Thomas Kocht

At number one was Beethoven’s triumphant Choral Symphony, featuring the ‘Ode to Joy’, closely followed by Bizet’s opera The Pearl Fishers, with its famous duet ‘Au fond du temple saint’, and in third place Handel’s beloved oratorio Messiah. This highlights from The Classic 100: Voice, including the complete top ten as well as selections from throughout the countdown. From the divine choral works of Bach to the passionate operas of Mozart, Verdi and Puccini, and from the majestic grandeur of Handel’s Zadok the Priest to the pure serenity of Tallis’ Spem in Alium, this is the ultimate celebration of the musical instrument with which we are all born: the human voice.

DG present two new short digital albums distilling the essence of Mozart via brief excerpts from his vast catalogue. Drawn from a wide range of (solo) instrumental pieces, chamber music, orchestral works and operas, these offer the perfect introduction to the wonderful world of Mozart.

Bernard Johann Herman Haitink built a reputation as one of the finest conductors of the 20th Century with a wide repertory and meticulous yet warm and exciting performances. He studied violin at Amsterdam Conservatory, and began his musical career as a violinist in the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic. He took conducting studies with Felix Hupka when he was at conservatory and then two Netherlands Radio Union conducting courses with Ferdinand Leitner. He was named second conductor with the Radio Union, leading four different orchestras or ensembles. He was promoted to principal conductor of the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic itself, at the age of 27. After his good showing when called as a last-minute replacement at the Amsterdam Concertgebouw in Cherubini's Requiem in 1956, the Concertgebouw Orchestra frequently engaged him as a guest conductor. After Eduard van Beinum died, two conductors were named principal conductor of the Concertgebouw: Haitink (at thirty-two the youngest principal conductor ever) and the veteran Eugen Jochum. Two years later, Jochum left, leaving Haitink in sole charge. He became the principal conductor and then artistic director of the LPO, retaining that position until 1979. He recorded frequently with both orchestras, taking care not to favor one over the other out of concern for the musicians' feelings. An example of this occurred when he was planning a recording of Strauss's Ein Heldenleben, which has one of the most prominent of solo violin parts for a concertmaster.

The reissue of historical music masterpieces by ESOTERIC has attracted a lot of attention, both for its uncompromising commitment to recreating the original master sound, and for using SACD technology to improve sound quality. This Box Set of "5 Great Operas on Deutsche Grammophon & Decca" features the four works of this time are historical name boards which were produced in the heyday of analog from 1962 to 1979, and at the time of recording, each record company gathered the best conductor, orchestra, singer, the best sound, It was recorded with an in-depth session organized at the proud recording venue.

Amadeus is a 1984 American period biographical drama film directed by Miloš Forman and adapted by Peter Shaffer from his 1979 stage play Amadeus. The story is set in Vienna, Austria, during the latter half of the 18th century, and is a fictionalized story of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart from the time he left Salzburg, described by its writer as "fantasia on the theme of Mozart and Salieri". Mozart's music is heard extensively in the soundtrack of the film. The film follows a fictional rivalry between Mozart and Italian composer Antonio Salieri at the court of Emperor Joseph II. The film stars F. Murray Abraham as Salieri and Tom Hulce as Mozart. Abraham and Hulce were both nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor, with Abraham winning.