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Hundreds of millions watched the historic concert on television. Now exclusively on DVD: the New York Philharmonic concert in Pyongyang.

Music became diplomacy when this courageous musical project united Americans and North Koreans.

The musicians went from strength to strength in a beautiful programme which illustrated the excellence of the orchestra.

Lorin Maazel once more proved his reputation as one of the best contemporary conductors.

Includes previously unreleased documentary with 53 min of exclusive material.

The first classical concert release on Blu-ray Disc offers professional technical standards in the comfort of your own home.

"Astounding was the fact that the orchestra played the North Korean national anthem and the Star Spangled Banner on a stage flanked by flags of both nations … a rare moment of harmony, proving the power of music that bridges the divides." The Korea Times (South Korea)

"For at least 90 minutes in a theatre in Pyongyang it was possible … to believe that 55 years of cold-war hostility were coming to an end." James Miles, The Economist

Staged by Giancarlo del Monaco

Released for the first time on DVD and Blu-ray!

A national monument in Spain, Manuel de Falla’s La vida breve is perhaps the greatest opera ever written in the Spanish language. A kind of ‘tragic zarzuela’, it unites verismo atmosphere, Andalusian local colour and a score shimmering with reminiscences of French Impressionism.

La vida breve is the story of a poor gypsy and her lover, who is engaged to wed a wealthy girl. “Simply a stroke of genius” wrote Spain’s Opera Viva about Guancarlo del Monaco’s austere, minimalist staging at Valencia’s Palau de les Arts Reine Sofia. Giancarlo del Monaco has worked with most important opera houses and festivals (MET, La Scala, Bregenz etc.)

Running Time Total: 82 minutes

BD: DTS-HD MA 5.0, PCM Stereo

Subtitles English, German, French, Spanish

The internationally renowned pianist Joaquín Achúcarro has been described as ‘the consummate artist’ and ‘the leading pianist from Spain’; he has won plaudits and prizes around the world.

In 2000 he was named ‘Artist for Peace’ by UNESCO in recognition of his extraordinary artistic achievements.

This DVD presents an evocative recital of Spanish-inspired music, given by Achúcarro in Madrid, and a triumphant performance of Falla’s Nights in the Gardens of Spain with the Berliner Philharmoniker and Sir Simon Rattle, recorded in Berlin.

Including a note by Joaquín Achúcarro written for this release.

“I have only heard this sound from Rubinstein” Zubin Mehta

“There is something special with Achucarro. Very few musicians can extract this kind of sound from the piano” Sir Simon Rattle

Sounds formats: PCM 2.0, DTS-HD Master Audio Surround

Region code: 0

Booklet notes: English, German, French

Running time: 27 mins (Berlin) + 75 mins (Madrid)

FSK: 0

Choreography: George Balanchine

Set & costume design: Christian Lacroix

In 2000, seventeen years after George Balanchine’s death, a rare and precious ballet arrived at the Paris Opéra: Jewels, a work first performed by the New York City Ballet in 1967. This alluring, abstract ballet, a triptych in which each piece sparkles with the brilliance of a precious stone, is a lyric tribute to women and to the capital cities of the great dance schools. Couturier, painter and craftsman Christian Lacroix created the glorious costumes and sets which, together with the outstanding performances of the dancers and the sensitive musical direction of Paul Connelly, results in a celebration of sumptuous splendour.

Note: This Blu-ray Disc (BD) is not compatible with standard DVD players

EuroArts sucessfull DVD Release now on Blu-ray!

Baritone Matthias Goerne, soprano Chen Reiss and cellist Eric Picard come together at Paris’s renowned Salle Pleyel for a concert of Fauré’s works for chorus and orchestra.

They are joined by the Orchestre de Paris under the baton of its new musical director, the GRAMMY Award-winning conductor Paavo Järvi. Central to the programme is Fauré’s profound and graceful Requiem, which is complemented by the Cantique de Jean Racine and the rarely performed psalm-setting Super flumina Babylonis, all beautifully sung by the Choeur de l’Orchestre de Paris, and imbued with a delicate intensity by Järvi.

With the expressive Élégie for cello and orchestra, this is a luxurious all-Fauré event.

Including a 15 mins Interview with Paavo Järvi as a bonus.

