"And the Beethoven! They played Beethoven differently from the way Beethoven had been played before!" Said the composer William Schuman, then president of New York's Juilliard School of Music, who initiated the Juilliard String Quartet as a resident quartet at the famous music academy in 1946. Today the Juilliards have become a living American legend; they are regarded as one of the greatest of all string quartets, not least on account of their Beethoven recording which received a Grammy Award. This DVD is a unique document of a Beethoven concert they gave at Polling in Bavaria in 1975. It shows the quartet midway through a success story that has now lasted more than six decades. The beautiful baroque library of the former Augustinian Monastery to the south-west of Munich -- beloved of chamber musicians for its wonderful acoustic -- resounded with three of Beethoven's numerous quartets, an early piece (op.18 no.4, written in1799), a middle-period work (the first of the three Rasumovsky Quartets op.59, composed in 1806) and one of the late quartets (the famous stream of musical consciousness, op. 131, completed in 1826). The cast still included the now retired first violinist and founder of the quartet, Robert Mann, who always regarded himself as primus inter pares, with particular emphasis on the equality of all four players, and the second violinist Earl Carlyss who holds the colourful view that a string quartet is like a chair with four legs, none of which can be <b>...</b>

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Euroarts DVD Trailer: 3085278 More Info.: www.naxos.com

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Euroarts DVD Trailer: 2072248 More Info.: www.naxos.com Recorded live at the Music Center, Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Los Angeles, 10-13 January 1977.

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Heinz Holliger, oboe; Keller Quartet (András Keller, violin; János Pilz, violin; Zoltán Gál, viola; Judit Szabó, cello); Carolina Eyck, theremin; Robert Kolinsky, piano This DVD is a documentary of Heinz Holliger, the leading oboist of our day. As a composer Holliger has become a classic exponent of musical modernism, while as an oboist and conductor he is one of the most inspirational figures on the contemporary music scene. Here too we encounter him here as an enthusiastic guide through each of the work that recorded with the Keller Quartet in a private concert for the home viewer recorded at the Musik-Akademie in Basel in 2005. The programme is made up of four exceptionally interesting works, starting with Mozarts Quartet for oboe, violin, viola and cello K 370, a kind of crypto-concerto that the 25year-old composer wrote in Munich in 1781. The next work is another early piece, Benjamin Brittens Phantasy op. 2 for oboe and string quartet, which was composed in 1932, when the composer was 19. Holliger too was only 17 when he wrote his own Oboe Sonata in 19567, a work that strikes up a strange conversation between the oboist and his instrument. Bohuslav Martinus Fantasia for theremin, oboe, string quartet and piano is a mature work dating from 1945, when the composer was already 55 years of age. It was written for an instrument that is something like a pioneer of electronic instruments, invented by the engineer Lev Sergeyevich Termen (18961993) and operated by means of <b>...</b>

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The cycle Má vlast (My Fatherland) is Smetana's glorious declaration of his love for his homeland, and who else could be better qualified to conduct this icon of Czech national music than Rafael Kubelik whose career has been interwoven with the Czech music scene for decades? Few conductors have taken as keen an interest in this work, or been more closely identified with its contents than he has. Here we hear it performed by the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, often labelled "Kubelik's orchestra", at the Herkulessaal in Munich in 1984. Kubelik conducted the ensemble for nearly two decades, starting in 1961, a period described by music critic Joachim Kaiser as the conductor's "Golden Age". Born in 1914, the son of the internationally acclaimed Czech violinist, Jan Kubelik first conducted the Czech Philharmonic in 1934 and became its principal conductor in 1941. But in 1948 the Communists' seizure of power forced him to emigrate, and he subsequently was principal conductor of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and music director of the Royal Opera, Covent Garden. Always particularly close to the music of his home region, he became famous for his interpretations of Dvořak, Janáček and Smetana. Kubelik died in 1996 and Bedřich Smetana's Má vlast had often featured at decisive turning points in his life. In June 1945, for example, he first conducted it at an open-air concert in Prague's Old Town Square to mark Czechoslovakia's newly restored political freedom. As a co-founder of <b>...</b>

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Dee Dee Bridgewater, vocals; Edsel Gomez, piano; Ian Anderson, flute; Lucia Micarelli, violin; John OHara, keyboard; James Duncan, drums; David Goodier, bass; Florian Ophale, guitar; Christiane Oelze, soprano; Benjamin Schmid, violin; Bireli Lagrène, guitar; Georg Breinschmid, bass; Amira Selim, soprano; Osvaldo Calo, piano; Ibrahim Kawala, kawala; Henri Agnel, oud; Idriss Agnel, oudou; Michael Pogo Kreiner, guitar; Diana Lueger, drums; Alexander Machat, bass; Jozej Stikar, keyboard; Reinwald Kranner, vocals Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra Andrey Boreyko Recorded live in the Museum Quarter in Vienna in January 2006, this concert was inspired by the music of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, whose 250th birthday made this year a celebratory Mozart Anniversary all over the world. With artists like singer Dee Dee Bridgewater, rock flutist Ian Anderson (formerly of Jethro Tull), the Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra and conductor Andrey Boreyko, this musical event proved to be a true crossover experience. All outstanding musical personalities in their field, the performers interpret Mozart`s compositions in their personal musical languages thus preserving the fascinating original Spirits of Mozart. They produce a rousing, electrifying melange of classical, jazz and pop culture that shows that the impact of Mozart`s music reaches far beyond the boundaries of classical music and can still reach the broad public of the www.naxos.com

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Gil Shaham, violin; Orli Shaham, piano As their personal tribute to Mozart in his anniversary year 2006, Gil & Orli Shaham performed a selection of violin sonatas by the Austrian master in the Palais Daun-Kinsky in Vienna. Brimming with energy and bravery, tempered only by a deep understanding of the music, the siblings paid their respect to the composer on his 250th birthday. Violinist Gil Shaham is internationally recognized as a virtuosic and engaging classical artists by both audiences and critics alike. He is sought after throughout the world for concerto appearances with celebrated orchestras and conductors, as well as for recital and ensemble appearances on the great concert stages and at the most prestigious festivals. His sister Orli has established an impressive international reputation as a gifted pianist. Although they were born less than five years apart, the siblings seldom appear together in public. Apparently, their parents discouraged them from doing so, since Orli, as she explains, was "just ready to come out of the sandbox" when Gil was already having a big career. This DVD finally brings them together in a recording. www.naxos.com

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Euroarts DVD Trailer: 3085238 More Info.: www.naxos.com

