Podcast appearances and mentions of Arrigo Boito

Giuseppe Verdi va ser el compositor itali

A cura di Carlo Centemeri. Oltretomba come ambientazione letteraria, dal mito di Orfeo allla Divina Commedia fino a Faust, tra fantasmi e ombre: ma come si dipingono questi mondi nella musica? Fracasso infernale, suoni paradisiaci? Con Hector Berlioz, Gabriel Faurè, Arrigo Boito, Camille Saint-Saens, Giovanni Pacini, Claudio Monteverdi, Jacques Offenbach, Goffredo Petrassi, William Bolcom.

Friedrich, Uwe www.deutschlandfunkkultur.de, Fazit

Walpurgisnacht 2024 19th-20th Centuries We hear works by Felix Mendelssohn, Hector Berlioz, Alexander Dargomyzhsky, Charles Gounod, Modest Mussorgsky, Arrigo Boito, Sir Granville Bantock, Eugen Suchoň, and High Priest Peter H. Gilmore. 142 Minutes – Week of 2024 April 29

Händel Lascia ch'io pianga Rinaldo Scarlatti Cara e dolce....Bellezza che s'ama Rossini La promessa Rossini La pastorella Verdi La preghiera del poeta, (1858) Verdi Barcarola, "Al tuo bambino",F.M.Piave Verdi Il brigidino (1863) Verdi È la vita un mar d'affani (1844) Verdi Pietà Signor (adatt. da Arrigo Boito,1894) Verdi Stornello Verdi Tu che le vanità Don Carlo Liszt Pace non trovo Sonetti di Petrarca Liszt Io vidi in terra angelici costumi Sonetti di Petrarca Respighi Soupir Respighi Au milieu du jardin Puccini Sole e amore Puccini Nel villaggio d'Edgar Edgar Mascagni Senti, bambino Zanetto Puccini Vissì d'arte Tosca Mascagni M'ama, non m'ama Puccini Tu ? Tu? Piccolo Iddio! Madama Butterfly Rossini La danza

Gestern (12. August 2023) hatte bei den Salzburger Festspielen „Falstaff“ von Arrigo Boito und Giuseppe Verdi Premiere. Die Inszenierung von Christoph Marthaler war mit Spannung erwartet worden. Unser Opernexperte Richard Schmitz berichtet. 

Arrigo Boito - Mefistofele: Ecco il mondo Samuel Ramey, bass Munich Radio Orchestra Julius Rudel, conductor More info about today's track: Naxos 8.578191 Courtesy of Naxos of America, Inc. Subscribe You can subscribe to this podcast in Apple Podcasts, or by using the Daily Download podcast RSS feed. Purchase this recording Amazon

