I Lombardi alla prima crociata

The production from the Teatro di San Carlo of Naples is dominated by the formidable voices of Ruggero Raimondi as Pagano, a Muslim who helps the Crusaders, and Dimitra Theodossiou as Giselda, the Christian maiden captured by the Sultan of Antioch, and who falls in love with his son Oronte. Raimondi, an internationally celebrated bass-baritone even before his immortal turn as Don Giovanni in Joseph Losey’s 1979 film, imbues his voice with a rich melancholy that humanizes his ambiguous role. The young Greek-German soprano Theodossiou has been hailed as one of the most exciting new Verdi and bel canto voices ever since her success in Verdi’s ‘Attila’ in Bologna and Parma in 1999.

Pavarotti: The duets – The Best of Pavarotti and Friends

PAVAROTTI annually hosted the ‘Pavarotti and Friends’ charity concerts in his home town of Modena in Italy, joining with singers from all parts of the music industry, including Eric Clapton, Elton John, Sting, Bono, Andrea Bocelli, Sheryl Crow, Celine Dion and Jon Bon Jovi, to raise money for several UN causes. Concerts were held for War Child, and victims of war and civil unrest in Bosnia, Guatemala, Kosovo, and Iraq. This 70 min. special ‘The Duets’ presents the most emotional and world-famous pieces of the entire ‘Pavarotti and Friends’ series: BRYAN ADAMS ‘O Sole Mio, ANDREA BOCELLI Notte ‘e piscatore, BON JOVI Let It Rain, BONO/THE EDGE/BRIAN ENO Miss Sarajevo, JAMES BROWN It’s A Man’s World, MARIAH CAREY Hero, ERIC CLAPTON Holy Mother, SHERYL CROW Là ci darem la mano, CELINE DION I Hate You When I Love You, EURYTHMICS There Must Be An Angel, ELTON JOHN Live Like Horses, LIONEL RICHIE The Magic Of Love, STING Paris Angelicus, ZUCCHERO Miserere.

Puccini – The dark side of the moon

The Italian composer, Giacomo Puccini is reputed to have once described himself as „a passionate hunter of water birds, texts and women.“ It was an ironic description of the problems which are said to have accompanied him throughout his life. He was indeed a passionate, yet terrible, hunter. With every opera he wrote, he wore out numerous librettists in the search for the perfect text, because unlike Mozart, he couldn’t write a single note before the „script“ for a new piece of work was just as he wanted it – and for as long as he lived, he was almost manic in his hunt for and collection of beautiful women…The film by Andreas Morell looks at Giacomo Puccini’s life from the point of view of his psychological manic preoccupation with one subject: women. He makes connections between the women in Puccini’s life and those in his operas, looking as he goes, at what made Puccini tick. Starting with a characteristic situation in Vienna in 1923 – one year before the composer’s death – the film offers an insight into Puccini and reflects a repetitive pattern which spanned almost three decades of his life. As he summarised for his own credo: “I cannot compose without love in my life!”

Till Brönner plays AVO Session

The German jazz musician Till Brönner has a unique jazz approach influenced not only by bebop and fusion jazz, but also by modern pop music, movie soundtracks, country music and even German pop songs. His trumpet playing is primarily inspired by the listening experiences of Freddie Hubbard and Chet Baker. In March 2007 he produced ‘The jazz album’ for legendary classical singer Thomas Quasthoff, featuring pianist Alan Broadbent and drummer Peter Erskine. His album RIO, with featured guest vocalists Vanessa da Mata, Kurt Elling, Melody Gardot, Annie Lennox, Aimee Mann, Sergio Mendes, Milton Nascimento & Luciana Souza was produced by Grammy winner Larry Klein in Rio de Janeiro and Los Angeles and is featured at this concert at Avo Session Basel.

W.A. Mozart: Concerto For Two Pianos

Mozart’s Concert for two pianos belongs to the most artful and ambitious works of this genre. Pierre-Laurent Aimard and Tamara Stefanovich, these days two of the leading interpreter’s of Mozart’s Music, performed this work at the “Mozartwoche 2008” in Salzburg. Jonathan Nott conducts the Camerata Salzburg. Also on the programme: Mozart’s Serenade D Major KV 185 „Antretter-Serenade“. At the age of 16, Pierre-Laurent Aimard was awarded the chamber music prize of the Paris Conservatoire. In the same year he won the first prize at the international Olivier Messiaen Competition. In 1977, at the invitation of Pierre Boulez, he became a founding member of the Ensemble InterContemporain. In addition to his work with contemporary music, Aimard has recorded the five Beethoven piano concertos with Nikolaus Harnoncourt and the Chamber Orchestra of Europe, at the invitation of Harnoncourt. Tamara Stefanovich enjoys a busy performance schedule which includes recitals, music festivals and concert performances with some of the world’s leading symphonic and chamber orchestras.

Cecilia Bartoli – The Barcelona Concert

Cecilia Bartoli celebrates the 200th birthday of Maria Malibran with her personal tribute to Maria Malibran, one of the most famous opera singers of the 19th century.“The Barcelona Concert”, performed in the stunning Palau de la Musica Catalana, features the Barcelona concert from the ongoing “Maria” album tour “La Rivoluzione Romantica”.

Malibran rediscovered – Cecilia Bartoli

Cecilia Bartoli celebrates the 200th birthday of Maria Malibran with her personal tribute to female superstar Maria Malibran, one of the most famous opera singers of the 19th century. Malibran’s extensive, exceptionally varied repertoire also demanded a range of emotional and dramatic expressiveness to which only an outstanding talent like Cecilia Bartoli’s could do justice. “Malibran rediscovered” features a fascinating 67 minute film following Cecilia Bartoli as she researches the life of Maria Malibran and records their “Maria” album.