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Kim Criswell, Audra McDonald, Thomas Hampson, Brent Barrett, Karl Daymond, Timothy Robinson, Richard Burkhard, Paul Bradley, Michael Dore, Simone Sauphanor,Frances Bourne; Wayne Marshall, piano European Voices; Berliner Philharmoniker Simon Rattle Simon Rattle and the Berlin Philharmonic set off fireworks of good humour and a contagious musical spirit at the traditional New Years Eve Concert in 2002. Simon Rattle chose Leonard Bernsteins brilliant and entertaining musical comedy, Wonderful Town, for his first New Years Eve Concert with the Berlin Philharmonic. Conductor and orchestra both rank among the best in the world joined forces with Broadway stars Kim Criswell and Audra McDonald and famous baritone Thomas Hampson. The audience enjoyed a great show full of dancing, choruses, fascinating light design and above all intoxicating music. The exuberant atmosphere of this event culminated in an overwhelming encore with the musicians and audience dancing through the hall! The filming on this DVD captures the atmosphere right in the middle of orchestra, singers and audience and recreates a wonderful night on the town. www.naxos.com

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Frank Michael Erben, violin Gewandhausorchester Leipzig Kurt Masur At an attractive mid-range price, this 20 part DVD series brings famous masterpieces closer to the viewer through first class concert broadcasts and an introductory documentary. These audio-visual concert guides to highlights of classical music allow the listener to enjoy the best of music from the Baroque period up to the present day in an entirely new way. After Dvoraks Symphony Nr. 9 From the New World and Mozarts Jupiter Symphony, follows Mendelssohns Concerto for Violin and Orchestra. Frank Michael Erben, first violinist of the famous Gewandhaus Quartet, joins the Gewandhaus Orchestra Leipzig under Kurt Masur in a recording made in May 1997. Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy (1809-1847) was the orchestras first conductor and the Gewandhaus Orchestra proud of its long history is an appropriate choice for an introduction to a work by the composer. With his famous Violin Concerto in E minor the composer forged a link between Classicism and Romanticism. Frank Michael Erben and the musicologist Armin Koch reveal how the composer combined the best of both worlds and created a musically rich and virtuoso piece that remains a popular favourite with audiences until today. The DVD series features eminent orchestras, acclaimed experts, renowned soloists and outstanding conductors. Each introductory film is clearly designed and provides plenty of information. Examples from the musical score help the viewer to <b>...</b>

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Max Raabe and his Palast Orchester give dance and film Music from the 1920s and 1930s a rousing revival. They specialise in recreating the sound of the 1920s and 1930s, performing songs by the Comedian Harmonists, Robert Stolz, Friedrich Hollaender, Franz Lehar, Theo Mackeben and Irving Berlin and evoke the nostalgic atmosphere that has captured the imaginations for generations and still charms audiences from all over the world performing music from the golden age of song-writing in pre-war Germany. They also feature highlights of the excellent music entertainment tradition of the Americas in the same period. Max Raabe and his Palast Orchester are exquisite interpreters of these tunes, and play them with such precision, jovial vitality and utter perfection that the 80 year old songs sound as fresh and lively as they did when first performed. Max Raabe himself has a distinct and exceptional voice which, added to his looks, makes him seem like the reincarnation of a singer from the Golden Twenties. The song and the show arent simply remakes, but wonderful new interpretations, which reveal the timeless modernity of these brilliant works. Recorded live at the Waldbühne Berlin in August 2006, the tours in which they performed for excited audiences all over the world included concerts in New York, Los Angeles, Shanghai, Tokyo, Rome, Paris, Monte Carlo, Moscow and Amsterdam. A bonus film entitled New York, Rome, Japan conveys tour impressions introduced and narrated by Max Raabe <b>...</b>

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The Kuijken Ensemble: Barthold Kuijken, transverse flute; Sigiswald Kuijken, violin; Wieland Kuijken, viola da gamba; Robert Kohnen, harpsichord The Kuijken Ensemble, made up of the three Belgian Kuijken brothers on flute, violin and viola da gamba and the harpsichordist Robert Kohnen count among the most distinguished of all present-day early-music specialists. They have long since branched out into conducting and other far-reaching ways of propagating authentic Baroque style. But they are each masters of a different set of instruments, so their occasional reunions for concerts become genuine occasions. With The Musical Offering, played here in a rigorously reduced scoring, they demonstrate their great flair for style and their long-standing experience and although they dont look at all alike, their shared musical heritage is audible. Bachs late masterpiece The Musical Offering (1747) is a musical homage written on the occasion of Bachs visit to King Frederick the Great of Prussia in Potsdam. Recorded in the beautiful setting of the historical Old Town Hall in Leipzig during the Bach anniversary year in 2000, the film captures some of the atmosphere of Bachs times. www.naxos.com

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Alessandra Ferri (Juliet), Angel Corella (Romeo) Orchestra del Teatro alla Scala David Garforth Choreography by Kenneth MacMillan, adapted by Monica Parker, Georgina Parkinson & Julie Lincoln. The revival of the classically choreographed version of Prokofievs Romeo and Juliet by senior choreographer Kenneth MacMillan enjoyed a phenomenal success at La Scala in January 2000: it was the first time that Alessandra Ferri and Angel Corella, the acclaimed stars of the American Ballet Theatre, had danced together on stage. Hailed by the Italian press as the new star couple, they both brought to their roles the youthfulness and innocence reflected in Prokofievs music: Juliet, the young, inexperienced adolescent girl who puts all her faith in her feelings of love and suffers the heights of passion as well as the depths of despair, and Romeo, the carefree young man certain of his feelings as a lover, ready to turn the established order on its head as a result, and knowing no bounds in his love for Juliet. The intensive role-play of the two protagonists turns the lovers tragic end into a disaster that we experience with them, transcending the conventions of the storys familiarand thus predictable close. Romeo is one of the favourite roles of the Spanish dancer Angel Corella and, indeed, the part of the fiery young man seems tailor-made for him. He combines virtuoso technique with well-defined performance qualities, and it is easy to believe his assertion that he loves being an actor <b>...</b>

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Lukas Hagen, Rainer Schmidt, violins; Veronika Hagen, viola; Clemens Hagen, violoncello With its recordings of Mozarts string quartets Nos. 14 to 19, the Hagen Quartet exhibits some of the composers most refined compositional thinking and a remarkably wide range of emotions. These quartets were composed in the early 1780s and served as a tribute to Joseph Haydn, whom Mozart much admired. The Hagen Quartet is internationally regarded as a leading proponent of the genre, and after more than twenty years in the business, the siblings Lukas, Veronika and Clemens Hagen and second violinist Rainer Schmidt continue to bring an exceptional freshness and passion and an overwhelming sense of commitment to the music they cultivate. As Salzburgers, they have always been expected to play Mozart and these recordings from the 1998 Salzburg Festival show that their interpretations of the composers works are marked by great contrast and expression. They refer to the period performance style, but avoid the excesses of the authentic movement. The combination of youthful verve coupled with an intellectual grasp of Mozart's compositional techniques makes the Hagen Quartet's account of the so-called Haydn Quartets an extremely winning set of performances! www.naxos.com

