Newyear Concert 2011

This is a selection of outstanding examples of Buxtehude’s vocal and instrumental music. Settings of Latin biblical texts and ariosa-style works based on German hymns, alternate with instrumental sonatas. The recording has been given a special “North German” colouring through the use of a wide range of historical wind instruments such as the Baroque trombone and dulcian.

God Bless is an Indonesian rock band founded in 1973 by Ahmad Albar (vocals), Jockie Soerjoprajogo (keyboard), Fuad Hassan (drums), Donny Fattah (bass), and Ludwig Lemans (guitar). They had their first concert on 5 May 1973 at Taman Ismail Marzuki, which was followed on 16 August with the Summer 28 concert, the first (and, as of 2004, largest) open-air concert in Indonesia. During that period they also played at the Jakarta Fair, held near the National Monument. That same year the band acted in Ambisi (Ambition); Lemans left the band not long after to return to the Netherlands.

Cet album Cascavelle reprend ce qui semble être l'intégralité d'un concert Mozart de Clara Haskil, Otto Klemperer et l'Orchestre du Gürzenich de Cologne en 1956, complété par le Concerto de Schumann de quelques semaines postérieur avec Ernest Ansermet et son orchestre de la Suisse Romande. Comme date d'enregistrement la notice indique le 09 septembre 1956 pour Mozart et le 10 octobre 1956 pour Schumann alors que trône en fronton de la couverture de l'album un superbe « Live recording – Montreux April 9th 1956 ». Pourtant c'est bien cette dernière date d'avril qui semble erronée, le concert Mozart ayant bel et bien été donné dans le cadre du Septembre musical de Montreux.

Elizabeth Watts is regarded as 'one of the finest British sopranos to have emerged in the last decade. Her reputation is steadily growing as she has performed s a recitalist, opera singer, and concert artist, she has already appeared at many of the world's leading musical centres and festivals, including the Royal Opera House, London, Wigmore Hall, Welsh National Opera, the BBC Proms, Santa Fe Opera, Boston's Handel and Haydn Society, and has engagements throughout Europe from Amsterdam to Zurich.

After exploring the universe of Ravel, Anima Eterna continues its voyage of discovery through twentieth-century French music with Francis Poulenc. In Jos van Immerseel’s view, Poulenc is one of the most significant personalities of the twentieth century, coupling immense erudition with surprising spontaneity. Not to mention the fact that Poulenc was also a particularly brilliant pianist.

Interestingly, while always priding themselves on being a kick-ass live band, ZZ Top never got around to issuing a full-length live album during their 1970s/1980s peak. But as they say, it's better late than never, and 2011 finally saw the arrival of an archival live ZZ Top recording, Live in Germany 1980. Featuring half of the audio portion of their 2009 Double Down Live DVD, Live in Germany 1980 does a fantastic job of displaying all of the group's pre-Eliminator classics in a concert setting…

Alice Cooper takes over Halloween with a sensational concert featuring show stopping performances. Cooper has specially selected three of the UK's most dangerous performers to appear with him on stage. Their bizarre acts will feature guillotines, electric chairs, blood special effects and fire-eaters…

Handel’s musical exploits in Italy earned him the sobriquet ‘Il caro Sassone’ and brought him his first major triumphs in a number of genres. Th is recital explores Handel’s youthful brilliance in various secular and sacred contexts, allowing soprano Lucy Crowe to display her thrilling versatility. The disc includes two complete cantatas(Armida abbandonata and Alpestre monte) and a Salve Regina, as well as individual arias from other cantatas and oratorios. Plus there are three instrumental movements executed with elegant panache by The English Concert. Crowe is the outstanding performer, however, her bright, mercurial tone as affecting and effective in the Angel’s blazing, stratospheric ‘Disserratevi, o porte d’Averno’ from La Resurrezione as in Pleasure’s cajoling ‘Lascia la spina’ from Il trionfo or the suicidal desolation of ‘Almen dopo’ from Alpestre monte.