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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) | | | Usually despatched in 4 - 5 working days. |
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| |  | Recorded live at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London, on 8th April 2009.
Danielle de Niese (Galatea), Charles Workman (Acis), Matthew Rose (Polyphemus), Paul Agnew (Damon), Ji-Min Park (Corydon); Lauren Cuthbertson (Galatea - dancer), Edward Watson (Acis - dancer), Steven McRae (Damon - dancer), Eric Underwood (Polyphemus - dancer), Paul Kay (Coridon - dancer) Dancers of The Royal Ballet, The Royal Opera Extra Chorus & Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Christopher Hogwood (conductor) & Wayne McGregor (director) Christopher Hogwood conducts the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment and a distinguished cast including Danielle de Niese and Charles Workman in Wayne McGregor's new production of Handel's opera in which The Royal Opera and The Royal Ballet appear in a rare and beautifully crafted collaboration. Filmed with High Definition cameras and recorded in true surround sound. “Charles Workman and Danielle de Niese had bags of vocal and personal charm in the title roles, with strong contributions from Matthew Rose as Polyphemus and Paul Agnew and Ji-Min Park as attendant shepherds; among the dancers, special praise to Lauren Cuthbertson as Galatea's frolicking nymph. …An evening of exquisite sensual pleasure.” The Telegraph Extra features: Illustrated synopsis Cast gallery Documentary: Staging Acis and Galatea Running time 110 mins Region code All regions Picture format 16:9 Anamorphic Sound format 2.0 PCM & 5.0 DTS Menu language EN Subtitles FR/DE/ES (extra features only) “Vocally, the star of the show is Matthew Rose, whose pitch-perfect Polyphemus conveys the bruised vulnerability of the inarticulate and ugly...The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment play suavely, with exquisite work from the uncredited sopranino recorders.” BBC Music Magazine, June 2010 *** “The most compelling moments...tend to be when the OAE, Christopher Hogwood, Handel and the singer are permitted to possess centre stage (both metaphorical and literal)...As usual, Danielle de Niese looks and glides around the stage like a million dollars” Gramophone Magazine, January 2011 | | | Usually despatched in 2 - 3 working days. |
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| |  | Classical Destinations IIGreat Cities and their Music
Albéniz: | Tango (No. 2 from Espana, Op. 165) arr. Kreisler Richard Tognetti (violin) | Bartók: | Romanian Folk Dances for orchestra, Sz. 68, BB 76 | Britten: | Simple Symphony: Playful Pizzicato | Debussy: | String Quartet in G minor, Op. 10: Scherzo ACO principals | Elgar: | Serenade for Strings in E minor, Op. 20 - Allegro piacevole Serenade for Strings in E minor, Op. 20 - Larghetto Salut d'amour, Op. 12 Helena Rathbone (violin) | Handel: | Concerto grosso, Op. 6 No. 10 in D minor, HWV328: Finale Water Music Suite No. 1 in F major, HWV348: Air Suite from F major: Hornpipe from Water Music | Holst: | St Paul's Suite, Op. 29 No. 2: Ostinato St Paul's Suite, Op. 29 No. 2: Dargason | Prokofiev: | Sonata for Two Violins in C Major, Op. 56 Richard Tognetti, Satu Vänskä (violins) | Rachmaninov: | Vocalise, Op. 34 No. 14 Richard Tognetti (violin) | Ravel: | Deux mélodies hébraïques: Kaddisch | Respighi: | Ancient Airs and Dances, Suite No. 3, P. 172: II. Arie di Corte | Rossini: | La scala di seta Overture | Saint-Saëns: | Introduction & Rondo capriccioso, Op. 28 Richard Tognetti (violin) | Strauss, R: | Morgen, Op. 27 No. 4 Sara Macliver (soprano) | Szymanowski: | String Quartet No. 2, Op. 56: Vivace, Scherzando ACO principals |
