The Austrian pianist Rudolf Buchbinder was invited by the Salzburg Festival to perform a pinnacle of piano literature in its entirety, a first for the festival: Beethovens magnum opus of 32 piano sonatas, developed throughout his life gain depths for their reflection of his evolution as a man and musician through the years. With the sonatas Pathétique, Moonshine, …
Beginning in mid-1980s, Leonard Bernstein and the Vienna Philharmonic began re-recording the complete cycle of Sibelius symphonies. Bernsteins death in 1990 ended the planned project with Symphonies Nos. 1, 2, 5 and 7 completed. Recorded live in the intimately sized Viennas Musikverein, and brilliantly filmed to allow maximum visibility of the orchestra and soloists. An inspired Bernstein conducts …
Amazing enough, this special edition Blu-Ray/CD is the first in studio production of the Kirov Ballet in a program of classic and contemporary repertoire with works by Chopin, Barber, Stravinsky, Adam, and more. With a reputation as one of the best ballet companies in the world, the Kirov, today known as the Mariinsky Ballet was founded in the …
Carl Maria von Webers dark Romantic era tale of love, faith, and temptation is grippingly performed by the Dresden Staatskapelle led by conductor, Christian Thielemann in this live DVD performance from early 2015. With highly acclaimed staging by Axel Köhler, the singers in leading roles add to the luster of the production with the tenor Michael Königs performance …
The founder, director and choreographer of Hamburg Ballet, American-born John Neumeier has made a name for himself with ballets that draw liberally from literary, poetic and musical sources. Neumeiers celebrated ballet of J.S. Bachs Christmas Oratorio performed by Philharmoniker Hamburg and the Choir of the Hamburg State Opera casts Bach’s majestic work which commemorates the incarnation of Christ …
A Blu-Ray disc of the stunning 2014 performance choreographed by Belgian modern great Anne Teresa de Keersmaeker, performed by members of the Paris Opera Ballet and set to Music for Eighteen Musicians, Steve Reich’s major score composed in 1976. In tandem with the score rendered here by Ensemble Ictus and the Synergy Vocals ensemble, Rain draws its spatial …
A beautifully packaged Blu-Ray box edition commemorating Sibelius 150th birthday with a spotlight on his seminal symphony cycle that are among the canonical works of the 20th century. With the musical evocations of his Finnish landscape Sibelius symphonic works are known for their depth and technical challenge and continue to provide challenge for conductors and performers and delight …
The Nutcracker remains one of the most popular ballets ever with Tchaikovskys luscious score annotating the fantasy and enchantment of the tale. Vasily Medvedev and Yuri Burlaka, two Russian choreographers have developed a version for the Staatsballett Berlin which is based on the historic stage designs and choreography from the original of 1892. This glittering production was designed …
With Tchaikovskys famous and lyrically poignant score, the beloved masterpiece Swan Lakes depiction of tragic love is performed to perfection by the unparalleled virtuosity of Russias great Bolshoi Ballet with the Bolshoi Theatre Orchestra. Recorded in early 2015, this live performance available on Blu-Ray provides an opportunity to see the modern manifestation of this legendary ballet troupe with …