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Berliner Philharmoniker Claudio Abbado EuroArts has released a special edition of all nine Beethoven Symphonies played by the Berlin Philharmonic under former chief conductor Claudio Abbado. This DVD ends the series with symphonies Nos. 4 and 7, recorded live at the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome in February 2001. As a special feature, it offers the multi-angle Conductor Camera in the latter symphony which shows the maestro from the perspective of the musicians. And as a further bonus it also comprises the half-hour interview film Abbado on Beethoven. Each of the symphonies is a masterpiece in itself they are all quite different, each representing the composers musical idiom at a particular stage in his development. The Symphony No. 4 was written in 1806 and although musically strong counts among the lesser played of Beethoven's symphonies. The Symphony No. 7 was premiered 1813 and is regarded to identify a new stage in Beethovens composing as classical elements intertwine with romantic ones. The recordings feature interpretations that are the fruit of decades of Claudio Abbados involvement with Beethoven. Listening to the music, one hears how the Berlin Philharmonic transforms Abbados musical intentions into sound there is a sense of unity that can only be achieved through many years of shared artistic experience. Claudio Abbado was Artistic Director of the Berlin Philharmonic from 1989-2002 and has remained close to the orchestra ever since. This series of <b>...</b>

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Michael Maertens, Dietmar König, Peter Maertens, Christoph Bantzer, Isabel Rey, Barbara Bonney, Birgit Remmert, Michael Schade, Oliver Widmer, Michael Maertens, Dietmar König, Peter Maertens, Christoph Bantzer Directed for Stage by Jürgen Flimm Konzertvereinigung Wiener Staatsopernchor Concentus Musicus Wien Nikolaus Harnoncourt This acclaimed production of Henry Purcells best-known opera, King Arthur comes live from the Salzburg Festival 2004. Composed in 1691, the work can be described as the first ever musical drama, music, dance and stage effects are all combined in one Gesamtkunstwerk. Drama is coupled with opera; courtly dance rhythms with a farcical, bucolic play and the myth of national grandeur is treated with biting satire, thus creating a brilliant synthesis of the arts or, as conductor Nikolaus Harnoncourt describes it, the first musical in history. The world-famous baroque specialist gathered a musical dream-team made up of his own orchestra, the Concentus musicus Wien and the best singers on the baroque scene. Barbara Bonney, Isabel Rey and Michael Schade all highly acclaimed artists took on the singing while a set of eminent actors played out the story on the stage. Harnoncourt and stage director Jürgen Flimm created a surprisingly concise version of the complicated story of the British King Arthur and his opponent Oswald. This entertaining piece full of amazing sounds and bewitching images comes across vividly on DVD. www.naxos.com

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Frank-Michael Erben, 1st violin; Conrad Suske, 2nd violin; Volker Metz, viola; Jürnjakob Timm, cello; Stefan Adelmann, doublebass In celebration of the Mozart Year the anniversary of the composers 250th birthday would have been on 27 January 2006 EuroArts releases a DVD with Mozarts most famous works for string quartet and the serenade Eine kleine Nachtmusik for string quintet. Recorded at the beautiful baroque palace Rammenau, Saxony in May 2005, the DVD features the longest established string quartet in the world, the Gewandhaus Quartet. Founded in 1808, the Quartet can be seen as a remarkable part of the western history of music, having continued its concert activity uninterrupted from generation to generation with great success for almost 200 years. The current line-up has been playing together since 1993 and was formed, as the tradition goes, from the concertmasters, solo violist and solo cellist of the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra. In cooperation with EuroArts Music the four musicians also recorded compositions by Haydn, Beethoven, Schubert, Mendelssohn and Mozart for audiovisual music productions. www.naxos.com

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EuroArts DVD Trailer: 2056338 More Info.: www.naxos.com Recorded live at the Concert Hall of the Culture and Convention Center, Lucerne, 19 August 2007.

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Kammerorchester CPE Bach Hartmut Haenchen At an attractive mid-range price, EuroArts presents audio-visual concert guides to masterpieces of classical music. They allow the listener to experience and enjoy great music from the Baroque period up to the present day in an entirely new way, offering a combination of documentary material and a complete performance of the featured work. The Berlin and Vienna Philharmonic Orchestras, the Gewandhaus Orchestra and other eminent musical bodies join forces with acclaimed experts, famous soloists and outstanding conductors to highlight the distinctive features of twenty famous masterpieces by the most important composers through first class concert recordings. Each introductory feature is clearly designed and provides abundant information. Examples from the musical score help the viewer to follow the themes and rhythms and to understand the structure of the work. New film material documenting the birthplaces of the composers and locations of composition is combined with historic film material, works of art and original manuscripts. It allows the viewer to embark on a journey back to the time and place of composition and informs him about the life of the composer while providing a complete introduction to the work. Recorded live at the Konzerthaus Berlin in November 2005, the series continues with the Berlin-based Kammerorchester CPE Bach under its musical director Hartmut Haenchen. It presents Mozarts Jupiter Symphony, his 41st <b>...</b>

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MDR Radio Choir; Gewandhausorchester Leipzig Kurt Masur To celebrate his 80th birthday, Kurt Masur led his Gewandhaus Orchestra in a special gala concert in June 2007. For his birthday concert, Masur, currently principal conductor of the London Philharmonic Orchestra and the Orchestre National de France, chose a varied, celebratory programme with works by composers highlighting his conducting career in the United States, France and Germany. The night progressed with works by Bernstein, Bizet and Brahms and as a special present - a song from Gershwins Porgy and Bess, sung by entertainer Harald Schmidt. At Kurt Masur's wish, the popular German TV entertainer, a former church musician, hosted the show, demonstrating his quick-witted humour and general knowledge of all aspects of music. Abounding in energy, alert as ever, Masur has been untiringly lending new impulses to the entire orchestral repertoire. From 1970 until 1996 he did so as Gewandhaus Kapellmeister of the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, a position that has almost come to be identified with his name. He is still Conductor Laureate of the ensemble; the fact that he chose the orchestra for his birthday celebration expresses his gratitude and respect for the orchestra that accompanied him during momentous and troubled times. Kurt Masur had an eventful life - he was famously swept into politics as a peacemaker when the Berlin Wall was about to fall. He was recently awarded Germanys Great Cross of the Legion of Honour <b>...</b>

