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See Terms & Conditions for p&p rates. | |  | Recorded live at the Semperoper Dresden, December 2006Directed for Stage by Katharina Thalbach and Stage Designer and Costumes: Ezio Toffolutti
Iris Vermillon (Witch), Antigone Papoulkas (Hänsel), Anna Gabler (Gretel), Hans-Joachim Ketelsen (Peter), Irmgard Vilsmaier (Gertrud), Lydia Teuscher (Sandmännchen/Taumännchen) Women of the State Opera & State Opera Children’s Choir & Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden, Michael Hofstetter Subtitles: English, German, French, Spanish “This DVD version of Hänsel und Gretel starts well with the glorious horns of the Dresden Staatskapelle in the overture, and Michael Hofstetter draws warmly expressive playing in a work very much central to their repertory. The staging tells the story clearly and believably but the trendy ideas come too thick and fast for comfort; the delight of the children in the audience, shown in close-ups, adds to one's irritation.” Gramophone Magazine, August 2007 “This DVD version of Hänsel und Gretel starts well with the glorious horns of the Dresden Staatskapelle in the overture, and Michael Hofstetter draws warmly expressive playing in a work very much central to their repertory. The recording, live in the helpful acoustic of the Semperoper, adds to expectation, with eager children in the large audience.
That said, Katharina Thalbach's production will not please everyone. Grotesquerie rather than charm is the keynote. Hansel and Gretel are portrayed as dolls with crude make-up on spotty faces. Even their movements mimic those of puppets. Costumes are those of German peasants, with the drunken father still more of a caricature, both in costume and acting. The sets and designs by Ezio Toffolutti, minimal and stylised, are undistracting.
Other characters, too, match the grotesque illustrations in traditional German fairy-tale books, which seem strangely old-fashioned to us. The exception is the Witch, characterfully sung by Iris Vermillion, initially glamorous in a form-fitting scarlet gown with shiny high boots but transformed into an old crone when she takes off her wig, revealing a bald head, huge false ears and a hump on her back. Small wonder the children push her into the oven.
The cuckoo is another sort of doll, shooting out from the wings on a spring, with the gigantic sweets of the Witch's house let down from the flies, and with the little house itself made up of gigantic biscuits. The Sandman is another doll, and the Dew Fairy appears wearing ice skates around her neck. The captured children are revealed as sweets, until Hansel with a broom frees them all, and they form a long line to shake hands with Hansel and Gretel in a very Germanic way.
The staging tells the story clearly and believably but the trendy ideas come too thick and fast for comfort. Singing is generally good if not outstanding. Hansel (Antigone Papoulkas) and Gretel (Anna Gabler) are diminutive figures with clear, bright voices, and Hans-Joachim Ketelsen as the Father and Irmgard Vilsmaier as the Mother sing strongly; Lydia Teuscher is jewel-bright as the Sandman and the Dew Fairy.
Excellent singing, too, from the chorus of children and women.” Gramophone Classical Music Guide, 2010 “a wholly enchanting production of Humperdinck's wonderfully tuneful children's opera that cannot be recommended too highly...Iris Vermillon is a gloriously camp Witch...But it is Katharina Thalbach's production that makes this such an enchanting entertainment, full of imaginative detail” Penguin Guide, 2011 edition | | | Usually despatched in 2 - 3 working days. |
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| |  | Live Recording from The Anhaltisches Theater Dessau 2007
Sabine Noack (Hänsel), Cornelia Marschall (Gretel), Alexandra Petersamer (Gertrud), Ludmil Kuntschew (Peter/Die Knusperhexe), Viktorija Kaminskaite (Sandmännchen/Taumännchen) Anhaltische Philharmonie Dessau & Kinderchor Des Anhaltischen Theater Dessau, Markus L. Frank (conductor) & Johannes Felsenstein (director) Hänsel und Gretel is a fairy-tale opera (Märchenspiel) by Engelbert Humperdinck to a libretto by his sister Adelheid Wette. The idea for the opera was proposed to Humperdinck by his sister, who approached him about writing music for songs that she had written for her children for Christmas based on „Hänsel and Gretel.“ After several revisions, the musical sketches and the songs were turned into a full-scale opera. Hänsel und Gretel has been associated with Christmas since its earliest performances, and it is often performed at Christmas time. It is much admired for its folk music-inspired themes, one of the most famous being the prayer from act II. A family classic, it grew out of a set of incidental music and, written between 1890 and 1893, it was fi rst performed on 23 December 1893 under Richard Strauss in Weimar. The form in which the story is used in the opera derives from the collection of Ludwig Bechstein. Gertrud, the desperate mother, sends her hungry children into the wood to pick strawberries, unaware of the danger to which she exposes them until Peter, the broombinder, returns and is shocked at what she has done; both anxious parents immediately set out to fi nd them. The thoroughly happy ending introduces another signifi cant variation to the familiar version of the brothers J. and W. Grimm. “Markus L. Frank and the Anhalt Philharmonic bring out the truly magical yearning in Humperdinck’s music so beautifully that this alone should be enough to draw audiences to the Anhalt Theatre.” Mitteldeutsche Zeitung Recording Date: 2008
Place of recording: Live from the Anhaltisches Theater Dessau
Running Time: 98 min
Picture Format: 16:9
Sound Format: PCM Stereo, Dolby Digital 5.1, DTS 5.1
Menu Languages NTSC: GB
Subtitle Languages NTSC: D, F, GB, I, SP
“Johannes Felsenstein's production of this favourite fairy-tale opera presents it with every sinister element removed. In Stefan Rieckhoff's sets and costumes, the children remain in a home setting… while their father, taken by Ludmil Kuntschew, plays the witch as an amiable, totally benevolent figure, not sinister at all, even joining them in the final joyful ensemble. When they sing that the witch is dead, you find that the production contradicts that completely. That said, it is a strong and capable performance, very well conducted and with a cast of good if not outstanding singers.” Gramophone Magazine, May 2009 | | | Usually despatched in 2 - 3 working days. |
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| |  | Recorded live at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London, on 12th and 16th December 2008.
