Måneskin Teatro D'ira Vol. I

Franco Gulli (1926-2001) was one of the finest violinists of the 20th century. He began his violin studies at five at his father's music school in his native Trieste, Italy. After graduation from the Conservatory of Trieste in 1944, he debuted at the Teatro Verdi, performing Beethoven's Violin Concerto. He was the concertmaster of the Milan Chamber Orchestra and soloist with I Virtuosi di Roma. He performed all over the world with leading orchestras with such artists as Menuhin and Rostropovich. In addition to his solo career, he was dedicated to chamber music. In the 1940s he formed a duo with his pianist wife, Enrica Cavallo, and their collaboration extended for many years. He formed the Trio Italiano d'Archi with violist Bruno Giuranna and cellist Giacinto Caramia. Gulli's discography as soloist and chamber musician is extensive. Equally renowned as a teacher, he taught at Indiana University in Bloomington from 1972 until his death.

The character of Gioconda is one of the most tragic in the whole history of Italian opera: an altruistic cantatrice who sacrifices everything, to the death, to secure the escape of the man she loves with her rival. Who was better suited than Maria Callas to assume such a role? La Gioconda, the only opera by Ponchielli that has not fallen into neglect, is a stunning transitional work between Verdian romanticism and verismo. La Divina particularly liked this opera.

When Willie Nelson and album producer Daniel Lanois set out to create a cinematic-sounding album, Teatro, they took over a disused movie theatre in Oxnard, California, and pictured it's dusty glory on the cover art. Recorded as-live in situ amid the red velvet seats, Teatro sees Nelson working extensively with his frequent collaborator Emmylou Harris, who joins him for duets and on backing vocals. The other major player is Daniel Lanois, who produces the album, plays guitar and bass, took the cover photo and wrote one of the album's songs, "The Maker", a stunning performance with glacier-thick vibe. Reinvention is key on Teatro, with Nelson revisiting a number of songs he first wrote in the 1960s, including 1968's "I Just Can't Let You Say Goodbye" and 1962's "I've Just Destroyed the World" and "Three Days". Though the songs are familiar, the sounds aren't: Teatro found Nelson experimenting with rhythms and flavors as never before, from the Spanish-influenced "Darkness On The Face Of The Earth" to the double-drum-kit percussive groove of "My Own Peculiar Way". Originally released by Island Record in 1998, Teatro is issued here for the first time as a double disc set, including the original album plus 7 unreleased bonus tracks from the sessions.

For whatever reason, Willie Nelson's Teatro like Emmylou Harris' Wrecking Ball seems to exist in a vacuum, completely set apart from his other recordings. It's untrue in either case, but especially in Nelson's. A scant year or so before Teatro was released and its recording sessions filmed in an old movie theater in Mexico Nelson issued his most brilliant album of the 1990s, Spirit. Island's publicists had no idea what to do with Spirit's subtle, unsentimental, moody, and sparsely arranged and performed songs, but the roots of Teatro lie firmly planted there on its opening instrumental, "Matador."

Orchestra del Teatro della Scala di Milano Since the 19th century, La Scala Theater Orchestra has played important roles outside its main function of accompanying operas at the city's La Scala Opera House. In the 20th and 21st centuries, the orchestra has been led at one time or another by most of Italy's most prestigious conductors. La Scala Theater Orchestra (Italian: Orchestra del Teatro alla Scala) was recognized for its exceptional quality as it performed at the world premiere of operas by Rossini and Verdi in the 19th century, originally with the first violinist, or, in the very early years, the harpsichordist, as the leader. The orchestra's first conductor was Alberto Mazzucato, who ascended the podium in 1854. His successor Franco Faccio instituted independent concerts in 1872, and the orchestra appeared in Paris during the Exposition Universelle in 1878, one of the first major world's fairs. That triumph led to the establishment of a Società Orchestrale della Scala, which put the group on a firmer institutional footing. Offering two concert seasons annually, the orchestra stimulated the growth of instrumental music in Italy, formerly heavily dominated by opera.

This live double album documents the first modern performance of Donizetti's sparkling opera buffa Olivo e Pasquale, recorded at the Donizetti Festival of Bergamo in October 2016. Baritone Bruno Taddia and bass-baritone Filippo Morace star in the story of two rich merchant brothers from Lisbon who habitually weigh everything against its bargaining power. Soloists are joined by the Coro del Teatro Donizetti di Bergamo, accompanied by the Orchestra dell'Accademia Teatro alla Scala led by Federico Maria Sardelli for this unique production.

Forever to be remembered as the composer of the catchy 5/4 theme for the TV series Mission: Impossible, the very definition of jazzy intrigue, Lalo Schifrin actually established himself early on as a versatile, well-grounded composer and pianist adept at bebop, Latin sounds, and straight classical composition. He has written several concert works, but the bulk of his effort accompanies television shows and movies.