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Daniel Barenboim, piano EuroArts presents a spectacular musical event featuring Daniel Barenboim, one of the most prolific and high-profile artists performing on international stages today. He introduced this concert, which was recorded live at the famous Teatro alla Scala Milan in May 2007 as A concert dedicated to Italy, but not by a conductor. It is a highly personal tribute to a country he has toured regularly as a conductor and the first ever live instrumental recital recording at this internationally renowned venue. For his solo piano recital he chose Franz Liszt's Années de pèlerinage (Years of Pilgrimage), composed 18371849, which contains some of the composers most beautiful piano music - a feast not only for piano lovers. Daniel Barenboim, one of the worlds foremost pianists and leading experts on Liszt, gracefully melds the technical and poetic aspects of one of the most rewarding of all Romantic piano works. The recital includes several numbers from the Deuxième Année: Italie and other Italy-related compositions by Liszt such as St. François dAssise. La prédication aux oiseaux from Légendes and finally several creative transcriptions from well-known operas like Verdis Miserere from Trovatore, Danza sacra e duetto from Aida and Paraphrase de concert from Rigoletto. Barenboim brings his passion and his special approach and colour to his readings of Liszt, offering an evocative rendering of the piano works. Recorded using brand new state-of-the-art technology <b>...</b>

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Leopoldo Federico, bandoneon and his Orquesta Típica; Mora Godoy and Junio Cervilla, dancers Orquesta Filarmónica de Buenos Aires Daniel Barenboim Tango has long become more than the popular Argentine urban dance which developed after 1870 in the poor working class and immigrant areas on the outskirts of Buenos Aires. Tango has aficionados worldwide be it for its music, culture or the dance. On New Years Eve 2006, conductor and pianist Daniel Barenboim, Argentinean by birth and upbringing, celebrated the end of the year with a spectacular musical event: a festival of Argentinean music live from Buenos Aires. In a seamless fusion of classical and traditional music, the Orquesta Filarmónica de Buenos Aires under Barenboim joined the excellent bandoneon virtuoso Leopoldo Federico and his Orquesta Tipica to present an extraordinary show with popular tangos and Latin American orchestra classics to a crowd of 10000 in a free open-air concert at the Plaza de la República. Enchanting new arrangements of works by the Argentinean artists Astor Piazzola, Carlos Gardel, Julio de Caro, Alberto Ginastera and Horacio Salgan and performances by the leading tango dancers Mora Godoy and Junior Cervila from Buenos Aires added to the atmosphere of a night of Tangos sinfónicos. Fascinating to watch and exciting to listen to not just for tango aficionados! www.naxos.com

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Renate Behle, soprano; Yvonne Naef, contralto; Glenn Winslade, tenor; Hanno Müller-Brachmann, bass Rundfunkchor Berlin; SWR-Sinfonieorchester Michael Gielen Michael Gielen acclaimed for his vivid and uncompromisingly modern Beethoven performances conducts the SWR-Sinfonieorchester. The exiled German conductor, born 1927, fuelled discussion about appropriate tempi in Beethoven interpretation when he started conducting Beethoven much faster than tradition in post-war Germany would have it. His style came closer to Arturo Toscanini and Richard Strauss legendary readings and was underpinned by musicological research. Above all, it made the great movements of Beethovens orchestral works so much more plausible and musically convincing in the view of critics, audiences and musicians alike. Michael Gielen was awarded with the Cannes Classical Lifetime Achievement Award 2002 at MIDEM in Cannes for his 50-year commitment to the music world. Recorded live with state-of-the art technology at the Festspielhaus Baden-Baden and the Konzerthaus Freiburg between 1997 -2000, this Beethoven cycle presents the Nine Symphonies on separately available 3 DVDs. www.naxos.com

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Sarah Chang, violin; Ana María Martínez, soprano Berliner Philharmoniker Plácido Domingo This EuroArts release forms part of the celebrations for the 125th anniversary of the Berlin Philharmonic. It captures an evening of Spanish music and Spanish themes recorded live in 2001. World-famous tenor Plácido Domingo conducts the Berlin Philharmonic in works, which have always been particularly close to his heart. The concert features fabulous violinist Sarah Chang performing virtuosic show-pieces such as Sarasate's Carmen Fantasy and Gypsy Airs. The programme also included a collection of delightful zarzuela arias, sung by Ana Maria Martinez, winner of the Plácido Domingo Vocal Competition in Barcelona. The DVD captures the unique atmosphere of the Berlin Philharmonics annual summer concert at the Waldbühne, Berlin. This very successful open-air concert has become a regular event in Berlins social calendar. The Bonus Film shows Plácido Domingo in conversation with Sarah Chang and Behind-the-Scenes pictures from the concert. REPERTOIRE: Amadeo Vives: Fandango from "Dona Francisquita", Pablo de Sarasate: Gypsy Airs, Emmanuel Chabrier: Espana, Johann Strauß: Spanischer Marsch, Frederico Moreno Torroba: La Petenera from "La Marchenera", Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakow: Capriccio espagnol, op. 34, José Serrano: Romanze aus "Los Claveles", Pablo de Sarasate: Carmen Fantasie, José Pablo Mancayo: Huapango, Pablo Luna: Cancion espanola from "El nino judio", Jules Massenet: Méditation from <b>...</b>

Classical DVD 2051238 naxosvideos

Peter Hofmann, Siegfried Vogel, Karan Armstrong, Leif Roar, Elizabeth Connell, Bernd Weikl, Directed for Stage by Götz Friedrich Chor der Bayreuther Fetsspiele; Orchester der Bayreuther Festspiele Woldemar Nelsson EuroArts presents this exclusive recording of Richard Wagners Opera Lohengrin live from the Bayreuth festival in 1982. Richard Wagner's three-act opera, an exquisitely lyrical piece, characterized by the composer's romantic vision of the individual's fight for freedom under an oppressive rule, has been described as Wagner's most Italianate opera This masterful and timeless interpretation by the famous opera director Götz Friedrich was filmed on the stage of the Festspielhaus in Bayreuth over a period of several days, but without audience, shortly before the start of the actual festival. In this way, undisturbed state-of-the-art filming was made possible within the limited space of the small 19th century auditorium and stage. The result is an intense, film-like rendering of one of the classic Bayreuth stagings with an ensemble of stars including Karen Armstrong and Bernd Weikl. The title-role is particularly suited to the dramatic and musical talents of Peter Hofmann, whose adoption of Wagnerian roles in the eighties before Parkinson disease forced his farewell from the stage - has been received with international and ongoing praise. He was the star of Wagner interpretation for more than a decade and this DVD pays tribute to the artists skills. www.naxos.com

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Euroarts DVD Trailer: 2055528 More Info.: www.naxos.com