Diana Damrau and Angelika Kirchschlager star in the acclaimed 2008 production of Humperdinck’s famous fairytale opera, in the company of two of Britain’s most revered musical figures: Thomas Allen, playing the role of the Father, and the legendary conductor Colin Davis. Directors Patrice Caurier and Moshe Leiser combine their characteristic wit and a dash of deliciously dark comedy with the opera’s fairytale charm. Humperdinck’s music mixes catchy folk-like songs with sumptuous instrumental colour, making the result as tunefully approachable, musically memorable and visually delightful as opera gets. Filmed in High Definition and recorded in full Surround Sound. ‘Angelika Kirchschlager’s tousled, boyish Hänsel and Diana Damrau’s Gretel are dramatically convincing and vocally superb, while their parents, excellently sung and played by Elizabeth Connell and Thomas Allen, earn our sympathy as well as our censure. Pumeza Matshikiza’s goblin-like Sandman is truly magical and Anita Watson’s feather-dusting Dew Fairy another amusing creation. Colin Davis, unafraid to relish the icing on the cake, draws a warm, effulgent sound from the orchestra.’ Evening Standard Bonus material: Illustrated synopsis & animated cast gallery. Interview with Colin Davis. Fairytales feature. Cinema trailer. PICTURE FORMAT: 16:9
LENGTH: 138 Mins
SOUND: 5.1 DTS SURROUND / PCM STEREO
SUBTITLES: EN/FR/DE/ES/IT
“Humperdinck's adorable opera here receives treatment so affectionate that the two children are more likely to be killed with kindness than by the Witch. The cast is strong, with Angelika Kirchschlager a much more credible boy than Diana Damrau is a girl... Thomas Allen is a superb Father, and Elizabeth Connell equally good as Mother.” BBC Music Magazine, August 2009 *** | | | Usually despatched in 2 - 3 working days. |
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Jennifer Holloway (Hansel), Adriana Kucerova (Gretel), Irmgard Vilsmaier (Mother), Klaus Kuttler (Father), Wolfgang Ablinger-Sperrhacke (Witch), Amy Freston (Sandman) & Malin Christensson (Fairy) London Philharmonic Orchestra, Kazushi Ono (conductor) Laurent Pelly (stage production) A brand new, striking production of one of the most popular of operas: the only modern version of Humperdinck's classic in the Universal DVD catalogue The first Hansel & Gretel DVD on Decca: Laurent Pelly's striking new production of Humperdinck's enduringly popular masterpiece. The performance comes from Glyndebourne, where the production premiered in 2008. The singing and ensemble from the Glyndebourne cast is outstanding and received excellent reviews. Laurent Pelly updates the action to the modern day, with the family living in a cardboard box and the witch's gingerbread house represented as the sweets and chocolate aisle of a supermarket! This makes for a striking twist on the traditional children's story. Filmed in High Definition with substantial bonus - a 38 minute documentary including interviews with the cast, conductor and director. “…the masterstroke which wins this show the memorable quality lacking in the indeterminate Royal Opera production… is the witch's supermarket house, brilliantly designed by Barbara de Limburg Stirum and brilliantly abetted by Wolfgang Ablinger-Speehacke's horror in pink. Jennifer Holloway's young-Harry Hänsel and Adriana Kucerová's Gretel - dazzlingly good in the solo at the beginning of Act II - manage to sing as they bounce to the LPO's high-energy, beautifully textured playing under Kazushi Ono (the horns sound glorious in this acoustic).” BBC Music Magazine, October 2009 ***** | | | Usually despatched in 2 - 3 working days. |
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| |  | Live Recording from The Zurich Opera House, 1999
Alfred Muff (Peter), Gabriele Lechner (Gertrud), Liliana Nikiteanu (Hänsel), Marlin Hartelius (Gretel) & Volker Vogel (The Witch) Zurich Opera House, Franz Welser-Möst (conductor) & Frank Corsaro (director) Set Design and Costumes by Maurice Sendak. Humperdinck‘s opera is steeped in the guileless world of folk-song: the children‘s songs and dances, the idyllic forest scenes, the supernatural material and the central thematic chorale are all rooted in German traditional music. Frank Corsaro’s production for Zurich Opera was designed by Maurice Sendak. They have worked together on numerous highly-acclaimed opera stagings, all noted for their striking visual impact. Sendak is renowned world-wide for his classic children’s books. His vivid, magical and often disturbing imagery is perfect for the fairy-tale world of Hänsel und Gretel. He expands the Witch’s gingerbread cottage into an entire farmyard of sweetmeats, complete with windmill. The house has a life of its own, with menacing, glowing eyes, which also dominate the stage during the ‘Witch’s Ride’ interlude. This production of Humperdinck’s endearing and musically adroit opera will entrance adults and children alike. Sound Format: PCM Stereo, DD 5.1, DTS 5.1 Picture Format: 16:9 DVD Format: DVD 9, NTSC Subtitle Languages: DE, GB, FR, ES, IT Running Time: 105 mins FSK: 0 | | | Usually despatched in 2 - 3 working days. |
