VARIOUS COMPOSERS
Summer Night Concert, Schonbrunn 2023 Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, Yannick Nezet-Seguin, with Elina Garanca (mezzo) [ Sony Classical / CD - released 14/Jul/2023 ] 2023's 'Sommernachtskonzert' ('Summer Night Concert') was performed on June 8th, 2023. It is an annual open-air event, which has been held since 2008. The park of Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna/Austria is the magical setting for the concert. The... |
THE STRAUSS FAMILY
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: New Year's Concert 1990 Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, Zubin Mehta [ Sony Classical / CD - released 15/Jan/1990 ] Thanks to this illustrious succession of great conductors that the Vienna New Year's Concert remains unique, ushering in the New Year in a way that has often been imitated but never equalled. |
GEORG FRIDERIC HANDEL
Handel: Alcina (complete opera recorded in 2011) Vienna State Opera / Anja Harteros, Vesselina Kasarova, Veronique Gangemi / Marc Minkowski (cond) [ Arthaus DVD / 2 DVD - released 10/Nov/2012 ] "onductor and orchestra are superb; so is Anja Harteros, who finds real depth in Alcina's passion for Ruggiero. After an effortful start in her opening aria, Veronia Cangemi is well on form in 'Credete al mio dolore'." Gramophone |
LUDWIG van BEETHOVEN
Beethoven: Fidelio (complete opera recorded in 1978) Vienna State Opera / Gundula Janowitz, Rene Kollo, Lucia Popp, Hans Sotin / Leonard Bernstein (cond) [ Deutsche Grammophon DVD / DVD - released 15/Nov/2006 ] Since its release on CD, Leonard Bernstein's rendering of Fidelio has achieved cult status. |
BEDRICH SMETANA
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Die Verkraufte Braut [The Bartered Bride] (complete opera recorded in 1982) Vienna State Opera / Lucia Popp / Siegfried Jerusalem / Karl Ridderbusch / Adam Fischer (cond) [ Deutsche Grammophon / DVD - released 7/Aug/2007 ] Every bar bubbles with the spirit of the Bohemian countryside in Otto Schenk's picturesque 1982 production from Vienna, where Smetana's comic masterpiece, The Bartered Bride, first conquered the hearts of opera lovers with its lilting melodies,... |
JULES MASSENET
Massenet: Werther (complete recorded in 2005) BLU-RAY Vienna State Opera / Marcelo Álvarez, Elina Garanca, Ileana Tonca, Adrian Eröd, Alfred Sramek, Peter Jelosit / Philippe Jordan (cond) [ Arthaus Legendary Performances Blu-ray / Blu-ray Disc - released 1/Oct/2015 ] "The Vienna State Opera Orchestra plays rhapsodically for Phillip Jordan. He comes close to delivering a great Werther...this is a stunning, newly and originally conceived show." (ClassicsToday) |
GEORGES BIZET
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Bizet: Carmen (complete Franco Zeffirelli production recorded in 1978) Vienna State Opera / Placido Domingo, Elena Obraztsova, Isobel Buchanan, Yuri Mazurok, Isobel Buchanan / Carlos Kleiber (cond) [ Arthaus DVD / Blu-ray Disc - released 12/Jul/2004 ] The Vienna Carmen from 1978 is a sensational filmed document from the musical legacy of Carlos Kleiber: the meticulous conductor only ever conducted a highly selected repertoire, and among his very few audio and video recordings are only seven... |
RICHARD STRAUSS
Strauss, (R.): Capriccio (complete opera recorded in 2013) BLU-RAY Vienna State Opera / Renee Fleming, Bo Skovhus, Michael Schade, Angelika Kirchschlager / Christoph Eschenbach (cond) [ C Major Blu-ray / Blu-ray Disc - released 28/Apr/2014 ] "Kurt Rydl crowns a fine stage career with a gloriously eccentric impersonation of La Roche...The singing honours belong entirely to Angelika Kirchschlager as Clairon." BBC Music |
PIOTR ILYICH TCHAIKOVSKY
Tchaikovsky: Complete Piano Works Viktoria Postnikova (piano), with Gennady Rozhdestvensky (piano) [ Warner Classics / 7 CD Box Set - released 5/Mar/2018 ] "A highly desirable library acquisition for all Tchaikovskians and serious lovers of the piano repertoire,' was Gramophone's verdict on this collection. "In every cycle of shorter pieces there are items to be treasured." Viktoria Postnikova, a... |
