A century to the day after the orchestra's first concert on 24th October 1919, the centennial season culminates in a "splashy gala night" (San Francisco Classical Voice) at the Walt Disney Concert Hall with the current and former chief conductors Dudamel, Mehta and Salonen sharing the podium. The repertoire is a true reflection of the DNA that makes the LA Phil the LA Phil and "the defining factor of this orchestra is it's ability to blend genres and styles to create totally new takes on classical works." (The Guardian) The New York Times recently called the LA Phil "America's most important orchestra. Period". Look no further than this concert�s program: Ravel's La Valse - Zubin Mehta; Lutoslawski's Symphony No. 4 - Esa-Pekka Salonen; Strawinsky's Firebird Suite - Gustavo Dudamel and the World Premiere of Daniel Bjarnason's New Work for Three Conductors! This release also includes the bonus film LA Phil - The Tradition of the New. The documentary portrays the LA Phil and it's continual creative reinvention on the occasion of this jubilee. Including a historical part to trace the steps that played a part in where the orchestra stands today and interviews with the current and former chief conductors Dudamel, Mehta, Salonen, Frank Gehry, John Adams and music critics, and members of the Los Angeles Philharmonic staff. 1. Die Meistersinger von N�rnberg: Prelude (NTSC) 2. La Valse (NTSC) 3. Symphony No. 4 (NTSC) 4. The Firebird Suite (1919 version) (NTSC) 5. From Space I Saw Earth (NTSC) Disc: 2 1. The Los Angeles Philharmonic - The Tradition of the New (NTSC)

In the imposing Arena di Verona, soprano Sonya Yoncheva and tenor Vittorio Grigolo present with dramatic and passionate synergy an evening of the most beautiful operatic love arias and duets in opera history. Passion that burns, consumes and sometimes kills is the central theme of this concert including arias from Roméo et Juliette by Charles Gounod as well as from Puccini´s Tosca, La bohème, Madama Butterfly and Verdi´s La traviata, all conducted by Plácido Domingo. Sonya Yoncheva has the full and vibrant timbre of a true lyrical soprano while Vittorio Grigolo, like Cavaradossi and Rodolfo, plays the cards of ardor and passion, with sweet and affectionate colors. An overall successful evening.

Also available on Blu-ray

The Vienna Johann Strauss Orchestra can rightly claim to be one of the most authentic ensembles for interpreting the music of the Strauss dynasty. Founded in 1966 in Vienna, the aim of the new orchestra was to cultivate both the music of the Strauss dynasty, as well as so-called 'light' Viennese music. This festive concert from the Golden Hall of the Musikverein Vienna is a musical journey across Austria and includes beautiful footage of the Austrian landscape and famous historical monuments, as well as short introductions by the conductor Johannes Wildner. Enjoy the magic of the music of the Strauss family and the accompanying impressions of Austria.

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“There had never been a communicator about music with anywhere near Bernstein’s brilliance, humor, energy, reach and importance.” (New York Times) Young People’s Concerts Vol. 3 comprises 18 episodes of the legendary series, which remains unmatched until today. “Leonard Bernstein did this better than anyone. He was brilliant – as a musician and as an ambassador for music” (Whoopie Goldberg). Awarded three Emmys and hailed by Variety as “a rare moment in the symbiosis of the arts and broadcasting”, Leonard Bernstein’s Young People’s Concerts left their mark on television history. Aired at prime-time on CBS from 1958 to 1972, 52 one-hour programs were written and hosted by Leonard Bernstein, “certainly the most influential American maestro of the 20th century” (New York Times). With the New York Philharmonic and guest artists providing the live music, these programs brought musical concepts and music history to life for generations of viewers. Volume III includes 18 Episodes - the Concerts Nos. 29-43 plus Young Performers Nos. 7-9 (featuring Edo de Waart, Horacio Gutiérrez, Young Uck Kim)

Classical Music

Classical Music

Together with photographer Mat Hennek, French star pianist Hélène Grimaud devises a multimedia concert project at the Grand Hall of Hamburg’s Elbphilharmonie. Grimaud’s virtuosic piano performance is accompanied by Hennek’s highly praised photo series “Woodlands”, which depicts genuine portraits of trees, Grimaud’s piano recital includes works by Romantic and impressionistic composers. They are connected by seven “Transitions”, written exclusively for Grimaud by British composer and DJ Nitin Sawhney. The motives of Hennek’s Woodlands series create an extraordinary visual backdrop, which in combination with Grimaud´s pianistic “impeccable clarity and articulation” (Hamburger Abendblatt) and the Elbphilharmonie’s splendid acoustics grants a concert experience of a special kind.