The acclaimed actor and writer Simon Callow returns for a second tour as host and narrator of Classical Destinations. This unique TV series combines travel to some of the most amazing cities in Europe with their history, great stories and classical music in a unique and spectacular format. Together with their Artistic Director Richard Tognetti, the Australian Chamber Orchestra (ACO) joins Simon as he discovers the great composers by exploring beautiful cities and regions of Europe that inspired them to write the music that has endured for years. 'I believe we’ve put together a remarkable selection of music that represents the best of the composers featured. The ACO performs in every episode of the series with over 100 minutes of new recordings.' Richard Tognetti Running time: 5hrs 25mins Special Features: 36mins 16:9 Widescreen All regions DVD9: Dual layer | | | This item is currently out of stock at the UK distributor. You may order it now but please be aware that it may be six weeks or more before it can be despatched. |
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| |  | Leonard Bernstein – Omnibus
Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony (1954) The World of Jazz (1955) The Art of Conducting (1955) Originally Broadcast Live on CBS American Musical Comedy (1956) Introduction to Modern Music (1957) The Music of Johann Sebastian Bach (1957) Originally Broadcast Live on ABC What Makes Opera Grand? (1958) Originally Broadcast Live on NBC INCLUDES Carol Burnett, “The King of Swing” Benny Goodman and Hans Conried Also Includes A BONUS OMNIBUS PERFORMANCE of HANDEL’S MESSIAH (conducted by Leonard Bernstein)
"one of the most prodigally talented and successful musicians in American history” The New York Times A presence on Broadway, in Hollywood, at Carnegie Hall and the New York Philharmonic, Leonard Bernstein was a major force in 20th century music. His exuberant and dramatic style caught the heart of America, bringing classical music to thousands of people from diverse backgrounds. Hosted by Alastair Cooke, OMNIBUS was a monumental series, featuring diverse live broadcasts on science, the arts, and the humanities. This historic collection includes seven complete programs featuring lectures, performances and master classes from the legendary conductor and composer Leonard Bernstein. “Five stars. If we had them.” Gramophone Magazine, December 2010 | | | Usually despatched in 4 - 5 working days. |
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| |  | staged version
Stage Director - Claus Guth Recorded live at the Theater an der Wien, 2009 Claus Guth, one of the most interesting and successful German stage directors in the area of theatrical music, has created a unique concept for the staging of Handel’s most famous work. Winner of the Diapason d'Or and the BBC Music Magazine Award, Spinosi and Ensemble Matheus is internationally acclaimed for its interpretations of early music on authentic period instruments. Video director Hannes Rossacher, internationally known as one of the leading video directors for rock and pop events (Rolling Stones), has captured this unique performance of the oratorio on film. “there are some penetrating ideas lurking behind the underlying premise, which in essence orbits around the moral, theological and familial fallout surrounding a suicide...the singing blazes with conviction...Not a Messiah for the faint-hearted but there are rich rewards for the open-mindedly indulgent.” BBC Music Magazine, December 2010 “The singing is very good (Susan Gritton and [Richard] Croft are particularly fine) and Jean-Christophe Spinosi's conducting is luscious.” Classic FM Magazine, January 2011 ** | | | Usually despatched in 2 - 3 working days. |
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Recording Date: 2001 <br> Place of recording: Händelfestspiele Halle 2001 <br> Running Time: Opera: 192 min, Special features: 133 min <br> Picture Format: 16:9 <br> Sound Format: PCM Stereo, Dolby Digital 5.1 <br> <br> Menu Languages PAL: D, GB, F, SP <br> Subtitle Languages PAL: D, GB, F, SP <br> <br> Menu Languages NTSC: GB, F, SP, JP <br> Subtitle Languages NTSC: GB, F, SP, JP <br> <br> Specials: Making-of, Interviews, Historical film footage <br> “This is an instance where the DVD...is greatly preferable to the CDs, with solo voices anturally caught and strongly projected against the beautifully recorded and balanced orchestra...It is a strong team of soloists...Thomas Randle gives a vigorously resonant account of the role of Bajazet...The DVD is strongly documented and includes a 'read the score' facility” Penguin Guide, 2010 **** | | | Usually despatched in 2 - 3 working days. |
