C Major Catalogue 2012

Transcription

classical Music Concert / Vocal
3 Stars in Berlin
Live from the Waldbühne 2011
When Anna Netrebko, Jonas Kaufmann and Erwin Schrott join forces,
the result is a summit of vocal giants, recorded for posterity at
Berlin’s spectacular outdoor Waldbühne. Accompanied by the Prague
Philharmonia under Marco Armiliato, the three singers beguiled the
audience with a program ranging from famous arias to forgotten gems.
There’s something for everyone, from the connoisseur to the layman
who rarely listens to classical music. Also of the highest standard
is the recording itself, with expert camerawork ensuring that the
concert’s unique atmosphere is vividly transposed to the screen.
Conductor: Marco Armiliato
Orchestra: Prague Philharmonia
Soloists: Anna Netrebko, Jonas Kaufmann, Erwin Schrott
Director: Frank Hof
Production: ZDF and DEAG Classics
in coproduction with UNITEL and CLASSICA
Prog No: A055133330000 I Length: 62‘ / 90‘ / 136‘ I Format: HD
3 Stars in Vienna
Bathed in the warm light of the setting sun, Vienna’s imperial
Schönbrunn Palace provides a romantic setting for this open-air
concert held shortly before the final match of the Euro 2008 football
championship. And shining even more brightly than the palace are
the stars of the evening, Anna Netrebko, Rolando Villazón and Plácido
Domingo. The trio’s first joint concert, given at Berlin’s Waldbühne for
the 2006 football World Cup, was recorded by UNITEL CLASSICA and
awarded the Platinum DVD for sales of over 50,000 DVDs in Germany
and over 100,000 worldwide. The Schönbrunn concert also broke
records with 3.3 million viewers watching the concert live or deferred
in Germany and Austria.
Conductor: Bertrand de Billy
Orchestra: Radio Symphonieorchester Wien
Soloists: Anna Netrebko, Rolando Villazón, Plácido Domingo
Director: Heidelinde Haschek
Production: A co-production of ORF, ZDF and UNITEL CLASSICA
Prog No: A045005430000 I Length: 105’ I Format: HD
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ENTERTAINMENT GMBH
Classical Summit 2006 – Three Superstars in Berlin
In the tradition of the original ‘The Three Tenors,’ world-class singers
Plácido Domingo, Anna Netrebko and Rolando Villazón joined forces to
entertain a live audience of 20,000 spectators on location and millions
more around the world on TV. They sing the most famous arias and duets
from the world of opera, accompanied by the orchestra of the Deutsche
Oper Berlin and its conductor Marco Armiliato.
Orchestra: Orchestra of the Deutsche Oper Berlin
Soloists: Anna Netrebko, Plácido Domingo, Rolando Villazón
Director: Frank Hof I Production: Unitel and BFMI
in cooperation with DEAG and ZDF
The original 3 Tenors Concert
at the Baths of Caracalla in Rome
Bach, Weihnachtsoratorium (Christmas Oratorio)
BWV 248
This production of Bach’s ‘Christmas Oratorio’ was recorded at two
highly exceptional places: Palestine and Israel, the authentic, historical
locations of the Christmas story. The recording of the work’s first three
cantatas took place in the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem on
Christmas Eve, and the second set of cantatas at the Evangelical Church
in Jerusalem on Christmas Day. Conductor Riccardo Chailly leads the
Zurich Opera’s acclaimed early-music ensemble along with a roster of
top soloists. The program is interspersed with shots of various historical
sites of Israel and Palestine.
Conductor: Riccardo Chailly
Orchestra: La Scintilla / Chorus: Dresdner Kammerchor
Soloists: Martina Janková, Wiebke Lehmkuhl, Johannes Chum,
Thomas Bauer
Director: Felix Breisach
Production: Opernhaus Zürich in co-production with Felix Breisach
Medienwerkstatt, UNITEL, SF, HD Suisse, NHK, ORF, YLE
Magic was created in July 1990, when Luciano Pavarotti, Plácido
Domingo and José Carreras met onstage at the Baths of Caracalla in
Rome and became the Three Tenors. This greatest musical event ever
is an awe-inspiring orgy of the greatest hits for the tenor voice. Zubin
Mehta exquisitely captures the largeness of this bonanza through the
grandiose orchestra.
Conductor: Zubin Mehta I Orchestra: Orchestra del Teatro dell’Opera
di Roma and the Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino
Soloists: Luciano Pavarotti, Plácido Domingo, José Carreras
Director: Brian Large I Production: IME
Prog No: 9114 I Length: 86‘ I Format: HD
Amor, vida de mi vida – The Zarzuela Concert
W. F. Bach – Rediscovered Cantatas
A typically Spanish musical genre, the zarzuela is a Spanish-language
opera with spoken dialogues and filled with pleasant-sounding, often
folkloric tunes cast in arias, duets, four-part choruses and dances. While
zarzuelas never really made it into the repertoires of theaters outside
the Spanish-speaking countries, the many passionate, fiery, or lyrical
vocal pieces have continued to thrive in concerts and recitals all over
the world. One of the most renowned and ardent supporters of zarzuela
melodies is Plácido Domingo, who is featured here in a concert given at
the 2007 Salzburg Festival. Belying his 66 years, the world-famous tenor
sings these rousing, seductive melodies with the beguiling sweetness
of a much younger man. Delicately painted character studies enhanced
with occasional harmonic slides, sighing motifs and castanet laughter Domingo transports the enraptured listener to the calles and plazas of
Madrid and Seville.
2010 marked the 300th anniversary of Wilhelm Friedemann Bach (1710 –
1784), the eldest son of Johann Sebastian Bach. While rather unknown
today, Wilhelm Friedemann was one of the most outstanding headstrong
composers of his time. However, after World War Two, many of his
works went missing and, amazingly, were found again by the renowned
Bach researcher Christoph Wolff (Harvard) in Kiev (Ukraine) in 1999. For
the musical world, the rediscovery of these musically and technically
highly sophisticated compositions was a sensation. The international
TV audience will have the unique opportunity to take part in the world
premiere of these four beautiful cantatas, performed in the impressive
Augustiner-Church in Mainz. Cantatas: ‘Ach, dass du den Himmel
zerrissest’, ‘Gott fähret auf mit Jauchzen’, ‘Wohl dem, der den Herren
fürchtet’, ’O Wunder, wer kann dieses fassen’.
Conductor: Jesús López Cobos
Orchestra: Mozarteum Orchester Salzburg
Soloists: Plácido Domingo, Ana María Martínez
Director: Karina Fibich
Production: Unitel in co-production with ORF and Arte
in cooperation with Salzburg Festival and Classica
Conductor: Ralf Otto
Orchestra: L’arpa festante München, Bachchor Mainz
Soloists: Dorothee Mields, Gerhild Romberger, Georg Poplutz,
Klaus Mertens
Director: Hennig Kasten
Production: ACCENTUS music in co-production with ZDF/Arte
Prog No: 9132 I Length: 90’ I Format: HD
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ENTERTAINMENT GMBH
Baroque Duet Battle & Marsalis
Beethoven, Missa solemnis in D Major, Op. 123
In this concert, the two superstars, long time admirers of each other´s
work, come together to perform in a dramatically lit setting where the
music of Bach, Scarlatti and Händel seems to stand outside of time.
The concert commemorating the bombardment of Dresden in World
War II features Beethoven’s mighty choral work under the direction
of Christian Thielemann. Playing with vibrancy and passion, the
Staatskapelle Dresden made a profound impression on the entire
audience. Particularly remarkable is the fabulously homogeneous solo
quartet formed of Krassimira Stoyanova, Elina Garancˇa, Michael Schade
and Franz-Josef Selig. Another major vocal feat was accomplished by
the Saxon State Opera Choir, which mastered the extremely difficult
choral part with effortless proficiency.
Conductor: John Nelson
Orchestra: St. Luke´s Chamber Orchestra
Soloists: Kathleen Battle, Wynton Marsalis
Director: Peter Gelb
Production: Sony
Prog No: 9309 I Length: 90‘ / 75‘ I Format: 4:3
Cecilia Bartoli – The Barcelona Concert
Conductor: Christian Thielemann
Orchestra: Staatskapelle Dresden
Soloists: Krassimira Stoyanova, Elina Garanča, Michael Schade,
Franz-Josef Selig
Director: Michael Beyer
Production: Unitel in co-production with ZDF/3sat
Cecilia Bartoli celebrates the 200th birthday of Maria Malibran with
her personal tribute to Maria Malibran, one of the most famous opera
singers of the 19th century.’The Barcelona Concert’, performed in the
stunning Palau de la Musica Catalana, features the Barcelona concert
from the ongoing ‘Maria’ album tour ‘La Rivoluzione Romantica’.
Conductor: Ada Pesch
Orchestra: Orchestra La Scintilla
Director: Michael Sturminger
Production: film+co.
Cecilia Bartoli:
Sacrificium – The Art of the Castrati
Mezzo-soprano Cecilia Bartoli, one of the most successful classical
artists of her time, is a passionate musical explorer who regularly
uncovers thrilling but little-known chapters of music history. This
time her in-depth research takes her on a fascinating expedition into
the world of castrato singers. The legendary art of the castratos
continues to exert a strong fascination today, and, despite the great
human sacrifice it exacted, this extraordinary period justifies the new
assessment that she delivers.
Conductor: Giovanni Antonini
Orchestra: Il Giardino Armonico
Soloists: Cecilia Bartoli
Director: Olivier Simonnet
Production: Universal Music Classical Management & Productions,
UNITEL, IDEALE AUDIENCE in coproduction with ZDF/Arte
in association with France Télévisions, DECCA with the support
of the FCM (Fonds pour la Création Musicale)
Prog No: A93500220 I Length: 60‘ / 43‘ I Format: HD
Berlin Opera Night 2007
OPERA NIGHT 2007 for the German AIDS Foundation live from the
Deutsche Oper Berlin with world-renowned artists presented by
Max Raabe. PROGRAM: 1. Overture (from: L‘ITALIANA IN ALGERI) /
2. La calunnia è un venticello (from: IL BARBIERE DI SIVIGLIA) /
3. Sempre libera (from: LA TRAVIATA) / 4. Pourquoi me réveiller
(from: WERTHER) / 5. Nemico della patria (from: ANDREA CHENIER)
/ 6. La mamma morta (from: ANDREA CHENIER) / 7. O Fortuna (from:
CARMINA BURANA) / 8. Fortuna plango vulnera (from: CARMINA
BURANA) / 9. O mio babbino caro (from: GIANNI SCHICCHI) / 10. Cruda
sorte (from: L’ITALIANA IN ALGERI) / 11. Una furtiva lagrima (from:
L’ELISIR D’AMORE) / 12. Si mi chiamano Mimì (from: LA BOHÈME) / 13.
Ah! Non credea mirarti … Ah! non giunge (from: LA SONNAMBULA)
/ 14. Lippen schweigen (from: DIE LUSTIGE WITWE) / 15. Freunde, das
Leben ist lebenswert! (from: GIUDITTA) / 16. Dein ist mein ganzes Herz
(from: DAS LAND DES LÄCHELNS)
Conductor: Lawrence Foster
Orchestra: Deutsche Oper Berlin
Soloists: Agnes Baltsa, Piotr Beczala, Pavol Breslik,
Franz Grundheber, Stefan Kocán, Nino Machaidze, Angela Marambio,
Marina Rebeka, Matti Salminen, Krassimira Stoyanova,
Max Raabe (presentation)
Director: Georg Wübbolt
Production: United Motion
Prog No: 9888 I Length: 122‘ I Format: 16:9
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ENTERTAINMENT GMBH
Andrea Bocelli – Live in Central Park
Each year, the traditional Festive Opera Gala combines real musical
delight and the joy of charity. The gala, which is organised for the benefit
of the German AIDS-Fund, has for years been one of the social highlights
on the German agenda. The soloists of the 2006 Gala are Daniela
Barcellona, Isabel Bayrakdarian, Marius Brenciu, Malena Ernman,
Soile Isokoski, Klaus Florian Vogt, Thomas Quasthoff, Maria Virginia
Savastano, Violeta Urmana and Ramon Vargas.
The world’s most beloved tenor, Andrea Bocelli, gifts New York City
with a once in a lifetime musical event: a free concert with the New
York Philharmonic to take place at Central Park’s Great Lawn. As
guests: Celine Dion, Tony Bennett and Bryn Terfel, amongst others.
The New York Philharmonic’s music director, Alan Gilbert, conducts.
On the programme world-famous hits like ‘La donna è mobile’, I
pescatori di perle (Duet), ‘E lucevan le stelle’ & Te deum (Tosca), ‘O
soave fanciulla’ (La Bohème), ‘Brindisi’ , ‘Funiculi funicular’, ‘O’ Sole
Mio’, ‘Volare’, ‘New York, New York’, ‘Amazing Grace’, ‘Time to say
Goodby’, ‘Nessun Dorma’, La forza del destino (Ouverture), Candide
(Ouverture), and many more.
Orchestra: Orchestra of the German Opera Berlin
Soloists: Daniela Barcellona, Isabel Bayrakdarian, Marius Brenciu,
Malena Ernman, Soile Isokoski, Klaus Florian Vogt, Thomas Quasthoff,
Maria Virginia Savastano, Violeta Urmana and Ramon Vargas
Director: Michael Dillmann
Production: United Motion
Prog No: 8021 I Length: 90’ I Format: 16:9
Conductor: Alan Gilbert
Orchestra: New York Philharmonic; Westminster College Choir
Soloists: Celine Dion, Tony Bennett, Bryn Terfel
Director: David Horn
Production: Universal Music
Prog No: 9291 I Length: 84‘ / 57‘ I Format: HD
Brahms, Ein Deutsches Requiem op. 45
Each year, the traditional Festive Opera Gala combines real musical
delight and the joy of charity. The gala, which is organised for the benefit
of the German AIDS-Fund, has for years been one of the social highlights
on the German agenda. The soloists of the 2005 Gala are Lucia Aliberti,
Marcelo Álvarez, Lado Ataneli, Maria Guleghina, Michaela Kaune and
Anatoli Kotscherga.
Johannes Brahms composed his Requiem in 1865/66, shortly after
the death of his mother. A profoundly moving work for soprano and
baritone solo, chorus and orchestra, it is the composer’s largest
single composition. No work did more to win Brahms international
recognition and, after the first complete performance of the Requiem
in Leipzig in 1869, he was regarded as one of the leading composers of
his time. It was not the first requiem in German, but the first in which
a composer pieced together his text from Bible passages in Martin
Luther’s German translation. It is an intensely personal selection,
which speaks to the living and seeks to offer hope and comfort.
Through his subtle, almost surreal, affinity to Brahms’ unorthodox,
elusive worldview, conductor Christian Thielemann has crafted a
performance that places him among the best interpreters of this work,
such as Maazel, Furtwängler, Karajan, Klemperer.
Orchestra: Orchestra of the German Opera Berlin
Soloists: Lucia Aliberti, Marcelo Álvarez, Lado Ataneli, Maria
Guleghina, Michaela Kaune and Anatoli Kotscherga
Director: Michael Dillmann I Production: United Motion
Berlin Philharmonic – Wagner Gala
New Year‘s Eve Concert 1993
The 1993 New Year’s Eve Gala of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra is
dedicated to Richard Wagner. On the programme: ‘Tannhäuser’: Ouverture,
Act II Aria ‘Dich teure Halle’, Act III Song to the Evening Star, ‘Lohengrin’: ‘In
ferner Einsamkeit des Waldes’ (Act II),’ Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg’:
Prelude to Act I, Aria ‘Was duftet doch der Flieder (Act II), ‘Die Walküre’:
‘Der Männer Sippe’ (Act I), The Ride of the Valkyries (Act III).
Orchestra: Münchner Philharmoniker
Chorus: Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks
Soloists: Christine Schäfer, Christian Gerhaher
Director: Agnes Méth
Production: UNITEL in co-production with CLASSICA
Conductor: Claudio Abbado I Orchestra: Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
Soloists: Cheryl Studer, soprano, Waltraud Meier, mezzo-soprano,
Siegfried Jerusalem, tenor, Bryn Terfel, bass-baritone
Director: Brian Large I Production: Sony
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ENTERTAINMENT GMBH
Recital Diana Damrau
One of the warmest personalities on the opera and concert stage today,
soprano Diana Damrau has put together a beguiling program for her
recital at the Festspielhaus Baden-Baden. The selection of Romantic to
fin-de-siècle pieces not only underscores her own vocal artistry, but also
pays tribute to her accompanist Xavier de Maistre and, in particular, to
the diaphanous delicacy of his instrument, the harp. The use of the harp
to replace the piano in a voice recital is a truly unique and unexpected
musical treat. De Maistre does more than simply transpose the piano
part to his instrument; under the fingers of the Wiener Philharmoniker’s
solo harpist, the ethereal sound of this instrument melds consummately
with the soprano’s finely honed vocal part, so that the masterpieces by
composers such as Schumann, Fauré and Debussy sound as if they had
been conceived for voice and harp.
Soloists: Diana Damrau, Xavier de Maistre
Director: Brian Large
Festive Advent Concert
at the Frauenkirche Dresden 2011
Mezzo-soprano Sophie Koch and baritone Thomas Hampson are the stars
of this year’s traditional Advent concert in the historic Frauenkirche in
Dresden. Conductor Christian Thielemann heads this particularly lavish
program with the Staatskapelle Dresden in the famous Baroque church.
Together with the State Opera Chorus, and in a setting of resplendent
beauty, they perform inspiring and festive works such as arias from
Bach’s Mass in B minor and his Christmas Oratorio. The festive Advent
concerts have become an institution since the year 2000. The TV
broadcast of the concert is watched by almost two million viewers in
Germany alone.
Chorus: Sächsischer Staatsopernchor
Soloists: Sophie Koch, Thomas Hampson
Director: Elisabeth Malzer
Production: ZDF in co-production with UNITEL
in cooperation with Staatskapelle Dresden and CLASSICA,
supported by Stiftung Frauenkirche
Italian tenor Vittorio Grigolo, hailed as ‘opera hero of the year’ (Sächsische
Zeitung), and Carolina Ullrich are the stars of this festive Advent concert
from the Frauenkirche in Dresden. Conductor Bertrand de Billy heads
this particularly lavish program with the Staaatskapelle Dresden in the
famous Baroque Frauenkirche. Together with the Chor der Sächsischen
Staatsoper and the Kammerchor der Frauenkirche, and in a setting of
resplendent beauty, they perform inspiring and festive works.
Chorus: Kammerchor der Frauenkirche and
Sächsischer Staatsopernchor
Soloists: Carolina Ullrich, Vittorio Grigolo
Production: ZDF in co-production with UNITEL
and CLASSICA, supported by Stiftung Frauenkirche
Opera Gala Baden-Baden
Four of the greatest singers of our time combine their talents and
their artistry in an evening of beloved operatic numbers - rarely has
a concert deserved the title ‘Opera Summit’ as much as this one,
recorded live at the Festspielhaus in Baden-Baden on 3 August 2007.
Heading the quartet is soprano Anna Netrebko with her inimitable
blend of glamour and simplicity, her enticing appearance and seductive
singing, a musical powerhouse who tops the pop charts and sells out
operas houses within hours. Hardly less dazzling than her Russian
colleague is Latvian mezzo Elina Garanča, whose crystal-clear voice
and charismatic stage presence never fail to enthrall her audiences.
Replacing the indisposed Rolando Villazón is his fellow Mexican tenor
Ramón Vargas, who began his career in Europe after winning the
first prize in the Enrico Caruso Competition in Milan. French baritone
Ludovic Tézier is a frequent guest at La Scala, the Opéra Bastille and
the Met.
Orchestra: SWR Sinfonieorchester Baden-Baden and Freiburg
Soloists: Anna Netrebko, Elina Garanča, Ramón Vargas, Ludovic Tézier
Director: Frank Hof
Production: ZDF and UNITEL in cooperation
with IMG Artists, Festspielhaus Baden-Baden and CLASSICA
Prog No: A055122000000 I Length: 139‘ I Format: HD
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ENTERTAINMENT GMBH
Gala Concert from the Semperoper
German Television’s traditional and most successful New Year’s
Eve Concert from the stunning Semperoper will feature this year
Angela Denoke, Ana Maria Labin and Piotr Beczala. Maestro Christian
Thielemann and the Staatskapelle Dresden will celebrate the New
Year’s Eve with the most beautiful melodies from operettas by Franz
Lehár. A short entr’acte performed in the foyer by members of the
theater’s ballet ensemble allows the viewer a glimpse into the luxurious
interior of the Semperoper.
Chorus: Sächsischer Staatsopernchor
Soloists: Angela Denoke, Piotr Beczala, Ana Maria Labin
Director: Hannes Rossacher
Production: ZDF and UNITEL in co-production
with Sächsische Staatsoper Dresden and CLASSICA
Highlights from ‘The Merry Widow‘
This gala evening in the beautiful Semperoper devoted to operetta
melodies with classic superstars Renée Fleming and Christopher
Maltman under the baton of Christian Thielemann was a tremendous
success and, as Deutsche Grammophon put it, started ‘a new tradition’.
Thielemann, heading the Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden and an
ensemble of distinguished soloists and choral singers, presents the
most beautiful highlights from Franz Lehár’s ‘The Merry Widow’ and
succeeds in giving the famous and universally beloved melodies a
perceptive new reading while still creating first-class entertainment.
A short entr’acte performed in the foyer by members of the theater’s
ballet ensemble allows the viewer a glimpse into the luxurious interior
of the Semperoper. The New Year’s Eve gala concert ends with an
homage to Dresden: the waltz ‘An der Elbe’, the last waltz written by
Johann Strauss.
Chorus: Sächsischer Staatsopernchor Dresden
Soloists: Renée Fleming, Christopher Maltman
Director: Utz Weber
Production: ZDF and UNITEL in co-production
with Sächsische Staatsoper Dresden and CLASSICA
The Glory of Russia
Sound and Sights of Saint Petersburg
Renée Fleming, America’s Queen of Opera, performing with the
internationally acclaimed Russian baritone Dmitri Hvorostovsky, in the
Palaces of the Czars in Saint Petersburg. Fleming and Hvorostovsky lead
the audience through Saint Petersburg performing in the Gold Ballroom
of Peterhof Palace, the White Column Room and the extraordinary
baroque Theater of the Yusupov Palace.
Conductor: Constantine Orbelian I Orchestra: State Hermitage Orchestra
Soloists: Renée Fleming, Dmitri Hvorostovsky
Production: Moscow Chamber Orchestra / BFMI
Thomas Hampson sings Schumann
If there is one genre of music which baritone Thomas Hampson is
exceptionally passionate about, it is the lied. To Hampson, song and
singing are ‘the diary of our existence’ and he has invested a great
amount of time, work and love to luring this genre out of the shadow of
the more spectacular opera. One composer he particularly cherishes
is Robert Schumann. Hampson begins this Schumann recital, recorded
at Munich’s Prinzregententheater with Wolfram Rieger at the piano,
with the cycle Zwölf Gedichte op. 35 on poems by Justinus Kerner. The
second part of the recital is devoted to the original version of the popular
Dichterliebe op. 48. While Hampson was preparing his first performance
of the cycle based on poems by Heinrich Heine, he consulted the
composer’s manuscript, only to find that the original cycle of 1840 was
a completely distinctive work containing many musical and textual
differences. Among the most notable differences was the presence of
four songs that were omitted from the later cycle. These works - ‘Dein
Angesicht so lieb und schön,’ ‘Lehn deine Wang an meine Wang,’ ‘Es
leuchtet meine Liebe’ and ‘Mein Wagen rollet langsam’ - are featured
here as first-ever recordings of these rediscovered works.
Soloists: Thomas Hampson, Wolfram Rieger
Director: Christian Kurt Weisz
The Creation (Die Schöpfung)
The Nederlands Kamerkoor, under the direction of Klaas Stok and
in cooperation with the Concerto D’Amsterdam, performs Haydn’s
breath-taking oratorio ‘Die Schöpfung’ live from the world renowned
Amsterdam Concertgebouw.
Conductor: Klaas Stok
Orchestra: Concerto d’Amsterdam / Netherlands Chamber Choir
Soloists: Johnette Zomer, Marcel Beekman, André Morsch
Director: Rob van den Berg
Production: Monteverdi
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ENTERTAINMENT GMBH
Philippe Jaroussky and the Concerto Köln
The young French counter tenor Philippe Jaroussky is one of the most
exceptional artists of our time. He is highly acclaimed by critics all over the
world for his virtuoso coloratura technique, as well as for his compelling
and lively interpretations of baroque cantatas and operas. Together with the
Concerto Köln he embarks on a journey into the world of an almost forgotten
composer. Antonio Caldara (1670- 1736) was on one of the most renowned opera
composers of his time. Philippe Jaroussky and the ensemble transfer selected
arias of the composer into the 21st century. The film accompanies the musicians
to rehearsals and to the concert at the Prinzregententheater in Munich.
Orchestra: Concerto Köln I Soloists: Philippe Jaroussky
Director: Claus Wischmann, Holger Preuße
Production: Sounding Images in co-production with ZDF/Arte
Russian Songs – Recital with Anna Netrebko and
Daniel Barenboim
When world-class soprano Anna Netrebko gives a recital of exquisite, rarely
heard Russian songs, you can be sure that she will pour her entire Russian
soul into her interpretation, and draw out every last drop of expressiveness
from these songs. Indeed, what she and her accompanist, the all-round
musical phenomenon Daniel Barenboim, presented in Berlin was a truly
one-of-a-kind concert: a rare occasion to enjoy these Russian songs sung
from and by the heart. And despite the vast dimensions of the Philharmonie,
the two artists succeeded in creating an incredibly intimate atmosphere.
Director: Elisabeth Malzer I Production: UNITEL in co-production with
ZDF in cooperation with Arte, Staatsoper Unter den Linden and CLASSICA
Sehnsucht
Jonas Kaufmann sings German Arias
Paris Concert March 2007
Anna Netrebko and Rolando Villazón
From the Gasteig in Munich: Germany’s most popular Tenor Jonas
Kaufmann presents an evening with the most famous German operatic
arias. Amongst them ‘Dies Bildnis ist bezaubernd schön’ from W. A.
Mozart’s The Magic Flute, ‘In fernem Land’ from Wagner’s Lohengrin and
‘Winterstürme’ from Walküre, as well as works by Carl Maria von Weber
(‘Freischütz’). With this repertoire Kaufmann goes back to his roots:
‘I grew up with this music. It is embedded in my genes.’
The tension is palpable at Paris’ Théâtre des Champs-Elysées this 28th
of March 2007. Anna Netrebko is not only making her debut in France,
but she is making it with Rolando Villazón. The ‘dream couple’ of the
opera world is about to bring its incomparable charm and magnetism to
France’s ‘mélomanes.’ And the result is nothing less than phenomenal:
‘An unforgettable evening, rich in emotions, which many spectators will
look back on with nostalgia one day and say: ‘I was there!’. No matter
where they appear, Netrebko and Villazón inevitably work their magic
on the audience, whether it consists of hundreds or, when broadcast on
TV, of millions. For their Paris concert, the duo chose a broad selection
of chiefly late-romantic works - the style for which their voices seem to
be tailor-made..
Conductor: Michael Güttler I Orchestra: Münchner Rundfunkorchester
Soloist: Jonas Kaufmann I Director: Thorben Schmidt
Production: Sounding Images in co-production with ZDF/Arte, SR, BR
Gala Matinee
The most spectacular homage to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart on his
250th birthday in 2006 was incontestably the presentation of all of his
operas and operatic fragments at the Salzburg Festival, ‘Mozart22.’
Recorded on film, this monumental project has been preserved for
posterity as a benchmark of Mozart interpretation in the early 21st
century. The ‘Mozart Gala’ held at the Felsenreitschule on 30 July
2006, in the first days of the 2006 Salzburg Festival, presents a kind
of microcosm of the Mozart festivities, with a selection of arias and
orchestral music performed by the Vienna Philharmonic under Daniel
Harding and featuring some of the top vocalists of the 2006 Salzburg
Festival.
Conductor: Daniel Harding
Orchestra: Wiener Philharmoniker
Soloists: Anna Netrebko, René Pape, Michael Schade,
Patricia Petibon, Magdalena Kožená, Thomas Hampson
Production: A co-production of ORF, Thirteen / WNET New York, NHK
and Unitel in cooperation with Salzburg Festival and CLASSICA
Conductor: Emmanuel Villaume
Orchestra: Orchestre National de Belgique
Soloists: Anna Netrebko, Rolando Villazón
Director: Olivier Simonnet
Production: UNITEL and Bel Air Media in association with France 2
Recital Leo Nucci
Thirty years at La Scala: this is what Leo Nucci’s recital commemorated, an
event celebrated by the fact that it was sold out only a few days after the
booking opened. It was in 1977, and it was naturally the Barbiere by Rossini
that opened in style the career at La Scala of a singer amongst the dearest
in the heart of opera audiences, in particular in Milan. From then onwards,
Nucci has performed in the greatest theatres in the world. He has sung with
the most famous opera singers in the world, has worked with conductors
such as Karajan, Solti, Giulini, Muti, Abbado, Maazel, Mehta, Levine and
has participated in two ‘opera-films’: Macbeth and Il barbiere di Siviglia, in
addition to numerous videos of live opera performances.
Soloists: James Vaughan, Leo Nucci I Director: Tiziano Mancini I Production:
UNITEL in cooperation with IME International Music Events and CLASSICA
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Pergolesi, Stabat Mater
When Anna Netrebko sings one of the most beautiful sacred works
of the 18th century, Giovanni Battista Pergolesi’s ‘Stabat mater’,
many music lovers will see this as the highlight of the ‘Pergolesi
year’. Her appearance together with contralto Marianna Pizzolato and
with Bertrand de Billy at the head of the Sächsische Staatskapelle
in Dresden’s exuberantly Baroque Frauenkirche radiates ‘nothing
less than bewitching depth and beauty’ (Morgenpost). In addition to
the Pergolesi, the concert features an excerpt from Joseph Haydn’s
‘Sieben letzte Worte des Erlösers am Kreuze’ as well as Johann
Sebastian Bach’s ‘Erbarme Dich’.
Soloists: Anna Netrebko, Marianna Pizzolato
Production: ZDF in co-production with UNITEL CLASSICA
The most beautiful song – A search for singers with
Thomas Quasthoff (Concert)
Thomas Quasthoff founded international song competition for young
singers, ‘Das Lied,’ to ensure that the Lied, which the baritone calls
‘the most beautiful form of music making,’ continues to hold its place
in the concert repertoire of the future. According to Quasthoff, the goal
of this project is to find the successors to the greatest singers of today
and to discover new voices. In addition to Thomas Quasthoff, one of
the top baritones and Lied singers of our day, the jury includes such
distinguished vocalists as Brigitte Fassbaender and Annette Dasch, as
well as the famed accompanists Helmut Deutsch and Charles Spencer.
Among the prizewinners who perform at the gala concert are German
baritone Tobias Berndt and Austrian baritone Daniel Schmutzhard.
Director: Tilo Krause
Production: UNITEL in co-production with rbb in cooperation
with ‘Das Lied - International Song Competition’
Rossini, Stabat Mater
Thielemann conducts Strauss
Four superb soloists - Anna Netrebko, Marianna Pizzolato, Matthew
Polenzani and Ildebrando d’Arcangelo - transform Rossini’s ‘Stabat
mater’ into a feast of ‘italianità’, uniting their voices in a warm,
mellow whole. After several successful performances of this rarely
played sacred work in various cities, the Chorus and Orchestra of
the Accademia di Santa Cecilia of Rome wind up their Rossini project
with a performance at the Salzburg Festival, their first-ever guest
appearance there. Anna Netrebko, whose aria ‘Inflammatus’ was for
many the concert’s ‘unspoken high point’ (Die Presse), succeeded in
‘blending her voice beautifully into the soloist ensemble – one voice
among equals in an excellent, well-balanced quartet’ (Salzburger
Nachrichten).
A magical evening at the Salzburg Festival: soprano Renée Fleming,
conductor Christian Thielemann and the Wiener Philharmoniker perform
works by Richard Strauss – ‘one of those musical events that prove
that excellence truly is possible’ (El País). In her interpretation of four
songs for voice and orchestra by Richard Strauss, along with a scene
from ‘Arabella’, Fleming wanders along the summits of vocal artistry
as a diva who dares to project the innermost emotions of the music
she sings. Without a trace of bombast or heaviness, Thielemann and
the Philharmoniker elaborate, as Der Standard writes, ‘a new vision
of the Alpine Symphony’ that is characterized by a ‘chamber-musiclike
transparency’.
Conductor: Antonio Pappano
Orchestra: Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia
Chorus: Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia
Soloists: Anna Netrebko, Marianna Pizzolato, Matthew Polenzani,
Ildebrando D’ Arcangelo
Production: UNITEL in co-production with ZDF/Arte and ORF
in cooperation with Salzburg Festival and CLASSICA
Soloists: Renée Fleming
Production: UNITEL in cooperation with Wiener Philharmoniker,
Salzburg Festival and CLASSICA
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Bryn Terfel – Bad Boys
Verdi, Messa da Requiem
Bass-baritone Bryn Terfel is a towering figure in today’s musical world
- both physically and artistically. Whether in the opera house or on the
recital stage, he blends his powerful, versatile voice with commanding
stage presence. Since bass-baritones are usually the ‘bad boys’ in
opera, the Welsh singer has put together a program that portrays a
gallery of rogues and villains, the ‘demonic misfits and malcontents
of this wonderful music’ (Bryn Terfel). The concert features Terfel in
a number of demonic roles, including two Satans (one by Gounod and
one by Boito), a murderous barber (Sondheim’s Sweeney Todd), a
swaggering drug dealer (Gershwin’s Sporting Life) and much more. He
is accompanied in this program - recorded at Cardiff’s St. David’s Hall in
his native Wales - by the Sinfonia Cymru under Gareth Jones.
Celebrated conductor Lorin Maazel, a young orchestra of outstanding
musicians, four high-caliber soloists and one of the great choral works
of musical literature - this alone would make this live recording of
Verdi’s Requiem a stand-out document of filmed music. But there is
more: the venue of this grandiose performance, the Basilica of San
Marco in Venice, with its shimmering golden Byzantine mosaics
framed by mighty pillars and arches. Modeled on Constantine the
Great’s Church of the Holy Apostles in Constantinople, the 11th-century
basilica has been the workplace of many a great musician in the past,
such as Claudio Monteverdi, Adrian Willaert and Giovanni Gabrieli.
Lorin Maazel, Music Director of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra,
is also the Music Director of the Symphonica Toscanini, a young
orchestra founded in May 2006 that has performed under Zubin Mehta,
Georges Prêtre and Kurt Masur. ‘In recent tours of Europe and the U.S.,
the musicians expressed their unique musical potential by playing so
harmoniously and compellingly as a group that they conquered every
audience,’ said Maazel.
Conductor: Gareth Jones
Orchestra: Sinfonia Cymru
Chorus: London Welsh Chorale
Director: Emyr Afan
Production: AVANTI in association with Universal Music
Classical Management & Productions and UNITEL CLASSICA
Conductor: Lorin Maazel
Orchestra: Symphonica Toscanini
Chorus: Maggio Musicale Fiorentino
Soloists: Norma Fantini, Anna Smirnova, Francesco Meli, Rafał Siwek
Director: Tiziano Mancini
Production: UNITEL and Fondazione Symphonica Toscanini in
co-production with ZDF/Arte and CLASSICA in cooperation with IME
International Music Events
Rolando Villazón – Handel Arias
Originally performed at La Scala in 1967 to celebrate the tenth
anniversary of Toscanini’s death, this production with the orchestra
and chorus of the Teatro alla Scala was presented in Moscow, Montreal
and New York, in addition to Milan. It was recorded on film in 1967,
now with the young Luciano Pavarotti replacing Carlo Bergonzi. One of
Karajan’s earliest film productions (and his first color film), it reflects his
innovativeness especially through his choice of Henri-Georges Clouzot
as director. Clouzot was the creator of classic ‘films noirs’ such as ‘Quai
des Orfèvres’ and ‘Wages of Fear’.
It would be hard to imagine a more seductive hero, a more passionate
performer, a more glorious interpreter of the great Romantic roles of
Verdi and Puccini than Rolando Villazón. Yet the singer’s temporary
withdrawal from the spotlight in 2007 opened up a wealth of new
possibilities for the singer. Among the ‘new paths’ that Villazón
envisioned for the future were ‘adventures’ such as Baroque music.
Next to a recording of works by the early Baroque composer Claudio
Monteverdi (available from UNITEL CLASSICA), he now offers a
selection of arias by George Frideric Handel. This intimate concert
featuring Villazón and the Gabrieli Players under Paul McCreesh was
filmed in a setting that ideally suits the style of the music, St. Paul’s
Church in Deptford, near London, one of Britain’s finest Baroque
churches. It was built between 1712 and 1730, almost exactly when
Handel was writing his most celebrated operas and oratorios.
Conductor: Herbert von Karajan
Orchestra: Teatro alla Scala di Milano
Chorus: Teatro alla Scala di Milano
Soloists: Leontyne Price, Fiorenza Cossotto, Luciano Pavarotti,
Nicolai Ghiaurov
Director: Henri-Georges Clouzot
Production: Unitel
Conductor: Paul McCreesh
Orchestra: Gabrieli Players
Soloists: Rolando Villazón, Rebecca Bottone, Timothy Travers-Brown
Director: Henning Kasten
Production: UNITEL in co-production with ZDF and CLASSICA
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Monteverdi in Saint-Denis
After speaking with her for one and a half minutes, I knew that I would
even sing Heavy Metal for her if she wanted me to,’ gushed Rolando
Villazón after meeting French conductor and harpsichordist Emmanuelle
Haïm. Devoted to cultivating the works of Monteverdi, Handel, Rameau
and Purcell, the vibrant Haïm has become one of the leading lights of the
Early Music scene. Trained as a pianist and harpsichordist in Paris, she
assisted William Christie before founding her own ensemble ‘Le Concert
d’Astrée,’ which performs on historical instruments. Rolando Villazón
is better known for his performances as tormented lover and ‘dream’
partner of Anna Netrebko in ‘La Traviata’ and ‘La Bohème’ (both
available from UNITEL CLASSICA) than for his accounts of early
Baroque music. But in this concert of works by Claudio Monteverdi
(1567-1643), the powerhouse tenor proves his allround mastery of
italianità. The main work is the ‘Combattimento di Tancredi e Clorinda,’ a
descriptive piece for three voices based on a text from Torquato Tasso’s
epic poem ‘Gerusalemme liberata.’
Conductor: Emmanuelle Haïm
Orchestra: Le Concert d’Astrée
Soloists: Patrizia Ciofi, Topi Lehtipuu, Rolando Villazón
Director: Andreas Morell
Production: UNITEL in co-production with ZDF and CLASSICA
Great Voices from South Africa
The Cape Festival celebrates the joy and energy of South Africa’s choral
talent in a special event on 13 March, 2010: The Cape Festival Choral
Celebration. It will take place at Cape Town’s famous Waterfront. Six
choirs, nine instrumentalists, and five conductors join forces for this
unique event. The Cape Festival Choral Celebration brings together the
best of South Africa’s youth and community choirs with the acclaimed
Chamber Choir of South Africa, award-winning violinist Samson Diamond
and his Mzansi Classical Players and star soprano Angela Kerrison, who
was one of the Salzburg Festival’s prestigious Young Singers project in
2009, for an evening of unique music-making.
Director: Norbert Busè I Production: Studio TV Film
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D‘Albert, Tiefland
Beethoven, Fidelio
One of the most successful European operas of the first half of the 20th
century, D’Albert’s Tiefland has had a long history and this minimalist new
staging by Matthias Hartmann and Franz Welser-Möst gives it a welcome
revival. Matthias Goerne’s portrayal of Sebastiano’s brings out the
essence of evilness. Peter Seifert and Petra Schnitzer – husband and wife
in real life – as Pedro and Marta are simply splendid in their roles, both
in their singing and their acting. László Polgár is excellent as Tommaso.
Thunderous applause and loud cries of ‘bravo’ greeted the premiere of
Ludwig van Beethoven’s ‘Fidelio’ at the inaugural performance of the
first opera season in Valencia’s new Palau de les Arts on 25 October
2006. Attending the stellar performance in architect Santiago Calatrava’s
breathtaking theater complex was Queen Sofía of Spain, who added
to the glamour of the event. With this spectacular production directed
by Pierluigi Pier’Alli, Valencia has put itself back on the map of the
international opera world. Dominating the activity on stage are two of
today’s most distinguished German singers: Waltraud Meier as Leonore
and Peter Seiffert as Florestan.
Conductor: Franz Welser-Möst I Orchestra: Orchestra of the Zurich
Opera I Chorus: Chorus of the Zurich Opera I Soloists: Matthias
Goerne, László Polgár, Valeriy Murga I Director: Felix Breisach
Stage Director: Matthias Hartmann I Production: Zurich Opera House
Alfano, Cyrano de Bergerac
A coproduction of the New York, London and Valencia houses,
Franco Alfano’s little-known 1936 opera ‘Cyrano de Bergerac’ has
been reawakened to life by the great Spanish tenor Plácido Domingo.
Although Alfano (1875-1954) enjoyed a long and prolific career as an
opera composer, he is known today above all for having completed
Puccini’s ‘Turandot’. His earlier works not surprisingly reflect Puccini’s
verismo style, but his later works – including ‘Cyrano de Bergerac’ - are
clearly inspired by Debussy, Ravel and Strauss. Opulent scoring and
colorful orchestral effects elegantly underscore the tragic story based on
Rostand’s famous drama of 1897, which achieved international celebrity in
the Oscar-nominated 1990 film adaptation with Gérard Depardieu.
Conductor: Zubin Mehta
Orchestra: Orquesta de la Communitat Valencia
Chorus: Cor de la Generalitat Valenciana
Soloists: Carsten H. Stabell, Juha Uusitalo, Peter Seiffert,
Waltraud Meier, Matti Salminen
Stage Director: Pierluigi Pier’Alli
Production: UNITEL and Palau de les Arts ‘Reina Sofia’ Valencia
in cooperation with IME International Music Events and CLASSICA
Also available: Making of Alfano’s ‘Cyrano de Bergerac’ (18’ - A93500217)
Conductor: Patrick Fournillier
Chorus:Cor de la Generalitat Valenciana
Soloists: Plácido Domingo, Sondra Radvanovsky,
Arturo Chacón Cruz, Rodney Gilfry
Stage Director: Michal Znaniecki
in cooperation with IME International Music Events and CLASSICA
Bellini, Norma
The reigning queen of bel canto, Edita Gruberova has laid the cornerstone
for a new ‘Norma’ legend in her first stage performance of this virtuoso
role. The premiere of Vincenzo Bellini’s opera at the Bavarian State
Opera in Munich marked a resounding new triumph in the singer’s career.
Sharing the stage with Gruberova were Zoran Todorovich, Roberto
Scandiuzzi, Sonia Ganassi and other renowned soloists, along with the
chorus of the Bavarian State Opera. Friedrich Haider conducted the
production directed by Jürgen Rose.
Conductor: Friedrich Haider I Orchestra: Bayerisches Staatsorchester I Chorus:
Chor der Bayerischen Staatsoper I Soloists: Edita Gruberová, Zoran Todorovich,
Roberto Scandiuzzi, Sonia Ganassi I Director: Brian Large I Stage Director:
Jürgen Rose I Production: UNITEL in co-production with BR and CLASSICA
Beethoven, Fidelio
‘Translucence, transparency, warmth’ are the qualities identified by Bernard
Haitink as necessary for an ideal sound performance of Beethoven’s only
opera, and all are present in this fantastic recording of Katharina Thalbach’s
new production for Opernhaus Zurich. Haitink conducts the Zurich Opera
Orchestra in a magnificent performance in which Leonore Overture No. 3
provides an interlude between the two scenes of the second act, following a
tradition started by Gustav Mahler. German soprano Melanie Diener, in the role
of Leonore, leads a brilliant cast including Alfred Muff as Rocco, Roberto Saccà
as Florestan, Sandra Trattnigg as Marzelline and Christoph Strehl as Jaquino.
Conductor: Bernard Haitink I Orchestra: Orchestra of the Zurich Opera
Chorus: Chorus of the Zurich Opera I Soloists: Melanie Diener, Alfred
Muff, Roberto Saccà, Sandra Trattnigg I Director: Felix Breisach
Stage Director: Katharina Thalbach I Production: Zurich Opera House
Berg, Lulu
Alban Berg’s opera ‘Lulu’ is the story of a lower-class girl who sleeps her
way to fame and fortune before losing everything she has and finding
death at the hands of Jack the Ripper. Conductor Marc Albrecht supports
the two main protagonists, Patricia Petibon’s Lulu and Michael Volle’s Dr.
Schön, with the rich sonorities of Berg’s music. Particularly impressive
are the gigantic backdrops that dominate the stage and were painted by
Daniel Richter, one of the leading German artists of our time.
Conductor: Marc Albrecht I Orchestra: Wiener Philharmoniker I Soloists:
Patricia Petibon, Michael Volle, Pavol Breslik, Franz Grundheber
Director: Brian Large I Stage Director: Vera Nemirova I Production: ORF
and 3sat for UNITEL in cooperation with Salzburg Festival
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Berlioz, Benvenuto Cellini
Bizet, Carmen
The absence of the work in the operatic repertoire is certainly due in
part to its musical excesses: the work is so complex, richly detailed
and prolifically imaginative that Berlioz’s contemporaries considered it
unplayable and unsingable. This is resoundingly proven false in the 2007
Salzburg Festival production of director Philipp Stölzl, conductor Valery
Gergiev and a high-caliber cast accompanied by the Vienna Philharmonic
and its chorus. Stölzl, above all, has poured his experience as director
of music videos (for Madonna, Mick Jagger and others), commercials
and films into this project, termed ‘science fiction for Grand Opera’
(Süddeutsche Zeitung), ‘breathtaking’ (Der Standard), and ‘spectacularly
successful’ (F.A.Z.).
’A “Carmen” dominated by emotionality’, wrote the press about this
unforgettable interpretation of Georges Bizet’s masterpiece from Barcelona’s
Gran Teatre del Liceu with an outstanding quartet of lead vocalists and a
visually stimulating staging by Calixto Bieito. Conducted by Marc Piollet, the
production features Béatrice Uria-Monzon as ‘a splendid and sensual’ (el
Periódico). Carmen, Roberto Alagna as Don José, Marina Poplavskaya as
Micaela and Erwin Schrott as Escamillo. Stage director Calixto Bieito conjures
up a sensual, realistic atmosphere with sparse but powerfully symbolic props.
