","brand":"Profil","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46026140090602,"sku":"881488130324","price":28.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/2266430.jpg?v=1778305727"},{"product_id":"bernhard-haitink-staatskapelle-dresden-63863","title":"Bernhard Haitink \u0026 Staatskapelle Dresden","description":"On 22nd September 2018 the Staatskapelle Dresden celebrated its 470th jubilee. The orchestra was directed by Bernard Haitink from 2002 to 2004. (Haitink turns 90 in 2019.) Principal Conductor since the 2012\/13 season has been Christian Thielemann. Founded by Prince Elector Moritz von Sachsen in 1548, it is one of the oldest orchestras in the world and steeped in tradition. Over its long history, many distinguished conductors and internationally celebrated instrumentalists have left their mark on this one-time court orchestra. Previous directors include Heinrich Schütz, Johann Adolf Hasse, Carl Maria von Weber and Richard Wagner, who called the ensemble his “miraculous harp”. The list of prominent conductors of the last 100 years includes Ernst von Schuch, Fritz Reiner, Fritz Busch, Karl Böhm, Joseph Keilberth, Rudolf Kempe, Otmar Suitner, Kurt Sanderling, Herbert Blomstedt and Giuseppe Sinopoli.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  -----\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  REVIEW:\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  Haitink has previously recorded all of the music on these six discs, but these new releases are still welcome. The Bruckner Eighth and Mahler Resurrection are particularly fine. The Bruckner is mighty indeed, Haitink’s finest available recording of the work. Throughout the engineers have captured a full, rich, well-balanced sound.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  – ClassicalCDReview.com","brand":"Profil","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46026160242922,"sku":"881488140026","price":37.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/3825775.jpg?v=1778276472"},{"product_id":"mahler-symphony-no-2-margiono-van-nes-96927","title":"Mahler: Symphony No 2 \/ Margiono, Van Nes, Haitink","description":"\u003cb\u003eIn my experience nothing beats this remarkable Haitink account.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e On those very special occasions the excellence of the music and the quality of the playing and live atmosphere can combine to produce something quite special. So it is with this Profil disc.\u003cbr\u003e   \u003cbr\u003e  Every year on 13 February a memorial concert is given in the German city of Dresden to commemorate the anniversary of the terrible World War Two allied air raid carried out in 1945. The night bombing left large tracts of the city in ruins and thousands of people dead. Traditionally a requiem mass has been given at the memorial concert. However, in 1995 to mark the 50th anniversary of the Dresden devastation Mahler’s  \u003cem\u003eResurrection\u003c\/em\u003e was presented. Performed at the Dresden Semperoper this massive score was considered to have the appropriate character to complement the solemn occasion. At these Dresden anniversary concerts it has been the tradition for the audience not to applaud before or after the performance. Instead the audience stand in quiet remembrance before leaving the hall. Incidentally, Haitink also performed the same Mahler score at Rotterdam in 1990 to mark the 50th anniversary of the destruction of the Dutch city by German bombers.\u003cbr\u003e   \u003cem\u003e \u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  The opening movement originated as a symphonic poem entitled  \u003cem\u003eTotenfeier\u003c\/em\u003e (Funeral Rites). It was composed in 1888. Between 1888 and 1894 Mahler laboured hard on his five movement symphony undertaking revisions in 1905. At the time Mahler was still carving out a name for himself as a conductor so work on the score was confined to his spare time, mainly during his summer holidays. Owing to the progressive nature of the writing, its unconventional design, the extended length and the massive forces Mahler must have hardly dared to imagine that he would ever hear it performed during his lifetime.\u003cbr\u003e   \u003cbr\u003e  The first performance was given at Berlin in 1895 with the composer conducting the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. In this score Mahler attempts to explore the existence of humanity in its entirety using sung text in the final two movements. In the fourth movement the text is from the collection of German folk poetry known as  \u003cem\u003eDes Knaben Wunderhorn\u003c\/em\u003e (Youth’s Magic Horn), The fifth movement uses text from Friedrich Gottlieb Klopstock’s ode  \u003cem\u003eDie Auferstehung\u003c\/em\u003e (The Resurrection). Then Mahler uses his own words beginning with  \u003cem\u003eO glaube\u003c\/em\u003e,  \u003cem\u003emein Herz\u003c\/em\u003e (O believe, my heart). It was the composer’s friend Oskar Fried who first recorded the symphony in 1924 with the Berlin State Opera. The complete version of the  \u003cem\u003eResurrection\u003c\/em\u003e was introduced in Dresden in 1901 by conductor Ernst von Schuch, general music director of the Staatskapelle Dresden. Maestro Haitink’s stunning live account which was broadcast on the radio has so much going for it. The persuasive Haitink fashions the architecture and space of Mahler’s vast symphony splendidly, avoiding any sense of affectation. This reading feels completely spontaneous. Born in Amsterdam, maestro Haitink brought with him to Dresden a pair of renowned Dutch singers, Margiono and van Nes.