Surely Bach’s French Suites, which he composed during his years at Cöthen (1717–1723), are among the finest inducements to practise that any teacher has ever made to a pupil. In this case Bach wrote them for his young wife, Anna Magdalena. The over-riding impression left by these suites is one of endearing tunefulness. Clavier-Übung II is a later collection of didactic keyboard pieces. It comprises two greatly contrasted works: the Italian Concerto and the Overture in the French Style. These performances admirably demonstrate the thoughtful and persuasive approach that András Schiff adopts when performing Bach. Recorded live at the Bachfest 2010, Protestant Reformed Church of Leipzig, 11 June 2010 Repertoire J.S. Bach: French Suites Nos. 1–6, Overture in the French Style in B minor, Italian Concerto in F major, BWV 971

7.0Released as a memorial for the great Russian cellist Mstislav Rostropovich, who passed away on 27 April 2007, this DVD contains one bonafide cello concerto, the Schumann Cello Concerto in A minor, and two tone poems with prominent cello parts, Ernest Bloch's Schelomo and Richard Strauss' Don Quixote. Rostropovich mastered the Schumann in several famous recordings. Here, conducted by Leonard Bernstein, he provides a splendid performance. Featuring his trademark powerful technique, smooth legato and crisp vibrato, the Romantic roots of the concerto are never hidden for long, despite the relatively cool playing of the Orchestre National de France.
10.0For Mahlerites, his symphonies are much more than musical performances--they can be an emotional or spiritual journey through the struggles, fears, and triumphs of life. This Sixth Symphony is a 1976 performance in the Vienna Musikvereinssaal with PCM stereo and DTS 5.1. The 2 dvd set also includes the 4th and 5th symphonies, which are performed as magnificently as the Sixth.
0.0Almost any recording of a Mozart symphony by Austrian conductor Karl Bohm (1894-1981) is a sure thing: excellent sound, and sensible, solid, non-sentimental interpretation. This DVD has 3 Mozart Symphonies, all conducted by Bohm: Nos. 33 and 39 with the Vienna Symphony, recorded in Studio-Wien in 1969, and a live 1970 performance of Symphony 28 with the Vienna Philharmonic, filmed in the Musikvereinsalle in Vienna. All 3 symphonies have excellent film quality and sound, although some viewers may prefer Symphony 28, as the presence of a live audience really brings out the best in the Vienna Philharmonic.
0.0Imagine a window into the past. Imagine finally connecting singers' bodies to the voices you have always treasured on record, watching footage of performances from another era. All of singers featured here have something in common (with one exception, Sutherland): they sang and performed on stage before the advent of filmed opera. . And it shows, for the first time, a few tantalizing minutes of recently recovered footage from Callas' legendary Lisbon Traviata, featuring Addio dal Passato and Parigi oh cara with Alfredo Kraus. This DVD will leave you asking for more.
0.0Packed with intricate melodies, harmonies, and instrumentation, Johannes Vogel conducts the Synchron Stage Orchestra to perform Mozart’s Symphony No. 41 in C Major K. 551 in this elegant live concert stream. Captured in Vienna’s state-of-the-art Synchron Stage recording facility, experience the thrills and swells of a 40-piece ensemble - 30 string, 5 woodwind, 4 brass, and 1 percussion - comprised of talented musicians from renowned Viennese orchestras. Mozart completed Symphony No. 41 in C Major on 10 August 1788 – the final of three masterpieces he wrote that summer. Labelled ‘Jupiter Symphony’ by music critics, Symphony No. 41 is an example of divine perfection, brimming with the beautiful complexity, emotion, and excitement that represents the possibilities of humankind.
0.0Packed with intricate melodies, harmonies, and instrumentation, Johannes Vogel conducts the Synchron Stage Orchestra to perform Antonin Dvořák's Symphony No. 9 in E Minor Op.95 (also known as ‘New World Symphony’) in this joyful live concert stream. Captured in Vienna’s state-of-the-art Synchron Stage recording facility, experience the thrills and swells of a 60-piece ensemble – 40 string, 9 woodwind, 9 brass, and 2 percussion – comprised of talented musicians from renowned Viennese orchestras. While serving as the director of the National Conservatory of Music of America, Antonín Dvořák composed New World Symphony (a title inspired by his travels in the United States) and debuted the masterpiece in New York City on 16 December 1893. The symphony has since become one of the most famous works in classical music, filled with hope and happiness as well as uplifting instrumentals that makes it a pleasure to listen to come rain or shine.
0.0Packed with intricate melodies, harmonies, and instrumentation, Johannes Vogel conducts the Synchron Stage Orchestra to perform Brahms’ Symphony No. 4 in E Minor Op.98 in this enthralling live concert stream. Captured in Vienna’s state-of-the-art Synchron Stage recording facility, experience the thrills and swells of a 60-piece ensemble – 40 string, 9 woodwind, 9 brass, and 2 percussion – comprised of talented musicians from renowned Viennese orchestras. With origins that date back to 1884 in Mürzzuschlag and the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Symphony No. 4 was introduced to the public on 25 October 1885 in Meiningen, Germany. In this modern-day performance, Brahms' fourth and final symphony continues to pulse with positive energy and swirls with trance-like melodies that’ll please classical fans far and wide.
