DVD Videos

This exceptional performance is part of Haenchen’s Mahler Cycle with the La Monnaie Symphony Orchestra. Haenchen is particularly renowned and respected for his interpretations of Mahler and Wagner and has had a significant presence in many of the world’s leading opera houses including Netherlands Opera, Opéra National de Paris, Munich, Vienna and the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.

His high intellect and musical integrity can be experienced through the DVD note, which is an extract from a series of fictitious letters written by Haenchen from Mahler’s perspective – these are based on authentic documents and form a series of fourteen books.

He has made more than 120 recordings with his different orchestras (for Berlin Classics, Capriccio, Naxos, Pentatone, Philips, Sony Classical and Vanguard), and is the author of many books on music, including important studies of Wagner and Mahler.

This expressive and dramatic performance is captured live on film in LPCM Stereo and DTS 5.1 surround sound.

1DVD

Sound format: LCPM stereo

+ DTS 5.0

Picture format: 16:9

Running time: 87’

Subtitles: n/a

Menu languages: English

Booklet languages: E/F/G

Region code: 0

Territory Restrictions: None

Superbly filmed for Polish Television, Antoni Wit’s performances of Szymanowski’s Third and Fourth Symphonies embody the distinguished and idiomatic conducting style for which he is widely recognised. An outstanding communicator, Wit exhibits exceptional attention to detail in his rendition of these two great works with his own orchestra and choir. The recording also benefits from DTS 5.1 surround sound.

The ICA Classics Live series features performances from ICA’s own artists recorded in prestigious venues around the world. The majority of the recordings are enjoying their first commercial release.

1DVD

Sound format: LCPM stereo

+ DTS 5.1

Picture format: 16:9

Running time: 55’

Subtitles: n/a

Menu languages: English

Booklet languages: E/F/G

Region code: 0

Territory Restrictions: None

Philip Glass' opera from 2009 explores the life of scientist Johannes Kepler though a series of dramatic scenes with two hours of Glass' music. It is filmed in HD and is sung in German and Latin with German/Latin subtitles as well as English. Kepler in many ways hearkens back to Glass' portrait operas of the early 1980s and continues the composers interest in scientists after having also written operas on Einstein and Galileo. The opera premiered at the Landestheater Linz in 2009 as part of Linz 09, the European Cultural Capital, and continues the amazing 30 year collaboration between Glass and the conductor Dennis Russell Davies, the music director of both the Landestheater Linz and its orchestra, the Bruckner Orchester Linz who has also recorded Glass' music extensively for the Orange Mountain Music label including Glass Symphonies 6, 7, and 8, and Glass' large scale opera The Voyage which was originally written for the Metropolitan Opera. Kepler is a refreshing return to large scale symphonic writing for the opera house. Recent Glass operas including Waiting for the Barbarians and Appomattox carry more dialogue and intimate narrative scenes whereas Kepler is a musical dedication to the life of this great scientists - triumphs and human flaws. As Glass states: "Kepler was a man with his mind in the clouds and his feet in the mud." This Orange Mountain Music recording was made in 2010 from live performances during its extensive run in Linz, and is the world premiere recording. Kepler is sung in German and Latin.

The opera was filmed by Austrian Broadcasting in 2009 and broadcast on Austrian and German television in 2010.

The Passenger is based on the eponymous novel by the Polish writer and survivor of Auschwitz, Zofia Posmycz, and the plot concerns a meeting on an ocean liner of a German SS Officer and a survivor from Auschwitz.

This is a world premiere recording and this performance, directed by David Pountney, took place at the Breganzer Festspiele 2010. The booklet includes a libretto.

The opera is sung in German, English, French, Russian and Yiddish.

Extras: Documentary "In der Fremde" (German, with English Subtitles, approx. 30 min.)

Also included is a documentary about Weinberg’s life and Zofia Posmycz’s novel and life.

A student of Darius Milhaud and Luciano Berio, musician Steve Reich (born 1936) quickly developed a style all his own inspired by Baroque music, Bartók, Webern and Stravinsky, as well as jazz, traditional music (especially African), and Hebrew cantillation. As a trailblazing exponent of minimalist music, Reich rejected the characteristic complexity of mid-20th-century classical harmony and tonality in order to make large-scale works from minimal materials a single chord, a brief musical motif, a spoken exclamation – thereby reconciling sacred and popular music.

In this profile he looks back on the key stages of his 40-years lasting career, from the formation of his own group, Steve Reich and Musicians, to the American avant-garde he helped to create, from new video performances to his quasi-religious music. Despite his success and wide recognition Steve Reich has never renounced his independent spirit.

This film is about the artist and his music. From the analogue tapes of his first recorded pieces to current technology of sampling and video. We see him at work and clips from his performances and concerts in Le Havre, Tokyo, Rome, New York and Manchester.

Bonus: "Talks in Tokyo with Steve Reich" (18 min.) & "A brief History of Music by Steve Reich" (9 min.)

Picture format DVD: NTSC 16:9

Sounds formats DVD: PCM Stereo

Region code: 0

Booklet notes: English, German, French

Subtitles: German, French, Japanese

Running time: 52 mins (Documentary); 28 mins (Bonus)

This brand new DVD from the acclaimed director Tony Palmer tells the controversial story of the Wagner family. It was originally broadcast in September 2009 on ITV1 as one of the final programmes of The South Bank Show and is now being made available in an extended version.

This is a film about a family, a family which has ruled the theatre in Bayreuth in southern Germany for the last 140 years, some say still the greatest theatre in the world. There's no doubt that Richard Wagner who built it was the most influential composer in the whole of the 19th Century. But his family has survived a mixture of lies, deception, fraud and dangerous political alliances. The story of this family is a soap opera that makes Coronation Street look like Noddy-in-Toyland. It’s a family – in many ways the Royal family of Germany – at war with itself.

“Last night's The Wagner Family was a reminder that whatever else, The South Bank Show always gave office space to one of the era's best art documentary-makers, Tony Palmer.” Andrew Billen, The Times

“No-one makes better films about musicians than Tony Palmer.” David Chater, The Times

DVD specifications:

Region: 0 (All Regions)

Rating: E (Exempt from Certification)

Duration: 106 minutes

Picture Format: NTSC (all)

This intriguing work introduces the notes B A C H in the last movement. Sadly, this recording in 2007 brought the work of this legendary ensemble to a close. The recording was made in a light, modern building and Bach’s timeless music enters into a two-way dialogue with a fascinating light and shadow effect by day and night. Every movement has an optically individual image.

Originally broadcast by the BBC in December of 1961, this Kultur release offers a series of six recitals by some of the biggest names in Opera. Performers include Swedish tenor Nicolai Gedda, Soprano Nicolai Gedda, American soprano Teresa Stitch-Randall, Australian coloratura soprano Joan Sutherland, Finnish bass Kim Borg, and German mezzo-soprano Christa Ludwig accompanied by English pianist Gerald Moore.

# Format: Classical, Colour, DVD-Video, Subtitled, Widescreen, PAL

# Language Italian

# Subtitles: English, French, Italian, Spanish

# Region: All Regions

# Aspect Ratio: 16:9 - 1.77:1

# Number of discs: 1