Herbert von Karajan

To celebrate Verdi’s upcoming anniversary in 2013, Dynamic are pleased to launch a new historical series. The fascinating collection of Maria Callas performances from 1954-1956 contains excerpts from La Forza del Destino, Un Ballo in Maschera, Aida, Rigoletto and Il Trovatore.

Ever since her very first recital in the Salle Gaveau, Paris, nearly 40 years ago, Barbara Hendricks’ journey has been exceptional. Who would have thought that the little girl born in 1948 “with her feet in the mud of Arkansas” (to quote herself) would become one of the most emblematic singers of her generation and one of the most beloved by the general public? And yet that is what she did, traversing this half-century of history with an iron will and uncommon artistic purpose.

In this ‘Musical Portrait’ we begin with her childhood: the music she heard and sang in her father’s church. Barbara Hendricks has bestrode the world’s great stages for years, accompanied by some of the greatest chamber musicians, orchestras or conductors (Karajan, Giulini, Muti, Salonen, Barenboim). Sha has also lived through History with a capital H. As a girl she experienced the end of segregation in the southern United States, was one of the first black people to be admitted to the university, she obtained a degree in mathematics, before taking up singing as a professional. In 1987, as an ambassador of the High Commissioner for Refugees, she was one of the first artistes to put herself at the service of a humanitarian cause, taking advantage of her celebrity to spread the message of the suffering of refugees throughout the world.

This 2-CD compilation, released as a 'Musical Portrait', reflects the entirety of Barbara Hendricks’ recording history. All its musical facets are represented here with sincerity and excellence: opera, oratorio, song, negro spirituals and jazz, accompanied by some of the greatest, and with a few new releases as a surprise bonus.

“I have conceived a program that spans my entire recording history from my first solo recording of French Opera Arias with Philips to my latest recordings for my label Arte Verum. I am very pleased to be able to include also works from my recordings with Deutsche Grammophon, Erato, Telarc and Sony. A special treat is the Beethoven 9th Symphony in my very first performance with Herbert von Karajan.” Barbara Hendricks

This intriguing collection includes a 1905 original recording with Mahler playing the piano.

This year we celebrate the 150th anniversary of the birth of Gustav Klimt.

Included are works by Mahler, Brahms, Richard Straus and Korngold performed by excellent artists.

Karajan was Principal Conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic for 35 years.

The recordings of this partnership sold in their millions.

Dynamic’s Karajan in Italy series continues with Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony and Sibelius’s Finlandia. These are live recordings from 1953 performed by the Orchestra di Torino della Rai at the RAI Auditorium in Turin.

Also available: Karajan in Italy volume 1 (CDS703) and Karajan in Italy volume 2 (CDS706)