0.0Originally aired as part of Beethoven’s 250th anniversary celebration, Johannes Vogel conducts the Synchron Stage Orchestra to perform Gustav Mahler's Orchestration of Symphony No. 9 in D Minor Op. 125 in this dramatic live concert stream. Recorded at the historical Synchron Stage in Vienna, experience the thrills and swells of the Synchron Stage Orchestra - 48 string, 17 woodwind, 14 brass, 4 percussion - comprised of Austria’s finest instrumentalists, alongside a choir of 39 sopranos, altos, tenors, and basses. Composed between 1822 and 1824 in Vienna, Symphony No. 9 in D Minor was Beethoven’s final completed symphony. The use of solo singers and a chorus in the final movement was revolutionary, and the emotional journey from the doubt and struggle to the glorious vision of a world of love and tolerance is regarded as one of the greatest and most heartfelt pieces in classical music.
10.0For Mahler, symphonies always were a means of interpreting the most convoluted philosophical problems that couldn’t be resolved verbally. The ambitious structure of the five-part Fifth Symphony spans from the Funeral March to the roaring finale. It is a forthright attempt to resolve the tragic conflict with the surrounding world. The brilliant fourth part of the symphony, Adagietto, resembles a beautifully mysterious flower that every conductor reimagines in their own style. As one of the twentieth century’s most influential maestros, Mahler redefined the conductor’s role. For him, the conductor is just as integral to his own musical works as they are to the composer. When a maestro steps onto the podium and opens the score, he recreates musical universes from scratch. Teodor Currentzis and the musicAeterna orchestra have performed Mahler’s symphonies around the world for many years. The Fifth Symphony has earned its place as one of the highlights of the cycle.
10.0Utopia, the new orchestra of conductor Teodor Currentzis, can be experienced for the first time in Vienna on its inaugural tour with the 1945 version of Igor Stravinsky’s ‘The Firebird’ and Maurice Ravel’s Suite No. 2 of ‘Daphnis et Chloé’, ‘La Valse’ and ‘Boléro’.
The Christmas I Love’ is a very special Christmas gift – a collection of some of the most tender carols personally chosen by Andre for this album and performed with the full forces of the Johann Strauss Orchestra and Choir. All the popular carols are there Ave Maria, White Christmas, Silent Night, Jingle Bells but also included are Baroque Christmas Classics Corelli's Christmas Concerto and “Winter” from Vivaldi's Four Seasons. The DVD offers a delightful Christmas experience featuring timeless yuletide favorites filmed in many of Europe's most beautiful locations.
0.0On Air presents Igor Stravinsky's The Firebird, performed by the world-renowned Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Peter Breiner, and recorded at BBC Television Centre. Expertly brought to life by some of the world's most sought-after classical musicians, The Firebird comprises 74 musicians: 51 string, 11 brass, 8 woodwind and 4 percussion. Available now to watch on demand in cinematic quality.
0.0On Air presents Igor Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring, performed by the world-renowned Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Peter Breiner, and recorded at BBC Television Centre. Expertly brought to life by some of the world's most sought-after classical musicians, the ensemble comprises 93 instruments: 51 string, 16 woodwind, 20 brass and 6 percussion. The full performance is available to watch on demand in cinematic quality.
0.0On Air presents Igor Stravinsky's Petrushka, performed by the world-renowned Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Peter Breiner, and recorded at BBC Television Centre. Expertly brought to life by some of the world's most sought-after classical musicians, the ensemble comprises 86 instruments: 51 string, 14 woodwind, 16 brass, 4 percussion and 1 piano. Available now to watch on demand in cinematic quality.
8.6The Nutcracker is Mikhail Baryshnikov's breathtaking and critically acclaimed Emmy-nominated production. This spectacular performance is danced by the magnificent team of Baryshnikov, one of the greatest classical dancers of the century, and Gelsey Kirkland, both showcased at the peak of their careers, with members of the American Ballet Theatre.
8.0For their annual season end concert, the Berliner Philharmoniker take the audience on a dreamy, magically journey through the river Rhine with Schumann’s beloved 3rd Symphony Rhenish. Pieces from Wagner’s Der Ring des Nibelungen under the baton of dynamic conductor Gustavo Dudamel complete this evening.
0.0This large-scale live recording (Gardiner's second) was made in Venice's St Mark's Basilica. It captures the drama as well as the ceremonial aspect of the work, despite sometimes cloudy recorded sound.” Gramophone Classical Music Guide. “Gardiner's second [recording of the Vespers], spectacularly recorded live in St Mark's, has a punchy choral sound, near-operatic solo singing (Bryn Terfel and Alistair Miles are among the basses), emphatic enunciation, big contrasts and deliberate exploitation of the building's spaces. Its outright theatricality sets it apart from other performances.
Pierre Boulez conducts the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Chorus in a special concert from the Barbican, as part of the composer's 80th birthday celebrations. The programme contains two compositions by Debussy; Jeux and Trois ballades de Villon, as well as Daphnis et Chloé by Ravel, featuring soprano Elizabeth Atherton as soloist.Presenter Charles Hazlewood interviews Boulez and discusses the concert with guest Sir Peter Maxwell Davies.
