The National
Cherry Tree EP (12") [ 4AD / 12in - released 26/Feb/2021 ] 2021 re-mastered repress. Released a year before The National broke through with their third album Alligator, 2004's Cherry Tree EP is a thrilling record which - thanks to its collection of delicate ballads and anthemic crowd-pleasers - sums up what... |
Dutch National Ballet (ballet company), Hans van Manen, Reiner E. Moritz
Moving To Music (a Film By Reiner E. Moritz) & Hommage à Hans van Manen (metaforen; Adagio Hammerklavier; Frank Bridge Variations) [ Naxos / Blu-ray - due 11/Oct/2024 ] Guided by his idol George Balanchine, Hans van Manen has striven all his life to create meaning in his choreography. |
RUGGERO LEONCAVALLO / PIETRO MASCAGNI
Leoncavallo: Pagliacci / Mascagni: Cavalleria Rusticana (recorded in 2019) BLU-RAY Dutch National Opera / Anita Rachvelishvili, Ailyn Pérez, Rihab Chaieb, Brian Jagde, Roman Burdenko, Elena Zilio / Lorenzo Viotti (cond) [ Naxos Blu-ray / Blu-ray - released 9/Apr/2021 ] "Anita Rachvelisvili is the undisputed star of Cav. She sings Santuzza as an unashamed mezzo, and her chest voice is thrilling in this music. Brian Jagde's Turridu is rakish and appealing, never a caricature villain, and he sings with electric energy |
ENGLEBERT HUMPERDINCK
Humperdinck: Konigskinder [The King's Children] (complete opera recorded in 2022) BLU-RAY Dutch National Opera / Daniel Behle, Olga Kulchynska, Josef Wagner, Doris Soffel / Marc Albrecht (cond) [ Naxos Blu-ray / Blu-ray - released 11/Aug/2023 ] Hänsel und Gretel brought Humperdinck worldwide fame but his tragic fairy storybrought Humperdinck worldwide fame but his tragic fairy story KönigskinderKönigskinder ('The King's Children') offers a stark contrast to it and has only begun to be... |
GIACOMO PUCCINI
Puccini: Tosca (complete opera recorded in 2022) BLU-RAY Dutch National Opera / Malin Byström, Joshua Guerrero, Gevorg Hakobyan / Lorenzo Viotti (cond) [ Naxos Blu-ray / Blu-ray - released 14/Apr/2023 ] "...this must be one of the bloodiest Toscas shown on stage, in a world where the characters' Christian faith is clearly a personal defence against the horror of the tyranny under which they live." Gramophone Editor's Choice July 2023 |
ENNIO MORRICONE / BERNARD HERRMANN / SONNY BONO / NINO ROTO
The Morricone Duel - The most dangerous concert ever [Recorded live in Copenhagen, 2018] BLU-RAY Hans Ulrik (saxophone) Tuva Semmingsen (mezzo) Christine Nonbo Andersen (soprano) / Danish National Symphony, Sarah Hicks [ EuroArts Blu-ray / Blu-ray - released 9/Nov/2018 ] The Wild West meets the soulful sound of Italy. Fearless New York gangsters meet cowboys from the dusty prairie. Godfather meets Taxi Driver. And the magic of cinema meets the rich sound of a first-class symphony orchestra. This exclusive live... |
NICOLAI RIMSKY-KORSAKOV
Rimsky-Korsakov: The Golden Cockerel (complete opera recorded in 2021) Blu-ray l'Opéra National de Lyon / Nina Minasyan, Margarita Neksarova, Andrey Popov, Dmitry Ulyanov / Daniele Rustioni (cond) [ Naxos Blu-ray / Blu-ray - released 12/Aug/2022 ] In the autumn of 1906, at a time when he was saying he didn't want to write anything further, Rimsky-Korsakov had the idea of starting an opera based on The Tale of the Golden Cockerel, the last of Pushkin's folk tales in verse, written in 1834.... |
PYOTR ILYICH TCHAIKOSVKY
Tchaikovsky: Pique Dame (complete opera recorded in 2017) BLU-RAY Dutch National Opera / Misha Didyk, Alexey Markov, Vladimir Stoyanov / Mariss Jansons (cond) [ C Major Blu-ray / Blu-ray - released 9/Mar/2018 ] "Musically, standards are extremely high, led by Mariss Jansons's inspired presence in the pit...Aksenova sings a steely Lisa..Diadkova is remarkable as the Countess - singing rather than growling her role." Gramophone Blu-ray of the Month March 2018 |
GIACOMO PUCCINI
Puccini: La Boheme (complete opera recorded in 2012) BLU-RAY Norwegian National Opera / Diego Torre, Marita Salberg, Vasily Ladyuk, Jennifer Rowley / The Norwegian National Opera Orchestra, Eivind Gullberg [ Naxos Blu-ray / Blu-ray - released 10/Jun/2022 ] 'The cast's singing is clearly invigorated by these fresh staging ideas… Tenor Diego Torre has a wonderfully robust high C; soprano Marita Sølberg is a stylistically Italianate as any Mimì I've ever heard.' Gramophone |
CHARLES GOUNOD
Gounod: Mireille (complete opera recorded in 2009) BLU-RAY Paris National Opera / Inva Mula, Charles Castronovo, Franck Ferrari / Marc Minkowski (conductor) [ Naxos Blu-ray / Blu-ray - released 11/Jun/2021 ] "Marc Minkowski leads the Parisian forces with lightness and grace while the Provençale rhythms spring to life in his hands. The opera's Prelude is a masterpiece of orchestral tone painting, as brilliantly sun-drenched as are Van Gogh's haystacks" MW |
JOHN WILLIAMS / JAMES HORNER / VANGELIS / JERRY GOLDSMITH / etc