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Lady Day The Many Faces of Billie Holiday invites viewers to see the many faces of this dark lady of the sonnets, as one poet called her, and to appreciate her undying art more deeply. Most presentations feature Lady Day as the sad victim of hard times and drugs. The single fact of her life that matters above all others is that she was a great artist who, with Louis Armstrong, invented modern jazz singing. Mining a treasure-trove of completely new information, the producers set the record straight and beautifully. In a voice that is Billie-like in its rasping wiseness and its ring, stage and screen star, Ruby Dee, reads from Holidays autobiography, Lady Sings the Blues. With Carmen McRae, Annie Ross, Buck Clayton, Harry Sweets Edison, Mal Waldron, Milt Gabler, Albert Murray and others. Masters of American Music is an award-winning television series as entertaining as it is educational and memorable that celebrate a pantheon of the greatest innovators in Jazz. Individual programmes trace the lives and works of master musicians who defined the course of Americas classical music. From its birth in New Orleans, to swing, the big bands, bebop, free Jazz and beyond all of it is explored with sensitivity and in unique depth. Over 80 interviews were filmed in the making of the series. Featured artists come to life through these interviews, exciting rare performances, period footage and vintage photographs meticulously reproduced. Both the video and audio content has been restored <b>...</b>

Billie Holiday interviews lady day jazz american music ruby dee carmen mcrae annie ross buck clayton harry sweets edison mal waldron milt gabler albert murray MOAM euroarts 2057098 naxosvideos

Lucia Aliberti, Agnes Baltsa, Daniela Barcellona, Deborah Sasson, Sandra Schwarzhaupt, Anna Tomowa-Sintow, Gunther Emmerlich, Kurt Rydl, Vincenzo La Scola, Neil Shicoff Prague Symphony Orchestra; Deutsches Filmorchester Babelsberg; Penderecki Festival Orchestra Roland Seiffarth, Oleg Caetani This great musical event presents a rare gathering of some of the most important and popular opera singers of our time. Recorded live at the Theatre Square Dresden in 1998-2000, the open-air concert featured the upper ranks of todays stars in the singing world. The program presents favourite scenes and arias from Rossini, Mozart, Bizet, J. Strauss, Puccini, Cilea, Verdi and Lehar. Particular highlights include Agnes Baltsa and Neil Shicoff singing the final scene from Carmen (both artists can be heard in solo arias as well) and Anna Tomowa-Sintow singing Cileas Adriana Lecouvreur. The vast open-air event, with over 15000 in attendance, was recorded live and with high-quality surround sound. It provides the viewer with a gala festival celebrating some of the most wonderful voices of on the current operatic circuit. REPERTOIRE: Works by Strauss II, Rossini, Mozart, Bizet, Verdi, Puccini, Cilea, Catalani, Schrammel www.naxos.com

Strauss II Rossini Mozart Bizet Verdi Puccini Cilea Catalani Schrammel opera Lucia Aliberti Agnes Baltsa Daniela Barcellona Deborah Sasson Sandra Schwarzhaupt Anna Tomowa-Sintow Gunther Emmerlich Kurt Rydl Vincenzo La Scola Neil Shicoff medici arts euroarts 2054028 naxosvideos

David Fathead Newman, Dr. John, Billy Joel, Willie Nelson, Hank Crawford, Ahmet Ertegun, Jerry Wexler, Billy Preston and many others Limited Edition in special packaging! Ray Charles was the innovator who fused gospel, jazz and blues to create modern soul music. His crossover vision also widened the scope of country and western, his unique voice touching the hearts of people around the world. Never-before-seen interviews with Ray himself as well as his family and friends reveal the heartbreak and humour of a man who overcame all odds, moving through tragedy to triumph and immortality. Included are rare and riveting clips of Rays finest performances and greatest hits from five decades of music that altered the musical map. Like the man it profiles, Ray Charles: The Genius of Soul has a voice thats distinctive, emotional and impressively truthful. New York Post Masters of American Music is an award-winning television series as entertaining as it is educational and memorable that celebrate a pantheon of the greatest innovators in Jazz. Individual programmes trace the lives and works of master musicians who defined the course of Americas classical music. From its birth in New Orleans, to swing, the big bands, bebop, free Jazz and beyond all of it is explored with sensitivity and in unique depth. Over 80 interviews were filmed in the making of the series. Featured artists come to life through these interviews, exciting rare performances, period footage and vintage photographs <b>...</b>

Classical DVD Masters of American Music 2057138 naxosvideos

EuroArts DVD Trailer: Ludwig van Beethoven's ODE TO FREEDOM (Medici Arts Catalogue No. 2072039) Date Released: September 2009 More Info.: www.naxos.com

NAXOS 2072039 DVD Medici Arts Classical Concert Ludwig van Beethoven Leonard Bernstein Dresden Staatskapelle Kirov Opera Orchestra Orchestre de Paris Berlin Radio Chorus June Anderson Klaus Konig Jan-Hendrick Rootering Sarah Walker naxosvideos

Euroarts DVD Trailer: Karl Bohm in Rehearsal and Performance (Medici Arts Catalogue No. 2072198) Date Released: More Info.: www.naxos.com This historical documentary grants the viewer insight into Bohm's ear for detail in rehearsing Schubert's "Great" C major Symphony, while also allowing the viewer to experience the fascinating result of his work in the rehearsal room in the form of the ensuing concert. Franz Schubert: Symphony No. 9 in C major D. 944 "The Great" Rehearsal and Performance Wiener Symphoniker Recorded in black & white at the Musikverein (Grosser Saal), Vienna, Austria, 1966. Directed for video by Henri Colpi.

Classical Concert DVD Karl Bohm Vienna Philharmonic Henri Colpi Franz Schubert Great Symphony D. 944 Symphony in C major euroarts 2072198 naxosvideos

Berliner Philharmoniker Pierre Boulez Volume IV of the 20 part DVD series Discovering Masterpieces of Classical Music features one of the worlds most eminent and renowned orchestras with a signature piece of 20th century composition. The Berlin Philharmonic present Béla Bartók's Concerto for Orchestra recorded live at the orchestras annual Europa Concert in Lisbon in 2003. The work is brilliantly orchestrated and demonstrates a multitude of compositional techniques. Bartók drew creative inspiration from the heterogeneous traditions of symphonic and folk music, and the piece calls for supreme virtuosity on the part of the musicians. The conductor Pierre Boulez, who is also one of the most important composers of our time, demonstrates musically on the podium and in interview in the documentary - why this work is unparalleled for its compositional mastery amongst contemporary works. At an attractive mid-range price, this newly edited series brings famous masterpieces closer to the viewer through first class concert broadcasts and an introductory documentary. These audio-visual concert guides to highlights of classical music allow the listener to enjoy the best of music from the Baroque period up to the present day in an entirely new way. The DVD series features important orchestras, acclaimed experts, renowned soloists and outstanding conductors. Each introductory film is clearly designed and provides plenty of information. Examples from the musical score help the viewer to <b>...</b>

