"Actor: Orchestra"

• Fidelio - Beethoven | DVD | (19/01/2004) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £16.99

  A performance of the Beethoven's Fidelio. James Levine conducts the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Chorus.

• R. Strauss: Arabella -- Glyndebourne/Haitink | DVD | (22/09/2003) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £17.99

  Richard Strauss's elegantly playful opera Arabella (sometimes close to operetta in style) gets a polished, light-hearted, but also serious production at the Glyndebourne Festival. Ashley Putnam gives a glowing performance in the title role and she has a strong supporting cast. John Cox's stage direction and Julia Trevelyan Oman's design create a convincing atmosphere of 19th-century Vienna (not without a dark side to provoke dramatic interest) and Bernard Haitink's conducting of the London Philharmonic is splendidly idiomatic, in the dramatic music as well as the waltz and folk dance melodies that brighten the score. Arabella is the last libretto written for Strauss by Hugo von Hofmannsthal before his untimely death, and it has the high literary value found in all his work, although he did not live to revise Acts II and III. The story focuses on a Viennese family--Count Waldemar, his wife Adelaide and two daughters, Arabella and Zdenka. They are living in genteel poverty and hoping that Arabella, who has several suitors, will marry well and recoup their fortune. They are so poor that Zdenka has been raised as a boy because the family cannot afford to bring out two daughters in Viennese society. A properly rich suitor, Mandryka, shows up and it is love at first sight, until Zdenka confuses the situation. She is in love with one of Arabella's suitors, Matteo, sends him love letters under Arabella's name and seduces him in a darkened bedroom under the pretence that she is Arabella. Mandrkya learns of the seduction but not of Zdenka's deception, and breaks off his engagement to Arabella. There is, of course, a happy ending. Putnam is sweet and troubled in stage presence, silvery in tone and totally charming. John Brocheler is an ardent, impetuous Mandryka and Gianna Rolandi is convincing in the rather difficult role of Zdenka. Gwendolyn Bradley makes an impressive appearance as Fiakermilli, the belle of the coachmen's ball in Act II, one of the opera's favourite features with Viennese audiences. --Joe McLellan

• Baryshnikov Live At Wolf Trap | DVD | (21/07/2008) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £16.99

• Felix Mendelssohn - Gala Concert | DVD | (16/08/2000) from £25.90   |  Saving you £-5.91 (-29.60%)   |  RRP £19.99

  A concert dedicated to the work of Felix Mendelssohn recorded live at the Gewandhaus Leipzig. Includes 'Violin Concerto In E Minor' 'Wedding March From A Midsummer Night's Dream' and 'Symphony No 3'.

• The Stone Flower - Prokofiev | DVD | (03/10/2005) from £5.29   |  Saving you £10.96 (271.96%)   |  RRP £14.99

  First performed at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow in 1954 this ballet draws on the rich heritage of Russian folklore to tell the tale of the young stonemason Danila who must choose between his village sweetheart Katerina and a magical temptress. It is based on fairy tales from the Urals collected by Pavel Bazhov and set in the middle of the 19th century.In Stone Flower you can feel Prokofiev's resignation after the hard struggle with the political situation but nevertheless he hasn't lost his brilliance and the music of his last ballet still is full of catchy tunes and joyousness.However with the completion of his composition it took four years before it received its premiere in Moscow and was not a great success at all. It was only three years later with the choreography of Yuri Grigorovich that Prokofiev's Stone Flower finally come to a glorious resurrection. The young choreographer simplified the story and focussed on nothing but the dance. The ballet became his first major success. The presented version shows a reproduction of this choreography from 1957 which has become immortal.

• Wagner: Tristan und Isolde | DVD | (15/05/2000) from £26.75   |  Saving you £3.24 (12.11%)   |  RRP £29.99

  Waltraud Meier is the stuff of which great Isoldes are made--a passionate actress who sings her heart out at every point and yet somehow keeps something in reserve from the narration and curse of the first act for the love duet of the second and the "Liebestod" of the third. Her Tristan, Jon Fredric West, is more or less her equal--he is particularly impressive in the mad death agony of the third act; his Tristan is an ordinary hero who becomes something larger. Among the other principals, Kurt Moll's Mark stands out in its eloquent heart-break, not so much a cuckold as a man who wants everything to work out right; Weikl's Kurwenal and Lipovsek's Brangane are, credibly, ordinary people caught up in great tragedy. Mehta's account of the score is solid and professional--he gets nothing wrong and everything right in a performance which survives occasionally perversely innovative staging to touch greatness. On the DVD: The DVD includes subtitles in French, German, English and Dutch. --Roz Kaveney

• Mozart - Mass in C Minor | DVD | (15/05/2006) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £16.99

  This DVD presents three of Mozart's best-loved sacred works filmed in the magnificent Baroque Basilica of Waldsassen Bavaria. Featuring superb soloists his inspirational performance of the great C minor Mass found widespread critical acclaim.

• Brahms / Schoenberg / Beethoven - 2013 Lucerne Festival | DVD | (12/05/2014) from £25.92   |  Saving you £-5.93 (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  ACCEN 20282; ACCENTUS MUSIC -; Classica Orchestrale

• Patience - Gilbert And Sullivan | DVD | (29/05/2006) from £2.95   |  Saving you £13.30 (786.98%)   |  RRP £14.99

  Gilvert And Sullivan: Patience (Stanhope Elizabethan Philharmonic Orchestra)

• Falstaff - Giuseppe Verdi | DVD | (12/01/2005) from £3.78   |  Saving you £11.21 (296.56%)   |  RRP £14.99

  Verdi's opera based on Shakespeare's character Falstaff who attempts to woo two wealthy married women in an attempt to avoid bankruptcy....

