Monteverdi Second Vespers For The Feast of Santa Barbara Harry Christophers

Following their album largely devoted to sacred polyphonic works composed for the basilica of Santa Barbara during the period in which Claudio Monteverdi worked for the Gonzagas in Mantua, Odhecaton now presents sacred compositions from the composers later years, written for St Marks basilica where he became maestro di cappella in 1613. This new recording presents both sides of Monteverdis sacred style: the stile antico or strict contrapuntal style, exemplified in the Mass for four voices published posthumously in 1650; and the stile moderno, that is, concertato and solo vocal writing.

The concert contained on this CD took place at The Santa Barbara County Bowl in the autumn of 1979, when Bob was touring in support of his militant Survival album. And the resulting film is an epochal record of a Bob Marley performance; one that stands up as being easily an equal of the better known Live at the Rainbow show filmed on the Exodus tour in 1977. For all intents and purposes, the Survival tour had kicked off on September 24 1979, when Bob and the Wailers had played a benefit concert for Rasta children in the National Heroes Arena in Kingston: 1979 was the United Nations’ International Year of the Child. At that ‘Heroes’ Park’ show, Bob introduced the audience to a pair of new songs from the imminent Survival album - “Ambush in the Night,” the story of the assassination attempt on his life by gunmen on December 3 1976, and “Zimbabwe,” in which he expressed his militant support of the freedom movement in the country still known as Rhodesia.

In 1958 the first records appeared under the banner of Harmonia Mundi, the company founded by the French journalist Bernard Coutaz. Half a century later, Coutaz is still in charge and his creation has developed into one of the most important independent classical labels in the world, carefully preserving the same values and virtues. Next year's anniversary is being marked by this collection, a retrospective of 50 works.

Dragon's Domain Digital presents SANTA BARBARA: A MUSICAL PORTRAIT, featuring music composed by Joe Harnell for the soap opera series that ran on NBC daytime television from July 1984 through January 1993. The show was created by Dobson Productions and New World Television—the Dobson family was known for creating GENERAL HOSPITAL and were head writers for GUIDING LIGHT and AS THE WORLD TURNS prior to the debut of SANTA BARBARA; the show was the first TV co-production for the television arm of Roger Corman’s New World Pictures.

In 1958 the first records appeared under the banner of Harmonia Mundi, the company founded by the French journalist Bernard Coutaz. Half a century later, Coutaz is still in charge and his creation has developed into one of the most important independent classical labels in the world, carefully preserving the same values and virtues. Next year's anniversary is being marked by this collection, a retrospective of 50 works.

In the 18th century, Dresden developed into a magnificent baroque residence, which was soon given the nickname "Florence on the Elbe". Music played a special role in the representation of political power, and the "Dresden Court Orchestra" was famous throughout Europe. Dresden court life was Protestant in character, despite the politically motivated conversion of Elector August "the Strong" and his son, Elector Prince Friedrich August II, to the Catholic faith. This changed with the marriage of the Elector Prince to the strictly Catholic daughter of Emperor Joseph I, Maria Josepha. A new court had to be established and Catholic church music had to be built up along the lines of the Viennese imperial court. From then on, the Protestant court conductor Johann David Heinichen had to write splendid church music. The "Vespers for the Feast of St. Xavier" honored the favorite saint of the new Electress, who appointed him special patron saint for Dresden. Heinichen's magnificent setting, available here as a premiere recording, once again demonstrates the importance of Dresden court music in this period.