Wagner: Kaufmann Sings concert. Christian Thielemann conducts the Staatskapelle Dresden and the Sächsischer Stattsopernchor Dresden for a night of Wagner works. Recorded 2013 at the Semperoper, Dresden. Jonas Kaufmann sings Wagner tenor scenes. The following music is performed:
Hans Werner Henze: Fraternité (In honor of the death of Henze in October 2012)
Der fliegende Holländer: Overture
Faust Overture, WWV59
Rienzi: "Allmächt'ger Vater, blick herab!" (Rienzi's prayer)
Lohengrin: Prelude to Act 1
Lohengrin: "In fernem Land" (Grail narration)
Tannhäuser: "Inbrunst im Herzen" (Rome narration)
Tannhäuser: Overture (Entrance of the guests at the Wartburg)
You don't see the title "Wagner: Kaufmann Sings" on the keepcase cover. But that's the name C Major uses in their PR, so that's what we will call it for now. Directed for TV by Michael Beyer. Sung in German. Released 2014, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
Read MoreChristmas with Bach concert recorded at the Marktkirche Hannover. Jörg Breiding conducts the Knabenchor Hannover and the Barockorchester L’Arco. Features soloists Antonia Bourvé (soprano); Claudia Erdmann (alto); Markus Schäfer (tenor); and Michael Jäckel (bass). The concert consists of three cantatas:
1. Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland BWV 61
2. Christen, ätzet diesen Tag BWV 63
3. Jauchzet, frohlocket, auf, preiset die Tage BWV 248 I
Audio Producer Tobias Hoff; Director of Photography Alexander Törzs; directed by Roberct Gummlich; produced by Frank Hallmann. Released 2013, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
Read More2013 Europakonzert: Program includes:
1. Beethoven Symphony No. 6
2. Dvorak Biblical Songs, Op. 99, with Magdalena Kožená (mezzo-soprano)
3. Ralph Vaughan Williams Fantasia on a Themeby Thomas Tallis
Played and recorded in Prague at the the Prague Castle Spanish Hall in 2013. This was the traditional Europa-Konzert performed on May 1 each year by the Berliner Philharmoniker in a special venue, usually in a different European city. Sir Simon Rattle conducts. Released in 2013, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
Read MoreMozart Missa Solemnis in C minor (K139) "Weisenhausmessa" and Schubert Mass No. 6 in E flat major (D 950) concert performed at the 2012 Salzburg Festival. Claudio Abbado conducts the Orchestra Mozart Bologna and the Arnold Schoenberg Choir (Chorus Master Erwin Ortner). Soloists are Rachel Harnisch (soprano), Roberta Invernizzi (soprano), Sara Mingardo (alto), Javier Camarena (tenor), Paolo Fanale (tenor), and Alex Esposito (bass). Directed for TV by Michael Beyer; produced by Paul Smaczny at Accentus Music. Released 2013, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
Read MoreDavid Garrett Legacy---Live in Baden-Baden concert. It's not an easy thing to pin down, but I think this concert was recorded on May 6, 2011 at the Baden-Baden Festspielhaus. The National Philharmonic of Russia backed up David Garrett on violin. The first half of the evening was devoted mostly to short, fun pieces by Fritz Kreisler. The Philharmonic was led for this by Vladimir Spivakov (their usual conductor), who was ill. Lorenzo Coladonato relieved Spivakov after the intermission, and led the orchestra in Garret's performance of the Beethoven Violin Concerto in D Major. The sound engineer was Matthias Eberhard; lighting by Bernd Herr; the director was Torben Schmidt; the producer was Norbert Waldmann. This was published by "Decca Records" but the logo is the old 6-sided one that I don't remember seeing for a long time. Released 2013, the disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: D+
Read MoreMahler Das Lied von der Erde (Song of the Earth) & Richard Strauss Tod und Verklärung (Death and Transfiguration). Neeme Järvi conducts the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande in a live performance in 2012 at Victoria Hall in Geneva. Paul Groves (tenor) and Thomas Hampson (baritone) are soloists. Directed for TV by Jason Starr; produced for Blu-ray by Allan Altman; executive producer was Edward Cardona. Sung in German. Released 2013, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
Read MoreLang Lang Dragon Songs piano concert and documentary. This title has 3 segments:
1. A documentary and compilation of interviews made in 2005 and 2006 when Lang Lang (then age 23) returned, after making his way for years in the West as a child and young adult, to visit old haunts in China.