REVIEW:

Grimaud is a pianist ideally suited for the repertoire included in this program. She possesses a prodigious technique, the ability to evoke a broad palette of instrumental colors, and a patrician sense of phrasing. Grimaud can also summon a prodigiously focused and powerful sonority in the grand climaxes. The artistic level of this collaborative recital is of a very high order. Both the video and audio quality of the Blu-ray/DVD are superb.

– Fanfare

Also available on Blu-ray

Over a decade of dance is represented here with no fewer than 22 ballets in this magnificent 15-disc collection of stunning performances by The Royal Ballet, including spectacular stagings of well-known narrative ballets, era-defining abstract works and show-stopping shorter ballets. 19th-century masterpieces, heritage works by Frederick Ashton and Kenneth MacMillan, and contemporary classics by The Royal Ballet’s Resident Choreographer Wayne McGregor and Artistic Associate Christopher Wheeldon are here performed by Royal Ballet dancers past and present. A special edition book contains articles about The Royal Ballet, its repertory and its choreographers, as well as full synopses for all the narrative ballets, richly illustrated with striking photographs of the productions.

The lavish princely entertainments that were given in Italy since the Renaissance, and in particular at the Medici Court in Florence, were famous throughout Europe. The musical interludes that adorned them were already true dramatic masterpieces which marvelously combined music and poetry. They set a frame for the birth of the Italian Opera, Monteverdi’s Orfeo (1607) being their direct heir with its almost perfect architecture, the depth of its expression and the immanent beauty of its music. In a state of grace, Raphaël Pichon invites you to discover these Italian splendors, by imagining a princely interlude conceived with the most sumptuous pieces of music of the turn of the 1600s that is both true opera scenes but also gigantic polychoral pieces for thirty voices. All of them filmed here in the most beautiful palatial Gallery in the World: namely, we invite you on a dreamlike musical journey in the Hall of Mirrors of the Château de Versailles.

This set of three films provides an outstanding showcase for the artistry of dancer Roberto Bolle, a ballet star of our own time. For the 75th anniversary celebrations of The Royal Ballet, Frederick Ashton’s Sylvia was restored to the splendor of its elegant and opulent three-act form. Casting Bolle as Aminta alongside Darcey Bussell in the title role, this is a wonderful showcase for virtuosity, invention and classical beauty. By contrast Roland Petit’s Notre-Dame de Paris exudes modernity, with its cool choreography and chic costumes by Yves Saint-Laurent. Here Bolle’s tragic Quasimodo, by turns fierce and tender, dances opposite Natalia Osipova as Esmeralda. In a second production from La Scala, the Ballet Corp’s traditional Grand Gala aligns with Milan’s tenure as host city of EXPO 2015, and Roberto Bolle, as one of La Scala’s étoiles, plays a central role in the stunning programme of excerpts. He performs the pas de deux from yet another Petit masterwork, dancing Don José to Polina Semionova’s Carmen, along with the mesmerizing contemporary solo Prototype.

