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See Terms & Conditions for p&p rates. | |  | Recorded live at the Etaatsoper unter den Linten, Berlin, 8th May 2009
Nigel Lowery / Amir Hosseinpour, staging Nigel Lowery, set & costume design Re-Release of the successful DVD on Blu-ray Disc. For more than 25 years René Jacobs has dedicated his life to baroque operas and works with the best ensembles for early music. On the occasion of the Haydn Year the renowned Freiburger Barockorchester and outstanding baroque opera singers such as Marlis Petersen, Alexandrina Pendatchanska, Pietro Spagnoli and Tom Randle presented Haydn’s most successful opera from the Berliner Staatsoper. "Orlando Paladino", written in 1782, was Haydn's most famous opera during his lifetime, with thirty performances in Esterháza in the first two years after its composition. The libretto, a "drama eroicomico", gives scope to Haydn's frequently puckish sense of humour, as well as his inventive melodic expression. Most semi-serious operas of the period typically inserted comic characters into an essentially serious story but Haydn expanded the comic elements even into the more serious scenes. Another very colourful and vivid staging by the successful team Nigel Lowery and Amir Hosseinpour. Picture format Blu-ray: 1080i Full HD, 16:9 Sound formats Blu-ray: PCM Stereo, DTS-HD Master Audio Region code: All (worldwide) Booklet notes: English, German, French Subtitles: English, German, French, Italian Running time: 168 mins | 
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| |  | World-premiere recording
Sophie Karthäuser (soprano), Christophe Dumaux (countertenor), Julien Behr (tenor), Konstantin Wolff (bass) Akademie für Alte Musik, René Jacobs Now attributed to Pergolesi on the basis of recent research, the ‘Seven Words of Christ’ has been regarded as ‘one of the most heartfelt works of art, full of profound tenderness and an all-conquering sense of beauty’ [Hermann Scherchen, on its discovery in 1930]. However, his judgment has remained unheeded and only the discovery of two more manuscripts in the abbeys of Kremsmünster and Aldersbach, by the musicologist Reinhard Fehling, prompted the firm of Breitkopf & Härtel to publish a critical edition. In principle this recording follows the Breitkopf edition. Its editor very kindly gave René Jacobs facsimiles, not only the individual parts from Kremsmünster (his principal source), but also those from Metten and Zurich. Pergolesi’s work, probably composed between 1730 and the year of his early death, 1736, was intended for an extra-liturgical devotion on Good Friday. This major discovery of the Neapolitan Baroque was given its concert premiere at the Beaune Festival in July 2012, a few days before this world premiere recording. Rene Jacobs has received many distinctions from music critics including Record of the Year from Gramophone for Mozart’s ‘Le nozze di Figaro’ in 2004. Classica magazine voted him ‘Artist of the year 2009’ for his recordings of Telemann’s ‘Brockes-Passion’, Mozart’s ‘Idomeneo’, and Haydn’s ‘Die Schöpfung’. More recently, his astonishing version of Mozart’s ‘Die Zauberflöte’ has been released to enthusiastic acclaim (CD des Jahres in Opernwelt, Preis der Deutschen Schallplattenkritik, Choc de l’année 2010 in Classica, BBC Music Magazine Award). Long a professor at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis, René Jacobs has maintained a privileged relationship with this institution where he has trained many singers who now appear with him in the leading international venues. “this hybrid cycle of seven early-18th-century cantatas based on the Seven Last Words is deeply impressive...The mood ranges wide, from fiery, coloratura-laden anger to a touching lyricism.” Sunday Times, 3rd March 2013 “the work is beautiful, and its deeply spiritual loveliness has been realised in a fine period performance. Certainly, it won't be languishing in dusty libraries any more. It is, in its own way, just as sublime as the Stabat Mater, and René Jacobs and his musicians have given it a comprehensive rehabilitation.” Charlotte Gardner, bbc.co.uk, 11th March 2013 “the music is both constantly surprising and often profoundly eloquent; Jacobs's soloists, as well as the instrumentalists of the Berlin orchestra, project that sense of devotional wonder without a trace of self-conscious piety.” The Guardian, 21st March 2013 **** “there is no doubting the enthusiasm of Jacobs...Fascinating stuff, whoever composed it.” Gramophone Magazine, May 2013 “well worth exploring…[it] should expand our repertoire of Passiontide music into new directions. Invest with confidence.” MusicWeb International, May 2013 “Jacobs clearly believes in this work completely. He and his musicians give it a performance of such heartfelt intensity that you sense their affection and respect for it from the outset...the overwhelming feeling is of affection and care as he takes upon himself the responsibility for unveiling this work to the modern world...The singers are also excellent...Invest with confidence.” MusicWeb International, 3rd May 2013 |
