JOHANN STRAUSS II
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: The World of Johann Strauss Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, Willi Boskovsky [ Decca / CD - released 10/Apr/1991 ] Original Recordings from 1958 to 1974 |
THE STRAUSS FAMILY
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: New Year's Concert 1990 Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, Zubin Mehta [ Sony Classical / CD - released 15/Jan/1990 ] Thanks to this illustrious succession of great conductors that the Vienna New Year's Concert remains unique, ushering in the New Year in a way that has often been imitated but never equalled. |
GIUSEPPE VERDI
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Verdi: Don Carlos (complete unabridged version 1867, recorded in 2004) Vienna State Opera / Alastair Miles, Ramon Vargas, Bo Skovhus, Iano Tamar / Bertrand de Billy [ ArtHaus Musik DVD / 2 DVD - released 1/Aug/2010 ] "A provocative, rewarding production." (beckmessersquill.com) |
GIUSEPPE VERDI
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Verdi: Falstaff (complete opera studio film recorded in 1979). Vienna State Opera / Gabriel Bacquier, Richard Stilwell, Karan Armstrong, Jutta-Renate Ihloff / Sir Georg Solti (cond) [ Deutsche Grammophon DVD / DVD - released 13/Oct/2010 ] Gotz Friedrich's charming, bawdy 1979 studio film of Verdi's comic masterpiece was acclaimed cy critics for its Shakespearean vitality. The cast headlined by Gabriel Bacquier in his signature role. |
CHARLES GOUNOD
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Gounod: Faust (complete opera directed by Ken Russell in 1985) Vienna State Opera / Gabriela Benackova, Francisco Araiza, Ruggero Raimondi / Erich Binder (cond) [ Deutsche Grammophon DVD / 2 DVD - released 23/Jun/2006 ] Gounod's crowning achievement Faust, first staged in 1859 at the Lyric Theatre in Paris, is a conflict of good and evil, love and hate. |
BEDRICH SMETANA
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Die Verkraufte Braut [The Bartered Bride] (complete opera recorded in 1982) Vienna State Opera / Lucia Popp / Siegfried Jerusalem / Karl Ridderbusch / Adam Fischer (cond) [ Deutsche Grammophon / DVD - released 7/Aug/2007 ] Every bar bubbles with the spirit of the Bohemian countryside in Otto Schenk's picturesque 1982 production from Vienna, where Smetana's comic masterpiece, The Bartered Bride, first conquered the hearts of opera lovers with its lilting melodies,... |
GEORGES BIZET
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Bizet: Carmen (complete Franco Zeffirelli production recorded in 1978) Vienna State Opera / Placido Domingo, Elena Obraztsova, Isobel Buchanan, Yuri Mazurok, Isobel Buchanan / Carlos Kleiber (cond) [ Arthaus DVD / Blu-ray Disc - released 12/Jul/2004 ] The Vienna Carmen from 1978 is a sensational filmed document from the musical legacy of Carlos Kleiber: the meticulous conductor only ever conducted a highly selected repertoire, and among his very few audio and video recordings are only seven... |
SERGEI RACHMANINOV
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Rachmaninov: Songs Viktoriya Dodoka (soprano) / Iola Shelley (piano) [ Atoll Records New Zealand / CD - released 20/Apr/2006 ] NZ-based Russian soprano Viktoriya Dodoka has established a remarkable reputation in New Zealand and Australia with dynamic performances for Canterbury Opera and at the Sydney Opera House. Here she is superbly accompanied by Iola Shelley in a... |
CARL NIELSEN / PIOTR ILYICH TCHAIKOVSKY
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Nielsen / Tchaikovsky: Violin Concertos Vilde Frang (violin) / Danish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Eivind Gullberg Jensen [ Warner Classics / CD - released 1/Dec/2012 ] GRAMOPHONE AWARD FINALIST 2013: Concerto |
JOHANNES BRAHMS
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Brahms: Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 77 Nigel Kennedy (violin) / London Philharmonic Orchestra, Klaus Tennstedt [ EMI Music / CD - released 1/Jan/2000 ] Classic 1991 recording of the Brahms from Kennedy |