The Royal Shakespeare Company presents a Shakespearean rarity in this exciting production. Richard the Lionheart is dead. His brother John is King of England. Threatened from all sides by Europe, the English noblemen, and even his own family, King John will stop at nothing to keep hold of his crown. Shakespeare's rarely performed tale of a nation in turmoil vibrates with modern resonance in this vivid new production by director Eleanor Rhode. "Director Eleanor Rhode's version is bombastic, stylish and stylized, an impressive visual spectacle... " (The Stage) "In a cast that has not a single weak link... Michael Abubakar's strident, bull-headed Bastard, Tom McCall's achingly tormented would-be murdered Hubert, Katherine Pearce's carefully comic turn as Cardinal Pandulph and a blistering, heart-wrenching Charlotte Randle as Constance." (WhatsOnStage)

Enter the Ballet School of the Opéra national de Paris and follow the young students’ dance lessons, taught by Danseurs Étoiles Élisabeth Platel and Charles Jude in the style of legendary ballet master Alexander Kalioujny. Alexander ‘Sasha’ Kalioujny, born in Prague on April 15th,1923, was a Czech dancer and ballet master. In 1947, he entered Serge Lifar’s Paris Opera Ballet as Danseur Étoile; and then following Rudolf Noureyev‘s request, he returned in 1970 as ballet master and devised a highly praised dance training that focused on technique, strength and movement mastery. This film is the living memory of his classes, reconstituted by his former students, Danseurs Étoiles Élisabeth Platel and Charles Jude, and performed by the young dancers of the Ballet School of the Opéra national de Paris. A fascinating testimony and an indispensable work tool for all classical dancers around the world.

The State Opera is the first film ever made about the Bavarian State Opera, one of the world's oldest, most prestigious and internationally esteemed companies. It charts the course of three operas - Die Meistersinger von N�rnberg, Les Indes galantes and Un ballo in maschera - as they come to life on the stage. We meet some of the great singers, such as Jonas Kaufmann and Anja Harteros, in performance and behind the scenes, as well as artistic directors past and present, and two of the music directors in Kirill Petrenko and his predecessor Zubin Mehta. As both a celebration and an exploration, this entertaining film is a declaration of love for the operatic form.

*** This Blu-ray Disc is only playable on Blu-ray Disc players and not compatible with standard DVD or HD DVD players. ***

Opera & Ballet: The Blu-ray Experience includes opera and ballet highlights from the Opus Arte catalogue, and gives everyone the opportunity to experience the stunning quality of High Definition picture and sound, at an extremely competitive price.

Including world-class artists such as Bryn Terfel, Cecilia Bartoli, Anne Sofie von Otter, Jose Cura, Simon Keenlyside and Agnes Letestu, this 50-minute introduction to the world of Blu-ray is a must-have purchase this autumn.

Blu-ray offers an outstanding audio and visual experience, with up to six times the resolution of standard definition DVD, and up to 7.1 channels of High Definition surround sound.

Repertoire:

Verdi - Il trovatore: Gypsy chorus (Royal Opera House)
Tchaikovsky - Swan Lake: Entrance of Swans (Act 2) (Paris Opera Ballet)
Mozart - The Magic Flute: Aria - Queen of the Night (Act 2) (Royal Opera House)
Puccini - La Bohème: Che gelida manina! (Your tiny hand is frozen!) (Teatro Real)
Bizet - Carmen: Habanera (Glyndebourne)
Mendelssohn - A Midsummer Night's Dream: Divertissement (Act 2) (Pacific Northwest Ballet)
Puccini - Gianni Schicchi: O mio babbino caro (Glyndebourne)
Strauss - Die Fledermaus: Tritsch-Tratsch-Polka (Glyndebourne)
Rameau - Zoroastre: Entr'acte: Ouverture / À mes tristes regards (Act 2 / Scene I) (Drottningholm Theatre)
Rossini - La Cenerentola: Signora Altezza (Act 1) (Glyndebourne)
Bellini - Norma: Casta Diva (De Nederlandse Opera)
Balanchine - Jewels: Emeralds – Final (Paris Opera Ballet)
Cecilia & Bryn at Glyndebourne
Mozart - Die Zauberflöte: ‘Pa-pa-pa-pa’ (duet) (Glyndebourne)

Region code: 0 (all regions)
Picture: 1080i
Sound: PCM Stereo / PCM Surround / DTS-HD Master Audio Surround / Dolby True HD Surround

This Blu-ray Disc is only playable on Blu-ray Disc players and not compatible with standard DVD players.

