DVD Videos

This DVD presents a wonderful recording of the opening concert of the Salzburger Festspiele from 2012 – an annual highlight on the Classical Music calendar traditionally performed by the vibrant heart of the festival: the Wiener Philharmoniker.

The program from 2012 was Russian themed with a focus on the most profound questions of human life with excellent interpretations of Igor Stravinsky’s Symphony of Psalms, Modest Mussorgsky’s Songs and Dances of Death and Sergei Prokofiev’s Fifth Symphony.

The concert is conducted by Valery Gergiev, general and artistic director of the Mariinsky Theatre, winner of the Herbert-von-Karajan Award and the Polar Music Prize. Russian tenor Sergei Semishkur, soloist at the Mariinsky theatre, excels in his intense interpretation of Mussorgsky’s Songs and Dances of Death.

Picture format DVD: NTSC 16:9

Sound formats DVD: PCM Stereo, Dolby Digital 5.0, DTS 5.0

Region code: All (worldwide)

Subtitles: English, German, French

Booklet notes: English, German, French

Running time: 90 mins

The Mariinsky label releases its second opera DVD & Blu-ray, Prokofiev’s 'The Gambler'. Filmed in the historic Mariinsky Theatre in 2010, it stars celebrated Russian tenor Vladimir Galuzin and bass Sergei Aleksashkin, and is conducted by Valery Gergiev. It is of fundamental significance that under Gergiev’s baton the Mariinsky Orchestra and opera company have performed all of Prokofiev’s symphonies, concerti and operas on numerous occasions.

Georgian director Temur Chkheidze, who also presented the Mariinsky’s last production in 1996 and directed the opera with critical success at the Metropolitan Opera in 2001, gives a fresh look to Prokofiev’s first opera.

Set in the fictional town of Roulettenburg in the mid-19th Century, 'The Gambler' is a four-act opera that displays the dramatic highs and lows involved in the game of chance. At the centre of the story is Alexei, who is in love with The General’s step-daughter, Pauline. All of the characters fall victim to the temptation of gambling, each one consumed by the obsession and greed that drives them.

Vladimir Galuzin, who plays the role of Alexei, is indisputably one of the world’s leading dramatic tenors, known for his unrivaled stentorious voice and extremely vivid characterisations of some of the most demanding roles. A Mariinsky soloist since 1990, he is much in demand internationally, performing regularly during the last two decades as a guest of most of the world’s most prominent opera houses, concert halls and festivals. The role of The General is played by Russian bass Sergei Aleksashkin. Three-time recipient of the Golden Sofit, St Petersburg’s most prestigious theatre prize, Sergei has been a Mariinsky Theatre soloist since 1989, singing title roles in Mussorgsky’s 'Boris Godunov' and Glinka’s 'Ruslan and Lyudmila'.

DURATION 2 hours 35'

Recorded at the Mariinsky Theatre, June 2010

Performed in Italian: subtitles in Russian, English, Japanese, German and French

Choreography Kenneth MacMillan.

Given its premiere by The Royal Ballet in 1965 with Rudolf Nureyev and Margot Fonteyn dancing the title roles, Kenneth MacMillan’s first full-evening ballet has become a signature work for the Company, enjoying great popularity around the world. From the outset, the production teems with life and colour as the townspeople, market traders and servants of the rival Montagues and Capulets go about their daily business in vibrant crowd scenes. But Romeo and Juliet take centre stage for those great pas de deux: the meeting in the ballroom, the balcony scene, the morning after the wedding and the final devastating tomb scene. Although The Royal Ballet has performed Romeo and Juliet over 400 times, each performance and pairing is subtly different, and Lauren Cuthbertson and Federico Bonelli are utterly captivating in the title roles. This performance was broadcast live from Covent Garden to cinemas worldwide.

Kenneth MacMillan's first full-evening ballet has become one of The Royal Ballet's signature works.

This production was one of the big successes of last season’s Royal Opera House Live Cinema Season.

Acclaimed performances by star principals, Lauren Cuthbertson and Federico Bonelli.

Extra features: Documentaries on Kenneth MacMillan's production, and "Sharps, Points and Pirouettes" the famous sword fight scene.

Includes deluxe slipcase.

Running time: 158 minutes

Subtitles (extra features only): EN/FR/DE/IT/ES/PT/JP

Sound format: 2.0LPCM + 5.1(5.0) DTS

Narration in English with optional German and French subtitles

This fantastic documentary, from the director of the very successful DVD Carlos Kleiber - I am lost to the world, celebrates the 100th birthday of Sir Georg Solti. He was one of the 20th Century’s most brilliant conductors and a leading figure of musical culture world-wide.

The documentary follows the Hungarian-Jewish conductor’s career: As Toscanini’s assistant at the Salzburg Festival, as Music Director in Munich and Frankfurt after the war, achieving world-wide fame with his legendary recording of Wagner’s Ring cycle. It was as the long-serving Music Director at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, and of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra that Solti became an international start of classical music.

These stops form the central points of the film. Many great musicians like Valery Gergiev and Dohnànyi have great memories to share.

