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The Royal Ballet presents a stellar cast in Kenneth MacMillan's daring and powerful ballet, filmed in 1994, with John Lanchbery's sumptuous scoring of music by Franz Liszt. The dramatic soundscape is matched by MacMillan’s penetrating interpretation of the events surrounding the double suicide of Crown Prince Rudolf of Austria-Hungary and his young mistress, Mary Vetsera, at Mayerling in January 1889. Recorded live at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London on 1st and 5th February 1994.
PICTURE FORMAT: 4:3
LENGTH: 127 Mins
SOUND: PCM 2.0
SUBTITLES: GB/F/D
“Kenneth MacMillan's choreography for this haunting tale is transcendent … stunning set and costume designs … John Lanchbery's truly remarkable score … The Royal Ballet is unbeatably good” The Times | | | Usually despatched in 2 - 3 working days. |
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| |  | Wild About Liszt
Albert, E: | Scherzo in F Sharp Major, Op. 16, No. 2 (2 performances) | Chopin: | Grande Polonaise Op. 22 | Liszt: | Ballade No. 2 in B minor, S171/R16 Les jeux d'eaux à la Villa d'Este (Années de pèlerinage III, S. 163 No. 4) Après une lecture du Dante, fantasia quasi sonata (Années de pèlerinage II, S. 161 No. 7) Funérailles (Harmonies poétiques et religieuses, S. 173 No. 7) Sonetto 47 del Petrarca (Années de pèlerinage II, S. 161 No. 4) Sonetto 104 del Petrarca (Années de pèlerinage II, S. 161 No. 5) (2 performances) Sonetto 123 del Petrarca (Années de pèlerinage II, S. 161 No. 6) Valse oubliée No. 1, S.215/1 Mephisto-Polka, S217ii Mephisto Waltz No. 1 Fantasy & Fugue in G minor (J S Bach BWV542) for piano, S463 Symphony No. 1 (after Beethoven): excerpt Concert Paraphrase on Rigoletto, S.434 after Verdi's opera Widmung S566 after Schumann (Liebeslied) Mes joies – Nocturne d'après un chant polonais de Fr. Chopin, S480/5bis Die Lorelei Spinnerlied aus Der fliegende Holländer S440 Grande Étude de Paganini, S. 141 No. 5 'La Chasse' Grande Étude de Paganini, S. 141 No. 3 'La Campanella' (2 performances) Étude d'exécution transcendante d'après Paganini, S. 140 No. 2 Polonaise No. 2 in E major, S223 No. 2 Piano Sonata in B minor, S178 La leggierezza - Étude de concert No. 2, S144 Un Sospiro from 3 Concert Studies, S144 No. 3 Gnomenreigen, S145 No. 2 (2 performances) Etude de concert No. 2 in F minor Transcendental Study, S139 No. 3 'Paysage' Transcendental Study, S139 No. 2 in A minor Transcendental Study, S139 No. 9 'Ricordanza' Transcendental Study, S139 No. 10 'Appassionata' | Respighi: | Notturno | Wild: | Larghetto from the Piano Concerto No. 2 (after Chopin) |
DISC ONE: - 'Liszt the Poet' July 26, 1986 - 'Liszt the Transcriber' July 28, 1986 - Documentary on 'Wynyard' and Liszt July 24 - 28, 1986 DISC TWO: - 'Liszt the Virtuoso' July 30, 1986 - 'An Evening with Earl Wild' BBC-TV September 21, 1974 - CBS-TV Sunday Morning with Earl Wild 198 - Dutch TV interview with Earl Wild on the occasion of his 90th Birthday Concert in Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw September 25, 2005 AUDIO TRACKS: - Earl Wild speaking to the Carnegie Mellon University School of Music, November 6, 2003 - Mannes School International Keyboard Festival interview with Earl Wild - moderator Donald Manildi July 20, 2003 NYC - John Amis on BBC's 'Talking About Music' with guest Earl Wild 1986 - Sharon Eisenhour interviews Earl Wild on WUHY Philadelphia July, 1982 “Wild is a major pianist whose modesty has partly concealed what these two DVDs reveal: he is a staggering Liszt interpreter, and here we have many hours of his playing and talking. Unfortunately the discs are extraordinarily confusingly laid out.” BBC Music Magazine, Proms 2008 *** “Earl Wild (born 1915) is the last great representative of those pianists directly influenced by the playing of Rachmaninov and Hoffman: he has an all-encompassing repertoire; he composes; he transcribes; he has one of the finest mechanisms in history; he produces some of the most beautiful sounds you will ever hear from the piano (as he says himself, he was brought up to play as though every member of the audience were blind).
