"Actor: Concentus Musicus"

• Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Concertus Musicus Vienna : A Concert of Music By Bach | DVD | (03/12/2001) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Glorious Bach is a simple, straightforward record of a concert at the Benedictine Abbey of Melk of three Bach works for the season of Advent. All of them are, in different ways, meditations on the imminent arrival of Christ, both as child and as Messiah, and on the role of Mary as his mother. Nikolaus Harnoncourt has this music in his bones and so do his impressive team of soloists and the Arnold Schoenberg Choir; the Concentus Musicus of Vienna by now play original-style instruments so smoothly that one has almost to remind oneself of how shocking the authenticity movement sounded a few short years ago. Ian Bostridge is especially fine in the extended tenor part of the less well-known piece Nun Komm, der Heiden Heiland; Bostridge combines an absolute vocal purity with a fierce intelligence in his approach to the words--the advantage of the DVD is that it lets us see him and his fellow soloists thinking as well as singing. Christine Schafer is particularly fine in the Magnificat in D, in which Harnoncourt lets his orchestra rip, reminding us why this is such a popular festival piece. On the DVD: The DVD, presented in 16:9 visual ratio, has sumptuous Dolby Digital sound, subtitles in English, German, Italian, Spanish and French and no other frills whatsoever. --Roz Kaveney

• Mozart: Cecilia Bartoli Sings | DVD | (07/04/2003) from £18.05   |  Saving you £1.94 (9.70%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Performed at the Styriarte Festival in Graz with Nikolaus Harnoncourt conducting. Also includes Mozart's Symphony No 38.

• Cecilia Bartoli - Sings Mozart And Haydn | DVD | (23/02/2004) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £29.99

  A concert filmed at the Styriarte Festival in Graz Austria where Cecilia performs two Haydn Cantatas and Mozart's Symphony No 38 and the orchestra under the baton of Nikolaus Harnoncourt perform Haydn's Symphony No. 92 'Oxford'.

• Cecilia Bartoli - Mozart Arias | DVD | (03/03/2003) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Cecila Bartoli sings Mozart is alternatively titled Duo on screen, though not on the packaging, and indeed this concert is very much an affair of two halves, giving virtually equal screen time to Bartoli with five Mozart opera arias and Nikolaus Harnoncourt conducting Mozart's Symphony No.38 "Prague". One of two concerts given by these artists at the Stefaniensaal at the 2001 Styriarte Festival, Graz, Austria--the second was a Haydn programme--they certainly find a highly appreciative audience. Bartoli begins with a wonderfully enthusiastic and energetic version of the comic Vol avente un cor fedele, a melodic gem penned when Mozart was 19. Complementing this is the lyrical yet teasing "Uno moto di gioia mi sento", an alternative aria composed for The Marriage of Figaro. Bartoli's final aria is also her most extravagant showcase, the exceptionally difficult Bella mia fiamma , addio here met with spine-tingling intensity and remarkable vocal dexterity. Against this thrilling music-making the excellent performance of the "Prague" Symphony which follows seems almost routine, making one wish for an all-Bartoli programme. Nevertheless, Harnoncourt elicits fine playing making this another performance to be relished. On the DVD: Cecila Bartoli sings Mozart is presented anamorphically enhanced for widescreen TVs at 1.77:1. The picture quality is flawless. Sound options are stereo, Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTs 5.1, each progressively better than the last. The DTS track is exceptionally well focused and filled with rich detail. Extras are a 12-minute making-of feature and a 16-minute segment which contrasts interesting rehearsal footage with Hanoncourt and a very giggly Bartoli discussing the music. Also included is a three-minute preview of the Haydn concert. --Gary S Dalkin