Classical DVD Concerto for Orchestra naxosvideos

Richard Versalle, Cheryl Studer, Ruthild Engert-Ely, Hans Sotin, Wolfgang Brendel, Siegfried Vogel Orchester & Chor der Bayreuther Festspiele Giuseppe Sinopoli This performance of Richard Wagners Tannhäuser was recorded at the Bayreuth Festival in 1989. The production, conducted by the late Giuseppe Sinopoli (1946-2001) and directed by Wolfgang Wagner, the composers grandson, was one of the highlights of the world-renowned festival during the latter part of the 1980s. The abstract starkness of Wolfgang Wagners staging is underlined by the crystalline clarity and vigour of Giuseppe Sinopolis conducting, which highlights the cumulative nature of the leitmotif technique. This production gathers together some of the great names and talents in Wagner interpretation such as Cheryl Studer who had her international breakthrough as Elisabeth in this production in 1985 and Richard Versalle in the title-role. This production, with its superb conducting and wonderful singing, immediately achieved cult status, and captured on DVD forms an important memorial to Giuseppe Sinopoli, who is one of the most important figures in the history of Wagner performances, and who died an untimely death some years ago. www.naxos.com

Classical DVD Wagner Tannhäuser 2072008 naxosvideos

Anna Tomowa-Sintow, Agnes Baltsa, René Kollo, José Van Dam Chor der Deutschen Oper Berlin; Berliner Philharmoniker Herbert von Karajan Beethoven, Karajan and the Berlin Philharmonic is one of the most perfect combinations ever to have emerged from the classical music world. When the Ninth Symphony is performed at a New Years Eve concert, it becomes an even more spectacular event. Karajans rousing interpretation of Beethoven's most admired symphony has long acquired legendary status. Now Medici Arts is releasing it in a recording made in Berlins Philharmonic Hall on New Years Eve 1977 in celebration of the conductors 100th birthday this year. Born in Salzburg on 5 April 1908, Herbert von Karajan was one of the most widely respected performing musicians appearing in the past century. He influenced fellow musicians and public taste for generations through his live appearances and recordings, especially in the role of Principal Conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic, which he led for more than 30 years, moulding the orchestra into an ensemble of peerless power, tonal beauty and stylistic flexibility. The Ninth is an affirmation of optimism and beauty, written when Beethoven was almost completely deaf and the final movement is considered by many to be the composer's crowning glory. It had been Beethoven's lifelong dream to set Schiller's Ode to Joy to music, for the poem expressed the fulfilment of Beethoven's most passionate desire: peace and brotherhood in the world. Giving <b>...</b>

Classical DVD Karajan - Beethoven Symphony No.9 2072418 naxosvideos

Alfred Brendel, piano Lucerne Festival Orchestra Claudio Abbado Claudio Abbado has taken the Lucerne Festival to new heights in its history, which has been marked by towering figures like Toscanini and Furtwängler. Each new recording by Claudio Abbado is in itself a special event and this recording from the 2005 festival is no exception: Bruckner's imposing Symphony No.7 is captured live in a performance of awesome silences and immense climaxes presented by the Lucerne Festival Orchestra, a handpicked ensemble and an élite body of instrumentalists who have long been connected to Abbado. Eminent soloists, chamber musicians and orchestral players come together once a year to set new standards in the field of classical music. One of the leading pianists of modern times, Alfred Brendel, reputed throughout his long and distinguished career as one of the finest Beethoven interpreters, was the worthy partner for Claudio Abbado and his orchestra. This DVD brings an outstanding musical event to the home screen, one that critics and audience came from all over the world to see. www.naxos.com

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The Philadelphia Orchestra Eugene Ormandy Eugene Ormandys unbroken forty-two-year association with the Philadelphia Orchestra was unique in history. Famous for its rich and powerful Philadelphia Sound, the orchestra was described by Rachmaninov as the greatest virtuoso orchestra in the world. Ormandy was a close friend of the composer, and it was to celebrate the conductors eightieth birthday that they performed Rachmaninovs magnificent and powerful Second Symphony, a performance whose authenticity would be difficult to beat. REPERTOIRE: Igor Stravinsky: The Firebird Concert Suite for orchestra No. 2 (1919); Sergei Rachmaninov: Symphony No.2 in E minor, op.27 www.naxos.com

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Leif Ove Andsnes, piano Dorothea Röschmann, soprano The Cleveland Orchestra Franz Welser-Möst An evening of Viennese all-time classical favourites is presented on DVD. Here two world-renowned soloists are joined by a world-class orchestra under an eminent conductor to provide a first rate recording! Recorded live at the Carnegie Hall New York in October 2006, the programme includes Mozart's beloved Piano Concerto No. 17, performed by acclaimed pianist Leif Ove Andsnes, and selections from the composer's opera Le Nozze di Figaro with soprano Dorothea Röschmann, the Light Cavalry Overture by Franz von Suppé, and to cap off the evening, Artist's Life, Annen-Polka, and the Overture to Die Fledermaus by the Waltz King, Johann Strauss Jr. Long considered one of Americas greatest orchestras, The Cleveland Orchestra has joined the ranks of the worlds most celebrated symphonic ensembles. It has a long standing commitment to the internationally successful conductor Franz Welser-Möst. Multi-Grammy Award winner Leif Ove Andsnes is rapidly becoming known for his Mozart interpretations and Dorothea Röschmann has been charting her successful progress through the international opera scene for the past decade. REPERTOIRE: WA Mozart Piano Concerto No. 17, K. 453; Arias from The Marriage of Figaro; Johann Strauss Jr.: Artist's Life Waltz; Annen Polka; Die Fledermaus Overture;Franz von Suppé: Light Cavalry Overture www.naxos.com

Cleveland Orchestra Franz Welser-Most Leif Ove Andsnes Dorothea Roschmann Medici Arts Carnegie Hall Mozart Marriage of Figaro Strauss Jr. Die Fledermaus Franz von Suppe euroarts 2056578 naxosvideos

Nabil Shehata, double bass; Kyril Zlotnikov, violoncello West-Eastern Divan Orchestra Daniel Barenboim The West-Eastern Divan Orchestra is one of those success stories that is almost too perfect to be true. The internationally respected orchestra was founded by Daniel Barenboim and the late Palestinian writer and scholar Edward Said with young, highly talented Israeli and Arab musicians. The ensemble works to establish dialogue between the cultures of the Middle East through the experience of playing music together, and has gained cultural and musical respect all over the world. The concert proves that it can bear comparison with veteran orchestras, even in familiar repertory staples. Combining technical polish and security, tonal beauty and transparency with youthful expression, passion and exuberance, the ensemble plays music by Beethoven, Brahms and others. The event was broadcast live from the Palacio de Carlos V, Alhambra in Spanish Granada, thus hundreds of thousands of viewers across Europe were able to experience Barenboims conducting and this special orchestra. The Alhambra (Red Castle) in Granada, Spain a listed UNESCO World Heritage Site - was built and preserved over a period of social tolerance and cultural flowering, during the Moorish era, in which the three great religions lived together in an atmosphere of tolerance and mutual respect. Thus it provides particularly appropriate surroundings for an orchestra that fosters understanding across the cultural <b>...</b>