Among history's very greatest Liszt pianists, he is heard here in no fewer than three fulllength Liszt recitals. They were recorded before an audience over three evenings in July 1986 at Wynyard, the ancestral home of the Ninth Marquess of Londonderry, to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the death of Liszt.
'Liszt the Poet' includes the Ballade No 2, a wonderfully proportioned Dante Sonata, Funérailles and Mephisto Waltz No 1 with Wild's own and (in my opinion) much improved ending; 'Liszt the Transcriber' has 'hyphenated' Bach, Verdi, Schumann, Chopin, Paganini (stunning) and the Beethoven-Liszt Symphony No 1; 'Liszt the Virtuoso' is dominated by the B minor Sonata. Though not professionally filmed, the sound recording is quite acceptable while the picture quality is second generation video. There is also an enjoyable, homespun documentary of Wild's visit to Wynyard, the tour of the jaw-dropping estate and its immense house (boasting its own organ and played briefly by the pianist) conducted by the piano-loving Marquess himself.
On the second DVD is a 1974 BBC recital/ interview with the much-missed Robin Ray who elicits the memorable quote that 'the difference between playing a piece like the d'Albert Scherzo and, say, Beethoven Op 111 is that in the d'Albert you are a decorator; in the Beethoven you are an architect. A pianist should be able to be both.' There's an interview on the occasion of Wild's 90th birthday concert at the Concertgebouw and an additional 124 minutes of audio features: Wild lecturing (with some wickedly funny anecdotes) in 2003, interviewed by John Amis for the BBC in 1986 and Sharon Eisenhour for Philadelphia's WUHY station in 1982. What a cornucopia!” Gramophone Classical Music Guide, 2010 | | | Usually despatched in 4 - 5 working days. |
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| |  | Jorge Luis Prats in Recital
The astonishing Jorge Luis Prats makes his DVD debut in this stunning live concert from the 2007 Miami International Piano Festival. Prats, hitherto known mostly among the piano cognoscenti,is a virtuoso in the grand manner whose technical powers and rare artistic temperament illuminate a vast repertoire. His Miami recital runs the gamut from Bach/Busoni to his Cuban compatriot, Ernesto Lecuona — all delivered with an extraordinary pallet of pianistic color. Bonus: Includes “A Conversation with Jorge Luis Prats” hosted by Frank Cooper. Stereo, color, 95 minutes (plus 60-minute bonus). All regions. “Cuban virtuoso Jorge Luis Prats (b1956) is an old-fashioned romantic. …after a while it is easy to take his fabulous technique and palette of tonal colours for granted.” Gramophone Magazine, September 2008 | | | Usually despatched in 4 - 5 working days. |
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AVIE is delighted to double welcome American pianist Russell Sherman, this time on DVD, in performances of Liszt masterpieces for the solo piano: the Transcendental Studies. Written as studies but also following a thematic sequence – bearing in mind the public performance of these pieces – Liszt reaches new heights in the piano repertoire with these works. Liszt is the epitome of the nineteenth-century artist: wildly diversified in his interests, extravagant in both his public manner and private life, and most importantly, willing to explore even the darkest side of the human psyche. Like many artists from many centuries he was able to move into the highest spheres of society not by his personal wealth but by the sheer force of his talent. Inheriting the force of Beethoven and the lyricism of Schumann, Liszt contemplates the new technical challenges of the instrument that was, in the 19th century, becoming the centre of the concert platform, thanks to composers like Chopin, Brahms and of course Liszt himself. With extras including interviews with conductor Craig Smith and Christopher Lydon, this DVD of Russell Sherman will surely please those interested in exploring the beauty and intensity of a great performance of these wonderful works. ‘first