2. The "Dragon Songs." This is a recital of about 40 minutes with 6 solo pieces by Lang Lang and 3 pieces in which Lang Lang serves as accompanist backing musicians playing traditional Chinese instruments.
3. A performance by Lang Lang of the Yellow River Piano Concerto made in 2005 at a special patriotic performance.
The documentary and song recital were recorded in HDCAM 1080i and 5.1 digital sound. The Yellow River Piano Concerto was probably recorded for distribution on VHS tape. Released in 2013, the disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: C-
Read MoreUniverse of Sound documentary about a special performance of the Holst The Planets and Joby Talbot's Worlds, Stars, Systems, Infinity. Esa-Pekka Salonen conducts the Philharmonia Orchestra. This is the first HDVD from the Signum label (or is it Signum Vision). Released 2013, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: B as a documentary only. (As a concert disc, the grade would be "F".)
Read MoreWaltzes (Vienna Café Music) by The Philharmonics, a group of star players from the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra augmented from time to time by guests. These elites enjoy slumming around with fare ranging from Vienna favorites to Latin Jazz to Gypsy and other folk music. Of the 10 numbers presented on the disc, only 5 are Strauss waltzes. So I'm going to call this Waltzes (Vienna Café Music).
Members of the Philharmonics on this disc are Tibor Kováč (first violin), Shkëlzen Doli (second violin), Thilo Fechner (viola), Stephan Koncz (cello), Ödön Rácz (double bass), Daniel Ottensamer (clarinet), and František Jánoška (piano). Guest stars are Walter Auer (flute) and Christoph Traxler (harmonium).
Here are the selections on Waltzes (Vienna Café Music):
Johann Strauss II Kaiserwalzer
Fritz Kreisler Marche miniature viennoise
Johann Strauss II Schatzswalzer
Johann Strauss II Rosen aus dem Süden
Fritz Kreisler Schön Rosmarin
Fritz Kreisler Caprice viennois
Johann Strauss II Wein, Weib, and Gesang!
Tibor Kováč Yiddische Mame
Johann Strauss II Lagunenwalzer
Leopold Godowsky Alt-Wien
Directed for TV by Tilo Krause; photography directed by Nyika Jancsó; audio production by Joachim Müller; Maria Stodtmeier and Paul Smaczny were Executive Producers. Released 2011, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: A
Read MoreMozart Requiem Mass, K 626 (Franz Beyer edition; Sanctus completed by Robert Levin). Performed as part of the 2012 Lucern Festival at the KKL Luzern Concert Hall. Claudio Abbado conducts the Lucern Festival Orchestra, the Bavarian Radio Choir, and the Swedish Radio Choir (Chorus Master Peter Dijkstra). Singers are Anna Prohaska (soprano), Sara Mingardo (alto), Maximilian Schmitt (tenor), and René Pape (bass). Directed for TV by Michael Beyer; produced by Paul Smaczny. Released 2013, disc has 5.1dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
Read MoreVerdi Messa da Requiem. Recorded 2011 at the Teatro Farnese as part of the Verdi Festival Parma and published as the last release in the Tutto Verdi project. Yuri Temirkanov conducts the Orchestra e Coro del Teatro Regio di Parma (Chorus Master Martino Faggiani). Singers are Dimitra Theodossiou (soprano), Sonia Ganassi (mezzo-soprano), Francesco Meli (tenor), and Riccardo Zanellato (bass). Directed for TV by Tiziano Mancini. Includes a bonus, directed by Sergej Grguric, called Verdi's Backyard, about the Parma region (near Verdi's birthplace) that Verdi called home and where the famous Verdi Festival is located. Sung in Latin. Released 2013, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
Read MoreTanglewood 75th Anniversary Celebration concert. Here's the program and the performers:
Copland. Fanfare for the Common Man. Boston Pops Orchestra conducted by Keith Lockhart.