Picture format: 1080i 16:9

Sound formats: PCM Stereo, DD 5.1, DTS 5.1

Region code: all (worldwide)

Subtitles: Latin, German, English, French

Booklet notes: English, German, French

Running time: 87 mins (72 mins Performance & 15 mins Bonus)

Staged by Keith Warner.

First Andrea Chénier on Blu-ray!

After the huge success of Aida, here is the spectacular new production from the Bregenz Festival 2011.

Girodano Umberto’s Andrea Chénier is set against the backdrop of the horrors of the French Revolution and tells the tragic tale of a doomed love affair involving the historical figure of the poet Andrea Chénier, who initially champions the Revolution but later turns against its leaders, before ending up on the scaffold.

Staged by Keith Warner who has worked at major opera houses including Bayreuth, Covent Garden, Vienna etc.

Stage designer David Fielding has worked at important opera houses and with bands including the Pet Shop Boys

“Giordano’s music is verismo of the very highest caliber and drives the high voltage plot forward with breathtaking speed.” Artistic director David Pountney

Total: 120 minutes

BD:DTS-HD MA 5.1, PCM Stereo

Original sets OREST ALLEGRI, PËTR LAMBIN and KONSTANTIN IVANOV (1898)

Recreated by ELENA KINKULSKAYA and BORIS KAMINSKY

Original Choreography by MARIUS PETIPA (1898)

Choreographic revival SERGEI VIKHAREV

Original costumes IVAN VSEVOLOŽSKIJ (1898)

Recreated by IRENE MONTI

The last great work from the glorious era of the Imperial ballets has never before been performed by the La Scala ballet. Its La Scala premiere marks the most faithful version of Raymonda yet to the original, which met with triumphant success in St. Petersburg in 1898.

Based on a medieval legend, with ladies, knights, crusaders and Saracens, cathedrals and castles, the libretto had all the ingredients needed to spark the imagination of the young Alexander Glazunov in his first ballet score, and the infinite wisdom of Marius Petipa, who complemented it with an enormously rich and endless succession of dances, classical variations, exotic dances and character dances, with a grandiose finale, pantomime, lyrical pas de deux and a heavily featured corps de ballet. Drawing on notation from the Harvard archives, original designs housed in the St Petersburg State Museum of Theatre and Theatre Library, La Scala presents the last great work from the glory days of the Imperial Ballet.

Sound Format: PCM Stereo, dts-HD Master Audio 5.1

Picture Format: 16:9

Resolution: 1080i FULL HD

Running Time: 154 mins

Blu-ray Disc: 25 GB (Single Layer)

FSK: 0

Two late and baleful tragedies by Euripides focus on the ill-starred daughter of the Greek King, Agamemnon. Will he sacrifice Iphigenia in order to secure fair winds for his voyage to Troy? In Aulis, the drama rages until she is spared. Having escaped to Tauris, Iphigenia finds herself compelled to kill her own brother before, once more, the fickle gods intervene.

Gluck's operatic settings are very rarely staged together, but Pierre Audi's production makes a darkly compelling case for their dramatic unity. All the lead performers here are experienced exponents of Gluck, and together they present a powerfully idiomatic experience.

First ever release together on DVD/Blu-ray.

Iphigénie en Aulide has never been issued before on DVD/Blu-ray.

Top international cast includes Véronique Gens as Iphigénie and Anne Sofie von Otter as Clytemnestre.

Marc Minkowski & Les Musiciens du Louvre Grenoble have been widely acclaimed for their Gluck performances.

Running time: 267 minutes

Subtitles: EN/FR/DE/DU/KO

Sound format: 2.0LPCM + 5.1(5.0) DTS

Staged by La Fura dels Baus

Another fantastic staging by La Fura dels Baus. Recorded at the 25th Peralada Festival, Spain, 2011.

A splendid cast as well as an avant-garde production that makes extensive use of large projection screens and includes members of the orchestra as actors onstage result in one of the most exciting opera performances in recent years.

Watch the trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPqcM6PWsyc

This is the first Orfeo opera on Blu-ray!

Running Time Total: 110 minutes

Picture 16:9, HD

BD: DTS-HD MA 5.1, PCM 2.0

Subtitles Italian (original language), English, German, French, Spanish, Chinese, Korean