JOSEF SUK / LEOS JANACEK
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Janacek: Suite for string orchestra / Suk: Serenade in E-flat, Op.6; Meditation on an Old Czech Hymn Op35 Virtuosi di Praga, Oldrich Vlcek [ Discover / CD - released 10/Feb/1993 ] Recorded at the Domovina Studio in Prague 1993 & 1994 |
VERDI / DONIZETTI / PUCCINI
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Vittorio Grigolo - The Italian Tenor Vittorio Grigolo (tenor) with Danila Rigosa & Maria Cioppi / Coro e Orchestre del Teatro di Parma, Pier Giorgio Morandi [ Sony Classical / CD - released 4/Oct/2010 ] "Now and then there are hints of another great Italian-style tenor, the stylish Alfredo Kraus. It's there in the hushed tone Grigolo adopts for the 'Favorita del re!...Spirto gentil' from La Favorita and Manrico's elegant swagger in 'Di quella pira' |
ROBERT SCHUMANN
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Schumann: Clara Wieck Variations / Humoreske / Carnival Vladimer Tropp (piano) [ Denon / CD - released 10/Apr/1996 ] Recorded in Tokyo, February1996 |
ALEXANDER SCRIABIN
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Scriabin: The Piano Sonatas Vladimir Ashkenazy (piano) [ Double Decca / 2 CD - released 22/Dec/2007 ] "My favorites, in terms of performance and discounting sound, are the 3rd, 6th, 8th and particularly the impulsive youthful 1st. I also like the 9th; here Ashkenazy manages a luminous pianissimo." (Amazon.com) |
FREDERIC CHOPIN
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Chopin: Mazurkas Vladimir Ashkenazy (piano) [ Double Decca / 2 CD - released 12/Jul/2000 ] "The recorded sound has the warmth, fullness and immediacy typical of this series, with a nice bloom to the piano tone." (Gramophone) |
SERGEI RACHMANINOV
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Rachmaninov: Symphony No. 3 / 'Youth' Symphony / Piano Concerto No. 4 Vladimir Ashkenazy (piano) / London Symphony Orchestra / Andre Previn (Concerto) / L'Orchestre de la Suisse Romande / Paul Kletzki / etc [ Decca ABC Eloquence / CD - released 14/Aug/2005 ] Bringing together music from either end of Rachmaninov's career, this CD opens with the currently unavailable Youth Symphony (unpublished in the composer's lifetime, but regardless of its Tchaikovskian echoes, carrying sentiments of things to come).... |
SERGEI RACHMANINOV
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Rachmaninov: Piano Concertos / Rhapsody on a theme of Paganini / Piano Sonata 2 Vladimir Ashkenazy (piano) / London Symphony Orchestra / Andre Previn [ Decca Trio / 3 CD - released 29/Nov/2002 ] These recordings quickly established themselves as reference recordings at the time of their original release and have been a part of the Decca catalogue ever since. |
MODEST MUSSORGSKY
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition (piano & orchestral versions) Vladimir Ashkenazy (piano) / Philharmonic Orchestra. Vladimir Ashkenazy [ Decca / CD - released 30/May/1986 ] 'Ashkenazy's account of the original piano version is distinguished by a strong poetic feel.' The Penguin Guide "The orchestral sound is characteristic of [the Kingsway Hall], richly textured, yet brilliant, with glowing detail." Gramophone |
W. A. MOZART
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: The World of Mozart Vladimir Ashkenazy, Sir Georg Solti, Willi Boskovsky, Kiri te Kanawa, Neville Marriner, Gervase de Peyer, Lucia Popp, Andreas Schiff [ Decca / CD - released 10/Nov/1991 ] A great beginners guide to music of Mozart. Recordings made between 1959 and 1985 |
SERGEI PROKOFIEV
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Prokofiev: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 2 Vladimir Feltsman (piano) / London Symphony Orchestra, Michael Tilson Thomas [ Sony Masterworks / CD - released 1/Jul/1989 ] Vladimir Feltsman debuted with the Moscow Philharmonic at the age of eleven and he went on to win numerous competitions including the prestigious Marguerite Long International Piano Competition. |