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See Terms & Conditions for p&p rates. | |  | An Evening with Renée FlemingRecorded live at Waldbühne, Berlin, 2010
The Waldbühne in Berlin, one of the most appealing outdoor amphitheatres on the European continent, is the home of the Berliner Philharmoniker’s summer concerts. With over 20,000 attendances, these are some of the most popular classical music concerts in the world. This year the Berliner Philharmoniker play under the baton of Ion Marin, one of the most exciting conductors on today’s musical scene. They welcome "America's Beautiful Voice", Grammy Award winning soprano Renée Fleming, who has a devoted international following wherever she appears. Her career has been built on success across a wide range of musical styles, but she is best-known for her excellence in opera worldwide. The device of the evening was “Night of Love”- the most beautiful Opera Arias in combination with atmospheric instrumental pieces. | | | Usually despatched in 2 - 3 working days. |
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| |  | Gala Concert: 300 Years of St. Petersburg
This festive gala concert was held to mark the city's 300th anniversary, bringing together some of the greatest Russian artists: young soprano Anna Netrebko, baritone Dmitri Hvorostovsky, such great instrumentalists as cellist Mischa Maisky and violinist Viktor Tretyakov. World-famous St Petersburg Philharmonic under Yuri Temirkanov in repertoire of fascinating variety. Available for the first time on Blu-ray Disc. NTSC · 16:9, PCM 2.0 · PCM 5.1 Region Code:All Booklet Notes: English, German, French Languages: Spanish, Italian, Russian Subtitles: English, German, French, Spanish, Italian Running Time: 112 mins Audiences: all | | | Usually despatched in 2 - 3 working days. |
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| |  | Jesús López Cobos conducts Mascagni & LeoncavalloRecorded live at the Teatro Real, Madrid, in February & March 2007.
Chorus and Orchestra of the Teatro Real (Madrid Symphony Orchestra & Chorus), Jesús López Cobos (musical director) & Giancarlo del Monaco (stage director) Giancarlo del Monaco’s acclaimed new production elegantly intertwines Mascagni’s and Leoncavallo’s well-loved operas, masterpieces which brought new levels of realism into opera through their so-called verismo style. Jesús López Cobos directs a double cast of outstanding talent in a recording filmed with High Definition cameras and with true surround sound. ‘The success at the opening night made history, with a great explosion of audience delight at the end… Outstanding production by Giancarlo del Monaco, Lopez Cobos gives his best… A very high level cast … very potent Violeta Urmana, formidable Canio by Vladimir Galouzine … it is impossible to listen to a better “Ridi Paggliacio” today.’ La Razon Note: This Blu-ray Disc (BD) is not compatible with standard DVD players PICTURE FORMAT: 1080i
LENGTH: 201 Mins
SOUND: 2.0 & 5.0 PCM
SUBTITLES: EN/FR/DE/ES/IT
“That both these productions work is largely due to Jesús López Cobos's theatrically vital and style-sensitive conducting and two strong casts.” BBC Music Magazine, December 2007 **** “It is a genuine pleasure to welcome a new production of Cav and Pag that presents the contrasting tales of jealousy and infidelity with sincerity and dramatic flair. Giancarlo del Monaco and his designer, Johannes Leiacker, set Cavalleria in a stark townscape of white painted buildings and masonry, the black-clad Sicilian women silhouetted under the fierce sunlight. The Easter Hymn is made all the more tense by a parade of penitents dragging a cross. Violeta Urmana and Vincenzo La Scola are well paired as Santuzza and Turridu, their confrontation interrupted by the unusually attractive Lola of Dragana Jugovich. Marco di Felice conveys the terrible pain that Alfio feels on learning of his wife's affair – the fight between him and Turridu is played out onstage, the challenge taken up when a glass of wine is emptied on to the floor.
The great Viorica Cortez is a dignified Mamma Lucia. As Turridu's body is carried away at the end, the scene changes seamlessly into the opening of Pagliacci (the Prologue to which is sung from the stalls right at the start of the evening by Carlo Guelfi).
From the 1890s setting of Cav we have moved forward 50 years, and the travelling players arrive in a lorry, with posters for the show on the outside – the mood is a bit like Fellini's LaStrada. From the outset, this Pagliacci becomes a really painful story to watch. María Bayo is superb as Nedda, tough and wilful, but trapped by the overbearing Canio of Vladimir Galouzine.
His voice is very baritonal in quality, the high notes not always easily achieved, but what tremendous authority and passion he brings to the part; he really has it in him to become the leading dramatic tenor of our time. All the other parts are well cast and the crowd scenes are beautifully handled. Jesús López-Cobos leads the Madrid forces in a performance that could not easily be surpassed anywhere nowadays.
Angel Luis Ramírez, deserves high praise for capturing Del Monaco's intense staging so well.” Gramophone Classical Music Guide, 2010 | | | Usually despatched in 2 - 3 working days. |
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| |  | Stefano Ranzani conducts Mascagni & LeoncavalloLive Recording from The Zurich Opera, 2009
Zurich Opera House, Stefano Ranzani (conductor) & Grischa Asagaroff (director) Set Design by Luigi Perego. Two timeless stories of love, honour, justice and violence, captured on just one DVD – a highlight for every opera lover. Pietro Mascagni‘s “Cavalleria rusticana” and Ruggero Leoncavallo‘s “Pagliacci” speak to one‘s heart and soul. They are regarded as the most absorbing tragedies of Italian music theater. Adultery, jealousy and betrayal are leading to passionate conflicts that jointly connect both operas. The impressively embellished stage waives exaggerated decoration to underline the unflattering realistic brutality. Both operas are supported by a musical variety of great arias, short duets and amazing choir passages that add to the unveiled expression of feelings. As a special guest the Argentinian Tenor José Cura stands out with his fascinating singing and acting performance. Besides him Soprano Paoletta Marrocu with her expressive interpretation of Santuzza, Carlo Guelfi as Tonio or Fiorenza Cedolins as Nedda can convince the audience with their great voices. These atmospheric performances directed by Grischa Asagaroff and conducted by Stefano Ranzani are capable to fascinate every opera lover. Sound Format: PCM Stereo, dts-HD Master Audio 7.1 Picture Format: 16:9 Resolution: 1080i FULL HD Subtitle Languages: IT, GB, DE, FR, ES, JP Running Time: 151 mins Blu-ray Disc: 25 GB (Single Layer) “the star here is undoubtedly José Cura who offers himself up for a taxing central assignment in both operas. He plays a stern and nicely concentrated Turiddu in Mascagni's Sicilian tragedy, vocally imaginative if a touch idiosyncratic...an appreciable achievement.” BBC Music Magazine, July 2010 *** | | | Usually despatched in 2 - 3 working days. |
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