Synopsis Back in Bach's day, there were churchmen aghast at the thought that composers were trying to sneak flashy opera music into Sunday services. Church music was meant to be simple, austere, and, well , not “operatic.” So what would they have made of the three “church parables” – mini-operas, really, composed in the 20th century by the great English composer Benjamin Britten? The third of these, The Prodigal Son, debuted on today's date in 1968 at St. Bartholomew's Church in Orford, England. All three impart Christian values and were meant for church performance – scored for a handful of soloists, modest choir, and a small ensemble that would fit in front of and on either side of a church altar where church music was normally performed. But operas they are, and Britten himself let the “o” word slip when he commented in a 1967 interview that he was (quote), “doing another church opera to go with the other two, Curlew River and The Burning Fiery Furnace, to make a kind of trilogy.'” Britten took these mini-operas seriously, and dedicated The Prodigal Son to his new friend, the Soviet composer Dmitri Shostakovich, who in turn would dedicate his 14th Symphony to Britten. Music Played in Today's Program Benjamin Britten (1913 - 1976) The Prodigal Son Peter Pears, tenor; John Shirley-Quirk, baritone; Robert Tear, tenor; Bryan Drake, baritone; English Opera Group Orchestra; Benjamin Britten, conductor. Decca 425713 On This Day Births 1904 - German-born American musical composer Frederick Loewe, in Berlin; 1913 - Soviet composer Tikhon Khrennikov, in Elets (Julian date: May 28); 1960 - English composer Mark Anthony Turnage, in Grays, Essex; Deaths 1899 - French composer Ernest Chausson, age 44, after a bicycle accident near Limay; 1918 - Italian opera composer and librettist Arrigo Boito, age 76, in Milan; 1934 - British composer Frederick Delius, age 72, in Grez-sur-Loing, France; 1964 - American composer Louis Gruenberg, age 75, in Los Angeles; Premieres 1732 - Handel: opera "Acis and Galetea" (in an English/Italian version), in London at the King's Theater in the Haymarket, at the request of Princess Anne (Gregorian date: June 21); 1865 - Wagner: opera "Tristan and Isolde," in Munich at the Hoftheater, conducted by Hans von Bülow; 1921 - Stravinsky: "Symphonies of Wind Instruments" (in memory of Claude Debussy), in London at Queen's Hall, with Serge Kousevitzky conducting; Three days earlier, on June 7, 1921, Stravinsky had attended the British premiere of the concert version of his ballet score "The Rite of Spring," also at Queen's Hall, with Eugene Goossens conducting; 1939 - Bliss: Piano Concerto (with Solomon the soloist) and Vaughan Williams: "Five Variants of Dives and Lazarus," at Carnegie Hall by the New York Philharmonic, with Sir Adrian Boult conducting; These works (Along with Bax's Seventh Symphony, which premiered the previous day) were all commissioned by the British Council as part of the British Exhibition at 1939 World's Fair; 1941 - Poulenc: first public performance of Concerto for Organ, Strings and Timpani, in Paris; 1968 - Britten: church opera "The Prodigal Son," in Orford Church, near Aldeburgh. Links and Resources On Britten

Un día como hoy, 10 de junio: Acontece: 1865: en Alemania, Richard Wagner estrena Tristán e Isolda. Nace: 1819: Gustave Courbet, pintor francés (f. 1877). 1922: Judy Garland, cantante y actriz estadounidense (f. 1969). Fallece: 1799: Chevalier de Saint-Georges, músico y compositor francés. 1899: Ernest Chausson, compositor francés. 1918: Arrigo Boito, poeta y compositor italiano. 1949: Sigrid Undset, escritora noruega, premio nobel de literatura en 1928. Conducido por Joel Almaguer. Una producción de Sala Prisma Podcast. 2023

Synopsis The stage directions read: "The garden of the Grimaldi Palace outside Genoa. On the left side, the palace, directly in front, the sea. Dawn is breaking." The evocative music is by the Italian opera composer Giuseppe Verdi, the prelude to his opera Simon Boccanegra, which premiered on today's date in 1857 in Venice. Despite its shimmering prelude, Verdi's new opera was not well received. The critics felt it was one of those works which "does not make its effect immediately... It is written with the utmost exquisite craftsmanship but needs to be studied in all its details." Verdi, a practical man of the theater, knew what that sort of review really meant. He wrote: "I thought I'd done something passable, but it seems I was mistaken. The score is not possible as it stands. It is too sad, too depressing. I shall need to redo it to give it more contrast and variety, more life." The revised version of Simon Boccanegra premiered 24 years later, in 1881, with additions and alterations to the story by Arrigo Boito, the brilliant librettist for Verdi's final operas, Otello and Falstaff. Despite the revisions, Boccanegra remained one of the least popular of Verdi's works for many decades. In the 1930s, it was revised successfully at the Metropolitan Opera in New York with an all-star cast, and since then, audiences have had more opportunities to "study" Verdi's score sufficiently to appreciate its "exquisite craftsmanship, contrast, variety, and life." Music Played in Today's Program Giuseppe Verdi (1813 - 1901) Simon Boccanegra La Scala Chorus and Orchestra; Claudio Abbado, conductor. DG 449 752