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| |  | Adventures of Don QuixoteEnglish and French versions, with songs by Jacques Ibert and Alexander Dargomïzhsky
Feodor Chaliapin GW Pabst (director) The legendary bass Feodor Chaliapin (1873-1938), regarded as one of the supreme singing actors of the 20th century, left an invaluable record of his art in this, his only sound film. Though primarily an actor in this film, Chaliapin is afforded ample opportunity to sing. The musical score consists of four songs by Jacques Ibert and one by Alexander Dargomyzhsky. Don Quixote is directed by G. W. Pabst, described by Leonard Maltin as "one of the prime architects of modern cinema". As was the case with many early sound films destined for international release, it was filmed both in English and French versions. This DVD presents both versions, with English, French, German, and Italian subtitles. | | | Usually despatched in 4 - 5 working days. |
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| |  | A Naxos Musical Journey - Russian Fireworks
This volume of Naxos Musical Journey takes you on a memorable trip through Russia. Experience haunting scenes of winter in St. Petersburg or escape to the resort of Yalta on the Black Sea; climb the Odessa Steps as immortalized in Eisenstein's legendary film The Battleship Potemkin; travel across the breathtaking Russian countryside or stop in the old town of Khiva with its timeless mosques, medrese, tombs and palaces. This is a tour filled with the sights and sounds evoked in the melodies of Russia's greatest composers. | | | Usually despatched in 2 - 3 working days. |
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Following the success of the enlightening first series of Keeping Score, MTT and SFS return with three further programmes that combine one-hour documentaries with live concert performances. The new programmes explore the music and stories behind the music. Each of the three DVDs in Keeping Score Series 2 features a documentary episode - with MTT guiding us through the composers’ perspectives and influences - coupled with a live concert performance of each work. The programmes are designed to engage and entertain viewers of all levels of musical background. With outstanding production values, they are released on DVD and Blu-Ray HD formats, making SFS the first orchestra to distribute its product on Blu-Ray disc. Coming of age at the dawn of the twentieth century, Charles Ives saw the halcyon days of his youth fading fast. Not willing to let them go, he invented a striking new musical language to enshrine the feelings and ideals of a simpler time. But many, shocked by passages like the “fireworks” in ‘Fourth of July,’ found his new-fangled methods at odds with the memories he was trying to preserve. Did Ives go too far? Or did he succeed in turning his memories into music? | | | Usually despatched in 4 - 5 working days. |
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| |  | Janacek: Glagolitic Mass and Taras Bulba
“What is in fact performed here is the rarely heard original version… at its most striking in the Credo: its dramatic portrayal of the earthquake and storm unleashed at Jesus's death is realised not merely by the usual manic organ solo, but also by the ferocious roar of multiple timpani and howling strings. ...is the highpoint of this live 1996 performance, as it should be, though elsewhere Janáček's gloriously rich and strange choral music also tells thanks to the well-drilled Prague Philharmonic Choir. The companion items, performed in 2003, receive more polished and dramatically alive accounts, matched with more imaginative camera work.” BBC Music Magazine, October 2005 “…a splendid disc, offering outstanding performances, well filmed against the background of the Dvořák Hall, not just of the Glagolitic Mass but also of Jealousy, the original orchestral prelude for the opera Jenůfa, and the three-movement symphonic poem Taras Bulba-two works that require background information for full appreciation. Sir Charles is in energetic form and the Czech forces bring extra idiomatic authenticity, with high dramatic contrasts well caught and the important timpani part given full force.” Gramophone Magazine, December 2005 | | | In stock - usually despatched within 1 working day. |
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Sub Titles: English, German, Spanish | | | In stock - usually despatched within 1 working day. |
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Penguin Guide