Concert

Mozart Symphony No. 35 & Haydn Cello Concerto No. 1

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Mozart Symphony No. 35 & Haydn Cello Concerto No. 1.  In 2012 Seiji Ozawa conducted the Mito Chamber Orchestra in Mito, Japan at the Art Tower Mito (ATM). The program was:

1. Mozart Divertimento in D major K.136
2. Haydn Cello Concerto No.1 withsoloist Dai Miyata
3. Mozart Symphony No. 35 "Haffner"

Released 2012, disc has for all tracks: (1) Stereo 2.0 PCM 96kHz/24bit (2) 5.0 PCM 96kHz/24bit and (3) 5.0 Dolby Digital 48kHz sound (thanks to Zoltan Glied for a tip on this). Video Directors were Goro Kobayashi and Masami Utsimi; Technical Directors were Kiyotaka Aoki and Satoru Fukuda; Switcher was Hiroshi Minegishi;  Camera by Fumio Saito; Sound by Ryota Ono; Video Engineer was Shoichiro Ogawa. Grade: A+

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Mahler Symphony No. 2

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Mahler Symphony No. 2 "Resurrection." Also includes a performance of Ich bin der Welt Abhanden Gekommen for 16 voices arranged by Clytus Gottwald. Mariss Jansons conducts the Symphonieorchester and Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks (Barvarian Radio Orchestra and Choir) (Chorus Master Michael Gläser). Anja Harteros (soprano) and Bernarda Fink (alto) are soloists. Directed for TV by Brian Large. Released 2013, disc has 5.0 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA

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Bruckner Symphony No. 7 & Wolf Lieder

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BBruckner Symphony No. 7 & Wolf Lieder concert. In 2012 Christian Thielemann conducts the Staatskapelle Dresden at the Semperoper in Dresden. Renée Flemming is soprano soloist. The program includes:

  • Hugo Wolf songs: "Verborgenheit", "Er ist's", "Elfenlied", "Anakreon's Grab", and "Mignon" (Second Version)

  • Richard Strauss "Befreit"

  • Bruckner Symphony No. 7

Directed for TV by Henning Kasten. Released 2013, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA

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Bruckner Symphony No. 5

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Bruckner Symphony No. 5 concert. Part of the Bruckner Mature Symphonies series by Accentus. Daniel Barenboim conducts the Staatskapelle Berlin at the Philharmonie Berlin in 2010.  Directed for TV by Tilo Krause; produced by Paul Smaczny. Released 2013, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA

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The Opera Gala

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The Opera Gala recital concert. Anna Netrebko (soprano), Elīna Garanča (mezzo-soprano), Ramón Vargas (tenor), and Lodovic Tézier (baritone) sing opera favorites for the 2007 Gala Concert at the Baden-Baden Festival. Here's the program:

1. Bellini  "Sinfonia" from Norma
2. Bellini  "Mira, o Norma" from Norma
3. Donizetti "Una furtiva lagrima" from L'elisir d'amore
4. Bellini "Or dove fuggo io mai?--Ah! per sempre io ti perdei--Bel sogno beato" from I Puritani
5. Bellini "Casta Diva--Ah, bello a me ritorna" from Norma
6. Rossini "Nacqui all'affanno e al pianto" from La Cenerentola
7. Verdi "È lui!...Desso!...L'Infante! from Don Carlo
8. Saint-Saëns "Bacchanale"  from Samson et Dalila
9. Delibes "Viens, Mallika--Dôme epais, le jasmin" from Lakmé
19. Bizet "Au fond du temple saint" from Les Pêcheurs de perles
11. Saint-Saëns "Mon cœur s'ouvre à ta voix" from Samson et Dalila
12. Verdi "Oh! fede nocgar potessi-Quanda le sere al placido" from Luisa Miller
13. Verdi "Felice ancor io son" (Morte di Rodrigo) from Don Carlo
14. Puccini "O soave fanciulla"  from La Bohème
15. Verdi "Un di, se ben rammentomi" from Rigoletto
16. Lehár "Meine Lippen, sie küssen so heiß" from Giuditta
17. Rossini "La danza"
18. Ruperto Chapí "Al pensar en el dueño de mis amores" from Las hijas del Zebedeo
19. Bizet "Toreador Song" from Carmen
20. Verdi "Brindisi" or "The Toast" from La Traviata

Marco Armiliato conducts the SWR (Südwestrundfunk) Sinfonieorchester of Baden-Baden und Freiburg. Released 2008, disc has 5.1 PCM and 5.1 dts-HD sound. Grade: A-

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Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 3 and Strauss Ein Heldenleben

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Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 3 and Richard Strauss Ein Heldenleben concert. In 2011 Mariss Jansons conducts the  Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks (Radio Bavaria Symphony Orchestra) at the Munich Philharmonie im Gesteig (Gesteig Symphony Hall). Mitsuko Uchida is piano soloist. Anton Barachovsky is violin soloist in the Ein Heldenleben. Directed for video by Brian Large. Released 2013, disc has 5.0 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA

Mahler Symphonies 1-10

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Mahler Symphonies 1-10 box set. This box has all the Mahler symphonies plus Totenfeier and Das Lied von der Erde. The concerts were performed 2009 - 2011 by the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra under Mariss Jansons and several guest conductors. The discs in this box are not sold separately.

Grade for the box as a whole: D.

