Simón Bolívar Youth Orchestra of Venezuela Gustavo Dudamel
Works: 1) Documentary:
“The Promise of Music"(90 min.)
Bonus Concert: 2) Concert:
- Ludwig van Beethoven Symphony no. 3 “Eroica"
- José Pablo Garcia Moncayo Huapango
- Alberto Evaristo Ginastera Danza final: Malambo (Encore)
The Promise of Music is a full-length feature film about the story of Gustavo Dudamel and his Simón Bolívar Youth Orchestra of Venezuela.
The film documents Dudamel preparing his orchestra in Caracas for their upcoming concert at the Beethovenfest in Bonn. By following different musicians in their day-to-day lives, the film shows how classical music is changing the individual characters as much as their environment.
The climax of the film is the Bonn concert, a stunning success with standing ovations given to every work on the programme, which included Beethoven’s “Eroica” Symphony, Bernstein’s Symphonic Dances from West Side Story and repertoire from the orchestra’s Latin-American homeland.
Director Enrique Sánchez Lansch also created the award-winning documentary Rhythm Is It! about Sir Simon Rattle’s education project with the Berliner Philharmoniker
The Promise of Music will be the first full-length documentary on the Venezuelan Sistema that lives up to the highest European TV standards
Anna Netrebko, Rolando Villazón, Alfredo Daza,
Christof Fischesser, Rémy Corazza, Arttu Kataja, Hanan Alattar
Staatskapelle Berlin / Daniel Barenboim
Directed by Vincent Paterson
Works: MASSENET Manon
Bonus: “The Making of Manon” (20 min., in stereo sound only)
Following the artistic and commercial success of their last DVD project, La Traviata from the 2005 Salzburg Festival, opera superstars Anna Netrebko and Rolando Villazón bring their combined talents to Jules Massenet’s Manon. Netrebko was born to play the title role: her voice and body language capturing the fluctuating personality of the complex Manon, one minute girlish, the next introspective. “She is a real stage animal, constantly reacting to what is happening around her”, wrote Opera of her performance. Villazón is compelling as Des Grieux, expressing all the burning passion of the doomed lover in his burnished, supple tenor.
This is a production with a distinct Hollywood touch: first-time opera director Vincent Paterson has staged several Broadway musicals. He has already enjoyed great success with his first classical DVD project for DG: The Woman – The Voice featuring Anna Netrebko.
Given his show-business background, Paterson interprets Manon as a Hollywood cinematic tale for the opera stage with Massenet’s colourful music as a kind of soundtrack. The press raved about the opera event of the year in Berlin, while the live public screening of one of the performances in the square in front of the opera house attracted an audience of more than 20,000 people. Musically, the production is equally accomplished.
A glittering production filled with beautiful people with gorgeous voices!
Yvonne Naef, Christopher Ventris, Michael Volle, Matti Salminen, Opera Orchestra Zurich, Chor des Opernhauses Zürich, Bernard Haitink
Works: WAGNER: Parsifal
This production of Parsifal was recorded live at the Zurich Opera House in March 2007. It was hailed by the press as one of the finest Wagner performances in recent years, thanks in part to Bernard Haitink’s gripping presence in the pit.
The production by Hans Hollmann is austere in conception; Hans Hoffer’s understated designs using geometric shapes and blocks of colour to emphasise the juxtapositions at the heart of Wagner’s mystical opera – light versus darkness, good versus evil. The effect is beautiful and simple, focussing attention on the music.
“The cast was as good as can be assembled for this opera nowadays. Christopher Ventris in the title role showed why he is in so much demand in this repertory – his tenor voice rang out with clarion ease and could easily ride the orchestral climaxes. Yvonne Naef managed to convey all the disparate elements of the ambiguous role of Kundry (part seductress, part Holy Mary and part penitent) with her sensual voice providing the aural balm of the evening. Michael Volle was a suitably tortured Amfortas, pouring forth a flood of burnished tone in the last act, but it was the veteran bass Matti Salminen as Gurnemanz who won top vocal honours for the evening. Every word came from the heart and he provided the lynchpin of the entire performance – a truly unforgettable portrayal. The chorus excelled.” Keith McDonell - Music OMH
Siegfried Jerusalem, Waltraud Meier, Matthias Hölle, Falk Struckmann, Uta Priew
Orchester der Bayreuther Festspiele, Daniel Barenboim
Works: WAGNER Tristan Und Isolde
Tristan und Isolde in the acclaimed production by Heiner Müller from the Bayreuth festival from 1995, conducted by Daniel Barenboim with fire and sensitivity. Siegfried Jerusalem as Tristan and Waltraud Meier as Isolde have consistently drawn enthusiastic acclaim for their performance, not only in the year of the premiere, but in subsequent years as well.
Heiner Müller and stage designer Erich Wonder have compressed the monumental story into a clear and fascinating geometry of love. Wonder created highly evocative spaces through projections of colours and forms which shift according to the mood.
