Prices shown exclude VAT. (UK tax is not payable for deliveries to United States.)
See Terms & Conditions for p&p rates. | |  | Set the Piano Stool on FireA Film by Mark Kidel
This superb documentary chronicles the remarkable master-apprentice relationship between the internationally-acclaimed classical pianist Alfred Brendel and the prodigy Kit Armstrong. Over a period of two years, beginning with Brendel’s retirement from public performance and culminating with Armstrong’s first concert with the world-renowned Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, the film observes Brendel imparting his wisdom and experience to his exceptionally gifted student, who begins to discover a new emotional depth to his virtuoso playing. Beguiling, touching and often humorous SET THE PIANO STOOL ON FIRE is a fascinating portrait of the creative process. Aspect ratio 16:9 Dolby Digital 2.0 76 mins. approx. “[Armstrong] is a dream of a subject for a documentary, and director Mark Kidel follows his progress over [two years], focusing mainly on his growing relationship with the great pianist and his family...This film, one hopes, will be fascinating to return to in 20 years' time when Armstrong, whether as pianist or composer or both, has set the world on fire.” Gramophone Magazine, Awards Issue 2011 “An extraordinarily intimate portrait... sweet and touching” The Guardian, 2nd June 2011 “One of the most fascinating films about pianists ever made...the tutorial relationship between Alfred Brendel and Kit Armstrong is fraught with significance.” The Independent, 13th May 2011 | | | In stock - usually despatched within 1 working day. |
|
|
| |  | Alfred Brendel in Portrait
PICTURE FORMAT: 16:9 LENGTH: 155 MINS SOUND: DOLBY SURROUND / LPCM STEREO SUBTITLES: EN/FR/DE This 2-DVD set includes a 50-minute recital of Mozart, Haydn and Schubert, filmed at Snape Maltings Concert Hall in July 2000, and an illuminating 70-minute documentary that chronicles his childhood and early influences, and in which he speaks about his views and ideas. “A wonderfully warm and detailed picture of the great pianist...a superlative production throughout...Brendel in Portrait is an exemplary DVD” Billboard Magazine “The main element in this double-disc tribute is the 70-minute portrait, 'Man and Mask', directed for television by Mark Kidel. This takes the great pianist to many of the haunts of his early life, as well as showing him relaxing at home in Hampstead. His first recital came in Graz in 1948, and received glowing notices, when he concentrated on works with fugues, including the Brahms Handel Variations and a sonata of his own which boasted a doublefugue at the end.
In Vienna he recalls making his first recording for Vox, a coupling of Balakirev's Islamey, Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition and Stravinsky's Petrushka suite. Later, on the day after his début at Queen Elizabeth Hall, he had offers of recording contracts from three major companies.
All this is amplified by clips from archive performances and a separate half-hour conversation with Sir Simon Rattle in rehearsal for Beethoven's Piano Concertos Nos 2 and 4, offering fascinating revelations from both pianist and conductor.
On the second disc comes a recital recorded at The Maltings, Snape, crowning this revealing issue with masterly performances of three of Brendel's favourite works.” Gramophone Classical Music Guide, 2010 | | | In stock - usually despatched within 1 working day. |
|
|
| |  | Claudio Abbado: A Life Dedicated to MusicJubilee Box
Bach, J S: | Brandenburg Concertos Nos. 1-6 BWV1046-1051 (complete) Recorded live at Teatro Municipale Valli, Reggio Emilia, 21 April 2007 Orchestra Mozart | Beethoven: | Piano Concerto No. 3 in C minor, Op. 37 Recorded live at the Concert Hall of the Culture and Concention Centre Lucerne, 10–12 August 2005 Alfred Brendel (piano) Lucerne Festival Orchestra Symphony No. 3 in E flat major, Op. 55 'Eroica' Recorded live at the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, Rome, February 2001 Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125 'Choral' Recorded live at Philharmonie, Berlin, 1 May 2000 Karita Mattila (soprano), Violeta Urmana (alto), Thomas Moser (tenor), Eike Wilm Schulte (bass) Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Swedish Radio Chorus, Eric Ericson Chamber Choir | Brahms: | Ein Deutsches Requiem, Op. 45 Recorded live at the Musikverein, Vienna, April 