Dvd Wagner Lohengrin

In commemoration of the 200th anniversary of Franz Liszt's birth, Deutsche Grammophon has assembled a limited-edition, 34-CD collection, housed in a sturdy cubic package that many collectors will covet for its impressive appearance. But this comprehensive set is really aimed at serious Liszt aficionados who appreciate the diverse ways of playing this arch-Romantic's passionate music.

The Decca recordings of Kirsten Flagstad are the astonishing last chapter of a performing career that began more than four decades earlier. Unknown in most of Europe and the rest of the world until she was 39, Flagstad had made her singing debut in 1913. Encouraged by her second husband, she sang at the Bayreuth Festivals of 1933 and 1934, and her sensational Met debut as Sieglinde in Die Walküre in February 1935 marked the beginning of a second career as, arguably, the most important singer in the world.

This set features the complete known recordings of French mezzo-soprano Blanche Marchesi (1863–1940), the daughter and pupil of legendary vocal instructor Mathilde (née Graumann) Marchesi (1821–1913). Mathilde was born in Frankfurt, Germany, and after a short, unsuccessful career as a performer, she transitioned to teaching voice in 1849, and never looked back. Her teaching career took her from Cologne to Vienna, and ultimately to Paris, where in 1881 she established her own school and enjoyed a long and illustrious career as vocal instructor to many of the greatest singers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Some of her most famous pupils include Nellie Melba, Emma Calvé, Frances Alda, Selma Kurz, and Emma Eames. In addition to the complete Blanche Marchesi, this two-CD set features other rare recordings of pupils of Mathilde Marchesi, most being released here for the first time. Included are performances by American sopranos Elizabeth Parkina, Esther Palliser, and Frances Saville, Australian contralto Ada Crossley, and American lyric coloratura soprano Suzanne Adams.

Greatest Ever Classical Gold is a wide-ranging collection of classical favorites, drawn from the best-loved concertos, orchestral music, chamber works, and keyboard pieces. The selections come from the Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and Modern eras, and the greatest composers in history are represented, among them Bach, Vivaldi, Handel, Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin, Debussy, and many others. Newcomers to classical music will likely recognize most of the pieces immediately, and the few that are unfamiliar to them are instantly accessible and highly memorable.

Gergiev's is a Rite of Spring with a difference. He stresses the primitive barbarism of Stravinsky's groundbreaking score–the strange wheezings of the winds, the wild yawps of the tubas, and the deep rumblings of the bass drum. It's a Rite that stands out at a time when so many internationalized western orchestras give the piece an overlay of sophisticated polish that can rob it of the shock factor that drove the audience at the Paris premiere to riot. There are also numerous personal touches that can be controversial, such as the pause before the final chord, which may bother some but which work in the context of the interpretation. Gergiev's Rite faces strong competition from recorded versions by Markevitch, Dorati, Monteux, and Stravinsky himself, but it's definitely among the top choices. The Scriabin's less compelling, though still fascinating. Gergiev's approach tends to sound sectional, as the overall line is subordinated to momentary thrills. –Dan Davis

Outstanding performances of de Falla's, Granados and Albeniz's works.Unmistakable quality of a past standard of excellence that is hardly matched today.Rodzinski's austere conducting and his vitality and precision refined and developed some of the major orchestras of the time.These Rodzinski's memorable recordings include the Maestro's farewell to the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at his last recording session for Westminster.

We first heard Sawallisch in Prague conducting the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra during the Prague Spring festival of 1958 and since then he has been a guest at this festival seven times more. In between, however, he has also been a guest conductor of the Czech Philharmonic and we even heard himas a pianist with Josef Suk as his sonata partner. Sawallisch, as one of the leading opera conductors today and a great admirer of Czech music, literally fell in love with the Czech Philharmonic Chorus which he conducted in big oratorios and cantatas (he even invited it in 1964 to the Milan La Scala for several performances of Wagner's Lohengrin). He very gladly visits us tocollaborate both with the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra and its chorus.