& DVD

Home Music Berlin (Documentary & Concerts) [Blu-ray or DVD Video]

When lockdown was imposed in 2020 many artists began streaming performances from their own homes. In response, pianist Francesco Piemontesi and director Jan Schmidt-Garre launched a concert series to showcase artists living in Berlin. This collection of performances is a testament to the resilience and solidarity of these artists during the pandemic. (Naxos)

2Blu-ray# NBD0124-25V $24.99

2DVD# 2110681-82 $24.99

John Cranko’s The Taming of the Shrew [Blu-ray or DVD Video]

John Cranko’s The Taming of the Shrew is one of the greatest ballet comedies of the 20th century. Inspired by William Shakespeare’s world-famous play, Cranko brings to vivid life the story of the shrewish Katherina whom no one wants to marry and the dashing and clever Petruchio who makes her his wife and “tames” her. (Unitel)

1Blu-ray# 808204 $42.99

2DVD# 808108 $32.99

Levay: Elisabeth [Blu-ray or DVD Video]

Treading a tightrope between death, life and intense romance in the opulent world of 19th-century Habsburg royalty, Elisabeth tells the story of the beautiful Empress of Austria, from her wedding, to her tragic assassination by the hand of the Italian anarchist Luigi Lucheni. This spectacular open-air event presents Elisabeth at the fabled empress’s real-life home – Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna. (Naxos)

1Blu-ray# NBD0164V $27.99

1DVD# 2110749 $27.99

Le Chevalier de Saint-Georges: The Enlightened Violinist DVD

An emancipated slave, the Chevalier de Saint-Georges managed to elevate himself to the highest spheres of the Enlightened 18th-century French society, thanks to his incredible accomplishments as a fencer, horseman, and musician. Through his compositions, and testimonies from specialists, this film narrates his extraordinary adventures. (BelAir)

1DVD# BAC190 $19.99

Fuoco Sacro – Search for the Sacred Fire of Song DVD

Opera confronts us with extremes of emotion, sometimes delivering unforgettable, life-changing experiences. Fuoco Sacro (‘Sacred Fire’) seeks out singers who have the power to pierce our hearts, presenting three of them at work in the most intimate details of their rehearsals and preparations. Over 90 minutes of extras are included featuring vocal warm-ups and live performances. (Naxos)

1DVD# 2110710 $22.99

Porpora: L’Angelica [Blu-ray or DVD Video]

Nicola Porpora was a composer who helped to turn Italian opera into the most successful and spectacular genre in Europe. One of the few luminaries of the ‘Neapolitan School’ to actually be born in Naples, Porpora wrote L’Angelica, a serenade for six voices and instruments, to a libretto by the young Pietro Metastasio in 1720. (Dynamic)

1Blu-ray# DYN-57936 $27.99

1DVD# DYN-37936 $27.99

Leonard Bernstein Box [5 Blu-ray]

This Blu-ray box contains legendary concerts from 1977 – 1990 of Leonard Bernstein conducting the Wiener Philharmoniker, Orchestre National de France and the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks. The set also includes the Centennial Celebration Concert at Tanglewood, featuring John Williams, Yo-Yo Ma, Andris Nelsons, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Tony Yazbeck and many more. (C Major)

5Blu-ray# 762304 $95.99

Summer Night Concert 2022 / Vienna PO; Nelsons [Blu-ray or DVD Video]

The Summer Night Concert of the Vienna Philharmonic is the world’s biggest annual classical open-air concert that takes place in the magical setting of the Schönbrunn Palace Baroque park in Vienna. After a two year hiatus, the concert resumed in June of 2022 with a musical program that emphasized European musical heritage with its diverse facets and rich musical traditions. (Sony)

1Blu-ray# 19658717529 $19.98

1DVD# 19658717519 $14.98

Camilla Nygund Sings Masterpieces from the Great American Songbook

Finnish opera star Camilla Nylund sings masterpieces from the Great American Songbook in this unique collaboration with the ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra under their music director Marin Alsop. This special edition includes a DVD of the concert film-project by André Heller in black and white, plus an audio only recording. (Naxos)

1DVD/CD# 2110747 $27.99

Bach: Goldberg Variations

Johann Sebastian Bach’s Goldberg Variations intended to “refresh the spirits of connoisseurs”, is an impressive example of the art of variation. During the pandemic, the pianist Ragna Schirmer performed it for a small audience. The result is a magnificent achievement that affords masterly proof of her passion for this work, a passion that has evolved over several decades. (Belvedere)

1DVD/CD# bve08076 $22.99

Saint-Georges: L’amant Anonyme [3 CDs]

Haymarket Opera, Chicago’s premier early opera company that presents historically informed performances played on 18th-century classical era instruments, performs on this world-premiere recording of L’Amant Anonyme by Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges (1745–1799). Premiered in 1780, L’Amant Anonyme was the most successful of Bologne’s six operas. (Cedille)

3CD# CDR 217 $32.99

Lortzing: Der Waffenschmied [2 CDs]

Lortzing’s Der Waffenschmied is a lighthearted and superbly crafted opera that bridges Mozart’s Singspiele and early Wagner. Despite its relative popularity, there are surprisingly few complete recordings of it around. How lovely to change that with this new recording from the very place for which the opera was written and where it was premiered in 1846: Vienna’s Theater an der Wien! (Capriccio)

2CD# C5490 $22.99

Rossini – Donizetti: French Bel Canto Arias

On her second solo album Lisette Oropesa has combined two of her greatest loves, the French language and Italian bel canto. This recording with the Dresdner Philharmonie under the baton of Corrado Rovaris showcases the variety of lesserknown and more popular works by Rossini and Donizetti, featuring arias that contain coloratura, lyricism, drama, heightened emotion, and even comedy. (Pentatone)

1SACD# PTC5186955 $19.99

Mascagni: Cavalleria Rusticana

Riccardo Muti leads the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Chorus and a cast of outstanding soloists in Pietro Mascagni’s Cavalleria Rusticana. This opera is one of the most enduring works for the stage, and its extraordinary popularity has never waned. This exquisite concert performance from February 2020 vividly captures the unforgettable cut of its melodies and the urgent, heart-racing pace of its drama. (CSO)

1CD# CSOR 901 2201 $19.99

Verdi: La Traviata [2 CDs]

The Dresdener Philharmonie, Sächsischer Staatsopernchor

Dresden and conductor Daniel Oren present Verdi’s masterpiece La Traviata, together with a stellar cast including René Barbera as Alfredo, Lester Lynch as Germont, and world star soprano Lisette Oropesa as Violetta. Verdi’s opera from 1853 was revolutionary in the sense that it presented a subject of its own time, rather than the usual historicallyremote stories. (Pentatone)

2SACD# PTC5186956 $29.99