1997 Barbara Bonney (soprano), Bryn Terfel (baritone) Swedish Radio Choir, Eric Ericson Chamber Choir & Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra | Bruckner: | Symphony No. 7 in E Major Recorded live at the Concert Hall of the Culture and Concention Centre Lucerne, 10–12 August 2005 Lucerne Festival Orchestra | Mahler: | Symphony No. 9 in D major Recorded live at Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, Rome, 14 April 2004 Gustav Mahler Youth Orchestra | Mussorgsky: | A Night on the Bare Mountain Recorded live from the Suntory Hall, Tokyo, 1994 Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra | Stravinsky: | The Firebird Suite Recorded live from the Suntory Hall, Tokyo, 1994 Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra | Tchaikovsky: | Symphony No. 5 in E minor, Op. 64 Recorded live from the Suntory Hall, Tokyo, 1994 Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra |
plus: DVD 3: A Verdi Gala from Berlin Verdi Arias from: Un ballo in maschera / Don Carlos / Rigoletto / La traviata / Falstaff Andrea Rost, Ramón Vargas, Alan Titus, Lucio Gallo and other soloists Berliner Philharmoniker Recorded live at the Philharmonie, Berlin, 30–31 December 2000 DVD 5: Hearing the Silence with Bruno Ganz, Daniel Harding, Albrecht Mayer, Wolfram Christ, Kolja Blacher Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, Lucerne Festival Orchestra, Gustav Mahler Youth Orchestra
This DVD Box will be released in honour of Claudio Abbado’s 80th anniversary on June 26th. It contains an extensive collection of concert recordings and the documentary Hearing the Silence, capturing the outstanding work and repertoire of this formidable conductor on 8 DVDs. Claudio Abbado, musical director of the Teatro alla Scala in Milan (1968-1986) and the Berliner Philharmoniker (1989-2002) has always been supportive to the younger music generation and hence founded excellent orchestras such as the Lucerne Festival Orchestra, European Union Youth Orchestra and the Orchestra Mozart. His musical career took him all over the world to the most prestigious opera and concert houses from Milan, London, Chicago to Berlin, Vienna and Bologna. A tremendous achievement which is captured in this Box. These 8 DVDs contain marvellous recordings of Beethoven, Mussorgsky, Stravinksky, Tchaikovsky, Brahms, Verdi, Mahler and Bach performed by excellent Orchestras such as the Berliner Philharmoniker, the Lucerne Festival Orchestra and the Gustav Mahler Jugendorchester, accompanied by exceptional soloists like Alfred Brendel , Andrea Rost, Karita Mattila, Barbara Bonney all conducted by one of the greatest conductors of our time. Picture format: NTSC 16:9 Sound formats: PCM Stereo, Dolby Digital 5.1, DTS 5.1 DVD 2 & 5 PCM Stereo Region code: All (worldwide) Booklet Notes: English, German, French Running Time: Disc 1: 97 mins, Disc 2: 79 mins, Disc 3: 94 mins, Disc 4: 122 mins, Disc 5: 67 mins, Disc 6: 84 mins, Disc 7: 106 mins, Disc 8: 100 mins (total 749 mins) | 
| | | Scheduled for release on 3 June 2013. Order it now and we will deliver it as soon as it is available. |
|
|
| |  | Schubert: Winterreise & Die schöne MüllerinRecorded at the Siemensvilla, Berlin, 1979 & Recorded live at the Montforthaus, Feldkirch, Schubertiade 1991
Franz Schubert’s song cycle Winterreise was written late in his life. It is regarded both as a highlight of the genre and as the touchstone by which lieder singers are judged. To succeed in interpreting Winterreise is the artistic equivalent of a patent of nobility for a singer. The song cycle certainly became one of Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau’s calling cards and it is probably this work that made the baritone an international household name. In this recording made for the Sender Freies Berlin in January 1979, we see two of the leading musicians of their day in the prime of their lives and at the very peak of their art and experience appearing together in the service of Schubert’s Winterreise. Both the experienced Schubert lieder singer and the Austrian pianist Alfred Brendel, known throughout the world for his authoritative interpretations of Schubert’s piano music – had performed Winterreise together frequently between 1975 and 1989. In 1991, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau finally agreed to perform Schubert’s Die Schöne Müllerin at the Feldkirch Schubertiade - he had not sung the song-cycle in public for