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See Terms & Conditions for p&p rates. | |  | The Grand Organ of Salisbury Cathedral
Alcock, W G: | Andante grazioso | Bach, J S: | Toccata in F major, BWV540 Chorale Prelude BWV645 'Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme' | Bush, G: | Trumpet March | Coates, E: | Dance in the Twilight | Halls: | Salisbury Fanfare | Handel: | Largo from Xerxes (instrumental arrangement) | Howells: | Rhapsody for Organ No. 2 in E flat minor, Op. 17 No. 2 | Lemare: | Andantino in D flat Op. 83 No. 2 (‘Moonlight and Roses') | Peeters: | Toccata, Fugue & Hymn on Ave maris stella (organ solo), Op. 28 | Stainer: | A Jubilant March | Vierne, L: | Pièces de fantaisie, 3rd suite, Op. 54: No. 6, Carillon de Westminster | Wood, F: | Sunrise on Stonehenge |
Priory's latest DVD from Salisbury Cathedral is now available. Featuring David Halls playing the famous Willis organ and bonus tracks demonstrating the organ of this historic building, and its chamber organ at the west end. Includes free bonus CD of the recital. | | | Usually despatched in 8 - 10 working days. |
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Flavio Oliver (Cesare), Elena de la Merced (Cleopatra), Ewa Podles (Cornelia), Maite Beaumont (Sesto), Jordi Domènech (Tolomeo) Orquestra Simfónica i Cor del Gran Teatre del Liceu, Michael Hofstetter, stage direction by Herbert Wernicke | | | In stock - usually despatched within 1 working day. |
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| |  | Director: Luc Bondy,
Designer: Richard Peduzzi,
Costumes: Rudy Sabounghi &
Lighting: Dominique Bruguière
“Among the best DVDs ever made of a Handelian production.” Opera News “…it's the grand portrait of Dejanira that holds the attention in a marvellously evocative performance from Joyce DiDonato… Les Arts Florissants responds to William Christie's firm yet subtle conducting with immaculate playing, while Luc Bondy's modern-dress production searches out the work's truth in a considered, finely-honed dramatic realisation.” BBC Music Magazine, March 2006 **** “Luc Bondy's Aix-en-Provence production, here captured at a later Paris performance, confirms that Hercules is superb theatre. Many of Bondy's ideas about detail and stagecraft are impressive and convincing. In Sophocles, Hercules is a serial adulterer; but in Handel's drama it is transparent that he and lole are innocent. Instead, Bondy portrays Dejanira as an innocent victim, lole as a scheming greedy hypocrite, and Hercules as a thoroughly unpleasant cad. All three characterisations grind against Handel's music. But if you accept that this is a distorted invention based on Handel's drama, it becomes an accomplished and powerful experience. Joyce DiDonato's finest moment as the nervously twitching Dejanira is a penetrating, tearful performance of 'Cease, ruler of the day to rise'... Swedish soprano Ingela Bohlin has striking looks and a lovely clear voice: Iole's 'My father!' and 'My breast with tender pity swells' are highlights. Toby Spence's articulate singing makes him a potent Hyllus... The chorus of Les Arts Florissants sings with clarity, precision and a good sense of the libretto's meaning...” Gramophone Magazine, April 2006 | | | In stock - usually despatched within 1 working day. |
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| |  | Recorded live at the Glyndebourne Opera House, East Sussex, on 14th & 17th August 2005.