Also available on standard DVD
The State Opera is the first film ever made about the Bavarian State Opera, one of the world’s oldest, most prestigious and internationally esteemed companies. It charts the course of three operas – Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, Les Indes galantes and Un ballo in maschera – as they come to life on the stage. We meet some of the great singers, such as Jonas Kaufmann and Anja Harteros, in performance and behind the scenes, as well as artistic directors past and present, and two of the music directors in Kirill Petrenko and his predecessor Zubin Mehta. As both a celebration and an exploration, this entertaining film is a declaration of love for the operatic form.

This new release is an in-depth portrait of dance superstar Natalia Osipova directed by BAFTA winning filmmaker Gerry Fox. Force of Nature Natalia follows a season in the life dance superstar Natalia Osipova. With unique access to Natalia's personal archive, we follow her preparations for a fifth season as a principal of the Royal Ballet as she continues to champion contemporary dance with some of the world's greatest choreographers. We watch the rehearsal process of new ballet Mother by Arthur Pita, a new commission with Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, and the Royal Ballet's legendary production of La Bayadere directed by Natalia Makarova. Natalia opens up about her life and history, her childhood in Russia, her time with American Ballet Theatre and her journey to the Opera House. It is an unparalleled opportunity to get up close and personal with the leading ballerina of our generation and understand why critics and audiences all over the world call her a force of nature of the dance world.

A 2021 GRAMMY Nominee for Best Immersive Audio Album!

The Norwegian Girls Choir and pianist Tord Gustavsen combine their talents in a programme of much-loved Christmas carols, leading the audience through expressive improvisations and quiet melancholy to glittering, ecstatic moments. Anne Karin Sundal-Ask directs the performances with attention to each individual singer and to the distinctive sound of the choir as a whole. The result is an uplifting, emotional encounter in which these radiant, young voices appeal to our very hearts. The Norwegian Girls Choir is an independent continuation of The Norwegian Broadcasting Company’s Girls Choir, which was established in 1947. The choir has long been a strong institution in Norwegian cultural life, and it has fostered a number of great singers, musicians and artists.

The sound of the horn epitomized stormy emotions for composers of Romantic music. Robert Schumann is said to have spoken of the horn as being the orchestra's soul. For poets, the horn's sound was a symbol of the soul's longing. For horn players, however, what was at stake for much of the Romantic period was the soul of the horn itself, for it was an instrument that faced experiment and change occasioned by new technology, notably the invention of the valve. This recording explores and illustrates this important era in the evolution of the horn.

Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli – even among fellow pianists this name almost evokes reverence, because it stands for the highest perfection, for a cult of beauty that perhaps no other master pianist has ever practiced. But it also stands for concert cancellations at short notice and artist’s neuroses, which the media spread with delight. “Beyond Perfection - Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli” is the result of a 30-year search for traces, which has not only led to interesting contemporary witnesses, but in particular has brought to light a wealth of new archive material: Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli has never been seen and, above all, never heard like this before. Thus one can experience at first hand how the severely stricken maestro fights his way back to his old perfection after a heart attack. This is the first comprehensive and multi-faceted portrait of the legendary pianist. “A whole lifetime only just suffices to learn to do something well.” (Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli)

This Blu-ray Disc is only playable on Blu-ray Disc players and not compatible with standard DVD players.

Also available on standard DVD

Katie Derham introduces highlights from the past ten years at the Royal Ballet, weaving the history of ballet through carefully curated excerpts from the past decade, and goes behind the scenes to see what it takes to be a dancer in the company of The Royal Ballet as they prepare to take to the stage. With stunning solos, passionate pas de deux and jaw-dropping numbers for the corps de ballet, it is a chance to see your favourite dancers up close, including Carlos Acosta, Marianela Nuñez, Natalia Osipova and Steven McRae, alongside rising stars like Francesca Hayward and Matthew Ball, who will introduce their favourite ballets and share stories of their life on the stage. The ballets featured include the classics Giselle, La Bayadere, Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty and The Nutcracker while the 20th-century heritage of The Royal Ballet is explored in works by Frederick Ashton and Kenneth MacMillan. The contemporary life of the company is showcased in works by Christopher Wheeldon and Wayne McGregor

This Blu-ray Disc is only playable on Blu-ray Disc players and not compatible with standard DVD players.

