DVD Videos

Staged by Robert Carsen

This exciting modern-day adaptation of Tannhäuser, Richard Wagner’s fable of love and redemption, features one of the great Wagner singers of our time in the lead role, Peter Seiffert. Using the magnificent space of Barcelona’s Gran Teatre del Liceu in its entirety, renowned Canadian director Robert Carsen has transformed this mythic narration of medieval troubadours into a compelling and at times very amusing tale that plays out in a world of contemporary painters and art dealers.

Features a fantastic cast, conducted by the Liceu’s principal conductor Sebastian Weigle, a Wagner specialist.

As a nimble, youthful-voiced Tannhäuser, Seiffert plays alongside Petra Maria Schnitzer as Elisabeth. As the goddess of love, Elisabeth’s counterpart Venus is portrayed by the stunning Béatrice Uria-Monzon.

Recorded at the Gran Teatre del Liceu, 2008.

Running Time Total: 203 minutes

DVD: DTS 5.1, PCM Stereo

Picture 16:9, HD

Subtitles English, German, French, Spanish, Chinese, Korean

For the very first time Daniel Barenboim tackled Franz Liszt's two highly virtuosic piano concertos in a single concert. With Pierre Boulez, his friend and esteemed colleague of many years, conducting Barenboim’s own orchestra, the Staatskapelle Berlin, they were showered with praise on their tour across Europe.

For both musicians, Liszt was one of the most important pioneers of modern music, as composer, conductor and pianist. He influenced revolutionary contemporaries such as Robert Schumann and Richard Wagner. Two examples of the latter's magnificent orchestral work round off this concert programme celebrating Liszt’s bicentenary.

Picture Format DVD: NTSC 16:9

Sound Formats DVD: Dolby Digital 5.1, DTS 5.1, PCM Stereo

Region Code: 0 (worldwide)

Running Time: 90:35 min

Disc Format DVD: DVD 9

FSK: 0

The new General Music Director – Marcos Bosch discovers ‘light Wagner’ at his debut in Nuremberg. Under his direction in David Mouchtar-Samorai’s production, Wagner’s ‘Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg’ almost becomes a high-spirited, light-hearted comedy.

The film ‘The Life and Works of Richard Wagner’, directed by Carl Fröhlich, was first released on 20th November 1913. It was the first ever ‘bio-pic’, and as such about who else but Wagner? What is extraordinary, however, is that it predates D.W.Griffiths and ‘Birth of a Nation’, usually described as the first ‘long’ silent, at a time when the great majority of silents ran for 10 minutes at most. Fröhlich’s film runs for over 80 minutes! The DVD includes commentary from acclaimed director Tony Palmer.

Starring Giuseppe Becce as the composer (he later became a distinguished composer himself for almost 100 talkies), and made when Wagner’s widow Cosima was still omnipotent in Germany, it raises the question for instance of who exactly was Wagner’s father? Was it Ludwig Geyer, the Jew? Fröhlich went on to have a chequered career. A member of the Nazi party from 1933, he was eventually appointed President of the Reichsfilmkammer, the Nazi trade organisation which controlled access to all film activities. At the end of the war he was arrested and, although de-Nazified in 1948, his studio having been badly damaged during the war never resumed production. His films were then confiscated by the Federal Republic! This film has been fully restored from the original print and keeping the authentic tints to ensure it is as close to what Carl Fröhlich would have wanted.

DVD specifications:

Region: 0 (All Regions)

Rating: E (Exempt from Certification)

Duration: 82 minutes

Picture Format: NTSC (all regions), 4:3 aspect ratio

DVD Video (region free, PAL/NTSC) & Audio CD

The debut DVD from Thomas Trotter – one of the world’s greatest organists – and the first DVD release from Regent Records. An opportunity to enjoy, both visually and aurally, Thomas Trotter’s artistry and staggering technique in a celebration of town hall virtuosity, on the great concert hall organ with which he is intimately acquainted.

Features a highly entertaining and varied programme of organ pieces from the heart of the town hall tradition, including Thalben-Ball’s Variations on a theme of Paganini played almost entirely on the pedals.

Extra features include a biographical interview with Thomas Trotter and a guide to the Town Hall organ.

