Bruckner Symphony No. 8. Christian Thielemann conducts the Staatskapelle Dresden in 2012. Directed for TV by Henning Kasten. Released 2014, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
Read MoreBruckner Symphony No. 8
in Concert
Concert
Bruckner Symphony No. 7
in Concert
Bruckner Symphony No. 7 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 Elizabeth Malzer; produced by Paul Smaczny. Released 2014, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
Read MoreSt. Matthew Passion
in Concert
Bach St. Matthew Passion oratorio. The video recording was directed 2011 by Louise Narboni at the Basilica Cathedral Saint-Denis, Paris. Solosist are Werner Güra (Evangelist), Stephen Morscheck (Jesus), Lucy Crowe (soprano), Christine Rice (mezzo-soprano), Nicholas Phan (tenor), Matthew Brook (bass) and Bertrand Grunenwald (bass). John Nelson conducts the Orchestre de Chambre de Paris, Schola Cantorum of Oxford, and the Maîtrise de Paris. Includes a 52-minute documentary extra called John Nelson's Saint Matthew Passion---The Journey, also directed by Narboni, as well as information about Soli Deo Gloria. Released 2014, disc has 5.0 dts-HD Master Audio sound.
The 43-person Orchestre de Chambre de Paris (Paris Chamber Orchestra) is a leading French chamber group. The current President of the orchestra is Brigitte Lefèvre, who is also the Director of the Paris Opera Ballet. John Nelson is currently Honorary Music Director of the orchestra. The Schola Cantorum of Oxford is a famous 30-person chamber choir directed by James Burton, most of the members of which are college students at Oxford. The Maîtrise de Paris is a famous French choir for young women directed by Patrick Marco.
Soli Deo Gloria, a U.S. charity that promotes sacred music performances and recordings all over the world, recruited all these forces. Assuming the artists got enough rehearsal time, the result could be a fabulous performance and recording. Grade: NA
Read MoreBelkis, Queen of Sheba
Ottorino Respighi Belkis, Queen of Sheba concert film. Directed 2012 by Martin Andersson in Stuttgart. Gabriel Feltz conducts the Stuttgarter Philharmoniker and the Czech Philharmonic Choir, Brno (Choir Master Petr Fiala). Features narratress Julia Jentsch, mezzo soprano Stella Doufexis, and tenor Metodi Morartzaliev. Produced by Martin Andersson, eyecatchproductions, and the Stuttgarter Philhamoniker; published by the Breyer Gaido Music Production Company in Germany. This is a German language product with subtitles in English. Released 2014, disc has 5.1 surround sound (no further details on sound available). The picture format is Cinemascope 1:2.35 to be shown in HD TV in letterbox. Grade: NA
Read MoreBach Mass in B minor
in Concert
Bach Mass in B minor concert. Georg Christoph Biller conducts the Thomanerchor Leipzig & Freiburger Barockorchester at the Leipzig Bach Festival in 2013. Soloists are Reglint Bühler (soprano), Susanne Krumbiegel (mezzo‐soprano), Susanne Langner (alto), Martin Lattke (tenor) and Markus Flaig (bass). Directed for video by Ute Feudel. Produced by Paul Smaczny and Günter Atteln. Released 2014, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
Read MoreVerdi Messa da Requiem
in Concert
Verdi Messa da Requiem. Recorded 2012 at the Teatro alla Scala. Daniel Barenboim conducts the Orchestra and Coro del Teatro alla Scala (Chorus Master Bruno Casoni). Soloists are Anja Harteros (soprano), Elīna Garanča (mezzo-soprano), Jonas Kaufmann (tenor), and René Pape (bass). Directed for TV by Andy Sommer; director of photography was Martial Barrault; sound engineer was Rodrigue Durand. Sung in Latin. There are, however, no subtitles in Latin, nor is there a printed libretto in the keepcase booklet. Subtitles are translated into English, French, and German. Released 2013, sound was recorded at 48kHz/24-bit and disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: B
Read MoreBeethoven Symphonies 1-3
in Concert
Beethoven Symphonies 1-3 concert. Mariss Jansons conducts the Symphonieorchester and Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks (Bavarian Radio Symphony and Chorus). Peter Dijkstra was Chorus Master. Hisao Tonooka was TV director. Performed 2012 at Suntory Hall in Tokyo. Also features bonus documentary Mariss Jansons rehearses Beethoven. Released 2016, disc has 5.0 dts-HD Master Audio. Grade: C
Read MoreBeethoven Symphonies 4-6
in Concert
Beethoven Symphonies 4-6 concert. Mariss Jansons conducts the Symphonieorchester and Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks (Bavarian Radio Symphony and Chorus). Peter Dijkstra was Chorus Master. Hisao Tonooka was TV director. Performed 2012 at Suntory Hall in Tokyo. Released 2016, disc has 5.0 dts-HD Master Audio. Grade: C
Read MoreBeethoven Symphonies 7-9
in Concert
Beethoven Symphonies 7-9 concert. Mariss Jansons conducts the Symphonieorchester and Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks (Bavarian Radio Symphony and Chorus). Peter Dijkstra was Chorus Master. Hisao Tonooka was TV director. Performed 2012 at Suntory Hall in Tokyo. Features soloists Christiane Karg (Soprano), Mihoko Fujimura (Mezzo-Soprano), Michael Schade (Tenor), and Michael Volle (Baritone). Released 2016, disc has 5.0 dts-HD Master Audio. Grade: C
Read MoreBeethoven Symphonies (1-9)
in Concert
The Beethoven Symphonies has all 9 symphonies performed by the Symphonieorchester and Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks (Bavarian Radio Symphony and Chorus). Mariss Jansons conducted this in 2012 at Suntory Hall in Tokyo, and Peter Dijkstra was Chorus Master. Soloists are Christiane Karg (soprano), Mihoko Fujimura (alto), Michael Schade (tenor), and Michael Volle (bass). Title has 3 discs, each with 3 symphonies, plus a bonus. TV Director was Hisao Tonooka. Released 2013, discs have 5.0 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: C
Read MoreBrahms Symphonies 1-4
in Concert
Brahms Symphonies 1-4 box set. Christian Thielemann conducts the Staatskapelle Dresden.
