Although not blessed with a wide literature, numerous composers have written duets for violin and violoncello. The present collection of works by Hungarian composers not only provides both a wide overview, but above all else, many musical pleasures! Here two full blood-musicians Friedemann Eichhorn and Alexander Hulshoff have a knack for these musical partnerships.

Sir Roger Norrington's approach to adapting historical performance practice for a modern symphony orchestra has yielded excellent results. This recording features the Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra performing Schubert's most famous work, Symphony No. 8.

Roger Norrington and the Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra SWR continue their survey of the major works of the 19th Century symphonic repertoire with two symphonies by Schubert. Throughout his decade of working with the RSO, Norrington has transformed the sound of a modern symphony orchestra into an ensemble capable of delivering authentic historically informed music making. By employing both the benefits of authentic performance practice and technically superior modern instruments, Norrington has left a legacy that has opened the ears of romantic "purists" as well as delighting devotees of authentic performance practice.

This album gives an interesting overview of Ravel's orchestral output, with a mixed programme of works from different periods of his career. The outstanding soloists are soprano Arleen Aug�r and violinist Pina Carmirelli; conductor Ernest Bour presents wonderfully nuanced performances. Some of Ravel's most famous pieces are featured, including a beautiful interpretation of his song cycle Sheherazade, which tells the story of the narrator of The Arabian Nights. Another notable inclusion is Daphnis et Chloe Suites 1 and 2. Daphnis et Chloe began as a one act ballet by Ravel, and was later adapted by the composer into the two Suites heard here. This album is part of a new re-release series (Century Classics) consisting of SWR music bestsellers. The series is competitively priced, optically highly attractive and contains acclaimed SWR recordings mostly of the SWR orchestras and their chief conductors.

This album is the fifth and final installment of Maurice Ravel's Orchestral Works, bringing to a close the highly acclaimed cycle by the Radio-Sinfonieorchester Stuttgart and its chief conductor Stephane Deneve. Ravel's opera L'enfant et les sortileges is the second of his two operas and is considered a neglected masterpiece. The libretto is by the famous French author Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette.

It is well known that Fritz Wunderlich was an exceptional singer, yet it never fails to surprise when hearing him singing works from different genres and discovering how he developed from his early performances in 1953 to the opera arias he preferred later in his career. These are now brought together on this album that contains both famous and unknown arias. Fritz Wunderlich was both a gifted singer and actor, which made him a perfect match for the Spieloper (dramatic opera), a genre to which most of the works on this album belong. Albert Lortzing (1801-1851) was a leading representative of this genre, as was Otto Nicolai (1810-1849) and Peter Cornelius (1824-1874). With his remarkable voice, Fritz Wunderlich could also sing Italian opera, in which he tried to establish himself with one of the biggest tenor hits of all time: the canzone La donna e mobile, sung by the Duke of Mantua in Verdi's Rigoletto. While the performance may not sound thoroughly idiomatic, it's pure Wunderlich. And E lucevan le stele certainly provides a goose bumps moment for everyone. The SWR spared no effort in remastering the original tapes tomake the voice of Fritz Wunderlich sound fresh and radiant. The sound engineers explain the complete remastering process in the accompanying booklet. Both this release and all future volumes of the SWR Fritz Wunderlich series contain recordings the singer made for the company from which the broadcasting company in SWR grew. They are available in this compilation only in this SWR series.

This album contains both sets of Antonin Dvor�k's Slavonic Dances in an idiomatic and thrilling interpretation of the SWR Rundfunkorchester Kaiserslautern conducted by Jiri St�rek. Dvorak's Slavonic Dances are a series of 16 orchestral pieces composed in 1878 and 1886 and published in two sets. They were originally composed for piano four hands, and were inspired by Johannes Brahms's Hungarian Dances. They were orchestrated at the bequest of Dvorak's publisher soon after their composition. The miniatures are lively and full of character and nationalism, and were well received in their day. Even now, they are considered among the composer's most memorable works. This album is part of a new re-release series (Century Classics) consisting of SWR music bestsellers. The series is competitively priced, optically highly attractive and contains acclaimed SWR recordings mostly of the SWR orchestras and their chief conductors.

Classical Music

Classical Music

Classical Music

Classical Music

Classical Music

Classical Music

Classical Music

Classical Music