David McVicar’s production of Giulio Cesare manages to combine serious insight with entertainment, bringing Handel’s masterpiece to life in a powerful, convincing and highly intelligent way. In every line of the complex narrative the subtle nuances are apparent, reflecting perfectly the transparent and exquisite nature of Handel’s musical expression. Filmed in High Definition and recorded in true surround sound, the outstanding singing of the all-star cast, led by a superb Sarah Connolly, and the vivid playing of the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment under the energising baton of William Christie reveal the colour and dramatic character of Handel’s music in a most delightful manner. ‘…a production with performances to savour, led from the pit by William Christie and the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment on stylish form. Sarah Connolly… gave a ‘complete’ performance full of intelligence and subtlety. Danielle de Niese stole the show as a wily, fun-filled sex kitten who renders men helpless with her irresistible charms.’ Opera Now Specials: "Entertainment is not a Dirty Word" - documentary about the opera including interviews with William Christie, David McVicar and the cast. "Danielle de Niese & the Glyndebourne experience" - an informal portrait of Danielle de Niese in her first-ever Glyndebourne season. PICTURE FORMAT: 16:9 LENGTH: 295 Mins SOUND: DTS SURROUND / LPCM STEREO SUBTITLES: EN/FR/DE/ES/IT “David McVicar's 2005 staging, revived the following summer, provoked a deal of contrasting views among the critical fraternity but was adored by the Glyndebourne public. Chief cause of their delight was the overtly sexual, high-hoofing performance of Cleopatra by the irrepressible Danielle de Niese (who is accorded a delightful 22-minute narrative on her Glyndebourne experience among the extras here). Her vocal command and stage presence are spectacular in every sense, and from her first aria she utterly seduces her audience.
McVicar took advantage of her attractive skills to build the opera around her personality.
We are here in the high noon of British imperialism and the Ottoman Empire, with Caesar more like a late-19th-century English general than a Roman emperor, and with the Egyptian milieu heavily underlined by milling extras, now always a not-altogether welcome feature of a McVicar production. They clutter the stage and draw attention away from the principals, although one has to admit that the highly disciplined and often captivating choreography is brilliantly executed within Robert Jones's exotic sets. McVicar does at least allow the moments of serious drama to be played out without undue interference – such as the deeply moving duet that closes Act 1 and Cleopatra's 'Piangerò'.
Finally it has to be said that only Glyndebourne allows for the rehearsal time to prepare such a complex and ingenious staging.
The musical side of things is equally well prepared and thought-through under William Christie's knowledgeable and commanding direction. He manages to balance with the same finesse and care the light and serious parts of the score, even if his love for Handel leads him to a few self-indulgently slow tempi. The OAE play lovingly and with period skills for him. By the time of this DVD recording, near the end of the run, the whole thing moves with eloquence matched by elegance.
De Niese sings her airy numbers as to the manner born, seconded by expertly erotic dancing.
She manages most of the emotional substance of her sadder arias, but they sometimes seem wanting in the tonal weight ideally required. Sarah Connolly's thoroughly believable Caesar is sung with her firm tone and well schooled mastery of Handelian style, including subtle embellishments.
This wilful and imperial Caesar manages to change moods as his music demands.
Some of the most accomplished and tender Handelian singing comes from Patricia Bardon's moving Cornelia and Angelika Kirchschlager's concerned Sesto, although the latter does slightly overplay the character's seemingly neurotic state of mind following his father's brutal death. The young countertenor Christophe Dumaux playing Tolomeo is suitably brat-like and spoilt. He, like most of the cast, fulfils all the stringent demands of this very physical staging. Christopher Maltman makes Achilles as nasty as he should be. The sense of teamwork all round is confirmed in the interviews included in the extras. Robin Lough's DVD direction is faultless.” Gramophone Classical Music Guide, 2010 “an account at once scholarly, lively and