Symphonies 1 and 3 were recorded 2013 at NHK Hall in Tokyo with video directed by Yoko Ishida. Symphonies 2 and 4 were recorded 2013 in Dresden. Henning Kasten directed the video for Symphony 2 and Andreas Morell directed the video for Symphony 4. Disc set has 208 minutes of music and a 52-minute bonus documentary, Discovering Brahms, with Thielemann discussing the symphonies. The documentary, directed by Christoph Engel, is in German and has subtitles in English, Japanese, and Korean. Two disc set was released 2014, and each recording has 5.0. or 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
Read MoreRoman Zaslavsky Ingenious Opposites
in Concert
Roman Zaslavsky plays Ingenious Opposites, Volume 2 piano recital. Produced by Dieter E. Gross and Sabine Grohmann with assistant David Tsitskishvili; editing by Anja Beusterien; mastered by Ki Music; photography by Julian P. Gross; design by Tilman Reitzle. Run time for the 10 pieces performed on the disc is 63 minutes. No information is given with the product about the dates of the recordings. Released 2013, disc has 4.0 LPCM sound. Grade: D
Read MoreWagner: Kaufmann Sings
in Concert
Wagner: Kaufmann Sings concert. Christian Thielemann conducts the Staatskapelle Dresden and the Sächsischer Stattsopernchor Dresden for a night of Wagner works. Recorded 2013 at the Semperoper, Dresden. Jonas Kaufmann sings Wagner tenor scenes. The following music is performed:
Hans Werner Henze: Fraternité (In honor of the death of Henze in October 2012)
Der fliegende Holländer: Overture
Faust Overture, WWV59
Rienzi: "Allmächt'ger Vater, blick herab!" (Rienzi's prayer)
Lohengrin: Prelude to Act 1
Lohengrin: "In fernem Land" (Grail narration)
Tannhäuser: "Inbrunst im Herzen" (Rome narration)
Tannhäuser: Overture (Entrance of the guests at the Wartburg)
You don't see the title "Wagner: Kaufmann Sings" on the keepcase cover. But that's the name C Major uses in their PR, so that's what we will call it for now. Directed for TV by Michael Beyer. Sung in German. Released 2014, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
Read MoreChristmas with Bach
in Concert
Christmas with Bach concert recorded at the Marktkirche Hannover. Jörg Breiding conducts the Knabenchor Hannover and the Barockorchester L’Arco. Features soloists Antonia Bourvé (soprano); Claudia Erdmann (alto); Markus Schäfer (tenor); and Michael Jäckel (bass). The concert consists of three cantatas:
1. Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland BWV 61
2. Christen, ätzet diesen Tag BWV 63
3. Jauchzet, frohlocket, auf, preiset die Tage BWV 248 I
Audio Producer Tobias Hoff; Director of Photography Alexander Törzs; directed by Roberct Gummlich; produced by Frank Hallmann. Released 2013, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
Read MoreBeethoven Symphony No. 6
in Concert
2013 Europakonzert: Program includes:
1. Beethoven Symphony No. 6
2. Dvorak Biblical Songs, Op. 99, with Magdalena Kožená (mezzo-soprano)
3. Ralph Vaughan Williams Fantasia on a Themeby Thomas Tallis
Played and recorded in Prague at the the Prague Castle Spanish Hall in 2013. This was the traditional Europa-Konzert performed on May 1 each year by the Berliner Philharmoniker in a special venue, usually in a different European city. Sir Simon Rattle conducts. Released in 2013, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
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