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Gidon Kremer celebrates his 60th birthday in 2007 - he is, and has always been, one of the most headstrong and original artists in the music business. His return to JS Bachs partitas is a major event as Kremers first recording of these works was released almost a quarter of a century ago, and he hasnt played the partitas in public for over twenty years. Those who have followed Gidon Kremers artistic development over the past 25 years will note how much his tone and articulation have changed. The new rendering displays Kremers very personal sense of spontaneity and a readiness to take risks. In the early 1980s, after being declared persona non grata in the Soviet Union, Kremer moved to the West and made a recording of the solo partitas. The record went down in music history and for decades was a benchmark in the music guild. The young virtuoso was catapulted to fame virtually overnight in the Western world and hailed as the worlds best violinist by Herbert von Karajan. The DVD includes the solo partitas I, II, III, recorded at the Pfarrkirche Lockenhaus in 2002 and the documentary Back to Bach. The film includes rare archival footage and tells in a very personal way of Gidon Kremers encounters with Bachs music, accompanying the famous violin virtuoso in rehearsals, recording sessions and discussions with a few trusted confidants. REPERTOIRE: JS Bach: Partitas for Violin Solo, BWV 1002, 1004 & 1006; Documentary "Back to Bach" www.naxos.com

bach partitas Tatiana Gridenko Glenn Gould Sir Simon Rattle Kremerata Baltica Berliner Philharmoniker Sofia Gubaidulina Jacques Brel gidon kremer medici arts euroarts 2055638 naxosvideos

Audra McDonald, Patti LuPone, Anthony Dean Griffey, Robert Wörle, John Easterlin, Mel Ulrich; Directed for Stage by John Doyle Chorus and Orchestra of the Los Angeles Opera James Conlon The Los Angeles Opera production earned Grammy® Awards for Best Classical Album and Best Opera Recording in February 2009. Broadway stars Audra McDonald, Patti LuPone and Anthony Dean Griffey welcome you to the City of Mahagonny! This Old West boomtown rises from the desert to become a razzle-dazzle Mecca for lust, liberty, and the pursuit of pleasure. Cash is king, poverty is punishable by death, and anything worth doing is worth overdoing. The gripping story and sharply satirical opera - full of whiskey, women and gambling fools - raises an ironic eyebrow at capitalist society. With lyrics by the influential German playwright Bertolt Brecht (1898-1956), the provocative work that inspired the Broadway hits Cabaret and Chicago, had its premiere in 1930 and was banned by the Nazis in 1933. Kurt Weill (1900-1950), composer of Mack the Knife and the Threepenny Opera, penned a haunting score, which crosses over from opera to cabaret to Broadway including ragtime, jazz, raucous music hall songs and the classic pop hit Moon of Alabama. On this DVD, recorded live at Los Angeles Opera in spring 2007, John Doyle, the director of Broadway's smash hit revival of Sweeney Todd, delivers a risky new production starring four-time Tony Award winner Audra McDonald, who stars as Jenny, a tart-with-a-heart <b>...</b>

Classical DVD Weill/Brecht naxosvideos

Manfred Eicher, Gary Peacock, Jack DeJohnette, Steve Cloud, Scott Jarrett, George Avakian, Charles Lloyd, Gary Burton, Miles Davis, Toshinari Koinuma, Chick Corea, Charlie Haden, Dewey Redman, Rose Anne Jarrett, Jan Garbarek, Jon Christensen and Palle Danielsson This fascinating, analytical portrait of one of the few jazz superstars Keith Jarrett is not to be missed! The pianist and composer, who celebrated his 60th birthday on the 8th of May 2005, is now considered as the most important and influential living jazz keyboard player. His career started with Art Blakey and Miles Davis. Since the early 1970s, he has enjoyed successes in both classical and jazz music, as a group leader and a solo performer. His improvisation technique combines jazz with classical, blues and various ethnic-folk styles. In this gripping documentary, Jarrett talks about his artistry, other great musicians he has with whom he has worked, and the highlights and crises of his life. Additional insights to these uniquely personal interviews are provided in statements by fellow musicians, members of his family, tour managers and other close musical and recording associates. The DVD includes outstanding, rare footage of recordings and concerts dating back to the 1960s featuring Miles Davis, Chick Corea and Jan Garbarek. Produced in collaboration with Jarretts biographer Ian Carr, this is the first ever major documentary about Keith Jarrett made with the full co-operation of Jarrett himself. www.naxos.com

Classical DVD Keith Jarrett The Art of Improvisation 2054119 naxosvideos

Waltraud Meier, mezzo-soprano Torsten Kerl, tenor WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln Semyon Bychkov Waltraud Meier is La Wagnerissima, the queen of Wagners repertoire. In her very personal account I follow a voice within me, we enter her world and learn about her motivations, aspirations, and her joyful way of pursuing them. In addition to personal insights, this truly ingenious portrait presents Waltraud Meier on stage and in rehearsal in her most celebrated Wagner roles and as an interpreter of Mahlers Lieder. It becomes clear how she coined todays musical world when other great musicians such as Daniel Barenboim or Plácido Domingo speak about her and her work. This beautiful portrait of one of the greatest interpreters of our time is rounded off with a powerful recording of Mahlers Lied von der Erde. www.naxos.com

Semyon Bychkov Waltraud Meier Torsten Kerl WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln Wagner Mahler Plácido Domingo Daniel Barenboim 2051889 naxosvideos

Berliner Philharmoniker Claudio Abbado In their new midprice series EuroArts presents audio-visual concert guides to masterpieces of classical music. The guides allow listeners to experience and enjoy great music from the Baroque to the present day in an entirely new way by offering a combination of documentary material and a complete performance of the featured work. Twenty famous masterpieces by the most important composers are brought closer to the viewer through first class concert broadcasts. The Berlin and Vienna Philharmonic Orchestras, the Gewandhaus Orchestra and other eminent musical bodies join forces with acclaimed experts, famous soloists and outstanding conductors to highlight the distinctive features of compositions. Examples from the musical scores help the viewer to follow the themes and rhythms and to understand the structure of the work. Each introductory feature is clearly and informatively designed. New filmed material documenting the birthplaces of the composers and locations of composition is combined with historic film material, works of art and original manuscripts and autograph scores. Thus the viewer goes on a journey back to the time and place of composition and is informed about the life of the composer while receiving a complete introduction to the work. Each DVD in the series features a half hour introductory feature and a full concert performance! Recorded live at the Teatro Massimo in Palermo in 2002, the series starts off with the Berlin <b>...</b>