Conductor: Valery Gergiev
Chorus: Konzertvereinigung Wiener Staatsopernchor
Soloists: Burkhard Fritz, Laurent Naouri, Brindley Sheratt,
Mikhail Petrenko, Maija Kovalevska
Stage Director: Philipp Stölzl
Production: UNITEL in co-production with ZDF/3sat
Berlioz, Les Troyens
Monumental operas deserve epochal stagings. And ‘Les Troyens’ by
Hector Berlioz is such a work. This grand opera, complete with ensembles
and ballets, large choruses and orchestral set pieces, is given an
appropriately grand treatment in this production by the renowned
Catalan theater group ‘La Fura dels Baus’ recorded at Valencia’s Palau
de les Arts. In this coproduction with St. Petersburg’s Mariinski Theater
and Warsaw’s Wielki Theater, the Fura’s director, Carlus Padrissa, has
gathered around him his faithful collaborators Franc Aleu (video), Roland
Olbeter (sets), Chu Uroz (costumes) and Peter van Praet (lighting) who
crafted Valencia’s sensational ‘Ring des Nibelungen’ (also available from
UNITEL ). ‘That this is such a feast for the eyes, a veritable orgy of optical
opulence, is due to the sheer inexhaustible fantasy and creativeness of
the Catalan artist group’ (Das Opernglas).
Soloists: Lance Ryan, Gabriele Viviani, Giorgio Giuseppini,
Stephen Milling, Eric Cutler, Oksana Shilova
Stage Director: Carlus Padrissa, La Fura dels Baus
in co-prodution with CLASSICA
Conductor: Marc Piollet I Orchestra: Cor & Orquestra Simfònica del Gran
Teatre del Liceu I Soloists: Béatrice Uria-Monzon, Roberto Alagna, Erwin
Schrott, Marina Poplavskaya I Director: Pietro d’Agostino I Stage Director:
Calixto Bieito I Production: Gran Teatre del Liceu and UNITEL
Bizet, Carmen
Stealing the show of this ‘Carmen’ production is Anna Netrebko as
Micaëla, who gives the role a strikingly authentic touch. The lead role
is sung and acted with a panther-like grace by Bulgarian mezzo Nadia
Krasteva. She and her equally dazzling fellow leads Massimo Giordano
as Don José and Ildebrando D’Arcangelo as Escamillo infuse this revival
of Franco Zeffirelli’s 1978 production with drama and irrepressible life.
Imparting his own personal stamp on the music is the young Latvian
conductor Andris Nelsons, who leads the Orchestra of the Wiener
Staatsoper with contagious passion and fresh, brisk tempi.
Conductor: Andris Nelsons
Orchestra: Orchestra & Chorus of the Wiener Staatsoper
Soloists: Nadia Krasteva, Massimo Giordano,
Ildebrando D’Arcangelo, Anna Netrebko
Stage Director: Franco Zeffirelli
Production: ORF for UNITEL in co-production with BR in cooperation
with Wiener Staatsoper and CLASSICA
Bizet, Carmen
If Herbert von Karajan continues to be a looming presence in today’s
classical music world, then it is not only because of his more than 800
records and CDs, but also because of the many hours of video recordings
which he produced over the course of many years. He began preserving
his performances on film back in 1965 with ‘La Bohème’. His ‘Carmen’
is based on his 1966 production for the Salzburg Festival with Grace
Bumbry – one of the greatest interpreters of the title role in our time –, Jon
Vickers, Mirella Freni and Justino Diaz in the lead roles.
Conductor, Director & Stage Director: Herbert von Karajan
Orchestra: Wiener Philharmoniker I Chorus: Wiener Staatsoper
Soloists: Grace Bumbry, Jon Vickers, Mirella Freni, Justino Diaz
Production: UNITEL
Prog No: A05003129 I Length: 162’ I Format: HD 4:3
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Bussoni, Doktor Faust
Donizetti, Anna Bolena
For Philippe Jordan, the conductor of this production from the Opernhaus
Zürich, ‘Doktor Faust’ is one of the greatest operas of the 20th century,
ranking alongside ‘Wozzeck’ and ‘Lulu,’ and resplendent with lush, lateromantic harmonies and motivically derived melodies reminiscent of
Wagner, Verdi and even Mahler. Director Klaus Michael Grüber has
produced a staging that ‘emphasizes the sensuality and operatic quality of
the work’ (Neue Zürcher Zeitung). Adding the final touch to the sensuality
of Busoni’s music, Jordan’s expressive control of the complex score and
Grüber’s stage magic is Thomas Hampson in the lead role.
Anna Netrebko and Elina Garanča pair their glorious voices in an upcoming
recording of Gaetano Donizetti’s opera ‘Anna Bolena’ from the Wiener
Staatsoper. It is Netrebko’s highly anticipated role debut as Anna Bolena.
She and fellow soprano Garanča, who portrays her lady of honor Giovanna
Seymour, form a fateful triangle with baritone Ildebrando D’Arcangelo
as Enrico VIII. Intrigue, betrayal and passion keynote the action of this
dramatic bel canto work that also stars Elisabet Kulman as Smeton and
Francesco Meli as Lord Riccardo Percy. Conducting the Orchestra of
the Wiener Staatsoper is Evelino Pidò. Stage director is Eric Génovèse,
whose recent production of Liebermann’s ‘Die Schule der Frauen’ in
Bordeaux earned him great acclaim.
Conductor: Philippe Jordan I Orchestra & Chorus: Oper Zürich I Soloists:
Sandra Trattnigg, Thomas Hampson, Günther Groissböck, Gregory Kunde,
Reinaldo Macias I Director: Felix Breisach I Stage Director: Klaus Michael
Grüber I Production: A Zurich Opera House production
Catán, Il Postino
Based on the popular 1994 Italian film, Il Postino by Daniel Catán stars
Plácido Domingo as the poet Pablo Neruda for this exciting world
premiere. In a tiny Italian fishing village, a shy young postman finds the
inspiration to live out his dreams during his daily deliveries to his only
customer, a famous poet.
Conductor: Evelino Pidò
Orchestra: Orchester der Wiener Staatsoper
Chorus: Chor der Wiener Staatsoper
Soloists: Anna Netrebko, Elina Garanča, Elisabeth Kulman,
Francesco Meli, Ildebrando DÀrcangelo
Director: Brian Large I Stage Director: Eric Génovèse
Production: ORF and UNITEL in co-production with Arte
in cooperation with Wiener Staatsoper and CLASSICA
Conductor: Grant Gershon
Orchestra: LA Opera Orchestra
Soloists: Plácido Domingo, Amanda Squitieri,
Cristina Gallardo-Domâs, Nancy Fabiola-Herrera
Director: Brian Large I Stage Director: Ron Daniels
Production: SONY
Chin, Alice in Wonderland
Donizetti, La Fille du régiment
Ravel, Handel, Elgar, Stravinsky, a snippet of Puccini’s ‘Turandot,’ a bassclarinet homage to George Gershwin, glissandi, hints of musicals, film
music and Gilbert & Sullivan – Unsuk Chin is a master of stylistic parody,
but also much more than that: she is clearly at home on every highway
and byway of music history. Yet the musical house she constructs with
the building blocks of the past and the present is definitely her own
house, which she has designed and which self-assuredly proclaims
her unmistakable individuality and style. Director Achim Freyer, whose
productions have been setting standards for decades, sees Chin’s opera
as a collection of ‘dream sequences,’ for which he has created imaginary
spaces: with the help of pulleys, acrobats depict the magical characters
of Alice’s world and suggest the action through pantomime, and with the
help of colorful masks and props.
French soprano Natalie Dessay, not only a dazzling singer but also a gifted
actress, effortlessly sweeps her castmates along in this turbulent buffo
delight of an opera. ‘She laughed, mugged, cried and danced through her
part ... And she sang. Oh, how she sang,’ gushed George Jahn (Associated
Press). Her partner is Juan Diego Flórez, one of the leading young tenors
of our time. Clad in lederhosen, he cheerfully seduces Marie – and the
audience – with his voice and his looks.
Conductor: Yves Abel
Soloists: Nathalie Dessay, Juan Diego Flórez, Janina Baechle,
Carlos Álvarez, Clemens Untereiner
Stage Director: Laurent Pelly
Production: A co-production of ORF, 3sat, ZDFtheaterkanal and UNITEL in
cooperation with Wiener Staatsoper and CLASSICA
Conductor: Kent Nagano
Orchestra: Bayerisches Staatsorchester
Chorus: Chor der Bayerischen Staatsoper
Soloists: Sally Matthews, Piia Komsi, Dietrich Henschel,
Andrew Watts, Gwyneth Jones
Director: Ellen Fellmann
Stage Director: Achim Freyer
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Donizetti, Lucrezia Borgia
Donizetti, Roberto Devereux
The phenomenal Edita Gruberova, the world’s undisputed Queen of
bel canto, proves once again why she deserves this title: following her
tumultuously applauded concert debut as Lucrezia Borgia in Barcelona,
her mesmerizing role debut in a staged version of this work took place
at the Bavarian State Opera and was acclaimed just as frenetically,
and rightly so. Her performance, noted ‘Opera Magazine’, ‘vindicated
the Munich audience’s near-idolization of her’. With ‘Lucrezia Borgia’,
Gruberova follows up her recent triumphs in ‘Roberto Devereux’ and
‘Norma’ with another bel canto masterwork.
London, 1601: love, desire and a death sentence at the English royal court – an
ideal combination for an Italian grand opera. And Gaetano Donizetti’s Roberto
Devereux could hardly be grander or more fit for a queen. The ideal showcase
for Edita Gruberova! The prima donna assoluta of bel canto triumphs in this
rarely performed work. In Christof Loy’s production at Munich’s National
Theater, Edita Gruberova sings the role of Queen Elizabeth I. Friedrich Haider
conducts the chorus and orchestra of the Bavarian State Opera; the HDTV
recording is directed by Emmy award winner Brian Large.
Conductor: Friedrich Haider
Soloists: Edita Gruberová, Albert Schagidullin,
Jeanne Piland, Roberto Aronica, Monolito Mario Franz
Stage Director: Christof Loy
Production: UNITEL
Soloists: Franco Vassallo, Edita Gruberová, Pavol Breslik,
Alice Coote, Christian Rieger
Production: UNITEL in coproduction with ZDF/3sat
in cooperation with Bayerische Staatsoper and CLASSICA
Donizetti, Maria Stuarda
Dvořák, Rusalka
‘Maria Stuarda’, the tragedy of the Stuart Queen Mary and her embittered
foe Elizabeth, is the most popular work in Donizetti’s trilogy of bel canto
operas on Tudor queens (next to ‘Anna Bolena’ and ‘Roberto Devereux’).
The production of Venice’s Teatro La Fenice shows Maria and Elisabetta
both as prisoners, trapped in a labyrinth that is the central set element
in Italian-based Franco-Tunisian director Denis Krief’s staging. With his
sharp and lively conducting, Fabrizio Maria Carminati puts the Orchestra
of the Teatro La Fenice entirely at the service of three exceptional
singers, Sonia Ganassi (‘an extraordinary performance,’ Opera Today)
as Elisabetta, Fiorenza Cedolins (‘colorful, nuanced, highly dramatic
heroine,’ Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung) as Maria Stuarda, and José
Bros as a passionate Leicester. The recording was made at Venice’s
beautiful Teatro La Fenice, rebuilt after the fire that destroyed it in 1996.
This highly acclaimed production from the Bayerische Staatsoper was
a veritable sensation and a double revelation. That of the powerful
and fascinating re-interpretation of Antonín Dvořák’s fairy-tale opera
‘Rusalka’ and that of the young, up-and-coming Latvian soprano, Kristine
Opolais, whose performance was hailed by the press as ‘one of the most
vivid and striking accomplishments seen on an opera stage in a long time’
(Vienna’s daily ‘Der Standard’). With her velvety soprano, her captivating
beauty and her tremendous stage presence, Opolais perfectly embodies
the role of the water nymph who becomes a human in order to find love,
but loses all hope when her prince is seduced by a sensual princess.
Conductor: Fabrizio Maria Carminati
Orchestra: Orchestra del Teatro La Fenice
Chorus: Coro del Teatro La Fenice
Soloists: Fiorenza Cedolins, Sonia Ganassi, Pervin Chakar,
José Bros, Mirco Palazzi
Stage Director: Denis Krief
Production: UNITEL in coproduction with CLASSICA Italia
in cooperation with Fondazione Teatro La Fenice
Conductor: Tomáš Hanus
Soloists: Klaus Florian Vogt, Nadia Krasteva,
Kristine Opolais, Günther Groissböck
Director: Thomas Grimm
Stage Director: Martin Kušej
Production: UNITEL in cooperation with
Bayerische Staatsoper
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ENTERTAINMENT GMBH
de Falla, La vida breve
Gluck, Orfeo ed Euridice
Manuel de Falla’s short opera ‘La vida breve’ is perhaps the greatest
opera in the entire Spanish repertoire. Premiered in 1913, it is the tragic
story of the poor gypsy Salud, whose lover Paco betrays her and plans to
wed a wealthy young woman. In his production at Valencia’s Palau de les
Arts ‘Reina Sofia’, director Giancarlo del Monaco creates a psychological
drama in which Salud is on stage at all times, as if witnessing her own
living nightmare of blood and shame. Conductor Lorin Maazel, whom
national daily El Paìs hails as the ‘triunfador’ of the evening, leads an
exquisite band of soloists headed by Chilean soprano Cristina GallardoDomâs, Jorge de León Paco and María Luisa Corbacho.
To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the ambitious ‘Festival Internacional
de Música Castell de Peralada’, the Catalan theater collective La Fura
dels Baus and its director Carlus Padrissa have staged Gluck’s ‘Orfeo
ed Euridice’ with three splendid soloists in a production that confirms
the Fura’s creativity. The most striking aspect of the production is the
participation of the orchestral ensemble in the action. Padrissa also
makes abundant stage use of the chorus, who depict souls or demons.
With its stunning effects, expert lighting and video projections, the
production grabs the viewer from the very start.
Conductor: Lorin Maazel
Orchestra: Orquestra de la Comunitat Valenciana
Soloists: Cristina Gallardo-Domâs, Jorge de León,
María Luisa Corbacho, Felipe Bou, Sandra Ferrández
Director: Tiziano Manchini
Stage Director: Giancarlo del Monaco
in co-prodution with CLASSICA
Conductor: Gordan Nikolić
Orchestra: Orquesta bandArt
Chorus: Cor de Cambra del Palau de la Música Catalana
Soloists: Anita Rachvelishvili, Maite Alberola,
Auxiliadora Toledano
Director: Tiziano Manchini
Stage Director: Carlus Padrissa (La Fura dels Baus)
Production: UNITEL in co-production with the
Festival de Música Castell de Peralada
Prog No: A93001795 I Length: approx. 110’ I Format: HD
Giordano, Andrea Chénier
Gounod, Roméo et Juliette
With his spectacular production of Umberto Giordano’s ‘Andrea Chenier’,
director Keith Warner unites intellectual depth and exciting entertainment
for the eyes and ears using every possible resource offered by Bregenz’s
floating stage. The colossal set by David Fielding is inspired by JacquesLouis David’s famous painting ‘Death of Marat’. The opera is both a
moving love story and a historical thriller with a highly emotional score.
Ulf Schirmer, the Wiener Symphoniker and the excellent soloists Hector
Sandoval, Norma Fantini and Scott Henricks unleash the entire power of
this Italian verismo work.
While Charles Gounod’s ‘Roméo et Juliette’ is less well-known than
his ‘Faust,’ it is blessed with four great show-stopping love duets that
let its two title roles bask in lyrical luxury. In this Salzburg Festival
production recorded at the Felsenreitschule, the titular heroes are the
much acclaimed Mexican tenor Rolando Villazón and the young Georgian
soprano Nino Machaidze – two singers and personalities with the
makings of a new ‘dream couple.’ ‘Villazón is ‘an ideal Roméo ... His vocal
cords seem to be grafted directly onto his heart’ (Der Tagesspiegel). His
Juliette, Nino Machaidze, unites captivating good looks with a bright,
clear voice and an agile, youthful stage presence – a singer on her way
to stardom! Broadway director Bartlett Sher and his team succeed in
evoking Shakespeare’s Verona with a few evocative props, many fine
costumes and much plot-driven action.
Conductor: Ulf Schirmer
Orchestra: Wiener Symphoniker
Chorus: Bregenz Festival Chorus
Soloists: Héctor Sandoval, Scott Hendricks, Norma Fantini,
Tania Kross, Rosalind Plowright
Stage Director: Keith Warner
Production: UNITEL and ORF in cooperation with Bregenz Festival
and CLASSICA
Conductor: Yannick Nézet-Séguin
Orchestra: Mozarteum Orchester Salzburg
Soloists: Nino Machaidze, Rolando Villazón,
Mikhail Petrenko, Russell Braun, Cora Burggraaf
Stage Director: Bartlett Sher
Production: A co-production of ORF and UNITEL in cooperation
with Salzburg Festival and Classica
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ENTERTAINMENT GMBH
Handel, Admeto
Handel, Theodora
When one of Germany’s most famous filmmakers and stimulating operatic
directors focuses her creativity on a rarely performed Handel opera, the
result is a ‘mixture of dancers and singers, comedy and pathos’ (The
Times). ‘Admeto’, one of Handel’s most popular operas in his lifetime, was
premiered in London in January 1727. Doris Dörrie, whose Japan-inspired
feature film ‘Cherry Blossoms – Hanami’ was a major German box-office
hit and won several international awards, returns to her beloved Japan in
this production. Flowing robes, translucent panels and the participation
of Japan’s Mamu Dance Theater and its choreographer/dancer Tadashi
Endo add an evocative dimension to the work whose lead roles were
written for a popular castrato and two rivaling primadonnas.
A highlight of the Handel commemorative year (250th anniversary of
death) was the Salzburg Festival’s first-ever staging of Handel’s oratorio
‘Theodora’ of 1750. Christof Loy, who was voted ‘director of the year’ three
times by the prestigious journal ‘Opernwelt’, created a production that is,
in his words, ‘almost as an installation’, and groups his characters around
the remains of a gigantic organ in situations that echo the libretto’s tragic
dilemma of love, faith and virtue. His concept is supported by the vigorous
Ivor Bolton and the Freiburger Barockorchester playing on original
instruments, the Salzburger Bachchor, and, above all, by a fine cast. It
is led by the luminous Christine Schäfer as a Theodora who ‘perfectly
encapsulates the heroine’s combination of fragility and defiance’ (AFP),
and countertenor Bejun Mehta, who ‘excels as Theodora’s lover Didymus’
(The New York Times).
Conductor: Nicholas Mcgegan
Orchestra: Festspielorchester Göttingen
Ballet Ensemble: Mamu Dance Theatre
Soloists: Tim Mead, Marie Arnet, Kirsten Blaise,
Andrew Radley, David Bates
Stage Director: Doris Dörrie
Production: UNITEL in coproduction with Internationale
Händel-Festspiele Göttingen, NHK and CLASSICA
in cooperation with NDR
Conductor: Ivor Bolton
Orchestra: Freiburger Barockorchester
Chorus: Salzburger Bachchor
Soloists: Christine Schäfer, Bejun Mehta, Johannes Martin Kränzle,
Joseph Kaiser, Bernarda Fink
Production: UNITEL in cooperation with Salzburg Festival and CLASSICA
Handel, Messiah
Haydn, Il mondo della luna
On the occasion of the 250th anniversary of Handel’s death, Vienna’s
Theater an der Wien, famous for innovative and unconventional opera
productions, realized a unique and truly extraordinary project: the staging
of one of Handel’s most popular oratorios. For this production, the theater
signed up one of the most renowned stage directors of our time, Claus
Guth. The result: ‘An emotionally and psychologically charged sequence
of images’, as the Süddeutsche Zeitung wrote about Guth’s portrayal of a
family dynasty, complete with guilt, betrayal, suicide and reconciliation.
It was an ideal constellation for an extraordinary musical event: the
coincidence of the Haydn anniversary year with the 80th birthday
of Nikolaus Harnoncourt. The universally acclaimed specialist of the
Viennese Classical era chose a work by Haydn for his birthday tribute,
‘Il Mondo della Luna’. The dramma giocoso of 1777 is a delicious mixture
of satire, comedy and science fiction based on an immensely popular
comedy by 18th-century dramatist Carlo Goldoni.
Conductor: Jean-Christophe Spinosi
Orchestra: Ensemble Matheus
Chorus: Arnold Schönberg Chor
Soloists: Susan Gritton, Cornelia Horak,
Martin Pöllmann, Bejun Mehta, Richard Croft
Stage Director: Claus Guth
Production: a co-production of ORF, Arte and UNITEL
in cooperation with Theater an der Wien and CLASSICA
Conductor: Nikolaus Harnoncourt I Orchestra: Concentus Musicus Wien
Soloists: Dietrich Henschel, Bernard Richter, Vivica Genaux,
Christina Landshamer, Anja Nina Bahrmann I Director: Felix Breisach
Stage Director: Tobias Moretti I Production: UNITEL
The Infernal Comedy
The stage-play for a Baroque-Orchestra, two Sopranos and one actor is
based on the real-life story of Jack Unterweger, a notorious womanizer
and celebrated author and journalist, who was suspected of killing
prostitutes in Vienna, Graz, Prague and Los Angeles; later vanished from
Vienna, fled into the U.S., got arrested in Miami, transferred to Austria,
accused and finally committed suicide after being convicted of homicide
in eleven cases.
Conductor: Martin Haselböck I Orchestra: Wiener Akademie
Soloists: John Malkovich, Laura Aikin, Aleksandra Zamojska
Director: Michael Sturminger I Production: film+co.
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ENTERTAINMENT GMBH
Janáček, Več Makropulos (The Makropulos Affair)
Massenet, Manon
With the ‘breathtakingly grandiose’ (Salzburger Nachrichten) Angela
Denoke in the lead role, this emotionally powerful opera is given a superior
treatment at the hands of the Wiener Philharmoniker under Esa-Pekka
Salonen and in an ingenious staging by Christoph Marthaler. Denoke gives
a winning account of the sensual, tormented leading role. While Salonen
lets the Wiener Philharmoniker alternate between powerful accents,
filigree textures and mighty outbursts of raw emotion, Marthaler charms
the viewer with his typical witty, naturalistic details.
From ‘dream team’ of the opera stage to ‘dream team’ of classic and pop Anna Netrebko and Rolando Villazón have long since conquered the entire
world of music. In Jules Massenet’s ‘Manon,’ they have found a drama
worthy of their combined talents. Manon, the tragic heroine of Massenet’s
work, is torn between flirtatiousness and profound love, between frivolity
and deep commitment. Netrebko seems predestined for this role, with her
body language alternating between girlish, introspective and carefree,
and her voice radiating brilliance, warmth, mystery and longing. As the
impoverished young nobleman Des Grieux, Rolando Villazón compellingly
depicts the burning passion of an ultimately doomed lover with his
glowing, supple, slender tenor voice.
Conductor: Esa-Pekka Salonen
Soloists: Angela Denoke, Raymond Very, Peter Hoare,
Jurgita Adamonyte
Stage Director: Christoph Marthaler
Salzburg Festival and CLASSICA
Conductor: Daniel Barenboim
Orchestra: Staatskapelle Berlin
Chorus: Staatsopernchor
Soloists: Anna Netrebko, Rolando Villazón, Alfredo Daza,
Christof Fischesser, Rémy Corazza
Stage Director: Vincent Paterson
Production: UNITEL and BFMI in co-production with ZDF
in cooperation with Arte, ZDFtheaterkanal and CLASSICA
Ligeti, Le Grand Macabre
Mayr, Medea in Corinto
Ligeti’s absurd-tragicomical masterpiece of the highest order ‘Le Grand
Macabre’ blends popular theatre, comic, pop art, cabaret, apocalypse and
caricature with a fascinating imaginativeness. The production by ‘La Fura
dels Baus’ under the direction of Àlex Ollé already thrilled press and public
alike in Brussels, London and Rome, and is considered as ‘one of the best
staging’s’ (La Vanguardia) of the world-famous Catalan theatre group.
Giovanni Simone Mayr’s ‘Medea in Corinto’ is ‘the most absolutely amazing
opera discovery in decades’ (Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung). Mayr, born
in Germany in 1763, became one of the most important composers of Italian
opera between Mozart and Rossini. At the Bavarian State Opera, director Hans
Neuenfels stages this tragedy of betrayed love, lust for power and murderous
hatred as a fascinating political thriller. Providing a vigorous orchestral support
for soprano Nadja Michael as Medea and Ramón Vargas as her ex-husband
Giasone, conductor Ivor Bolton plumbs the depths of Mayr’s rich score.
Conductor: Michael Boder I Orchestra: Orchestra & Chorus of the Gran
Teatre del Liceu I Soloists: Barbara Hannigan, Ana Puche, Inés Moraleda,
Brian Asawa, Ning Liang, Chris Merritt, Werner Van Mechelen I Director &
Stage Director: Xavi Bové (La Fura dels Baus) I Production: UNITEL and Gran
Teatre del Liceu in co-production with ZDF/3sat
Conductor: Ivor Bolton I Orchestra: Bayerisches Staatsorchester I Chorus:
Chor der Bayersichen Staatsoper I Soloists: Nadja Michael, Alastair Miles,
Alek Shrader, Ramón Vargas, Elena Tsallagova I Director: Thomas Grimm I
Stage Director: Hans Neuenfels I Production: UNITEL
Massenet, Manon
Mozart, Così fan tutte
Primadonna assoluta and shining star of the international opera world, Anna
Netrebko has been given a sumptuous vehicle to showcase her ‘incomparable,
velvety, mesmerizingly chocolate-dark timbre’ (Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung):
as the tragic heroine of Jules Massenet’s ‘Manon.’ Anna Netrebko pulls out all the
stops as the impulsive, hybrid femme fatale and child woman, who yields to her
immoderate cravings for sensual pleasure. As her shining knight, Roberto Alagna
is a Des Grieux who wins all hearts with his vibrant timbre and stage presence.
Director Claus Guth’s production of Mozart’s da Ponte trilogy for the Salzburg
Festival reaches its sensational conclusion with his elegant, stylish production
from the ‘Haus für Mozart.’ Guth bolsters the unity of the cycle by making
ingenious reference to his stagings of the first two works, ‘Le nozze di Figaro’ and
‘Don Giovanni’ (both available from UNITEL). His widely acclaimed production of
the trilogy, which began in the Mozart Year 2006, consolidates Guth’s international
reputation as one of the most sought-after stage directors of our time.
Conductor: Adam Fischer I Orchestra: Wiener Philharmoniker I Chorus:
Konzertvereinigung Wiener Staatsopernchor I Soloists: Miah Persson, Isabel
Leonard, Topi Lehtipuu, Patricia Petibon, Bo Skovhus I Director: Brian Large
Stage Director: Claus Guth I Production: ORF and UNITEL in coproduction
with NRK and CLASSICA in cooperation with Salzburg Festival
Conductor: Bertrand de Billy I Orchestra: Orchester der Wiener Staatsoper
Soloists: Anna Netrebko, Roberto Alagna, Adrian Eröd, Michael Roider,
In-Sung Sim I Director: Karina Fibich I Stage Director: Andrei Serban
Production: ORF and UNITEL in cooperation with Wiener Staatsoper and
CLASSICA
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ENTERTAINMENT GMBH
Mozart, Don Giovanni
Mozart, Die Entführung aus dem Serail
Filmed at the 1954 Salzburg Festival, this restored and technically
enhanced recording of ‘Don Giovanni’ is more than simply a superb
performance of one of the world’s most lastingly popular operas with an
exquisite cast led by Cesare Siepi, Elisabeth Grümmer and Lisa della Casa.
It is the last visual document of Wilhelm Furtwängler’s art, the legacy
of a great conductor. A giant among 20th-century conductors, Wilhelm
Furtwängler was associated for many years with the Berlin Philharmonic
Orchestra. After the war, he discovered a new, exceptionally rewarding
venue for his artistry at the Salzburg Festival. Beginning with ‘Fidelio’ in
1948, Furtwängler ushered in a golden age of memorable performances
in Salzburg.
Barcelona’s Teatre del Liceu presents Mozart’s singspiel in an elegant production
by Christof Loy with a splendid cast of top stars headed by coloratura soprano
Diana Damrau in her debut at Spain’s largest and most distinguished opera
house. Damrau’s charismatic stage presence announced... that we were in the
presence of a great singer,’ wrote Opera News. Starring along with Damrau are
Olga Peretyatko, Christoph Strehl, Norbert Ernst and Franz-Josef Selig. Christof
Loy portrays Konstanze and Blonde as having developed profound feelings of
respect, admiration and even love for their captors.
Conductor: Ivor Bolton I Orchestra: Symphony Orchestra I Chorus: Chorus of Gran
Teatre del Liceu I Soloists: Diana Damrau, Olga Peretyatko, Christoph Strehl, Norbert
Ernst, Christoph Quest, Franz-Josef Selig I Director: Pietro d’Agostino I Stage Director:
Christof Loy I Production: UNITEL in co-production with Gran Teatre del Liceu
Conductor: Wilhelm Furtwängler
Soloists: Cesare Siepi, Otto Edelmann, Elisabeth Grümmer,
Lisa della Casa, Anton Dermota
Director: Paul Czinner
Stage Director: Herbert Graf
Production: UNITEL
Mozart, The Giacomo Variations
‘The Giacomo Variations’ is a chamber opera play based about the late Giacomo
Casanova, who, in the face of his approaching death, is still trying to find out, what
he was living for, if not only to be coveted and desired by the woman he loves.
Giacomo, played by John Malkovich, presents his memories and stories to impress
Countess Isabella, the beautiful young sister of his host Karl Emanuel Count von
Waldstein and of course has his try on the nurse, the seamstress and the kitchen
maid, while he is developing his philosophical view on love, medicine, fashion, and
cookery. The play by Michael Sturminger with music concept by Michael Haselböck
is based on opera scenes by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Lorenzo Da Ponte.
Conductor: Martin Haselböck I Orchestra: Orchester Wiener Akademie
Soloists: John Malkovich, Ingeborgha Dapkunaite, Florian Boesch, Eva
Liebau I Director: Michael Sturminger I Production: film+co.
Mozart, Idomeneo
In Guth’s almost cinematic Salzburg Festival production, every character
in Mozart’s most realistic opera seems to carry a back-story of thwarted
love and frustration. Everyone appears to be seeking either salvation or
damnation in the woods – a compelling concept that removes the opera
from its traditional pseudo-Seville squares and palaces. And when Don
Giovanni is played by Christopher Maltman, it’s no wonder that Donna
Anna (Annette Dasch), Donna Elvira (Dorothea Röschmann) and even
Zerlina (Ekaterina Siurina) are ready to throw themselves at his feet.
Munich’s court theater was the venue for the premiere of Mozart’s
‘Idomeneo’ on 29 January 1781; today, it hosts another premiere of this
same work, now to celebrate the reopening of this sparkling Rococo
gem of a theater, now known after its architect as the Cuvilliés Theater.
Restored at the cost of over 25 million euros, the theater provides an
exultant red, gold and white setting for Mozart’s opera seria, which is
considered as the first of the seven uncontested masterworks of Mozart’s
dramatic oeuvre. In the title role, John Mark Ainsley tackles his demanding
lines with impressive firmness. Idamante, a role usually sung by a
contralto, is rivetingly portrayed by the tenor Pavol Breslik. As Ilia, Juliane
Banse glows with tenderness, the opposite of Annette Dasch’s darkly
simmering Elettra.
Conductor: Bertrand de Billy I Orchestra: Wiener Philharmoniker I Chorus:
Konzertvereinigung Wiener Staatsopernchor I Soloists: Christopher
Maltman, Anatoli Kotscherga, Annette Dasch, Dorothea Röschmann,
Erwin Schrott I Director: Brian Large I Stage Director: Claus Guth
Production: ORF on behalf of UNITEL in coproduction with ZDF/3sat and
CLASSICA in cooperation with Salzburg Festival
When it comes to Mozartian perfection on the opera stage, one needn’t
always seek it in Milan, Vienna, Salzburg or New York. At the Sferisterio
Opera Festival in the central Italian city of Macerata, a rapt audience was
treated to a production ‘that will enter the annals of opera’ (ForumOpera.
com). This ‘splendid production’ (OperaClick) by Pier Luigi Pizzi sweeps the
viewer into a libertine, 18thcentury society dominated by erotic impulses.
Conductor: Riccardo Frizza I Orchestra: Fondazione Orchestra Regionale
delle Marche I Chorus: Coro Lirico Marchigiano ‘V. Bellini’ I Soloists:
Ildebrando d’Arcangelo, Andrea Concetti, Carmela Remigio,
Myrto Papatanasiu, Marlin Miller I Director: Tiziano Mancini I Stage
Director: Pier Luigi Pizzi I Production: Metisfilm Classica for UNITEL,
CLASSICA and Associazione Arena Sferisterio
Also avalable: Making of Mozart’s ‘Idomeneo’
Director: Norbert Beilharz - 45’ - A05512338
Soloists: John Mark Ainsley, Pavol Breslik, Juliane Banse,
Annette Dasch, Rainer Trost
Stage Director: Dieter Dorn
Production: UNITEL in co-operation with
Bayerischer Rundfunk and Classica
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ENTERTAINMENT GMBH
Mozart 22
’Mozart22’ is an enterprise of utterly unique dimensions, the musical
project of the century: all of Mozart’s stage works presented over the
course of six weeks during the 2006 Salzburg Festival. The project
brought together the greatest Mozart singers, conductors, stage
directors and ensembles of the day. To make this extraordinary artistic
achievement accessible to a broad public, the entire ‘Mozart22’
cycle was recorded with the highest-quality HD technology and 5.1
Dolby Digital sound.
Stage Director: Doris Dörrie I Production: UNITEL and BFMI in
co-production with CLASSICA in cooperation with the Salzburg Festival
Le Nozze di Figaro
(The Marriage of Figaro) (Mozart 22)
Conductor: Nikolaus Harnoncourt I Orchestra: Wiener Philharmoniker
I Chorus: Konzertvereinigung Wiener Staatsopernchor I Soloists:
Bo Skovhus, Dorothea Röschmann, Anna Netrebko, Ildebrando
d’Arcangelo, Christine Schäfer I Director: Brian Large I Stage Director:
Claus Guth I Production: UNITEL and BFMI in co-production with
CLASSICA in cooperation with the Salzburg Festival
Idomeneo, Re di Creta (Mozart 22)
Conductor: Roger Norrington I Orchestra: Camerata Salzburg I Chorus:
Salzburger Bachchor I Soloists: Ramòn Vargas, Magdalena Kožená,
Ekaterina Siurina, Anja Harteros, Jeffrey Francis I Director: Thomas
Grimm I Stage Director: Ursel Herrmann, Karl-Ernst Herrmann I
Production: UNITEL and BFMI in co-production with CLASSICA in
cooperation with the Salzburg Festival
Irrfahrten I: La Finta Semplice (Mozart 22)
Betulia Liberata (Mozart 22)
Conductor: Christoph Poppen I Orchestra: Münchener Kammerorchester
Chorus: Konzertvereinigung Wiener Staatsopernchor I Soloists:
Jeremy Ovenden, Marijana Mijanovic, Julia Kleiter, Franz-Josef Selig,
Irena Bespalovaite I Director: Stefan Aglassinger I Stage Director:
David Hermann I Production: UNITEL and BFMI in co-production with
Così fan Tutte (Mozart 22)
Apollo et Hyacinthus (Mozart 22)
Conductor: Josef Wallnig I Orchestra: Mozarteum University Symphony
Orchestra I Soloists: Maximilian Kiener, Christiane Karg, Jekaterina
Tretjakova, Anja Schlosser, Astrid Monika Hofer I Director: Christian
Kurt Weisz I Stage Director: John Dew I Production: UNITEL and BFMI in
Ascanio in Alba (Mozart 22)
Conductor: Adam Fischer I Orchestra: Nationaltheater Mannheim I
Chorus: Nationaltheater Mannheim I Soloists: Iris Kupke, Sonia Prina,
Marie-Belle Sandis, Charles Reid, Diana Damrau I Director: Stefan
Aglassinger I Stage Director: David Hermann I Production: UNITEL
and BFMI in co-production with CLASSICA in cooperation with the
Salzburg Festival
Bastien und Bastienne &
Der Schauspieldirektor (Mozart 22)
Conductor: Elisabeth Fuchs I Orchestra: Junge Philharmonie
Salzburg I Soloists: Aleksandra Zamojska, Evmorfia Metaxaki,
Bernhard Berchtold, Radu Cojocariu, Alfred Kleinheinz I Director:
Stefan Aglassinger I Stage Director: Thomas Reichert I Production:
UNITEL and BFMI in co-production with CLASSICA in cooperation with
the Salzburg Festival
Prog No: A04500448+49 I Length: 108’ I Format: HD
Conductor: Manfred Honeck I Orchestra: Wiener Philharmoniker I
Chorus: Konzertvereinigung Wiener Staatsopernchor I Soloists: Ana
María Martínez, Sophie Koch, Shawn Mathey, Stéphane Degout,
Sir Thomas Allen I Director: Thomas Grimm I Stage Director: Ursel
Herrmann, Karl-Ernst Herrmann I Production: UNITEL and BFMI in
Don Giovanni (Mozart 22)
Conductor: Daniel Harding I Orchestra: Wiener Philharmoniker
I Chorus: Konzertvereinigung Wiener Staatsopernchor I Soloists:
Thomas Hampson, Ildebrando d’Arcangelo, Christine Schäfer, Melanie
Diener, Isabel Bayrakdarian I Director: Karina Fibich I Stage Director:
Martin Kušej I Production: UNITEL and BFMI in co-production with
Die Entführung aus dem Serail (Mozart 22)
Conductor: Ivor Bolton I Orchestra: Mozarteum Orchester Salzburg I
Chorus: Konzertvereinigung Wiener Staatsopernchor I Soloists: Laura
Aikin, Valentina Farcas, Charles Castronovo, Dieter Kerschbaum, Franz
Hawlata I Director: Tomáš Šimerda I Stage Director: Stefan Herheim
La Finta Giardiniera (Mozart 22)
Conductor: Ivor Bolton I Orchestra: Mozarteum Orchester Salzburg
Soloists: John Graham Hall, Alexandra Reinprecht, John Mark
Ainsley, Véronique Gens, Ruxandra Donose I Director: Agnes Meth
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Conductor: Michael Hofstetter I Orchestra: Camerata Salzburg I Soloists:
Malin Hartelius, Josef Wagner, Matthias Klink, Marina Comparato,
Silvia Moi I Director: Anais Spiro, Olivier Spiro I Stage Director:
Joachim Schlömer I Production: UNITEL and BFMI in co-production
with CLASSICA in cooperation with the Salzburg Festival
Irrfahrten II: Abendempfindung (Mozart 22)
Conductor: Michael Hofstetter I Orchestra: Camerata Salzburg I Chorus:
Chor der Ludwigsburger Schlossfestspiele I Soloists: Ann Murray,
Graham Smith, Marianne Hamre I Director: Anais Spiro, Olivier Spiro
Stage Director: Joachim Schlömer I Production: UNITEL and BFMI in
Il Re Pastore (Mozart 22)
Conductor: Thomas Hengelbrock I Orchestra: Balthasar Neumann
Ensemble I Soloists: Kresimir Spicer, Annette Dasch, Marlis Petersen,
Arpiné Rahdjian, Andreas Karasiak I Director: Stefan Aglassinger
Stage Director: Thomas Hengelbrock I Production: UNITEL and BFMI in
Die Schuldigkeit des Ersten Gebotes
(Mozart 22)
Conductor: Josef Wallnig I Orchestra: Mozarteum University Symphony
Orchestra I Soloists: Michiko Watanabe, Bernhard Berchtold, Cordula
Schuster, Peter Sonn, Christiane Karg I Director: Christian Kurt
Weisz I Stage Director: John Dew I Production: UNITEL and BFMI in
Il Sogno di Scipione (Mozart 22)
Irrfahrten III: Rex Tremendus (Mozart 22)
Conductor: Robin Ticciati I Orchestra: Carinthian Symphony Orchestra
Chorus: Chorus of Stadttheater Klagenfurt I Soloists: Blagoj Nacoski, Louise
Fribo, Bernarda Bobro, Iain Paton, Robert Sellier I Director: Paul Fenkart
I Stage Director: Michael Sturminger I Production: UNITEL and BFMI in
Conductor: Michael Hofstetter I Orchestra: Camerata Academica
Salzburg I Chorus: Chor der Ludwigsburger Schlossfestspiele I Soloists:
Josef Wagner, Marisa Martins, Jeremy Ovenden, Matthias Klink, Silvia
Moi, Anne Murray, Marianne Hamre, Wolfgang Götz I Director: Anais
Spiro, Olivier Spiro I Stage Director: Joachim Schlömer I Production:
UNITEL and BFMI in co-production with CLASSICA in cooperation with
the Salzburg Festival
Lucio Silla (Mozart 22)
Conductor: Tomáš Netopil I Orchestra: Orchestra of the Teartro La
Fenice I Chorus: Chorus of the Theatro La Fenice I Soloists: Roberto
Saccà, Annick Massis, Monica Bacelli, Veronica Cangemi, Julia
Kleiter I Director: Hannes Rossacher I Stage Director: Jürgen Flimm
I Production: UNITEL and BFMI in co-production with CLASSICA in
Mitridate, Re di Ponto (Mozart 22)
Conductor: Marc Minkowski I Orchestra: Les Musiciens du Louvre I
Soloists: Richard Croft, Netta Or, Miah Persson, Bejun Mehta, Ingela
Bohlin I Director: Peter Schönhofer I Stage Director: Günter Krämer
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Zaide & Adama (Mozart 22)
Conductor: Ivor Bolton, Johannes Kalitzke I Orchestra: Mozarteum
Orchester Salzburg, Österr. Ensemble f. Neue Musik I Chorus: Basler
Madrigalisten I Soloists: Mojca Erdmann, Topi Lehtipuu, Johan Reuter,
John Mark Ainsley, Renato Girolami I Director: Andreas Morell I Stage
Director: Claus Guth I Production: UNITEL and BFMI in co-production
with CLASSICA in cooperation with the Salzburg Festival
Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute) (Mozart 22)
Conductor: Riccardo Muti I Orchestra: Wiener Philharmoniker I Chorus:
Konzertvereinigung Wiener Staatsopernchor I Soloists: René Pape, Paul
Groves, Franz Grundheber, Diana Damrau, Genia Kühmeier I Director:
Brian Large I Stage Director: Pierre Audi I Production: UNITEL and BFMI
in co-production with CLASSICA in cooperation with the Salzburg Festival
ENTERTAINMENT GMBH
Mussorgsky, Khovanshchina
Even if Modest Mussorgsky left his opera ‘Khovanshchina’ (The
Khovansky Affair) incomplete and unorchestrated, the sheer
theatricality of its musical text reveals the presence of a work that
begs for a stage production. The first completion and orchestration
was made by Mussorgsky’s contemporary Rimsky-Korsakov, but
the more slender, powerful, raw orchestration made by Dmitri
Shostakovich in 1960 is the one preferred today, and the version
chosen by Kent Nagano for the Munich production recorded here.
With his stripped-down sets and historicizing costumes, director
Dmitri Tcherniakov, one of the new voices of contemporary Russian
theater, throws a bridge to the political present. The historical
pessimism of the opera, says Tcherniakov, ‘is legitimated by Russian
history and Russian life. Basically, nothing has changed.’
Soloists: Paata Burchuladze, Klaus Florian Vogt,
John Daszak, Valery Alexejev, Anatoli Kotscherga
Stage Director: Dmitri Tcherniakov
Production: Unitel in co-production with Classica
in cooperation with the Bayerische Staatsoper
300 Years Giovanni Battista Pergolesi
The Complete Operas
For the 300th anniversary of the birth of Giovanni Battista Pergolesi
(1710–1736), the ‘Italian Mozart’, whose music is practically unknown
today, the Fondazione Pergolesi Spontini, which has been devoting
itself to the research and performance of Pergolesi’s music for years
now, joined forces with UNITEL CLASSICA to record all eight of
the master’s stage works on video in HD and 5.1 Surround Sound.
A landmark project that will provide many impulses for the rediscovery
of this composer’s epoch-making works.
Il prigionier superbo
Intermezzo: Livietta e Tracollo
Conductor: Corrado Rovaris I Orchestra: Accademia Barocca de I
Virtuosi Italiani I Soloists: Antonio Lozano, Marina Rodríguez Cusí,
Marina de Liso, Ruth Rosique I Director: Tiziano Mancini I Stage
Director: Henning Brockhaus I Production: UNITEL in co-production
with Fondazione Pergolesi Spontini and CLASSICA
Conductor: Ottavio Dantone I Orchestra: Accademia Bizantina
Soloists: Monica Bacelli, Carlo Lepore I Director: Tiziano Mancini
Stage Director: Ignacio García I Production: UNITEL in co-production
Lo frate ‘nnamorato
Il Flaminio
Soloists: Juan Francisco Gatell, Laura Polverelli, Marina de Liso,
Sonia Yoncheva I Director: Tiziano Mancini I Stage Director: Michael
Znaniecki I Production: UNITEL in co-production with Fondazione
Pergolesi Spontini and CLASSICA
Prog No: A05016473
A05500495-500
I Length:
I Format:
173’ HDTV
I Format: HD
Pfitzner, Palestrina
Requiring 38 soloists, chorus and large orchestra, ‘Palestrina’,
Hans Pfitzner’s (1869-1949) ‘most important work’ (Süddeutsche
Zeitung), is a challenging opera to stage. In Munich, the city in which
it was given its world premiere in 1917, the Bavarian State Opera
succeeded – director Christian Stückl, best known for his staging
of the Oberammergau Passion Play and the Salzburg Festival’s
‘Jedermann’, transformed the monumental work into an optical pop
art event. Stückl’s production infuses such color and life into the
serious work that even the German tabloid ‘Abendzeitung’ delightedly
wrote: ‘Who would have thought that Pfitzner could be such fun?’