Un día como hoy, 24 de febrero: Nace: 1463: Giovanni Pico della Mirandola, filósofo italiano (f. 1494). 1619: Charles Le Brun, pintor francés (f. 1690). 1842: Arrigo Boito, poeta y compositor italiano (f. 1918). 1934: Renata Scotto, soprano italiana. Fallece: 1704: Marc-Antoine Charpentier, compositor francés (n. 1643). 1929: André Messager, director de orquesta y compositor francés (n. 1853). 1967: Franz Waxman, compositor alemán (n. 1906). Conducido por Joel Almaguer. Una producción de Sala Prisma Podcast. 2023

#friedensnoten 25 - „Kann Ehre ein Bein ersetzen? Nein. Oder einen Arm? Nein. Oder die Trauer über eine Wunde wegnehmen? Nein. Was ist Ehre? Ein Wort." Diese Anleihen aus Shakespears Historiendramen zu Heinrich dem IV, finden Eingang in Guiseppe Verdi's Oper Falstaff. Arrigo Boito verfasste das Libretto. Und dem nimmt sich für die #friedensnoten die Ethnologin, Religionssoziologin und Autorin Martha Carli an: tutti gabbati - alles betrogen ma ride ben chi ride - aber wohl dem, der lacht. Sprecher: Ulrich Allroggen

17th-20th CenturiesWe hear works by Duarte Lôbo, Johann Philipp Krieger, Giuseppe Sarti, Joseph Lanner, Arrigo Boito, Tālivaldis Ķeniņš, and Gavin Bryars.149 Minutes – Week of 2022 August 08

Appuntamento delle grandi occasioni all'Arts Centre di Melbourne con la messa in scena del Mefistofele di Arrigo Boito interpretato da Ferruccio Furlanetto con la direzione d'orchestra di Andrea Battistoni.

In der sechsten Folge der Rubrik „Literatur wird Oper“ besprechen wir ein Kunstmärchen des deutschen Schriftstellers Clemens Brentano. Die Ballade „Lore Lay“ entstand im Jahr 1800 und inspirierte unzählige Dichter zu Werken über eine todbringende Schönheit auf einem Felsen im Rhein. Das Märchen erlangte weltweite Berühmtheit. In Italien nahm sich der Komponist Alfredo Catalani dieses besonderen Stoffes an und erzielte mit seiner Oper „Loreley“ einen großen Erfolg. Wir erinnern an einen bemerkenswerten Musiker, dessen Leben und Schaffen hierzulande immer noch weitgehend unbekannt ist.

Nesmrtelný příběh o muži, který upsal svou duši ďáblu, zvolilo jako první operní premiéru letošní sezóny Jihočeské divadlo v Českých Budějovicích. Italský skladatel Arrigo Boito napsal hudbu i libreto svého velkolepého díla Mefistofeles podle slavného Goethova románu Faust.

Mefistofele is an opera in a prologue and five acts, then reduced to four and an epilogue, written and composed by Arrigo Boito inspired by Goethe's Faust.The first performance took place in Milan, at the Teatro alla Scala, on March 5, 1868, conducted by Boito himself, but it ended in a sensational fiasco, perhaps due, in addition to the excessive length of the work, to the strongly ideological content of some episodes, then suppressed. The work was then reduced and reworked by the author, who among other things transposed the part of Faust for tenor, originally for baritone; moreover, the figure of Margaret assumes central importance in the context of Faust's saving drama. The new version was successfully staged at the Teatro Comunale in Bologna on October 4, 1875, conducted by Emilio Usiglio in the presence of the composer.Purchase the music (without talk) at:http://www.classicalsavings.com/store/p1403/Boito%3A_Mephistophele.htmlYour purchase helps to support our show! Classical Music Discoveries is sponsored by La Musica International Chamber Music Festival and Uber. @khedgecock#ClassicalMusicDiscoveries #KeepClassicalMusicAlive#LaMusicaFestival #CMDGrandOperaCompanyofVenice #CMDParisPhilharmonicinOrléans#CMDGermanOperaCompanyofBerlin#CMDGrandOperaCompanyofBarcelonaSpain#ClassicalMusicLivesOn#Uber Please consider supporting our show, thank you!http://www.classicalsavings.com/donate.html staff@classicalmusicdiscoveries.com

