Dominic Desjardin Concerto à Quatre Pattes

During his years in Italy (1706-1710), it is believed that Handel may have written as many as 150 cantatas including a number of so-called cantate con stromenti for one or more solo voices plus additional instruments. The four cantatas on this disc feature the standard combination for such works: soprano, two violins and basso continuo. Thematically, they can be grouped in pairs: Notte placida e cheta (Calm and Placid Night) and Un’ alma innamorata (A Soul in Love) tell of unhappy love and contain elements from Classical mythology against a pastoral backdrop. By contrast, Figlio d’alte speranze (Son of High Hopes) and Agrippina condotta a morire (Agrippina Led to Her Death) tell tales of the use and abuse of power.

BBC - Concerto: A Beethoven Journey (2015)
HDTV | 1280x720 | .MKV/AVC @ 2369 Kbps | 1h 28mn | Audio: English AAC 140 kbps, 2 channels | Subs: English | 1.58 GiB
Genre: Documentary

Documentary following concert pianist Leif Ove Andsnes as he attempts, in a series of worldwide performances, to interpret one of the greatest sets of works for piano ever written - Beethoven's five piano concertos. However, the film is more than a portrait of a famous musician on tour - it is an exploration into Ludwig van Beethoven's life as revealed by these five masterworks. The relationship between the composer and his world is mirrored by the relationship between the pianist and orchestra in these concertos. Andsnes offers rare insights into the mind of a world-class pianist and access to his personal and professional life. Against the background of Leif Ove playing these pieces, we also peel back the myths of Beethoven's life - from prodigious talent in Vienna to greatest composer alive by the time he wrote the fifth concerto.