twenty years. The great baritone belonged to the innermost circle of artists who give this unique, Austrian festival of chamber music its distinctive character. He had performed Schubert there on many occasions, but never Die Schöne Müllerin. The pianist András Schiff was another long-standing member of the inner circle, but this was the artists’ first collaboration in Feldkirch – and so Austrian Television (ORF) recorded the concert. BONUS: The Rehearsal & Fischer-Dieskau in conversation Sound Format: PCM Stereo Picture Format: 4:3 DVD Format: DVD 5 & DVD 9 / NTSC Subtitle Languages: DE (Original Language), GB, FR, IT, ES Running Time: 135 mins (performance) + 76 mins (bonus) FSK: 0 | | | Usually despatched in 2 - 3 working days. |
|
|
| |  | Alfred Brendel On Music - Three LecturesA film by Mark Kidel
Three Lectures 1. “Does Classical music have to be entirely serious?” 2. “Musical Character (s) as exemplified in Beethoven’s Piano Sonatas” 3.“Light and Shade of Interpretation”
The 2 DVD-set of legendary pianist and one of the greatest musical thinkers of our age, Alfred Brendel contains 3 lectures, which he illustrates on the piano with musical excerpts from Beethoven, Mozart, Haydn, Handel, Schubert and more. On January 5th 2011 Brendel celebrated his 80th birthday. Presented specifically to be recorded audio-visually, these lectures were held in rooms of the Salzburg Festival. Thanks to their successful blend of music and theory, they are informative and entertaining not only for experts but also for all lovers of music with an interest in deepening their understanding of the subject. Brendel is still performing these lectures all over the world. Running Time Total: 224 minutes (each lecture is ca. 75 minutes long) Picture 16:9, colour Sound PCM Stereo, DTS 5.0 Subtitles English (original language) Subtitles: E, F, G, Sp, I, Kr, Ch, Jp “Thoughts range from the philosophical to the finer points of interpretative detail that make key viewing for pianists” BBC Music Magazine, October 2011 *** “Best of all is the third lecture (DVD 2, one hour 18 mins), "Light and shade of interpretation", which at least uses the visual medium by projecting scores. The illustrations range from (uncredited) orchestral recordings of Wagner and Schubert to a few bars from Handel's Hercules sung by the endearingly eccentric lecturer” Gramophone Magazine, Awards Issue 2011 | | | Usually despatched in 2 - 3 working days. |
|
|
| |  | Recorded at the Siemensvilla, Berlin, January 1979
Franz Schubert’s song cycle Winterreise was written late in his life. It is regarded both as a highlight of the genre and as the touchstone by which lieder singers are judged. To succeed in interpreting Winterreise is the artistic equivalent of a patent of nobility for a singer. The song cycle certainly became one of Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau’s calling cards and it is probably this work that made the baritone an international household name. Time and again his interpretation could be heard in the concert hall, at festivals, on the radio and on numerous records. In this recording made for the Sender Freies Berlin in January 1979, we see two of the leading musicians of their day in the prime of their lives and at the very peak of their art and experience appearing together in the service of Schubert’s Winterreise. Both the experienced Schubert lieder singer and the Austrian pianist, known throughout the world for his authoritative interpretations of Schubert’s piano music – had performed Winterreise together frequently between 1975 and 1989. In a way, Fischer-Dieskau’s approach to Schubert’s Winterreise has become the touchstone for today’s singers. This recording of rehearsal and concert offer a glance into the development of a masterly interpretation of a masterwork. Bonus: The Rehearsal - This 56-minute documentary offers fascinating insights into how Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau and Alfred Brendel rehearsed prior to their recording of Schubert’s “Winterreise”. Sound Format: PCM Stereo Picture Format: 4:3 DVD Format: DVD 9, NTSC Subtitle Languages: DE, GB, FR, ES, IT Running Time: 73 mins & 56 mins (Bonus) FSK: 0 | | | Usually despatched in 2 - 3 working days. |
|
|
| |  | Schubert - Piano Works Volume 1Alfred Brendel Plays & Introduces Schubert