Countermelody celebrates its landmark 100th episode with a tribute to the artist that is my ne plus ultra, the Italian soprano Claudia Muzio (1889-1936). What better artist to salute on this occasion, as her voice is heard at the top of every episode of the podcast, and her beautiful presence graces the Countermelody logo. I discuss my theory that each individual listener has a singer whose voice penetrates to the core of their being. For me, as for many others, Claudia Muzio is that singer. I explore her recorded legacy, which falls into three distinct periods recording for three distinct record companies. In the case of “L'altra notte,” the classic aria from Arrigo Boito's Mefistofele, Muzio left three different recordings, one from each period. I examine these, and many of her other roles, in my attempt to plumb the depths of the Muzio mystique. Incidentally, there is a special bonus episode on Muzio that has been concurrently published for my Patreon supporters. What better time to celebrate this artist, and this occasion, than by signing up to become a monthly supporter on Patreon? (www.patreon.com/countermelody) The episode begins with a tribute to the late Italian dramatic tenor Giuseppe Giacomini, who died this past week at the age of 80. Countermelody is a podcast devoted to the glory and the power of the human voice raised in song. Singer and vocal aficionado Daniel Gundlach explores great singers of the past and present focusing in particular on those who are less well-remembered today than they should be. Daniel's lifetime in music as a professional countertenor, pianist, vocal coach, voice teacher, and journalist yields an exciting array of anecdotes, impressions, and “inside stories.” Occasional guests from the “business” (singers, conductors, composers, coaches, and teachers) lend their distinctive insights. At Countermelody's core is the interaction between singers of all stripes, their instruments, and the connection they make to the words they sing. At Countermelody's core is the interaction between singers of all stripes, their instruments, and the connection they make to the words they sing. Please visit the Countermelody website (www.countermelodypodcast.com) for additional content including artist photos and episode setlists. And please head to my Patreon page at www.patreon.com/countermelody to pledge your monthly support at whatever level you can afford. Bonus episodes available only to Patreon supporters are currently available.

Un día como hoy, 10 de junio: Acontece: 1865: en Alemania, Richard Wagner estrena Tristán e Isolda. Nace: 1819: Gustave Courbet, pintor francés (f. 1877). 1922: Judy Garland, cantante y actriz estadounidense (f. 1969). Fallece: 1799: Chevalier de Saint-Georges, músico y compositor francés. 1899: Ernest Chausson, compositor francés. 1918: Arrigo Boito, poeta y compositor italiano. 1949: Sigrid Undset, escritora noruega, premio nobel de literatura en 1928. Una producción de Sala Prisma Podcast. 2021

a cura di Paolo PellegriniPRESENTAZIONE A CURA DI VALERIO LOPANE CON LA PARTECIPAZIONE DI GIOVANNI MARCHISIOPersonaggi e interpretiMefistofele, Giulio NeriFaust, Gianni PoggiWagner, Gino Del SignoreMargherita, Rosetta NoliMarta, Ebe TicozziElena, Simona Dell'ArgineOrchestra e Coro dell'Opera di MilanoFranco Capuana, direttore

Keturah begins this episode speaking with conductor, Karen Kamensek, who talks to her about a moment in Verdi and Boito’s Otello that moves her.  They also talk about Falstaff, and the frustrations of being an artist during Covid.Keturah’s second interview is with librettist and playwright, Greg Pierce, who collaborated with Gregory Spears on Fellow Travelers, Nico Muhly on The Glitch, and is in the process of collaborating with Kevin Puts on The Hours, which will premiere at the Met.  They discuss adaptation, as well as the differences between writing plays and writing libretti.Karen Kamensek: https://www.karenkamensek.com/Arrigo Boito: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Arrigo-BoitoGreg Pierce: https://www.lyricopera.org/about/company/artists-musicians/composers-librettists/greg-pierce/Gregory Spears: http://www.gregoryspears.com/Nico Muhly: http://nicomuhly.com/Kevin Puts: http://www.kevinputs.com/