Galaxymphony II - Galaxymphony Strikes Back (Blu-ray) Tuva Semmingsen (mezzo-soprano), Christine Nonbo Andersen (soprano), Jihye Kim (soprano) / Danish National Symphony Orchestra, Antony Hermus [ EuroArts Blu-ray / Blu-ray - released 1/Apr/2022 ] "These artists really know how to put on a show, the lighting effects adding hugely to the filmed experience - musicians' faces glow and the singers quite literally glitter." BBC Music |
LUDWIG van BEETHOVEN
Beethoven: The Symphonies (with works by Rodrigo, Berlioz & Strauss) [recorded 2012-14] Johan Reuter (bass) Pepe Romero (guitar) / Danish National Symphony Orchestra, Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos [ Dacapo Blu-ray / 3 Blu-ray Box Set - released 1/Jul/2017 ] "It's a really gorgeous performance" American Record Guide |
LUDWIG van BEETHOVEN
Beethoven: Symphonies Nos. 1 - 9 (Recorded live from the Opéra Bastille and the Palais Garnier, Paris 2014-15) BLU-RAY Ricarda Merbeth, Daniela Sindram, Robert Dean Smitm, Günther Groissböck / Paris National Opera Chorus and Orchestra, Philippe Jordan [ Arthaus Blu-Ray / 3 Blu-ray Box Set - released 20/Sep/2016 ] "A seasoned Beethovenian will likely conclude that a lot of care and thought went into the interpretations as well." Classical-Net |
SCHUBERT / WEBERN / RAVEL / BARTOK / BEETHOVEN / TCHAIKOVSKY / etc
Salzburg Festival Concerts [2007 - 2013] BLU-RAY Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra / West-Eastern Divan Orchestra / National Children´s Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela / Various conductors [ C Major Blu-ray / 6 Blu-ray Box Set - released 1/May/2015 ] A Box Set releasing 6 Concerts from the Salzburg Festival recorded between 2007 and 2013, featuring the Wiener Philharmoniker, the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, the National Children´s Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela under the batons of Pierre... |
STRAVINSKY / FAURE / TCHAIKOVSKY
Jewels [ballet by George Balanchine] (recorded in 2005) BLU-RAY Ballet de L'Opera National de Paris / Aurelie Dupont, Marie-Agnes Gillot, Agnes Letestu, Clairemarie Osta [ Opus Arte Blu-Ray / Blu-ray Disc - released 1/Dec/2008 ] DVD Blu-Ray - Jewels, a work first performed by the New York City Ballet in 1967. This alluring, abstract ballet, a triptych in which each piece sparkles with the brilliance of a precious stone, is a lyric tribute to women and to the capital cities... |
LAVAILLAT
La Petite Danseuse De Degas (from The Opéra Garnier, Paris 2010) BLU-RAY Clairemarie Osta / Dorothée Gilbert / Mathieu Ganio / Corps De Ballet & Orchestre De L'Opéra National De Paris / Koen Kessels [ ArtHaus Musik Blu-Ray / Blu-ray Disc - released 8/Aug/2011 ] "An inspired and visually ravishing creation. This ballet deserves to go from success to success." (recording of the Month MusicWeb Aug 2011) |
TARIK O'REGAN
O'Regan: Mata Hari (complete ballet recorded in 2016) BLU-RAY Dutch National Ballet / Anna Tsygankova & Matthew Rowe / Matthew rowe (cond) [ EuroArts Blu-ray / Blu-ray Disc - released 10/Apr/2017 ] The turbulent life of the Dutch spy and dancer Mata Hari is at the heart of this large-scale ballet production by Dutch National Ballet. As the exotic, mysterious Mata Hari, she became one of the most famous dancers of her day.. |
SERGEI PROKOFIEV / JOBY TALBOT
Two Ballet Favourites by Christophen Wheeldon: Prokofiev: Cinderella / Talbot: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (Recorded 2011 & 2012) BLU-RAY Dutch National Ballet / Royal Opera House / Anna Tsygankova, Matthew Golding, Lauren Cuthbertson, Sergei Polunin / Ermanno Florio & Barry Wordsworth ( [ Opus Arte Blu-Ray / Blu-ray Disc - released 15/Oct/2017 ] "Lauren Cuthbertson, as Alice, is excellent, her every movement suggesting the actions and emotions of this curious, spirited pre-adolescent...Christopher Wheeldon's choreography is very imaginative and fitting for every character" MusicWeb on Alice |
ARNOLD SCHOENBERG
Schoenberg: Gurrelieder (Complete 'opera' recorded in 2016) BLU-RAY Dutch National Opera / Burkhard Fritz, Emily Magee, Anna Larsson, Markus Marquard / Marc Albrecht (cond) [ Opus Arte Blu-ray / Blu-ray Disc - released 10/Mar/2017 ] Begun in the year 1900, amidst the art nouveau curlicues of Klimt and the Jugendstil, Schönberg's grand cantata is written in a lush, late-romantic style indebted to Wagner and Mahler and pre-dating his pioneering atonal works. This setting of the... |
STEFANO LANDI
Landi: Morte d'Orfeo (complete opera recorded in 2018) BLU-RAY Dutch National Opera / Cecilia Molinari, Renato Dolcini, Alexander Miminoshvili, Gaia Petrone / Christophe Rousset, conductor [ Naxos Blu-ray / Blu-ray Disc - released 20/May/2020 ] La morte d'Orfeo is regarded as the first Roman-style secular opera and is considered a milestone in the development of the genre opera as a whole. The substantial ensemble numbers are typical of the Roman opera style. |