a fierceness of imagination that makes us rethink what we know by heart, and then a physical technique allowing the most difficult music a confident sense of order and repose’ New York Times ”…by any measure one of the truly extraordinary pianists before the public.” The New York Times “Russell Sherman must be counted among the outstanding contemporary pianists. Sherman is an exceedingly sensitive interpreter and a great story teller at the piano. This pianist is equipped with an enormous, energy-rich breadth and electricity.” Frankfurter Allegemeine Zeitung | | | Usually despatched in 4 - 5 working days. |
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| |  | Italy - RomePiazzas, Fountains and the Remains of Empire
The Places Starting from the Pantheon and the Colosseum, our tour takes us to the Forum of Augustus and the Forum of Trajan, the Arch of Constantine and the Capitol, with the later city represented by the Piazza di Spagna, the Trevi Fountain, and the great piazza before St Peter's in Vatican City. The Music The music chosen for this tour of Rome is by Franz Liszt, who divided the last 25 years of his life between Rome, Hungary and Weimar, after an early career as a travelling virtuoso, one of the greatest pianists of his time, and a period settled in Weimar as Director of Music Extraordinary to the Grand Duchy. In Rome he took minor orders and developed further his interest in the music of the Church. | | | Usually despatched in 2 - 3 working days. |
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| |  | Symphonie FantastiqueChoreographed by Léonide Massine
Niels Bjørn Larsen, Mona Vangsaae, Erik Bruhn, Toni Lander, Stanley Williams (dancers) Royal Danish Ballet In 1948 Léonide Massine mounted for the Royal Danish Ballet a version of his famous 1936 ballet, Symphonie Fantastique, based on the symphony by Hector Berlioz. A “work film” was made at that time, shot without sound and showing the dancers in practice dress. This DVD presents that work film synchronized to Liszt’s piano transcription of the Berlioz work played by William Hicks. Ballet fans will notice the cast includes Erik Bruhn, Toni Lander, and Stanley Williams, all at the beginning of their careers. B&W, English subtitles, 4:3, mono | | | Usually despatched in 4 - 5 working days. |
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| |  | A ballet by Kenneth MacMillan
Choreographer: Kenneth MacMillan Edward Watson takes the role of Crown Prince Rudolf in Kenneth MacMillan's compelling ballet which lives out the final eight years of Rudolf’s life with its relentless downward spiral of political intrigue, drugs and murder. It culminates with the suicide pact at the hunting lodge - known as Mayerling - between Rudolf and his 17-year-old mistress, Mary Vetsera (Mara Galeazzi). Filmed in high definition and recorded in true surround sound. “…while Mara Galeazzi as Mary Vetsera nearly stole the show with her natural conviction, exuberance and authoritative technique, the evening belonged to Watson as Rudolf, one of the most challenging male roles ever created.” Sunday Express Extra features: Illustrated synopsis Cast gallery Principles in rehearsal with Edward Watson & Mara Galeazzi Short feature on costumes Running time 157 mins Region code All regions Picture format 16:9 Anamorphic Sound format 2.0 PCM & 5.1 DTS Master Audio Menu language EN Subtitles FR/DE/ES (extra features only) Recorded live at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London, October 2009. “A contorted Edward Watson as death-obsessed Austrian royalty leads a brilliant Royal Ensemble in Opus Arte's second DVD of Kenneth Macmillan's stunner.” BBC Music Magazine, March 2011 ***** | | | Usually despatched in 2 - 3 working days. |
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| |  | Liszt & Reubke - Great Organ Works
Roberto Marini (at the Great Organ of the St-François church in Lausanne, Switzerland) Total playing time: 135 mins. System: NTSC 16:9 DVD format: DVD-9 Region 0 (worldwide) Booklet in English, French, German, Italian | | | Usually despatched in 8 - 10 working days. |