Descubre con nosotros la versión operística definitiva del mito de Fausto, compuesta por un músico, Arrigo Boito, que quiso superar a Verdi y a Wagner. Aunque en su estreno, en 1868, esta ambiciosa obra cosechó un fracaso rotundo, el tiempo ha puesto en su sitio a una pieza demasiado avanzada para su tiempo, y que tiene algunas de las páginas corales más hermosas de la historia.

En este episodio de Detrás del Telón, escucharán una charla presentada por Gerardo Kleinburg y amablemente compartida por la Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México y Descarga Cultura UNAM. En sí misma, la ópera Otelo de Giuseppe Verdi es una obra maestra, pero si eso fuera poco, la historia que envuelve su creación y el contexto en el que vio la luz, es también fascinante, un tiempo en el que el prolífico y popular compositor italiano ya llevaba casi 10 años de retiro. Esta ópera shakespeariana no podría concebirse sin la participación de su libretista, Arrigo Boito y del editor de cabecera de Verdi, Giulio Ricordi. Embárcate en esta charla sobre la penúltima ópera del genio italiano. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Descarga Cultura UNAM and Gerardo Kleinburg present "Othello by Verdi" On this episode of Behind the Curtain, you'll be listening to a talk presented by Gerardo Kleinburg and graciously shared by the National Autonomous University of Mexico and Descarga Cultura UNAM. Giuseppe Verdi's opera Othello is a masterpiece; but, as if that were not enough, the story that surrounds its creation and the context in which it was released is also fascinating -- a time in which the prolific and popular Italian composer had already been retired for almost 10 years. This Shakespearean opera could not have been conceived without the participation of its librettist, Arrigo Boito, and Verdi's chief editor Giulio Ricordi. Embark on this talk about the penultimate opera of the Italian genius.

Un día como hoy, 24 de febrero: Nace: 1463: Giovanni Pico della Mirandola, filósofo italiano (f. 1494). 1619: Charles Le Brun, pintor francés (f. 1690). 1842: Arrigo Boito, poeta y compositor italiano (f. 1918). 1934: Renata Scotto, soprano italiana. Fallece: 1704: Marc-Antoine Charpentier, compositor francés (n. 1643). 1929: André Messager, director de orquesta y compositor francés (n. 1853). 1967: Franz Waxman, compositor alemán (n. 1906). Una producción de Sala Prisma Podcast. 2021

The Devil takes center stage in this opera based on the Faust story: a timeless tale of the seductive nature of evil and the redemptive promise of grace. Known primarily for his many successful libretti, Arrigo Boito gave his full poetic, philosophical, and musical talents to this, his only complete opera. This is the third in a series of Opera For Everyone podcasts featuring operas based on Goethe’s “Faust.” Also in the series: Episode 76 "La Damnation de Faust" by Hector Berlioz, and Episode 78 "Faust" by Charles Gounod. All three are hosted by Pat and guest co-host Kathleen Van De Wille.

Commedia lirica in drei Akten (1893) Komponist Giuseppe Verdi · Libretto von Vincenzo Grimani, Text von Arrigo Boito nach The Merry Wives of Windsor und Passagen aus King Henry IV von William Shakespeare In italienischer Sprache mit deutschen und englischen Übertiteln | Neuproduktion Jahresvorschau 2019/2020

Il 9 febbraio 1893 fu rappresentato per la prima volta al Teatro alla Scala "Falstaff", di Giuseppe Verdi, su libretto di Arrigo Boito.