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| |  | Schütz: Weihnachts-Historie
Martin Hummel, Maria Cristina Kiehr, Susanne Norin, Hanne Mari Orbaek, Susanne Rydén, Andreas Scholl, Akira Tachikawa, Gerd Türk, Matthias Widmaier, Werner Güra & Andreas Lebeda Concerto Vocale, Rene Jacobs (director) René Jacobs invites you to rediscover this Christmas History, probably the most popular work of Heinrich Schütz. In his twilight years, the greatest 17th-century German composer brilliantly combined Lutheran fervour with Italianate recitative. This title was released for the first time in 1990 and just look at the singers involved! | | | In stock - usually despatched within 1 working day. |
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Kenneth Tarver (Belshazzar), Rosemary Joshua (Nitocris), Bejun Mehta (Cyrus), Kristina Hammärström (Daniel), Neal Davies (Gobrias), Christina Sampson, Lucy Taylor, Andrew Radley, Richard Wilberforce, Vernon Kirk & Andrew Davies RIAS Kammerchor & Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin, René Jacobs Directed by Christof Nel – A Film by Don Kent Set Designer: Roland Aeschlimann Costume Designer: Bettina Walter Produced by Bel Air Media / Festival d’Aix-en-Provence 2008 Handel's Belshazzar at the Aix Festival was imported from the Staatsoper Berlin. Berlin had built a huge, magnificent production and imported English and American opera singers, including star-turn countertenor Bejun Mehta. Add to this a superb local Baroque instrumental ensemble and an accomplished vocal ensemble, not to mention the world-renowned early music conductor, René Jacobs: and voilà, an operatic hit. Christophe Nel, a well-respected director in progressive German opera houses teamed up with famed Swiss minimalist set designer Roland Aeschlimann and costume designer Bettina Walter to create a production which respected the supposed austerity of oratorio. This experienced team brought Handel's not-so-high drama and philosophic tragedy to almost operatic dramatic standards as the Persian prince Cyrus overran the dissolute Babylonians and freed the captive Jews. “The Persian prince Cyrus, was sumptuously sung in heroic stances by Bejun Mehta; Rosemary Joshua, Belshazzar's mother Nitocris, sang in convincingly Handelian terms, and convincingly portrayed a religious zealot troubled by her wayward son. Most beautiful too was the singing of Neal Davies as the Syrian Gobrias, whose son had been killed by the dissolute emperor Belshazzar, a role also well sung and broadly characterised by American tenor, Kenneth Tarver. The star of the show was the RIAS-Kammerchor, able to personify Babylonians or Jews at the drop of a hat, singing magnificently. The Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin again proved itself a world-class chamber ensemble." musicwebinternational “the dramatic essence of the story...comes over in a striking semi-expressionist fashion. There's a strong set of central performances. Though Tarver is encouraged to go over the top as Nel's bisexual hedonist villain, his bright and brilliant tenor is purposefully deployed...Joshua supplies sobriety and maternal concern on a grand scale...Mehta's King Cyrus is immaculately sung and powerfully acted...Jacobs proves a consistently lively presence” BBC Music Magazine, August 2011 **** “Happily, stage producers Christof Nel and Martina Jochem place their faith entirely in Charles Jennen's plot and characters...The capable RIAS Chamber Choir get stuck into the dramatic story and the entire cast achieve an abundance of highly effective acting and dramatic visual ideas...Most of the singers are superb and their acting draws us into the contrasting moralities and fortunes of their characters.” Gramophone Magazine, October 2011 “Ten minutes into this gripping performance and you understand Rene Jacobs's enthusiasm for the idea [of staging it] - the music lends itself perfectly to dramatization...Jacobs and his cast respond thoughtfully, but not over-zealously, to Handel's vivid characterization...[Tarver] looks and sounds like the perfect Belshazzar...Joshua is spellbinding...[Mehta] has an instinctive feel for Handel...it's one of the most convincing stagings of a Handel oratorio I've seen.” International Record Review, September 2011  BBC Music Magazine
