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See Terms & Conditions for p&p rates. | |  | Atlanta Fox Theatre live 6/5/1960
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| |  | The Italian Intermezzo: Music without words
The intermezzi recorded on this CD are, in the main, orchestral mood-painting interludes found in the great Italian operatic repertoire of the nineteenth and early twentieth century, usually connecting acts in the opera. The music is powerfully atmospheric, designed not only to create the right mood for the ensuing action of the opera, but also providing some respite from the drama itself. The exception is Ponchielli’s famous ballet, Dance of the Hours from La Gioconda, which like most ballets found in operas, gives a break from the drama of the opera and provides the audience a chance to enjoy an entertaining ballet whilst, in this case, listening to some of the catchiest music in the repertoire. Indeed, this scintillating ballet was immortalized in Walt Disney’s film Fantasia and has long been one of the most popular classics in the repertoire. The rest of the items on this CD range from the very well known and haunting Act III Prelude from La Traviata, to the sparkling items from Wolf-Ferrari’s Jewels of the Madonna and I Quattro Rusteghi, and the richly-romantic intermezzos from the great Verismo composers of Leoncavallo, Puccini, Giordano and Cilea, though the rare items by Catalani are no less enjoyable. Italian maestro Gianandrea Noseda is in his element in this, his native repertoire. Noseda has made many noted recordings with his BBC Philharmonic orchestra for Chandos, praised for their brilliance of sound as well as their musical excellence. Noseda’s superb musicianship in both the operatic and orchestral repertoire combine on this release to produce one of his very finest recordings. The programme here is unique. “For those of us who woud love going to the opera if only it wasn't for the singing, this disc could be the ideal choice...Noseda and the BBC Philharmonic make alert guides in this repertoire...the playing is well detailed and the performances are convincing. Chandos's record is typically rich and the bass drum should give your speakers a good workout.” Gramophone Magazine, March 2011 “This disc is deftly chosen and programmed, from the very well known...to the unusual...The ballet interludes are full of sparkling charm and Puccini provides the most indelible melodic output...The BBC Phil and Noseda play with an effortless sense of style, making the most of the music's variety of colour and sweeping mood changes.” Classic FM Magazine, March 2011 **** “The playing is idiomatic, infectiously con passione and brio.” Sunday Times, 13th February 2011 **** “it is much more than an hour-and-a-quarter's wallow in slow motion. There are excerpts here from operas one can wait forever to hear on stage....and every one of these tracks is well worth recording in purely musical terms...The performances are suitably vivid and sensitive, always finely controlled and shaped with a masterly hand by Gianendrea Noseda” International Record Review, March 2011 “[Noseda] approaches each item with a relish and stylistic certainty that makes you sit up and listen. The playing, also, is the equivalent of what one might hear in a major opera house, and on a good night, too.” BBC Music Magazine, March 2011 **** | | | (also available to download from $10.75) | Usually despatched in 2 - 3 working days. (Available now to download.) |
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| |  | Berliner Philharmoniker from El EscorialEuropean Concert 1992: Live Recording From The Basilica of The Monastery El Escorial, 1992
We are in an historical place: the monastery El Escorial, north-west of Madrid, which King Philip II had built between 1563 and 1584 in honour of St. Lawrence, on whose saint day the battle of San Quintin had been won. This European Concert, which annually celebrates the founding of the Berlin Philharmonic on 1st May 1882, was performed in this venue on the World Heritage List of the UNESCO. After the premiere in Prague in 1991, it was the second concert of its kind. The orchestra was conducted by Daniel Barenboim. The soloist on this evening was the star tenor Plácido Domingo. Sound Format: PCM STEREO, DD 5.1, DTS 5.1 Picture Format: 4:3 DVD Format: DVD 9, PAL Running Time: 104 mins FSK: 0 | | | Usually despatched in 2 - 3 working days. |
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| |  | New Year’s Concert 2007Live Recording from The Teatro La Fenice
Since 2004 Venice‘s rebuilt Teatro La Fenice has welcomed each New Year with a celebration of opera and symphonic music. Since that date, the Venetian concert has become a regular and increasingly popular fixture with television audiences, taking over the lead from the Viennese New Year’s Concert with its all-waltzes programme. Venice instead of Vienna that means opera instead of waltzes – a variety of highlights from Rossini, Verdi, Bellini, Paganini and Mascagni too. The choice of performers is made each year from the ranks of great conductors and acclaimed soloists, people who can rouse an audience and touch its emotions in the space of a few moments. As for the repertoire, the pieces chosen – arias, choruses and opera overtures – are almost always short, familiar and well-loved, all of them among the most-requested operatic gems, presented with the intention of keeping the memory of musical theatre, its stories and characters, alive. Sound Format: PCM Stereo, DD 5.1, DTS 5.1 Picture Format: 4:3 DVD Format: DVD 9, NTSC Running Time: 95 mins FSK: 0 | | | Usually despatched in 2 - 3 working days. |