Frequent Verdi librettist Arrigo Boito wrote only one complete opera in his lifetime, a take on "Faust", entitled MEFISTOFELE. Sacrilegious, mystical, and captivatingly beautiful, Boito’s opera recounts the tale from the devil’s perspective, sung this season at the Met by bass-baritone Christian Van Horn. In this episode, Juilliard faculty member and Guild lecturer John J.H. Muller guides us through Boito’s work in this comprehensive pre-performance talk.

On this episode of Opera for Everyone we listen to the Opera Otello by Guiseppe Verdi, and also continue our conversation with dramatic baritone Lester Lynch, who plays Iago in this production. Otello is an opera in four acts to an Italian libretto by Arrigo Boito. The opera is based on Shakespeare's play Othello. It was Verdi's penultimate opera, and was first performed at the Teatro alla Scala, Milan in 1887. It follows the story of Otello, a moor commanding a military unit in Cyprus, his wife Desdemona, and several of his officers. Iago, an ensign, is jealous of his colleague Cassio who has been promoted to captain by Otello. Iago plots to make Otello suspicious that his wife is in love with Cassio and has been unfaithful. In the end, Otello kills Desdemona and then himself. Iago is unrepentant.

Nuovo appuntamento con Pagine sommesse. Oggi parliamo del gioco. Al tavolo insieme a noi Arrigo Boito, Fedor Dostoevskij, Paolo Maurensig, Etienne de La Boétie e Nick Hornby. Pronti, partenza, via!   LETTURE DELLA PUNTATA: Etienne de La Boétie – Discorso sulla servitù volontaria Fedor Dostoevskij – Il giocatore Paolo Maurensig – La variante di Luneburg […]

(1) OTHER DESERT CITIES, by Jon Robin Baitz, at the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, (2) GEE'S BEND, by Elyzabeth Gregory Wilder, at Mustard Seed Theatre, (3) LOVERS, by Brian Friel, at the West End Players Guild, (4) THE LITTLE DOG LAUGHED, by Douglas Carter Beane, at Stray Dog Theatre, (5) FALSTAFF, by Giuseppe Verdi & Arrigo Boito, at Winter Opera St. Louis, (6) TALES OF THE LOST FORMICANS, by Constance Congdon, at Meramec Community College, (7) MAN OF LA MANCHA, by Dale Wasserman, Joe Darion & MitchLeigh, at the Peabody Opera House, and (8) THE ANDREW BROTHERS MUSICAL, by Roger Bean, at Harvest Theatre.

Peggy Reynolds explores Giuseppe Verdi’s last, great work: the comic opera Falstaff. With contributions from the conductor Sir Mark Elder, who celebrates the delicacy, wit and humanity of Verdi’s score. From Glyndebourne’s dramaturg, Cori Ellison, who reflects on the quicksilver pace of this wonderfully funny work by a composer who we do not tend to associate with comedy. And from the baritone Laurent Naouri, who discusses the role of Falstaff, and the words and music written for the character by Verdi and his librettist, the prodigiously talented Arrigo Boito. [Producer: Mair Bosworth for Festival 2013] Musical extracts from the 1960 Glyndebourne recording of Falstaff. Available from the Glyndebourne shop: https://www.glyndebourneshop.com/verdi-giuseppe-falstaff-cd-1960/

