Igor Strawinsky

Igor Strawinsky - The Rake's Progress [Blu-ray]

In this celebrated Glyndebourne Festival production, David Hockney's designs for director John Cox reinterpret the Hogarth etchings that inspired the opera's libretto, written for Stravinsky by W. H. Auden and Chester Kallman. In 2010, this revival under Glyndebourne's Music Director, Vladimir Jurowski, captured the opera's neo-classical spirit and its juxtaposition of whimsy, cynicism and compassion, prompting the Financial Times to call it, ? ? as enjoyable a performance of Stravinsky's opera as any that has come along".

Press Reviews

" Topi Lehtipuu as Tom is very fine too. He captures very well indeed Tom's love for Anne, which is genuine and will be his salvation, but which he abandons by weakness of will. Miah Persson is adorable as Anne. She brings out beautifully the vulnerability of the character, but crucially she has brilliantly understood the steely determination present in Anne's music, and acts it out, both physically and vocally, to perfection. The smaller roles are beautifully taken, and the chorus sings and acts splendidly. Time and again I was struck, as never before, by the sheer beauty of the sound of this work, and the orchestra plays magnificently under the inspiring direction of Vladimir Jurowski. . . Rapturously received in many quarters, you are likely to love it or hate it. Either way, there is no question, this life-enhancing D V D from Glyndebourne is truly special and not to be missed. " ( Musicweb International)

" The combination of Vladimir Jurowski and the London Philharmonic Orchestra ensures crisp ensemble of the highest quality. " ( Gramophone)

" Full of colour and light, and brimming with wit, this is a production that lifts the performers. . . An absolute triumph. " ( B B C Music Magazine ? ? ? ? ? )

" Star of the show - as she is so often - is Miah Persson, who turns out to be a radiant and steadfast Anne. . . [ Lehtipuu] manages to give us a Tom whoe fundamentally endearing qualities shine through, even when he's at his most cocky. . . " ( International Record Review)

Cast
Topi Lehtipuu ( Tom Rakewell)
Miah Persson ( Anne Trulove)
Matthew Rose ( Nick Shadow)

London Philharmonic Orchestra; Vladimir Jurowski

Stage Director: John Cox

Catalogue Number: O A B D7094 D
Date of Performance: 2010
Running Time: 159 minutes
Sound: 2. 0 L P C M + 5. 1(5. 0) D T S
Aspect Ratio: 1080i High Definition / 16:9
Subtitles: E N, F R, D E, E S
Label: Opus Arte

Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky

Igor Stravinsky: The Firebird (Der Feuervogel) [Blu-ray]

STRAVINSKY: The Rake's Progress (live from the Glyndebourne Festival Opera, 1977) [DVD]

Stravinsky In Hollywood [DVD]

Firebird/ Les Noces [UK Import]

A double bill which contrasts the vibrant colours of Stravinsky's best-loved ballet, The Firebird, with the stark ritual of Les Noces, choreographed by the legendary Nijinska. Leanne Benjamin stars as the Firebird in this modern Royal Ballet production.

Press Reviews

" The Firebird and Les Noces in revelatory and near definitive versions? " ( The Independent)

" Many music lovers may think that they know The Firebird inside out. But without reproductions of the original choreography and the sets and costumes' extraordinary spangle and splash, they have enjoyed only half the experience. Here again are those stabbing notes? but now we see the spectacle they accompany, with dancer David Drew's spindly fingers stretched out, the costume fantastical, gestures tearing the air. The folk rituals of Les Noces, danced against the sparest décor, offer a far different experience, no less enthralling. The joy of this D V D stretches beyond the images. John Carewe brings to his conducting vast experience and love of these pivotal 20th-century scores. And the Royal Opera House Orchestra play like angels, or devils (the music demands both), on top of every nuance, riding every thwack and thrust. " ( The Times)

" A moving and well-directed visual record, totally free from attention-seeking camerawork, brings these two marvellous ballets in their original choreography back to life, as if one had the privilege of visiting Diaghilev's Ballets Russes. The dancing is of the highest standard, led by Leanne Benjamin's Firebird, and costumes and sets are visually equally memorable. " ( The Penguin Guide)

Awards Penguin Guide Rosette

Cast
Leanne Benjamin ( The Firebird)
Jonathon Cope ( Ivan Tsarevich)
Zenaida Yanowsky
David Drew ( The Immortal Katschei)
David Pickering

The Orchestra of the Royal Opera House; John Carewe

Choreographer: Mikhail Fokin ( The Firebird); Bronislava Nijinska ( Les Noces)

Catalogue Number: O A0833 D
Running Time: 108 minutes
Sound: Dolby Surround; Dolby Stereo
Aspect Ratio: 16:9 Anamorphic
Label: Opus Arte

Strawinsky und die Ballets Russes - Der Feuervogel & Le sacre du printemps

The Story of Stravinsky's Le Sacre du Printemps [DVD]