Herbert Leonard

Born in Strasbourg in 1945, French crooner Herbert Léonard started his career as guitarist in Les Lionceaux in the mid-'60s before he decided to go it alone following two years of military service. He found fame with French-language versions of Gene Pitney's "Something's Got a Hold of My Heart" ("Quelque Chose Tient Mon Coeur") and Jefferson Airplane's "Somebody to Love" ("Pour un Peu d'Amour"), but struggled to sustain his success in the '70s, when he instead devoted his time to writing books on his other main passion, Russian aircraft from World War II.

Avec ce Demi-tour, Herbert réécrit l’histoire de la plus belle façon, conjuguant au présent, et en rythme, cinq titres déjà publiés dans son premier album sorti en 1967. Une relecture sur des arrangements de pur rhythm’n’blues, « pas le R’n’B d’aujourd’hui ! » prévient Herbert.

Mstislav Rostropovich did more for the advancement of the cello than probably any other artist since Pablo Casals. Even after his sad passing in 2007 at the age of 80, is musical influence is felt not only in the cello community, but among orchestral musicians as well. This Deutsche Grammophon DVD is among the many tributes to Rostropovich that have surfaced over the short time since his passing. It features the Schumann Concerto and Bloch's Schelomo with Leonard Bernstein and the Orchestre National de France and Strauss' Don Quixote with Karajan and the Berlin Philharmonic. All of these performances are given their first DVD release here. Schumann and Bloch are given intense, riveting performances by Rostropovich and orchestra alike. Any other cellist who played with as much force and aggression would be accused of overplaying, but with Rostropovich the intensity and conviction of his playing are what make the entire performance.

The Philadelphia Orchestra has been called the Rolls Royce of orchestras. One of the so-called "Big Five" American orchestras, its many partisans assert that it is, and has been for over a century, the finest orchestra in the world.

Bernstein opera sets come few and far between, but those that do emerge are treated as isolated landmarks. Such was his recording of Richard Strauss` ''Der Rosenkavalier'' of 1971 (CBS M3K 42564, three CDs), recorded three years after he virtually swept the Viennese off their collective feet with it at the Staatsoper.

Ludwig van Beethoven's 'Nine Symphonies' are the core repertoire of virtually every orchestra in the world and the Concertgebouworkest is no exception. Until the 1960s the Beethoven tradition of the Concertgebouworkest meant yearly symphony cycles that closed concert seasons. Later on Beethoven 'Symphonies' were mainly programmed one at a time, with a different (guest) conductor. This box set offers the finest recorded Concertgebouworkest live performances of the 'Nine Symphonies' since the 1970s. With a variety of conductors, from Leonard Bernstein to Nikolaus Harnoncourt it demonstrates the orchestra's incredible versatility.