Der Ruepp

Maurice Maeterlinck completed his play The Blue Bird ("L’Oiseau bleu") in 1908. Several of his previous works had proved popular as operatic subjects (Pelléas et Mélisande and Ariane et Barbe-Bleue) so it's no wonder that composers jumped at the opportunity to set his latest creation to music.French composer Albert Wolff based an opera on the story, which premiered at the New York Met but subsequently fell into oblivion. Prior to that, in 1912, Max Reinhardt adapted it as a Christmas play and staged a production in Berlin, inviting no less a person than Engelbert Humperdinck to write the incidental music for it. The music was never published, but Steffen Tast eventually located the score and salvaged it for us all to enjoy. A sweet story and newly discovered music by Humperdinck that's sweeter still? Truly a recipe for a fairy-tale ending!

Maurice Maeterlinck completed his play The Blue Bird ("L’Oiseau bleu") in 1908. Several of his previous works had proved popular as operatic subjects (Pelléas et Mélisande and Ariane et Barbe-Bleue) so it's no wonder that composers jumped at the opportunity to set his latest creation to music.French composer Albert Wolff based an opera on the story, which premiered at the New York Met but subsequently fell into oblivion. Prior to that, in 1912, Max Reinhardt adapted it as a Christmas play and staged a production in Berlin, inviting no less a person than Engelbert Humperdinck to write the incidental music for it. The music was never published, but Steffen Tast eventually located the score and salvaged it for us all to enjoy. A sweet story and newly discovered music by Humperdinck that's sweeter still? Truly a recipe for a fairy-tale ending!

Absoluter Hörgenuss für Freunde von guten Fantasy Romanen. Die Welt der Drachenlanze begeistert mit spannenden, romantischen und emotional fesselnden Fantasy-Geschichten. "Der Herr der Ringe"-Fans kommen bei diesem Stoff auf jeden Fall voll auf ihre Kosten.

This remastering comes from the original analogue tapes and has been transferred at high resolution digital quality to capture the very best sound from the tapes. In consultation with the original engineer Chris Parker, we have slightly adjusted the balance of the Trio (in Act 3) to reflect the quality of sound that was desired but not achieved at the time of recording. This recording was originally made as a mono recording by Douglas Larter, with a stereo test version engineered by Chris Parker. It is this stereo test version which has been used for this remastering. Despite the early experimental nature of this new ‘stereo’ technology, this recording is captured in astonishingly vivid sound and is a testament to the experience, understanding and skill of both the musicians and engineers of the time.’ Simon Gibson, Remastering Engineer at Abbey Road Studios.

‘This performance is as perfect as we have any right to demand. Klemperer’s magisterial interpretation of the opera has a blazing intensity, the orchestra plays superbly and the cast give of their considerable best.’ - Gramophone

When this recording of Der fliegende Holländer first appeared in 1968, Gramophone magazine declared it “as perfect as we have any right to demand”. Otto Klemperer conceives the score on an epic scale, and Theo Adam, reaching deep into the heart of the world-weary Dutchman, meets his match in the young and incandescent Senta of Anja Silja.

The Big Band of the Bundeswehr (BigBandBw) was founded in 1971 on the Initiative of the then Federal Minister of defense, Helmut Schmidt, and the show orchestra of the German armed forces. Helmut Schmidt wanted a "modern Sound for a modern army". The Band is stationed in the Mercator-Kaserne in Euskirchen, touring year-round by Germany, and is especially engaged in charity events.

Zehn Jahre lang schrieb Marcel Proust an seinem grandiosen und zeitlosen Meisterwerk "Auf der Suche nach der verlorenen Zeit". Auf über 4000 Seiten entfaltet er eine ganze Welt im Verstreichen ihrer Zeit: das Drama von Liebe und Eifersucht, die Intrigen der Gesellschaften in den Pariser Salons, Gedanken über Literatur, Musik und Kunst, die Poesie der Landschaft und den Geschmack der Erinnerung. Acht Jahre lang las Peter Matic jeden Winter mehrere Wochen lang im Studio des Rundfunks Berlin-Brandenburg Prousts Roman als vollständige, ungekürzte Lesung. Wort für Wort, Zeile für Zeile. Seine kluge, nuancierte Interpretation bringt alle Facetten des vielschichtigen Werks zum glänzen. Ein Hörbuch, das nicht seinesgleichen findet.