Conductor: Simone Young
Soloists: Christopher Ventris, Falk Struckmann, Michael Volle,
John Daszak, Peter Rose, Roland Bracht
Stage Director: Christian Stückl
Production: UNITEL in coproduction with CLASSICA
in cooperation with Bayerische Staatsoper
Soloists: Vito Priante, Marina Comarato, Patrizzia Biccire, Marianna
Pizzolato I Director: Tiziano Mancini I Stage Director: Willy Landin
Production: UNITEL in co-production with Fondazione Pergolesi
Spontini and CLASSICA
L’Olimpiade
Il prigionier superbo
Conductor: Corrado Rovaris I Orchestra: Accademia Barocca de I
Virtuosi Italiani I Soloists: Antonio Lozano, Marina Rodríguez Cusí,
Marina de Liso, Ruth Rosique I Director: Tiziano Mancini I Stage
Director: Henning Brockhaus I Production: UNITEL in co-production
Soloists: Olga Pasichnyk, Mary Ellen Nesi, Ruth Rosique, Manuela
Custer I Director: Tiziano Mancini I Stage Director: Italo Nunziata
La Salustia
Il Flaminio
Soloists: Juan Francisco Gatell, Laura Polverelli, Marina de Liso,
Sonia Yoncheva I Director: Tiziano Mancini I Stage Director: Michael
Znaniecki I Production: UNITEL in co-production with Fondazione
Adriano in Siria
Soloists: Lucia Cirillo, Annamaria dell’Oste, Nicole Heaston, Stefano
Ferrari I Director: Tiziano Mancini I Stage Director: Ignacio García
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Conductor: Antonio Florio I Orchestra: Cappella della Pieta de’ Turchini
Director: Tiziano Mancini I Stage Director: Jean-Paul Scarpitta
Intermezzo: La serva padrona
Conductor: Corrado Rovaris I Orchestra: Accademia Barocca de
I Virtuosi Italiani I Soloists: Alessandra Marianelli, Carlo Lepore,
Jean Meningue I Director: Tiziano Mancini I Stage Director: Henning
Brockhaus I Production: UNITEL in co-production with Fondazione
ENTERTAINMENT GMBH
Pizetti, Assassinio nella Cattedrale
Puccini, La Bohème
Pizzetti, one of Italy’s leading lyrical composers of the first half of the 20th
century, composed several operas, of which ‘Assassinio nella Cattedrale’
is one of his most famous. Pizzetti’s religiosity manifests itself in his
choice of T.S. Eliot’s modern-day miracle play about St. Thomas Becket,
the Archbishop of Canterbury, who returns from a seven-year-exile only
to be confronted by various torments, including Four Temptations; he
succumbs to the fourth, the temptation of martyrdom … . Internationally
acclaimed bass-baritone Ruggero Raimondi, at home on all of the
world’s major stages and unforgotten as Don Giovanni in Joseph Losey’s
celebrated 1979 film, brings the firmness and authority of his vocal artistry
to this role.
‘My principal motivation in filming the opera “La Bohème” is to set a
memorial to the singers Anna Netrebko and Rolando Villazón,’ says
director Robert Dornhelm, adding: ‘I think that this film, this music,
this story will beguile not just opera lovers.’ The pairing of one of the
most beloved operas of all time with the world’s current ‘dream team’
of singers is a recipe for success. Produced by Unitel and Vienna’s MR
Film with a budget of five million euros, the theatrical film is helmed by
Hollywood director Robert Dornhelm, Oscar nominee for ‘The Children of
Theater Street’ and most recently director of the sensational four-part TV
adaptation of Tolstoy’s ‘War and Peace.’
Also available:
Making of Pizzetti’s ‘Assassinio Nella Cattedrale’ (15’ - A00501028)
Conductor: Pier Giorgio Morandi
Orchestra: Orcherstra Sinfonica della Provincia di Bari
Chorus: Coro A.T.E.R., Coro di Voci Bianche des Conservatorio
Piccinni di Bari
Soloists: Ruggero Raimondi, Paoletta Marrocu,
Sonia Zaramella, Luca Casalin, Saverio Fiore
Stage Director: Daniele D’Onofrio
Production: UNITEL and Fondazione Lirico Sinfonica Petruzzelli e
Teatri Bari in co-production with CLASSICA in cooperation with IME
International Music Events
Orchestra: Symphonieorchester der Bayerischen Rundfunks
Chorus: Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks
Soloists: Anna Netrebko, Rolando Villazón, Nicole Cabell,
Adrian Eröd
Director: Robert Dornhelm
Production: An UNITEL and MR-Film production
in co-production with ZDF
Prokofiev, The Gambler (Der Spieler)
Puccini, La Bohème
‘The Gambler’ is a dark study of human failings and the corruptive power
of money. In this work, everyone gambles: the hero Alexey, the General
and even the wealthy aunt Babulenka gamble with money; Blanche,
the Marquis and Polina – who loves Alexey – gamble with their fellow
human beings. The results are humiliation, ruin and self-delusion. But
when the Staatskapelle Berlin under worldfamous conductor Daniel
Barenboim provide the orchestral sound to the full, lustrous voices of
Vladimir Ognovenko, Kristine Opolais, Misha Didyk, Stefania Toczyska
and their colleagues, there is nothing even remotely dismal about the
opera or its production. Directed by Dmitri Tcherniakov, ‘the evening zips
past entertainingly, yet leaves its traces in the listener’s mind: a stroke
of genius like Prokofiev’s opera itself’ (Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung).
This production of ‘La Bohème’ scored a trio of ‘firsts’: it was the first
opera film to be produced by Unitel, the first music film conducted
by Herbert von Karajan, and the first major film production by Franco
Zeffirelli (Romeo and Juliet, Jesus of Nazareth). Produced in 1965, it was
based on Zeffirelli’s acclaimed 1963 La Scala production and features
Mirella Freni and Gianni Raimondi as the starcrossed lovers. Karajan
conducts the chorus and orchestra of Milan’s La Scala. The production is
still considered today one of the finest treatments of opera on film and a
classic of opera performance in the 20th century..
Chorus: Staatsopernchor
Soloists: Vladimir Ognovenko, Kristine Opolais,
Misha Didyk, Stefania Toczyska, Stephan Rügamer
Stage Director: Dmitri Tcherniakov
Production: UNITEL and BFMI in cooperation with
Staatsoper Unter den Linden
Orchestra: Teatro alla Scala di Milano
Chorus: Teatro alla Scala di Milano
Soloists: Mirella Freni, Gianni Raimondi, Adriana Martino,
Rolando Panerai
Director: Wilhelm Semmelroth
Stage Director: Franco Zeffirelli
Production: UNITEL
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ENTERTAINMENT GMBH
Puccini, Madama Butterfly
Puccini, Tosca
The superior cast of this production is dominated by Raffaella Angeletti
in the title role, ‘certainly one of the best Butterflies of our time’
(ForumOpera.com), who has performed this role in many Italian theaters,
as well as in Madrid and at the Vienna Staatsoper. As Pinkerton,
Massimo Pisapia is ‘brilliant, bold and trim’ (L’Opinione) and Annunziata
Vestri’s Suzuki ‘outstanding’ (Rinascita). The performance took place
in the magnificent open-air neo-classical Arena Sferisterio built in the
1820s. Though unjustly garnering less international attention than other
outdoor summer festivals such as Verona and Aix, the Sferisterio Opera
Festival has become a true gem whose performances are enthusiastically
acclaimed by audiences of genuine opera lovers from far and wide.
It’s an event that draws many thousands of music lovers to Verona
every summer: the opera season at the ancient Roman Arena. One of the
highlights of the 2006 season was the riveting production of Puccini’s
‘Tosca’ by Argentine director Hugo de Ana. Nearly 15,000 spectators
regularly filled the amphitheater for the performances of the Puccini
favorite with a stellar cast – Fiorenza Cedolins, Marcelo Álvarez and
Ruggero Raimondi – under the baton of Daniel Oren.
Conductor: Daniele Callegari
Orchestra: Fondazione Orchestra Regionale delle Marche
Chorus: Coro Lirico Marchigiano ‘V. Bellini’
Soloists: Raffaela Angeletti, Enrico Cossutta,
Massimiliano Pisapia, Alessandra Capici, Thomas Morris,
Nino Batatunashvili
Stage Director: Pier Luigi Pizzi
Production: Metisfilm Classica in coproduction with UNITEL
in cooperation with Sferisterio Opera Festival Macerata
Conductor: Daniel Oren
Orchestra: Arena di Verona
Chorus: Arena di Verona
Soloists: Fiorenza Cedolins, Marcelo Alvarez,
Ruggero Raimondi, Marco Spotti, Fabio Previati
Director: Loreena Kaufmann
Stage Director: Hugo de Ana
Production: UNITEL
Puccini, Madama Butterfly
Puccini, Tosca
Director Jean-Pierre Ponnelle (1932-1988) has been called ‘a weaver
of magic, a curator of the sublime, a master choreographer, a footlose
farceur’ (The Wall Street Journal). One of the most imaginative directordesigners of our times, Ponnelle was also the first significant opera
director to have a large portion of his work preserved on film. In his
chilling and poignant account of ‘Madama Butterfly’, he tried to use all
the typical resources of film such as flashbacks, slow motion and ‘inner
monologues’, where the singers do not move their lips to sing. Under the
direction of Herbert von Karajan, the stellar cast includes Mirella Freni,
Placido Domingo and Christa Ludwig.
Puccini’s verismo masterpiece demands a trio of vocal soloists of stellar
quality. This Munich Festival production of ‘Tosca’ meets all expectations.
The great Finnish soprano Karita Mattila infuses her Tosca with passion
and controlled intensity. As her lover Cavaradossi, Jonas Kaufmann once
again confirms his status as one of the leading tenors of our time, and
Juha Uusitalo’s evil Scarpia brims with dark menace.
Chorus: Wiener Staatsoper
Soloists: Mirella Freni, Plácido Domingo, Christa Ludwig,
Robert Kerns, Michel Sénéchal
Director: Jean-Pierre Ponnelle
Stage Director: Jean- Pierre Ponnelle
Production: UNITEL
Conductor: Fabio Luisi
Soloists: Karita Mattila, Jonas Kaufmann,
Juha Uusitalo, Christian van Horn, Enrico Fissore
Stage Director: Luc Bondy
Production: UNITEL in co-production with BR and Arte
in cooperation with Bayerische Staatsoper
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ENTERTAINMENT GMBH
Puccini, Turandot
Rossini, La Cenerentola
Whether through its phenomenal acoustics or breathtaking architecture,
Valencia’s spectacular Calatrava opera house ‘Palau de les Arts Reina
Sofía’ – itself a work of art – seems to bring out the best of all who gather
there to celebrate artistic creation. And this production of Puccini’s
‘Turandot’ is no exception! Internationally acclaimed Chinese filmmaker
Chen Kaige (1993 Golden Palm in Cannes for Farewell My Concubine)
delivers an opulent background for the fairy-tale story of the Chinese
Princess Turandot, who will marry only a prince of royal blood who
can solve her three riddles. With a wealth of sumptuous costumes and
palace sets designed and produced in China, Kaige’s staging provides a
compellingly authentic accent to Puccini’s exotic orchestral palette.
This recording from Barcelona’s Gran Teatre del Liceu captures all the
vocal sparks and dazzle generated by the two phenomenal singers,
Joyce DiDonato and Juan Diego Flórez. With his airy, effortless high
notes and perfect command of rapid-fire Rossinian parlando, the
charismatic Flórez (who also stars in Unitel’s recording of Donizetti’s ‘La
fille du régiment’) once again proves that he was born to sing Rossini.
Also available: Making of ‘Turandot’ Directors: Henry Secchiaroli / Chen Kaige - 36’ - A93500219)
Soloists: Maria Guleghina, Marco Berti, Alexander Tsymbalyuk,
Alexia Voulgaridou, Javier Agulló
Stage Director: Chen Kaige
Production: UNITEL
Puccini, Il Barbiere di Siviglia (The Barber of Seville)
Based on Jean-Pierre Ponnelle’s highly acclaimed Salzburg production,
the action was filmed in a Munich studio, while the voices and music were
taped in Milan, using the Scala orchestra and chorus. The brilliant cast
includes Teresa Berganza, Hermann Prey, Luigi Alva and Enzo Dara, all
great names in the international operatic world.
Conductor: Patrick Summers I Orchestra: Symphony Orchestra of the Gran
Teatre del Liceu I Chorus: Chorus of the Gran Teatre del Liceu I Soloists: Juan
Diego Florez, David Menéndez, Bruno de Simone, Itxaro Mentxaka, Cristina
Obregon I Director: Xavi Bové I Stage Director: Joan Font I Production: Gran
Teatre del Liceu and UNITEL in co-production with CLASSICA
Rossini Festival Pesaro: Le Comte Ory
The work was recorded at the Rossini Opera Festival in the composer’s
hometown of Pesaro, a festival that is internationally renowned for its
innovative stagings and musically impeccable productions. ‘Le Comte
Ory’ boasts a young, dynamic and international cast headed by tenor
Yijie Shi, who ‘outstandingly mastered’ (Il Giornale) the title role, and
María José Moreno, ‘a countess with an extremely supple coloratura,
great stylistic refinement and seductive elegance’ (Il Giornale di
Vicenza). Paolo Carignani conducts the Orchestra del Teatro Comunale
di Bologna with verve and brio.
Conductor: Paolo Carignani
Orchestra: Orchestra del Teatro Communale Bologna
Chorus: Coro di Camera di Praga
Soloists: Yijie Shi, Lorenzo Regazzo, Laura Polverelli,
Roberto de Candia, Maria José Moreno
Stage Director: Lluis Pasqual
Production: UNITEL and ROSSINI OPERA FESTIVAL
in coproduction with CLASSICA
Conductor: Claudio Abbado
Orchestra & Chorus: Teatro alla Scala di Milano
Soloists: Teresa Berganza, Hermann Prey, Luigi Alva, Enzo Dara,
Paolo Montarsolo
Director: Ernst Wild I Stage Director: Jean-Pierre Ponnelle
Production: UNITEL
Rossini, La Cambiale di matrimonio
Rossini Festival Pesaro: Adelaide di Borgogna
Created by Luigi Squarzina and revived by Giovanno Scandella, with
scenes and costumes by Giovanni Agostinacci, this Pesaro production
can count on a cast with well-established singers.
From the Rossini Festival in Pesaro comes the first staged performance
since 1825 of ‘Adelaide di Borgogna’. ‘Adelaide’ stars sought-after
mezzo Daniela Barcellona as Ottone, and, in the role of Adelaide, young
Australian soprano Jessica Pratt, who possesses a natural-born belcanto voice. Director Pier’ Alli has devised a modern, stylish look for his
production, which interweaves medieval aspects with ironically used
elements from the time of the opera’s genesis.
Conductor: Dmitri Jurowski I Orchestra: Orchestra del Teatro Comunale di
Bologna I Chorus: Coro del Teatro Comunale di Bologna I Soloists: Daniela
Barcellona, Jessica Pratt, Nicola Ulivieri, Bogdan Mihai I Director: Tiziano
Mancini I Stage Director: Pier’ Allí I Production: UNITEL and ROSSINI
OPERA FESTIVAL Pesaro in co-production with CLASSICA
Conductor: Umberto B. Michelangeli
Orchestra: Orchestra Haydn Di Bolzano et Trento
Soloists: Paola Bordogna, Désirée Rancatore, Saimir Pirgu,
Fabio M. Capitanucci, Enrico M. Marabelli, Maria Gortsevskaya
Production: Dynamic
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ENTERTAINMENT GMBH
Rossini Festival Pesaro: Demetrio e Polibio
Rossini Festival Pesaro: La Scala di Seta
Rossini’s very first opera, written when he was a teenager, was premiered
in Rome in 1812 and revived at the Rossini Opera Festival in Pesaro in
2010. Young stage director Davide Livermore, heading a production of the
Accademia di Belle Arti di Urbino, turns the libretto into a ghost story,
setting the action at night, behind the stage of an opera house. Thanks
to various ‘phantasmagorical’ tricks, Livermore creates an enchanting
atmosphere that is musically rendered by the Orchestra Sinfonica Rossini
under Corrado Rovaris. Each giving outstanding performances are the
four young soloists Maria José Moreno, Victoria Zaytseva, Yijie Shi and
Mirco Palazzi, ‘stars of the highest international order’ (Süddeutsche
Zeitung).
In this colorful and exuberant production by Damiano Michieletto, ‘one
of the truly new voices in stage direction today’ (L’Unità), Rossini’s ‘La
Scala di Seta’ becomes an Almodóvaresque spectacle ‘that transforms all
the singers into extraordinary actors’ (La Stampa). Leading the young and
spirited cast is Maestro Claudio Scimone, a key figure in the international
Rossini Renaissance, who conducts the Orchestra di Bolzano e Trento
‘with precision and incisiveness, highlighting the Rossinian instrumental
colors as well as the comical and sentimental currents of the score’ (Il
Giornale di Vicenza).
Conductor: Corrado Rovaris
Orchestra: Orchestra Sinfonica G. Rossini
Chorus: Coro da Camera di Praga
Soloists: María José Moreno, Victoria Zaytseva,
Yijie Shi, Mirco Palazzi
Stage Director: Davide Livermore
Production: UNITEL and ROSSINI OPERA FESTIVAL Pesaro
in co-production with CLASSICA
Conductor: Claudio Scimone
Orchestra: Orchestra Haydn di Bolzano e Trento
Soloists: Daniele Zanfardino, Olga Peretyatko, Anna Malavasi,
Jose Manuel Zapata, Carlo Lepore
Director: Damiano Michieletto
Rossini Festival Pesaro: Mosè in Egitto
Rossini Festival Pesaro: Sigismondo
From the prestigious Rossini Festival in Pesaro comes a thoughtprovoking interpretation of Rossini’s azione tragico-sacra ‘Mosè in
Egitto’. Topping the cast of high-caliber vocalists are Sonia Ganassi and
Dmitry Korchak as two lovers drawn into the political turmoil of their time.
Director Graham Vick’s interpretation centers on a condemnation of all
religious fundamentalism. Designed by Stuart Nunn, the set evokes a
bombed-out edifice and provides a chilling setting for Rossini’s haunting
melodies. With the gifted Roberto Abbado on the podium, ‘the music is
free to carry its timeless message’ (La Stampa).
Filled with beautiful, original music, Rossini’s rarely performed
‘Sigismondo’ was resurrected at the 2010 Rossini Opera Festival in
Pesaro. The press called the production a ‘perfect symbiosis of music
and stage work’ (Quotidiano Nazionale). Director Damiano Michieletto
sets the first act in a realistic ‘insane asylum’ of past times; the second
take place in an elegant palace. Mezzo Daniela Barcellona portrays the
mad King Sigismondo with fierce intensity and flowing coloraturas; also
outstanding are Olga Peretyatko, Antonino Siragusa and Andrea Concetti.
Leading the orchestra with supreme musicality is Michele Mariotti,
principal conductor of the Teatro Comunale di Bologna and acclaimed
maestro at La Scala, the Met and other leading houses.
Conductor: Roberto Abbado
Orchestra: Orchestra del Teatro Comunale di Bologna
Chorus: Coro del Teatro Comunale di Bologna
Soloists: Alex Esposito, Olga Senderskaya, Dmitry Korchak,
Sonia Ganassi
Stage Director: Graham Vick
Conductor: Michele Mariottio
Orchestra: Orchestra del Teatro Comunale di Bologna
Chorus: Coro del Teatro Comunale di Bologna
Soloists: Daniela Barcellona, Andrea Concetti, Olga Peretyatko,
Antonino Siragusa, Manuela Bisceglie, Enea Scala
Stage Director: Damiano Michieletto
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ENTERTAINMENT GMBH
Rossini Festival Pesaro: Zelmira
Schweitzer, Alceste
The Rossini Opera Festival in Pesaro, Rossini’s birthplace, is internationally
renowned for its innovative stagings and musically impeccable productions
of Rossini’s works. In this staging of the dramma per musica ‘Zelmira’, the
Festival once again lays claim to this reputation. Stage director Giorgio
Barberio Corsetti ‘delivers a production of great visual fascination and
dramaturgical intelligence’ (Corriere della Sera). This rediscovery should
help ‘Zelmira’ return to theaters everywhere.
Performed on the occasion of the official reopening of the Anna Amalia
Library in Weimar in 2007, the sparing production of Anton Schweitzer’s
Alceste (1773) by Hendrik Müller concentrates on the chamber-like
interplay of the four lead roles. Alceste’s demanding, coloratura-filled
parts are mastered with grace and seemingly effortless ease by all
singers. In the lead role as the wife who sacrifices herself to save her
beloved husband, Simone Schneider combines delicacy with dazzling
technique, and harmonizes superbly with internationally acclaimed
Cyndia Sieden as Parthenia.
Conductor: Roberto Abbado
Orchestra: Orchestra del Teatro Comunale Di Bologna
Chorus: Coro del Teatro Comunale Di Bologna
Soloists: Alex Esposito, Kate Aldrich, Juan Diego Flórez,
Gregory Kunde, Marianna Pizzolato
Director: Giorgio B. Corsetti
Conductor: Michael Hofstetter
Orchestra: Concerto Köln
Chorus: Kammerchor Michaelstein
Soloists: Simone Schneider, Cyndia Sieden,
Christoph Genz, Josef Wagner
Director: Dieter Schneider
Stage Director: Hendrik Müller
Production: Salve TV GmbH on behalf of edel
Classics GmbH in coproduction with UNITEL and CLASSICA
supported by Klassik Stiftung Weimar and Hamburger Stiftung zur
Förderung von Wissenschaft & Kultur
Rossini, La Pietra del Paragone
Strauss, Ariadne auf Naxos
Considering that Rossini’s opera buffa ‘La pietra del paragone’ (The
Touchstone) is hardly ever staged and that its title is not even known
through its overture, like ‘La scala di seta’ or ‘La gazza ladra,’ music lovers
can be forgiven for being in the dark about this sparklingly luminous work.
Known for his video installations and live video performances, director
Pierrick Sorin magnifies Rossini’s buffo humor by having the singers
recorded live on stage by five cameras, integrated into decors filmed
elsewhere on the stage, and having the result projected onto three large
screens. The visual gags and optical illusions are as sweetly mischievous
and cleverly absurd as Rossini’s libretto and musical setting.
Hugo von Hofmannsthal called ‘Ariadne auf Naxos’, which he created
in close collaboration with Richard Strauss, one of the ‘most delicate
of structures’. Indeed, in its complexity, the work truly does represent
something utterly unique. Emily Magee and Roberto Saccà are radiant
in their role debuts as Ariadne and Bacchus, just as Elena Mosuc’s
Zerbinetta is incomparably dazzling and Michelle Breedt’s Composer
profoundly touching. Christoph von Dohnányi, one of the great Strauss
interpreters of our time, probes the depths of the incredibly finely-spun
score with an elegant feel for sound, and ensures a perfect balance
between operetta-like lightness and a tragic operatic tone.
Conductor: Jean-Christophe Spinosi
Orchestra: Ensemble Matheus
Chorus: Teatro Regio di Parma
Soloists: Sonia Prina, Jennifer Holloway, Laura Giordano,
Francois Lis, Jose Manuel Zapata
Director: Philippe Beziat
Stage Director: Giorgio Barberio Corsetti, Pierrick Sorin
Production: A co-production of Point du Jour, UNITEL CLASICA ,
Naïve & Mezzo in cooperation with France 2 and the Centre National
de la Cinématographie
Conductor: Christoph von Dohnányi
Orchestra: Orchestra of the Zurich Opera
Soloists: Emily Magee, Roberto Saccà, Elena Mos˛uc
Stage Director: Claus Guth
Production: A Zurich Opera House production
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ENTERTAINMENT GMBH
Strauss, Elektra
Strauss, Die Frau ohne Schatten
Richard Strauss’s Elektra is an Expressionist masterpiece that shakes
the listener to the core with its powerfully expressive chords, spooky
waltzes and mad dance of triumph. The orchestra is so rich that only the
finest orchestras can do full justice to this work, such as the Münchner
Philharmoniker here under Christian Thielemann, in a production by
Herbert Wernicke recorded at the Festspielhaus Baden-Baden. Topping
the superb cast are Linda Watson in the title role, Jane Henschel,
Manuela Uhl, Albert Dohmen and René Kollo.
‘A shining hour’, trumpeted Vienna’s Kurier after the premiere of Richard
Strauss’ ‘Die Frau ohne Schatten’ at the Salzburg Festival, which was also
the premiere of Christian Thielemann as opera conductor there. True to
the Festival’s tradition, this production features a line-up of great Strauss
singers, such as Anne Schwanewilms, Stephen Gould, Wolfgang Koch,
Michaela Schuster and Evelyn Herlitzius. Christof Loy’s production is set
in the mid 1950s in the Sofiensäle, a celebrated Viennese recording studio
at the time. The singers portray singers from the Wiener Staatsoper
recording ‘Die Frau ohne Schatten’.
Chorus: Philharmonia Chor Wien
Soloists: Linda Watson, Jane Henschel, Manuela Uhl,
René Kollo, Albert Dohmen
Stage Director: Herbert Wernicke
Production: UNITEL in co-production with ZDF/Arte
in cooperation with Festspielhaus Baden-Baden and CLASSICA
Soloists: Stephen Gould, Anne Schwanewilms, Michaela Schuster,
Wolfgang Koch, Evelyn Herlitzius
Production: UNITEL in co-production with ORF/3sat and NHK
in cooperation with Wiener Philarmoniker, Salzburg Festival
and CLASSICA
Strauss, Elektra
Strauss, Die Liebe der Danae
Swedish soprano Iréne Theorin gives an impressive role debut as
Elektra, just as Wagner singer Waltraud Meier as Klytämnestra. They are
complemented by Eva-Maria Westbroek’s Chrysothemis and René Pape’s
Orest. In his interpretation of Strauss’ one-act masterpiece, conductor
Daniele Gatti explores the radical side of the Expressionist score, while
not neglecting the late 19th-century lyricism either. His musical vision
harmonizes perfectly with the forbidding atmosphere conveyed by
director Nikolaus Lehnhoff and his set designer.
The rarely performed opera ‘Die Liebe der Danae’ is a feast for Strauss
lovers, with arias, ensembles and orchestral interludes blazing with
sumptuous colors and rich textures. Written under war clouds and
completed in 1940, it is the swan song of an aged composer who is taking
leave from the world on the eve of the catastrophe that will engulf it. This
timeless production from the Deutsche Oper Berlin can be seen as the
mirror of a changing world order, with a wonderfully suggestive symbol
dominating the stage during all three acts: a grand piano suspended
upside-down from the rafters.
Conductor: Daniele Gatti
Stage Director: Nikolaus Lehnhoff
Soloists: Iréne Theorin, Waltraud Meier, Eva-Maria Westbroek,
Robert Gambill, René Pape
Production: UNITEL and Arthaus Musik
in cooperation with Salzburger Festspiele and CLASSICA
Conductor: Andrew Litton
Orchestra: Orchestra of the Deutsche Oper Berlin
Chorus: Chorus of the Deutsche Oper Berlin
Soloists: Manuela Uhl, Mark Delavan, Thomas Blondelle,
Burkhard Ulrich
Director: Myriam Hoyer
Stage Director: Kirsten Harms
Production: Monarda Arts in co-production with UNITEL
and Arthaus Musik in cooperation with Deutsche Oper Berlin
and CLASSICA
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ENTERTAINMENT GMBH
Strauss, Der Rosenkavalier
Szymanowski, King Roger
‘The best of the best assembled on stage,’ wrote Germany’s leading
newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung after the premiere of Richard
Strauss’ Der Rosenkavalier at the Festspielhaus Baden-Baden. Indeed,
it would be hard to find a more ideal cast for this late-Romantic Rococo
pastiche anywhere in the world. As the Marschallin, stellar soprano
Renée Fleming uses her velvety tones and autumnal shadings to
complement the youthfully lyrical and dynamic voice of Sophie Koch
as her young lover Octavian. Diana Damrau’s Sophie enhances the
trio’s sparkle with her ethereal high notes. Leading his Münchner
Philharmoniker, acclaimed Romantic specialist Christian Thielemann
revels in Strauss’s lustrous melancholy and obtains a rarely heard
transparency from the brass and woodwinds.
It’s hard to believe that this ‘Król Roger’ had been neglected for so
long!’ The prestigious ‘Opernwelt’ was not alone in welcoming the
belated rediscovery of Polish composer Karol Szymanowski’s (1882-1937)
masterpiece of 1926, which resonates with echoes of Late-Romanticism
and Expressionism, Richard Strauss and Richard Wagner. Presented at
the Festival Hall of the Bregenz Festival in a production by festival director
David Pountney, the musical rarity, a combination of opera, oratorio and
mystery play, tells the story of 12th-century Sicilian King Roger, who is
led astray by a mysterious shepherd who preaches a life of unrestrained
hedonism. Director David Pountney delivers an uncommonly riveting
production by staging the clash of virtue and immorality in a simple,
archaic, yet wondrously luminous set reminiscent of an ancient Greek
theater.
Chorus: Philharmonia Chor Wien
Soloists: Renée Fleming, Franz Hawlata, Sophie Koch,
Diana Damrau, Franz Grundheber
Stage Director: Herbert Wernicke
Production: UNITEL in co-production with ZDF/3sat in cooperation
with Festspielhaus Baden-Baden and CLASSICA
Conductor: Mark Elder
Chorus: Polnischer Rundfunkchor Krakau
Soloists: Scott Hendricks, Olga Pasichnyk, John Graham-Hall,
Will Hartmann, Sorin Coliban
Stage Director: David Pountney
Production: ORF, TPC and UNITEL in cooperation
with Bregenzer Festspiele and CLASSICA
Strauss, Salome
Tchaikovsky, Eugene Onegin
Her ‘voice and acting are utterly overwhelming’ wrote the FAZ in its glowing
review of Angela Denoke’s performance in Baden-Baden as the enigmatic
young woman with a morbid interest in a captured prophet. The stellar cast also
includes Alan Held as the doomed prophet; Kim Begley as the lustful Herodes;
and Doris Soffel as the imperious Herodias. In a monumental set dominated by
the panther-like Salome, director Nikolaus Lehnhoff depicts the inner tragedy of
this young woman, who is both strong and weak, victim and perpetrator.
Young conductor Omer Meir Wellber, Musical Director of Valencia’s
Palau de les Arts, scores a triumph with Tchaikovsky’s ‘Eugene Onegin’
in Mariusz Trelinski’s timeless production. Polish filmmaker and stage
directo Trelinski has created a series of dream-like, surrealist tableaux of
great suggestive beauty. The clear lines of the production (premiered at
Warsaw’s Teatr Wielki) are finely echoed by the slender musical design
of Omer Meir Wellber – ‘A miracle of poetry’ (Frankfurter Allgemeine
Zeitung). The superb young cast is headed by Artur Ruciński as Onegin
and Kristine Opolais as Tatyana.
Conductor: Stefan Soltesz I Orchestra: Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester
Berlin I Soloists: Angela Denoke, Kim Begley, Doris Soffel, Alan Held
Director: Thomas Grimm I Stage Director: Nikolaus Lenhoff
Production: UNITEL in co-production with Arthaus Musik
in cooperation with Festspielhaus Baden-Baden and Classica
Stravinsky, Oedipus Rex
This ambitious production uses a number of striking visual elements
including a massive set that floats above a reflecting pool, huge puppets
and sculptures. The noted Butoh artist, Min Tanaka, dances the role of
Oedipus, and is joined by twenty dancers to portray this classical tragedy.
Conductor: Omer Meir Wellber
Soloists: Kristine Opolais, Lena Belkina, Artur Ruciński,
Dmitri Korchak, Günther Groissböck
Stage Director: Mariusz Treliński
Production: UNITEL and Palau de les Arts
‘Reina Sofía’ Valencia in co-production with CLASSICA
Conductor: Seiji Ozawa
Orchestra: Saito Kinen Orchestra
Soloists: Jessye Norman, Bryn Terfel, Philip Langridge
Production: Sony
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Verdi, Aida
Director Andrea Breth has produced an intimate chamber play that mines
the depths of veracity, precision and charisma of her singer-actors. The
title role is a tour de force for any baritone, who must walk a tightrope
between cynical, insufferable snob and sympathetic, broken-hearted
lover. This is carried off superbly by Peter Mattei, who ‘has acquired a
fabulous vocal profile and is a gifted actor blessed with debonair selfconfidence.’ (Neue Zürcher Zeitung) But the true hero of the opera is
Tatyana, a multi-layered, conflicted, driven, doubt-ridden heroine. As
portrayed by the dazzling Russian soprano Anna Samuil, this Tatyana ‘is
ready to start a revolution.’ (F.A.Z.)
From the ancient Teatro Greco in Taormina, the ‘pearl of the Ionian
Sea’, comes this visually and vocally impressive open-air production
of Giuseppe Verdi’s ‘Aida’. Evoking a’Spielberg film’ (Quotidiano.net),
stage and video director Enrico Castiglione projects video images upon
the columns and ruins of the 3rd-century B.C. amphitheater, creating a
breathtaking virtual backdrop of Egyptian pillars and palms that opens
onto the ‘Nile’, in this case, the Ionian Sea.
Soloists: Peter Mattei, Anna Samuil, Ekaterina Gubanova,
Joseph Kaiser, Ferruccio Furlanetto
Stage Director: Andrea Breth
Production: ORF and UNITEL in cooperation
with Salzburg Festival and CLASSICA
Czech director Petr Weigl shot the opera in authentic locations in
northwest Russia. Czech actors depict the tragic love story to the music
of the opera recorded under the musical direction of Sir Georg Solti, one
of the greatest conductors of the 20th century.
Conductor: Fabio Mastrangelo I Orchestra: Orchestra Nazionale di Conservatori
di Musica I Chorus: Coro Lirico Francesco Cilea I Soloists: Isabelle Kabatu,
Rossana Rinaldi, Salvatore Licitra, Juan Pons, Sergio Fontana I Director: Enrico
Castiglione I Production: UNITEL and Pan Dream srl in coproduction with
CLASSICA in cooperation with Comitato Taormina Arte
Verdi, Falstaff
Topping the cast of this Zurich production is one of the world’s most
acclaimed Falstaff performers of his time, Ambrogio Maestri. His
powerful voice, acting skills, stage presence and nimble lightness blend
together magnificently. At the head of the Zurich Opera Orchestra is its
principal conductor Daniele Gatti. Under his baton, Verdi’s commedia
lirica – based on Shakespeare’s ‘The Merry Wives of Windsor’ – is a
fireworks of high spirits. Adding to the merriment is a cast of outstanding
singers including Barbara Frittoli and Yvonne Naef, as well as Javier
Camarena and Eva Liebau.
Conductor: Daniele Gatti
Orchestra: Orchestra of the Zurich Opera House
Chorus: Chorus of the Zurich Opera House
Soloists: Ambrogio Maestri, Barbara Frittoli, Eva Liebau,
Massimo Cavalletti
Stage Director: Sven-Eric Bechtolf
Production: Zurich Opera House, NHK and
UNITEL in co-production with CLASSICA
Conductor: Georg Solti
Orchestra: Royal Opera House Covent Garden
Chorus: John Alldis Choir
Soloists: Bernd Weikl, Teresa Kubiak, Stuart Burrows,
Julia Hamari, Anna Reynolds I Director: Petr Weigl
Production: UNITEL
Verdi, Aida
Verdi, Falstaff
Stage director Graham Vick and set designer Paul Brown conjure up
an ‘open-air spectacle of superlatives’ (Die Zeit) that throws a bridge
between ancient Egypt and today’s U.S. Under Carlo Rizzi, the Wiener
Symphoniker brilliantly support the chorus and soloists, among whom
Iano Tamar (Amneris) and Tatiana Serjan (Aida) stand out.
After an unparalleled succession of tragic operas, Verdi finished his
operatic career with a comedy. It has a thread of intriguing musical
cross-references and a great richness of musical resource, as well as
subtle delineation of character. It has enchanting love-music, too; but it
is the depiction of Falstaff himself and the web of conspiracy round him
that gives the opera its chief celebrity. Verdi’s congenial librettist Arrigo
Boito created a sparkling adaptation of Shakespeare’s ‘The Merry Wives
of Windsor’ and ‘Henry IV’. ‘Falstaff’ was premiered in Milan in 1893.
Conductor: Georg Solti I Orchestra: Wiener Philharmoniker I Chorus:
Wiener Staatsoper, Wiener Sängerknaben I Soloists: Gabriel Bacquier,
Karan Armstrong, Richard Stilwell, Max-Rene Cosotti, John Lanigan
Director: Götz Friedrich I Production: UNITEL
Conductor: Carlo Rizzi I Orchestra: Wiener Symphoniker
Chorus: Polnischer Rundfunkchor Krakau I Soloists: Kevin Short, Iano
Tamar, Tatiana Serjan, Rubens Pelizzari, Tigran Martirossian
Director: Felix Breisach I Stage Director: Graham Vick
Production: ORF, SF, TPC, UNITEL and Bregenzer Festspiele
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ENTERTAINMENT GMBH
Verdi, La forza del destino
Verdi, Luisa Miller
’The cast is a dream team’, wrote the Financial Times after the premiere
of this production of Verdi’s ‘La forza del destino’ at the Wiener
Staatsoper. At the top of the list is soprano Nina Stemme, who gives
a full blooded portrayal of Leonora. Passionate, forceful readings are
also provided by Salvatore Licitra as Alvaro, Leonora’s lover, and by
Carlos Alvarez as Don Carlo, Leonora’s vengeful brother. Zubin Mehta
leads the Staatsoper Orchestra with agility, subtleness and relaxed
mastery. Director David Pountney establishes the randomness of fate at
the outset in a video depicting a butterfly flapping its wings and setting
fortune’s wheel into motion.
The story of the star-crossed lovers Luisa and Rodolfo fully occupies
center stage in this production from the 2007 Festival Verdi in Parma,
with a minimalist decor highlighted by a simple wooden table for the
heroine’s home, and an elegant sofa for the home of the noble Walter
family. Franco-Italian director Denis Krief pares down the production
to focus on the music and, above all, the outstanding singers. Fiorenza
Cedolins heads the roster of great Verdi artists in this production.
Chorus: Chor der Wiener Staatsoper
Soloists: Nina Stemme, Carlos Álvarez, Salvatore Licitra,
Alastair Miles, Nadia Krasteva
Production: ORF for UNITEL in cooperation
with Wiener Staatsoper and CLASSICA
Conductor: Donato Renzetti
Orchestra: Orchestra del Teatro Regio di Parma
Chorus: Coro del Teatro Regio di Parma
Soloists: Giorgio Surian, Marcelo Àlvarez, Francesca Franci,
Rafal Siwek, Leo Nucci
Director: Andrea Dorigo
Production: RAI TRADE and UNITEL
in cooperation with Teatro Regio di Parma
Verdi, I Lombardi alla prima crociata
Verdi, Nabucco
The production from the Teatro di San Carlo of Naples is dominated by
the formidable voices of Ruggero Raimondi as Pagano, a Muslim who
helps the Crusaders, and Dimitra Theodossiou as Giselda, the Christian
maiden captured by the Sultan of Antioch, and who falls in love with his
son Oronte. Raimondi, an internationally celebrated bass-baritone even
before his immortal turn as Don Giovanni in Joseph Losey’s 1979 film,
imbues his voice with a rich melancholy that humanizes his ambiguous
role. The young Greek-German soprano Theodossiou has been hailed as
one of the most exciting new Verdi and bel canto voices ever since her
success in Verdi’s ‘Attila’ in Bologna and Parma in 1999.
‘Nabucco’ has long been at home in the Arena di Verona, and for many, the
‘Va pensiero’ chorus is, along with the triumphal march from ‘Aida,’ the
very embodiment of the Verona experience. This video production vividly
captures this unique experience and provides the viewer with fascinating
details that escape many of the Arena’s spectators. Stage director
Denis Krief casts the work in a sparse modern setting, providing a highly
effective showcase for the true heroes of the evening, the singers under
conductor Daniel Oren.
Conductor: Pier Giorgio Morandi
Orchestra: Orchestra del Teatro San Carlo di Napoli
Chorus: Coro del Teatro San Carlo di Napoli
Soloists: Ruggero Raimondi, Dimitra Theodossiou,
Tito Beltran, Fabio Sartori
Stage Director: Giancarlo Cobelli
Production: UNITEL and Teatro di San Carlo in
co-production with CLASSICA
Conductor: Daniel Oren
Orchestra: Orchestra of the Arena di Verona
Chorus: Chorus of the Arena di Verona
Soloists: Leo Nucci, Fabio Sartori, Carlo Colombara,
Maria Guleghina, Nino Surguladze
Production: UNITEL and Fondazione Arena di Verona in co-production
with Bayerischer Rundfunk in cooperation with IME International Music
Events in association with Decca Music Group Ltd.
Also available: Making of Nabucco - Verdi’s Nabucco in Verona
Directors: Henry Secchiaroli / Denis Krief - 18’ - A00501021
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Verdi, Otello
Verdi, La Traviata
‘An amazing range, with fresh young lows and girlish highs, full, glowing
middle and high registers, a timbre of silk, champagne and sandpaper, a
great lyrical-dramatic soprano,’ wrote Berlin’s Tagesspiegel about Marina
Poplavskaya. The Moscow native was clearly ‘the queen of this operatic
performance,’ as the eminent critic Joachim Kaiser put it in the
Süddeutsche Zeitung, and perhaps the most dazzling discovery of this
Salzburg Festival production of Verdi’s ‘Otello.’ Poplavskaya’s Desdemona
shares the limelight on the stage of Salzburg’s Grosses Festspielhaus with
her partner Aleksandrs Antonenko, an up-and-coming Latvian tenor with
an impressive stage presence and a light, heady timbre that gives his
Otello a youthful note.
The keystone of any production of Giuseppe Verdi’s ‘La Traviata’ is the
choice of the soprano to play the tender-hearted courtesan and doomed
heroine Violetta Valéry. At the Sferisterio Opera Festival in the central
Italian city of Macerata, the choice fell upon Mariella Devia – and it
couldn’t have been more ideal for Massimo Gasparon’s stately production.
The press was unanimous in acclaiming the ‘exhilarating’ (L’Opinione),
‘incomparable’ (Liberonews. it) singer, who ‘towers over the cast’
and is a ‘worthy representative of the great school of Italian singing’
(ForumOpera.com). A frequent and much-acclaimed Violetta, Mariella
Devia boasts ‘perfect projection and intact vocal freshness’ (Rinascita).
Conductor: Riccardo Muti
Chorus: Konzertvereinigung Wiener Staatsopernchor,
Salzburger Festspiele Kinderchor
Soloists: Aleksandrs Antonenko, Marina Poplavskaya,
Carlos Álvarez, Barbara Di Castri, Stephen Costello
Director: Peter Schönhofer
Stage Director: Stephen Langridge
Conductor: Michele Mariotti
Orchestra: Fondazione Orchestra Regionale delle Marche
Chorus: Coro Lirico Marchigiano ‘V. Bellini’
Soloists: Mariella Devia, Alejandro Roy, Gabriele Viviani,
Giacomo Medici, Gabriella Colecchia
Director: Massimo Gasparon
Production: Metisfilm Classica for UNITEL, CLASSICA
and Associazione Arena Sferisterio
Verdi, Otello
Verdi, La Traviata
Herbert von Karajan, a master painter of aural and visual panoramas, has
created a medley of Mediterranean moods, extending from the violent
storm of the Overture to the golden hues of the palace scenes. Jon
Vickers, in one of his greatest roles as the brooding Moor Othello, displays
the full brilliancy of his legendary voice; Mirella Freni, as Othello’s
tormented wife Desdemona, secures our compassion with singing of
serene vocal beauty; Peter Glossop is as evil an Iago as one can imagine.
Three definitive portrayals of some of Verdi’s most powerful characters.
With the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra and the Chorus of the Deutsche
Oper Berlin, Herbert von Karajan’s Salzburg Festival production is assured
of an electrifying impact.
Within only a few years, Anna Netrebko has become one of the most
acclaimed performers of our time, whose popularity transcends by far the
boundaries of classical music. With her CDs garnering phenomenal sales
and her stage appearances causing worldwide box-office stampedes,
Anna Netrebko is on her way to becoming the new diva assoluta. This
recording of Verdi’s ‘La Traviata’ from the 2005 Salzburg Festival – the
uncontested and hopelessly sold-out highlight of the festival season –
captures the triumphal performance not only of Anna Netrebko as Violetta
Valéry, but also of Rolando Villazón as her lover Alfredo. The glamorous
Russian soprano and the heartthrob Mexican tenor have become the new
dream team of the opera world.
Orchestra: Berliner Philharmoniker
Chorus: Chorus of the Deutsche Oper Berlin
Soloists: Jon Vickers, Mirella Freni, Peter Glossop,
José van Dam, Stefania Malagù
Director: Herbert von Karajan, Roger Benamou
Production: UNITEL
Conductor: Carlo Rizzi
Soloists: Anna Netrebko, Rolando Villazón, Thomas Hampson
Stage Director: Willy Decker
Production: A oo-production of ORF, NHK, BR, UNITEL and
Classica in association with Salzburg Festival
Prog No: A05004522 I Length: 141’ I Format: HDTV 4:3
Prog No: A04001440 I Length: 140 I Format: HD
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ENTERTAINMENT GMBH
Verdi, La Traviata
Wagner, Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg
A live performance recording held together with incredible skill by
Riccardo Muti, and wonderfully sung by high-class cast. Highly acclaimed
both by audience and critics: Tiziana Fabbricini as Violetta.
Wagner’s ‘Meistersinger’ is a festive opera in its own right, but at the
reprise of the work at the Vienna State Opera in January 2008, the
festive spirit literally leapt out into the audience as well. Vienna’s dailies
exploded with praise such as ‘A feast of singers’ (Der Standard), ‘A
feast ... grandiose’ (Die Presse) and ‘Nearly six hours of pure enjoyment’
(Kurier). The plaudits applied to all the singers, from Hans Sachs to the
night watchman, as well as to the chorus and orchestra.
Conductor: Christian Thielemann I Orchestra & Chorus: Orchester &
Chor der Wiener Staatsoper I Soloists: Falk Struckmann, Ain Anger,
Alexander Kaimbacher, Marcus Pelz, Adrian Eröd I Director: Tiziano
Mancini I Stage Director: Otto Schenk I Production: UNITEL cooperation
with the Wiener Staatsoper and CLASSICA
Conductor: Riccardo Muti
Orchestra: Orchestra e Coro del Teatro alla Scala
Ballet Ensemble: Corpo di ballo del Teatro alla Scala
Soloists: Tiziana Fabbricini, Nicoletta Curiel,
Antonella Trevisan, Roberto Alagna, Paolo Coni
Director: Liliana Cavani
Production: Sony
Tutto Verdi
Wagner, Parsifal
On the occasion of the 200th birthday of Giuseppe Verdi in 2013 one of the
most important opera houses in Italy, The Teatro Regio in Parma, will have
performed Verdi’s complete operas. As coproducer of this project, Unitel
records the operas in High Definition including 5.1 sound. An exceptional
and unique project to honour the great composer! Already available are:
‘Simon Boccanegra’ (155’), ‘Luisa Miller’ (146’), ‘Giovanna d’Arco’ (130’),
‘Il Corsaro’ (90’),’ I Lombardi alla prima crociata’ (130’),’ Nabucco’ (132’),’
I due Foscari’ (114’), ‘Un giorno di regno’ (120’)
It was in Zurich that Richard Wagner, as he himself noted, obtained the
inspiration for ‘Parsifal’ in 1857. And it was the Zurich Opera which, in 1913,
was the first opera house outside of Bayreuth that was allowed to perform
the work. On the occasion of the 150th anniversary of Wagner’s ‘stroke of
genius’, we can once again experience ‘the purest Wagner bliss’, as the
Neue Zürcher Zeitung put it, thanks to Hans Hollmann’s production and
Bernard Haitink’s inspired conducting of the Zurich Opernorchester.