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| |  | The Dobson Organ at Sykes Chapel, The University of Tampa
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| |  | Joan Sutherland: Classic Australian Performances1926-2010
These performances were all recorded live at the Sydney Opera House. This collection demonstrates what a priceless legacy has been left by one of the greatest singers the world has ever known and brings together “The Best of Joan Sutherland” Vols.1 & 2 at a bargain price. It includes some of Sutherland’s famous performances such as the Mad Scene from Lucia di Lammermoor. | | | Usually despatched in 2 - 3 working days. |
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| |  | Margaret Sheridan
Margaret Sheridan (soprano) This Irish soprano had outstanding talent coupled with powerful determination to succeed. Amazingly, she made a successful career in Italy between the World Wars. The years from 1922-1924 were her great years at La Scala. She enjoyed great popularity especially in the role of Butterfly which is included here. | | | Usually despatched in 2 - 3 working days. |
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| |  | Meditations
Bloch, E: | From Jewish Life: No. 1, Prayer | Casals: | El Cant dels Ocells (Song of the birds) | Dvorak: | Légende Symphony No. 9 in E minor, Op. 95 'From the New World' - Largo | Fauré: | Après un rêve, Op. 7 No. 1 | Offenbach: | Les Larmes de Jacqueline - Elégie | Rachmaninov: | Vocalise, Op. 34 No. 14 | Schumann: | Alte Laute, Op. 35, No. 12 In der Fremde (No. 1 from Liederkreis, Op. 39) Auf einer Burg (No. 7 from Liederkreis, Op. 39) | Tchaikovsky: | Andante funebre e doloroso ma con moto, 3rd movement of String Quartet No. 3, Op. 30 | Verdi: | Ella giammai m'amò (from Don Carlo) | Wagner: | O du, mein holder Abendstern (from Tannhäuser) |
Les Violoncelles Français: Emmanuelle Bertrand, Eric-Maria Couturier, Emmanuel Gaugué, Xavier Phillips, Raphaël Pidoux, Roland Pidoux, Nadine Pierre, François Salque (cellos) Les Violoncelles Français first appeared in concert together in 2006: eight leading figures of the French school of cellists, they perform here as a consort in homage to violists of an earlier period. They play an entirely new set of transcriptions taken from mainstream repertoire in this, their first recording, arranged by Roland Pidoux. | | | Usually despatched in 3 - 4 working days. |
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| |  | Domingo Romantic Arias
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| |  | Live Recording from The Wiener Staatsoper, 2004
Ramón Vargas (Don Carlos), Alastair Miles (Philippe II), Bo Skovhus (Rodrigue), Nadja Michael (La Princesse Eboli), Iano Tamar (Elisabeth de Valois), Simon Yang (Le Grand Inquisiteur), Cornelia Salje (Thibault), Dan Paul Dumitrescu (Un Moine), Benedikt Kobel (Le Compte de Lerme), Inna Los (Un Voix d'en Haut), Cosmin Ifrim (Un Hérault Royal) Wiener Staatsoper, Bertrand de Billy (conductor) & Peter Konwitschny (director) Set & Costume design by Johannes Leiacker Arthaus presents the world première of the unabridged version of Don Carlos at the Vienna State Opera, in a staging by the world renowned German director Peter Konwitschny. This staging in its unabridged version remains true to Giuseppe Verdi’s original vision of his grand opera, when it was premiered in Paris in 1867. However, during the rehearsals it soon became clear that Don Carlos would not fit within the convention of duration, and Verdi was forced, against his will, to make cuts. Over the next 20 years, he would repeatedly turn out new versions of the opera, none of which ultimately left him satisfied. Therefore it was not until October 2004 that his original work – without cuts and sung in the original French - received its world première, now available for home viewing on DVD. Led by French conductor Bertrand de Billy the singers were hailed by audience and critics. The international cast were all renowned soloists on the world’s opera stages and also long-term stalwarts of the Vienna Opera. Sound Format: LPCM Stereo, DD 5.1, DTS 5.1 Picture Format: 16:9 DVD Format: 2 x DVD 9, NTSC Subtitle Languages: GB, DE, FR, ES, IT Running Time: 247 mins FSK: 0 “a soberly impressive non-Francophone cast - its outstanding members the lyrically graceful, open-hearted Ramón Vargas and leanly expressive Alastair Miles as warring son-prince and father-king, and Najda Michael's attractive, exciting Eboli - and wonderfully delivered by the orchestra and chorus” BBC Music Magazine, April 2011 *** | | | Usually despatched in 2 - 3 working days. |
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