Blu-ray Choice - August 2011 |
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Kenneth Tarver (Belshazzar), Rosemary Joshua (Nitocris), Bejun Mehta (Cyrus), Kristina Hammärström (Daniel), Neal Davies (Gobrias), Christina Sampson, Lucy Taylor, Andrew Radley, Richard Wilberforce, Vernon Kirk & Andrew Davies RIAS Kammerchor & Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin, René Jacobs Directed by Christof Nel – A Film by Don Kent Set Designer: Roland Aeschlimann Costume Designer: Bettina Walter Produced by Bel Air Media / Festival d’Aix-en-Provence 2008 Handel's Belshazzar at the Aix Festival was imported from the Staatsoper Berlin. Berlin had built a huge, magnificent production and imported English and American opera singers, including star-turn countertenor Bejun Mehta. Add to this a superb local Baroque instrumental ensemble and an accomplished vocal ensemble, not to mention the world-renowned early music conductor, René Jacobs: and voilà, an operatic hit. Christophe Nel, a well-respected director in progressive German opera houses teamed up with famed Swiss minimalist set designer Roland Aeschlimann and costume designer Bettina Walter to create a production which respected the supposed austerity of oratorio. This experienced team brought Handel's not-so-high drama and philosophic tragedy to almost operatic dramatic standards as the Persian prince Cyrus overran the dissolute Babylonians and freed the captive Jews. “The Persian prince Cyrus, was sumptuously sung in heroic stances by Bejun Mehta; Rosemary Joshua, Belshazzar's mother Nitocris, sang in convincingly Handelian terms, and convincingly portrayed a religious zealot troubled by her wayward son. Most beautiful too was the singing of Neal Davies as the Syrian Gobrias, whose son had been killed by the dissolute emperor Belshazzar, a role also well sung and broadly characterised by American tenor, Kenneth Tarver. The star of the show was the RIAS-Kammerchor, able to personify Babylonians or Jews at the drop of a hat, singing magnificently. The Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin again proved itself a world-class chamber ensemble." musicwebinternational “the dramatic essence of the story...comes over in a striking semi-expressionist fashion. There's a strong set of central performances. Though Tarver is encouraged to go over the top as Nel's bisexual hedonist villain, his bright and brilliant tenor is purposefully deployed...Joshua supplies sobriety and maternal concern on a grand scale...Mehta's King Cyrus is immaculately sung and powerfully acted...Jacobs proves a consistently lively presence” BBC Music Magazine, August 2011 **** “Happily, stage producers Christof Nel and Martina Jochem place their faith entirely in Charles Jennen's plot and characters...The capable RIAS Chamber Choir get stuck into the dramatic story and the entire cast achieve an abundance of highly effective acting and dramatic visual ideas...Most of the singers are superb and their acting draws us into the contrasting moralities and fortunes of their characters” Gramophone Magazine, October 2011 “Ten minutes into this gripping performance and you understand Rene Jacobs's enthusiasm for the idea [of staging it] - the music lends itself perfectly to dramatization...Jacobs and his cast respond thoughtfully, but not over-zealously, to Handel's vivid characterization...[Tarver] looks and sounds like the perfect Belshazzar...Joshua is spellbinding...[Mehta] has an instinctive feel for Handel...it's one of the most convincing stagings of a Handel oratorio I've seen.” International Record Review, September 2011 BBC Music Magazine DVD Choice - August 2011 |
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| |  | Handel: Ombra Cara
