Marié Castle

Tchaikovsky’s ballet The Nutcracker, which has its origins in a novella by E. T. A. Hoffmann, contains some of the best-loved music ever written. But its composer wasn’t very happy with it, perhaps because the plot he was given to work with allowed him to present only a series of dances, losing the moral basis of Hoffman’s surprisingly modern tale, with its messages of inclusivity and what is now called ‘women’s agency’ – here it is the little girl who saves the prince. Hoffmann’s aspirational story continues well after the ballet ends, with the little girl, now grown up, marrying the prince, who is now king. John Mauceri has brought the ballet back to its inspiration, calling on music from elsewhere in Tchaikovsky’s orchestral output to fashion this ‘re-telling’, marrying Hoffmann’s text and Tchaikovsky’s music for the first time.

Fame and Glory collects together all the tracks Fairport Convention recorded for Alan Simon’s rock operas Excalibur, Gaia and Anne de Bretagne. The band previously made this compilation available to its fans, but this mainstream release adds three tracks including a previously unreleased studio recording Goodbye My Friends.

Sammlung: Carl Hanser Verlag - Sach/Fachbücher, Romane etc. 857 Bücher

Now That's What I Call Music! 96 or Now 96 is a double-disc compilation album which will be released in the United Kingdom and Ireland on 7 April 2017. It is the 96th edition of the UK Now! series and will be available on CD and for digital download. "Fastlove", which reached number one on the UK Singles Chart in 1996, was added as a tribute to George Michael who died before the release of this album. A remixed version of the song known as the Forthright Edit, previously appeared on Now 35. It is the only number one to appear on the album.