Box contains both a DVD Video (performance in 5.1 surround sound), audio CD, and a 16 page booklet with notes on the music, the Town Hall, and a newly-written article on the history of the organ by Nicholas Thistlethwaite.

Memorial concert on the 200th birthday of Franz Liszt (22. October 2011). Under the direction of romantic-music specialist Christian Thielemann, the Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden performs a special Franz Liszt memorial concert at the Semperoper in Dresden to commemorate the bicentenary of one the 19th century’s greatest composers.

Christian Thielemann is a maestro internationally known and admired above all as a specialist of Romantic music and a highly acclaimed Bayreuth Wagner Ring conductor.

Running Time Total: 85 minutes

DVD: DTS 5.1, PCM Stereo

This series of DVDs will make the publicly broadcast BSO concerts from this era available for the first time since they were broadcast.

This material represents some of the earliest televised concerts with the Boston Symphony and Erich Leinsdorf, and has been restored using the greatest care and state-of-the-art techniques.

It is of exceptional musical interest and rare historic value.

The BSO’s Music Director for seven seasons, Leinsdorf had a long and distinguished career, having worked with Toscanini and Walter, conducting at the Metropolitan Opera, New York City Opera, Cleveland Orchestra and Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra in addition to his tenure at the BSO.

A particular favourite of Leinsdorf’s, the Schumann is both powerful and precise under Leinsdorf’s direction, whilst the Wagner is a warm and sensitive rendition from a great Wagnerian conductor.

Two of ICA’s BSO DVDs featuring Charles Munch as conductor have been awarded the Diapason d’Or in France’s Diapason magazine.

Sound format: Ambient Mastering

Picture format: 4:3

Running time: 97’

Subtitles: n/a

Menu languages: English

Booklet languages: E/F/G

Region code: 0

Territory Restrictions: None

A curious notion: the Berliner Philharmoniker as guest performers at the State Opera Unter den Linden. Daniel Barenboim, as both the host and the conductor of the concert, had invited the ensemble to perform in the historically distinguished setting of the opera.

The varied programme started with Beethoven‘s blithe Eighth Symphony, which deservedly no longer counts as one of Beethoven‘s lesser symphonic works. This was followed by a rare gem of Romantic music: the concert piece for four horns and orchestra Op. 86 by Robert Schumann, in which the solo quartet interacts with the orchestra as a concertino group. This imaginatively arranged three-part concert piece - brimming with vitality, catchy melodies and wit - was composed in 1849, seven years before Schumann‘s death. As performing the piece calls for consummate skill in all of the instrument‘s manifold playing techniques, it is regarded as a daunting and highly complex task among horn players. Perhaps that explains why the attractive composition is only presented so seldom.

The next item on the programme was Franz Liszt‘s symphonic poem „Les Préludes“ - with an entirely instrumental performance of Richard Wagner‘s „The Ride of the Valkyries“ that was yet redolent of the Valkyrie‘s wild Hoyotoho cry, the impassioned opera conductor brought his concert with the Berliner Philharmoniker to a perfect close.

Sound Format: PCM Stereo, DD 5.1

Picture Format: 16:9

DVD Format: DVD 9, PAL

Running Time: 76 mins

FSK: 0

Based on the amphitheatre in the ancient Greek city of Epidaurus, and nestled in a natural valley, the Waldbühne theatre seats 22,000 in leafy comfort and remains one of Berlin‘s favourite open air concert venues, with magnificent views of the stage. World class conductors lead the Berlin Philharmonic in evening concerts of popular favourites.

Conducted by the celebrated James Levine, the 1999 Waldbühne concert for the Berlin Philharmonic features music by Richard Strauss and Richard Wagner. The orchestra is joined by the accomplished Canadian tenor Ben Heppner, who is renowned for his electrifying Wagner performances.

Sound Format: PCM STEREO, DD 5.1

Picture Format: 4:3

DVD Format: DVD 9, PAL

Running Time: 116 mins

FSK: 0

Continuing the success of The Copenhagen Ring (743264), the Gramophone award-winning combination of director Kasper Bech Holten with the Royal Danish Opera stage more Wagner – a new production of the composer’s passionate Tannhäuser.

This visionary Tannhäuser, filmed by Cubus Films in high definition and with surround sound, takes the art of opera on DVD to new peaks of excellence.