After the two famous Mahler festivals in 1920 and 1995, the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra Amsterdam is now presenting a special twoseason Mahler series, which includes ten large-scale symphonies plus ‘Das Lied von der Erde’, performed in chronological order by the world’s greatest orchestra under the direction of great conductors – all brought to life in the wonderful acoustics of the Main Hall of the Concertgebouw.
The Wayne Shorter Quartet – Live in Paris
Wayne Shorter’s maxim is to reinvent his music in each concert, always again in the radical originality. After his legendary work with the Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers, the Second Miles Davis Quintet and his years with Weather Report in his year 2000, Wayne Shorter formed the Wayne Shorter Quartet, the first formation under his own name. This group provides him with the freedom to reinvent and form his music always again. He sees the celebrated soloists Brian Blade, John Patitucci and Danilo Pérez less as sidemen but rather as equal elements of an organism. They call their method ”Zero Gravity“, an original state of music which they always re-conjure in the interaction, and which is the basis of their explorative journeys into new musical territory. The concert recorded here took place on 3rd November, 2012 at the Salle Pleyel in Paris. ALSO AVAILABLE: “The Language of the Unknown – A Film about the Wayne Shorter Quartet” (57′ min. / Prog. No. 9345)
RCO: Mahler Nos 1-10
After the two famous Mahler festivals in 1920 and 1995, the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Amsterdam, presents a special two-season Mahler series, which includes Mahler’s ten large-scale symphonies, performed in chronological order by the world’s greatest orchestra under the direction of great conductors – all brought to life in the wonderful acoustics of the Main Hall of the Concertgebouw.
Recording Brahms – Vol. 1+ 2
In December 1989, the artists came together to record some of the early chamber works of Brahms. Part I (51′) focuses on the preparation, rehearsal and re-takes, while Part II (57′) captures the final record performance. Emanuel Ax, Isaac Stern, Cho-Liang Lin, Jaime Laredo, Michael Tree, Yo-Yo Ma, Sharon Robinson.
Marsalis on Music
A series for young people of our time, it embraces classical music as well as jazz. After each performance, Marsalis illuminates the music in terms that everyone can understand, using language that is clear and simple, and infused with the colourful vernacular of Jazz. Musical performances include “The Nutcracker”, Prokofiev´s “Classical Symphony”, “Stars and Stripes Forever” and more.
La Traviata
Explaining Riccardo Muti’s choice of a group of young, even very young, singers for the production of Verdi’s “La Traviata” staged by Liliana Cavani and premiered in 1990, a spokesman from the La Scala opera house reported: “We did not want to follow the path of comparisons with the past, but attempted to put together a little group of talented youths we had already been working with and whom we will be working with intensively in the future. We hope that the love of music will be greater than a the sometimes hysterical and divisive excitement that arises around certain operas.” Among the gifted young singers in this performance are Tiziana Fabbricini as Violetta Valéry and Roberto Alagna as Alfred Germont. The aristocrat of conductors, the autocrat of the baton, Riccardo Muti cuts a noble figure at the head of any orchestra, and ennobles every ensemble through his charismatic personality and red-blooded musicality. In many respects, including his unwillingness to compromise over artistic matters, he is reminiscent of Arturo Toscanini, who was also a demanding ruler at the podium. His rise to international fame set in with his guest conductorships at the Salzburg Festival in 1971 and at the head of the Berlin Philharmonic and the Philadelphia Orchestra in 1972. Muti became principal guest conductor of the Philadelphia Orchestra a few years later, and was named its music director in 1980. Always a conductor of both the symphonic and operatic repertoire, Muti advanced to the post of music director of La Scala in Milan in 1986. The 1990s saw Muti consolidating his reputation at the head of this venerable institution, as well as in countless other high-caliber venues around the world. Today he is one of the undisputed giants among the leading conductors of the world.
Horowitz in Moscow
A recording of Horowitz’s historic recital in Moscow, the program also includes highlights of his return to his native Soviet Union-his first visit in 61 years.On the programme works by Scarlatti, Mozart, Rachmaninoff, Scriabin, Liszt, Chopin, Schumann, Moszowski.
Horowitz in Vienna
One of Horowitz’s final performances, recorded at the Golden Hall of the Musikverein, Vienna/Austria in May 1987 including: Mozart, Rondo K.485, Piano Sonata No.13 K.333; Schubert, Impromptu D899-3; Liszt/Schubert, Soirees de Vienne: Valse-Caprice No.6; Schumann, Kinderszenen Op.15; Chopin, Mazurka Op.33, Polonaise Heroique Op.53; Liszt, Consolation No.3; Schubert, Moment musical D780; Moszkowski, Etincelles Op.36-6
Horowitz: A Reminiscence
After Horowitz’s death Wanda was interviewed for this production. Also included are segments of the 1974 footage including excerpts from Clementi’s Sonata in F-sharp minor and complete performances of Scriabin’s Vers la Flamme, op. 72 and Chopin’s Introduction and Rondo, op. 16) and segments from “The Last Romantic.”
Dvorak in Prague: A Celebration
Some of classical music’s most renowned performers come together in the beautiful Old World setting of Prague to celebrate the work of the Czech Romantic composer Anton Dvorak. Yo-Yo Ma, Itzhak Perlman, opera singer Frederica Von Stade, and Rudolf Firunsky are soloists in performances of several of Dvorak’s most moving works. The Prague Philharmonic Chorus and the Boston Symphony Orchestra provide the lush background music, and the entire extravaganza is overseen by conductor Seiji Ozawa.