refreshing...Sarah Connolly sings superbly in the title-role, looking very boyish...Patricia Bardon is an excellent Cornelia and Christophe Dumaux a characterful Tolomeo.” Penguin Guide, 2010 *** “…a runaway success at Glyndebourne is turned into a great DVD. David McVicar's 2005 staging… was adored by the Glyndebourne public. Chief cause of their delight was the overtly sexual, high-hoofing performance of Cleopatra by the irrepressible Danielle de Niese... Her vocal command and stage presence are spectacular in every sense, and from her first aria she utterly seduces her audience. McVicar took... William Christie... manages to balance with the same finesse and care the light and serious parts of the score... Sarah Connolly's thoroughly believable Caesar is sung with her firm tone and well schooled mastery of Handelian style, including subtle embellishments. Some of the most accomplished and tender Handelian singing comes from Patricia Bardon's moving Cornelia and Angelika Kirchschlager's concerned Sesto... The young countertenor Christophe Dumaux playing Tolomeo is suitably brat-like and spoilt. He, like most of the cast, fulfils all the stringent demands of this very physical staging. Christopher Maltman makes Achilles as nasty as he should be. The sense of teamwork all round is confirmed in the interviews included in the extras. Robin Lough's DVD direction is faultless.” Gramophone Magazine, July 2006  BBC Music Magazine
DVD Choice - June 2006 |
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“…the lovely sound and supreme musicality of this performance… The authoritative David Thomas relishes every moment; Carolyn Watkinson brings tender dignity to 'He was despised'; Emma Kirkby has less to do than Judith Nelson but steals the show with her 'refiner's fire'. Despite minor reservations, this is an engrossing experience.” Gramophone Magazine, March 2006 “an enjoyably fresh 'traditional-period' performance which is beautifully sung and a pleasure to watch but one can hear every word and the backcloth of Westminster Abbey is well used by the camera to provide a visual treat.” Penguin Guide, 2010 edition **** | | | In stock - usually despatched within 1 working day. |
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| |  | Jean-Pierre Rampal
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| |  | Zurich Opera House, January 2007
Cecilia Bartoli (Semele), Liliana Nikiteanu (Ino), Birgit Remmert (Juno), Isabel Rey (Iris), Charles Workman (Jupiter/Apollo), Anton Scharinger (Cadmus/Somnus) & Thomas Michael Allen (Athamas) Orchestra ‘La Scintilla’, William Christie “Sung dazzlingly, “Myself I shall adore” was one of many high points in Bartoli's stunning performance, her first operatic role in a language other than Italian…The wonderfully intimate Zurich Opera House allows every detail of her performance to be savoured.” International Herald Tribune Cecilia Bartoli’s first operatic Decca DVD release for over 10 years sees her triumphing in the title role of Handel’s late drama, ‘Semele’. This will undoubtedly be the most prestigious start possible to ‘Handel Year’ (marking the 250th anniversary of his death). Not only is this Cecilia Bartoli’s first DVD opera for Decca in 12 years (since Rossini’s ‘La Cenerentola’), it is also her first opera singing in English. ‘Semele’ is presented in Robert Carsen’s stylish modern dress production, originally seen in London, and most recently staged at the Zurich Opera in 2007 (where it will be revived in January 2009). The drama tells of the ambition of the beautiful mortal, Semele, who, not satisfied with being Jupiter’s mistress, strives with fatal results to supplant Jupiter’s wife, Juno. Conceived as an oratorio but nowadays presented as a stage drama, it is a superb vehicle for all the principals, not least the substantial title role, which includes such popular arias as ‘Endless pleasure’ and ‘Myself I shall adore’. Robert Carsen’s acclaimed staging hints at parallels with the problematic relationship between the late Princess Diana and the British Royal Family.Outstanding orchestral accompaniment comes from the renowned combination of William Christie and La Scintilla Filmed in High Definition Widescreen. Stage Director: Robert Carsen TV Director: Felix Breisach | | | In stock - usually despatched within 1 working day. |
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| |  | The Handel Collection3 Full Length Programmes
Two complete operas, Rodelinda & Theodora, and 'A Night With Handel' a performance-based film of arias set in contemporary London by night.