Picture Format: 16:9, HD

Sound Format: PCM Stereo

Running Time: 107 minutes (documentary 52 minutes, bonus 55 minutes)

Booklet: English, German, French

Subtitles: English spoken version, German spoken version, Subtitles: French, Spanish, Korean

AVAILABLE WORLDWIDE

Choreography by MAGUY MARIN

Sets & Costumes by MONTSERRAT CASANOVA

Lighting Design by JOHN SPRADBERRY

Maguy Marin‘s highly original and magical version of the Cinderella story was an unparalleled success through out its world tour. Anna Kisselgoff of the New York Times said that Marin‘s „vision reaches back into the universals of everyone‘s childhood - the hurts and joys resonate here with touching depth.“ Marin’s choreographic vision is so extraordinarily original and magical that it seems to evoke universally familiar images and memories of childhood. In her childlike approach to the work, the characters are presented as living dolls with real human feelings projected upon them in the way children like to identify with their toys. The fairy tale is set in a dolls’ house, the Fairy Godmother is a robot, Cinderella goes to the ball in a toy car and the Prince sets off in search of his beautiful but unknown guest astride a rocking horse…

Sound Format: PCM Stereo

Picture Format: 4:3

DVD Format: DVD 9, NTSC

Running Time: 87 mins

FSK: 0

Lovingly restored, using the finest state-of-the-art technology, Classic Archive features great performances from legendary artists, offering a unique historical glimpse into our classical music heritage.

This DVD presents two unreleased performances filmed by BBC television in 1977: celebrated pianist Martha Argerich plays the Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 1, and Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 3.

Both pieces are technically demanding and prove to be an ideal vehicle for Argerich’s musical inspiration, demonstrating why she is hailed as one of the world’s leading pianists.

She is joined by the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, the London Symphony Orchestra, Sir Charles Groves, and André Previn.

Picture format DVD: NTSC 4:3

Sounds format DVD: PCM Stereo

Region code: 0

Original Languages: English

Subtitles: English, German, French

Booklet notes: English, German, French

Running time: 62 mins

This amazing set gathers together the 3 collaborations between film director Chantal Akerman and cellist Sonia Wieder-Atherton.

As an interpreter of an extremely broad repertory that reflects her imaginative world, a designer of projects, and a musician sought after by many contemporary composers, Sonia Wieder-Atherton occupies a place apart on today’s musical scene. She has played as soloist with the Orchestre de Paris, the Orchestre National de France, the Belgian National Orchestra, the Liege Philharmonic, the Israel Philharmonic, the Lisbon Gul-benkian Orchestra, the Luxemburg Philharmonic, the Hanover NDR Orchestra . . .Pascal Dusapin, George Aperghis and others have written numerous works for her.

She has been invited by many festivals to perform the musical projects that she conceives and stages, in venues such as the Cité de la Musique, the Théâtre de la Ville, the Strasbourg Musica, the Bath Music Festival, Cheltenham, Houston Opera and Dortmund Opera. She has recently signed an exclusive contract with the record company Naïve.

2 DVDs and CD:

DVD1 - Avec Sonia Wieder-Atherton

DVD 2 - A l'Est avec Sonia Wieder-Atherton

Bonus CD - Extracts from the soundtrack of Chantal Akerman's film 'A Couch in New York'

Representing the first visit to the Proms by the St Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra, this exhilarating and refreshing concert from 1992 sees the orchestra on top form under Yevgeny Mravinsky’s esteemed successor, Yuri Temirkanov.

Temirkanov was appointed Artistic Director and Chief Conductor of the orchestra four years prior to this recording, having made his debut with them several decades earlier, which lead to his appointment as Mravinsky’s assistant conductor in the sixties.

Temirkanov is not averse to making changes to musical scores, and the Manfred Symphony featured on this DVD is subject to a convincing set of alterations, closing with a reprise of the first movement’s dark coda, a compelling and appropriate substitute for the customary happy ending.

Temirkanov’s profound love of Tchaikovsky’s music is evident in this passionate interpretation from an orchestra that was established nearly 130 years ago, and according to Gramophone is one of the top 20 orchestras in the world.

A frequent guest conductor of major orchestras in Europe, Temirkanov and ‘his orchestra’, were described in the Corriere della Sera (Milan) as ‘something unique in world music panorama… Amazing musicians, everyone is a soloist, but in perfect ensemble and confluence with others.’

Temirkanov has received many distinguished awards in Russia, such as the President’s Medal from Vladimir Putin, the Abbiati Prize for Best Conductor, and Conductor of the Year in Italy in 2003. Recently, he was made an Honorary Academician of Santa Cecilia.

This is the first DVD release of this material.

Picture format: 4:3

Running time: 72’

Subtitles: n/a

Menu languages: English

Booklet languages: E/F/G

Region code: 0

Territory Restrictions: None

This DVD includes two major works of Russian repertoire for which Gergiev is famous. While he emphasises the lightness and vitality of Prokofiev’s “Classical” Symphony, Gergiev pours his entire soul into Tchaikovsky’s grand, exultant Fifth Symphony.

Includes a fascinating 23 minutes Documentary about the orchestra, founded by Sir Georg Solti. The orchestra draws its roster from the great orchestras of the world - even the back bench violins are first and second desk players at home.

The Abu Dhabi Festival is regarded as the United Arab Emirates’ largest and most prestigious classical arts event.

“The conductor Valery Gergiev has become one of Russia’s most potent cultural symbols. [...] From the works of Mikhail Glinka to those of Shostakovich, the core of the Russian repertory is infused with a direct emotional appeal. When he conducts those scores (indeed, when he conducts anything), Gergiev is seeking a gut connection between the music and the audience.” The New York Times

Running Time Total: 104 minutes

Symphonies: 83 minutes

Documentary: 21 minutes

Picture 16:9, color

Sound PCM Stereo, DTS 5.1

(Bonus: PCM Stereo)

Subtitles Documentary: German,

English (original language)