Conductor: Donato Renzetti, Daniele Callegari, Bruno Bartoletti,
Carlo Montanaro, Daniele Abbado
Orchestra: Orchestra del Teatro Regio di Parma
Chorus: Coro del Teatro Regio di Parma
Soloists: Daniela Dessì, Fiorenza Cedolins,
Marcelo Álvarez, Leo Nucci
Fondazione Teatro Regio di Parma and CLASSICA
Prog No: A555226050000 I Format: HD
Wagner, Lohengrin
With Jonas Kaufmann’s long-awaited role debut as Lohengrin and Anja
Harteros as Elsa, Wagner’s epic of love and loss was not only the opening
premiere of the Munich Opera Festival, but its uncontested highlight as
well. Which is why the performance was followed not only by a longsold-out house, but also by tens of thousands of spectators at a live public
viewing event in Munich and Vienna.
Conductor: Bernard Haitink I Orchestra & Chorus: Orchestra & Chorus
of the Zurich Opera House I Soloists: Yvonne Naef, Christopher Ventris,
Michael Volle, Matti Salminen I Director: Felix Breisach I Stage Director:
Hans Hollmann I Production: Zurich Opera House production
Wagner, Rienzi, der Letzte der Tribunen
Wagner’s early opera is stylistically closer to Meyerbeer and bel canto
than to his later works. Director Philipp Stölzl, who started his career with
video clips for Rammstein and Madonna and later turned to directing films
(‘North Face’, ‘Goethe!’) and opera, sets the story of the rise and fall of a
charismatic medieval Roman leader in the 20th century. Torsten Kerl is
a brilliant Rienzi; his sister Irene, sung by Camilla Nylund with lyrical
intensity, is paired with a lover, Adriano, who is performed by the luminous
mezzo Kate Aldrich. Also worthy of praise is the chorus, which masters its
demanding part with presence and precision.
Conductor: Sebastian Lang-Lessing
Orchestra: Orchester der Deutschen Oper Berlin
Chorus: Chor der Deutschen Oper Berlin
Soloists: Torsten Kerl, Camilla Nylund, Ante Jerkunica,
Kate Aldrich, Krzysztof Szumanski
Director: Johannes Grebert
Stage Director: Philipp Stölzl
Production: UNITEL in cooperation with ZDF/Arte, Deutsche Oper Berlin
and CLASSICA
Conductor: Kent Nagano I Orchestra: Bayerisches Staatsorchester
Chorus: Chor der Bayerischen Staatsoper I Soloists: Christof
Fischesser, Jonas Kaufmann, Anja Harteros, Wolfgang Koch, Michaela
Schuster I Director: Karina Fibich I Stage Director: Richard Jones
Production: UNITEL in cooperation with Bayerische Staatsoper and
CLASSICA
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Wagner,
Der Ring des Nibelungen
‘This production quite possibly shows us the path that musical theater
will be taking in the future’ (Die Zeit). Indeed, the Catalan city of
Valencia is setting new accents in 21st-century opera not only with its
spectacular, futuristic opera house, the Palau de les Arts ‘Reina Sofía’
designed by Santiago Calatrava, but also with the visually transfixing
production of Wagner’s ‘Ring’ staged there by Carlus Padrissa and his
theater group La Fura dels Baus. The Fura’s trademark is its spellbinding
fusion of movement, sound, music, dance, acrobatics and technology into
unforgettable stage events of sometimes raw but always captivating
power. In the world of opera, the ensemble has defined its personal style
through its exploitation of large-screen projections, the extraordinary
mobility of the performers, and the magical use of human beings to create
organic structures that evoke objects such as Valhalla (in this ‘Ring’
production). Eminent conductor Zubin Mehta leads world-class Wagner
singers such as Matti Salminen, Peter Seiffert, Juha Uusitalo, Jennifer
Wilson and Lance Ryan.
Soloists: Juha Uusitalo, Ilya Bannik, German Villar,
John Daszak, Matti Salminen, Franz-Josef Kapellmann,
Peter Seiffert, Petra Maria Schnitzer, Stephen Milling,
Lance Ryan, Ralf Lukas, Jennifer Wilson
Stage Director: Carlus Padrissa (La Fura dels Baus)
Production: UNITEL and Palau de les Arts
‘Reina Sofía’ Valencia in co-production with ZDF/3sat,
ZDFtheaterkanal and CLASSICA
Das Rheingold
Die Walküre
Siegfried
Götterdämmerung
Wolf-Ferrari, La Vedova Scaltra
Wolf-Ferrari wrotes La vedova scaltra as pure amusement, a portrayal of
fine intrigue that is, in itself, without any idealistic echoes, following the
uncritical line of eighteenth-century comedy – nostalgia for a civilization
with ancient roots, which the musician still felt he was part of.
Wagner, Tannhäuser
This exciting and compelling modern-day adaptation of Richard Wagner’s
fable of love and redemption features one of the great Wagner singers
of our time in the lead role, Peter Seiffert. As a nimble, youthful-voiced
Tannhäuser, he plays alongside Petra Maria Schnitzer as Elisabeth.
As the goddess of love, Elisabeth’s counterpart Venus is portrayed by
the stunning Béatrice Uria-Monzon. Displaying particular vigor and
dynamism is Günther Groissböck as Hermann, here in the guise of an
art dealer. Sebastian Weigle, the Liceu’s principal conductor, gives a
performance that is ‘full of vitality and visibly inspired’, as the Spanish
daily ABC wrote.
Conductor: Sebastian Weigle
Orchestra: Symphony Orchestra of Gran Teatre del Liceu
Chorus: Chorus of the Gran Teatre del Liceu
Soloists: Günther Groissböck, Peter Seiffert,
Petra Maria Schnitzer, Béatrice Uria-Monzon
Director: Xavi Bové
Stage Director: Robert Carsen
Production: Gran Teatre del Liceu and UNITEL
Weinberg, The Passenger
Continuing its tradition of unearthing little-known 20th-century operas, the
Bregenz Festival presented the first staged production of Polish-Russian
composer Mieczyslaw Weinberg’s ‘The Passenger’ in 2010. Written in
1967/68, the opera relates the chance meeting of a former concentration
camp guard and one of her former inmates on an ocean liner years after the
war. Bringing the work to vibrant life are the Wiener Symphoniker under
Teodor Currentzis; topping the cast are Michelle Breedt and Elena Kelessidi.
The work is well served by David Pountney’s stage direction and Johan
Engels’ two-level set, with the ocean liner above and the concentration
camp below.
Conductor: Teodor Currentzis
Chorus: Prague Philharmonic Choir
Soloists: Michelle Breedt, Roberto Saccà,
Elena Kelessidi, Artur Ruciński
Production: A coproduction of UNITEL and ORF in cooperation with
Bregenzer Festspiele and CLASSICA
Conductor: Karl Martin
Orchestra: Teatro La Fenice
Soloists: Doina Dimitriu, Maurizio Muraro, Emanuele DÁrguanno,
Riccardo Zanellato, Mark Milhofer, Elena Rossi
Director: Massimo Gasparon
Production: Dynamic
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ENTERTAINMENT GMBH
The Little Mermaid
The Nutcracker
After making its triumphant U.S. Premiere and playing to sold-out
houses this past season, John Neumeier’s superlative work of dancetheater returns in 2011. Featuring an evocative score by Lera Auerbach,
this heart-wrenching story of sacrifice and unrequited love comes to life
against dazzling scenic, costume and lighting designs.
Tschaikovsky’s famous ballet after ‘The Nutcracker and the Mouse King’
by E. T. A. Hoffmann and ‘A Christmas Carol’ by Charles Dickens in an
amazing production danced by the Bonn Ballet.
Composer: Lera Auerbach
Ballet Ensemble: San Francisco Ballet I Choreography: John Neumeier
Soloists: Yuan Yuan Tan, Lloyd Riggins, Tiit Helimets, Sarah van Patten
Production: BFMI and San Francisco Ballet Association in
co-production with NDR / arte, WNET.ORG + THIRTEEN and NHK
Composer: Peter Tchaikovsky
Orchestra: Klassische Philharmonie Bonn
Ballet Ensemble: The Bonn Ballet
Soloists: Marc Wenke, Paul Boyd, Joyce Cuoco, Anna Vita, Lazo Turozi
Director: Derek Bailey
Production: Sony
Accent on the Offbeat
The Nutcracker
In 1992, Jazz at Lincoln Center and New York City Ballet commissioned
the famous jazz musician Wynton Marsalis to compose music for a new
ballet by choreographer Peter Martins, Ballet Master in Chief of the
NYCB. The film shows the preparation and the perfomance of the ballet.
Tschaikovsky’s perhaps best-loved and most famous work in an amazing
production from the Berlin State Opera featuring Vladimir Malakhov,
who is recognized worldwide as one of the greatest dancers of his
generation.
Composer: Wynton Marsalis
Orchestra: Wynton Marsalis Ensemble
Ballet Ensemble: New York City Ballet I Choreography: Peter Martins
Soloists: Wynton Marsalis, Peter Martins
Director: Deborah Dickson, Susan Froemke, Peter Gelb,
Albert Maysles
Production: Sony
Ballet Ensemble: Staatsballett Berlin
Soloists: Vladimir Malakhov, Oliver Matz, Oleski Bessmertini,
Thorsten Handler, Béatrice Knop, Nadja Saidakova,
Barbara Schroeder
Director: Alexandre Tarta I Production: Bel Air Media
Prog No: 9308
A05500495-500
I Length: 90‘
I Format:
/ 60‘ I Format:
HDTV 4:3
Prog No: 9691 I Length: 118‘ I Format: HD
The Fiddle and The Drum
Swan Lake
Legendary Canadian artist Joni Mitchell in collaboration with
internationally acclaimed choreographer Jean Grand-Mâitre of the
Alberta Ballet Company created ‘The Fiddle and The Drum’, a special
ballet that speaks volumes of Joni Mitchell’s life-long concerns about
environmental neglect and the warring nature of mankind. It is a
celebration of the profoundly humanistic questions and testimonies that
are expressed so poetically by Joni Mitchell, a world-renowned poet.
A magical version of Tschaikovsky’s masterpiece by the Staatsballet
Berlin and choreographer Patrice Bart featuring the dream couple of the
Staatsballet Berlin, Steffi Scherzer and Oliver Matz.
Composer: Joni Mitchell I Choreography: Jean Grand-Mâitre
Soloists: The Alberta Ballet Company
Director: Joni Mitchell, Mario Rouleau
Production: Joe Media Group
Ballet Ensemble: Staatsballett Berlin
Soloists: Oliver Matz, Steffi Scherzer
Director: Alexandre Tarta
Production: Bel Air Media
Jerome Robbins‘ NY Export: Opus Jazz
Swan Lake
Shot on location in New York City, NY Export: Opus Jazz takes Jerome
Robbins‘ 1958 ‘ballet in sneakers’ and re-imagines it for a new generation
in this feature-length scripted adaptation. Starring an ensemble cast of
New York City Ballet dancers, Opus Jazz won an Audience Award at the
2010 South by Southwest Film Festival, and continues to air successfully
on PBS’ Great Performances series.
Perhaps the most popular ballet in the world, Tchaikovsky’s ‘Swan Lake’
has been given a compelling new interpretation by Rudolf Nureyev.
The Russian dancer, a towering figure in 20th-century ballet, placed
greater emphasis on the character of Prince Siegfried. First produced in
Vienna in 1964, Nureyev’s choreography has been hailed as one of the
most fascinating ever. Nureyev and his partner Dame Margot Fonteyn
perfectly embodied the noble and more volatile style of classical ballet
performance featured here.
Composer: Robert Prince I Ballet Ensemble: New York City Ballet
Choreography: Jerome Robbins
Director: Henry Joost, Jody Lee Lipes, Matt Wolf, Anna Farrell
Production: Bel Air Media in co-production with WNET thirteen
Composer: Peter Tschaikovsky I Orchestra: Wiener Symphoniker
Ballet Ensemble: Wiener Staatsoper I Soloists: Rudolf G. Nurejev,
Margot Fonteyn I Director: Truck Branss I Production: UNITEL
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classical Music Concert / Orchestral Music
Lucerne Festival: Abbado conducts Bruckner 5
‘Abbado’s approach to the music of Bruckner is soft and songlike, at
times tense and urgent, but constantly filles with warmth of feeling (…)’
wrot critic Peter Hagmann in the ‘Neue Züricher Zeitung’. On 19 August
2011 Claudio Abbado and the Lucerne Festival Orchestra presented
Anton Bruckner’s Symphony No. 5 and did credit to this review. The
handpicked players of the orchestra filled the famous concert hall
in the Culture and Convention Centre Lucerne with impressive and
unforgettable sounds.
Conductor: Claudio Abbado I Orchestra: Lucerne Festival Orchestra
Director: Michael Beyer I Production: ACCENTUS Music
in co-production with NHK, ZDF/Arte and Lucerne Festival
Claudio Abbado conducts the Simón Bolívar Youth
Orchestra
The Simón Bolívar Youth Orchestra of Venezuela was the orchestra in
residence at the Lucerne Festival at Easter 2010. Under the baton of their
strong supporter Claudio Abbado, the orchestra once again reaches out to the
audience on this special evening, spreading its lively enthusiasm at highest
musical level, it is both famous and loved for. After a brilliant performance
of Prokofiev’s Scythian Suite Op. 20, the ensemble is accompanied by
the young and talented Austrian soprano Anna Prohaska. The evening is
concluded by a most emotional interpretation of Tchaikovsky’s ‘Pathétique’.
Conductor: Claudio Abbado I Orchestra: Simón Bolívar Youth Orchestra
Soloist: Anna Prohaska I Director: Michael Beyer
Production: ACCENTUS Music in co-production with ZDF/Arte
Lucerne Festival: A World Premiere with Martha
Argerich and Mischa Maisky
At one of the rare appearances with orchestra, Martha Argerich, the grande
dame of the piano, joined forces with world-famous cellist Mischa Maisky and
the fabulous Lucerne Symphony Orchestra for the world premiere of a newly
commissioned work by Russian composter Rodion Shchedrin – ‘Romantic
Offering’, a double concerto for piano, cello and orchestra dedicated to
its very first soloists. The programme was rounded off by late-Romantic
masterpieces by César Franck, Antonín Dvořák and Dimitri Shostakovich’s
Ninth Symphony under the baton of renowned maestro Neeme Järvi.
Conductor: Neeme Järvi I Orchestra: Lucerne Symphony Orchestra
Soloists: Martha Argerich, Mischa Maisky I Director: Michael Beyer
Production: ACCENTUS Music in co-production with SRF
Bach, Brandenburg Concertos Nos. 1 – 6
For Johann Sebastian Bach, February 15, 1981 was no doubt one of
the darkest days of his afterlife: on this day he lost one of his greatest
champions in the 20th century, Karl Richter. Over the course of his long
career as conductor, organist and harpsichordist, Richter had become
synonymous with Bach. He founded the Munich Bach Choir and the
Munich Bach Orchestra. He helped trigger the Bach revival in the 1950s.
He was the spirit behind the Ansbach Bach Festival. He turned his
adopted city of Munich into a Bach center. And he recorded all the major
choral and orchestral works of Bach, including more than 100 cantatas.
Conductor: Karl Richter I Orchestra: Münchner Bach-Orchester
Director: Arne Arnbom I Production: UNITEL
Prog No: A05500495-500 I Length: Brandenburg Concerto No. 1: 21’ · No. 2: 12’ · No. 3: 13’ · No. 4: 17’ · No. 5: 21’ · No. 6: 17’ I Format: HD
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ENTERTAINMENT GMBH
BEETHOVEN 9 – The Complete Symphonies
Beethoven Cycle Kammerphilharmonie Bremen
In the monumental project BEETHOVEN 9, Christian Thielemann, one
of the most widely recognized conductors of our time, joins forces with
the prestigious Wiener Philharmoniker for their first-ever highdefinition
recording of all nine symphonies by Ludwig van Beethoven.
Also available:
Overture ‘Coriolan’, Op. 62 (11’ - A045005410010),
Overture ‘Egmont’, Op. 84 (11’ - A045005410011)
Conductor: Christian Thielemann I Orchestra: Wiener Philharmoniker
Chorus: Wiener Singverein I Soloists: Annette Dasch,
Mihoko Fujimura, Piotr Beczala, Georg Zeppenfeld
Director: Brian Large, Agnes Méth, Karina Fibich, Michael Beyer
Production: UNITEL and ORF in co-Production with CLASSICA
In 2006, conductor and Grammy Award-winner Paavo Järvi and the
Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen set off on a major adventure:
to master all nine Beethoven symphonies in a radical new reading.
Järvi’s sensational new approach to these familiar works has won great
renown for the orchestra. Their success led to a worldwide tour which
included the U.S. and Japan (where the ensemble was ranked among
the world’s top ten orchestras), and such prestigious venues as the
Salzburg Festival. Wherever they performed, they were acclaimed by
the press, who called them ‘the authoritative Beethoven orchestra of
our day’. Many consider the Beethoven cycle as ‘without a doubt the
best Beethoven in the world’ (Yomiuri Shimbun).
Prog No: A045005410000 I Length: Symph. No. 1: 32‘ · No. 2: 40‘ · No. 3: 62‘ · No. 4: 42‘ · No. 5: 40‘ · No. 6: 50‘ · No. 7: 39‘ · No. 8: 33‘ · No. 9: 80‘ I Format: HD
Beethoven, Symphonies Nos. 1 – 9
The symphonies are part of the complete cycle of Beethoven symphonic
and choral works featuring the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra and
the Concertgebouw Orchestra of Amsterdam conducted by Leonard
Bernstein. All the works were recorded live in Vienna: Unitel produced
the video recordings and Deutsche Grammophon released the
soundtracks in a special edition. The series won the Ace Award, the
National (U.S.) Cable TV Association’s top award for outstanding quality
and entertainment value.
Conductor: Leonard Bernstein I Orchestra: Wiener Philharmoniker
Soloists: Gwyneth Jones, Hanna Schwarz, René Kollo, Kurt Moll
Director: Humphrey Burton I Production: UNITEL
A05500652 Symph. No. 1: 30’ · A05500636 Symph. No. 2: 40’ · A05500637 Symph. No. 3: 56’ · A05500650 Symph. No. 4: 38’ · A05500628 Symph. No. 5: 38’
Prog No: A05500495-500 I Format: HDTV
A05500653 Symph. No. 6: 59’ · A05500651 Symph. No. 7: 42’ · A05500654 Symph. No. 8: 30’ · A05004562 Symph. No. 9: 76’ I Format: HD
Conductor: Paavo Järvi
Orchestra: Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen
Chorus: Deutscher Kammerchor
Soloists: Christiane Oelze, Annely Peebo, Simon O’Neill,
Dietrich Henschel
Production: Deutsche Welle and UNITEL in coproduction with NHK
and CLASSICA in cooperation with Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie
Bremen and Beethovenfest Bonn
Prog No: A055124920000 I Length: Symph. No. 1: 30’ · No. 2: 35‘ · No. 3: 55‘ · No. 4: 35‘ · No. 5: 35‘ · No. 6: 45‘ · No. 7: 40‘ · No. 8: 30‘ · No. 9: 75‘ I Format: HD
Beethoven, Missa solemnis in D major, Op. 123
Beethoven, Symphonies Nos 1 – 9
This work is part of the complete cycle of Beethoven symphonic
and choral works featuring the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra and
the Concertgebouw Orchestra of Amsterdam conducted by Leonard
Bernstein. In this recording with the Dutch orchestra, Bernstein also
conducts the soloists Edda Moser, Hanna Schwarz, René Kollo and Kurt
Moll, along with the Chorus of Radio Hilversum.
When, in the mid 1960s, Herbert von Karajan decided to record on film all
nine Beethoven symphonies with the Berlin Philharmonic, he began with
the ‘Fifth’ and asked the famous French movie director Henri-Georges
Clouzot (Quai des Orfèvres) to direct. Recognizing in the music-loving
director a kindred soul and master of the symbolic image, Karajan found
an inspired partner. In another of Karajan’s first efforts, he asked six
directors to ‘stage’ one movement each of a Beethoven symphony.
For a full week, the directors had the Berlin Philharmonic and Herbert
von Karajan – all in full dress – at their disposal, with all the 35mm
film, cameras, lighting and technical assistance they needed. Karajan’s
most controversial production was Hugo Niebeling’s highly personal
interpretation of the ‘Pastorale’, with its abstract shots of instruments,
rapid rhythms, fade-ins and symbolically arranged colors.
Conductor: Leonard Bernstein
Orchestra: Koninklijk Concertgebouworkest I Chorus: Radio Hilversum
Soloists: Edda Moser, Hanna Schwarz, René Kollo, Kurt Moll
Director: Humphrey Burton
Production: UNITEL
The Beethoven Piano Concertos
No other pianist plays Beethoven in such a supremely classic manner and
at such a high level’, writes Vienna’s Kurier about Rudolf Buchbinder’s
performance of all five Beethoven piano concertos with the Wiener
Philharmoniker. Buchbinder, who has given many cyclical performances
of these works all over the world, performs here both as soloist and
conductor.
Chorus: Deutsche Oper Berlin
Soloists: Gundula Janowitz, Christa Ludwig, Jess Thomas,
Walter Berry
Director: Arne Arnbom, Henri-Georges Clouzot, Herbert von Karajan,
Hugo Niebeling, Hans Joachim Scholz
Production: UNITEL
Conductor: Rudolf Buchbinder I Orchestra: Wiener Philharmoniker
Soloists: Rudolf Buchbinder
Director: Karina Fibich I Production: ORF and UNITEL in co-production
with CLASSICA
Prog No: A045006320000 I Length: Piano Concerto No. 1: 39‘ · No. 2: 32‘ · No. 3: 38‘ · No. 4: 37‘ · No. 5: 40‘ I Format: HD
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A05004502 Symph. No. 1: 24’ · A05500524 Symph. No. 2: 32’ · A05500521 Symph. No. 3: 49’ · A05500539 Symph. No. 4: 33’ · A05500540 Symph. No. 5: 32’
A05500438 Symph. No. 6: 37’ · A05500522 Symph. No. 7: 35’ · A05500523 Symph. No. 8: 26’ · A05002110 Symph. No. 9: 65’ I Format: HD
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ENTERTAINMENT GMBH
Beethoven, Egmont Overture, op. 84
Music for the masses! This could have been the war cry of both Beethoven and
Karajan. For this they had in common: the wish to reach out to millions and ensure
the survival of their art. Beethoven, at the dawn of the romantic era, no longer wrote
exclusively for titled patrons, but for the middle classes. To reach them, he needed
new means of popularizing and distributing his works, such as concerts for paying
audiences and the publication of arrangements for everything from piano to brass
band. In the mid 20th century, Herbert von Karajan also saw a new way of reaching
out to greater numbers of people through the combination of picture and sound –
the video recording. This recording of the Egmont Overture dates from 1975 and is
part of a special ‘overture’ special produced with the Berlin Philharmonic for Unitel.
Conductor & Director: Herbert von Karajan
Orchestra: Berliner Philharmoniker I Production: UNITEL
Joshua Bell plays Tchaikovsky
C Major is proud to present the young and brilliant world famous American
violinist Joshua Bell, performing Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto in D
major at the Nobel Prize Concert 2010, produced by Accentus Music. As
part of the official Nobel Week, the world’s most renowned artists are
gathering each year to pay tribute to the Nobel Laureates. The concert is
a special highlight in the series. On the rostrum: Sakari Oramo, the Chief
Conductor and Artistic Advisor of the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic
Orchestra. The evening starts with Beethoven’s Leonore Ouverture and
ends with Sibelius’ Symphony No. 5 in E flat major.
Conductor: Sakari Oramo I Orchestra: Royal Stockholm Philharmonic
Orchestra I Soloist: Joshua Bell (Violin) I Director: Michael Beyer
Production: ACCENTUS Music and Nobel Media AB
Prog No: A05500495-500
9661 I Length: 90’
I Format:
I Format:
HDTV
HD
Brahms, Piano Concerto No. 2 in B flat major,
op. 83
Brahms himself played the solo part at the world premiere of his Piano
Concerto No. 2 in Budapest’s Redoutensaal on 9 November 1881. The
work opens with a beautiful horn call which is like a magical summons
to the other instruments. The Scherzo is of symphonic proportions and
richness. The nocturne-like mood of the slow movement is based on
the song of a solo cello, a simple eightmeasure phrase. The finale has
a bright, skipping figure for the piano as the principal rondo refrain.
Maurizio Pollini was born in Milan to a family of artists in 1942. In 1960
he won the first prize at the Chopin Competition in Warsaw. Since then,
he has been a leading protagonist at all major concert venues in Europe,
as well as in America and Japan.
Soloist: Maurizio Pollini
Director: Hugo Käch
Production: UNITEL
Bernstein, Overture to ‘Candide‘
Brahms, Piano Concerto No. 1 in D minor, op. 15
After the premiere of the musical comedy ‘Candide’ (based loosely
on Voltaire’s story) in 1956, Variety wrote: ‘It’s a spectacular, opulent
and racy musical, verging on operetta.’ It was with the New York
Philharmonic that Bernstein first conducted a full orchestra version
of his ‘Candide Overture’ in late 1956/early 1957. The critic Harold
Schonberg described it as ‘a smart, sophisticated little piece.’ It soon
became Bernstein’s most popular concert work. This performance
with the New York Philharmonic under the maestro and composer was
recorded at the Jahrhunderthalle in Hoechst, Germany, in 1976.
Between 1981 and 1984, Leonard Bernstein recorded nearly all of
Brahms’s orchestral works with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra to
honor the 150th anniversary of the composer’s birth in 1983. Today, the
cycle is considered as a landmark in the interpretation of Brahms’ music.
For Bernstein, Brahms was ‘a true Romantic, containing his passions
in classical garb’, but also a ‘North-German classicist swept away to
Vienna, and fired by Danubian, Carpathian and gypsy passions’. Bearing
this dualism in mind, Bernstein and the Vienna Philharmonic have
underscored both the classicism and romanticism, the dramatic intensity
and the sober restraint of Brahms’s music. The venue was Vienna’s
Musikvereinssaal, where two of Brahms’s symphonies were premiered
and where Brahms himself conducted. The soloist in Brahms’s concerto
is the Polish pianist Krystian Zimerman, who launched his meteoric
career when he won the Chopin Competition in Warsaw in 1975.
An important influence in his youth was his friendship with Arthur
Rubinstein, and other landmarks in his career arose through his work
with conductors such as Bernstein, Giulini and Karajan.
Conductor: Leonard Bernstein I Orchestra: New York Philharmonic
Orchestra I Director: Hugo Käch I Production: UNITEL
Bernstein, Symphonic Dances from ‘West Side Story‘
The Musical ‘West Side Story’ is Leonard Bernstein’s most popular
stage work and contains songs that have achieved enormous popularity
throughout the world. The first performance was in September 1957 in
New York. Bernstein later prepared a suite of orchestral music from
the show. This performance with the New York Philharmonic under
the maestro and composer was recorded at the Jahrhunderthalle in
Hoechst, Germany, in 1976.
Soloist: Krystian Zimerman
Production: UNITEL
Orchestra: New York Philharmonic Orchestra
Director: Hugo Käch I Production: UNITEL
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ENTERTAINMENT GMBH
Brahms, Symphonies Nos. 2, 3, 4
Bruckner, Symphony No. 7
Commanding the podium with his slender figure, theatrical shock of hair and
penetrating blue eyes, Herbert von Karajan projected the hieratic image of the
conductor as officiant of some quasi-mystic rite. And anyone who ever saw
him conduct live or on his many audiovisual recordings will agree that in his
performances, music did indeed become a religion and Karajan its high-priest.
Karajan (1908-1989) embodied classical music in the general consciousness as
an epoch-making conductor, media star, opera producer, festival director and
festival founder. But in spite of his Promethean and widely varied activities,
he remained a superb conductor, with a grasp of the standard orchestral and
operatic repertory from Mozart to Schoenberg that was unsurpassed among his
peers. The Symphony No. 2 was recorded live at the Berlin Philharmonie in 1973.
Conductor & Director: Herbert von Karajan I Orchestra: Berliner
Philharmoniker I Production: UNITEL
Grandiose, unaffected, expansive, majestic, immovable...’ – Christian
Thielemann’s description of Anton Bruckner’s music vividly captures its
essence and uniqueness. And he himself captures the soul of the great
romantic composer in his interpretation of Bruckner’s Seventh Symphony
with the Munich Philharmonic. Recorded live at the Festspielhaus
Baden-Baden on 14 November 2006, the concert also features three
orchestral preludes from the opera ‘Palestrina’ by another late-romantic
composer, Hans Pfitzner (A05512085 / Length: 25’).
Prog No: A05500549-51 I Length: Symph. No. 2: 41’ · No. 3: 33’ · No. 4: 42’ I Format: HD
Conductor: Christian Thielemann I Orchestra: Münchner Philharmoniker
Production: Unitel in co-production with CLASSICA
Brahms, Symphony No. 2 in D major, op. 73
Carnegie Hall 120th Anniversary Concert
Thanks to Kleiber’s legendary reluctance to produce recordings, each
recording is an event, a classic. He could allow himself the luxury of
choosing his own repertoire and performers, and of working at a pace
that ensured peerless music-making. The results can perhaps be best
illustrated with the image of ‘an expert art restorer who clears away
centuries of grime to reveal a painting in its pristine glory. Kleiber...
strips away the varnish from some of music’s most tradition-encrusted
masterworks to expose the vital creation lurking beneath.’ (TIME)
On May 5, 2011, Carnegie Hall commemorated its 120th anniversary with
an all-star gala concert featuring conductor Alan Gilbert and the New York
Philharmonic and special guests: pianist Emanuel Ax, cellist Yo-Yo Ma, violinist
Gil Shaham, and the four-time Tony Award-winning singer and actress Audra
McDonald. The eclectic, crowd pleasing program is set to include Beethoven’s
Triple Concerto in C major, Op. 56, performed by Ax, Ma, and Shaham, a
selection of Duke Ellington songs – including ‘Solitude,’ ‘Sophisticated Lady,’
‘On a Turquoise Cloud,’ and ‘It Don’t Mean a Thing if it Ain’t Got That Swing’ –
performed by McDonald, and full performances of Antonin Dvorák’s Carnival
Overture and George Gershwin’s ‘An American in Paris’.
Conductor: Carlos Kleiber I Orchestra: Wiener Philharmoniker
Director: Horant H. Hohlfeld I Production: UNITEL
Prog No: A05502450
A05500495-500
I Length:
I Format:
41’ I HDTV
Format: HD
Conductor: Alan Gilbert I Orchestra: New York Philharmonic Orchestra
Soloists: Gil Shaham, Yo-Yo Ma, Emanuel Ax, Audra McDonald
Director: Brian Large I Production: WNET
Bruckner, Symphonies Nos. 4 – 9
Frédéric Chopin – The Anniversary Gala Concert
The performance of all six of Anton Bruckner’s mature symphonies on six
nearly consecutive evenings is an accomplishment that can truly be called
‘superhuman’ (Der Tagesspiegel). Daniel Barenboim – conductor, pianist, all
round musical genius – set himself this task in June 2010 with the Staatskapelle
Berlin at the Berlin Philharmonie. What Barenboim and his orchestra – he has
been its principal conductor since 1992 – achieve in this marathon is a new
view of the Bruckner opus that opts for grandeur and the mighty theatrical
gesture. Bruckner’s symphonies as ‘operas without words’ (Der Tagesspiegel).
The internationally celebrated concert event from Warsaw on the
occasion of Frédéric Chopin’s 200th birthday – two Russian piano stars
in one program: Nikolai Demidenko with a marvelous performance of
Chopin’s Concerto No. 1, Evgeny Kissin with a most thrilling interpretation
of Concerto No. 2. The former wunderkind delights the audience, which
still can not get enough even after three encores. A unique performance
and truly a gift for Chopin lovers all over the world.
Conductor: Daniel Barenboim I Orchestra: Staatskapelle Berlin
Director: Andreas Morell, Tilo Krause, Henning Kasten, Elisabeth
Malzer, Enrique Sanchez Lansch I Production: UNITEL in
co-production with CLASSICA
Prog No: A055127880000 I Length: Symph. No. 4: 70’ · No. 5: 77’ · No. 6: 59’ · No. 7: 72’ · No. 8: 85’ · No. 9: 66’ I Format: HD
Conductor: Antoni Wit I Orchestra: Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra
Soloists: Evgeny Kissin, Nikolai Demidenko
Director: Michael Beyer I Production: ACCENTUS Music
in co-production with ZDF/Arte and NHK
Bruckner, Symphony No. 4
The Chopin Piano Concertos
Bruckner originally wrote the Fourth Symphony in 1874, but revised it
thoroughly in 1880 before its premiere in Vienna in 1881, which was a
resounding success. Although he continued to revise it in later years,the
version most often played today is the first revised version of 1880.
This is also the version featured on this recording of a concert held
at the Festspielhaus Baden-Baden, which was greeted with storms of
applause. Leading the Münchner Philharmoniker in this concert is its
principal conductor Christian Thielemann, a maestro internationally
known and admired above all as a specialist of Romantic music.
The 200th anniversary of the birth of Frédéric Chopin stimulated a new
appreciation of the Polish composer’s works. One of the truly great
homages paid to Chopin was the concert presented on this recording
and featuring the two Chopin piano concertos performed by Daniel
Barenboim and the Staatskapelle Berlin under Andris Nelsons at the
Ruhr Piano Festival in Essen. ‘Storms of applause for a dream couple:
Daniel Barenboim and Andris Nelsons won over the audience [...] with
their rousing Chopin interpretations’, raved the press.
Conductor: Christian Thielemann I Orchestra: Münchner Philharmoniker
Director: Agnes Méth I Production: UNITEL in cooperation with
Festspielhaus Baden-Baden
Conductor: Andris Nelsons I Orchestra: Staatskapelle Berlin
Soloist: Daniel Barenboim I Director: Enrique Sánchez-Lansch
Production: UNITEL in cooperation with Initiativkreis Ruhr,
Klavier-Festival Ruhr and CLASSICA
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RCO: Janácek, Lasské Tance
Daniel Harding, one of the most sought-after young conductors of our
time, and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra performing Janácek’s
Lachian Dances, which originally were titled Wallachian Dances, after
the Moravian Wallachia region. The composition reflects folk songs from
that specific area of Janácek’s home country.
Conductor: Daniel Harding
Orchestra: Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra
Director: Hans Hulscher
Production: AVRO
RCO: Brahms, Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 1
Rachmaninov: Symphonic Dances op. 45
(Kerstmatinee 2004)
Daniel Barenboim is the soloist in this production of Brahm’s piano
concert No. 1. Mariss Jansons conducts the Royal Concertgebouw
Orchestra. Also on the programme: Rachmaninov’s Symphonic Dances,
op. 45.
Conductor: Mariss Jansons
Soloist: Daniel Barenboim (Piano)
Director: Hans Hulscher I Production: AVRO
RCO: Beethoven, Symphony No. 9
(Kerstmatinee 2006)
The Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra and Mariss Jansons joined by a
cast of great soloists and the famous Netherlands Radio Choir (Groot
Omroepkoor) performing Beethoven’s 9th Symphony at the main hall of
the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam.
Conductor: Mariss Jansons I Orchestra: Royal Concertgebouw
Orchestra; Netherlands Radio Choir I Soloists: Krassimira Stoyanova,
Marianne Cornetti, Robert Dean Smith, Franz-Josef Selig
Prog No: A05500495-500
9428 I Length: 100’
I Format:
I Format:
HDTV
16:9
RCO: Bruckner, Symphony No. 8
Highly-acclaimed conductor Bernard Haitink and the Royal
Concertgebouw Orchestra perfoming Bruckner’s famous Symphony No.
8, the last symphony Bruckner completed.
Conductor: Bernard Haitink
Production: AVRO
RCO: Beethoven 7
RCO: Honegger, Symphonie No. 3 ‘Liturgique‘
On occation of his 80th birthday, legendary conductor Bernard Haitink
leads ‘his’ Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra in this great production of
Beethoven’s 7th Symphony.
Mariss Jansons and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra with Arthur
Honegger’s Third Symphony (‘Liturgique’) from the mai hall of the
Concertgebouw in Amsterdam.
Production: AVRO
Conductor: Mariss Jansons
Production: AVRO
RCO: Mahler, Songs from ‘Des Knaben Wunderhorn‘
Beethoven: Symphony No. 6 (Kerstmatinee 2009)
Bernard Haitink and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra performing
Gustav Mahler’s stunning Songs from ‘Des Kaben Wunderhorn‘ and
Beethoven’s Pastorale. Joining them is the young Dutch mezzo-soprano
Christianne Stotijn.
Soloist: Christianne Stotijn
Production: AVRO
RCO: Mahler, Symphonies Nos 1 – 10
After the two famous Mahler festivals in 1920 and 1995, the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra
Amsterdam is now presenting a special two season Mahler series, which includes ten
large-scale symphonies plus ‘Das Lied von der Erde’, performed in chronological order by
the world’s greatest orchestra under the direction of great conductors – all brought to life
in the wonderful acoustics of the Main Hall of the Concertgebouw.
Conductors: Daniel Harding, Mariss Jansons, Iván Fischer, Daniele Gatti,
Lorin Maazel, Pierre Boulez, Bernard Haitink, Fabio Luisi
Orchestra: Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra; Netherlands Radio Choir
Soloists: Anna Larson, Robert Dean Smith, Ricarda Merbeth, Bernarda Fink,
Miah Persson, Christine Brewer, Camilla Nylund, Maria Espada,
Stephanie Blythe, Mihoko Fujimura, Tommi Hakala, Stefan Kocán
Prog No: 9401-11 I Length: Symph. No. 1: 63’ · No. 2: 94’ · No. 3: 116’ · No. 4: 60’ · No. 5: 70’ · No. 6: 90’ · No. 7: 80’ · No. 8: 90’ · No. 9: 80’ · No. 10: 78’ · ‘Das Lied von der Erde‘: 40‘ I Format: HD
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RCO: Mozart, Symphony No. 35 ‘Haffner‘
Debussy: La mer
Multi-awarded conductor Bernard Haitink and the Royal Concertgebouw
Orchestra performing Mozart’s ‘Prague’ Symphony and Debussy’s
impressionistic masterpiece ‘La mer’.
Production: AVRO
Copland, Symphony No. 3
Aaron Copland (1900-1990), one of the most ‘American’ of American
composers, developed his unmistakable style by assimilating influences
from popular and folk music of North and South America, as well as from
European art music. He became friends with Bernstein in 1937 and, as
his composition teacher, exercised perhaps the strongest influence on
Bernstein, the composer. Copland’s Third Symphony is a very special
work for Leonard Bernstein, since he conducted it several times with the
Israel Philharmonic during his triumphal tour of Israel in 1948.
Director: Hugo Käch
Production: UNITEL
RCO: Schubert, Symphony No. 8
Wagner: Die Walküre, Act I
Danish National Symphony Orchestra:
Nielsen – Dvořák – Brahms – Sibelius
Schubert’s Symphony No. 8 and the first act of Wagner’s ‘Die Walküre’
perfomed by the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra and Eva Westbroek,
soprano, Clifton Forbis, tenor, and John Tomlinson, bass. On the rostum:
star conductor Bernard Haitink.
The opening of Copenhagen’s new concert hall, the spectacular Koncerthuset,
was celebrated with a very special project: to present their new home to a
broad public the Danish National Symphony Orchestra and its chief conductor
Thomas Dausgaard performed four popular works within the classical
symphonic tradition, Nielsen’s Symphony No. 3 (Length: 39’), Dvořák’s
Symphony No. 9 (Length: 45’), Brahms’ Symphony No. 1 (Length: 49’) and
Sibelius’ Symphony No. 5 (Length: 35’). Additionally, the performances were
filmed on highest standards and with an extensive setup of cameras.
Soloists: Eva Westbroek, Clifton Forbis, John Tomlinson
Production: AVRO
Prog No: A05500495-500
9430 I Length: 100’
I Format:
I Format:
HDTV
4:3
Conductor: Thomas Dausgaard I Orchestra: Danish National Symphony
Orchestra I Director: Arne Rasmussen, Uffe Borgwardt I Production:
DR in cooperation with UNITEL CLASSICA
Prog No: A90500134-137 I Length: 205’ I Format: HD
RCO: Stravinsky, Pulcinella & Le Sacre du
Printemps (Kerstmatinee 2002)
Stravinsky’s ‘Pulcinella Suite’ and his famous ‘Sacre du Printemps’ at
the AVRO Kerstmatinee 2002. The Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra is
conducted by Riccardo Chailly, chief conductor of the RCO from 1988 - 2004.
Conductor: Riccardo Chailly
Soloists: Sonia Ganassi, Kenneth Tarver, Simone Alberghini
Production: AVRO
Debussy, Prélude à l‘après-midi d‘un faune
Commanding the podium with his slender figure, theatrical shock of hair and
penetrating blue eyes, Herbert von Karajan projected the hieratic image of the
conductor as officiant of some quasi-mystic rite. And anyone who ever saw
him conduct live or on his many audiovisual recordings will agree that in his
performances, music did indeed become a religion and Karajan its high-priest.
Karajan (1908-1989) embodied classical music in the general consciousness as an
epoch-making conductor, media star, opera producer, festival director and festival
founder. But in spite of his Promethean and widely varied activities, he remained a
superb conductor, with a grasp of the standard orchestral and operatic repertory
from Mozart to Schoenberg that was unsurpassed among his peers.
RCO: Mahler – Das Lied von der Erde
Concert on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of Bernard Haitink’s
collaboration with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra.
Soloists: Anna Larsson, Robert Dean Smith
Production: AVRO
Rhapsody in Blue - LA Phil Opening Gala
with Herbie Hancock & Gustavo Dudamel
The Opening Night Gala 2011/2012 of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra
features keyboard legend Herbie Hancock who joins Gustavo Dudamel and
the LA Philharmonic for a high-spirited celebration of quintessential American
composer George Gershwin. The concert begins with the iconic Tin Pan Alley
composer’s Cuban Overture and his beloved An American In Paris. Then the
multiple Grammy Award-winning pianist joins Dudamel and the LA Phil to
perform arguably Gershwin’s most famous work, the jazz hued Rhapsody in Blue.
Conductor: Gustavo Dudamel I Orchestra: Los Angeles Philharmonic
Orchestra I Soloist: Herbie Hancock I Director: Enrique Sanchez
Lansch I Production: BFMI with Arte/WDR, WNET.ORG + THIRTEEN, in
collaboration with LA Phil
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Celebración. Season Opening Gala 2010/2011
with Gustavo Dudamel and Juan Diego Flórez
The Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra started its season with a great
Gala Concert conducted by music director Gustavo Dudamel. As special
guest: star tenor Juan Diego Flórez. The programme includes popular
arias by Rossini as well as famous songs by Latin-American composers.
Programme: Rossini, Overture to ‘La gazza ladra’, Overture to
‘Semiramide’, ‘La Speranza piu soave’ from Semiramide, Overture to
Guillaume Tell, ‘Asil ereditaire’ from Guillaume Tell; Granada (arr. Florez),’
La flor de la canela’; Mancayo,’ Huapango’; Grever (arr. Guinovart),
‘Jurame’; Gutierrez (arr. Pena), ‘Alma Ilanera’; Marquez, Danzon No. 2;
Encores: Verdi, ‘La donna e mobile’ from Rigoletto; Gounod: ‘Ah, leve toi
soleil’ from Romeo and Juliette.
ALSO AVAILABLE IN 3D!
Conductor: Gustavo Dudamel
Orchestra: Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra
Soloist: Juan Diego Flórez
Production: BFMI with ZDF/arte, WNET.ORG + THIRTEEN
in collaboration with Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaft and LA Phil
Prog No: 9810
A05500495-500
I Length: 90’
I Format:
I Format:
HDTV
HD
The Promise of Music – Beethovenfest Bonn
The concert given by the Simón Bolívar Youth Orchestra of Venezuela
under its conductor Gustavo Dudamel at the Beethovenfest 2007 in
Bonn was a highlight of the musical year. Over 200 young musicians
between the ages of 10 and 24, many from underprivileged backgrounds,
performed with nearly untamable energy under the baton of a young
maestro destined to conduct the most fabled orchestras in the world.
The concert program (2 x 45’) includes Beethoven’s Eroica Symphony,
Bernstein’s Symphonic Dances, and pieces by Latin American
composers Revueltas, Márquez and Ginastera. In the riveting 90-minute
documentary ‘The Promise of Music’ (Prog. No. A05016554) directed
by Enrique Sánchez Lansch (award-winning ‘Rhythm Is It’), we follow
Dudamel as he prepares his orchestra in Caracas for its concert in Bonn,
and we accompany the young musicians on their trip to Europe.
Orchestra: Simón Bolívar Youth Orchestra
Director: Enrique Sánchez-Lansch
Production: UNITEL and BFMI in cooperation with Deutsche Welle TV
Dudamel & LA Phil: Inaugural Concert
Gustavo Dudamel is acknowledged to be one of the most important
conductors of his generation. At October 2009 he conducted the Los
Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra at the Disney Concert Hall. On the
programme: Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 1 in D major (‘Titan’) and the
world premier of the latest work by Pulitzer Prize for Music winner John
Adams, ‘City Noir’. The Los Angeles Philharmonic is widely regarded
as the most contemporary minded, forward thinking, talked about and
innovative, venturesome and admired orchestra in America. Dudamel
made his U.S. conducting debut with the Los Angeles Philharmonic at
the Hollywood Bowl on September 13, 2005. In April 2007, during a guest
conducting engagement with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Dudamel
was named the LAP’s next music director as of the 2009-2010 season,
succeeding Esa-Pekka Salonen.
Orchestra: Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra
Production: BFMI with ZDF/arte, WNET.ORG + THIRTEEN,
in collaboration with Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaft and LA Phil
Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra of Venezuela –
Concert
Under the heading ‘Party in the Felsenreitschule,’ the Munich daily
Münchner Merkur boldly proclaimed: ‘Venezuela’s Simón Bolívar Youth
Orchestra guests at the Salzburg Festival – and delivers the biggest
audience hit of the summer.’ Two days after the concert reviewed by
the Merkur, the ensemble united its massive forces once again for a
spectacular concert in the Grosses Festspielhaus – another unqualified
success! The Simón Bolívar Youth Orchestra, the Salzburg Festival’s
resident orchestra of 2008, is a product of the ‘Sistema de Orquestas’
set up to allow children of all social levels to learn a musical instrument
and play in an ensemble.
