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KIRI te KANAWA
I Could Have Danced all Night (Concert & Portrait) BLU-RAY Kiri Te Kanawa (soprano) / New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, John Hopkins / Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Stephen Barlow [ Arthaus Blu-ray / Blu-ray Disc - released 1/Oct/2015 ] Dame Kiri Te Kanawa's story has all the best elements of an operatic fairytale. Coming from a part-Maori background she went on to become one of the world's most famous opera stars. |
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PUCCINI / OFFENBACH / STRAUSS / VERDI / WEBER / MOZART / etc
Dame Kiri Te Kanawa: Opera Arias [4 CD set] Kiri te Kanawa (soprano) / Various orchestras & conductors [ Warner Classics / 4 CD Box Set - released 16/Feb/2014 ] "This is a Puccini disc with a difference. Besides the usual operatic excerpts, it includes three Puccini songs songs of which one, Sole e amore, is particularly enticing" Penguin Guide on the Puccini excerpts |
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CHOPIN / STRAVINSKY / BARBER / ADAM / BAYER / etc
Kirov Classics [incls 'Petrushka' & 'Chopiniana'] Kirov Ballet / Fiorenza Cedolins, José Cura, Carlo Guelfi, Cheyne Davidson, Paoletta Marrocu / Stefano Ranzani (cond) [ Arthaus Musik DVD plus CD / DVD/CD - released 22/Dec/2015 ] The history of dance in Russia goes back to 1738 and has brought forth uncounted generations of wonderful dancers. From 1977 onwards, the ballet was directed by Oleg Vinogradov, a graduate of the important Vaganova school of Leningrad and an active... |
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WAGNER
Gotterdammerung (complete opera recorded live in 1956) Kirsten Flagstad / Set Svanholm / Ingrid Bjoner / Olso Philharmonic, Norwegian State Radio Orchestra, Oivin FjeldstadErich Leins [ Naxos Historical Great Opera Performances / 4 CD Box Set - released 10/May/2012 ] Flagstad, the great Wagnerian, is in resplendent voice and Svanholm proves a worthy partner. This elusive set remains a milestone in Wagner performance. |
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RACHMANINOV
The best of Rachmaninov (2 CD set) Klara Wurtz (piano) Helene Grimaud (piano) Nikolai Lugansky (piano) [ Brilliant Classics / 2 CD - released 15/Sep/2007 ] This is a selection from the repertoire of one of the most romantic composers ever. His second pianoconcerto is probably his best-known work. Being a pianist himself Rachmaninoff knew very well how to write virtuoso music for this instrument. |
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W. A. MOZART
Mozart: Die Zauberflote [The Magic Flute] (complete opera) Klaus Florian Vogt, Rolando Villazon, Regula Mühlemann, Christiane Karg, Albina Shagimuratova / Mahler Chamber Orchestra, Yannick Nézet-Séguin [ Deutsche Grammophon / 2 CD Box Set - released 6/Sep/2019 ] Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung praised Villazón's "comic talent" in his first Papageno, "achieving 'heights of emotion' with the captivating Regula Mühlemann's Papagena", as well as the "magical tenor" of Klaus Florian Vogt as Tamino. |
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RICHARD WAGNER
The Wagner Edition [25 DVD set] Klaus Florian Vogt, Solveig Kringelborn, Hans-Peter Konig, Waltraud Meier, Juha Uusitalo, Stig Andersen, Deborah Polaski, Robert Gambill, Nina Stemme [ Opus Arte DVD / 25 DVD Box Set - released 1/Jun/2016 ] This set presents all of Wagner's mature operas from seven leading European opera houses recorded during the last decade, featuring many of the most acclaimed Wagner singers of our age. |
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BERLIOZ / DVORAK / SCHUBERT / SCHUMANN / TCHAIKOVSKY / etc
Romantic Symphonies & Overtures [10 CD set] Philharmonia Orchestra, New Philharmonia Orchestra, Otto Klemperer [ Warner Classics The Klemperer Legacy / 10 CD Box Set - released 15/Dec/2014 ] Otto Klemperer was born on 14th May 1885 in Breslau, Silesia (now Wroclaw, Poland) and died on 6th July 1973 in Zurich and hence next year we mark 40 years since his passing. Although disfigured by a stroke suffered whilst a brain tumour was being... |
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W.A. MOZART
Essential Mozart [10 CD set] Klara Wurtz (piano) Harmen de Boer (clarinet) Marc Grauwels, Peter-Lukas Graf (flutes) Brandis Quartet / English Chamber Orchestra / Philharmonia Orc [ Brilliant Classics / 10 CD Box Set - released 20/Feb/2011 ] OVER 600 MINUTES OF HIS MOST FAMOUS WORKS. His last two symphonies (40 and 41) have to be there, just like the Clarinet Concerto and the Requiem. Also included are some piano concertos (9 and 23), flute concertos serenades, piano sonatas and more. |