In his first recital for harmonia mundi, Bejun Mehta, the American countertenor, has chosen highlights from the repertoire of the famous castrato Senesino, accompanied by René Jacobs and Freiburger Barock. Bejun (b.1968) is a protegée of René Jacobs and has been sponsored by Marilyn Horne. He made his opera debut as a countertenor, having been inspired by David Daniels, as Armindo in a New York City Opera production of Partenope. Stage rôles have included Tolomeo in Giulio Cesare, Tamerlano, Ottone in Agrippina and Endimione in Le Calisto. + BONUS DVD: OMBRA CARA 'MAKING OF' NTSC 16.9, Subtitles, Fr, Ger, Total time: 15’25”, Interview in English “Mehta's disc towers above the other Handel 'medley' recordings currently fashionable among opera stars. Musicality and a brilliant intelligence emanate from every track...This is not just an aria collection, but a celebration of genius, in composition and performance alike.” BBC Music Magazine, Christmas 2010 ***** “Mehta's way of listening to the orchestra around him, and either allowing his singing to stand out in relief, or to meld with the instrumental textures, produces wonderfully variegated effects and ever-changing perspectives...Mehta's beauty of tone and musical intelligence confirm his position in the highest echelon of contemporary countertenors” The Guardian, 23rd December 2010 ***** “...a superior musician at the peak of his vocal powers. He has luxury support from the Freiburg Barockers and Jacobs, himself a former countertenor and a no less imaginative Handelian. The icing on this sumptuous cake is the gorgeous duet from Sosarme, in which Rosemary Joshua’s voice blends ideally with Mehta’s. A treat from start to finish.” The Times, 2nd January 2011 **** “Mehta's singing can be astonishingly good...his precise coloratura in direct faster arias is superb...The Freiburg Baroque Orchestra plays excellently, particularly during a passacaglia from Rodrigo.” Gramophone Magazine, February 2011 “Mehta deals with and vanquishes any vocal difficulties, for his voice is like a well-oiled engine...[He] employs the colours of his voice skilfully...He is among the best of countertenors, and Handelians should relish these performances. In every piece, the orchestra produces instrumental colour and stylish playing, be it from trumpet or lute. Jacobs lends a wise and experienced hand.” International Record Review, January 2011 | | | In stock - usually despatched within 1 working day. |
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| |  | CD Book
"Imaginative, involving,and beautifully recorded." *** CD OF THE MONTH, OPERA NOW , JANUARY 1996 | | | In stock - usually despatched within 1 working day. |
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| |  | Mozart - Symphonies Nos. 39 & 40
After a decade immersed in the great Mozart Operas (to universal critical acclaim) René Jacobs returns to the late symphonies with his outstanding Freiburg Baroque. As with his previous recordings, his unique approach to these works from an operatic perspective brings new life to these scores, particularly in terms of phrasing and the clarity of texture. In his own words: "A lot of people think period instrument performance means everything fast. I stick very much to the drama and the delivery of speech. I know that, say, Mozart's own tempi were faster than what is now usual, but, on the other hand, there are also moments when time must stand still." “There is simply one word for Jacobs’ musical direction – enchanting.” The Independent “Mr. Jacobs, more than anyone else, blows away the prim domesticity of our classical music world, and shows us past centuries as they really might have been.” The Wall Street Journal “René Jacobs’s Mozart opera series [is] one of the recorded marvels of our time” James Jolly, Gramophone, February 2009 “The G minor, some eccentric dynamics apart, is splendid — the outer movements very fiery, the Andante done with real love...The wind are admirably prominent, with flute, clarinet and horn particularly good” Sunday Times, 28th March 2010 *** “Two of Mozart’s great symphonies of 1788 are coupled here in performances that radiate René Jacobs’s characteristically effervescent spirit without compromising the seriousness of discourse...The result is a disc of unalloyed freshness, in which the Freiburg players share Jacobs’s joy in music-making.” The Telegraph, 7th April 2010 ***** “...deep understanding, individual interpretations, vivacious performances and, for the most part, a playful approach to this music. What you also hear is a particular sensitivity to the exquisite layering of Mozart's scoring...a recording that is though-provoking and always compelling.” Gramophone Magazine, August 2010 “Surprisingly crisp and spry these readings may be, but the result sounds and feels authentically Mozartian, Jacobs coaxing alert and alive playing from a band on the very top of their form.” Michael Quinn, bbc.co.uk, 2nd August 2010 | | | In stock - usually despatched within 1 working day. |
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