Orchestra: Simón Bolívar Youth Orchestra
Soloists: Martha Argerich, Renaud Capuçon, Gautier Capuçon
Production: UNITEL in cooperation with Salzburg Festival
and CLASSICA
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Dvořák, Symphony No. 9 in E minor, Op. 95
‘From the New World‘
I take my hat off to a man who is not a professional musician but has
learned a score like that of the Requiem in only ten days’, wrote Herbert
von Karajan to Henri Georges Clouzot in 1967. When Karajan began
recording on film in the mid 1960s, one of the men he turned to for
artistic assistance was the noted film director Clouzot, the creator of
classic ‘films noirs’ such as ‘Quai des Orfèvres’ and ‘Wages of Fear’
(Le salaire de la peur). Between 1965 and 1967, Clouzot directed five
works for Karajan, whereby he displayed a marked talent for underlining
the conductor’s ‘star’ aspect. Dvořák’s Ninth Symphony was produced
in 1966. The performance is preceded by a filmed rehearsal which
offers valuable insights into Karajan’s art of conducting and into his
interpretation of Dvořák’s ‘great intimacy with nature, which his music
expresses in every tune and which is also a kind of folklore’
(Herbert von Karajan).
Director: Henri-Georges Clouzot
Production: UNITEL
Prog No: A05500495-500
A05500436 I Length:
I Format:
40’ IHDTV
Format: HD
Gershwin, Rhapsody in Blue
Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990) and George Gershwin (1898-1937), two
musicians inseparably linked with America, form an exuberant and
stimulating combination in this program with the New York Philharmonic.
Gershwin was one of the American composers Bernstein revered the
most and one who, along with Mahler, Copland and Blitzstein, exerted a
great influence on him as a composer. This performance with the New
York Philharmonic and Leonard Bernstein as soloist and conductor was
recorded at the Jahrhunderthalle in Hoechst, Germany, in 1976.
Conductor & Soloist: Leonard Bernstein
Director: Hugo Käch I Production: UNITEL
Handel, Music for the Royal Fireworks
Born in Saxony in 1926, Karl Richter discovered his true musical vocation in Leipzig,
where he studied under the great Karl Straube and Günther Ramin. The organ
and the harpsichord were at the origin of his career, and his first performances
were devoted to serving Bach through these keyboard instruments on which he
was a virtuoso and a poet. Soon, however, Richter was swept up by a passion for
the orchestra and the choral masses. He founded the Munich Bach Choir and the
Munich Bach Orchestra in the 1950s, toured with his ensembles all over the world
and made about 150 recordings. Richter was perhaps at his most compelling
when interpreting his two great fellow countrymen Bach and Handel. He was
superb at translating Handel’s monumental rhythms and vast soundscapes, the
dynamic writing and sanguine spirit of his music.
Conductor: Karl Richter I Orchestra: Münchner Bach-Orchester
Director: Arne Arnbom I Production: UNITEL
Julia Fischer – Violin and Piano
Hollywood in Vienna
In her January 2008 concert with the Junge Deutsche Philharmonie
under Matthias Pintscher, Julia Fischer, named ‘Artist of the Year’ in
2007 by the U.K.’s ‘Gramophone’ magazine, did exactly as Bach and
Mozart did: she appeared in public as a soloist on two completely
different instruments, the violin and the piano. Fischer, who also trained
as a pianist, pulled off this rare and risky feat with extraordinary
prowess. In Saint-Saëns’ Violin Concerto No. 3 in B minor op. 61, she
weaves her lines seamlessly into the orchestral texture, emerging now
with prominent embellishments, now with passionate cantilenas, or
withdrawing to let the woodwinds express themselves as equals. For
her ‘piano’ part of the evening, Julia Fischer chose the popular Grieg
Concerto in A minor op. 16, a warhorse that shares with the previous
work an intricate interweaving of the solo and orchestral parts.
Commenting on her flawless piano technique and utterly natural artistry
on this instrument, the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung wrote: ‘She
mastered the work with bravura ... a more than amazing double talent.’
‘Hollywood in Vienna’ is the world’s first and unique redcarped film music
gala concert, celebrating the most renowned film composers of our time.
The annual gala combines an orchestral concert of highest musical level
with guests from the dream factory and a Hollywood-like staging in the
historical setting of the Vienna Concert Hall. Classical symphonic music
known from today’s movies reaches a young and new target audience. On
the programme works by Bruce Broughton, John Williams, Alan Silvestri,
Erich Wolfgang Korngold, John Powell, Max Steiner and Nicholas Hooper.
Conductor: Matthias Pintscher
Orchestra: Junge Deutsche Philharmonie
Soloist: Julia Fischer
Conductor: John Axelrod, Alastair King, Alan Silvestri I Orchestra: ORFSymphonieorchester I Chorus: Wiener Singakademie I Soloists: Nadine Beiler,
Xavier De Maistre I Director: Felix BreisachI I Production: ORF, UNITEL and
Felix Breisach Medienwerkstatt in cooperation with CLASSICA
Horowitz plays Mozart
Legendary pianist Vladimir Horowitz, conductor Carlo Maria Giulini and
The Orchestra of La Scala perform Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 23 in A
Major in a studio setting. The film also includes discussions, playback
sessions and interviews. Nominated for Grammy Award in the Category
‘Outstanding Classical Program in the Performing Arts’: Peter Gelb
(executive producer/producer), Susan Frömke (producer).
Conductor: Carlo Maria Giulini
Orchestra: The Orchestra of La Scala
Director: Susan Frömke, Albert Maysles, Charlotte Zwerin
Production: Sony
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The Israel Philharmonic Orchestra
60th Anniversary Gala
A Gala concert to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the IPO features
many world-famous soloists. From veteran violinist Isaac Stern to the
younger talents Maxim Vengerov and Gil Shaham.
Conductor: Zubin Mehta, Daniel Barenboim
Orchestra: The Israel Philharmonic Orchestra
Soloists: Isaac Stern, Gil Shaham, Shlomo Mintz, Maxim Vengerov,
Menahem Breuer, Pinchas Zucherman, Ariel Shamai, Itzhak Perlman
Director: Bob Coles
Production: Sony
Herbert von Karajan –
Memorial Concert on his 100th Birthday
Prog No: A045005310000
A05500495-500 II Format:
Length: HDTV
112’ I Format: HD
A ‘triumph of remembrance,’ wrote the daily ‘Die Welt’ in its online
service following a stirring concert that left its audience hovering
between hushed reverence and deafening exultation. The Golden Hall
of Vienna’s Musikverein was the dazzling venue for the live recording of
one of four concerts given by the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra under
Seiji Ozawa and with Anne-Sophie Mutter. The series began in Berlin’s
Philharmonie before going on to Paris, Lucerne and Vienna, where it
culminated on 28 January. And there, in Vienna, Karajan’s ‘Berliner’
never sounded better, evoking ‘a time which selfconfidently sought the
private and subjective in music, and believed it could find them in the
mirror of the works.’ (Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung).
Conductor: Seiji Ozawa I Orchestra: Berliner Philharmoniker
Soloist: Anne-Sophie Mutter I Director: Karina Fibich
Production: ORF and UNITEL in co-production with CLASSICA
Lang Lang at Schönbrunn
Lang Lang, Zubin Mehta, the Wiener Philharmoniker – the only thing that
could make an outdoor orchestral concert more attractive would be a
spectacular venue, such as a majestic Baroque palace. And here it is:
Vienna’s Schönbrunn Palace, with its brightly lit facade on a resplendent
summer evening! In this concert, the young Chinese artist – the ‘pop
star’ of the international piano elite – dazzled his way into the hearts
of the audience with his rendition of Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 2.
Conductor Zubin Mehta, who had warmed up the Wiener Philharmoniker
with Weber’s Oberon Overture before tackling the Chopin, led his
musicians in a rousing performance of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony
after the intermission. Now crisply outlined against the dark-blue sky,
Schönbrunn Palace transformed itself into an expressive backdrop for
Beethoven’s dramatic symphonic masterpiece. The excitement was not
over with the last chord, however, as Lang Lang returned to give several
encores, including Chopin’s A-flat major Polonaise, which ‘roused the
audience to rapturous standing ovations.’ (Wiener Zeitung)
Soloist: Lang Lang
Production: ORF for UNITEL CLASSICA
Liszt Celebration Concert
A concert recording featuring the Staatskapelle Berlin, Daniel
Barenboim, and the honorary conductor of the orchestra, Pierre
Boulez, which took place at the Philharmonie Essen in June 2011.
Music by two great composers of the 19th century, Franz Liszt
and Richard Wagner, were combined in one concert: two superb
orchestral works – Faust Overture and Siegfried Idyll – by Richard
Wagner and the Piano Concerts No. 1 and 2 of Franz Liszt. With Daniel
Barenboim on the piano, and the Staatskapelle Berlin under the baton
of Pierre Boulez, this event was a very special musical highlight of the
Liszt year 2011.
Conductor: Pierre Boulez
Soloists: Daniel Barenboim
Director: Enrique Sánchez Lansch
Production: ACCENTUS Music in co-production with ZDF/Arte
Christian Thielemann celebrates Liszt in Weimar –
Festive Concert on the 200th birthday of Franz Liszt
On the 200th birthday of Franz Liszt, the city of Weimar arranges a special
concert for its former Kapellmeister: members of the Staatskapelle
Weimar and students of the Musikhochschule FRANZ LISZT play under
the baton of conductor Christian Thielemann. Russian pianist Konstantin
Sherbakov will perform Liszt’s ‘Totentanz’, a variation cycle for piano
and orchestra, and his Second Piano Concerto.
Orchestra: Project Orchestra Franz Liszt
Soloist: Konstantin Scherbakov I Director: Tilo Krause
Production: A co-production of UNITEL, MDR, Arte and Classica
Thielemann conducts ‘Faust‘
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
200th anniversary year of one of the 19th century’s greatest composers.
The ‘Faust’-themed concert opens with the Overture to ‘Faust’ in
D minor by Richard Wagner, who was Liszt’s son-in-law, before leading
into Franz Liszt’s symphonic masterpiece ‘A Faust Symphony’. ‘A top
orchestra and a top conductor have found one another’ (Die Welt).
Conductor: Christian Thielemann I Orchestra: Staatskapelle Dresden
Chorus: Sächsischer Staatsopernchor I Soloist: Endrik Wottrich
Director: Tilo Krause I Production: UNITEL in cooperation with
Sächsische Staatsoper Dresden and CLASSICA
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Claudio Abbado & Lucerne Festival Orchestra –
Mahler 9
The Mahler cycle of Claudio Abbado and the Lucerne Festival Orchestra
has long since become legendary. Now they’re nearing the conclusion of
their project as they take up the Ninth - the final symphony Mahler was
able to complete. ‘If music was heard in the earthly paradise, it could not
have sounded more glorious than the performance of Mahler’s Fourth
Symphony led by Claudio Abbado,’ (Süddeutsche Zeitung, 2009)
Orchestra: Lucerne Festial Orchestra
Production: ACCENTUS Music
in co-production with ZDF, SF and Arte
Mahler, Symphonies Nos. 1 – 10
Leonard Bernstein was the first conductor ever to record all of Mahler’s
symphonies not only on disk, but also on video. The Mahler cycle was
the first project in the more than 20-year-long association between
Leonard Bernstein and Unitel. The leading Mahler interpreter of our
time, Bernstein recorded all of Mahler’s symphonies between 1971 and
1985, chiefly with the Vienna Philharmonic, producing a unique musical
document and triggering a major reappreciation of Mahler’s works. ‘All
Mahler symphonies, all Mahler works for that matter, deal in extremes,
extremes of dynamic, of tempo, of emotional meaning. When it is bare,
it’s extremely bare, when it is thick and rich, it’s thicker and richer than
anything in ‘Götterdämmerung’, and when it is suffering it suffers to a
point that no music has ever suffered before.’ (Leonard Bernstein)
Chorus: Konzertvereinigung Wiener Staatsopernchor,
Wiener Sängerknaben
Soloists: Sheila Armstrong, Janet Baker, Christa Ludwig, Edith Mathis,
Edda Moser, Judith Blegen, Gerti Zeumer, Ingrid Mayr, Agnes Baltsa
Production: UNITEL
Symph. No. 1 (A05500586): 57’ · No. 2 (A05004526): 92’ · No. 3 (A05004516): 108’ · No. 4 (A05004517): 60’ · No. 5 (A05004518): 73’
No. 6 (A05004544): 86’ · No. 7 (A05004538): 84’ · No. 8 (A05005353): 86’ · No. 9 (A05004496): 83’ · No. 10 (A05500587): 29’ I Format: HD
Prog No: A05500495-500
9443 I Length: 96’
I Format:
I Format:
HDTV
HD
The Mahler Project –
Mahler, Symphony No. 9 in D major
The Mahler Project: A fascinating documentary on the musical world
of Gustav Mahler as seen by the two great musicians, and a recording
of Mahler’s colossal Ninth. ‘Mahler created a new world with each of
his symphonies (...) It is a fantastic journey for both of us’. With these
few words, Daniel Barenboim sums up the vast scope of a project
undertaken with his friend Pierre Boulez: two very different world-class
conductors tackle all nine completed symphonies of Gustav Mahler
(1860-1911) with one orchestra, the Staatskapelle Berlin. Performed as
a complete cycle in Berlin, Vienna and New York, the concerts were
a tremendous success. The Financial Times even wrote: ‘New York is
going Mahler mad’.
Production: UNITEL
Mahler, Das Lied von der Erde
‘Das Lied von der Erde’ (The Song of the Earth) was one of Mahler’s later
symphonic works, written in 1908. It borrowed as a framework Hans
Bethge’s German translation of six poems by the 18th-century Chinese
poet Li-Tai-Po. The songs have been described as ‘the valedictory of a
man who loved life and nature and who knew the bittersweet nostalgia
of passing youth and beauty.’ The work was recorded at the Frederick
Mann Auditorium in Tel Aviv with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra
under Leonard Bernstein.
Conductor: Leonard Bernstein I Orchestra: Israel Philharmonic Orchestra
Soloists: Christa Ludwig, René Kollo I Director: Humphrey Burton
Production: UNITEL
Mahler, ‘Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen‘,
‘Rückertlieder‘
Just a few months before his final illness and death, Leonard Bernstein
conducted three masterworks by Gustav Mahler in a concert at Vienna’s
Musikvereinssaal with the Vienna Philharmonic. The program consisted of
the ‘Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen (21’) and the ‘Rückertlieder’ (27’). The
soloist was the American baritone Thomas Hampson. The trade publication
‘Musik & Theater’ wrote: ‘I know of no other baritone today who can
profess a similar mastery of these three Mahler song cycles on a vocal,
emotional and textually sensitive level. [...] a singular vocal accomplishment
and a worthy conclusion of Bernstein’s extensive Mahler discography.’
Conductor: Leonard Bernstein I Orchestra: Wiener Philharmoniker
Soloist: Thomas Hampson I Director: Humphrey Burton I Production: UNITEL
Prog No: A05501972-73 I Length: 48’ I Format: HD
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Chailly conducts Mahler – Symphonies Nos. 2 and 8
Mendelssohn, Violin Concerto in E Minor Op. 64
The Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra and their Music Director Riccardo Chailly
have acquired legendary status – glorious reviews and many awards for their
recordings testifying to their continuing success. At Leipzig’s International
Mahler Festival, to mark the centenary of Mahler’s death, they performed
Mahler’s monumental Second Symphony in the Gewandhaus – together with
two marvellous soloists and choral forces quite beyond compare.
Conductor: Riccardo Chailly I Orchestra: Gewandhausorchester Leipzig
Chorus: MDR Rundfunkchor, Berliner Rundfunkchor, GewandhausChor
Soloists: Christiane Oelze, Sarah Connolly, Erika Sunnegårdh, Ricarda
Merbeth, Lioba Braun, Gerhild Romberger, Stephen Gould, Dietrich
Henschel, Georg Zeppenfeld I Director: Henning Kasten, Michael Beyer
Production: ACCENTUS Music in co-production with MDR/Arte
In 2008 Anne-Sophie Mutter was awarded not only the prestigious Ernst
von Siemens Music Award, but also the Leipzig Mendelssohn Award.
The award ceremony in March 2008 was crowned by a gala concert
at Leipzig’s Gewandhaus with the Gewandhaus Orchestra under Kurt
Masur, at which Mutter performed the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto
in E minor op. 64 presented here. Also available: Anne-Sophie Mutter
– Encounters with Mendelssohn, Documentary, Length: 18’, directed by
Günter Atteln (A04500548).
Prog No: 9559-60 I Length: Symphony No. 2: 96’ · Symphony No. 8: 93’ I Format: HD
Conductor: Kurt Masur I Orchestra: Gewandhausorchester Leipzig
Soloist: Anne-Sophie Mutter I Director: Agnes Meth
Production: Unitel and Deutsche Grammophon in co-production with
CLASSICA and ZDF for Arte
A Concert for New York – 9/11 Memorial Concert
Truls Mørk plays Chopin and Dvořák
The concert presents Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 featuring soprano
Dorothea Röschmann, mezzosoprano Michelle DeYoung and the New
York Choral Artists. The New York Philharmonic will be conducted by
its Music Director Alan Gilbert. Commemorating the tenth anniversary
of the events of 9/11, the New York Philharmonic strives to truly give a
concert to the city of New York. Programming Mahler’s 2nd the orchestra
seeks to set a sign of hope, since this work is often referred to as the
‘Resurrection’ Symphony. ‘Mahler’s Second Symphony, ‘Resurrection’,
powerfully and profoundly explores the range of emotions provoked
by the memories of 9/11,’ said Music Director Alan Gilbert. ‘This great
masterpiece has a very special place in the history and psyche of the
New York Philharmonic, but its message of renewal and rebirth is
universal. We offer it as a tribute to those lost ten years ago.
Truls Mørk was the first Scandinavian ever to win the Moscow
Tchaikovsky competition, a triumph that marked the start of his
musical career. The film visits the Norwegian cellist Truls Mørk at his
Scandinavian holiday home, accompanying him on his boat out at sea
and on walks along the coast. The cello concerto by Anton Dvorák with
the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra and the Chopin interpretations are
focal points of the story.
Conductor: Alan Gilbert
Orchestra: New York Philharmonic, New York Choral Artists
Soloists: Dorothea Röschmann, Michelle DeYoung
Production: ACCENTUS Music and the New York Philharmonic
in co-production with ZDF/Arte
Conductor: Jonathan Nott I Orchestra: Bamberger Symphoniker
Director: Holger Preuße, Claus Wischmann
Production: Sounding Images
Lucerne Festival: Abbado conducts Mozart
For many music lovers, Christine Schäfer’s Mozart interpretations are a
revelation. She has little in common with the routine conventions of her field
and her artistry is enourmously powerful as this program featuring concert
arias by Mozart, with Abbado conducting the Lucerne Festival Orchestra,
shows. This TV program is coupled with Mozart’s ‘Haffner’ Symphony,
which was originally performed in Salzburg as a serenade to be played
by torchlight. Program: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart ’Misera, dove son!’ –
‘Ah, non son io che parlo,’ K. 369; ‘Ah, lo previdi’ – ‘Ah, t’invola,’ K. 272;
‘Vorrei spiegarvi, oh Dio!,’ K. 418; Symphony in D major, K. 385 ‘Haffner’.
Conductor: Claudio Abbado I Orchestra: Lucerne Festival Orchestra
Soloist: Christine Schäfer I Director: Michael Beyer
Production: ACCENTUS Music in co-production with NHK and ZDF/Arte
Albrecht Mayer in Concert
Mozart‘s Final Symphonies
Unlike the piano, the violin or even the flute, the oboe is a relatively
rare instrument for a solo career. And when a soloist such as Albrecht
Mayer plays the oboe, one wishes composers had written more works
for this weetly mellow instrument. Critics write about the ‘divine spark’
that inspires his playing, and about the ‘miraculous oboe’ that turns
into ‘an instrument of seduction.’ With his particularly warm tone and
exceptionally broad palette of nuances, it’s no surprise that Albrecht
Mayer is one of today’s most sought-after international oboists.
Frans Brüggen and his Orchestra of the Eighteenth Century re-invent
the classical masterpieces of Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven and other
early 18th century composers by playing them on period instruments
and interpret the music as if written yesterday. After almost 30 years
of traveling all around the globe they now, in their 99th world tour, play
Mozart with the spirit, freshness and eagerness of their first concert. On
the programme Mozart’s Final three Symphonies including No. 40, the
first ever played symphony by Frans Brüggen and his band.
Conductor: Frans Brüggen
Orchestra: Orchestra of The Eighteenth Century
Director: Rob van den Berg
Production: Monteverdi
Conductor: Gustavo Dudamel I Orchestra: Lucerne Festival Orchestra
Soloist: Albrecht Mayer I Director: Christian Kurt Weisz I Production:
A BFMI production for UNITEL in co-production with Bayerischer Rundfunk
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Mozart, Piano Concertos
W. A. Mozart: Concerto For Two Pianos
Born on 11 February 1946, Rudolf Buchbinder celebrated his 60th birthday
just two weeks after Mozart’s 250th birthday – a happy coincidence of
landmark events that prompted the great Austrian pianist to present
a series of Mozart piano concertos with the Vienna Philharmonic
Orchestra at the 2006 Vienna Festival. The works, recorded live at the
Musikverein in Vienna on 7 May 2006, represent the crème de la crème
of Mozart’s concerto output of the years 1784 to 1786.
Mozart’s Concert for two pianos belongs to the most artful and ambitious
works of this genre. Pierre-Laurent Aimard and Tamara Stefanovich,
these days two of the leading interpreter’s of Mozart’s Music, performed
this work at the ‘Mozartwoche 2008’ in Salzburg. Jonathan Nott
conducts the Camerata Salzburg. Also on the programme: Mozart’s
Serenade D Major KV 185 ‘Antretter-Serenade’.
Conductor: Rudolf Buchbinder I Orchestra: Wiener Philharmoniker
Soloist: Rudolf Buchbinder I Director: Karina Fibich
Production: ORF in cooperation with UNITEL and CLASSICA
Prog No: A04500460-64 I Length: Piano Concerto No. 14: 21’ · No. 20: 30’ · No. 22: 33’ · No. 23: 27’ · No. 24: 31’ · No. 25: 31’ I Format: HD
Conductor: Jonathan Nott
Orchestra: Camerata Salzburg
Soloists: Pierre-Laurent Aimard, Tamara Stefanovich
Director: Andy Sommer
Production: BFMI and ZDF/Arte
Mozart, Symphony No. 36 in C major, K. 425 ‘Linz‘
Kent Nagano Conducts Classical Masterpieces
Elusive, eccentric, willful, capricious... These are some of the milder
words used to describe Carlos Kleiber, the man widely considered
‘the most venerated conductor since Arturo Toscanini’ (The New
York Times). Born in Berlin but raised in Argentina, Kleiber made his
conducting debut in Potsdam in 1954. He has been freelancing for many
years now, conducting infrequently but at the world’s leading venues
and with the world’s leading ensembles. Thanks to Kleiber’s legendary
reluctance to produce recordings, each of his recordings is an event, a
classic. He can allow himself the luxury of choosing his own repertoire
and performers. The results can perhaps be best illustrated with the
image of ‘an expert art restorer who clears away centuries of grime to
reveal a painting in its pristine glory. Kleiber... strips away the varnish
from some of music’s most tradition – encrusted masterworks to expose
the vital creation lurking beneath.’ (TIME)
Six great composers, six landmark symphonies, a top orchestra and
its star conductor – these are the components of an extraordinary
classical-music television event. Shot in High Definition, it takes a bold
and innovative approach to the recording of classical music. Boom and
tracking shots, quick cuts, remote-controlled cameras – stylistic means
previously used chiefly for pop music recordings give the programs
an up-to-the-minute look and feel. A team of more than 30 specialists
makes sure that viewers enjoy a truly cinematic experience.
Conductor: Carlos Kleiber
Director: Horant H. Hohlfeld
Production: UNITEL
Mozart, Violin Concertos
Mozart, who was also an accomplished violinist, wrote all of his five
violin concertos in Salzburg in 1775, apparently for his own personal use.
Their style can best be described as cosmopolitan and reflects the many
musical currents he had been exposed to while on his travels in Italy and
elsewhere. Aristocratic, suave, witty, wonderfully melodious, they are
dazzling gems that conceal an inner core of challenging material that can
be truly mastered only by the very best violinists.
Conductor: Kent Nagano I Orchestra: Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester
Berlin I Director: Oliver Becker, Ellen Fellmann I Production: BFMI for
Deutsche Welle in co-production with UNITEL and CLASSICA
Prog No: A055119320000 I Length: Beethoven, Symph. No. 3: 48’ · Brahms, Symph. No. 4: 40’ · Bruckner, Symph. No. 8: 60’
Mozart, Symph. No. 41: 41’ · Schumann, Symph. No. 3: 31’ · Strauss, Alpensymphonie (An Alpine Symphony): 42’ I Format: HD
Andris Nelsons: From the New World
’Andris Nelsons and the BR-Symphonieorchester are a sensation’, raved
the press. It isn’t often that a young conductor excites audiences and
stirs up critics to the extent that Andris Nelsons does. As can be seen
in this concert ‘From the New World’, he communicates his passion
with a vocabulary of gestures that sweep the audience off their feet.
The concert with the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks
is devoted to the ‘New World’. The main work of the evening is Antonín
Dvořák’s Ninth Symphony, ‘From the New World’. The first half features
compositions of the 20th and 21st century by American composers
Charles Ives and John Adams, along with a work by Igor Stravinsky, who
spent several decades in the U.S.
Conductor: Andris Nelsons
Orchestra: Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks
Soloists: Hannes Läubin, Phillipe Boucly, Natalie Schwaabe,
Kim Yu-mi, Ivanna Ternay
Production: UNITEL in co-production with Bayerischer Rundfunk
Orchestra: Camerata Salzburg
Soloist: Anne-Sophie Mutter
Director: Andy Sommer I Production: BFMI for UNITEL
in co-production with ZDF and CLASSICA
Prog No: diverse 4 I Length: Violin Concerto No. 1 (A05511897): 20’ · No. 2 (A05511898): 21’ · No. 3 (A05511899): 28’ · No. 4 (A05511900): 25’ · No. 5 (A05511895): 30’ I Format: HD
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Andris Nelsons at the Lucerne Festival
Emmanuel Pahud: Works by Frederick the Great
Dmitri Shostakovich’s Eighth Symphony, which was written in the pivotal
months after the Battle of Stalingrad, follows the principle of triumph through
adversity – ‘per aspera ad astra’ – not just musically, but also conceptually:
Everything that is dark and shameful will perish; everything that is beautiful
will triumph.’ This ‘triumph,’ though, is restrained. The Eighth is a large-scale
work that ends in something like a pastoral mood, played pianissimo; poses
of jubilation were not in Shostakovich’s nature. The concert opens with the
delightful, lively Overture to ‘Rienzi.’ And the ‘Dance of the Seven Veils’ from
‘Salome’ shows the fin-de-siècle’s enigmatic penchant for decadence.
With this programme, Emmanuel Pahud, with no doubt one of the best
flute players in the world, honours the 300th anniversary of a great
philosopher, musician and composer: the Prussian King Frederick II, also
called the Great. Together with the Kammerakademie Potsdam the famous
French flutist and member of the Berliner Philharmonics will perform – in
one of the palaces build by the King - musical works of Frederick the Great
himself, of Johann Joachim Quantz (teacher of Frederick the Great) ,
of Franz Benda and of Carl Friedrich Emanuel Bach, who was the royal
harpsichordist. Also available: Documentary (45’ - A05513518)
Orchestra: Kammerakademie Potsdam I Soloists: Emmanuel Pahud,
flute, Tevor Pinnock, cembalo I Director: Beatrix Conrad
Production: Salve TV for ZDF in co-production with UNITEL CLASSICA
Conductor: Andris Nelsons I Orchestra: Koninklijk
Concertgebouworkest I Director: Ute Feudel I Production: UNITEL in
cooperation with Lucerne Festival and CLASSICA
Andris Nelsons and Yefim Bronfman
at the Lucerne Festival
For his tone poem ‘Scheherazade’ Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov chose four
episodes from the famous 1001 nights tales collection to set, using
glowing instrumental colors and exotically tinged ornaments. Andris
Nelsons, the young and charismatic star conductor from Latvia, will
be sure to inspire a veritable sonic intoxication with the wonderful
Concertgebouw Orchestra. In contrast, the first part of the concert will
strike a heroic note when Yefim Bronfman, whose virtuosity knows no
limits, plays Beethoven’s Fifth Piano Concerto.
Conductor: Andris Nelsons I Orchestra: Koninklijk Concertgebouworkest
Soloist: Yefim Bronfman I Director: Ute Feudel I Production: UNITEL in
cooperation with Lucerne Festival and CLASSICA
Pollini and Thielemann perform Brahms and Reger
Legendary pianist Maurizio Pollini and star conductor Christian
Thielemann team up with the Staatskapelle Dresden for an exceptional
concert of late-romantic music. For his first concert with the
Staatskapelle in nearly 25 years, Pollini plays Brahms’ mighty First Piano
Concerto. Thielemann harnesses the orchestra’s dynamic power and
melds it with Pollini’s vitality. Also on the program are Brahms’ ‘Tragic
Overture’ and Reger’s ‘Romantic Suite’. Reger’s charming, colorfully
orchestrated work, premiered with the Staatskapelle in 1912, is a
valuable addition to the romantic repertoire.
Conductor: Christian Thielemann I Orchestra: Staatskapelle Dresden
Soloist: Maurizio Pollini I Director: Agnes Méth I Production: UNITEL
in cooperation with Sächsische Staatsoper Dresden and CLASSICA
Richard Strauss Gala – New Year‘s Eve Concert 1992
Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
The programme includes Don Juan, Burleske, Till Eulenspiegel’s lustige
Streiche, Finale from ‘Der Rosenkavalier’.
Orchestra: Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
Soloists: Martha Argerich, Kathleen Battle, Renée Fleming,
Frederica von Stade, Andreas Schmidt
Director: Barrie Gavin
Production: Sony
Lucerne Festival:
Simon Rattle conducts Britten and Bruckner
Another late summer highlight at Lucerne Festival: Simon Rattle and
the Berliner Philharmoniker presenting works by Benjamin Britten and
Anton Bruckner. Britten gathered eight musical-poetic night pieces
together under the title ‘Nocturne’: Musical settings of English poets
throughout the centuries perfomed by tenor Ian Bostridge. This cycle
of orchestral songs is coupled with Bruckner’s ‘Swan Song,’ his last
symphony, which was unfinished and which he dedicated to ‘Dear God’
– Symphony No. 9 in D minor.
Conductor: Simon Rattle I Orchestra: Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
Soloist: Ian Bostridge I Director: Michael Beyer I Production:
ACCENTUS Music in co-production with SRF/Arte and Lucerne Festival
Berlin Philharmonic: New Year‘s Eve Concert 1991
Beethoven Gala
Programme: ‘Egmont’, ‘Leonore III’, Chorfantasie.
Chorus: Rias Chorus
Soloists: Cheryl Studer, Bruno Ganz (speaker), Yevgeny Kissin
Production: Sony
Ravel, Daphnis and Chloé
Commanding the podium with his slender figure, theatrical shock of hair
and penetrating blue eyes, Herbert von Karajan projected the hieratic
image of the conductor as officiant of some quasi-mystic rite. And anyone
who ever saw him conduct live or on his many audiovisual recordings will
agree that in his performances, music did indeed become a religion and
Karajan its high-priest. Karajan (1908-1989) embodied classical music
in the general consciousness as an epoch-making conductor, media
star, opera producer, festival director and festival founder. But in spite
of his Promethean and widely varied activities, he remained a superb
conductor, with a grasp of the standard orchestral and operatic repertory
from Mozart to Schoenberg that was unsurpassed among his peers.
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Salzburg Festival: Opening Concert 2008
Put one of the world’s greatest orchestras in the hands of one of the
foremost specialists of 20th century music, add a soloist who is one
of today’s leading pianists and conductors, and you are assured of a
concert of superlatives that pays glowing tribute to three major works
of the past century. The official Salzburg Festival opening concert of the
Wiener Philharmoniker is conducted by Pierre Boulez, once the ‘enfant
terrible’ of the musical world, now a sensitive, analytical conductor of
works from the 19th and 20th centuries. Combining Béla Bartók’s Piano
Concerto No. 1 – Daniel Barenboim is the soloist – with Maurice Ravel’s
‘Valses nobles et sentimentales’ and Igor Stravinsky’s ‘Firebird’ ballet
in its full-length version of 1910, Boulez weaves a compelling musical
texture that uncovers the links among the three works and the three
composers.
Production: ORF for UNITEL in co-production
with Salzburg Festival and CLASSICA
The opening of the Salzburg Festival, for many regarded as the world’s
most renowned music festival, is by tradition a high-profile event.
In 2009, this first concert given by the Wiener Philharmoniker was
conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. The program is, in honor of the
80th birthday of the great Austrian conductor, a purely Austrian.
Though it may seem unusual at first glance, under Harnoncourt’s
direction, the disparate works fuse into a moving, slightly melancholy
portrait of the Viennese dance in the early 19th century. The concert
opens with Anton Webern’s delicate orchestration of Schubert’s ‘Six
German Dances,’ which segue into two polkas and a waltz by Josef
Strauß, the younger – and bolder – composer brother of ‘Walzerkönig’
Johann Strauß Jr. With this alternation of bittersweet and brassy
dances, the stage is set for Harnoncourt’s staggering reading of
Schubert’s ‘Great’ C major Symphony, in which the dance of death – so
Viennese yet so universal – seems to have served as the composer’s
model. This concert adds a new milestone to UNITEL CLASSICA’s
longtime partnership with the Salzburg Festival, as well as with
Harnoncourt and the Wiener Philharmoniker.
Conductor: Nikolaus Harnoncourt
Production: ORF for UNITEL in co-production with ZDF/Arte
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of Salzburg’s Großes Festspielhaus, the 2010
Salzburg Festival put together a truly one-of-a-kind program for the Wiener
Philharmoniker’s traditional opening concert. Conducted by Daniel Barenboim,
the concert opens with Beethoven’s Fourth Piano Concerto, whose solo part
is also played by the conductor. This is followed by the scintillating ‘Notations’
by Pierre Boulez, who celebrated his 85th birthday in 2010. Concluding the
concert is Anton Bruckner’s mighty ‘Te Deum’ featuring soloists Dorothea
Röschmann, Elina Garanča, Klaus Florian Vogt and René Pape.
Conductor: Daniel Barenboim I Orchestra: Wiener Philharmoniker I Chorus:
Konzertvereinigung Wiener Staatsopernchor I Soloists: Daniel Barenboim,
Dorothea Röschmann, Elina Garanca, Klaus Florian Vogt, René Pape
Director: Michael Beyer I Production: ORF for UNITEL in co-production
with ZDF/3sat in cooperation with Salzburg Festival and CLASSICA
In the Mahler year 2011, the eminent Pierre Boulez conducted the
traditional opening concert of the Wiener Philharmoniker at the Salzburg
Festival. The concert begins with the ‘Lulu Suite’ by Mahler’s pupil Alban
Berg. The music for the tragic temptress is sung here by the ‘dazzling’
(Der Standard) young soprano Anna Prohaska. In Berg’s concert aria
‘Der Wein’, Dorothea Röschmann delivers a ‘masterful interpretation’
(Die Presse). The main work of the concert is Mahler’s ‘Das klagende
Lied’ – a ‘great spectral opera for the mind’s eye’ (Wiener Zeitung)
scored for massive orchestral and choral forces.
Soloists: Anna Prohaska, Dorothea Roeschmann,
Anna Larsson, Johan Botha
Production: UNITEL in co-production with ZDF in cooperation with
Wiener Philharmoniker, Salzburger Festspiele and CLASSICA
Rostropovich and the Berlin Philharmonic –
Programme: Tschaikovsky: Romeo and Juliet, Alfred Schnittke:
Monologue for Viola and Strings, Tchaikovsky: Andante Cantabile,
Dimitri Shostakovich: Interludes from Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk
Conductor: Mstislav Rostropovich
Soloists: Vladimir Spivavkov, violin, Yuri Bashmet, viola,
Mstislav Rostropovich, cello
Production: Sony
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Strauss, Don Quixote, op. 35
Commanding the podium with his slender figure, theatrical shock of
hair and penetrating blue eyes, Herbert von Karajan projected the
hieratic image of the conductor as officiant of some quasi-mystic rite.
And anyone who ever saw him conduct live or on his many audiovisual
recordings will agree that in his performances, music did indeed
become a religion and Karajan its high-priest. Karajan (1908-1989)
embodied classical music in the general consciousness as an epochmaking conductor, media star, opera producer, festival director and
festival founder. But in spite of his Promethean and widely varied
activities, he remained a superb conductor, with a grasp of the standard
orchestral and operatic repertory from Mozart to Schoenberg that was
unsurpassed among his peers. This recording was made in Berlin in 1975
with the Berlin Philharmonic. The soloists were Ulrich Koch (viola solo)
and Mstislav Rostropovich, arguably the most outstanding cellist in the
world today.
Soloists: Mstislav Rostropovitsch, Ulrich Koch
Production: UNITEL
Prog No: A05500495-500
A05500593 I Length:
I Format:
46’ IHDTV
Format: HD
The Vatican Concert
In Honor of Pope Benedict XVI
Recorded live in the presence of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI
in Vatican City, this profoundly moving and inspiring concert is a
true musical landmark. While the music ranges from the grand to
the sublime, the atmosphere retains the warmth and intimacy of a
‘family reunion’: both the Munich Philharmonic and the boys’ chorus
‘Regensburger Domspatzen’ are world-renowned institutions from
the Pope’s native Germany and from cities closely connected with the
former Cardinal Ratzinger. Among the works performed is a Sanctus
from a mass written by Georg Ratzinger, the Pope’s brother and onetime director of the ‘Regensburger Domspatzen’. Under the direction of
its distinguished young principal conductor Christian Thielemann, the
Munich Philharmonic is joined by the boys’ chorus (which also sings a
cappella works led by Georg Büchner) in music by Liszt, Mendelssohn,
Mozart, Palestrina, Pfitzner, Verdi, Wagner and Georg Ratzinger. The
musical event is rounded off with an address to the listeners and
performers by His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI.
Chorus: Regensburger Domspatzen, Athestis Chorus
Production: A co-production of BR/SR in cooperation with
Columbia Artists Management, UNITEL and CLASSICA
Tchaikovsky Gala from Leningrad
Weber, Overture to ‘Der Freischütz‘
Gala in commemoration of the 150th birthday of Peter Tchaikovsky.
On the programme: Eugen Onegin: Polonaise / Sérénade mélancolique,
Op. 26 / Valse scherzo, Op. 34 / Chansons francaises, Op. 65, for Voice
and Piano / Sérénade, No. 1 / Rondel, No. 6 / Variations on a Rococo
Theme, Op. 33 / Jeanne d’Arc (La Pucelle d’Orléans) / Adieu, forets /
1812 Overture, Op 49.
First performed in Berlin in 1821, Weber’s ‘Der Freischütz’ quickly
became one of the most celebrated German operas, and its overture
one of the most popular in all of music literature. The overture follows
a symphonic form that determines the thematic unity of the work.
Surprisingly innovative for its time, it announces the programmatic
works of Berlioz and Liszt, as well as Wagner’s first overtures. The
fresh and limpid music evokes the fairy-tale setting of the opera, with its
ghosts, evil spirits, seven charmed bullets, loving couple, friendly hermit
and happy ending. This recording of the ‘Freischütz’ Overture dates from
1975 and is part of a special ‘overture’ special directed by Herbert von
Karajan and produced with the Berlin Philharmonic for Unitel.
Conductor: Yuri Temirkanov
Orchestra: Leningrad Philharmonic
Soloists: Boris Berezovsky, piano, Yo-Yo Ma, violoncello,
Jessye Norman, Itzhak Perlman, violin
Production: Sony
Director: Herbert von Karajan
Production: UNITEL
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West-Eastern Divan Orchestra in Salzburg
Concert
The idea of uniting young musicians from Israel, Palestine and various
Arab countries into a musical ensemble still seems incredible today.
Yet such an orchestra has been flourishing since 1999, when Daniel
Barenboim and Edward Said founded the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra.
The project, says Barenboim, brings together these young people ‘not so
that they forget or hide their differences, but so that they can understand
them.’ He adds that ‘making music together gives us the best opportunity
to learn to live with one another.’ The concerts presented here were
recorded at the 2007 Salzburg Festival, during the orchestras residency.
The ensemble ‘proved its status as a first-class orchestra that has no
need to shy from comparisons with the philharmonic ‘top dogs’ from
Vienna or Berlin’ (Munich’s Abendzeitung). Among the highlights of
the concerts are Mozart’s ‘Sinfonia concertante’ K. 297b, which gives
four young soloists a chance to dazzle, and Igor Stravinsky’s ‘L’histoire
du soldat,’ an airy piece with a demanding percussion part. Songs and
chamber music, including Schubert’s ‘Trout’ Quintet, showcase the
individual talents of the young players. The major orchestral concert
comprises a Beethoven overture, an intricate and multi-layered piece
by Schoenberg, and Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 6, the ‘Pathétique,’
in which Barenboim pulls out all the stops and coaxes rarely heard
instrumental lines and accents from the depth of his ensemble.
World Orchestra for Peace at the BBC Proms
The 150th anniversary of the birth of Gustav Mahler in 2010 gave rise to a
number of celebratory performances of his works. For its program at the
fabled London BBC Proms in August 2010, the World Orchestra for Peace
under Valery Gergiev chose the master’s Fourth and Fifth Symphonies.
In the words of London’s The Independent, ‘the World Orchestra for
Peace gave exemplary performances’ of the Mahler symphonies. The
demanding soprano solo part in the Fourth is impressively sung by
Camilla Tilling. At the opening of the Fifth, the Mariinsky Theater’s
trumpeter Timur Martynov provides a lustrous, golden fanfare. ‘A rapt
Valery Gergiev […] sculpted the closing Adagietto like a sacred object
of veneration.’
Orchestra: World Orchestra for Peace
Soloists: Camilla Tilling
Director: Matthew Woodward
Production: A BBC / World Orchestra for Peace Ltd. coproduction
in association with UNITEL CLASSICA
Conductor: Daniel Barenboim I Orchestra: West-Eastern Divan
Orchestra I Soloists: Mohamed Saleh, Waltraud Meier, Hanan Alattar,
Kinan Azmeh, Sharon Polyak, Mor Biron, Saleem Abboud Ashkar, Enas
Massalha, Dorothea Roeschmann, Thomas Hampson I Director: Agnes
Méth I Production: Fundación Barenboim-Said in cooperation with
UNITEL with the support of Junta de Andalucia
Prog No: A045005210000
A05500495-500 II Format:
Length: HDTV
95’ I Format: HD
World Orchestra for Peace
at the Abu Dhabi Festival
Young Stars of Classical Music
Johannes Moser and Juraj Valcuha
For this concert of the World Orchestra for Peace at the Abu Dhabi
Festival, conductor Valery Gergiev, head of St. Petersburg’s Mariinsky
Theater and principal conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra, has
put together a program that includes major works by two of his favorite
composers, Prokofiev and Tchaikovsky. With the World Orchestra for
Peace, Gergiev has at his command an orchestra that is truly remarkable
from every point of view. It is not only put together of the best musicians
from the best orchestras of the world; the orchestra, which was
established by Sir Georg Solti in 1995, also pursues a very special goal:
to ‘reaffirm the unique strength of music as an ambassador for peace’.
The concerts given by this ensemble, whose musicians are all actively
engaged in their respective orchestras, are rare but exquisite and highly
appreciated events.
Johannes Moser is the name to watch among today’s young violoncello
virtuosos. Born in 1979, he has already performed with many of the
world’s leading orchestras, such as the New York Philharmonic, the
London Symphony Orchestra and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra,
with which he made his U.S. debut under Pierre Boulez. In this concert
of late-Romantic music with the Deutsche Radio Philharmonie, the
‘Echo Classic Award Winner’ 2008 boldly infuses Hans Pfitzner’s Cello
Concerto in A minor with a jolt of adrenaline that could very well boost
this rarely heard work into the concert repertoire. The concert also
features another rising star of the classical music scene, the young
Slovak conductor Juraj Valcuha, the principal conductor of the Swedish
Radio Symphony Orchestra. Doing full justice to the refined atmosphere
of the German late-Romantic works on the program, which also includes
a Wagner overture, excerpts from Pfitzner’s opera Palestrina and
Strauss’ Rosenkavalier Suite, conductor Juraj Valcuha soon makes it
clear that elegance and transparency are his specialty.
Orchestra: World Orchestra for Peace
Director: Matt Woodward
Production: World Orchestra for Peace Ltd.
in co-production with UNITEL in cooperation with CLASSICA
Conductor: Juraj Valcuha
Orchestra: Deutsche Radio Philharmonie Saarbrücken Kaiserslautern
Soloist: Johannes Moser
Director: Torben Schmidt
Production: SR and Arte in co-production with UNITEL and CLASSICA
Prog No: A055123920000 I Length: 60’ I Format: 16:9
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ENTERTAINMENT GMBH
The 12 Cellists at Moscow Conservatory
Brahms, Sonatas for Violin and Piano
Where once Vladimir Horowitz gave his legendary concert, in the
big hall of Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Moscow, 12 Cellists of the
Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra celebrate their Russian première.
They belong to the top orchestra of the class and are celebrated
in the whole world. Within the scope of the first international cello
festival in Moscow, dedicated to the big ‘Slava’, the cellist Mstislav
Rostropovich, they present a great program from ‘Angel Dances’ and
‘Dance around the World’. This concert in Moscow crowns the 36
years old history of 12 cellists.
As Anne-Sophie Mutter herself puts it, ‘the apple was ripe and simply had
to be picked.’ The ‘apple’ is the complete cycle of Brahms’ sonatas for violin
and piano. Mutter, perhaps the best-known and most widely respected
violinist of our time, has been fascinated by the Brahms sonatas since her
youth. Several early recordings testify to her love for these works which,
in her words, reflect Brahms’ understanding of ‘the singing quality’ of the
violin. Over the years, she and her longtime piano partner Lambert Orkis
have ‘ripened’ their interpretation of these works. Now, with the sonatas
‘under their skin’, the multiple award-winning violinist and her partner felt
the time was right for their first audiovisual recording of the complete set.
Production: BFMI with TVC
Soloists: Anne-Sophie Mutter, Lambert Orkis I Director: Agnes Méth
Appalachian Journey
Appalachian Journey Live in Concert captures three of the world´s most
extraordinary musicians live in concert, along with some very special
guests from their sold out performance at New York City´s Avery Fisher
Hall. The unique and compelling trio of cellist Yo-Yo Ma, violinist Mark
OĆonnor and bassist Edgar Meyer reaches a whole new level of artistic
and technical prowess as they weave their way through a wide varitey
of musical genres. Grammy Winner: Best classical Cross Over album.