London Symphony Orchestra Today's episode will be a special feature on the London Symphony Orchestra, also known as LSO. LSO is widely regarded to be one of the world's leading orchestras, with over 100 years of performing experience. LSO has performed all across the world and even recorded soundtracks for films, such as Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith and Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire. In 2000, LSO launched their own classical label, LSO Live. Since then LSO Live has become one of the world's most talked about classical labels. Today we will be celebrating LSO Live's 10 year anniversary by playing samples from some of their best recordings and featuring a track from their newest release titled Verdi: Otello. Enjoy! video platform video management video solutions video player Sir Colin Davis, London Symphony Orchestra "Enigma Variations" from "Elgar: Enigma Variations" (LSO Live) Buy at iTunes Music Store Buy at eMusic Buy at Amazon MP3 More On This Album During his time as Principal Conductor of the LSO, Sir Colin Davis gained a reputation as the leading interpreter of Elgar’s music and recorded the composer’s symphonies and Dream of Gerontius for LSO Live. Elgar himself was one of the LSO’s first Principal Conductors and the orchestra premiered many of his works, including the Introduction & Allegro for Strings. June 2007 sees the 150th anniversary of Elgar’s birth. The Enigma Variations was Elgar’s breakthrough work and remains one of his most popular. Although it is often thought of as whimsical and the epitome of “Englishness”, in reality it is a thrilling and ravishingly beautiful masterpiece. Sir Colin Davis, London Symphony Orchestra "Messiah" from "Handel: Messiah" (LSO Live) Buy at iTunes Music Store Buy at Amazon MP3 Buy at eMusic More On This Album Handel’s masterpiece uses short texts from the Bible to tell the story of Christ's birth, death and resurrection. Imbued with a deep humanity and written with the imagination of a composer at the peak of powers, Messiah is intimate yet dramatic and includes some of Handel's best-loved music.Sir Colin Davis, London Symphony Orchestra "Má vlast" from "Smetana: Má vlast" (LSO Live) Buy at iTunes Music Store Buy at Amazon MP3 More On This Album Inspired by the mythology and pastoral beauty of his Czech homeland, Smetana’s six tone poems that form Ma vlást (My Fatherland) is one of the best examples of Nationalism in music. The stirring second movement depicts the river Vltava as it flows through the countryside and into Prague. Struck with deafness in 1874, Smetana would never hear a performance of what would become his most popular work. Concert Reviews ‘Colin Davis's performance of Smetana’s Má Vlast with the London Symphony Orchestra was an irresistible pageant of Czech patriotic fervor, a depiction of ancient battles and pastoral idylls, as well as a revelation of the work’s symphonic integrity ’The Guardian (UK), 12 May 2005 ‘the LSO’s unforced brilliance constantly shining forth … The players rose to the occasion with the virtuosity and commitment that are their hallmark. Under Davis’s direction, Smetana’s depiction of natural phenomena and rustic scenes sprang to life’ Evening Standard (UK), 11 May 2005 ‘Yet the Smetana itself holds no terrors, least of all for Sir Colin Davis and the London Symphony Orchestra. In the first poem, how proudly Vysehrad, the guardian rock of Prague, stood out fortissimo on the skyline! And few musical rivers have accelerated with the natural grace of Davis’s Vltava, or begun its course with such lightly charming trickling flutes’ The Times (UK), 12 May 2005 Valery Gergiev, London Symphony Orchestra, Elena Mosuc, Zlata Bulycheva, London Symphony Chorus "Symphony No. 2" from "Mahler: Symphony No. 2" (LSO Live) Buy at iTunes Music Store Buy at Amazon MP3 More On This Album ‘Faced with the London Symphony Orchestra's concentrated glare and attack, I considered cowering under my seat ’The Times (UK) ‘an account of searing intensity ... The pure, visceral thrill of the final bars,greeted with an enthusiastic ovation from the packed audience,crowned a very fine performance of this great work’ MusicalCriticsm.com (UK)Bernard Haitink, Twyla Robinson, Karen Cargill, John Mac Master, London Symphony Orchestra, London Symphony Chorus "Symphony No. 9 "Choral"" from "Beethoven: Symphonies Nos. 1-9" (LSO Live) Buy at iTunes Music Store Buy at Amazon MP3 More On This Album Benchmark Beethoven Cycle - BBC Music Magazine (UK) Classical Recordings of the Year - New York Times (US) CDs of the Year - Svenska Dagbladet (Sweden) ‘a towering