The Christmas Oratorio by Johann Sebastian Bach captures the musical essence of the festive season. The most important Christmas setting by Leipzig's famed grandmaster is heard in concerts all across the world every year. This reference recording of all six cantatas is resplendent and features a dream group of Bach specialists as soloists. The festive grandeur of the sections with full orchestra and the intimacy of arias with vocal and instrumental soloists in virtuoso dialogue have been combined by Ton Koopman into a convincing and timeless overall concept. Koopman allows the music to flow and breathe naturally, and constantly demonstrates his keen sense for tantalising the senses with tonal colours. - Rondo

In choosing Movements as the title for this album of piano works, George LI highlights both their structure and their dancing spirit: the 18 movements of Schumann's Davidsbündlertänze (supplemented by his Arabeske in C major) are followed by Ravel's eight Valses nobles et sentimentales and three movements from Stravinsky's score for the ballet Petruskha. "There are intriguing and intoxicating elements in this dance programme that captured me from the outset when crafting it," says the Boston-born pianist. "Broadly speaking, I love the effects of color and harmony in these works, as well as the general feeling of an evolution, or perhaps a continuous battle, between the introverted and extroverted impulses... The Davidsbündlertänze embodies the full spectrum of human emotion - despair, anxiety, sorrow, triumph, bliss, or pure love, to name a few... Another fascinating element in this program is the motivic and harmonic threads which connect the smaller pieces into a cohesive whole. Recently, I've developed a great obsession with learning how to weave musical moments into a single overarching architectural narrative. This program offers a different challenge - giving space for each musical moment to be it's own distinct individual voice, while also still maintaining the narrative arc..."

The nine Beethoven Symphonies are considered to be one of the greatest musical testaments of all time and are a key staple in every conductor's repertoire. Simon Rattle performed the complete cycle with the Wiener Philharmoniker in live concerts, recorded for EMI between 29 April and 17 May 2002 at the historic Musikverein in Vienna. 'These are not interpretations set in stone, deeply as Rattle has obviously thought them through; and his encouragement of the brilliant VPO woodwind and horn soloists to challenge each other in imagination and individuality adds to the impression of joyful discovery.' - GRAMOPHONE

Classical Music

The term 'living legend' is genuinely apt to Martha Argerich, whose dazzling amalgam of virtuosity, insight, eclecticism, generosity and mystery makes her a pianist of unrivalled fascination. Argentinian-born, Viennese-trained, and winner of the 1965 Chopin Competition, she became a sometimes elusive figure whose every appearance and recording aroused eager anticipation. This collection presents Argerich in solo works, concertos and chamber collaborations.

Classical Music

Grammy Award winning choral ensemble Chanticleer returns to one of their favorite idioms christmas music with special guest Dawn uPSHUpshaw.

This is a collection of choral repertoire spanning 400 years including Agnus Dei, the choral setting of Barber's Adagio for Strings, and the world premiere of a new choral arrangement of the Nimrod movement from Elgar's Enigma Variations.

Two discs of treasures by one of Spain's greatest sopranos! She sings arias from Verdi's Aida; Boito's Mefistofele ; Rossini's Guillaume Tell ; Puccini's Madama Butterfly ; songs by Turina and Montsalvatge, and more!

CARMINA BURANA is a 13th century manuscript discovered in the medieval monastery of Benediktbeuren. It means literally "Songs of Beuren," and consists of 250 poems in latin and Middle High German.

Classical Music

PIANO CTOS

2 CD 1 CD-ROM.

Classical Music

Nikolaus Harnoncourt and Gustav Leonhardt were at the forefront of the early music movement that swept classical music in the '70s and '80s, performing pieces from the canon with period instruments in order to re-create the original intent of the composer as closely as possible. And their most enduring legacy is right here, the complete survey of Bach's sacred cantatas that they began in 1971 and completed in 1988. This body of work has served as a beacon for younger musicians seeking a fuller understanding of Bach's work, and will forever be regarded as one of the pioneering projects in the history of recording classical music. 60 CDs in all. "Brilliant"- New York Times.