Soloists: Jo Jo Ma, Marc O’Connor, James Taylor,
Alison Kraus, Edgar Meyer
Director: Pat Jaffe
Production: Sony
Prog No: 9328
A05500495-500
I Length: 64’
I Format:
I Format:
HDTV
4:3
Hommage à Pierre Boulez on his 85th birthday
The conductor and composer Pierre Boulez is one of the most influential
artists of our time. On the occasion of his 85th birthday, he conducts works
from different stages of his creative development. ‘Messagesquisse’ for
violoncello solo and six violoncelli. ‘Anthèms 2’ for violin solo and live
electronics and ‘Le marteau sans maître’ for alto and six instruments.
Boulez is joined by his friend Daniel Barenboim, the alto Hillary Summers
and members of the West Eastern Divan Orchestra.
Conductor: Daniel Barenboim, Pierre Boulez
Orchestra: Members of the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra
Director: Henning Kasten I Production: UNITEL in cooperation with
Staatsoper Unter den Linden and CLASSICA
Daniel Barenboim plays Chopin –
The Warsaw Recital
Chopin Year 2010 coincides with the 60th anniversary of Daniel Barenboim’s
stage début, and as a pianist he has decided to devote this year to the great
Romantic master of the keyboard. Chopin was born on 1 March 1810 in a small
village near Warsaw, and on the eve of the 200th anniversary of this date
Barenboim gave this wildly acclaimed Warsaw recital as part of an extensive
European tour. The programme included some of the composer’s best-known
works, including the great B flat minor Sonata with its famous Funeral March,
which sounded to many ‘as the composer may well have imagined it.’
Programme: F. Chopin: Fantasy in F Minor Op. 49 · Nocturne in D Flat Major
Op. 27/2 · Sonata No. 2 in B Flat Minor Op. 35 (Funeral March) · Barcarole in
F Sharp Major Op. 60 · Waltz in F Major Op. 34 No. 3 · Waltz in A Minor Op. 34
No. 2 · Waltz in C Sharp Minor Op. 64 No. 2 · Berceuse in D Flat Major Op. 57 ·
Polonaise in A Flat Major Op. 53
Production: ACCENTUS music in co-production with NHK
Recordering Brahms Vol. 1 + 2
Horowitz in London
In December 1989, the artists came together to record some of the
early chamber works of Brahms. Part I of each volume focuses on the
preparation, rehearsal and re-takes, while Part II captures the final
record performance. Emanuel Ax, Isaac Stern, Cho-Liang Lin, Jaime
Laredo, Michael Tree, Yo-Yo Ma, Sharon Robinson.
Recorded and broadcast in May 1982, Horowitz’s technique was beginning to
decline, though he retained all the fire of his playing.
Introduction: Interview (00:05:30).
Programme: Robert Schumann, Kinderszenen op.15, Sergei Rachmaninoff,
Sonata No. 2 in B-flat Minor, op. 36; Frédéric Chopin, Waltz in A-flat major,
op. 69 No. 1
Soloists: Isaac Stern, Yo-Yo Ma, Emanuel Ax, Jaime Laredo
Director: Lee R. Bobker
Production: Sony
Prog No: 9330+9331 I Length: 118’ I Format: 16:9
Soloists: Vladimir Horowitz
Director: Kirk Browning
Production: Sony
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Horowitz in Moscow
Lang Lang in Vienna
A recording of Horowitz’s historic recital in Moscow, the program
also includes highlights of his return to his native Soviet Union – his
first visit in 61 years. On the programme works by Scarlatti, Mozart,
Rachmaninoff, Scriabin, Liszt, Chopin, Schumann, Moszowski.
‘The most popular pianist on the planet’ (CNN) performs at the stunning
Musikverein in Vienna, recorded for the first time at a special TV recital!
‘For me, there are few halls around the globe that have the same prestige
as Carnegie Hall and the Musikverein. Of course there are other great
halls, but I always feel these two have a unique place in people’s hearts.
So I felt that after Carnegie Hall, the Musikverein would be the place
where I should do another live recording.’ (Lang Lang) The programme
also includes special backstage features, interviews and much more.
‘To his millions of fans worldwide the 27-year-old Chinese musician is a
God-like star, whose skill and energetic performance style put him in a
league of his own.’ (CNN)
Works: Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 3 in C major, Op. 2, Piano Sonata
No. 23 in F minor, Op. 57 ‘Appassionata’, Albéniz: Iberia Book 1, Prokofiev:
Piano Sonata No. 7 in B flat major, Op. 83, Chopin: Étude No. 1 in A flat
major, Op. 25, Polonaise No. 6 in A flat major, Op. 53 ‘Heroic’, Grande
Valse Brillante No. 2 in A flat major, Op. 34, No. 1
Production: Sony
Horowitz in Vienna
One of Horowitz’s final performances, recorded at the Golden Hall
of the Musikverein, Vienna/Austria in May 1987 including: Mozart,
Rondo K.485, Piano Sonata No.13 K.333; Schubert, Impromptu D899-3;
Liszt/Schubert, Soirees de Vienne: Valse-Caprice No.6; Schumann,
Kinderszenen Op.15; Chopin, Mazurka Op.33, Polonaise Heroique
Op.53; Liszt, Consolation No.3; Schubert, Moment musical D780;
Moszkowski, Etincelles Op.36-6
Soloist: Lang Lang
Production: BFMI for Sony Classical International
Production: Sony
Prog No: A05500495-500
9303 I Length: 92’
I Format:
I Format:
HDTV
4:3
Kronos Quartet & Kimmo Pohjohnen – Uniko
Kimmo Pohjonen is one of the cutting-edge accordion virtuosi and
composers of our time. After having heard a record of Pohjonen’s during
their concert tour in Finland, Kronos Quartet - who is well known for
breaking new musical grounds - decided to get in touch with him. The
Kronos/Kluster project entitled ‘Uniko’ is a mutually beneficial sonic/
visual adventure with this goal: to create unique and never-beforeheard-of sounds from accordion and strings. The Making-Of is a short
documentary giving an insight into the collaboration between Kimmo
Pohjonen, who has taken the accordion to new dimensions, his Klusterpartner Samuli Kosminen, Finland’s sampling guru, and the world’s most
revolutionary string quartet – the Kronos quartet.
Orchestra: Kronos Quartet
Soloists: Kimmo Pohjonen, David Harrington,
John Sherba, Hank Dutt and Jennifer Culp.
Production: BFMI and YLE Teema
Anne-Sophie Mutter plays Mendelssohn:
Piano Trio No. 1 in D minor
Violin Sonata in F major
In 2008 Anne-Sophie Mutter was awarded not only the prestigious Ernst
von Siemens Music Award, but also the Leipzig Mendelssohn Award.
The award ceremony in March 2008 was crowned by a gala concert at
Leipzig’s Gewandhaus. The recording offers a selection of masterpieces
by Mendelssohn (1809-1847) in a variety of instrumentations. Joining her
in Mendelssohn’s Sonata for Violin F major (Length: 25’ - A05512287) is
pianist André Previn, who is also an internationally renowned conductor
and composer. He and cellist Lynn Harrell also interpret the D-minor Trio
(Length: 29’ - A055122880001) with her. This is a stunning anthology
of chamber music from one of the most vibrant composers of the early
romantic era, performed by top artists of today!
Soloists: Anne-Sophie Mutter, Lynn Harrell, Sir André Previn
Production: Unitel and Deutsche Grammophon
in co-production with Classica and ZDF for Arte
Prog No: A055122870001, A05512287 I Length: 25‘ + 29‘ I Format: HD
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Anne-Sophie Mutter plays Mozart:
Sonatas for Violin and Piano
An important part of Anne-Sophie Mutter‘s ‘Mozart Project’ is to present
the composer‘s mature violin sonatas. Between 2005 and 2007, AnneSophie Mutter and pianist Lambert Orkis toured throughout Europe,
North America and Asia with the Mozart sonatas. In major musical
centers such as Paris, London, Vienna and New York, they offered the
entire cycle over three consecutive evenings. This three-evening survey
was recorded in Munich in February 2006. The last sonatas were written
by Mozart between 1784 and 1788 and include Ms. Mutter‘s favorite, the
B flat major Sonata K. 454, ‘a monumental achievement,’ as she puts it.
Also available:
‘The Making of The Mozart Project’ (45’), in which Anne-Sophie Mutter
talks about her relationship to Mozart’s music.
Soloists: Anne-Sophie Mutter, Lambert Orkis
Production: A BFMI production for Unitel
in co-production with Bayerischer Rundfunk
Murray Perahia – Live in Warsaw
The Warsaw recital of legendary pianist Murray Perahia, recorded
on February 24th 2010. Available in three versions: Version 1: Johann
Sebastian Bach: Partita No. 6 in E minor, BWV 830; Ludwig van
Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 30 in E major, Op. 109; Frédéric Chopin:
Étude Op. 10, No. 4 (Length: 56 min) // Version 2: Johann Sebastian Bach:
Partita No. 6 in E minor, BWV 830; Frédéric Chopin: Ballade No. 3 in
A-flat major, Op. 47 / Étude Op. 25, No. 5 / Étude Op. 25, No. 1 / Étude Op.
10, No. 4 / Mazurka Op. 50, No. 3 / Mazurka Op. 59, No. 3 (Length: 56’) //
Version 3: Bach, Beethoven, Chopin (Length: 76’)
Prog No: 9780 I Length: 56‘ / 56‘ / 76‘ I Format: HD
The Philharmonics in Vienna
The soloists of The Philharmonics – an ensemble made up of musicians from
the Vienna Philharmonic – performing Johann Strauss waltzes arranged by
Arnold Schönberg, Anton Webern und Alban Berg in an original Viennese
Coffeehouse. Programme: ‘Rosen aus dem Süden’ arr. by Arnold Schönberg
/ ‘Kaiserwalzer’ arr. by Arnold Schönberg / ‘Lagunenwalzer’ arr. by Arnold
Schönberg (after Motives from the Opera ‘Eine Nacht in Venedig’) / ‘Wein,
Weib und Gesang’ arr. by Alban Berg / ‘Schatzwalzer’ arr. by Anton Webern
(from the Operetta ‘Der Zigeunerbaron’), ‘Alt Wien’ Godowski, ‘Marche
Miniature Viennois’ Fritz Kreisler, ‘Schön Rosmarin’ Fritz Kreisler, ‘Caprice
Viennois’ Fritz Kreisler, ‘Yiddishe Mame’ arr. by Tibor Kováč.
Orchestra: The Philharmonics I Director: Tilo Krause I Production: ACCENTUS
Music in co-production with ZDF/Arte in cooperation with Servus TV
Prog No: A055119610000
A05500495-500 I Length:
Format: 298’
HDTVI Format: HD
Trios for Violin, Cello and Piano
All three trios on this recording are lending weight to the claim that they
are the three finest and most exemplary works in this genre by Mozart.
In the earliest of the three, K. 502, Mozart broke through the traditional
predominance of the piano to give equal weight to the strings, whereby
the violin is given ample opportunity to display the soloist‘s bravura.
Joining Anne-Sophie Mutter on this recording is the internationally
acclaimed young cellist Daniel Müller-Schott. At the piano is Sir André
Previn, pianist, conductor, composer and gifted accompanist. The
stunning location of the concert – the late-Baroque Teatro Bibiena in
Mantua – bears a subtle connection to Mozart, for it is here that the
14-year-old Wolfgang gave a recital with his father in January 1770 while
on his first tour of Italy.
Soloists: Anne-Sophie Mutter, Sir André Previn,
Daniel Müller-Schott
Production: A BFMI production for UNITEL
in co-production with ZDF/Arte
Recital Arcadi Volodos
For the first time in over nine years, Arcadi Volodos has agreed to record
an entire concert for TV again. Indeed, his recital at Vienna’s Musikverein,
for which he has chosen works by Skryabin, Ravel, Schumann and Liszt,
features a line-up of Romantic to early 20th-century heavyweights,
which Volodos renders with his inimitable blend of ethereal lightness
and forceful vigor. The recital begins with a selection of pieces by
Alexander Skryabin, in which Volodos displays his phenomenal technique,
culminating in the White Mass. Under Volodos’ hands, Maurice Ravel’s
Valses nobles et sentimentales becomes ‘a kaleidoscope of transparent,
gossamer colors’ (Die Presse). While Volodos’ account of Schumann’s
Waldszenen flashes with startling harmonic echoes of the Ravel piece,
his rendition of Liszt’s Après une lecture du Dante from the Années de
pèlerinage ‘radiates modernity’ (Der Standard). The keyboard sensation
provides a further example of his artistry in his encores, in which he
demonstrates his talent for creating his own dazzling piano transcriptions
of works by other composers.
Soloists: Arcadi Volodos
Production: UNITEL and Sony Classical
in co-production with NHK, ZDF/Arte and CLASSICA
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Documentary
ENTERTAINMENT GMBH
ACCIÓN! The Story of La Fura dels Baus
Discovering Beethoven
From city streets to the world’s great stages, from underground to
establishment – this is the story of a theater collective without parallel
in the world today, La Fura dels Baus. The film starts with one of their
most widely seen productions – the gigantic opening ceremony of the
Shanghai Expo 2010 – and relates the story of this visionary ensemble
that is now setting new standards in opera production worldwide.
Elements such as flying actors, human sculptures, socio-political
critique and esotericism have helped create the ‘brand’ La Fura dels
Baus in the over 30 years of their existence.
For each symphony of the BEETHOVEN 9 project Christian Thielemann
and Joachim Kaiser present an entertaining introduction feature
with various examples and music excerpts plus documentary
with Prof. Hellsberg on Beethoven and the Wiener Philharmoniker
(A05512808 1x34’).
Director: Christoph Engel, Anca-Monica Pandelea
Director: Christoph Goldmann, Leif Karpe I Production: Ilona Grundmann
Filmproduction and UNITEL CLASSICA for ZDFkultur and TVE
Prog No: A05513244 I Length: 58’ / 81‘ I Format: HD
Prog No: A055126150000 I Length: 9 x approx. 60’ I Format: HD
Portrait Alison Balsom – The Trumpet‘s Splendour
Boris Berezovsky – Pianist and Virtuoso
In only a few years, trumpeter Alison Balsom has shot forward to
the topmost ranks of today’s instrumental soloists, reaching untold
popularity for her playing – and for the trumpet. At the latest since her
appearance in a live international broadcast of the ‘Last Night of the
Proms,’ she has become one of the best-known UK artists of today, with
sales of her CDs topping the charts. At the center of the documentary are
two performances. One is a public performance of Haydn’s celebrated
Trumpet Concerto in E flat major with the Konzerthausorchester Berlin
under the Chinese conductor Xian Zhang, recorded in the classicistic
hall of the Konzerthaus Berlin. The other is a ‘private’ recording of Bach’s
Concerto in D major BWV 972 and Gigue BWV 1008, Debussy’s ‘Syrinx’,
and George Thalben-Ball’s Elegy for trumpet and organ, performed with
organist David Goode at Berlin’s historic Sophienkirche.
The Russian Pianist Boris Berezovsky is one of the most virtuous Piano
Interpreter of our times. One can tell that for him the borders of keyboard
possibilities have not yet been reached. Boris Berezovsky brought attention
to himself with his daring dexterity at the 1990 International Tchaikovsky
Competition in Moscow. He won the Gold Medal straight off. The film
accompanies Boris Berezovsky on his musical journey. The Artist Boris
Berezovsky drives through the nightly Yekaterinburg, as a passionate player
he goes to the casino and improvises along with a little Band in a Jazz Club.
Production: AVE with ZDF in cooperation with Arte and
UNITEL CLASSICA
Director: Claus Wischmann
Alfred Brendel on Music – Three Lectures
In his lectures, which were recorded in Salzburg, Brendel, the ‘most
profound pianist of our day’ (Joachim Kaiser), takes his listeners on
a journey of discovery behind the notes and into the mysteries of the
musical world. Thanks to their mixture of theory and practical examples,
his lectures – in spite of their very high level of sophistication – are
entertaining not only for the expert, but also for everyone interested
in music. Lecture 1: Does Classical Music Have To Be Entirely Serious?
(74’); Lecture 2: Musical Character(s) As Exemplified In Beethoven’s
Piano Sonatas (72’); Lecture 3: Light And Shade Of Interpretation (79’)
Director: Mark Kidel I Production: UNITEL and CLASSICA in
cooperation with Salzburg Festival
Bayreuth – From Myth to Modernity
La Casa Dei Suoni – The House of Magical Sounds
Bayreuth – From Myth to Modernity’ describes the collapse of a world
order: the twilight of the gods depicted in ‘Götterdämmerung’ is a
powerful symbol in the canon of the Bayreuth Festival. Wagnerians of
today, however, look confidently toward the future and see in Bayreuth
less a twilight than a dawn – the dawn of a new leadership, a new
artistic direction, a new era with Wolfgang Wagner’s daughters Eva
Wagner-Pasquier and Katharina Wagner.
This film is both a memoir of the Berliner Philharmoniker director Claudio
Abbado´s early years, and a personal introduction to the orchestra. It
culminates in a deeply felt introduction to the sections of the orchestra
with Abbado leading the Youth Orchestra of a United Europe.
Director: Daniele Abbado
Production: Sony
Director: Michael Kloft, Peter Siebenmorgen
Production: Spiegel TV and UNITEL in coproduction with ZDF and
CLASSICA in cooperation with Arte
Prog No: 9311 I Length: 50‘ I Format: 4:3
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Documentary
ENTERTAINMENT GMBH
Classical Music and Cold War
Mirella Freni – A Life Devoted to Opera
In my opinion, comrades, we really should end the monotony of this
Yeah, Yeah, Yeah or whatever they call it’ (SED General Secretary Walter
Ulbricht about pop music). As classical music was considered politically
harmless in the former GDR, its education was highly encouraged. The
regime quickly discovered its great potential for generating valuable
cultural exchange — as well as much needed hard currency. Classical
music ‘made in the GDR’ became an export hit for the regime, thanks
to, for example, the Staatskapelle Dresden, the Gewandhausorchester
Leipzig and renowned artists like Kurt Masur, Peter Schreier, Franz
Konwitschny, Kurt Sanderling and Theo Adam. Through case studies of
individuals who lived under the system, ‘Classical Music and Cold War’
explores the fates of both the privileged and the non-privileged, and
delivers insight into the influence of the political system on artistic life.
The film includes interviews with contemporary witnesses both from
GDR and the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG)
Mirella Freni is one of the most remarkable soprano singers in the
world of opera. She has been winning over audiences for half a century
with her ever fresh and youthful vocals and a voice quality which
remains undiminished. In 2010, the year of her 75th birthday and the
55th anniversary of her stage debut, she receives the MIDEM Classical
Award in the category ‘Lifetime Achievement’. The portrait shows
Mirella Freni during a Singing Class at the Centro Universale del Bel
Canto (CUBeC) in her hometown of Modena. Interviews with colleagues
and friends such as tenor Plácido Domingo complete the portrait.
Director: Thomas Zintl
Production: BFMI in co-production with Arte, RBB, WDR
and ORF
Elina Garanča – Naturally A Singer
Prog No: A05500495-500
9552 I Length: 52’
I Format:
I Format:
HDTV
HD
Diana Damrau: Diva Divina – Nine Months With
The German Opera Star
Director: Marita Stocker
Production: Arthaus Musik
The challenges of a young singer today: by telling Elina Garanča’s story,
this film invites us on a journey into the heart of today’s lyrical art. It
is this intriguing contrast between the beaming singer on stage with
the young, concentrated woman, demanding and fragile in her work.
This film will be a testimony, one of a future great singer that allows
the general public to discover and understand the rise of a grand diva
today. ‘There is a moment when you close yourself off completely. You
don’t want to let anyone in because you have just given and shown
everything possible of yourself and you simply feel empty and sort of
lost. It is a special moment… so I gather all the pieces together that
I have just given. [...] Sometimes it occurs overnight. I wake up in the
morning and I realize: Yes, the cosmos has pieced me together again.’
Elina Garanča
Director: Claire Alby
Production: BFMI and UNITEL in co-production with ZDF/Arte
and CLASSICA
She is simply one of the best singers in the world,’ proclaimed the New
York Sun triumphantly after another of Diana Damrau’s spectacular
performances at the Metropolitan Opera. And while The Guardian
gushed: ‘The German soprano...has become a cult figure,’ the Frankfurter
Allgemeine Zeitung noted succinctly: ‘Whoever says coloratura says
Damrau.’ In private moments with her parents and her first teacher,
Damrau talks about her childhood and youth, about her discovery
of opera while watching TV, her early career and her international
breakthrough in 2002 in roles such as Donna Anna and Zerbinetta. The
film portrays an exciting, high-intensity, fast-paced jet-set life tempered
by the harmony of a rewarding family life with her husband, her parents
and, at the end of the film, with her brand-new baby!
Director: Beatrix Conrad
Production: Salve TV for ZDF in co-production with UNITEL,
Deutsche Welle TV and CLASSICA
Portrait Edita Gruberova – The Art of Belcanto
Edita Gruberova turned the bel canto style – as exemplified primarily
by the early 19th-century operas of Bellini and Donizetti – into her own,
unmistakable specialty. But what is the nature of bel canto? What is
the secret of her vocal gift? These are a couple of the questions the
film addresses. In addition to rehearsal excerpts from ‘Lucrezia Borgia,’
the film shows Gruberova in the title role of ‘Norma’ and as Elisabetta
in ‘Roberto Devereux’. Archival recordings allow us to admire her in
‘Rigoletto’ with Luciano Pavarotti, the legendary ‘Ariadne auf Naxos’
under Karl Böhm, and Jean-Pierre Ponnelle’s film adaptation of ‘Così fan
tutte’ under Nikolaus Harnoncourt.
Director: Stefan Pannen, Claus Wischmann I Production: Sounding Images
and UNITEL with ZDF in cooperation with Arte, SF, ORF and CLASSICA
Prog No: A05512202 I Length: 54‘ / 79’ I Format: HD
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Harnoncourt
A Legend Celebrates His 80th Birthday
The life stations of Nikolaus Harnoncourt have often been described,
filmed and discussed. For a man who has spent his entire life totally
committed to the things he is passionately interested in, it seems
inadequate merely to make a summary review of this, and so the
documentary tries, using some important examples, to describe the
man we can regard nowadays as the most important conductor of our
time. Nikolaus Harnoncourt will be 80 years old and it is 200 years
since Joseph Haydn died. Harnoncourt detests the transfigured image
of Haydn, as ‘Papa Haydn’; he wants to serve this musical genius.
As always, Nikolaus Harnoncourt’s interpretations will be exciting,
will reveal new insights and perspectives in his performances, and
Harnoncourt will, as always in his inimitable way, present ‘his’ picture of
Haydn, and this will be different from anything we have known before.
The film draws parallels between two masters of music, who in their
popularity and variety are indeed unique.
Director & Production: Felix Breisach
Prog No: 9548
A05500495-500
I Length: 60’
I Format:
I Format:
HDTV
16:9
Joseph Haydn – Libertine & His Master‘s Servant
Haydn’s lifetime saw a series of striking changes in musical style. At
the time of his birth and childhood baroque traditions still prevailed. By
the end of his life the apparent stability of the classical style was being
challenged, notably by Beethoven. Haydn did not simply live through
this long development; he was a central part of it. Nele Münchmeyer’s
documentary throws light upon Haydn as the ingenious composer and as
the private person – the ‘Libertine’ in his private life and the ‘Servant’ as
the Kapellmeister of Esterházys. The film includes excerpts from highly
acclaimed performances of Haydn works. Amongst them are: the opera
Armida with the German Soprano Annette Dasch, Arias from Haydn
performed by the Freiburger Barockorchester and the Baritone Thomas
Quasthoff, performances of ‘Die Schöpfung’ and ‘Die Jahreszeiten’
conducted by Roger Norrington.
Director: Nele Münchmeyer
Production: BFMI in co-production with ZDF
High-Performance Sports – Singing Opera
What do Jonas Kaufmann, Anja Harteros, Piotr Beczala and Daniel
Behle have in common? Besides being internationally acclaimed
singers, they’re all ‘vocal athletes’ who keep their voices in shape. In
this ‘rewarding documentary’ (Opernglas), filmmakers Barbara and
Wolfgang Wunderlich team up with Thomas Voigt to examine the
physical and psychological hurdles that constantly face professional
singers. Next to theoretical matters, the program offers a generous
selection of musical excerpts that illustrate the topic at hand and shed
light into the complex interplay of every singer’s body and mind.
Director: Thomas Voigt, Wolfgang Wunderlich
Production: Wunderlich Medien GbR in coproduction with SWR, ORF,
UNITEL and CLASSICA
Horowitz: The Last Romantic
After a few years rest and some at-home unofficial rehabilitation
Horowitz was ready to begin performing again. Horowitz recorded the
material on this production in his own living room. We see a rejuvinated,
different Horowitz, someone in much more control than in the 1982 and
1983 recitals. The only thing lacking in Horowitz’s performance from
this point on was preparation, Horowitz admittedly did not practice very
much and it shows. The film was awarded with two Emmy Awards in
the category ‘Outstanding Classical Program in the Performing Arts’:
Peter Gelb (executive producer), Susan Frömke (producer), Vladimir
Horowitz (star) and in the category ‘Outstanding Individual Achievement
– Classical Music/Dance Programming Directing’: Albert Maysles,
David Maysles. It was nominated for Emmy Award in the category:
‘Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Variety or Music Series or a Special’:
Lee Dichter (sound mixer), Lawrence Loewinger (sound mixer).
Programme: J.S. Bach: Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland, BWV 659 Transcribed for piano Ferruccio Busoni – Mozart: Piano Sonata No.10 in
C major, K.330 – Chopin: Mazurka No.13 in A minor Op.17 No.4, Scherzo
No.1 in B minor, Op.20 – Schubert: 4 Impromptus, Op.90, D.899: No.4
in A flat – Liszt: 6 Consolations: No. 3 in D flat major (Lento, placido)
– Schumann: Noveletten, Op.21: No.1 in F (Markiert und kräftig) –
Rachmaninoff: Prélude in G sharp minor, Op.32, No.12 – Scriabin: Etude
Director: Albert Maysles, David Maysles
Production: Sony
Horowitz: A Reminiscence
After Horowitz’s death Wanda was interviewed for this production.
Also included are segments of the 1974 footage including excerpts
from Clementi’s Sonata in F-sharp minor and complete performances of
Scriabin’s Vers la Flamme, op. 72 and Chopin’s Introduction and Rondo,
op. 16) and segments from ‘The Last Romantic.’
Director: Pat Jaffe, Bob Eisenhardt
Production: Sony
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The Impossible Dream
Inside Karajan
On the evening of July 7, 1990 an ‘impossible dream’ came true. Against
the majestic backdrop of the Baths of Caracalla in Rome, superstar
tenors José Carreras, Placído Domingo and Luciano Pavarotti were
joined by conductor Zubin Mehta and more than two hundred musicians
for a spectacular event that was to make musical history. ‘The Impossible
Dream’ is telling the extraordinary story of this massive musical megahit. Featuring interviews with the three star tenors, this documentary
offers a unique glimpse behind the scenes, documenting the creation
and impact of this unparalleled musical phenomenon.
Very few people really knew Herbert von Karajan. The conductor
gave access to his private life only a little circle of strictly loyal
people who kept their secrets even long after the maestro’s death.
This documentary for the first time shows in the whole dimension the
real man Karajan: not only the image of a dandy that he himself had
shown to the public, but the unfiltered image of his personality. Newly
discovered original film footage from the inner circle shows Karajan’s
private life like it really was.
Director: Ignazio Agosta
Production: A Mario Dradi Production with Salzburg Festival
Director: Otto Schwarz
Production: UNITEL in co-production with ORF
Inside The Infernal Comedy
Herbert von Karajan – Maestro for the Screen
John Leake, who spent 3 years researching the Unterweger case
in minute detail (‘entering Hades’), in conversation with Michael
Sturminger, the author and director of the Infernal Comedy. Martin
Haselböck, the conductor of the Vienna Academy Orchestra, illuminates
the beginnings and musical conception of this utterly new form with
classical 18th century arias and the fate of a 20th century serial killer
to create a profound evening of musical theatre. The truth and nothing
but the truth.
Herbert von Karajan was the important conductor, who created film
and later video productions on his own responsibility. ‘I am actually
born too early’, he said, well knowing, that the video possibilities were
still in their very beginnings. Georg Wübbolt made interviews with
Karajan’s team: his Director of photography, his cutter, his secretary,
his producer and musicians of Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra and
Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. This documentary includes outstanding
performance material from the UNITEL and Telemondial library, as well
as unreleased digitally remastered excerpts from the legendary RBB
(SFB) and ORF archive.
Director: Matthias Leutzendorff
Production: film+co.
Prog No: A05500495-500
9783 I Length: 44’
I Format:
I Format:
HDTV
HD
Production: BFMI with RBB/Arte and BR
Karajan or Beauty As I See It
Who was Herbert von Karajan? What lurks behind the enigmatic face
of this man, on whom more has been written than on any other member
of his profession? For many, he was the epitome of classical music, for
others the embodiment of the music market. He was the last dictator
among orchestral conductors, and the first successful large-scale
music entrepreneur. And in everything he did, he was ahead of his time.
This documentary is the first to truly penetrate behind Karajan’s regal
façade. The program is structured along the personal recollections
and interviews, the rehearsals and concerts of the maestro. Much of
the material has been drawn from the archives of Unitel, the firm that
produced his music films for 12 years. This footage is supplemented by
many candid and revealing comments by some of the men and women
who accompanied him on his path to legendary status. The result is
a multi-faceted, multi-layered portrait of the artist – a portrait that
ultimately deepens the mystery of one of the greatest conductors of the
20th century.
Director: Robert Dornhelm, Christoph Engel
Production: UNITEL, MR Film in co-production with ORF, ZDF, SF, SMG
and Classica with kind support of the Fernsehfonds Austria
Kinshasa Symphony
Two hundred orchestral musicians are playing Orff’s ‘Carmina Burana’
in total darkness. A power cut has hit the Ngiri Ngiri district of Kinshasa,
only a few bars before the last section of the work. Kinshasa’s power
stations and main networks are insufficient to supply electricity to all
the 8 million inhabitants of what is Africa’s third-largest city. Once again
the lights have gone out in the ‘Salle des fêtes’, a kind of open garage
where the orchestra practises. But for its members this is no reason to
stop rehearsing. Most of them know their parts by heart. Small lapses
of memory are compensated for by a talent for improvisation and the
grace of God.
Director: Claus Wischmann, Martin Baer I Production: Sounding
Images in co-production with WDR and RBB
Prog No: 9547 I Length: 90‘ / 60’ I Format: HD
Carlos Kleiber – I Am Lost To The World
Carlos Kleiber, the eccentric and reclusive conductor was a fabled
perfectionist who was known as much for the rarity of his appearances
as for the brilliance of his interpretations. Georg Wübbolt’s film sheds
light on the relationships with his family, including his father and
mother, traces the development of Kleiber’s career and covers the
‘mythologizing’ that started during the lifetime of the maestro.
Production: BFMI with ZDF/3sat
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Komeda – A Soundtrack for A Life
Gustav Mahler – Autopsy of a Genius
Krzysztof Komeda – Jazz pianist and film composer. With compositions
like the lullaby for ‘Rosemary´s Baby’ from Roman Polanski, Komeda
succeeded in writing his own chapter in the history of soundtracks. As
a Jazz musician he gained cult-status in Poland. As a film composer
he made it into Hollywood’s first ranks. But there his career came to
a sudden end. The film essay ’Komeda – A Soundtrack for a Life’ is a
reflection on Komeda’s soundtracks, which changed the common film
scores forever. It is a contemporary document about the attitude to life
in a time of social, political and cultural change after war, about work
and exodus of Polish artist in the 50s and 60s. Directors who worked
with Komeda and who are also friends will talk about him: Roman
Polanski, Jerzy Skolimowski, Henning Carlsen and Andrzej Wajda. His
wife, Zofia Komeda, and his sister, Irena Orlowska, remember him.
In three chapters, this documentary tells Mahler’s story during the
period when he is head of the Vienna Opera, in realist form and going
against any romanticized images we may have of the subject. The
film places the spectator in Mahler’s shoes and investigates using
documented evidence (drawing from the latest research discoveries)
and a visual sensuality, the ambiances, sounds and colours, trends, ebbs
and flows, successes, and also the fanaticism and hostilities as Mahler
felt and experienced them himself. Mahler’s portrait comes to life
through the places he took possession of: his office at the Vienna Opera,
his conductor’s podium, his summer home where he composed and his
fetish objects: glasses, musical scores, manuscripts … . The idea is not
to present a fixed image for the spectator, but to suggest the musician’s
personality so that those watching can develop their own impressions
and images of the musician. His voice only, is played by an actor. This is
therefore not a docu-drama of an actor incarnating Mahler, but a vision
attempting to recreate the soul of a man, rather than an idol.
Director: Claudia Buthenhoff-Duffy
Production: Benedikt Pictures
Director: Andy Sommer
Production: Bel Air Media in cooperation with EuroARTS
Music International and UNITEL
Prog No: 9781
A05500495-500
I Length: 52’
I Format:
I Format:
HDTV
HD
Mozart 22 Documentaries
The Mahler Project – Documentary
Mozart22’ is an enterprise of utterly unique dimensions, the musical
project of the century: all of Mozart’s stage works presented over the
course of six weeks during the 2006 Salzburg Festival. The project
brought together the greatest Mozart singers, conductors, stage
directors and ensembles of the day. To make this extraordinary artistic
achievement accessible to a broad public, the entire ‘Mozart22’
cycle was recorded with the highest-quality HD technology and
5.1 Dolby Digital sound. Each work in the cycle is also examined in
documentaries containing excerpts from rehearsals, interviews with
artists, and background reports that shed light on the meticulously
elaborated, multilayered concepts of the musical interpretations and
stage productions.
The Mahler Project: A fascinating documentary on the musical world
of Gustav Mahler as seen by the two great musicians, and a recording
of Mahler’s colossal Ninth. ‘Mahler created a new world with each of
his symphonies (...) It is a fantastic journey for both of us’. With these
few words, Daniel Barenboim sums up the vast scope of a project
undertaken with his friend Pierre Boulez: two very different world-class
conductors tackle all nine completed symphonies of Gustav Mahler
(1860-1911) with one orchestra, the Staatskapelle Berlin. Performed
as a complete cycle in Berlin, Vienna and New York, the concerts
were a tremendous success. The Financial Times even wrote: ‘New
York is going Mahler mad.’ Before embarking on this journey, the two
conductors underwent a long period of reflection and discussion. In
this documentary, director Christoph Engel compiles a rich selection
of statements, conversations and musical excerpts which show how
differently each maestro approaches this mighty oeuvre.
Director: Carl Plötzeneder
Production: UNITEL in cooperation with Salzburg Festival
and CLASSICA
Prog No: A045005350000 I Length: 20 x 52’ I Format: HD
Director: Christoph Engel
Production: UNITEL in coproduction with CLASSICA
in cooperation with STAATSOPER UNTER DEN LINDEN
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My time will come – Gustav Mahler as
remembered by Natalie Bauer-Lechner
Filmmaker Beate Thalberg has crafted a docu-drama based on a littleknown source of information on Gustav Mahler, the diaries of Natalie
Bauer-Lechner, Mahler’s long-time confidante. The film portraits Mahler’s
private and professional life from his student years in Vienna up to his
marriage with Alma Schindler. The diaries evoke the man behind the artist
and testify not only to Mahler’s erratic character and to his humor, but also
to his dramatic struggle for recognition as a composer.
Director: Beate Thalberg I Production: A co-production of ORF, BR,
3sat, Bundesministerium für Unterricht, Kunst und Kultur, Tellux-Film,
UNITEL CLASSICA and SF in cooperation with merkur.tv
Prog No: A04500622 I Length: 58’ / 52’ I Format: HD
Portrait Albrecht Mayer –
The Magic of the Oboe
Unlike the piano, the violin or even the flute, the oboe is a relatively
rare instrument for a solo career. And when a soloist such as Albrecht
Mayer plays the oboe, one wishes composers had written more works
for this sweetly mellow instrument. Critics write about the ‘divine spark’
that inspires his playing, and about the ‘miraculous oboe’ that turns
into ‘an instrument of seduction.’ With his particularly warm tone and
exceptionally broad palette of nuances, it’s no surprise that Albrecht
Mayer is one of today’s most sought-after international oboists. In this
documentary portrait of the oboist, we retrace the musician’s impressive
career and witness some of its many high points.
Production: A BFMI Production for UNITEL in co-production with
Bayerischer Rundfunk
Malibran Rediscovered – Cecilia Bartoli
Cecilia Bartoli celebrates the 200th birthday of Maria Malibran with
her personal tribute to female superstar Maria Malibran, one of the
most famous opera singers of the 19th century. Malibran’s extensive,
exceptionally varied repertoire also demanded a range of emotional and
dramatic expressiveness to which only an outstanding talent like Cecilia
Bartoli’s could do justice. ‘Malibran rediscovered’ features a fascinating
67 minute film following Cecilia Bartoli as she researches the life of
Maria Malibran and records their ‘Maria’ album.
Director: Michael Sturminger
Production: LOTUS FILM
Prog No: 9208
A05500495-500
I Length: 52’
I Format:
I Format:
HDTV
16:9
Marsalis on Music
The Most Beautiful Operas of All Time
A series for young people of our time, it embraces classical music as well
as jazz. After each performance, Marsalis illuminates the music in terms
that everyone can understand, using language that is clear and simple,
and infused with the colourful vernacular of Jazz. Musical performances
include ‘The Nutcracker’, Prokofiev´s ‘Classical Symphony’, ‘Stars and
Stripes Forever’ and more.
Reach out with ‘The Most Beautiful Operas of All Time’ format
to a viewership beyond the typical classical music fans: Present
the most beautiful operas of all time by combining the broadcast
of the documentaries with the according opera productions in
as many different stagings as you like. Let the viewers not
only discover the rich world and full variety of opera music but
also let them choose the ‘most beautiful opera of all time’ and
create the classical music TV-event which is widely perceived
in all media. Documentaries: AIDA, L A BOHÈME, CARMEN, DON
GIOVANNI, FIDELIO, LOHENGRIN, DER ROSENK AVALIER, TOSCA,
L A TRAVIATA, DIE ZAUBERFLÖTE
Director: Michael Lindsay-Hogg
Production: Sony
Prog No: 9313 I Length: 4 x 60’ I Format: 4:3
Kurt Masur – Adventures in Listening
Director: Dag Freyer, Andreas Dutschke, Jürgen Schindler,
Nicole Kraack, Matthias Schmidt, Nils Negendank
Production: SMP Signed Media Production for
ZDFtheaterkanal, 3sat and UNITEL Classica
Kurt Masur, one of the world’s great Maestros, challenges and teaches
the next generation of young musicians and conductors by stretching
their limits and transforming their perspectives and abilities. Following
master classes around the world over a period of few years, the
film is a carefully constructed collage organically interviewing the
maestro’s teachings and his personal life experiences. The result is a
comprehensive emotional portrait of one of the most respected music
conductors of our time.
Director: Amit Breuer
Production: Amythos Films
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The Most Beautiful Song –
A Search for Singers with Thomas Quasthoff
(Documentary)
Thomas Quasthoff founded this contest ‘Das Lied’ to ensure that the Lied, which
the baritone calls ‘the most beautiful form of music making,’ continues to hold
its place in the concert repertoire of the future. The film accompanies some of
the young singers during the competition’s three rounds, providing a showcase
not only for beautiful voices and poignant Lieder, but also, and above all, for
emotions. The hopes and disappointments, the joys and doubts, the tension and
exhilaration of the young singers are all captured on film. And it soon emerges
that the contest is as stimulating and galvanizing for the jurors as it is for the
contestants! Excerpts from the closing gala concert recorded at the sumptuous
Apollo Hall of the Staatsoper Unter den Linden Berlin round off the film.
Production: UNITEL in co-production with rbb and CLASSICA
in cooperation with ‘Das Lied – International Song Competition’
Kent Nagano Conducts Classical Masterpieces –
Documentaries
Six great composers, six landmark symphonies, a top orchestra and
its star conductor – these are the components of an extraordinary
classical-music television event. Shot in High Definition, it takes a bold
and innovative approach to the recording of classical music. Boom
and tracking shots, quick cuts, remote-controlled cameras – stylistic
means previously used chiefly for pop music recordings give the
programs an up-to-the-minute look and feel. A team of more than 30
specialists makes sure that viewers enjoy a truly cinematic experience.
The programs also go new ways by featuring entertaining, historically
founded animated sequences illustrating episodes from the lives of
the composers. Backstage interviews with the musicians and excerpts
from their rehearsals let us share in the spirit of their music-making.
Conductor Kent Nagano also relates what is of special importance to him
in each work, and offers fascinating insights on the origin and context
of the work in question.
Documentaries: Bruckner, Symphony No. 8 – Mozart, Symphony
No.41 ‘Jupiter’ – Beethoven, Symphony No.3 ‘Eroica’ – Strauss,
Alpensymphonie (An Alpine Symphony) – Schumann, Symphony
No.3 – Brahms, Symphony No.4
Director: Oliver Becker, Ellen Fellmann
Production: A BFMI production for Deutsche Welle
in co-production with UNITEL CLASSICA
Prog No: A05500495-500
A05512410 I Length:
I Format:
60’ I HDTV
Format: HD
Music, Mon Amour
Portrait Andris Nelsons
‘Music, Mon Amour’ delves into the secret of a grand passion – the love
of music. What makes it irresistible? Why can’t we live without music? In
‘Music, Mon Amour’ we embark on a search for clues – together with the
Israeli singer Yasmin Levy, the Japanese violinist Midori and the German
composer Helmut Oehring. They reveal their deep love of music and talk of
the joy and despair that go with it. Their accounts, intimate and affecting,
and from widely differing perspectives, convey their existential and
contradictory relationship to music. Aired successfully on Arte.
Ever since he emerged on the international stage a few years ago,
young Latvian conductor Andris Nelsons (born in 1978) has been heaped
with praise by critics, audiences and musicians alike. Filmmaker Astrid
Bscher accompanied him during the entire year in which he made his
international breakthrough. She documented his work as Music Director
of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, and conducting other
great orchestras and opera ensembles. Bscher speaks with Nelsons
about his childhood in Riga, his studies in St. Petersburg, his years at the
Latvian National Opera, his international breakthrough with the support
of the great conductor Mariss Jansons, and his plans for the future.
Director: Daniela Schmidt-Langels & Günther Huesmann
Production: BFMI with ZDF/Arte
Director: Astrid Bscher I Production: Filmfritz GmbH in co-production
with UNITEL CLASSICA
Ozawa
This 1985 documentary focuses on conductor Seiji Ozawa and the
behind-the-scenes world of the symphony orchestra. It communicates
the intensity and passion Ozawa brings to his works as conductor and
teacher, and shows him in the context of his relationship with former
masters, current students and family. It also explores the cultural
tensions that caused him to leave Japan and begin a career in the West.
Director: Deborah Dickson, Susan Froemke,
Albert Maysles, David Maysles
Production: Sony
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Passion – Last Stop Kinshasa
The Promise of Music
Founded in 1984, Alain Platel’s modern-dance ensemble ‘Les ballets C de
la B’ of Ghent, Belgium, has since become a renowned, powerful, highly
professional and rousingly virtuoso troupe. The ensemble performed Platel’s
work ‘pitié! Erbarme dich’ in many traditional musical centers such as Paris,
Berlin and Tokyo. For the final performances of his work, however, Platel
wanted a very special venue and chose Kinshasa, the Congolese capital,
which gave rise to a daring and enormously enriching experience. Filmmakers
Jörg Jeshel and Brigitte Kramer accompanied the ensemble within Europe
and then to Africa. They portray the rare encounter of classical music and
modern dance with African reality, a celebration of passion and compassion.
The Promise of Music is a full-length feature film about the story
of Gustavo Dudamel and the Simón Bolívar Youth Orchestra of
Venezuela. The film documents Dudamel preparing his orchestra in
Caracas for their upcoming concert at the Beethovenfest in Bonn,
2007. Following different young musicians in their day-to-day lives,
the film shows how classical music has the capability of changing
both the individual and their environment. A unique and deeply
moving look behind the scenes of one of the most talked about
phenomena in the musical world of today!
Director: Brigitte Kramer, Jörg Jeshel
Production: nachtaktivfilm in co-production with UNITEL CLASSICA
commissioned by ZDF in collaboration with Arte
Director: Enrique Sánchez Lansch I Production: A BFMI production for
Deutsche Welle and UNITEL CLASSICA
Murray Perahia – Not Of This World
Puccini – The dark side of the moon
After over thirty years on the concert stage the pianist Murray Perahia
has himself become a legend, one of the most sought-after pianists of
our time. This film is not designed to be a conventional portrait. The
documentary observes Perahia at work on the interpretation of some
pieces by Chopin and Schumann at his holiday home in Switzerland.
It shows him as conductor of the famous Academy of St. Martin in
the Fields, follows him into the recording studio and a master class
in Hanover and finally captures a concert performance at a Warsaw
Chopin recital in February 2010. Interviews with Murray Perahia cast
light on his approach to music, his personality and the way he has
managed to cope with the personal crises that has beset him.
The Italian composer, Giacomo Puccini is reputed to have once
described himself as ‘a passionate hunter of water birds, texts and
women.’ It was an ironic description of the problems which are said to
have accompanied him throughout his life. He was indeed a passionate,
yet terrible, hunter. With every opera he wrote, he wore out numerous
librettists in the search for the perfect text, because unlike Mozart, he
couldn’t write a single note before the ‘script’ for a new piece of work
was just as he wanted it – and for as long as he lived, he was almost
manic in his hunt for and collection of beautiful women… . The film by
Andreas Morell looks at Giacomo Puccini’s life from the point of view
of his psychological manic preoccupation with one subject: women.
He makes connections between the women in Puccini’s life and those
in his operas, looking as he goes, at what made Puccini tick. Starting
with a characteristic situation in Vienna in 1923 – one year before the
composer’s death – the film offers an insight into Puccini and reflects
a repetitive pattern which spanned almost three decades of his life.
As he summarised for his own credo: ‘I cannot compose without love
in my life!’
Production: Sounding Images / Dokfilm in co-production with
RBB and Arte
Production: LAVA FILM
Portrait André Previn – A Bridge Between Two Worlds
The Reichsorchester
Sir André Previn is one of the most multi-talented and prominent
musicians of our time. In this intimate portrait, we meet a composer of
music of all genres, a conductor, arranger, pianist and jazz musician, and
winner of four Academy Awards for his film scores. Among the musical
and artistic personalities contributing to this documentary are the
great soprano Renée Fleming, Previn’s ex-wife Mia Farrow, world-class
violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter, playwright Tom Stoppard, Previn’s sons
and others. In candid conversations with the versatile musician, they
help capture the essence of an artist who is truly at home in the different
cultural worlds of America and Europe.