achievement’ The Times (UK) CDs of the Year ‘Few music lovers saw this one coming ... Haitink has rarely sounded more suitably agitated. Even the problematic Triple Concerto has rare drama and purpose; this recording may be the best ever’ Philadelphia Enquirer (US) ‘simply masterful Beethoven … Capped by a magisterial account of the Ninth Symphony, this is the Beethoven set for our time. Even if you already have umpteen other recordings of these works, you really owe it to yourself to hear this new set’ Chicago Tribune (US) Beethoven redefined what a symphony could be, giving his works a dramatic narrative and emotional intensity that sent blood flowing through the veins of music and set the tone for Romanticism in music. Many of the symphonies have their own journeys; from darkness to light in the Fifth symphony, from death to rebirth in the Eroica, or from a bleak void to a glorious vision of love and tolerance in the Choral Symphony. London Symphony Orchestra "The Planets, Op. 32: IV. Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity" from "Holst: The Planets" (LSO Live) Buy at iTunes Music Store Buy at eMusic Buy at Amazon MP3 More On This Album Gustav Holst's The Planets was born of his fascination with astrology. His portrayal of the planets of the solar system, from the serene, romantic venus to the warlike Mars and the magisterial Jupiter, has become an absolute classic and contains some of the most well-known music of the 20th centruy. London Symphony Orchestra, London Symphony Chorus, Sir Colin Davis, Gerald Finley, Allan Clayton, Ben Johnson, Matthew Rose "Otello" from "Verdi: Otello" (LSO Live) More On This Album The release of Sir Colin Davis’s eagerly anticipated recording of Verdi’s Otello marks the 10th anniversary of the LSO Live label. Opera has always formed a major part of the label’s output and among Sir Colin’s greatest triumphs was his Grammy Award-winning recording of Verdi’s final opera, Falstaff. One of the world’s most exciting young tenors joins Sir Colin to sing the title role on the new recording. New Zealander Simon O’Neill stepped in at short notice to the concerts, making his debut in the role (although he had studied it with Domingo), delivering what was universally acclaimed as a sensational performance. The villainous Jago is sung by Gerald Finley and Otello’s wife Desdemona by Anne Schwanewilms. Verdi had retired from opera following the premiere of Aida in 1871 but was eventually persuaded by his publisher to work with the librettist Arrigo Boito. As with Falstaff, Verdi’s final opera on which they would subsequently collaborate, they turned to Shakespeare for inspiration. Otello, which was premiered in 1887, marked a significant evolutionary development in Italian opera and is widely regarded as one of the great operatic masterpieces. Simon O’Neill joins Sir Colin and the LSO again for performances of Janáček’s Glagolitic Mass in October before singing Siegmund in Die Walküre in a production at La Scala conducted by Daniel Barenboim. Gerald Finley performs in Guillaume Tell in Rome in October and Pelléas et Mélisande at the Metropolitan Opera in New York in December. ‘This was an electrifying account of a masterpiece, conducted with an explosive energy that belies Sir Colin’s eighty years and pushed the LSO to the top of its game. Simon O’Neill made a tremendous debut in the title-role, giving notice that he is the best heroic tenor to emerge over the last decade … Gerald Finley was an arrestingly crisp and snakily plausible Iago … Verdi’s great music drama shone in all its power and glory’ Daily Telegraph (UK) concert review ‘a performance of Verdi’s opera that had finesse, fervour and glorious lyricism … Such is Davis’s rapport with the LSO and its rapant Chorus that he can unleash greater musical power with an elegant flick of the baton than most conductors muster with flailing arms. Gerald Finley was a superb Iago: insiduously sinister, yet sustaining a wonderfully suave line. And the New Zealand tenor Simon O’Neill gave an immense performance … he will make the Moor his own’ The Times (UK) concert review ‘a thrilling performance from beginning to end … an evening to treasure; not just for Davis’s contribution, but for an impressive debut from the young New Zealand tenor Simon O’Neill. O’Neill mastered Otello’s many moods with a striking musicality and an eveness of tone throughout the range. He will go far, and promises to be the outstanding Wagner Heldentenor we have been longing far … the men, led by Gerald Finley’s totally convincing and committed Iago, were splendid’ Mail on Sunday (UK) concert review