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Bruckner Symphony No. 4 and No. 7

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Bruckner Symphony No. 4 ("Romantic") and Symphony No. 7 concert. Christian Thielemann conducts the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra at Baden-Baden (No. 4 in 2009 and No. 7 in 2007). Directed for TV by Agnes Méth. Released 2013, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA

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Chopin Piano Concerto No. 2 and Roussel Symphony No. 3

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Here is the program for this BBC Symphony Orchestra concert conducted 2010 by Lionel Bringuier at the Royal Albert Hall:

1. Berlioz Le Corsaire Overture
2. Chopin Piano Concerto No. 2 with Nelson Freire as piano soloist
3. Gluck Orfeo ed Euridice - Dance of the Blessed Spirits in piano transcription played by Giovanni Sgambati
4. Roussel Symphony No. 3
5. Ravel Daphnis et Chloé - Suite No. 2

Produced by Xavier Dubois and Francois Duplat; directed for TV by Andy Sommer. Released 2013, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA

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Rite of Spring

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Stravinsky Rite of Spring and music from The Firebird by Stravinsky. Michael Tilson Thomas directs the San Francisco Symphony in a recent performance of  Stravinsky classics as part of the "Keeping Score" outreach program of the San Francisco Symphony. In addition, Thomas narrates an educational program about Stravinsky and Rite of Spring. The concert is in HD; the documentary is in SD. The concert was directed by Gary Halvorson. Otherwise, title was directed and produced by David Kennard, Joan Saffa, and Michael Bronson. Released 2013, disc has 5.1 Dolby TrueHD sound. You should not be especially impressed with the claim that has "up-sampled 96kHz24 bit sound." See our discussion of this gimmick at our review of San Francisco Symphony at 100. Grade: NA

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St. Matthew Passion

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Bach St. Matthew Passion (St. Matthäus Passion) oratorio. Features singers Mark Padmore (tenor), Peter Harvey (bass), Maria Espada and Renate Arends (sopranos), Ingeborg Danz and Barbara Kozelj (mezzo-sopranos), Peter Gijsbertsen (tenor), and Henk Neven (bass). Iván Fischer conducts the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, the Netherlands Radio Choir, and the National Children’s Choir (Chorus Master Gijs Leenaars). Directed for TV by Dick Kuijs. Released 2013, disc has 5.0 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA

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2009 New Year's Concert

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2009 New Year's Concert by the Wiener Philharmoniker conducted by Daniel Barenboim.  Recorded January 1, 2009 at the Goldener Saal des Wiener Musikvereins. Here's the program:

1. Johann Strauss II "Ouvertüre" to Eine Nacht in Venedig ("Overture" to A Night in Venice)

2. Johann Strauss II "Märchen aus dem Orient" (Waltz) ("Fairy Tales from the Orient")

3. Johann Strauss II "Annen-Polka" (Anna's Polka)

4. Johann Strauss II "Schnellpost-Polka" ("Express Mail Polka")

5. Johann Strauss II "Rosen aus dem Süden" (Waltz) ("Roses from the South")

6. Johann Strauss II "Freikugeln" (Polka) ("Magic Bullets")

7. Johann Strauss II "Ouvertüre" and "Einzugs-Marsch" from Der Zigeunerbaron ("Overture" and "Entrance March" from The Gypsy Baron)

8. Johann Strauss II "Schatz-Waltzer" ("Treasure Waltz")

9. Joseph Hellmesberger II "Valse espagnole" (Spanish Waltz)

10. Johann Strauss I "Zampa-Galopp"

11. Johann Strauss II "Alexandrinnen-Polka" ("Alexandrine's Polka")

12. Johann Strauss II "Unter Donner und Blitz" (Polka) ("Thunder and Lightening Polka")

13. Josef Strauss "Sphären-Klänge" (Waltz) ("Music of the Spheres")

14. Johann Strauss II "Éljen a Magyár!" (Polka) ("Hurrah for Hungary")

15. Joseph Haydn "Finale" from Abschiedssymphonie ("Finale" from Farewell Symphony)

16. Johann Strauss II "So ängstlich sind wir nicht!" (Polka) ("We're not that worried!")

17. Johann Strauss II "An der schnönen, blauen Donau" (Waltz) ("The Blue Danube Waltz")

18. Johann Strauss I "Radetzky-Marsch" ("Radetzky March")

This disc also has three valuable bonus features, all in great HD TV:

1. Schatz-Waltzer Ballet (Treasure Waltz Ballet)

2. Éljen a Magyár! Ballet (Hurrah for Hungary Ballet)

3. Linz 2009 documentary. The city of Linz and the Weiner Philharmonic create a remarkable video celebrating Linz and the Austrian countryside.

Directed for TV by Brian Large. Released 2009, disc was apparently recording using 48kHz/24 bit sound sampling and has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound output. Grade: A-

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Volodos in Vienna

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Volodos in Vienna piano recital. Arcadi Volodos plays the following pieces in 2009 at the Goldener Saal of the Musikverein in Vienna:

  • Scriabin: "Prélude in B flat minor op. 37/1"

  • Scriabin: "Prélude in B flat minor op. 11/16"

  • Scriabin:  "Danse languide in B flat minor op. 51/4"

  • Scriabin:  "Guirlandes in B flat minor op. 73/1"

  • Scriabin: "Feuillet d'album op. 45/1"

  • Scriabin: "Sonata in B flat minor No. 7 op. 64" ("Messe blanche")

  • Ravel Valses nobles et sentimentales (complete)

  • Schumann Waldszenen (Complete)

  • Liszt "Après une Lecture du Dante" from Années de Pèlerinage 2 (Dante Sonata)

  • J.S. Bach "Sicilienne" from D Minor Concerto

  • Tchaikovsky "Lullaby in A Storm" from Children's Songs

Gramophone magazine rated this performance in its CD version as the best instrumental recording of 2010. Directed for TV by Michael Beyer; the Recording Producer was Friedemann Engelbrecht (Teldex Studio Berlin); produced by Michael Brüggemann. Released 2010, disc has 5.1 Dolby Digital, a lossy technology rendered obsolete by the lossless sound formats used on most Blu-ray recordings. Grade: A-

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