\u003cbr\u003e   \u003cbr\u003e  Right from the opening  \u003cem\u003eAllegro maestoso\u003c\/em\u003e the weight, bite and sheer power of the Dresden orchestra is striking. There’s impressive pacing throughout with beautiful playing especially in the more lyrical passages. Although all sections impress I found the stunning playing of the brass and woodwind highly dedicated and perfectly in unison. The exquisitely scored second movement  \u003cem\u003eAndante moderato\u003c\/em\u003e with its gentle  \u003cem\u003eLändler\u003c\/em\u003e feels so light, poised and elegant. It feels like a mid-nineteenth century dance hall in Vienna. As the music briskly develops in weight the sound produced is remarkable especially from the golden-hued Dresden strings. Towards the conclusion of the movement the swirling strings can make the listener dizzy. When attending a concert I love to watch as well as hear the section with guitar-like strumming by the violins and violas, and the delightful  \u003cem\u003epizzicato\u003c\/em\u003e from the cellos. Sounding like gunshots the timpani strokes announce the opening of the third movement  \u003cem\u003eScherzo\u003c\/em\u003e. The writing draws on the captivating melody from  \u003cem\u003eDes Antonius von Padua Fischpredigt\u003c\/em\u003e ( \u003cem\u003eSt. Anthony’s Sermon to the Fishes\u003c\/em\u003e). I love the way that Haitink underlines the acerbic sarcasm. In the section reminiscent of a  \u003cem\u003eklezmer\u003c\/em\u003e band the schmoozing clarinet solo has the patina of Jewish folk music. The angry brass outburst is especially striking as is the potency of the pent-up energy released in Mahler’s agonised thrust. This puts a brisk halt to the bucolic frolicking.\u003cbr\u003e   \u003cbr\u003e   \u003cem\u003eUrlicht\u003c\/em\u003e (Primeval Light) from one of Mahler’s own  \u003cem\u003eWunderhorn\u003c\/em\u003e songs is the title of the fourth movement. A real highlight is the entrance of Jard van Nes, rich and mellowed toned, commencing with the words  \u003cem\u003eO Röschen Rot!\u003c\/em\u003e ( \u003cem\u003eO red rose!\u003c\/em\u003e). It’s a yearning declaration for respite from world weariness. I believed every word, such was her expressive power and clear diction. Van Nes also has an attractive timbre and supple projection. Following on closely is the rather brief and spiritually affecting  \u003cem\u003echorale\u003c\/em\u003e. This is intoned splendidly on the brass with woodwind playing of an elevated quality. The final movement  \u003cem\u003eIm Tempo des Scherzos\u003c\/em\u003e, opening with Mahler’s terrible scream of anguish, is given such tremendous weight it feels terrifying before it decays into mere dust. In the ‘wilderness’ section the off-stage brass make a sure impression with the  \u003cem\u003eDies irae chorale\u003c\/em\u003e followed by blazing brass. The great drum-rolls at 10:06-10:24 are striking and shook me right down to my boots. A distinct martial quality to the brass fanfares is interrupted only by tetchy woodwind and angry percussion. Off-stage brass lingers in a lament interspersed with a flurry of birdsong on flute and piccolo. At 20:39 the Dresden chorus enter with the words  \u003cem\u003eAufersteh’n\u003c\/em\u003e,  \u003cem\u003eja aufersteh’n\u003c\/em\u003e  \u003cem\u003ewirst du\u003c\/em\u003e ( \u003cem\u003eRise again, yes rise again you will\u003c\/em\u003e). It feels mellow and tender and makes a spellbinding impact. The text  \u003cem\u003eO glaube\u003c\/em\u003e,  \u003cem\u003emein Herz\u003c\/em\u003e ( \u003cem\u003eO believe, my heart\u003c\/em\u003e) is sung at 27:28 to magical effect by Charlotte Margiono with her secure technique and appealing tone. Both Margiono and van Nes combine with the heavenly Dresden chorus for the words  \u003cem\u003eO Schmerz! Du Alldurchdringer!\u003c\/em\u003e ( \u003cem\u003eO suffering! All pervading\u003c\/em\u003e or  \u003cem\u003eO all-piercing pain!\u003c\/em\u003e). With singing of such quality from the impeccably matched soloists and chorus one might be excused for thinking they - and we - had been transported to paradise. The final section begins with the familiar Viennese string sound that soon develops in sheer weight. The massed forces, including organ and percussion battery, combine in a thunderous climax; the most remarkable that I have heard on disc.\u003cbr\u003e   \u003cbr\u003e  Recorded live in 1995 for radio broadcast at the Dresden Semperoper the engineers have produced a warm sound that is clear and well balanced. Although a live recording I struggled to hear any significant audience noise and as I explained earlier there is no applause after the conclusion of the score. I found the substantial Profil booklet notes exemplary being especially highly detailed.\u003cbr\u003e   \u003cbr\u003e  At this poignant 50th anniversary concert the magnificent playing was outstanding right from the high strings playing the softest pianissimo to climaxes of sonically massive proportions.\u003cbr\u003e   \u003cbr\u003e  I have numerous recommended versions of the  \u003cem\u003eResurrection\u003c\/em\u003e but nothing beats this remarkable Haitink account.\u003cbr\u003e   \u003cbr\u003e  -- Michael Cookson, MusicWeb International\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Profil","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46026180264170,"sku":"881488704051","price":24.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/1973793.jpg?v=1778310950"},{"product_id":"edition-staatskapelle-dresden-vol-42-bruckners-symphony-67707","title":"Edition Staatskapelle Dresden, Vol. 42: Bruckner's Symphony No. 4 \/ Thielemann","description":"\u003cp\u003eThroughout his entire life, Bruckner longed to return to the tranquility of the hilly woodland idyll that was his home in Upper Austria. 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