Also available on standard DVD

Russian dance superstar Natalia Osipova joined The Royal Ballet as a Principal in 2013 and has since filled each of her leading roles with an unforgettable passion, fiery energy and technical prowess. This collection brings together some of her most spellbinding performances: her dramatic dual performance of Odette and her rival Odile in Swan Lake; outstanding solos and flair for comedy as the young lover Lise in La Fille mal gardée; and her electric stage presence in the title role of the quintessential Romantic ballet Giselle where she was hailed as ‘technically and artistically supreme… ethereal and desperately moving’ (The Daily Telegraph). The set is completed with an in-depth portrait, Force of Nature Natalia, which provides an unparalleled opportunity to become closely acquainted with one of the leading ballerinas of her generation, and invites you to discover why critics and audiences all over the world call her a ‘force of nature’ of the dance world.

Also available on Blu-ray

Russian dance superstar Natalia Osipova joined The Royal Ballet as a Principal in 2013 and has since filled each of her leading roles with an unforgettable passion, fiery energy and technical prowess. This collection brings together some of her most spellbinding performances: her dramatic dual performance of Odette and her rival Odile in Swan Lake; outstanding solos and flair for comedy as the young lover Lise in La Fille mal gardée; and her electric stage presence in the title role of the quintessential Romantic ballet Giselle where she was hailed as ‘technically and artistically supreme… ethereal and desperately moving’ (The Daily Telegraph). The set is completed with an in-depth portrait, Force of Nature Natalia, which provides an unparalleled opportunity to become closely acquainted with one of the leading ballerinas of her generation, and invites you to discover why critics and audiences all over the world call her a ‘force of nature’ of the dance world.

Also available on Blu-ray

Katie Derham introduces highlights from the past ten years at the Royal Ballet, weaving the history of ballet through carefully curated excerpts from the past decade, and goes behind the scenes to see what it takes to be a dancer in the company of The Royal Ballet as they prepare to take to the stage. With stunning solos, passionate pas de deux and jaw-dropping numbers for the corps de ballet, it is a chance to see your favourite dancers up close, including Carlos Acosta, Marianela Nuñez, Natalia Osipova and Steven McRae, alongside rising stars like Francesca Hayward and Matthew Ball, who will introduce their favourite ballets and share stories of their life on the stage. The ballets featured include the classics Giselle, La Bayadere, Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty and The Nutcracker while the 20th-century heritage of The Royal Ballet is explored in works by Frederick Ashton and Kenneth MacMillan. The contemporary life of the company is showcased in works by Christopher Wheeldon and Wayne McGregor

This 3-DVD set presents RSC productions of three of Shakespeare's most popular comedies. The Merry Wives of Windsor is a joyful portrait of suburbia, wives and over-inflated egos. In The Taming of the Shrew society is reimagined as a matriarchy, whilst Twelfth Night is a heartbreaking tale of unrequited love. "Christopher Luscombe's deliciously louche production... it's a visual feast... sumptuous nostalgia. Adrian Edmondson steals the show as Malvolio... Terrific..." (The Daily Mail) "The play busts with slap (stick) and tickle, prats and pratfalls and lots of laughs- there is not a weak link in the cast." (The Times)

This 18-opera collection displays the scope of The Royal Opera's work. From the sumptuous beauty of Richard Eyre's La traviata and the picturesque realism of John Copley's La bohème to the psychological intensity of David McVicar's Salome and Kasper Holten's Król Roger, the impressive collection spans more than two hundred years of great operatic works from the classical period to the present day. Featuring some of the company's most popular guest artists, including Renée Fleming, Jonas Kaufmann, Joseph Calleja and Diana Damrau, and conductors including The Royal Opera's Music Director Antonio Pappano, The Royal Opera Collection is a dazzling tour of operatic treasures by Mozart, Verdi, Bizet, Wagner, Mascagni, Leoncavallo, Puccini, Richard Strauss, Szymanowski, Britten and George Benjamin. This title is a re-packaging of The Royal Opera Collection (OA1244BD) at budget price, including the same content and booklet as the original release (which will be discontinued).