In 2009 the Berlin Philharmonic celebrated its 125th year. The orchestra
is using its jubilee as an opportunity to examine a rather unknown
chapter in its history: The years under the rule of the National Socialists
(between 1933 and 1945). Thanks to contemporary witnesses from the
orchestra and its fringes who are still alive today, and thanks also to
extensive and until now unappraised archive materials, it is possible
to gain an insight into this microcosmos: where does the thin line run
separating autonomy from entanglement, innocence from guilt? A
chapter from the history of Germany and Berlin, as gripping as it is
volatile, comes to life once more.
Director: Lillian Birnbaum, Peter Stephan Jungk I Production: DOR
Film and UNITEL in co-production with ORF and CLASSICA
Director: Enrique Sánchez Lansch I Production: Eikon Media GmbH
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Vadim Repin – a Magician of Sound
Salsa in Salzburg
Born in Siberia in 1971, Vadim Repin started to play violin at the age of five
and had his first stage performance six months later. At only eleven he
won the gold medal in all age categories in the Wienawski Competition
and gave his recital debuts in Moscow and St Petersburg. In 1985 at
fourteen he made his debuts in Tokyo, Munich, Berlin, Helsinki; a year
later in Carnegie Hall. Two years later Vadim Repin was the youngest
ever winner of the most prestigious and demanding violin competition in
the world, the Reine Elisabeth Concours. From the vastness of Siberia to
world fame, the violin virtuoso Vadim Repin returns to where his career
began, for a Brahms tour, far away from the cultural centre of Moscow.
From Irkutsk at Lake Baikal to Novosibirsk, we follow the magnificent
artist to the West, where Yehudi Menuhin once called him the ‘most
perfect violinist in the world’ he ever heard.
Under the heading ‘Party in the Felsenreitschule,’ the Munich daily
Münchner Merkur boldly proclaimed: ‘Venezuela’s Simón Bolívar Youth
Orchestra guests at the Salzburg Festival – and delivers the biggest
audience hit of the summer.’ Rarely has an orchestra reached out and
grabbed its audience in such a visceral manner; and even more rarely
has such a feat been accomplished by an orchestra of youngsters
between the ages of 12 and 26! The Simón Bolívar Youth Orchestra, the
Salzburg Festival’s resident orchestra of 2008, is a product of the
‘Sistema de Orquestas’ set up to allow children of all social levels to
learn a musical instrument and play in an ensemble. Today, 250,000
youths are learning from 15,000 instructors and playing in over 120
youth orchestras and nearly 60 children’s orchestras. Some of the
Sistema’s finest players were picked to form the S.B.Y.O. and to work
in Salzburg with such outstanding musicians as Nikolaus Harnoncourt
and Martha Argerich.
Director: Claudia Wilke
Production: Willke Film in co-production with BR,
VRT-Canvas and Arte
Prog No: A05500495-500
9826 I Length: 52’
I Format:
I Format:
HDTV
HD
Director: Martin Schneider
Production: UNITEL CLASSICA and BFMI
in cooperation with Salzburg Festival for ZDF/Arte
Rhythm is it!
Christine Schäfer – My Art of Singing
250 children and teenagers, most of them with no experience of classical
music, are rehearsing Stravinsky‘s The Rite of Spring. Charting the steps
taken by protagonists Marie, Martin and Olayinka, RHYTHM IS IT! is the
passionate and observant account of the first major education project
undertaken by the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra under the leadership
of Sir Simon Rattle.
In this light-hearted documentary portrait, Christine Schäfer reveals
how she has come to position herself in the top ranks of today’s
sopranos while still maintaining her artistic freedom. With razorsharp
wit and intelligence, she describes how she keeps herself grounded in
a world that craves celebrities. Among the friends and colleagues who
provide insights into her artistry as well as her refreshing normality are
conductors Christian Thielemann and Sylvain Cambreling, stage director
Christoph Marthaler, music journalist Jürgen Kesting, singer José van
Dam and others.
Director: Enrique Sánchez Lansch, Thomas Grube
Production: Boomtown Media
Director: Felix Schmidt, Dieter Schneider I Production: FTS Media and
UNITEL in co-production with CLASSICA for ZDF in cooperation with Arte
In Memoriam Mstislav Rostropovich
This Unitel documentary with unreleased footage material – produced in
the course of his 80th birthday in March 2007 – shows the eventful and
emotional life of the extraordinary cellist Mstislaw Rostropovich. In one of
his last interviews, Mstislaw Rostropovich draws a touching bow from his
childhood in Russia – when he suffered from the apathy of his father - to
his emigration, his enormous prosperities in a foreign country and to the
point of his triumphal return back home. The portrait describes emotional
moments in the life of one of the most important cellists and lights up the
political and social commitment of the artist. Companions and pupil of the
musician like the composer Krzysztof Penderecki, Natalia Gutman and
Maxim Vengerov give an impression of who and how he was.
Director: Enrique Sánchez Lansch I Production: UNITEL
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School for the Ear –
West-Eastern Divan Orchestra
The idea of uniting young musicians from Israel, Palestine and
various Arab countries into a musical ensemble still seems
incredible today. Yet such an orchestra has been flourishing since
1999, when Daniel Barenboim and Edward Said founded the WestEastern Divan Orchestra. At the 2007 Salzburg Festival, during the
orchestras residency, Daniel Barenboim led a musical workshop
called ‘School for the Ear.’ In the first part, Barenboim explores the
phenomenon of sound and the importance of the human ear. The
second part features the fiery 24-year-old conductor Robin Ticciati
in a rehearsal of Beethoven’s third Leonore Overture punctuated
by the Maestro’s insightful comments and heated discussions
with the young conductor. In the third part the great composer and
conductor Pierre Boulez rehearses Béla Bartók ’s rarely played
‘Four Orchestral Pieces,’ answering questions from the audience
and the musicians.
Production: Fundacíon Barenboim-Said in cooperation with
UNITEL with the support of Junta de Andalucía
Antonio Vivaldi – The Red Priest
This fascinating film tells the exciting life-story of the world-renowned
composer Antonio Vivaldi, the redhaired priest. Famous artists and
musicologists describe the great importance of Vivaldi’s music for our
time. Highlight of the film is the terrific world premiere of Vivaldi’s great
choral work ‘Dixit Dominus’, which was attributed to his contemporary
Baldassare Galuppi for more than 200 years. Recorded at original
locations in Venice, Vienna and Dresden and others.
Director: Kurt Ockermüller
Production: Eikon
Sasha Waltz – Garden of Lust
This film portrait of the choreographer Sasha Waltz depicts the progress
of her work between 1992 and 2007, describing her exhilarating course
through from the early choreographies to her large opera productions.
An appreciation for Contemporary Dance and an insight into the life and
work of the choreographer are conveyed filmically and entertainingly.
Director: Brigitte Kramer
Production: NACHTAKTIV
Prog No: A045005250000
A05500495-500 II Format:
Length: HDTV
3 x 45’ I Format: HD
Victims & Seducers – The Fate Of The Castrati
The World of the Wiener Philharmoniker
An expert in the virtuoso and often unjustly forgotten coloratura music
of the Baroque era, the great mezzo-soprano Cecilia Bartoli showcased
the repertoire of the castrato singers in her successful CD/DVD
‘Sacrificium – The Art of the Castrati.’ She is the face of the present
documentary, in which she takes us into the intriguing world of the
castrati, and lends her voice to the great Farinelli in performances of
rediscovered bravura works. The film features dramatic re-enactments
that alternate with information on medical, historical and sociological
aspects of the castrato phenomenon.
Director: Cristina Trebbi, Stefan Schneider
Production: Gruppe 5 Filmproduktion for ZDF
in co-production with UNITEL and CLASSICA
For the first time we have received the unique and wonderful opportunity
to give a close-up and detailed account on the insides of this institution.
For one whole season, we received the permission to be part of every
decision-making process, all the way to the actual performance.
You have the chance to dive into the working world of this world
famous and renowned orchestra. What does it take to become a
Vienna Philharmonic? What are the motivations to become a Vienna
Philharmonic? What are the emotions an individual philharmonic feels
when he looks back at over 40 years of music? What is the Vienna
Philharmonic secret to success? Interviews with all the musicians,
conductors and the people in the background will give us answers to
these questions and much more.
!
Rolando Villazón: Viva México!
Director: Daniel Schmutzer
Production: A coproduction of Seven Productions,
Schmutzer Productions and ORF in cooperation with
UNITEL Classica with support of RTR
A lively documentary and road movie with Rolando Villazón. His very
personal homage to Mexico and to the beautiful Mexican songs
like ‘Bésame mucho’, ‘Cucurrucucú paloma’, ’Noche de ronda’ and
‘Solamente una vez’. The programme also includes a medley of ‘Cielito
lindo’ and ‘México lindo y querido’ as well as other internationally
familiar standards.
Director: Peter Schönhofer
Production: ZDF in cooperation with Universal Music Classical
Management & Productions and UNITEL
Prog No: A04500526 I Length: 59’ / 82’ I Format: HD
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All in One Hand
The Pianist Paul Wittgenstein
Paul Wittgenstein, Austrian concert pianist, loses his arm at the age
of twenty-seven, while serving as an officer in the First World War.
Nonetheless, he is set on continuing his career. Major composers,
such as Ravel and Strauss write concerts for him, from which he
gains international acclaim. Forced to leave Austria by the Nazis, he
dies in New York in 1961. Paul’s father, Karl Wittgenstein millionaire
and chief Austrian ‘iron and steel baron’, determined to have his
five sons follow in his footsteps and become industrialists, he does
not permit them to pursue artistic careers. Ultimately, he will pay
for his intransigence with the lives of his three eldest children who
escape their father’s authority by committing suicide. Finally, Karl
Wittgenstein allows his two remaining sons the freedom to choose
their own profession. Ludwig, the younger brother of Paul, turns to
philosophy. Paul Wittgenstein’s biography is an extraordinary lifeaffirming story. It is the tale of a man who perseveres in the face of
seemingly insurmountable obstacles and prevails.
Production: BFMI with BR/Arte and ORF
Prog No: A05500495-500
9553 I Length: 60’
I Format:
I Format:
HDTV
HD
Portrait Fritz Wunderlich – Life and Legend
Fritz Wunderlich is one of those singers whom I’ve never felt were
historical. In his recordings he sounds so much of the present, that
it’s as though he were still among us.’ These comments by Rolando
Villazón make it clear that the book of Fritz Wunderlich’s life is by no
means closed. Forty years after his tragic death, he has a far more
potent presence through his recordings than he had during his lifetime.
He continues to reach his public, whether they are fans who know his
recordings inside-out or people, hearing his voice for the first time.
Director: Thomas Staehler I Production: Loopfilm GmbH / Wunderlich
Medien GbR in co-production with Deutsche Grammophon, ORF, SF,
CLASSICA and UNITEL in collaboration with Arte / SWR / BR
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Anastacia plays Avo Session
‘My concerts will become more intimate and I will bring my sound
even closer to my fans.’ This was Anastacia’s promise to her audience
before she started her new world tour. With her appearance at the AVO
SESSION Basel, she gives us solid proof to back up her promise. It will
be a special experience hearing this diva of soul-pop, with a voice like
a lion’s roar, deliver worldwide hits like ‘Not That Kind’ and ‘Sick And
Tired’ in an intimate club-like setting.
Director: Roli Bärlocher
Production: Avo Session Basel, SRF, CME
Paul Anka plays Avo Session
Paul Anka’s debut hit single ‘Diana’ catapulted him immediately into the
Hall of Fame in 1957 at the tender age of 16, making him the youngest
millionaire in the history of music. The hits that followed: ‘Lonely Boy’
and ‘Put Your Head On My Shoulder’ made the Canadian singer with
Lebanese roots the most successful entertainer since Elvis. Ever since
he started composing for other musicians, Anka has been one of the
most successful musicians of all times. Buddy Holly’s ‘It Doesn’t Matter
Anymore’ and Tom Jones’ ‘She’s a Lady’ were both written by Anka. He
also wrote the lyrics for Frank Sinatra’s ‘My Way’ and Michael Bublé is
his protégé. He has released over 120 albums and sold over 100 million
records. These days, Paul Anka is known as the last great crooner,
seasoned after years of singing in the big casinos of Las Vegas. When
he translates his own as well as cover songs into elegant swing and
gives his charm free reign on the stage, Anka glorifies the purest, most
beautiful form of entertainment. Joined by his Big Band he presents
his programme ‘Rock Swings’ including famous rock classics in Swing
versions at AVO SESSION Basel.
Goran Bregovic Wedding and Funeral Band
plays Avo Session
Bregovic and his ‘Wedding and Funeral Band’ became known in multiawarded Serbian director Emir Kusturica’s films. Of course, Bregovic
- who turned sixty last year - was already a musician long before. In
the seventies, he was a member of ‘Bjielo Dugme’, Yugoslavia’s most
successful rock band, which was popular all over the Eastern bloc. His
Wedding and Funeral Band, however, also incorporates folklore. There are
always singers in traditional costumes and a few horn players who play
their old fashioned instruments at superhuman speeds. At AVO SESSION,
they perform cross over music mixed between different styles.
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Mary J. Blige plays Avo Session
Rosanne Cash plays AVO Session
With over 40 million albums sold worldwide, nine Grammys and just as
many albums not to mention the unequivocal title ‘Queen of Hip Hop
Soul’: Mary J. Blige is a true diva in the best sense of the word. Her
music is as big as her personality and like any true diva this native New
Yorker is also a style icon.
The great Grammy-winning singer/songwriter and daughter of Johnny
Cash takes us on a Grand Tour through all of America’s musical
landscapes: Country, Pop and Folk/Americana. Her fourteen record
albums, released over the last twenty-five years, have produced no
less than eleven number one singles. She has also earned numerous
accolades for her song writing and performances.
Blush play Avo Session
Chic feat. Nile Rodgers play Avo Session
The silky smooth pop songs of Blush evoke the North, in fact, you might
even think they were from Sweden or Denmark, where light, but clever
pop has a long tradition. These four boys, however, are at home in Basel,
which makes us equally surprised and delighted.
With his highly precise, reduced guitar style, Nile Rodgers revolutionized
dance music and formed the basis for the disco craze with the immortal hit
‘Le Freak’ in the mid-70s. The legendary bass line of now deceased Chic
co-founder Bernard Edwards in the hit ‘Good Times’ is probably the most
common sample used in hip hop and dance music. It is incredible that this
music still sounds just as fresh and cool now as when it first came out. It’s
because Nile Rodgers has always managed to add new talent to his band
and he has constantly tried new experiments. He learned this from one of
his musical godfathers and partners: Miles Davis.
Michael Bolton plays AVO Session
If you made a list of performers who have sold more than 53 million
records, won multiple Grammy trophies for Best Male Vocalist and
countless other honors, earned a star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame and
sold out arenas worldwide, the American singer-songwriter Michael
Bolton would be on that list. But if you tallied all the artists who’ve sung
with Luciano Pavarotti and Ray Charles, written songs with Bob Dylan,
penned hits for Barbra Streisand and KISS, played guitar with B.B. King
and been sampled on a track by hip-hop superstar Kanye West (featuring
megastar Jay-Z), Michael Bolton would be the only name on that list.
George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic
play AVO Session
Not Bill – George Clinton is the greatest: his enthralling yet playful
P-funk has made him the most important groovemaster since James
Brown. A spectacle of science fiction proportions coloured by an
outrageous sense of humour: as the founder of the legendary double
group Parliament Funkadelic, George Clinton has attained the status
of a musical satirist à la Frank Zappa: He is both the inventor and the
court jester of an alternative funk universe. George Clinton & Parliament
Funkadelic had thirteen Top Ten hits in the U.S. R&B music charts
between 1967 and 1983, including six number one hits in the R&B Charts.
They entered the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997.
Director: Roli Bärlocher Production: Avo Session Basel, SRF, CME
Solomon Burke plays Avo Session
Holly Cole plays Avo Session
Black R&B is now such an established part of the pop mainstream that
hardly anyone remembers what is was like when black music – under
the name of ‘Soul’ – first exploded into the European charts. One of
the pioneers of the movement was Solomon Burke, with songs such
as ‘Everybody Needs Somebody’ and ‘Tonight’s the Night’. With such
willing European disciples as Tom Jones and Van Morrison, pure Soul
became mainstream pop.
Canadian vocalist Holly Cole isn’t one of those artists who falls into
any one category. Cole is experimenting with jazz and pop elements
and became one of Canada’s musical darlings. Cole’s choice to cover
classics by Tom Waits was ambitious. The formula worked for her, and
she reworked material by Joni Mitchell, Mary Margaret O’Hara and The
Beatles.
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Sharon Corr plays Avo Session
Ray Davies plays Avo Session
Sharon Corr has the same deep understanding of elegant entertainment,
but she remains loyal to her homeland and her own history. Her homeland
is Ireland, through and through. Her history is her siblings, The Corrs. After
touring 15 years with the Corrs, Sharon decided to take an indefinite break.
She gave birth to two children and made her comeback last year with her
solo debut. It’s beautiful music with heart and soul as Sharon steps out of the
background and into the forefront to play first fiddle. She has great joy in giving
traditional Irish songs a new twist but also exploring the depth of cover songs
like ‘Smalltown Boy’ by Bronski Beat. Now she is ready for the Hall of Fame.
As the leadsinger and mastermind of the KINKS, Ray Davies defined
Britpop in the Sixties. As a soloist he is still a critical mirror of English
society and divine storyteller. His influence on the British music
culture is still continuing. At the Avo Session he perfoms many of his
famous hits.
Kevin Costner and Modern West play AVO Session
Jan Delay plays Avo Session
In front of the camera, he acts. In front of the microphone, he passionately
comes to life. He was the man who danced with wolves and received
numerous awards for his accomplishments as an actor. Kevin Costner
presents an evening of refreshing American mainstream rock with a
touch of Hollywood.
His musical universe is as colourful, multi-layered and diverse as the
pseudonyms he appeared under as a youth in the various underground
scenes in his native city of Hamburg. He started as Eizi Eiz or Eissfeldt
with the hip-hop group Beginner. As the solo artist Jan Delay, he plays
reggae, dancehall and funk. He got the name Delay from echo or delay
machines that were an important element of these music genres. His
first label, which he founded with some of his musician friends, went
bankrupt, but Jan did not give up. Instead, he developed the sound that
was to make him famous: hardcore German soul-funk with ironic and
intelligent lyrics and the typical nasal singing and that gives the song
the same cool, suggestive drive as ghetto slang. With his new band,
Disko No. 1, he released the album ‘Mercedes-Dance’ in 2006, which
jumped right to number 1 on the German charts. Since then, Jan Delay
has been a superstar who has been invited to appear on TV shows, to
accept prizes and to grace the covers of lifestyle magazines. In 2009,
he released the album ‘Wir Kinder vom Bahnhof Soul’ with hits like ‘Oh
Jonny’ or ‘Showgeschäft’.
Sheryl Crow plays Avo Session
On her new album, ‘1000 Miles From Memphis’, Sheryl Crow takes
us back to her formative years in Kennet, Missouri, 100 miles from
Memphis, where, as a little girl in the sixties, she learned the honesty
and simplicity that would become the foundation of her worldwide
success. Her music was shaped by the sounds of her hometown:
bluesy soul, with just a touch of Motown. Sheryl’s retrospective is a
continuation of that successful career. At the Avo Session she performs
her legendary hits as well as songs from her new album.
Jamie Cullum plays Avo Session
Joy Denalane plays Avo Session
‘It was the right time for me to take myself out of my comfort zone, and to
push myself to be bolder,’ Cullum says of his latest album, The Pursuit. ‘I
wanted to build on the things I’ve already done, but I also wanted to reinvent
myself.’ The English singer/songwriter/pianist/multi-instrumentalist’s third
album covers more stylistic ground than anything he’s done previously.
‘The Pursuit’’s unifying threads have the same musical fluency, emotional
commitment and lyrical wit that helped to make Cullum’s prior releases
‘Twentysomething’ and ‘Catching Tales’ international crossover smashes,
selling more than 4 million combined copies worldwide. The programme is
also available in a 75’ minutes version including interviews.
The daughter of a South African father and a German mother, Joy
Denalane, was named the ‘Queen of German Soul’ by MTV, but her
musical vision and stylistic diversity are more important to her than
chart success. Good music runs deep.
Production:Avo Session Basel, SRF, CME, ZDF/Arte
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Steve Earle and The Dukes featuring
Allison Moorer play Avo Session
Emerson, Lake & Palmer –
The 40th Anniversary Reunion Concert
Steve Earle is a doubter and questioner, a critical agitator who does not
see America as the land of the free, but rather a land of naïve voters who
let themselves be tricked by politicians. Earle fights with all of his might
against right-wing politics with thoughtprovoking lyrics and a broadly
defined definition of country music. Bearded singer/songwriter music,
Irish folk and the blues all have a place in his music. The cowboy hat
and the snakeskin boots are secondary to him, his wife Allison Moorer,
a permanent member of his band, is not. At AVO SESSION, he presents
songs from his new album ‘I’ll Never Get Out of This World Alive’.
This spectacular performance with extravagant special effects and
lighting recaptures the magic and musical genius of Keith Emerson,
Greg Lake and Carl Palmer as they perform their greatest hits in front of
thousands of fans and leaves us with a lasting memory of the stunning
musicianship of these three legendary performers. Also available:
Documentary including brand new interviews (Length: 60’ / 30’ Director: Matthew Clements).
Director: Marcus Viner
Production: Concert One Ltd.
Earth, Wind & Fire Experience feat. Al McKay
play Avo Session
When front man Maurice White shakes his booty, it’s just as hip as it
was back at the beginning of his career in 1969. He may not shake it as
fast, but he still does it with the same elegance, flexibility and energy
as always. His secret is the sound that he produces with the band he
founded: Earth, Wind & Fire. It’s so hot, that you can’t sit still when
they play eternal hits like ‘September’, ‘Let’s Groove’ or ‘Fantasy’.
Funky beats, razor-sharp horns, grooving bass and a driving rhythm
guitar are the elements, combined with a dazzling stage show and
sensational choreography, that the band have brought to sheer
perfection for more than 40 years. Often unfairly labelled a vile
disco band by music purists, upon closer inspection, the band’s high
musical quality and precision, which is exemplary in the genre, is
unmistakeable.
Flying Pickets play Avo Session
Flying Pickets are one of the leading acappella groups in Europe. The
group thrives on its vibrant live performance and has continued to tour
extensively throughout the world, releasing 12 albums. In 2007 there
is a 25-year anniversary tour production of a completely new show
‘Changing Times’. The new CD release is ‘EVERYDAY’ with 12 new songs
including 3 original songs.
Ruthie Foster plays AVO Session
American folk music singer/songwriter Ruthie Foster studied music at
McLennan Community College and then worked in the US Navy, where
she started performing. Her debut album, released in 1997, saw her
perform in all over North America, Europe and Australia. Her enormous
vocal talent has seen her compared to the likes of Ella Fitzgerald and
Aretha Franklin.
Stephan Eicher and The Lost & Found Orchestra
play Avo Session
A lost property office is a wondrous place. Objects are sometimes
turned in, but never missed; sometimes sought, but never found.
Rummaging about in music’s lost and found, Stephan Eicher stumbled
upon musicians Heidi Happy, Hank Shizzoe and Olivier Koundouno, who
now appear with the master himself to present their dusted off and
reinvented treasures. We can expect a unique concert evening featuring
some pieces that may be tarnished, however, with a bit of polish, they
will shine.
Adam Green plays Avo Session
Green attended Emerson College for one semester in 1998 before
leaving to concentrate on his music, going on to co-found the group The
Moldy Peaches with Kimya Dawson. In 2004 both Green and Dawson
embarked on solo careers. In January 2008, The Moldy Peaches began
having a resurgence in popularity, due to their music being included in
the hit indie film Juno. The soundtrack album reached #1 on the Billboard
album chart on its third week of release.
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Gregorian Live at Kreutzenstein
Sophie Hunger plays Avo Session
Frank Peterson’s idea might have sounded strange, but it worked. A
Gregorian choir sings modern pop songs, arranged in the style of the
chants sung by medieval monks. The first two GREGORIAN albums
(1999/2000 and 2001) became international bestsellers, selling one
million units each and reaching gold status in a dozen countries. TV
Broadcast Special: Brothers in Arms, Tears in Heaven, Scarborough Fair,
Bridge Over Troubled Water, Close My Eyes Forever and more.
Sophie Hunger has a radically different view of the world. The 28-yearold Zurich singer starts the day by reading several newspapers even
though it only puts her into a bad mood: The world is so complicated.
She herself would say that she’s uptight which doesn’t make things any
easier. To compound matters further, there are the music styles that
have influenced her: jazz and funk from her father, folk songs from her
mother, hip hop from her teenage years, and country music, which she
discovered shortly after. How can the singer put those parts together
to make a whole? She does it by melding thoughts, feelings and music
into pure poetry. Bob Dylan, Feist and Lhasa come to mind. Sophie
Hunger is the epitome of a great singer-songwriter. It’s no wonder
that her first album, ‘Monday’s Ghost’, hit number one on the Swiss
charts, that all of Europe’s music magazines and newspapers have
shown her respect and admiration and that her stage presence in live
performances has already become legendary.
Production: DoRo / Nemo
Roger Hodgson plays AVO Session
Roger Hodgson has been recognized as one of the most gifted composers,
song writers and lyricists of our time. As the legendary voice of
Supertramp and composer of the band’s greatest hits. His trademark way
of setting beautiful introspective lyrics to upbeat melodies resonated
and found its way into the hearts and minds of cultures around the world.
His songs have remarkably stood the test of time and earned Roger and
Supertramp an adoring world-wide following.
The Hooters play Avo Session
Hurts play Avo Session
Eric Bazilian and Rob Hyman co-founded The Hooters in 1980. Their
debut release Nervous Night sold in excess of 2 million copies and
included Billboard Top 40 hits such as Day By Day, And We Danced
and Where Do The Children Go. With a total of six albums, The
Hooters achieved worldwide superstar status throughout the 80’s
and 90’s. The Hooters recorded their first album of new material
since 1993. Time Stand Still was released in 2007, preceded by a tour
of Europe, with shows in Germany, Sweden, The Netherlands and:
Basel - Switzerland!
The English synthpop duo Hurts was formed in 2009, consisting of
singer Theo Hutchcraft and synthesist Adam Anderson. Their debut
album ‘Happiness,’ which was released in September 2011 reached
the top five in eight European countries, and sold 750,000 copies
worldwide. It also climbed into the UK Top 30 albums charts in
February 2011 following a second nationwide headline tour, several TV
appearances including The Graham Norton Show, and winning Best
New Band at the NME Awards. At AVO SESSION Basel they perform
their hit ‘Wonderful Life’, amongst others.
Joe Jackson plays Avo Session
Post punk, pop, swing, jazz, latin, and classical: in the course of his 40-year
career, Joe Jackson has always tried out whatever tickled his fancy. He
took it for granted that he would never become a big star for the masses.
Joe Jackson is an expert in his field and a master of his art who delights the
music gourmets. At the Avo Session he performs with Graham Maby
(Vocals, Bass) and Dave Houghton (Vocals, Drums, Percussion, Loops).
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Jamiroquai plays Avo Session
Beverley Knight plays Avo Session
The British jazz, funk and acid jazz band, Jamiroquai, started out as the
most prominent component in the early 1990s London-based acid jazz
movement. Subsequent albums have explored other musical directions
such as pop, rock and electronica. Jamiroquai have sold more than 35
million albums worldwide and won a Grammy Award in 1997. At the Avo
Session they perform their world-famous hits as well as songs from their
forthcoming album.
Beverley Knight has been on the acid jazz and clubhouse soul scene for over 15
years with style and first-class sound. She has Jamaican roots and grew up in a
deeply religious family. Gospel music had a great influence on her already as a child
when she sang in a school choir. After school she started studying theology and
philosophy, but then the music bug that had bitten her took over completely. She
started her first solo project, ‘The B-Funk’ and was quickly taken seriously in the
music industry. Although she has never scored a number 1 hit, songs like ‘Greatest
Day’, ‘Come As You Are’ or ‘Shoulda Woulda Coulda’ all made it into high slots on
the charts and have gained the attention of more and more prominent admirers
such as David Bowie, Prince and Sir Paul McCartney. With her band she performs
her greatest hits at AVO SESSION as well as songs from her latest album ‘Soul UK’.
Grace Jones plays Avo Session
Mark Knopfler plays Avo Session
Model, actress, performer, entertainer, singer, producer, writer – with
her new album ‘Hurricane’, released in October 2008, Grace Jones has
been reaffirming herself as the superstar she has always been. ‘With
Hurricane Grace Jones tosses aside the clubbing hits that launched her
onto the dance floor of Studio 54.’ (BBC) At AVO Session Grace Jones
performs songs from this album as well as her hits of the last 2 decades.
Mark Knopfler was originally best-known as the lead guitarist and
vocalist for the band Dire Straits, which he founded in 1977. Since the
final Dire Straits album in 1991, Knopfler has continued to record and
produce albums as a solo artist, under his own name. Additionally, he
has performed as a guest on works by other artists, including Bob Dylan,
Bryan Ferry, Eric Clapton, Jools Holland, Steely Dan and the late Chet
Atkins. He has produced albums for artists such as Tina Turner, Randy
Newman, Bob Dylan and Emmylou Harris. To support his just released fifth
solo studio-album Kill to Get Crimson, Knopfler now commences a world
tour. And one of the most respected fingerstyle guitarists of the modern
rock era will also come to Basel!
Patricia Kaas plays AVO Session
Kris Kristofferson plays AVO Session
Patricia Kaas is one of the most successful French-speaking singers in
the world. Stylistically her music is not classical chanson, but is closer
to a mixture of pop music, jazz and chanson. Since the appearance of
her debut album Mademoiselle chante… in 1988 Kaas has sold more
than 17 million records worldwide. Kaas is almost constantly on tour
internationally. In 2002 Kaas had her film debut in And now... Ladies and
Gentlemen beside Jeremy Irons.
Grammy Award-winning country music legend Kris Kristofferson opens his
latest release with the title track Closer To The Bone, an intense, intimate
song which the ‘Los Angeles Times’ describes as a celebration of that point in
life where every moment becomes precious. In November 2009, Kristofferson
was honoured with the BMI Icon Award, the oldest award saluting country’s
top music makers, for songwriters and artists who have had a unique and
indelible influence on generations of music makers.
Toby Keith plays Avo Session
Cyndi Lauper plays AVO Session
The country music singer-songwriter, record producer and actor Toby Keith
represents the American way of life as convinced patriot. He is an affirmed
redneck, a supporter of the troops in Iraq. He’s no lover of Obama, but he loves
to party. He’s a loyal proponent of the modern Nashville sound and when he
sings about his beloved America, then the charming smile of a winner glows on
his face. You’ll never see him without his cowboy hat, boots, jeans and shirt. He
is the hard-working man who likes to relax with his evening beer at the bar, but
also hosted a golf tournament to benefit children with cancer. Toby’s fans have
thanked him generously for his patriotism. According to the yearly Forbes list, he
is the top-earning country musician. Toby Keith performs some of his best known
hits as well as songs from his new album ‘Clanyc’s Tavern’ at AVO SESSION.
Cyndi Lauper, American Emmy- and Grammy award-winning singer,
songwriter, and actress in film, television, and theater burst onto the world
stage as the quintessential girl who wants to have fun. After more than
20 sterling years and global record sales in excess of 25 million, she has
proven that she has the heart and soul to keep her legion of fans compelled
by her every creative move. With her newly minted collection, Bring Ya To
The Brink, Cyndi firmly asserts her position as one of the most beguiling,
innovative, and downright exciting recording artists of this — and or other
— generation.
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Ute Lemper plays Avo Session
Amy McDonald plays AVO Session
Ute Lemper is an international star. London, Paris and New York are
all at her feet. The German singer, dancer and actress first came to
prominence in musicals. She began her career in German-speaking
countries with a role in «Cats». She then caused a sensation as Sally
Bowles in ‘Cabaret’ and finally took London and New York by storm as
Velma in ‘Chicago’.
The Scottish teen-sensation singer-songwriter Amy Macdonald started
to play her father’s guitar after being inspired by Travis at the T in the
Park Festival in 2000. Two years later she was playing her first on-stage
acoustic gig. She has also appeared as a musical performing guest on
several popular British and foreign shows. On July 2007, at just 20, she
released her debut album, This Is The Life, that has now been sold in
over 1 million copies. Her surprising singing voice has been compared to
that of Cranberries’ Dolores O’Riordan.
Sanada Maitreya & The Nudge Nudge
play Avo Session
Sananda Maitreya presents his music as ‘Post Millennium Rock’. Its
main elements are heart and soul, its nature is passion, courage and
curiosity and it knows no rules except to lead the listener back to his
heart. Sananda started his career as Terence Trent D’Arby. At the
Avo Session he proudly presents his new music, the albums ‘Angels &
Vampires’, ‘Nigor Mortis’ and ‘The Sphinx’, with his twoman- orchestra:
The Nudge Nudge.
Katie Melua plays Avo Session
Katie Melua’s chameleon voice perfectly harmonizes in a piano and
guitar arrangement. There is no need of any further backing to fascinate
the audience with her characteristic music composed of jazz, blues
and folk. Being part of her concert at AVO SESSION Basel, where the
relation between the visitors and the star is so close, is an overwhelming
experience!
Prog No: 9120 I Length: 90‘ 60’ I Format: HD
Pink Martini play Avo Session
You can bundle seemingly conflicting elements and then mix them up
to form a brand new unit - and we don’t mean sampling - but you have
to know how to get the right mix. Thomas Lauderdale is someone who
gets it. He manages to combine songs from Japanese films, Russian
folklore, oldfashioned French pop songs, Cuban rhythms, American
bar jazz, and Egyptian belly dancing music to create something entirely
new. His recipe involves a band of eleven musicians with an equally
high number of cultural backgrounds and languages, all the while
taming this high-spirited bunch with his masterful leadership. Since
1994, this eclectic troupe has been called Pink Martini, a name that
was chosen because it sounded so delightfully urbane. The group has
released five albums to date and is known as America’s ‘Frenchest’
band, a somewhat simplistic definition. The secret of this special mix
is Lauderdale’s unbridled passion for films from the 30s-50s. When he
composes, he is basically translating the world of film into sound - and
it is pure joy to listen.
Mike & The Mechanics play Avo Session
‘Over my Shoulder’, ‘All I Need Is a Miracle’, ‘Silent Running’: everyone
has heard these light-hearted rock songs from the 80s that make you
start humming when you hear them. The band behind the songs is not
quite as well known: Mike & The Mechanics. For years, the legendary
Genesis guitarist Mike Rutherford has lead them. The band’s low
profile is typical for Rutherford, who was never a star in the tabloids,
but a musician through and through. With their new front man, Andrew
Roachford, Mike & The Mechanics perform many of their legendary hits
at AVO SESSION.
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Liza Minnelli plays Avo Session
Morcheeba with Skye play Avo Session
She was famous even before she was born. Everyone in Hollywood
anxiously awaited the birth of the child of superstar Judy Garland and
director Vincente Minnelli. When, at the age of 3, she debuted in her
father’s film ‘An American in Paris’, nothing could stop her from having
a dream career. Her life wrote its own screenplay: Liza became an
international star. She was simply known as ‘Liza’ and for her Germanspeaking fans she was ‘Die Minnelli’. When Liza won an Oscar for
her portrayal of the nightclub singer Sally Bowles in the musical film
‘Cabaret’, it was a worldwide success on television, Broadway and
concert performances on the world’s most famous stages. A singularly
unique show diva, who has established herself in every genre. At AVO
SESSION, she performs songs from her latest album ‘Confessions’ as
well as legendary ‘Broadway’ hits such as ‘New York, New York’ and
many more. Liza Minnelli - Vocals; Billy Stritch - Musical Director/Piano;
Chip Jackson - Bass; Rick Cutler - Drums; Dave Trigg, Ross Konikoff Trumpets; Chuck Wilson - Reeds.
It was a stroke of luck that the Godfrey brothers and Skye Edwards
reunited to reform Morcheeba. Their solo projects were like honey
without the sugar. With their new joint album ‘Blood Like Lemonade’,
their music is pure trip hop once again, totally heavy, yet, at the same
time utterly ethereal.
Production: Avo Session Basel, SRF, CME, ARTE G.E.I.E., SRG
James Morrison plays AVO Session
Yes, they do still exist: great artists who can take a basic melody and
simple lyrics to write a song that goes straight to the heart. The 25-yearold BRIT Award-winning English singer/songwriter and guitarist James
Morrison belongs to that selected group. He has already stormed the
charts with a major hit in his young career. You Give Me Something,
released in 2006, became a hit in Europe, Australia, and Japan, peaking in
the top five in the UK and New Zealand.
Keb‘ Mo‘ plays Avo Session
Aaron Neville plays Avo Session
The blues singer Keb’ Mo’, who is actually named Kevin Moore, grew up in
California, but now he lives in New Orleans. During the quest to find his own kind of
music, he discovered archaic blues pioneer Robert Johnson, who became one of his
most important sources of inspiration. The refined simplicity of his guitar playing,
his freedom in form and the stories that Johnson told his listeners influenced Keb’
Mo’ deeply. The difference is that Robert Johnson, who would have celebrated his
100th birthday in May 2011, was paid in food and whiskey back in his days. These
days, Keb’ Mo’ is rewarded with Grammys for his work. At AVO SESSION, Keb’ Mo’
plays his best known hits as well as songs from his new album ‘The Reflection’.
He is joined by Jeff Paris, Keyboards, Guitar, Mandolin, Les Falconer, Drums, Vail
Johnson, Bass, Kevin So, Keyboards and Michael B. Hicks, Organ.
A bear of a man, his high voice with its remarkable vibrato contrasts
greatly with his appearance. The sounds of the South flow through his
music, along with Cajun and Creole music, soul, gospel and even jazz, it
forms the basis of his art, which is always carried by deep emotion. At
AVO SESSION, Aaron Neville performs with Charles Neville, saxophone,
Michael Goods, keyboards, David Johnson, bass/vocals, Makuni Fakuda,
guitar and Earl Smith, drums/vocals.
Gary Moore plays AVO Session
Justin Nozuka plays Avo Session
Gary Moore is acknowledged as one of the finest musicians that the
British Isles has ever produced. In a career that dates back to the 1960s,
there are few musical genres that he has not turned his adroit musical
hand to, and has graced the line-ups ever several notable rock bands,
Thin Lizzy, Colosseum II and Skid Row to name but three. With his latest
studio album Close As You Get, Gary continues in a direction not too
dissimilar from Old, New, Ballads, Blues mixing original tunes with some
interesting Blues covers that Gary has rediscovered.
The Canadian singer-songwriter, Justin Nozuka is an exceptional
talent. On his debut album ‘Holly’, which has been released in Europe,
Canada, Japan and the United States, he was compared with such
greats as Marvin Gaye, Jeff Buckley and Ben Harper – even though
Nozuka was only 19 years old at the time. His follow up album ‘You I
Wind Land And Sea’ was released this spring and it proofs that Justin
just got even better.
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Dolores O´Riordan plays Avo Session
Laura Pausini plays Avo Session
Dolores O’Riordan - songstress, smouldering icon and critically
acclaimed voice of The Cranberries - is back. Her first-ever solo LP Are
You Listening? is released and features the stunning new single Ordinary
Day. Written and recorded between her homes in Canada and Dublin, the
album is a striking return to form, punctuated with angular chords and
that crystalline voice. Dolores O´Riordan is ready to present her first solo
LP now at Avo Session!
This woman has something that most Italian pop artists are missing.
Her songs are not as sugary as Eros Ramazotti’s, her voice is not as
rough as Gianna Nannini’s and she doesn’t rock like Zucchero. She
seems to have found the happy medium with music that is subtle,
yet distinct, entertaining, yet carefully constructed. In a way, Laura
Pausini is the Italian version of Celine Dion. It’s not just Italian pop, but
rather Mediterranean pop with a Mediterranean feeling. She literally
plays right into the hearts of an international audience. When Laura
released a Spanish version of her third album in 1996 and bonus tracks
in Portuguese, the Laura Pausini fever swept all the way from Europe
to South America. The rest is a success story beyond comparison: with
more than 40 million records sold worldwide and over 160 platinum
records, in 2006, she became the first Italian female to be awarded a
Grammy. Laura Pausini often travels, because, as she says, ‘Pop means
popular, so that means you have to go to the people.’ And when she
comes, people want to be where she is.
Orishas play AVO Session
A reggae sound that makes you sway, but that is arranged with the
highest precision – distinctive Cuban pop, which even managed to excite
good old Fidel! Orishas brings the Caribbean sun shine onto Basle! The
hip-hop group, whose members have originally emigrated from Cuba,
sold more than 750,000 copies of their albums in Europe and received
two Grammys. In 2007, Pa’l Norte (featured on the album Residente o
Visitante) won a Latin Grammy for Best Urban Song.
Gino Paoli plays Avo Session
The Italian canzone needed new input, but what kind? Gino Paoli
found the answer by studying italianità closely and critically before he
co-founded the ‘Genovese School’ in the fifties, laying the foundation for
today’s cantautori scene. Today Paoli is the honoured godfather of all
cantautori. He plays peaceful, melancholically beautiful songs that are
carried by his sheer lightness. Italianità has been redefined.
Snow Patrol play AVO Session
Back in 2003, Snow Patrol released their album The Final Straw in
a last-ditch attempt to earn a bit of money. The little bit of money
turned into millions. Their mix of alternative rock and melancholy pop
was received with wild enthusiasm. Snow Patrol was formed at the
University of Dundee, Scotland, in 1994. They have been nominated for
three BRIT-Awards and have won five Meteor Ireland Music Awards. In
2008, the band released their fifth studio album A Hundred Million Suns.
Worldwide, they have sold over 7 million albums.
Pavarotti: The duets
The Best of Pavarotti and Friends
PAVAROTTI annually hosted the ‘Pavarotti and Friends’ charity concerts
in his home town of Modena in Italy, joining with singers from all parts
of the music industry, including Eric Clapton, Elton John, Sting, Bono,
Andrea Bocelli, Sheryl Crow, Celine Dion and Jon Bon Jovi, to raise
money for several UN causes. Concerts were held for War Child, and
victims of war and civil unrest in Bosnia, Guatemala, Kosovo, and
Iraq. This 70 min. special ‘The Duets’ presents the most emotional
and world-famous pieces of the entire ‘Pavarotti and Friends’ series:
BRYAN ADAMS ‘O Sole Mio, ANDREA BOCELLI Notte ‘e piscatore, BON
JOVI Let It Rain, BONO/THE EDGE/BRIAN ENO Miss Sarajevo, JAMES
BROWN It’s A Man’s World, MARIAH CAREY Hero, ERIC CLAPTON
Holy Mother, SHERYL CROW Là ci darem la mano, CELINE DION I Hate
You When I Love You, EURYTHMICS There Must Be An Angel, ELTON
JOHN Live Like Horses, LIONEL RICHIE The Magic Of Love, STING Paris
Angelicus, ZUCCHERO Miserere.
Director: LUIGI MARTELLI, STEFANO VICARIO, SPIKE LEE
Production: DECCA
Prog No: 9549 I Length: 60’ I Format: 4:3 / 16:9
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Robert Plant plays Avo Session
Reamonn plays Avo Session
He continues to push the boundaries of rock music: from a rebellious
indie band to a superstar career as the lead singer of the iconic band
Led Zeppelin or from experimental new wave to his sensational country
album with Alison Krauss, which won six Grammys last year. At the AVO
SESSION Basel, Robert Plant takes us back to 1967, where everything
started when he founded his first group Band of Joy. Along for the ride
are aces like Buddy Miller and Patty Griffin. On the programme: folk
versions of legendary Led Zeppelin songs, amongst others.
Reamonn – a German rock band, well known all over Europe – was
officially set up in 1998. They produced their first album Tuesday and the
first single Supergirl was a major success, it went to gold and became
the most played song on German radio in 2000. Reamonn became stars
and played at many festivals and concerts. Their third album Beautiful
Sky was released in 2003 and went double platinum. They toured with
Robbie Williams in Switzerland and Austria. And now they are on tour
again - with their latest album Wish.
Tom Principato & Powerhouse play Avo Session
Kelly Rowland plays AVO Session
Legendary singer and guitarist Tom Principato gives us blues at its
best: relaxed and down-to-earth. He has performed on dozens of blues
recordings and is still making ground breaking American music enjoyed
by fans the world over.
They say that change can be a good thing. Just ask Kelly Rowland, the
American R&B singersongwriter, dancer, and actress, who rose to
fame as one of the founding members of the successful R&B girl group
Destiny’s Child, the best-selling female group of all time, and a bestselling Grammywinning solo artist in her own right. With her new album
Ms. Kelly, Kelly Rowland is back with a collection of songs that show
an artist at the top of her game, eager for what lies ahead and ready to
embrace whatever comes her way.
The Puppini Sisters play AVO Session
Scorpions play AVO Session
The Puppini Sisters – featuring Marcella Puppini, Kate Mullins, and
Stephanie O’Brien – led the British retro wave in 2006 with their 1940’s
– influenced blend of pop with swing, a gorgeous sense of glamour, and
fun. Their debut record, Betcha Bottom Dollar, was the fastest selling
jazz debut in Britain on its release, also debuting at number 2 on the US
jazz charts and in the Top 10 of Billboard’s Heatseekers chart. At AVO
Session they perform amongst others songs from their second album
‘The Rise & Fall Of Ruby Woo’.
Why is rock called rock? One reason is that it defies the ravages of time.
Some rock songs have even become milestones of history. In 1989, the
ballad Wind Of Change by the Scorpions became the theme song for the
fall of the Berlin Wall, establishing the hard rock group from Hannover as
a cultural institution worldwide. In 2009, the Scorpions were presented
with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the ECHO Music Awards in
Germany. AVO SESSION is very proud to present them with their hits,
which span over 40 years of the band’s history.
Razorlight play Avo Session
Sting – Live in Berlin
Razorlight is one of today’s best Britpop bands. After his earlier
incarnation as a solo acoustic singer songwriter, supporting bands like
The Libertines, bandleader Johnny Borrell fashioned Razorlight as an
intense electric rock band with catchy songs and took the band out on
the road.
Sting – pop hero, constantly evolving singer-songwriter and living
legend – now presents a concert of his most celebrated songs in lush
symphonic arrangements. Under the title ‘Symphonicities’, Sting brings
together brand-new orchestrations of his greatest hits, including those
of POLICE, which he performed in a tour of nearly 70 cities in North
America and Europe with the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra
conducted by Steven Mercurio. Sting’s Berlin concert was recorded at
the stunning O2 World.