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GIOACHINO ROSSINI
Rossini: Equivoco stravagante (Complete Opera recorded in 2018) BLU-RAY Königliches Kurtheater, Bad Wildbad / Antonella Colaianni, Giulio Mastrototaro, Emmanuel Franco, Patrick Kabongo / José Miguel Pérez-Sierra (cond) [ Naxos Blu-ray / Blu-ray - released 10/Oct/2021 ] No opera has been performed at Rossini in Wildbad as often as L'equivoco stravagante, so it was the perfect choice for the festival's 30th anniversary in 2018. |
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JOSEPH HAYDN
Haydn: String Quartets (complete) Kodaly Quartet [ Naxos / 24 CD Box Set - released 1/Jan/2009 ] "This is fine, traditional (in a good sense) quartet-playing, and unlike other complete quartet cycles currently available (Tatrai, Angeles), this set is REALLY complete." (ClassicsToday) |
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OTTORINO RESPIGHI
Respighi: Piano Music (Including Antiche Danze ed Arie (Ancient Airs and Dances) Konstantin Scherbakov (piano) [ Naxos / CD - released 15/Feb/2003 ] "Sherbakov rises magnificently to the considerable technical and expressive demands of Respighi's piano writing" - Fanfare |
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LUDWIG van BEETHOVEN / FRANZ LISZT
Beethoven/Liszt: Symphonies Nos. 1-9 (Transcriptions) S464/R128 Konstantin Scherbakov (piano) [ Naxos Liszt Complete Piano Music Vol 21 / 5 CD - released 1/Dec/2006 ] "... one of the most capable, daring and interesting musicians of these days." (Peter Cossé) |
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DMITRI SHOSTAKOVICH
The Very Best of Shostakovich Konstantin Scherbakov (Piano) Michael Houstoun (Piano) New Zealand Symphony Orchestra / Christopher Lyndon-Gee (Conductor) Ilya Kaler (Violin) [ Naxos / 2 CD - released 9/May/2006 ] "As an introduction to the composer's work, it gives a wide-ranging and typical selection, which is in itself some achievement." (MusicWeb August 2006) |
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RICHARD STRAUSS
Richard Strauss: Die Liebe der Danae (complete opera recorded at the Salzburger Festspiele 2016) Vienna State Opera / Krassimira Stoyanova, Tomasz Konieczny, Norbert Ernst, Wolfgang Ablinger-Sperrhacke / Franz Welser-Möst (cond) [ EuroArts DVD / DVD - released 29/Sep/2017 ] "Krassimira Stoyanova rises to the challenge of Danae tirelessly, singing with luxurious, focused tone throughout." Gramophone Magazine, Awards Issue 2017 |
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LUDWIG van BEETHOVEN
Beethoven: Complete Violin Sonatas / Cello Sonatas Kristóf Baráti (violin) Timora Rosler (cello) Klára Würtz (piano) [ Brilliant Classics Quintessence / 5 CD Box Set - released 25/Sep/2020 ] Here are superb musicians from Hungary to add their own approach: on 'traditional' rather than 'period' instruments but interpretatively untrammelled by one or another performing dogma. |
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FRANZ LISZT
The Liszt Recordings [2 CD set] Krystian Zimerman (piano), Boston Symphony Orchestra, Seiji Ozawa [ Deutsche Grammophon / 2 CD - released 19/Sep/2011 ] "Coinciding with the death of his mother and the birth of his daughter, these recordings were intensely personal for Zimerman. The Concertos are scintillating, the Sonata Olympian." (Five Stars BBC Music) |
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FREDERIC CHOPIN
Chopin: 4 Ballades / Barcarolle / Fantaisie (LP) Krystian Zimerman (piano) [ Deutsche Grammophon / LP - released 28/Aug/2017 ] "Krystian Zimerman captures the poetry, fantasy and fire of these works with exquisite tone and unfailing sensitivity." BBC Music |
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KAROL SZYMANOWSKI
Szymanowski: Piano Works {LP) Krystian Zimerman (piano) [ Deutsche Grammophon / 2 LP - released 28/Aug/2017 ] "Krystian Zimerman captures the poetry, fantasy and fire of these works with exquisite tone and unfailing sensitivity." BBC Music |
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MAURICE RAVEL
Ravel: The Piano Concertos / Valses nobles et sentimentales (orchestral version) Krystian Zimerman (piano) Cleveland Orchestra / London Symphony / Pierre Boulez [ Deutsche Grammophon / CD - released 20/Jul/2001 ] 1999 Gramophone Award Winner: Concerto - A Penguin Stereo Guide Rosette recording |