Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

For her second recording for RCA Red Seal, Australian saxophonist Amy Dickson has chosen three modern classical works in the minimalist genre. The first is an arrangement for soprano saxophone Amy has made herself of Philip Glass’s Violin Concerto, the second is Amy’s arrangement of John Tavener’s The Protecting Veil, and the third piece is Michael Nyman’s concerto in one movement Where The Bee Dances.

Amy is the cover feature for Muso Magazine’s February 2010 issue, and will be interviewed in the February 2010 issue of Classic FM magazine. She will be interviewed on Classic FM radio and BBC Radio 3’s ‘In Tune’ programme during the first week of February 2010. Great media coverage is expected of this innovative and radio-friendly recording which demonstrates Amy’s commitment to increasing the range of repertoire available for her instrument. She is also getting interest from the media due to having recently been signed as a brand ambassador for Armani, she will be dressed by the design company for her future concerts and appearances. She will also be acting as an ambassador for the Princes Trust from 2010.

This is another Beecham premier CD Release from SOMM and is a 1956 live recording in an excellent transfer by engineer Gary Moore which is sure to please all admirers of Beecham’s inspired conducting in the concert hall. Liszt’s works featured selectively in Beecham’s programmes, but once he was attracted to a particular work, he lavished great care and attention on it.

This album, an enchanting blend of Lauretan Litanies and Marian popular chants, features eight original pieces of modern classical music. What makes this release especially unique is that this is the very first time that the Voice of Pope Benedict XVI will be heard on an album, here speaking and singing in Latin, Italian, Portuguese, French and German.

It features His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI, reciting and singing passages and prayers, accompanied by The Choir of the Philharmonic Academy of Rome and recorded in St Peter’s Basilica. The world famous Royal Philharmonic Orchestra plays on all of the specially commissioned contemporary tracks, with the recording session taking place at the iconic Abbey Road studios.

The choir will be performing songs from Alma Mater at the media launch event in Rome on 10th Nov, and with then be in the UK for a spectacular performance at Westminster Cathedral on 2nd Dec.

Alma Mater is released on CD and Special Edition CD/DVD featuring a 22-minute documentary on the making of the iconic album.

Designed and Directed by Franco Zeffirelli.

Glyndebourne Opera has a history of trend setting and pioneering opera productions and Donizetti’s opera L’elisir d’amore is no exception. Popular in Donizetti’s own lifetime, L’elisir faded into relative obscurity until the 1890s when Caruso championed the role of Nemorino: his dedication and conviction were such that Covent Garden arranged a production of the opera in 1902. L’elisir was a personal favourite of Caruso’s, so much so that in 1920 he played Nemorino in his last appearance with the Metropolitan Opera. Almost 60 years later, in 1961, it was Glyndebourne who staged a production of L’elisir d’amore designed and directed by Franco Zeffirelli. Such was the success and acclaim for this production that Glyndebourne revived it in 1962, enhancing the production with the addition of the lively and capricious Mirella Freni.

As the press noted: ‘Her [Freni's] looks and her cantabile singing melt, so to speak, on the tongue, and she acts her teasing charades with Sergeant Belcore as if nothing were farther from her mind than cruelty.’ (The Times, August 1962) and ‘Mirella Freni, the sparkling new Adina, rightly allowed real tenderness to shine through vanity and caprice.’ (The Sunday Times, August 1962)

Mirella Freni was first engaged by Glyndebourne in 1960 (and sings Susanna in Glyndebourne’s own recording of Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro GFOCD00162).

Previously she had also performed at the opera house in Torino in the late 50s and sung with Netherlands Opera in 1959-60 season, but her international break and recognition came by virtue of her role as Adina in this 1962 production.

This recording, released here for the first time, precedes Freni’s EMI recording of L’elisir d’amore with Nicolai Gedda as Nemorino in a Rome Opera production by some 5 years. In this recording, Freni has a cast of equals around her. As the besotted Nemorino, Luigi Alva vividly portrays the wounded innocent with The Daily Telegraph noting in August 1962 that ‘Alva’s Nemorino is a wonderful combination of rustic clowning and exquisitely finished bel canto’, with Enzo Sordello a baritone voice big enough to fill a stadium, providing a fresh virile and bold Belcore. Conductor Carlo Felice Cillario enjoyed a 60 plus year career and is remembered for his masterful interpretations of Puccini, Verdi and Donizetti operas and stands as one of the most singer-friendly conductors of all time.

The 2CD set is packaged as a hard bound book containing a full libretto translated into English, French and German along with a commissioned article about the opera, and synopsis in English, French and German.

Producer and Audio Restoration Producer: Mark Obert-Thorn

“[De Vito] is a stylist to the backbone; and technical accomplishment is unfailingly put to the service of the music instead of being allowed to become an end in itself.” Gramophone

Rossini’s opera overtures have always enjoyed a life away from the opera house and in the concert hall. For sheer sparkle and excitement they have few rivals, and for many people who have not heard the operas they were intended for, they nonetheless have become firm favourites. Who does not know the famous tune in the William Tell overture?

Rossini’s operas dominated the European stage in the early 19th century, and won him many admirers among fellow composers. Franz Schubert was among those who came under the Italian’s spell, writing overtures in the Italian style, and Rossini’s influence can be detected in the Austrian’s earlier symphonies.

On this CD are the overtures to La Gazza Ladra, La Scala di Seta, Il Signor Bruschino, Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Il Turco in Italia, L’Italiana in Algeri, Semiramide and Guillaume Tell.