Leonard Bernstein. Three dance episodes from On the Town. Boston Pops Orchestra conducted by Keith Lockhart.
Selections from The Great American Song Book. James Taylor and John Williams with the Boston Pops.
Haydn Piano Concerto in D (excerpts). Emanual Ax with the Tanglewod Music Center Orchestra conducted by Stefan Asbury.
Tchaikovsky Andante Cantabile. Yo-Yo Ma and the Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra.
Pablo de Sarasate. Carmen Fantasy. Anne-Sophie Mutter with the Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra directed by Andris Nelsons.
Ravel La Valse. Boston Symphony Orchestra directed by Andris Nelsons.
Beethoven Choral Fantasy for Piano, Chorus, and Orchestra. Peter Serkin plays piano with the Boston Symphony Orchestra conducted by David Zinman and the Tangelwood Festival Chorus under John Oliver.
Directed for TV by Bill Cosel. Released 2013, disc has dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
Read MoreStrauss Don Juan, Wagner Wesendonck Lieder, and Brahms Symphony No. 1 concert. In 2012, Mariss Jansons conducts the Wiener Philharmoniker at the Großes Festspielhaus as part of the Salzburg Festival. Nina Stemme sings the 5 Wesendonck Lieder. Here is the program:
Richard Strauss Don Juan Tone poem for large Orchestra.
Wagner Wesendonck-Lieder. Five songs for female voice after poems by Mathilde Wesendonck, Orchestration by Felix Mottl.
Brahms Symphony No. 1.
Directed for TV by Brian Large. Released 2013, disc has 5.0 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
Read MoreCecilia Bartoli Mission recital of music by Agostino Steffani (1654-1728), an obscure pre-baroque composer whose music has long been neglected and that Bartoli is now promoting. This title is called "A film by Olivier Simonnet", and it was shot over 6 days in June 2002 at the Château de Versailles. It has the look and feel more of a film than a video, but the cadence is 30 (not 24) fps. It rained most of the days of the shoot, which contributed a steamy, mysterious ambience to the film. Bartoli appears in almost every scene. She is joined by famous countertenor Philippe Jaroussky in several duets. Actor Frank Delage appears in the mute role of Agostino Steffani. The singers are supported by the I Barocchisti chamber orchestra (Conductor Diego Fasolis) and the Coro della Radiotelevisione svizzera (Swiss Radio Chorus)(Chorus Master Claude Hauri). Director of Photography was Alexis Kavyrchine; Sound Producer was Arend Prohmann; Costume Designer was Christian Gasc; Producer was Pierre-Olivier Bardet. A nice keepcase booklet has extensive credits for others who worked on this project and information such as the exact locations in the Château where each scene was shot. The sound was recorded at 48kHz24 bit and the disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound at 48kHz24 bit. Grade: A
Read MoreSchubert Winterreise song cycle performed 2012 by tenor Christoph Prégardien and Michael Gees on piano. Recorded in studio with multiple high-definition cameras; sound was recorded using 192kHz24 bit sound sampling. This is the most sophisticated sound technology used so far (2013) in any HDVD. (We also have a few titles with sound recorded at 96kHz24 bit.) Sung in German. The 71 minutes of music has subtitles in German only. There is a nice 21-minute behind-the-scenes documentary with subtitles in English, German, and French. Released 2013, disc has 5.1 PCM output. In addition, the Blu-ray package has a bonus CD with the music recorded at 44kHz16 bit. Grade: A+
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