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| |  | Cyprien Katsaris - Live in ShanghaiThe International Piano Festival of Shanghai Conservatory of Music – 4th October, 2005
Bach, J S: | Toccata & Fugue in D minor, BWV565 trans. Katsaris Prelude in F major, BWV927 trans. Alexander Il'yich Ziloti | Carrasco: | Adios | Chopin: | Nocturne No. 2 in E flat major, Op. 9 No. 2 | Gottschalk, L: | Le banjo, fantaisie grotesque Op. 15 arr. Katsaris | Guang: | Silver Clouds Chasing the Moon | Halévy: | La reine de Chypre: Overture trans. Wagner | Liszt: | Trauer-Vorspiel und Trauermarsch, S206 (1885) Nuages gris, S199 Hungarian Rhapsody, S244 No. 5 in E minor 'Héroïde-élégiaque' Csárdás obstinée, S. 225 No. 2 arr. Katsaris Benediction de Dieu dans la solitude (Harmonies poétiques et religieuses, S. 173 No. 3) Am Grabe Richard Wagners, S202 (1883) Isolde's Liebestod (after Wagner), S447 Ave Maria, S558 No. 12 (after Schubert) Der Müller und der Bach (No. 2 from Müllerlieder von Franz Schubert, S565) Ständchen - Leise flehen meine Lieder (No. 7a from Schwanengesang, S560, after Schubert) | Schubert: | Rosamunde, D797: Ballet Music No. 2 trans. Ernst Pauer |
On this DVD Cyprien Katsaris performs works by Liszt, Wagner, Guang, Halévy, Schubert, Bach, Chopin, Gottschalk and Carrasco. “With the Benediction de Dieu, Katsaris rises to its theatrical heights with some wonderfully fluent passagework, rounding off the first half with a no less impassioned account of Isolde's Liebestod...a final Bach Prelude [was] played with such exquisite poignancy that it took my breath away.” Gramophone Magazine, October 2010 | | | Usually despatched in 2 - 3 working days. |
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| |  | A Surprise In TexasThe Thirteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition
Bonus: Concert excerpts of the medalists: Nobuyuki Tsujii (Bass Gold Medal): Franz Liszt: La Campanella • Hungarian Rhapsody Haochen Zhang (Bass Gold Medal): Igor Stravinsky: Three Movements from “Petrushka“ Yeol Eum Son (Silver Medal): Franz Liszt: Rhapsodie Espagnole
A film by Peter Rosen. In May 2009, twenty-nine of the world’s best young pianists converged in Fort Worth, Texas for a once in a lifetime chance at gold in the Thirteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. Emmy-winning director Peter Rosen follows these distinctive personalities during a rigorous three-week competition – including intense rehearsals, introspective moments, preconcert rituals and endearing celebrations. Hailing from 14 countries, competitors were welcomed with Texas-sized hospitality by their host families and immersed in a city best characterized by the Fort Worth Convention and Visitors Bureau’s advertising slogan “Cowboys and Culture.” With the performances of Chopin, Liszt, Beethoven, Rachmaninov and other piano masterpieces setting the impassioned tone, the result is an intricate inside view into the inner workings of the world’s most prestigious piano competition and a heartwarming story that proves to be a momentous surprise in Texas. Picture format DVD: NTSC 16:9 Sounds formats DVD: PCM Stereo, DD 5.0, DTS 5.0 Region code: 0 Booklet notes: English, German, French Running time: 92 mins (documentary) + 48 mins (bonus) FSK: 0 “The atmosphere of the piano world's most demanding competition comes vividly across, as do the personalities of the finalists: blind Nobuyuki Tsuji wins all hearts as he collects his prize.” BBC Music Magazine, January 2011 **** “This is a very moving film, which has hints of a reality show, and which shows the trials and tribulations of these excellent young musicians as they face the public and their judges...The bonus feature included with the documentary is 48 minutes of solo performances by the medal winners. Given that during the documentary only short bits are shown, it is nice to see and hear these performers at greater length.” MusicWeb International | | | Usually despatched in 2 - 3 working days. |
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