One widely noted example of Müller´s elegant, restrained interpretation, in which small gestures replace sweeping displays of passion, is the famous love duet, in which Tristan and Isolde, instead of embracing rapturously, stand back to back and side by side and touch, ever so lightly, only the tips of their fingers
“As for the long awaited debuts of Meier and Jerusalem, the audience was ecstatic, so much so that Jerusalem excitedly hugged and kissed his partner several times during the curtain calls” Herald Tribune
“Waltraud Meier is the most beautiful and erotic Isolde in post war Bayreuth history” Leipziger Volkszeitung
“Heiner Muller's new staging has all the making of a Bayreuth classic” Opera, London
Peter Pears (Grimes)
Heather Harper (Ellen Orford)
Bryan Drake (Balstrode)
Elizabeth Bainbridge (Auntie)
Owen Brannigan (Swallow)
Robert Tear (Rev Adams)
London Symphony Orchestra
Benjamin Britten
Works: BRITTEN Peter Grimes
Part of the Britten-Pears DVD Collection.
First-ever audio-visual recording of Peter Grimes, Britten’s first great operatic success. The only film recording of Peter Grimes featuring Peter Pears in the title role, and conducted by the composer.
The production was mounted by the celebrated Decca producer, John Culshaw, following his move to the BBC.
The 1969 studio colour film was staged by the great British soprano, Joan Cross. Cross was closely associated with the operas of Britten and had created the role of Ellen Orford at the premiere of Peter Grimes in 1945.
Fabulous cast of British opera greats from the period, including Heather Harper as Ellen Orford, Elizabeth Bainbridge and Robert Tear.
Peter Pears (Vere)
Peter Glossop (Budd)
Michael Langdon (Claggart)
John Shirley-Quirk (Redburn)
London Symphony Orchestra
Conductor: Charles Mackerras
Works: BRITTEN Billy Budd
This studio film recorded by the BBC in 1966 was the first film of any Britten opera and the only film recording of ‘Billy Budd’ featuring the great Peter Pears as Captain Vere.
The cast contains a host of distinguished names with the young Peter Glossop as the hapless sailor Billy, and John Shirley-Quirk, Robert Tear and Benjamin Luxon. The recording was conducted by Charles Mackerras.
Peter Pears
Benjamin Britten
Recording dates - 1964 (Folksongs), 1968 (Bonus), 1970 (Winterreise)
Works: SCHUBERT - Winterreise BRITTEN - Folk Songs
Bonus feature: Peter Pears and Benjamin Britten discuss Winterreise (8 minutes)
Two recitals with Peter Pears accompanied by Benjamin Britten at the piano.
The 1964 black-and-white ‘Celebrity Recital’ film of the pair performing a selection of Britten’s folk song arrangements is unique for featuring Britten performing his own music.
The 1970 colour film of Peter Pears singing Schubert’s great song cycle, Winterreise (sung in German), was produced by the legendary Decca producer, John Culshaw. The songs are staged (Britten accompanying on the piano is not in vision), and introduced with a brief voice-over.
Peter Pears (Idomeneo)
Anne Pashley (Idamante)
Heather Harper (Ilia)
Rae Woodland (Elektra)
Robert Tear (Arbace)
English Chamber Orchestra
Benjamin Britten
Works: MOZART Idomeneo
This colour film recording of Mozart’s Idomeneo dates from a period when Mozart’s first ‘mature’ masterpiece was barely known. This may indeed be the first-ever film of the opera.
Conducted by Benjamin Britten, using his own performing edition, the opera is sung in English with Peter Pears singing Idomeneo – the only film recording with Peter Pears in the title role.
The cast also includes renowned British soprano, Heather Harper, and a young Robert Tear. Each act begins with a spoken introduction from John Warrack, revered music historian and academic.
Luciano Pavarotti sings one of his most famous roles, in a traditional MET production of Donizetti's much-loved comic classic. Now available worldwide for the first time on Decca DVD.
Filmed in 1981, live from the Metropolitan Opera, Luciano Pavarotti sings Nemorino in Donizetti's comic opera. This is one of Pavarotti's most famous roles and here he sings it as the peak of his prime joined by an all-star ensemble.
Kirk Browning's production is traditional and entertaining. Judith Blegen sings the role of Adina and the great comic baritone, Sesto Bruscantini, plays the wily Dr Dulcamara. Nicola Rescigno conducts.
Previously available briefly on DVD in the US only, this now becomes available throughout the world on Decca DVD. Extras include a photo gallery.
Pavarotti, Ricciarelli, Blegen, Berini, Quilico, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Chorus, conductor Giuseppe Patane
Works: VERDI Un Ballo In Maschera
Classic, all-star performance of one of the great Verdi operas, featuring Pavarotti in one of his most celebrated roles.
Available for the first time on DVD, the complete opera of the classic 1980 production by Elijah Moshinsky of Verdi's Un ballo in maschera, filmed live from the Metropolitan Opera.
An all-star cast, led by Luciano Pavarotti at the height of his fame in one of his most celebrated roles. Joined by Katia Ricciarelli (Amelia), Judith Blegen (Oscar), Bianca Berini (Ulrica) and Louis Quilico (Renato). Conducted by Giuseppe Patane.
This was an eye-catching and thought-provoking production. Moshinsky staged the action in pre-revolutionary 1774 Boston.
Extras include an interview with Luciano Pavarotti. Also interviews with Ricciarelli and James Levine.
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