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Recording Date: 2004 Place of recording: From the Schlosstheater Neues Palais Potsdam Running Time: 170 min Picture Format: 16:9 Sound Format: PCM Stereo, Dolby Digital 5.1, DTS 5.1 Menu Languages PAL: D, F, GB, I, SP Subtitle Languages PAL: D, F, GB, I, SP Menu Languages NTSC: F, GB, I, JP, SP Subtitle Languages NTSC: F, GB, I, JP, SP | | | Usually despatched in 2 - 3 working days. |
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| |  | Easter Concert
Montserrat Caballe, Montserrat Marti (sopranos) Orchestra del Festival di Pasqua, Cappella Giulia Saint Peter’s Chorus, Pablo Colino Filmed at the Basilica di S. Maria degli Angeli, Rome, Italy | | | Usually despatched in 2 - 3 working days. |
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Handel’s oratorio Theodora, in its first-ever staging at the Salzburg Festival ,was among the highlights of the Handel year in 2009. Great cast that features Christine Schäfer and Bejun Mehta, conducted by Ivor Bolton. Acclaimed stage director Christof Loy presented Theodora as the profoundly moving tale of a woman who prefers death to denying her own faith. Video director Hannes Rossacher, known both in the pop (Rolling Stones) and classical world (Mozart's "Lucio Silla" for UNITEL), captures the essence of this rarely recorded work. Running Time Opera: 189 minutes “The performances are generally dramatically real...Outstanding is Bejun Mehta's sweet-toned yet dynamic Didymus. Ivor Bolton secures an efficient musical performance.” BBC Music Magazine, September 2011 *** “Joseph Kaiser gives an outstanding vocal and dramatic performance as the beleaguered Roman guard Septimius...The Salzburg Bach Choir manages the impressive feat of moving around a lot while remaining vocally balanced and blended (and their English is flawless)...The music provision from the classy team of the Freiburg Baroque Orchestra and Ivor Bolton is exemplary at letting Handel do the talking.” Gramophone Magazine, October 2011 “Ivor Bolton conducts with a freshness, a liveliness, even in sad, inward-looking solos and choruses, which does not mean a lack of sensitivity but rather an avoidance of dullness...Among the six singers in the cast there is not one weakness.” International Record Review, July/August 2011 | | | Usually despatched in 2 - 3 working days. |
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| |  | Berlin Opera NightRecorded live at the Deutsche Oper Berlin, 2003
Chor und Orchester der Deutschen Oper Berlin, Kent Nagano Major stars of the international opera stage come together with the Chor und Orchester of the Deutsche Oper Berlin, under the baton of the illustrious Kent Nagano, in this opera gala in aid of the German AIDS Foundation. Highlights from operas by Mozart, Puccini, Leoncavallo, Saint-Saëns, Massenet, Dvorák, Wagner, Richard Strauss, Lehár and Johann Strauss II are performed by world-class musicians from around the globe. Proceeds from the sales of this title go to support the work of the German AIDS Foundation. Picture format DVD: NTSC 16:9 Sounds formats DVD: PCM Stereo, DD 5.1, DTS 5.1 Region code: 0 Subtitles: English, German, French, Spanish, Italian Booklet notes: English, German, French Running time: 78 mins FSK: 0 “In a rather mixed bag, there are a number of class acts...the highlight performance of the night in respect of bringing a role alive...[is]
Kasarova singing an expressive and beautifully realised Werther!...The audience might have been more thrilled by the tenors at full throttle, but this is the highlight for me - a gold nugget in this collection.” MusicWeb International, June 2011 | | | Usually despatched in 2 - 3 working days. |
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Gramophone Magazine