Director: Jim Gable
Production: A Graying & Balding production for Universal Music
Classical Management & Production with the participation of Decca
Prog No: A055129550000 I Length: 123‘ / 89’ / 60’ I Format: HD
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Prog No: 9682 I Length: 90’ / 58’ I Format: HD
Sting – A Winter’s Night … Live from Durham Cathedral
Jethro Tull plays AVO Session
In the unique setting of England’s most famous cathedral famous English singersongwriter Sting and guest musicians give us their interpretations of some
moving folk-based melodies including The Snow it Melts the Soonest, Soul
Cake, Christmas at Sea, Gabriel’s Message, Balulalow and Now Winter Comes
Slowly. In addition, the programme features an arrangement of the Coventry
Carol joined by the Durham Cathedral Boys’ Choir, as well as Peter Warlock’s
haunting Bethlehem Down, a lively arrangement of the traditional song I Saw
Three Ships and Sting’s own Ghost Story. Also available: Documentary (52’)
Director: Jim Gable I Production: A Graying & Balding production for
Universal Music Classical Management & Production in association with
Thirteen for WNET.org, Idéale Audience and UNITEL with the cooperation
of NRK, Schweizer Fernsehen, YLE/TV1, EESTI Rahvusringhääling, Latvian
Television, TVP Kultura, Bulgarian National Television, Sveriges Television
AB, RSI, Multishow and BBC with the participation of Decca
Formed in 1968 the music of Jethro Tull is marked by the distinctive vocal
style and lead flute work of front man Ian Anderson. Initially playing
blues rock with an experimental flavour, they have, over the years,
incorporated elements of classical, folk
Susan Tedeschi plays AVO Session
KT Tunstall plays Avo Session
A new queen of the blues comes to Basle: Grammy-nominated singer
and guitarist Susan Tedeschi, who began her ambitious career in the
nineties, has risen to fame with her powerful singing voice, fearless
stage presence and her marriage to Derek Trucks of the Allman Brothers
Band. She is also known for the Soul Stew Revival, a conglomeration
of both her band, that of The Derek Trucks Band, and other talented
musicians.
The performance of the Scottish singer/songwriter KT Tunstall is no
less artistically ambitious. Her song ‘Suddenly I See’ catapulted her
onto the international charts. She appeared in small student clubs in
London as ‘Katie’ until she was invited to appear on the Late-NightShow with Jools Holland – another familiar name at the AVO SESSION
Basel. She was awarded the prize for British Female Solo Artist at
the Brit Awards in 2006. And now at the AVO SESSION Basel, we
experience another great solo performance by this one of a kind artist.
Tanita Tikaram Trio plays Avo Session
UB 40 play AVO Session
Tanita Tikaram’ song ‘Twist in My Sobriety’ was a massive hit in 1988
and it left an indelible mark on her image. With the happy song ‘Good
Tradition’, she was able to prove that she also knows how to deliver
up-tempo beats, but people were always looking for a sombre, slightly
melancholy mood. Beautiful music for a cosy autumn evening, songs
with a touch of folk which sometimes drift over into the blues: This is the
other Tanita Tikaram who has continued quietly on her way, far away
from the charts. It is a good thing that the AVO SESSION Basel will give
audiences the chance to rediscover this well-known artist anew.
Their music channels sunshine right into the heart and soul. UB40
launched their high-precision reggae-pop from the cool climate of
Birmingham in England. Formed in 1978, the band has placed more
than 50 singles on the UK charts, and has also achieved considerable
international success. Their number one hits include Red Red Wine,
Can’t Help Falling in Love, and I Got You Babe. UB40 have sold over 70
million records.
Emiliana Torrini plays AVO Session
Vaya Con Dios plays Avo Session
Icelandic singer Emiliana Torrini continues to rediscover the world: after
rock, trip hop and the blues, she switched over to pop in 1999 on her
album Love In The Time Of Science, which now sounds like a bouquet of
colourful flowers. She’s also well known for performing Gollum’s Song
during the end credits of Peter Jackson’s film The Lord of the Rings: The
Two Towers. She also co-wrote Kylie Minogue’s Slow and Someday from
her Body Language album in 2003. The two were nominated for the Best
Dance Recording Grammy Award in 2005.
Vaya Con Dios kept the art of the pop song alive throughout the techno
craze of the 1990s with songs like ‘Just A Friend of Mine’ and ‘What’s
A Woman’. ‘The Promise’, the latest album from the Belgian singer, is a
stunning comeback, and once again her warm deep voice has become
an essential presence in the international pop world.
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Suzanne Vega plays Avo Session
On Beauty & Crime, Suzanne Vega’s latest album, the Manhattan native
uses New York City as the backdrop for a collection of eleven new songs
that juxtapose acoustic guitar-driven melodies with coolly synthesized
beats. Beauty & Crime is her first new studio album in six years. The
album has the warmth of analog but the technology of the digital world.
Among the players joining Vega and members of her touring band
are guitarists Gerry Leonard (David Bowie, Rufus Wainwright) and
Lee Ranaldo of Sonic Youth; Scottish singer-songwriter KT Tunstall
contributed background vocals and vocal arrangements.
Rufus Wainwright plays Avo Session
Especially since his composition contract at the famous Metropolitan
Opera of New York, he is one of the most famous songwriters of our
time. Rufus Wainwright is also an exceptionally gifted singer and piano
player. With Release the Stars, his fifth album in a decade, Wainwright
artfully establishes the intimacy he was reaching for. The hard-working
Wainwright tours the world in support of Release the Stars and will
perform in Basel in an intimate atmosphere in front of only 1530 fans.
Frank Zappa & Ensemble Moderne
‘The Yellow Shark‘
The film documents the world premiere of Frank Zappa’s composition
for the orchestra ‘The Yellow Shark’, that took place at the Alte Oper in
Frankfurt/Main in 1992, and Zappa’s last performance on stage. Zappa
himself directed the performance joined by members of the multiawarded Ensemble Moderne. ‘The Yellow Shark’ was also the last
album Zappa released before his death. Tom Waits has listed it as one
of his favourite albums, commenting: ‘The ensemble is awe-inspiring.
It is a rich pageant of texture in colour. It’s the clarity of his perfect
madness, and mastery. Frank governs with Elmore James on his left
and Stravinsky on his right. Frank reigns and rules with the strangest
tools.’ The Canadian choreographer Édouard Lock and his company La
La La Human Steps were part of the show, highly-acclaimed for their
exceptional performance.
Director: Egbert Van Hees, Brian Michaels
Ballet Ensemble: La La La Human Steps
Production: Ilona Grundmann Film Production in co-production
with ZDF/3sat/Arte
Lucinda Williams plays Avo Session
Lucinda Williams received the Grammy Award for Best Country Song in
1994. The long-awaited release, 1998’s Car Wheels on a Gravel Road,
was Williams’ breakthrough to the mainstream and received a Grammy
Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album. She moved further from
the country music establishment while winning fans in the alternative
music world. She won the 2002 Grammy Award for Best Female Rock
performance for the single Get Right With God. Her last album titled
West was released in 2007. Vanity Fair has praised it, saying ‘Lucinda
Williams has made the record of a lifetime - part Hank Williams, part Bob
Dylan, part Keith Richards circa Exile On Main Street…’
Yanni - Live from Las Vegas & Acapulco
Experience Yanni and his world famous orchestra in stunning highdefinition. In this program, we revisit 2 of Yanni’s critically acclaimed
television spectaculars: ‘Yanni Live from Las Vegas’ and ‘Yanni Live
from Acapulco’. Each performance was captured by 16 high-definition
cameras and 125 channels of digital audio for a brilliant and amazingly
clear audio-visual experience. Go center stage for an explosive concert
special filled with magnificent performances by the world’s most
extraordinary musicians. Featuring Yanni’s favorites like ‘Nostalgia’,
‘Santorini’, ‘Within Attraction’ and a spectacular debut performance of
Yanni’s classic composition, ‘Tribute’ by tenor Nathan Pacheco.
Director: George Veras, Steve Purcell
Production: Sony
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Patti Austin Plays Avo Session
Natalie Cole plays AVO Session
Patti Austin crosses all musical genres, has 16 solo albums to her credit,
has performed her award nominated hit songs on the Grammys and
Oscars. Her 1998 Jazz Album ‘In and out of Love’ spent almost two years
on the contemporary jazz charts. With live performances, along with her
appearances with symphony orchestras throughout the world, Austin
can look at her latest accomplishments with much justifiable pride. For
Patti Austin continues to create milestones in an incredible career as a
Jazz singer.
Natalie Cole is not only a soul diva but a successful pop artist - thanks
to Bruce Springsteen’s Pink Cadillac - and a jazz singer, following
in the footsteps of her unforgettable father, Nat King Cole. She may
be best remembered for her 1991 album, Unforgettable... with Love,
featuring her own arrangements of her father’s greatest hits. She won
nine Grammy Awards. Her latest album Still Unforgettable, released in
September 2008, won the Grammy Award for Best Traditional Pop Vocal
Album.
Roy Ayers plays Avo Session
Eliane Elias plays Avo Session
Jazz Funk at its finest! In his 40-plus years as a vibraphonist, he has
produced a string of soul and funk classics, like ‘We Live In Brooklyn
Baby’ and ‘Everybody Loves the Sunshine,’which have arguably made
him the second-most sampled musician in hip-hop, after James Brown.
Joined by Mark Adams (Keys), Ray Gaskins (Saxophone), Donald Nicks
(Bass), Troy Miller (Drums), John Pressley (Vocals) he will perform his
legendary hits, as well as new songs.
Multi Grammy Award Nominee, pianist/singer/composer/arranger
Eliane Elias is known for her distinctive and immediately recognizable
musical style which blends her Brazilian roots, her sensuous, alluring
voice with her impressive instrumental jazz, classical and compositional
skills. At the Avo Session she performs with her band Bossa Nova and
Brazil Jazz songs.
Blind Boys of Alabama & Preservation Hall Jazz
Band play AVO Session
Jools Holland & his R&B Orchestra
play AVO Session
Pop music – drum & bass, rap, rock’n’roll, soul and funk – has its roots
in the American South. It all started way back, almost a hundred years
ago, with performers like Louis Armstrong, gospel choir solo singers
and country blues musicians. The AVO SESSION Basel brings those
roots to life with the oldest New Orleans ensemble still playing: the
Preservation Hall Jazz Band – and the Blind Boys of Alabama, who have
been s(w)inging authentic gospel since 1939. The group’s wide acclaim
is borne out by no less than four Grammy Awards. Singer Jimmy Carter,
an original group member, leads the band today with the firm conviction,
joyous commitment, and gravitas that befit an elder statesman.
At the age of eight, Jools Holland could play the piano fluently by ear, and
by the time he reached his early teens he was proficient and confident
enough to be appearing regularly in many of the pubs in South East
London and the East End Docks. In 1987, Jools formed The Jools Holland
Big Band which has gradually metamorphosed into the current 20-piece
Rhythm & Blues Orchestra. They play to audiences in excess of 500,000
touring all over the world, including Australia, New Zealand, Singapore,
France, Holland and Belgium.
Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra
plays Avo Session
The Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra, founded in 1986, was a success
from the start. Thus far it has recorded six CDs and is today considered
one of jazz´s great orchestras. John Clayton, Artistic Director of Jazz for
the Los Angeles Philharmonic wrote for artists as Stanley Turrentine,
Milt Jackson, Jimmy Smith and Nancy Wilson. The orchestra recorded
with John Pizzarelli and Diana Krall.
Jacques Loussier plays Avo Session
In the early 50s Jacques Loussier started to play a Bach fugue in a
fleet-footed, flowing style, and he started to improvise on it. A good
fifty years have passed since then, and Jacques Loussier’s ‘Play Bach’
concept has become a worldwide phenomenon. His set list for the AVO
SESSION Basel looks something like this: Johann Sebastian Bach (trio),
Frédérique Chopin (solo).
150
151
Popular Music Jazz
ENTERTAINMENT GMBH
Al Di Meola plays AVO Session
Cassandra Wilson plays Avo Session
Salsa, tango or flamenco: all forms of Latin music are grist to Al Di
Meola’s mill. From his early days with Chick Corea’s legendary ‘Return
to Forever’ fusion band, to his solo album ‘Elegant Gypsy’ (1976) and his
encounters with Astor Piazzolla and Paco de Lucia, this brilliant guitarist
has explored the roots and branches of jazz all over the world.
Cassandra Wilson made her breakthrough with the jazz album ‘Blue
Skies’, following it up shortly afterwards with the sounds of her southern
US homeland or tracing the tracks of her role model Miles Davis in
«Travelling Miles». Today Cassandra Wilson is a major vocalist both in
the jazz world and beyond: a frontier runner, pioneer and role model to
innumerable young singers.
Dianne Reeves plays Avo Session
Lizz Wright plays Avo Session
The American Dianne Reeves tells the story of Jazz with a capital J:
tough, yet enthralling, dark and introspective, yet spontaneous and
swinging like crazy. Dianne Reeves is the pre-eminent jazz vocalist in the
world today. As a result of her virtuosity, improvisational prowess and
unique jazz and R&B stylings, Reeves was awarded the Grammy for Best
Jazz Vocal Performance for three consecutive recordings - a Grammy
first in any vocal category. Joined by Peter Martin (Piano), Reginald Vael
(Bass), Tereon Gully (Drums) she performs many of her legendary songs.
A hundred years ago, when the thing we call jazz was spawned, this
new genre soaked up everything that made a sound: the blues of the
South, gospel songs, ragtime, European, Caribbean and Creole music.
Jazz was and is a musical furnace and what has emerged from it has
defined pop music since the beginning: It’s all about jazz! Like many
other African American girls, Lizz Wright grew up as the daughter
of a preacher, singing in the church choir, taking piano lessons and
realizing that there was more to music than gospel. At the age of 22,
she was discovered in a contest and now almost ten years later and
with four albums and countless concerts behind her, she is completely
at home with herself, singing simple songs, trusting in her voice alone,
calmly delivering her message, a message which is always about a
deep sense of humanity. At AVO SESSION, Lizz Wright performs songs
from her new album ‘Fellowship’. Look forward to world music in the
very best sense and in the end: It’s all about jazz!
Solos – The Jazz Sessions
Shot in stunning HDTV with multiple moving cameras and a medley of
elegant, cinematic lighting designs, SOLOS: THE JAZZ SESSIONS is
a 31-part-series showcasing an exciting and dynamic variety of jazz
styles – from the blues and boogie-woogie to bebop and beyond. Each
one-hour-episode features complete pieces of music, interviews and
behind-the-scenes footage. Pull up a chair and take a front-row seat
for some of the most intimate and exciting jazz programmes of the era.
Episode 1: BILL FRISELL / Episode 2: BRAD MEHLDAU / Episode 3: JOE
LOVANO / Episode 4: CHARLIE HUNTER / Episode 5: JAMES BLOOD
/ Episode 7: ANDREW HILL / Episode 8: CYRO BAPTISTA / Episode
9: KEVIN / Episode 10: MIKE / Episode 11: PHIL DWYER / Episode 12:
PAUL PLIMLEY / Episode 13: MICHAEL / Episode 14: JEAN BEAUDET
- PIANO / Episode 15: LORRAINE DESMARAIS - PIANO / Episode 16:
GREG OSBY - ALTO SAXOPHONE / Episode 17: ANDY STATMAN /
Episode 18: LEE KONITZ / Episode 19: DON THOMPSON / Episode 20:
GONZALO RUBALCALBA / Episode 21: ERIK FRIEDLANDER / Episode
22: JOHN ABERCROMBIE / Episode 23: STEVEN BERNSTEIN / Episode
24: MARK TURNER / Episode 25: MATTHEW SHIPP / Episode 26: KURT
ROSENWINKEL / Episode 27: MATT WILSON / Episode 28: ETHAN
IVERSON / Episode 29: REID ANDERSON / Episode 30: KELLY JOE
PHELPS / Episode 31: ROSCOE MITCHELL
Production: Cargo Film / Original Spin Media
Prog No: 9900 I Length: 31 x 60‘ 31 x 30‘ I Format: HD
152
153
Popular Music World Music
ENTERTAINMENT GMBH
Justin Adams and Juldeh Camara play Avo Session
George Dalaras plays Avo Session
British rock meets afro-sound from Gambia. The sound of a nation
with no borders, a place that needs no passport, no visa. This is
where the deep roots of African music nourish the raw electric
groove of rock and roll, where Gnawa spirit rhythms come up against
Chicago distortion, where snaky N’awlins rhythm has a West London
howl, and a Sahel Wail.
George Dalaras’ musical home is ‘Rebetiko’, the ‘Greek blues’, as it was
sung and played in the first half of the last century in the bars in Piraeus
and Athens. That was the launching pad for Dalaras’ worldwide music
career, as he worked with Mikis Theodorakis, and later international
stars like Bruce Springsteen and Sting.
Richard Bona & Raul Midón play Avo Session
Mariza plays Avo Session
As a small child, he often cried for no reason, Richard Bona says, until he
was given a balafon that he could play. Since then, Richard Bona’s music
and his stage performance is a synonym for good times. Bona grew up
in Africa, before moving to Germany at the age of 22 and later to France.
There, the young bassist was immediately part of the scene. But Bona
has only been truly at home since he moved to New York. There he met
his brother in spirit, Raul Midón. They are the perfect pair, two brilliant
singers and instrumentalists who bring the African, Latin American,
European and North American worlds together. World music at its best
- a feast for the senses!
Music is language. Nowhere else is that more obvious than in Portuguese,
where a single word became the key to an entire culture of music:
‘Saudade’. Happiness mixed with sadness is the blues of Portugal and
Brazil, where Mariza also lived for a while, influenced too by the musical
rhythms of that country’s popular music.
Prog No: 8075 I Length: 75’ I Format: HDTV
Carlinhos Brown plays Avo Session
One particular scene in concerts with Brazilian singers never ceases to surprise
European audiences: Someone starts the first verse of a song on stage, then holds
out the microphone to the audience and ten thousand people finish the verse
without a single mistake in the lyrics as they dance in perfect rhythm to the song.
That is MPB: Música Popular Brasileira is pop music in the literal sense of the
word, it’s the music of the people. MPB is part of the Brazilian national identity, just
like football. Carlinhos Brown’s African roots are obvious and on the stage he likes
to emphasize the fact by wearing tribal headdress. He uses the name Brown in
honour of his brother in the US, civil rights leader H. Rap Brown and singer James
Brown. It’s going to be a hot night at AVO SESSION. Whoever wants to have a
true MPB concert experience, should start learning Carlinhos’ songs by heart … .
Hugh Masekela feat. Mahotella Queens
plays AVO Session
Before jazz had a name and ‘world music’ was a concept, a young
trumpet player emerged from another hemisphere and landed alongside
some of the greatest icons in American music. Louis Armstrong sent
him a trumpet. Harry Belafonte arranged for him to come to New York
City to study music. That man, Hugh Masekela, born out of apartheid
South Africa , has consistently toured worldwide and his genre-bending
dynamism has led to his own icon status. The Mahotella Queens were far
more than just a female chorus: their velvety voices, their charisma and
their sense of show and stage were an essential element in the band.
Compañia Maria Serrano plays AVO Session
Daniela Mercury plays Avo Session
The Compañía Maria Serrano and their current ‘FlamenTango’ project
is bound to set the ‘Elegant Gypsy’s’ soul aflame. Accompanied by four
musicians and the singers Juan Cantarote and Immaculada Rivero,
Maria Serrano and her partners Antonio Granjero and Javier Soriano
meet the Argentinean tango-couple Romina Godoy and Milton Homann
for a firework of sensuality and power, melancholy and happiness.
Many Brazilian musicians are from Salvador de Bahia in the Northeast,
Brazil’s most African city, where slaves from West Africa still landed
in the 19th century. Daniela Mercury was born there 46 years ago. She
learned to dance and sing at the same time that she learned how to walk.
When she was around 20, she finished her apprenticeship with Gilberto
Gil and released her first album in 1991, which became a surprise hit.
Since then, she has added a dozen CDs to the list and became a star also
outside of Brazil.
154
155
Popular Music Documentary
ENTERTAINMENT GMBH
Sunshine Superman – The Story of Donovan
From shaggy-haired, demin-clad Dylan Apostle to brocade-robed,
hitmaking folk-rock guru, Donovan’s ascension to 60s pop royalty was
meteoric. From mediating with the Beatles in India to recording with Jeff
Beck, Jimmy Page or Jack Bruce, everything this gentle Glasgow born
troubadour touched turned to gold. Over the last three years, Hannes
Rossacher from DoRo Productions has filmed Donovan at all the locations
that have had the highest significance in this extraordinary singer/
songwriter’s life, weaving together a comprehensive documentary
about the life and work of Donovan..
Production: DoRo Productions / SPV (owner of the programme)
Summer of Love
In four (two) creatively composed episodes provided with clips from
Jefferson Airplane, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, The Rolling
Stones, Cat Stevens, Led Zeppelin and many other legendary artists of
that time, the documentary deals with the central topics of this unique
phenomenon in pop history: The Summer of Love. The sexual liberation
and the search for new, spiritual ways were most important for an attitude
towards life that established its own event- and party culture for the first
time in history. The documentary is based on interviews with vocalists like
Donovan, Art Garfunkel, Adam Green, Bob Marley, Yoko Ono and Michelle
Philipps from ‘The Mamas & The Papas’. As a leitmotif we pose the question
of actuality of the cultural achievements in which the hippies succeeded.
Director: Jürgen Schindler, Frank Illgner, Hannes Rossacher,
Tom Theunissen I Production: MME
Prog No: 8018 I Length: 4x60‘ 2x45‘ I Format: 16:9
The Queens of Pop
TRIO – ‚Da, Da, Da‘
In January 2011, ARTE viewers voted for the ‘Queens of Pop’. 8 pop
queens were chosen from 50 proposals and these are presented in a
26-minute documentary: From the 1960s: Diana Ross. From the 1970s:
Donna Summer. From the 1980s: Madonna and Nena. From the 1990s:
Britney Spears and Mariah Carey. From 2000-2009: Lady Gaga and
Beyoncé. The title of the programme, ‘Queens of Pop’, in itself shows
where the emphasis lies – none of those simplistic chart rankings, but
instead a documentary series that looks at our cultural history, dealing
with the women who shaped popular music over the past fifty years.
Trio celebrated their biggest commercial success in the early 80s
during the ‘Neue Deutsche Welle’ (New German Wave). Their signature
sound was the programmed Rockbeat from the semi professional
Casio-synthesizer, played by Stephan Remmler. Their biggest hit, ‘Da
da da’, released in April 1982, was an international success, topping
the charts all over Europe, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, Asia. There are
more than a hundred cover versions of this song and the song is still
frequently used in commercials. The minimalistic concept can be heard
at its best on the first album (‘Trio’, 1981). It is considered to be one of
the three most important albums in German pop history. All in all Trio
released three studio-albums from 1981 to 1985. They were produced
by world-famous musician and Beatles-Collaborator Klaus Voormann
who supported their style which reminded him of his work with John
Lennon in The Plastic Ono Band. Trio became some kind of cult - and
they still are today.
Director: Jean-Alexander Ntivyihabwa, Simone Owczarek, Henrike
Sandner, Stefanie Schäfer, Jürgen Schindler, Nicole Kraack, Julie
Wessling, Nicole Kraack, Matthias Schmidt, Kai Mierow
Production: Signed media in co-production with arte
Production: Media Creativ Consult GmbH
Prog No: 9824 I Length: 8x30‘ I Format: HD
Sting – A Winter’s Night … Documentary
Welcome to the Eigthies!
In ‘Sting – A Winter’s Night … Documentary’, the artist takes his
producer-friend Robert Sadin – and the viewer – on a tour of the places
where he grew up in and around Durham and Newcastle upon Tyne in
northern England, and reunites with so.
Welcome to the 80s - This 6 x 52min music documentary is a unique
production showing a fascinating musical journey through the 80s
featuring all the facets of this exciting area: Synthiepop & New
Romantic, Charts, Clips & Commerce, Rap, Breakdance & Graffiti, House
Nation & Acid Parties, Gothic, Industrial & Black Metal..
Director: Jim Gable, Ann Kim
Production: A Graying & Balding production for Universal Music
Classical Management & Production in association with Thirteen for
WNET.org, Idéale Audience and UNITEL with the cooperation of NRK,
Schweizer Fernsehen, YLE/TV1, EESTI Rahvusringhääling, Latvian
Television, TVP Kultura, Bulgarian National Television, Sveriges
Television AB, RSI, Multishow and BBC with the participation of Decca
Director: Frank Jastfelder, Jean-Alexander Ntivyihabwa,
Hannes Rossacher, Tom Theunissen, Frank Ilgener
Production: Signed Media
Prog No: 9686 I Length: 6x52‘ I Format: HD
156
157
index
CLASSICAL MUSIC
P
L
CONCERT / VOCAL
Pergolesi: Stabat Mater
from Dresden
Ligeti, Le Grand Macabre
3 Stars in Berlin
3 Stars in Vienna
Classical Summit 2006 –
Three Superstars in Berlin
The original 3 Tenors Concert
at the Baths of Caracalla in Rome
1
1
2
2
A
Amor, vida de mi vida –
The Zarzuela Concert
2
B
Christmas Oratorio from Bethlehem
and Jerusalem
3
W. F. Bach – Rediscovered Cantatas 3
Baroque Duet Battle & Marsalis
4
Cecilia Bartoli –
The Barcelona Concert
4
Cecilia Bartoli – Sacrificium
4
Beethoven, Missa Solemnis
in D Major, op.123
5
5
6
6
Berlin Philharmonic –
Wagner Gala –
6
Andrea Bocelli –
Live in Central Park
7
Brahms, Ein Deutsches Requiem
op.457
D
Recital Diana Damrau
8
F
at the Frauenkirche 2011
8
9
G
Opera Gala Baden-Baden
New Year‘s Eve Concert 2011 –
Gala Concert at the Semperoper –
Highlights from ‘The Merry Widow‘
The Glory of Russia – Sound and
Sights of Saint Petersburg
9
10
10
11
H
Thomas Hampson sings Schumann 11
Haydn, The Creation (Die Schöpfung) 11
Philippe Jaroussky
and the Concerto Köln
12
K
Sehnsucht – Jonas Kaufmann
sings German Arias
The most beautiful song –
A search for singers
with Thomas Quasthoff (Concert)
15
T
Thielemann conducts Strauss
Bryn Terfel – Bad Boys
15
16
V
Rolando Villazón – Handel Arias
Villazón –
Monteverdi in Saint-Denis
Great Voices from South Africa
16
17
17
18
18
OPERA
A
D‘Albert Tiefland
Alfano, Cyrano de Bergerac
20
20
B
Beethoven, Fidelio
Beethoven, Fidelio
Bellini, Norma
Berg, Lulu
Berlioz, Benvenuto Cellini
Berlioz, Les Troyens
Bizet, Carmen – Karajan
Bizet, Carmen – Nelsons
Bizet, Carmen – Piollet
Bussoni, Doktor Faust
20
21
21
21
22
22
23
23
23
24
C
Catán, Il Postino
Chin, Alice in Wonderland
24
24
D
Donizetti, Anna Bolena
Donizetti, La Fille du régiment
Donizetti, Lucrezia Borgia
Donizetti, Maria Stuarda
Donizetti, Roberto Devereux
Dvořák, Rusalka
25
25
26
26
27
27
F
28
G
Giordano, Andrea Chénier
Gluck, Orfeo ed Euridice
Gounod, Roméo et Juliette
12
Handel, Admeto
Handel, Messiah
Handel, Theodora
Haydn, Il mondo della luna
13
I
The Infernal Comedy
13
13
14
S
H
N
Netrebko, Russian Songs
Paris Concert March 2007 –
Anna Netrebko and
Rolando Villazón
Recital Leo Nucci
Rossini: Stabat Mater
12
M
Mozart, Gala Matinee
R
De Falla, La vida breve
J
14
28
29
29
30
30
31
31
Janáček, Več Makropulos
(The Makropulos Affair)
M
Massenet, Manon – de Billy
32
Massenet, Manon – Barenboim
33
Mayr, Medea in Corinto
33
Mozart, Così fan tutte
33
Mozart, Don Giovanni –
Furtwängler34
Mozart, Don Giovanni – de Billy
34
Mozart, Don Giovanni – Frizza
34
Mozart, Die Entführung aus dem
Serail35
Mozart, The Giacomo Variations
35
Mozart, Idomeneo
35
Mozart 22
36 – 37
Mussorgsky, Khovanshchina
39
P
300 Years Giovanni Batista Pergolesi –
The complete Operas
38
Pfitzner, Palestrina
39
Pizetti, Assassinio nella Cattedrale 40
Prokofiev, The Gambler (Der Spieler) 40
Puccini, La Bohème – de Billy
41
Puccini, La Bohème – Karajan
41
Puccini, Madama Butterfly –
Callegari42
Puccini, Madama Butterfly –
Karajan42
Puccini, Tosca – Oren
43
Puccini, Tosca – Luisi
43
Puccini, Turandot
44
Puccini, Il Barbiere di Siviglia
(The Barber of Seville)
44
R
Verdi, Falstaff – Solti
Verdi, La forza del destino
Verdi, I Lombardi alla prima crociata
Verdi, Luisa Miller
Verdi, Nabucco
Verdi, Otello – Muti
Verdi, Otello – Karajan
Verdi, La Traviata – Mariotti
Verdi, La Traviata – Rizzi
Verdi, La Traviata – Muti
Tutto Verdi
Wagner, Lohengrin
60
Wagner, Die Meistersinger von
Nürnberg61
Wagner, Parsifal
61
Wagner, Rienzi, der Letzte der
Tribunen61
Wagner, Das Rheingold
62
Wagner, Tannhäuser
63
Wagner, The Passenger
63
Wolf-Ferrari, La Vedova Scaltra
62
BALLET
A
Accent on the Offbeat
The Fiddle and The Drum
The Little Mermaid
Tchaikovsky, Eugen Onegin –
Wellber53
Tchaikovsky, Eugen Onegin –
Barenboim54
Tchaikovsky, Eugen Onegin – Solti 54
V
32
Verdi, Aida – Rizzi
Verdi, Aida – Mastrabgelo
Verdi, Falstaff – Gatti
158
54
55
55
64
O
Jerome Robbins‘ NY Export:
Opus Jazz
A
T
64
M
S
49
49
50
50
51
51
52
52
52
53
64
F
Tschaikovsky, The Nutcracker –
Bonn Ballet
Tschaikovsky, The Nutcracker –
Staatsballett Berlin
Tschaikovsky, Swan Lake –
Staatsballet Berlin
Tschaikovsky, Swan Lake – Nurejev
Schweitzer, Alceste
Strauss, Ariadne auf Naxos
Strauss, Elektra – Thielemann
Strauss, Elektra – Gatti
Strauss, Die Frau ohne Schatten
Strauss, Die Liebe der Danae
Strauss, Der Rosenkavalier
Strauss, Salome
Stravinsky, Oedipus Rex
Szymanowski, King Roger
55
56
56
57
57
58
58
59
59
60
60
W
Rossini, La Cambiale di matrimonio 44
Rossini, La Cenerentola
45
Rossini, Le Comte Ory
45
Rossini Festival Pesaro: Adelaide di
Borgogna45
Rossini Festival Pesaro:
46
Demetrio e Polibio
Mosè in Egitto
46
Rossini Festival Pesaro: Sigismondo 47
Rossini, La Pietra del Paragone
48
La Scala di Seta
47
Rossini Festival Pesaro: Zelmira
48
31
J
32
64
T
65
65
65
65
CONCERT / ORCHESTRAL MUSIC
Lucerne Festival:
Abbado conducts Bruckner 5
Claudio Abbado conducts the
Simón Bolívar Youth Orchestra
Lucerne Festival: A World Premiere
with Martha Argerich
and Mischa Maisky
67
67
67
B
Bach, Brandenburg Concertos
Nos. 1 – 6
67
BEETHOVEN 9 –
The Complete Symphonies –
Thielemann68
Beethoven, Symphonies Nos. 1 – 9 –
Bernstein68
Beethoven, Missa solemnis
in D major, op.123
68
The Beethoven Piano Concertos
68
Beethoven Cycle
Kammerphilharmonie Bremen
69
Beethoven, Symphonies Nos. 1 – 9 –
Karajan69
Beethoven, Egmont Overture, op. 84 70
Joshua Bell plays Tchaikovsky
70
Richard Strauss Gala –
Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
90
Berlin Philharmonic:
Beethoven Gala
90
Rostropovich and the Berlin
Philharmonic –
93
Bernstein, Overture to ‘Candide’
70
Bernstein, Symphonic Dances from
‘West Side Story’
70
Brahms, Piano Concerto No. 2 in
B flat major, op.83 – Abbado / Pollini 71
Brahms, Piano Concerto No.1
in D minor, op.15 – Bernstein /
Zimerman71
Brahms, Symphonies Nos. 2, 3, 4 –
Karajan72
Brahms, Symphony No.2 in D major,
op. 73 – Kleiber
72
Bruckner, Symphonies Nos. 4 – 9 –
Barenboim72
Bruckner, Symphony No. 4 –
Thielemann72
Bruckner, Symphony No. 7 –
Thielemann73
Dudamel: Inaugural Concert
78
Dudamel: The Promise of Music –
Beethovenfest Bonn
79
Dudamel: Simon Bolivar Youth
Orchestra of Venezuela – Concert
79
Dvořák, Symphony No.9 in E minor,
op.95 ‚From the New World‘ – Karajan 80
Andris Nelsons: From the New World 89
Andris Nelsons
90
Andris Nelsons and Yefim Bronfman
90
F
Emmanuel Pahud –
Works by Frederick the Great
Pollini and Thielemann perform
Brahms and Reger
C
L
Carnegie Hall
73
120th Anniversary Concert
Frédéric Chopin –
The Anniversary Gala Concert
73
The Chopin Piano Concertos
73
RCO: Beethoven, Symphony No. 9 –
Jansons74
RCO: Beethoven 7 – Haintink
74
RCO: Mahler: Songs from ‘Des Kaben
Wunderhorn / Beethoven:
74
Symphony No. 6
RCO: Brahms: Concerto for Piano
and Orchestra
No. 1, Rachmaninov:
75
Symphonic Dances op. 45
RCO: Bruckner: Symphony No. 8 –
Haitink75
RCO: Honegger, Symphonie No. 3
‘Liturgique‘75
RCO: Janácek, Lasské Tance
74
RCO: Symphonies Nos 1 – 10 &
‘Das Lied von der Erde‘
75
RCO: Mahler – Das Lied von der Erde –
Haitink76
RCO: Mozart: Symphony No. 35
‚Prague‘ / Debussy: La mer –
Haitink76
RCO: Schubert: Symphony No. 8 /
Wagner: Die Walküre, Act I –
Haitink76
RCO: Stravinsky: Pulcinella &
76
Le Sacre du Printemps – Chailly
Copland, Symphony No. 3 –
Bernstein77
Lang Lang at Schönbrunn
Liszt Celebration Concert
Christian Thielemann
celebrates Liszt in Weimar –
Festive Concert on the
200th birthday of Franz Liszt
Thielemann conducts Faust –
Memorial Concert on the
200th Birthday of Franz Liszt
D
Danish National Symphony Orchestra:
Nielsen – Dvorak – Brahms – Sibelius 77
Debussy, Prélude à l‘après-midi d‘un
faune – Karajan
77
Rhapsodie in Blue – LA Opening Gala
with Herbie Hancock &
77
Gustavo Dudamel
Célebración. Season Opening Gala
2010 / 2011 with Gustavo Dudamel
and Juan Diego Flórez
78
Julia Fischer – Violin and Piano
80
G
Gershwin, Rhapsody in Blue –
Bernstein81
H
Händel, Music for the Royal
Fireworks – Richter
Hollywood in Vienna
Horowitz plays Mozart
81
81
81
I
The Israel Philharmonic Orchestra
60th Anniversary Gala
82
K
Memorial Concert
on his 100th Birthday
82
82
83
P
83
M
Claudio Abbado &
Lucerne Festival Orchestra –
84
Mahler 9
The Mahler Project –
Mahler, Symphony No. 9
84
in D major – Barenboim
Mahler, Symphonies Nos. 1 – 10 –
Bernstein85
Mahler, Das Lied von der Erde –
Bernstein85
Mahler, ‘Lieder eines fahrenden
Gesellen‘, ‘Rückertlieder‘ –
Bernstein85
Chailly conducts Mahler –
86
Symphonies Nos. 2 and 8
A Concert for New York –
86
9/11 Memorial Concert
Albrecht Mayer in Concert
86
Mendelssohn,
Violin Concerto in E Minor Op. 64 –
Mutter87
Truls Mørk plays Chopin and Dvorák 87
Lucerne Festival:
Abbado conducts Mozart
87
Mozart‘s Final Symphonies
87
Mozart, Piano Concertos
88
Mozart, Symphony No.36 in C major,
K. 425 ‚Linz‘ – Kleiber
88
Mozart, Violin Concertos – Mutter
88
W.A. Mozart:
89
Concerto For Two Pianos
N
Kent Nagano Conducts Classical
Masterpieces89
159
Anne-Sophie Mutter
plays Mendelssohn
Sonatas for Violin and Piano
Trios for Violin, Cello and Piano
91
P
91
Murray Perahia – Live in Warsaw
The Philharmonics in Vienna
R
Lucerne Festival: Simon Rattle
conducts Britten and Bruckner
91
Ravel, Daphnis and Chloé – Karajan 91
Recital Arcadi Volodos
DOCUMENTARY
Salzburg Festival:
Opening Concert 2011
93
Salzburg Festival:
93
Salzburg Festival:
92
Salzburg Festival:
92
Strauss, Don Quixote, op.35 –
Karajan94
A
T
Tchaikovsky Gala from Leningrad
The Vatican Concert 2005 –
In Honor of Pope Benedikt XVI
94
95
Weber, Overture to ‘Der Freischütz’ –
Karajan95
in Salzburg – Concert
96
in Abu Dhabi
96
at the BBC Proms
97
Y
97
The 12 Cellists
at Moscow Conservatory
98
A
Appalachian Journey
98
B
Hommage à Pierre Boulez
on his 85th birthday
Recordering Brahms Vol. 1 + 2
Brahms, Sonatas for Violin and Piano
Daniel Barenboim –
The Warsaw Recital
98
98
99
99
H
99
100
100
K
Kronos Quartet &
Kimmo Pohjohnen – Uniko
100
L
Lang Lang in Vienna
101
102
102
103
103
103
104
B
Portrait Alison Balsom –
The Trumpet‘s Splendour
Bayreuth – From Myth to Modernity
Discovering Beethoven
Boris Berezovsky –
Pianist and Virtuoso
Alfred Brendel on Music –
Three Lectures
104
104
105
105
105
C
La Casa Dei Suoni –
The House of Magical Sounds
Classical Music and Cold War
105
106
D
Diana Damrau: Diva Divina –
Nine Months With The German
Opera Star
106
F
107
G
Elīna Garanča – Naturally A Singer
Portrait Edita Gruberova –
The Art of Belcanto
CONCERT / CHAMBER MUSIC
Horowitz in London
Horowitz in Moscow
Horowitz in Vienna
ACCIÓN! The Story of La Fura
dels Baus
Mirella Freni –
A Life Devoted to Opera
Young Stars of Classical Music –
Johannes Moser, Juraj Valcuha:
Pfitzner, Strauss
101
V
S
W
83
M
107
107
H
Harnoncourt – A Legend Celebrates
His 80th Birthday
Joseph Haydn –
Libertine & His Master‘s Servant
High-Performance Sports –
Singing Opera
Horowitz: The Last Romantic
Horowitz: A Reminiscence
108
108
109
109
109
I
The Impossible Dream
Inside The Infernal Comedy
110
110
K
Karajan or Beauty As I See It
Inside Karajan
Maestro for the Screen
Kinshasa Symphony
Carlos Kleiber –
I Am Lost To The World
Komeda – A Soundtrack for A Life
110
111
111
111
111
112
M
Mozart 22 Documentaries
Gustav Mahler –
Autopsy of a Genius
The Mahler Project – Documentary
My time will come –
Gustav Mahler as remembered by
Natalie Bauer-Lechner
Malibran Rediscovered –
Cecilia Bartoli
Marsalis on Music
Kurt Masur –
Adventures in Listening
Portrait Albrecht Mayer –
The Magic of the Oboe
The Most Beautiful Operas
of All Time
The Most Beautiful Song –
A Search for Singers with Thomas
Quasthoff (Documentary)
Music, Mon Amour
112
113
113
114
114
114
114
115
115
116
116
N
Kent Nagano Conducts Classical
Masterpieces – Documentaries
117
Portrait Andris Nelsons
117
Ozawa117
Passion118
Murray Perahia – Not Of This World 118
Portrait André Previn –
A Bridge Between Two Worlds
118
The Promise of Music
119
Puccini – The dark side of the moon 119
R
The Reichsorchester
119
Vadim Repin – a Magician of Sound 120
Rhythm is it!
120
In Memoriam Mstislav Rostropovich 120
S
Salsa in Salzburg
121
Christine Schäfer – My Art of Singing121
School for the Ear –
122
V
Victims & Seducers –
The Fate Of The Castrati
Rolando Villazón: Viva México!
Antonio Vivaldi – The Red Priest
122
122
123
W
Sasha Waltz – Garden of Lust
123
The World of the Wiener
Philharmoniker123
All in One Hand –
The Pianist Paul Wittgenstein
124
Portrait Fritz Wunderlich –
Life and Legend
124
POP
A
127
127
B
Goran Bregovic Wedding and
Funeral Band plays Avo Session
Mary J. Blige plays Avo Session
Blush play Avo Session
C
Rosanne Cash plays AVO Session
Chic feat. Nile Rodgers
play Avo Session
George Clinton & Parliament
Funkadelic play AVO Session
Holly Cole plays Avo Session
Sharon Corr plays Avo Session
Kevin Costner and Modern West
play AVO Session
Sheryl Crow plays Avo Session
Jamie Cullum plays Avo Session
129
Dolores O´Riordan
plays Avo Session
Orishas play AVO Session
129
129
130
130
130
130
131
131
131
E
Steve Earle and The Dukes featuring
Allison Moorer play Avo Session
Earth, Wind & Fire Experience feat.
Al McKay play Avo Session
Stephan Eicher and The Lost &
Found Orchestra play Avo Session
Emerson, Lake & Palmer – The
40th Anniversary Reunion Concert
132
132
132
133
133
133
G
Adam Green plays Avo Session
Gregorian Live at Kreutzenstein
133
134
H
Roger Hodgson plays AVO Session
The Hooters play Avo Session
Sophie Hunger plays Avo Session
Hurts play Avo Session
134
134
135
135
J
Joe Jackson plays Avo Session
Jamiroquai plays Avo Session
Jethro Tull plays AVO Session
Grace Jones plays Avo Session
135
136
147
136
K
Patricia Kaas plays AVO Session
136
Toby Keith plays Avo Session
136
Beverley Knight plays Avo Session 137
Mark Knopfler plays Avo Session 137
Kris Kristofferson plays AVO Session 137
L
Cyndi Lauper plays AVO Session
Ute Lemper plays Avo Session
127
128
128
Sanada Maitreya &
The Nudge Nudge play Avo Session
Amy McDonald plays AVO Session
Katie Melua plays Avo Session
Mike & The Mechanics
play Avo Session
Liza Minnelli plays Avo Session
Keb‘ Mo‘ plays Avo Session
Gary Moore plays AVO Session
Morcheeba with Skye
play Avo Session
James Morrison plays AVO Session
E
141
141
142
142
Gino Paoli plays Avo Session
Laura Pausini plays Avo Session
Pavarotti: The duets – The Best of
Pavarotti and Friends
Pink Martini play Avo Session
Robert Plant plays Avo Session
Tom Principato & Powerhouse
play Avo Session
The Puppini Sisters
play AVO Session
137
138
Razorlight play Avo Session
Reamonn plays Avo Session
Kelly Rowland plays AVO Session
143
138
144
144
Solos – The Jazz Sessions
144
W
144
145
145
145
142
145
146
146
146
146
147
139
140
140
140
141
141
Al Di Meola plays AVO Session
Dianne Reeves plays Avo Session
152
152
S
152
Cassandra Wilson plays Avo Session152
Lizz Wright plays Avo Session
152
WORLD MUSIC
A
Justin Adams and Juldeh Camara
play Avo Session
154
B
Richard Bona & Raul Midón
play Avo Session
154
Carlinhos Brown plays Avo Session 154
C
Compañia Maria Serrano
plays AVO Session
154
D
147
George Dalaras plays Avo Session 155
M
V
W
Mariza plays Avo Session
155
Hugh Masekela feat. Mahotella
Queens plays AVO Session
155
Daniela Mercury plays Avo Session 155
Rufus Wainwright plays Avo Session 148
Lucinda Williams plays Avo Session 148
DOCUMENTARY
Vaya Con Dios plays Avo Session
Suzanne Vega plays Avo Session
147
148
Y
Yanni –
Live from Las Vegas & Acapulco
D
148
Z
Frank Zappa & Ensemble Moderne –
‚The Yellow Shark‘
149
Sunshine Superman –
The Story of Donovan
156
Q
The Queens of Pop
156
S
JAZZ
A
138
139
139
L
R
U
UB 40 play AVO Session
Jools Holland & his R&B Orchestra
play AVO Session
151
M
T
Susan Tedeschi plays AVO Session
Tanita Tikaram Trio
plays Avo Session
Emiliana Torrini plays AVO Session
KT Tunstall plays Avo Session
151
H
142
143
S
Scorpions play AVO Session
Snow Patrol play AVO Session
Sting – Live in Berlin
Sting – A Winter’s Night …
Live from Durham Cathedral
Eliane Elias plays Avo Session
Jacques Loussier plays Avo Session 151
P
R
F
Flying Pickets play Avo Session
Ruthie Foster plays AVO Session
Aaron Neville plays Avo Session
Justin Nozuka plays Avo Session
O
D
Ray Davies plays Avo Session
Jan Delay plays Avo Session
Joy Denalane plays Avo Session
N
129
M
POPULAR MUSIC
Anastacia plays Avo Session
Paul Anka plays Avo Session
Michael Bolton plays AVO Session 128
Solomon Burke plays Avo Session 128
Patti Austin Plays Avo Session
Roy Ayers plays Avo Session
150
150
160
157
W
150
150
C
Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra
plays Avo Session
Natalie Cole plays AVO Session
T
TRIO – ‘Da, Da, Da’
B
Blind Boys of Alabama &
Preservation Hall Jazz Band
play AVO Session
Till Broenner plays AVO Session
Sting – A Winter’s Night …
Documentary156
Summer of Love
157
151
151
Welcome to the Eigthies!
157

C Major Catalogue 2012

Transcription

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