Classical DVD Symphony No.9 naxosvideos

Margarita Höhenrieder Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden Fabio Luisi "One hears from all sides that the Hofkapelle in Dresden is the best in Europe." Beethoven wrote these words as long ago as 1823. In 2008 the record magazine Gramophone named the present-day Staatskapelle one of the ten best orchestras in the world. Under its current principal conductor, Fabio Luisi, this venerable ensemble deploys its sumptuous sonorities on Mahlers grandiose First Symphony in a performance fulsomely praised by the Süddeutsche Zeitung: "Whether in the wild Scherzo or the satirical Funeral March or in the works expressive melodies, everything made sense." The Munich tz was no less enthusiastic about the concerts magnificent soloist, Margarita Höhenrieder: "Her view of Beethovens First Piano Concerto is full of fire and wit, yet she never loses sight of the overall structure and is never guilty of any momentary lapses of taste." www.naxos.com

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Carlos Feller; Georgine Resick; Barbara Daniels; Marta Szirmay; David Kuebler; Claudio Nicolai; Werner Sindemann Directed for Stage by Michael Hampe Drottningholm Court Theatre Orchestra Hilary Griffiths Il matrimonio segreto is Cimarosa's most famous opera buffa and it is one of the few comic operas to have maintained its place in the repertoire until today. At its first performance in 1792, Austrian emperor Leopold II is reputed to have liked this masterpiece so much that he ordered the musicians to play it again from the beginning! Michael Hampe's elegant, colourful production had already won international acclaim when staged in Paris, Stockholm and London - where it won the Olivier Award for Best Opera Production. His stage direction is sensitive to the music's flow and brings a welcome clarity to the many twists and deceptions in the plot. The recording of this DVD comes live from the exquisite palace rococo theatre at the Schwetzingen Festival in 1986. The Drottningholm Court Theatre Orchestra, an outstanding orchestra for early music, is specialized in music of the 17th and 18th century - their authentic interpretation sounds extremely fresh and colourful, and the playing is always full of energy and contrasts. Recorded in state-of-the-art quality, this DVD is a musical and visual feast for opera lovers. www.naxos.com

comic opera opera buffa cimarosa Michael Hampe medici arts euroarts 2054548 naxosvideos

Berliner Philharmoniker Claudio Abbado EuroArts will release a special edition of all nine Beethoven Symphonies played by the Berlin Philharmonic under former chief conductor Claudio Abbado. The cycle will be released gradually throughout 2007 having been launched with symphonies 3 and 9, it now continues with Symphonies 1,6 and 8, recorded in February 2001. Each of the symphonies is a masterpiece in itself they are all quite different, each representing the composers musical idiom at a particular stage in his development. This DVD not only includes the first and the second last of these masterpieces, representing a time-span of more than 10 years in Beethovens life, but also the famous Pastorale, the sixth symphony. As an additional feature, this DVD offers the Conductor Camera in the 6th Symphony showing the maestro from the perspective of the musician. The recordings feature interpretations that are the fruit of decades of Claudio Abbados involvement with Beethoven. Listening to the music, one hears how the Berlin Philharmonic transforms Abbados musical intentions into sound there is a sense of unity that can only be achieved through many years of shared artistic experience and attention to detail. Claudio Abbado was the orchestras fifth Artistic Director, a post he held from 1989 to 2002. He has remained close to the orchestra. This series of live performances at the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome was an overwhelming success: the concerts ended in <b>...</b>

6 & 8 2051168 naxosvideos

Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli, piano Classic Archive features great performances by legendary artists, lovingly restored using the finest state-of-the-art technology, these DVDs offer a unique glimpse into our classical music heritage at a mid-range price. When on stage Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli (1920-1995) projected an aura and charisma that perfectly complemented his incomparable musical excellence. His personal life was shrouded in mystery often leading to the spread of rumours and wild speculation. Stories about his need for impeccably tuned and regulated pianos abound, and he would easily cancel recitals at the last moment if the instrument provided proved unsatisfactory. All of this, however, is secondary to what he accomplished at the piano - both in recital and in recordings: Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli teacher of world-class pianists Martha Argerich and Maurizio Pollini - remains as much a legend today as he was during his lifetime. His stage presence, his attitude to the public, and his personal eccentricities all contributed to his reputation, but ultimately it was his piano playing and artistic integrity that set him apart. Performances by this consummate artist are perfectly suited to an audiovisual release presenting both the impeccable musician and the stage persona. Here Michelangeli performs important repertoire by Beethoven, Schubert and Brahms at a concert in Lugano, where he lived and eventually died almost fifteen years after this performance <b>...</b>

Classical DVD 3052318 naxosvideos

Polina Semionova, Igor Zelensky, Natalia Hoffmann, Altin Kaftira, Delphine Baey, Daniil Simkin, Dmitri Simkin , Maria Alexandrova, Sergey Filine, Charles Jude, Stéphanie Roublout, Jean Jacques Herment, Viviana Franciosi, Oksana Kutcheruk, Roman Mikhalev, Marek Tuma Divine Dancers is an exclusive dance event with some of the leading ballet stars of our time including Charles Jude, Daniil Simkin, Igor Zelensky, Delphine Baey and the exceptional young Russian dancer Polina Semyonova - acclaimed principal soloist of the Berlin State Ballet. Recorded in the sumptuous ambience of the Prague State Opera, the performances combine classical ballet pieces with modern and contemporary choreography. The Dancers present their favourite classical and modern pieces by choreographers like George Balanchine, Marius Petipa, José Limón and Kenneth MacMillan, former director of The Royal Ballet London. The stars dance to music by Tchaikovsky, Glazunov, Purcell, Gershwin, Weill and Jacques Brel. One highlight of the gala is The Moors Pavane (1949) danced to music by Henry Purcell, which lasts a good 20 minutes: This expressive one-act ballet is José Limóns most important and most successful ballet and one of the best known works of the American modern dance repertoire. www.naxos.com

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One of the great legends in American music, the virtuoso saxophonist Charlie Parker nicknamed Bird created a new style of jazz and won equal fame as the king of the hipsters. Celebrating Bird The Triumph of Charlie Parker is a revealing look at an enigmatic yet endlessly appealing man, who soared to the heights of creative freedom but couldn't beat a lifelong addiction to heroin, and it includes Parkers only surviving TV appearance playing Hot House. With Dizzy Gillespie, Roy Haynes, Jay McShann, Frank Morgan, Chan Parker and others. Masters of American Music is an award-winning television series as entertaining as it is educational and memorable that celebrate a pantheon of the greatest innovators in Jazz. Individual programmes trace the lives and works of master musicians who defined the course of Americas classical music. From its birth in New Orleans, to swing, the big bands, bebop, free Jazz and beyond all of it is explored with sensitivity and in unique depth. Over 80 interviews were filmed in the making of the series. Featured artists come to life through these interviews, exciting rare performances, period footage and vintage photographs meticulously reproduced. Both the video and audio content has been restored and remastered in accordance with state-of-the-art specifications. www.naxos.com

New Orleans jazz charlie parker america's music hot house dizzy gillespie roy haynes jay mcshann frank morgan chan parker 2057078 naxosvideos