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“I would happily sit in King’s College Chapel listening to this choir sing for the rest of my days.” (Richard Morrison, The Times) “Stephen Cleobury’s interpretation ticked all the boxes, with choir and orchestra impeccably balanced and soloists glowing.” (The Independent) Following the rush-release on CD of the live recording of Handel’s Messiah earlier this year, EMI Classics is now proud to announce the release of the DVD of this extraordinary performance in the magnificent setting of the Chapel of King’s College. The Choir of King’s College, Cambridge, and the Academy of Ancient Music are conducted by Stephen Cleobury with soloists Ailish Tynan, Alice Coote, Allan Clayton and Matthew Rose. The DVD of the concert on Palm Sunday 2009 was filmed and produced by Opus Arte. This Messiah performance was at the heart of the fifth annual Easter at King’s festival and commemorated both the 250th anniversary of the death of George Frideric Handel and the 800th anniversary of the University of Cambridge. The concert was carried via satellite – a first for a live choral concert - and was screened in over 85 cinemas across Europe and North America. Further cinema broadcasts are planned in the US and Canada in November/ December 2009 (maybe in Europe as well), possibly in a 3D version. Further details of these broadcasts will be announced shortly. The DVD and previously-released CD join the chart-topping CD, England, My England, released in July 2009 and a new live recording of the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols, to be released in November 2009 as ideal Christmas gifts from the Choir of King’s College, Cambridge, and EMI Classics. George Frideric Handel’s crowning masterpiece, his oratorio Messiah, was a hit at its premiere in April 1742 and remains among the most popular works in Western choral literature. A native of Germany, the composer lived in England from 1712, where he was considered one of the leading musical figures of his day. In 1741, the year in which he wrote Messiah, however, Handel found himself on the verge of bankruptcy, depressed and broken following the failure of several of his operas. In London it was even being said that his career as a composer was over. Not so in Ireland, where the Lord Lieutenant and governors of three charitable organisations invited Handel to Dublin to conduct a performance of one of his works for charity. Having recently completed his oratorio Messiah, the composer decided to use the invitation as an opportunity to present this new work to the world. The premiere – at Neal’s Music Hall in Dublin in 1742 – was eagerly awaited by the Dublin public and the hall was sold out. Handel based Messiah on a libretto by Charles Jennens that employs verses from the bible to present the life of Jesus. The work is in three sections: the Advent and Christmas; Christ’s passion; and the events told in the Revelation to St. John. While the composer intended the oratorio to be secular theatre, today Messiah is performed equally in churches and concert halls, by professionals and amateurs alike, usually during Lent (prior to Easter) or Advent (prior to Christmas). The Choir of King’s College, Cambridge is the world’s most famous choir and one of today’s most accomplished and renowned representatives of the great British choral tradition. The Choir dates back to the 1400s and consists of 16 choristers and 14 choral scholars. Its international reputation, established by the radio broadcast worldwide of the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols each Christmas Eve, has been consolidated by regular international tours and by the critical and commercial success of its EMI Classics releases. The most recent releases by the Choir, under exclusive contract with EMI Classics, include England, My England, a patriotic collection of English choral favourites that has been at the top of the UK classical artist charts this summer, the stunning selection of Tudor anthems I Heard a Voice, Brahms’s Ein Deutsches Requiem, Purcell’s Music for Queen Mary with the Academy of Ancient Music, John Rutter’s Gloria, Magnificat and Psalm 150 with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and Heavenly Voices, in which the Boys of King’s College Choir, in their first solo recording for the label, perform works by Franck, Mendelssohn, Fauré, John Ireland and Patrick Hadley. The Academy of Ancient Music (AAM), founded in 1973 by Christopher Hogwood, is one of the world’s first and foremost period-instrument orchestras. It takes its name from a London concert society established in 1726 for the purpose of studying and performing ‘old’ music, which was initially defined as music composed at least a century earlier, but soon came to include more ‘contemporary’ composers. The present-day Academy of Ancient Music has performed across six continents and made over 250 recordings, including many pioneering discs under Christopher Hogwood. In addition to making numerous recordings of baroque repertoire, especially Handel, the AAM was the first orchestra to record all of Mozart’s symphonies on period instruments and has since recorded the complete piano concertos and symphonies of Beethoven. It is also recording the Mozart piano concertos with fortepianist Robert Levin and the complete Haydn symphonies. At the start of the 2006-07 season, Christopher Hogwood assumed the title of Emeritus Director and Richard Egarr became Music Director. “Stephen Cleobury's interpretation … served Handel's piece well….the understanding between the orchestra and the Choir of King's College was remarkable. … the atmosphere in the Chapel, as well as in the cinema, was one of evocative majesty. … Former Young Artist of the Royal Opera Ailish Tynan made Handel's piece shine … One of the finest interpreters of the Baroque repertoire, Coote pushed her expressive power to the extreme. Her engagement with the text was almost surreal … Mimetic camera movements accompanied the singing … providing the audience in cinemas with another level of engagement.” (www.musicalcriticism.com) | | | In stock - usually despatched within 1 working day. |
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Gramophone Awards 2006
Gramophone Magazine
BBC Music Magazine Awards 2007
Penguin Guide