DVD: NTSC 4:3, PCM Stereo, DD 5.1, DTS 5.1, Region code: 0, Original language: German, Subtitles: Eng, Ger, Fr, Spanish Alfred Brendel was the most outstanding exponent of Schubert's piano music until his retirement last year: a man capable of bringing it to vibrant life but also serving its poetic intensity and intellectual depth.The series, shot in 1976/1977, has never been shown since and therefore each volume embodies a document of historical importance. Each piece is introduced by Alfred Brendel himself, throwing light on its compositional substance and revealing his own relationship with these masterpieces, and complete performances under studio conditions. "If I belong to a tradition it is a tradition that makes the masterpiece tell the performer what he should do and not the performer telling the piece what it should be like, or the composer what he ought to have composed." Alfred Brendel “vibrant with poetic intensity yet fully concerned with the works' intellectual depth” Penguin Guide, 2011 edition | | | Usually despatched in 2 - 3 working days. |
|
|
| |  | Schubert - Piano Works Volume 2Alfred Brendel Plays & Introduces Schubert
DVD: NTSC 4:3, PCM Stereo, DD 5.1, DTS 5.1, Region code: 0, Original language: German, Subtitles: Eng, Ger, Fr, Spanish Alfred Brendel was the most outstanding exponent of Schubert's piano music until his retirement last year: a man capable of bringing it to vibrant life but also serving its poetic intensity and intellectual depth.The series, shot in 1976/1977, has never been shown since and therefore each volume embodies a document of historical importance. Each piece is introduced by Alfred Brendel himself, throwing light on its compositional substance and revealing his own relationship with these masterpieces, and complete performances under studio conditions. "If I belong to a tradition it is a tradition that makes the masterpiece tell the performer what he should do and not the performer telling the piece what it should be like, or the composer what he ought to have composed." Alfred Brendel “vibrant with poetic intensity yet fully concerned with the works' intellectual depth” Penguin Guide, 2011 edition | | | Usually despatched in 2 - 3 working days. |
|
|
| |  | Schubert - Piano Works Volume 3Alfred Brendel Plays & Introduces Schubert
DVD: NTSC 4:3, PCM Stereo, DD 5.1, DTS 5.1, Region code: 0, Original language: German, Subtitles: Eng, Ger, Fr, Spanish Alfred Brendel was the most outstanding exponent of Schubert's piano music until his retirement last year: a man capable of bringing it to vibrant life but also serving its poetic intensity and intellectual depth.The series, shot in 1976/1977, has never been shown since and therefore each volume embodies a document of historical importance. Each piece is introduced by Alfred Brendel himself, throwing light on its compositional substance and revealing his own relationship with these masterpieces, and complete performances under studio conditions. "If I belong to a tradition it is a tradition that makes the masterpiece tell the performer what he should do and not the performer telling the piece what it should be like, or the composer what he ought to have composed." Alfred Brendel “vibrant with poetic intensity yet fully concerned with the works' intellectual depth” Penguin Guide, 2011 edition | | | Usually despatched in 2 - 3 working days. |
|
|
| |  | Schubert - Piano Works Volume 4Alfred Brendel Plays & Introduces Schubert
DVD: NTSC 4:3, PCM Stereo, DD 5.1, DTS 5.1, Region code: 0, Original language: German, Subtitles: Eng, Ger, Fr, Spanish Alfred Brendel was the most outstanding exponent of Schubert's piano music until his retirement last year: a man capable of bringing it to vibrant life but also serving its poetic intensity and intellectual depth.The series, shot in 1976/1977, has never been shown since and therefore each volume embodies a document of historical importance. Each piece is introduced by Alfred Brendel himself, throwing light on its compositional substance and revealing his own relationship with these masterpieces, and complete performances under studio conditions. "If I belong to a tradition it is a tradition that makes the masterpiece tell the performer what he should do and not the performer telling the piece what it should be like, or the composer what he ought to have composed." Alfred Brendel “vibrant with poetic intensity yet fully concerned with the works' intellectual depth” Penguin Guide, 2011 edition | | | Usually despatched in 2 - 3 working days. |
|
|
| |
|
Gramophone Awards 2012