SERGEI RACHMANINOV
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Rachmaninov: Songs Viktoriya Dodoka (soprano) / Iola Shelley (piano) [ Atoll Records New Zealand / CD - released 20/Apr/2006 ] NZ-based Russian soprano Viktoriya Dodoka has established a remarkable reputation in New Zealand and Australia with dynamic performances for Canterbury Opera and at the Sydney Opera House. Here she is superbly accompanied by Iola Shelley in a... |
CARL NIELSEN / PIOTR ILYICH TCHAIKOVSKY
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Nielsen / Tchaikovsky: Violin Concertos Vilde Frang (violin) / Danish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Eivind Gullberg Jensen [ Warner Classics / CD - released 1/Dec/2012 ] GRAMOPHONE AWARD FINALIST 2013: Concerto |
BELA BARTOK / EDVARD GRIEG / RICHARD STRAUSS
Bartok/Grieg/R. Strauss: Violin sonatas Vilde Frang (violin) Michail Lifits (piano) [ EMI Classics / CD - released 1/Sep/2011 ] "..overall it's a top-class performance and, indeed, the whole programme is clearly a winner." (Gramophone award finalist 2011 - chamber) |
JOHANNES BRAHMS
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Brahms: Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 77 Nigel Kennedy (violin) / London Philharmonic Orchestra, Klaus Tennstedt [ EMI Music / CD - released 1/Jan/2000 ] Classic 1991 recording of the Brahms from Kennedy |
VERDI / DONIZETTI / PUCCINI
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Vittorio Grigolo - The Italian Tenor Vittorio Grigolo (tenor) with Danila Rigosa & Maria Cioppi / Coro e Orchestre del Teatro di Parma, Pier Giorgio Morandi [ Sony Classical / CD - released 4/Oct/2010 ] "Now and then there are hints of another great Italian-style tenor, the stylish Alfredo Kraus. It's there in the hushed tone Grigolo adopts for the 'Favorita del re!...Spirto gentil' from La Favorita and Manrico's elegant swagger in 'Di quella pira' |
CLAUDE DEBUSSY / JEAN PHILIPPE RAMEAU
Debussy / Rameau (2LP) Víkingur Ólafsson (piano) [ Deutsche Grammophon LP / 2 LP - released 27/Mar/2020 ] The Times Records of the Year 2020 Opus Klassik Awards 2020 Winner - Solo Instrumental Recital (Piano) |
FREDERIC CHOPIN
Chopin: Favourite Piano Works Vladimir Ashkenazy (piano) [ Double Decca / 2 CD - released 10/Apr/2014 ] Original recordings from 1975 to 1985 |
SERGEI RACHMANINOV
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Rachmaninov: Piano Concertos / Rhapsody on a theme of Paganini / Piano Sonata 2 Vladimir Ashkenazy (piano) / London Symphony Orchestra / Andre Previn [ Decca Trio / 3 CD - released 29/Nov/2002 ] These recordings quickly established themselves as reference recordings at the time of their original release and have been a part of the Decca catalogue ever since. |
SERGEI RACHMANINOV
Rachmaninov: Complete Works for Piano Vladimir Ashkenazy (piano) with André Previn (piano), with Vovka Ashkenazy (piano), Dody Ashkenazy (piano), Alastair Mackie (trumpet), Royal Concertge [ Decca / 11 CD Box Set - released 3/Feb/2014 ] "Perhaps the 1980s digital cycle of the concertos, with Bernard Haitink conducting, is not as instinctively sharp in its musical responses as Ashkenazy's earlier cycle with Previn, but his performances of the other major works would be hard to match... |
W. A. MOZART
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: The World of Mozart Vladimir Ashkenazy, Sir Georg Solti, Willi Boskovsky, Kiri te Kanawa, Neville Marriner, Gervase de Peyer, Lucia Popp, Andreas Schiff [ Decca / CD - released 10/Nov/1991 ] A great beginners guide to music of Mozart. Recordings made between 1959 and 1985 |
CHOPIN / LISZT / PROKOFIEV / RACHMANINOV / SCRIABIN
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Great Pianists of the 20th Century - Vladimir Horowitz II Vladimir Horowitz (piano) [ Philips / EMI / RCA / Deutsche Grammophon / 2 CD - released 1/Jun/2000 ] On December 18, 1925, Horowitz made his first appearance outside his home country, in Berlin. He later played in Paris, London, and New York City. In 1926, the Soviet Union selected Horowitz to join the delegation of pianists that were to represent... |