• Janacek: Kat'a Kabanova -- Glyndebourne | DVD | (26/01/2001) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £24.99

  Kát'a Kabanová, Janácek's 1921 tragedy, is proof if any were needed that tales of personal oppression and turmoil will always make fine raw material for opera composers. Janácek took Ostrovsky's tumultuous drama of infidelity , The Storm, and created a compelling piece in which his music heightens the relationship between the troubled landscape of Kát'a's inner mind and the elements doing battle outside. In 1988, this Glyndebourne Festival production successfully distilled the heroine's wretched journey from put-upon wife and daughter-in-law to suicide via the ecstasy of a forbidden love affair into 100 minutes of intensely emotional operatic drama. At its heart, Janácek's unique tonal score underlines a powerful, almost naturalistic dialogue and exposes the impact of Kát'a's experiences on her escalating self-destruction. Felicity Palmer's Kabanicha--the mother-in-law from hell and the real instrument of Kát'a's downfall--is curiously remote and muted rather than the domineering figure of fear that we might expect. But the singing, particularly by Nancy Gustafson (tremendously affecting and emotionally convincing in the title role) and Ryland Davies as Kát'a's weak husband Tichon, is outstanding. Gustafson's performance alone makes this essential viewing for anybody with a passion for the great modern soprano roles. On the DVD: Sadly the only additional features are trailers for Seven Gates of Jersualem and The Damnation of Faust. The sound quality (PCM stereo) is more than fair, but inevitably the film of the production is constrained by the design: the stylised set is either very light or very dark and we don't get as close as we'd like to the characters in what is, after all, a disturbingly intimate piece. Arthaus Musik's booklet meets the expected high standards of information and background. --Piers Ford

• Beethoven - Symphonies 4-6 | DVD | (14/11/2005) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £16.99

  Herbert von Karajan directs the Berlin Philharmonic in an Italianate take of Beethoven's Fourth Symphony and an assured rendering of the Fifth while the Pastoral Symphony conceived and directed by Hugo Niebeling in 1967 is a revolutionary mix of styles - Fantasia meets Expressionism meets film noir.

• On a Beautiful Scottish Evening | DVD | (15/11/2004) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Two of the most awesome sounds in Scottish music come together on this DVD to provide the listener with a thrilling new musical experience.The traditional but gigantic sound of the Scottish Fiddle Orchestra is here but also the Orchestra combine with the power of Caledon three of Scotland's finest tenors to deliver a set of power ballads that will shake you to your core.This open air concert was filmed at the Ross Theatre under the stunning backdrop of Edinburgh Castle. The style ranges from the soft and gentle to the overwhelming; from the traditional to the modern; music that will appeal because of the arrangements to both young and old. Sit back and be prepared for a unique experience. 1. Ceud Mile Failte (A Hundred Thousand Welcomes) - Favourite Highland Schottisches2. Highland Cathedral3. My Love Is Like A Red Red Rose 4. Bluebell Polka-Set 5. Our Princess Royal6. A Man's A Man7. Wild Rose Of The Mountain - Jig Set8. Eightsome Reel 9. Loch Lomond 10. Braes O' Balquhidder11. Dashing White Sergeant 12. Dumbarton's Drums13. Battle Tunes Of The Pipes14. Swinging Reels15. 500 Miles (I'm Gonna Be) 16. Auld Lang Syne Bonus Tracks1. Tartan Medley2. Touch Of Irish

• Mozart: Don Giovanni (Kate Royal, Gerald Finley, Luca Pisaroni, Anna Samuil , Vladimir Jurowski, Jonathan Kent, The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Glyndebourne Chorus) | DVD | (11/04/2011) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £17.99

  Tracklist: Disc 1: 1. Don Giovanni - Overture 2. Don Giovanni - Act I No.1 Notte E Giorno Faticar 3. Don Giovanni - No.2 M Qual Mai S'offre - Fuggi Crudele Fuggi! 4. Don Giovanni - No.3 Ah! Chi Mi Dice Mai? 5. Don Giovanni - No.4 Madamina! Il Catalogo Questo 6. Don Giovanni - No.5 Giovinette Che Fate All'amore 7. Don Giovanni - No.6 Ho Capito 8. Don Giovanni - No.7 L Ci Darem La Mano 9. Don Giovanni - No.8 Ah Fuggi Il Traditor! 10. Don Giovanni - No.9 Non Ti Fidar O Misera 11. Don Giovanni - No.10 Don Ottavio Son Morta! 12. Don Giovanni - No.10b Dalla Sua Pace 13. Don Giovanni - No.11 Finch' Han Dal Vino 14. Don Giovanni - No.12 Batti Batti O Bel Masetto 15. Don Giovanni - No.13 Finale. Presto Presto! Pria Ch'ei Vengo! 16. Don Giovanni - S Svegliatevi 17. Don Giovanni - Bisogna Aver Coraggio 18. Don Giovanni - Signor Guardate Un Poco 19. Don Giovanni - Protegga Il Giusto Cielo 20. Don Giovanni - Riposate Vezzose Ragazze! 21. Don Giovanni - Venite Pur Avanti 22. Don Giovanni - L'iniquo Da Se Stesso 23. Don Giovanni - Ecco Il Birbo Disc 2: 1. Don Giovanni - Act II. No.1 Eh Via Buffone 2. Don Giovanni - No.2 Ah Taci Ingiusto Core! 3. Don Giovanni - No.3 Deh Vieni Alla Finestra! 4. Don Giovanni - No.4 Met Di Voi Qua Vadano 5. Don Giovanni - No.5 Vedrai Carino 6. Don Giovanni - No.6 Sola Sola In Bujo Loco 7. Don Giovanni - No.7 Ah Piet Signori Miei! 8. Don Giovanni - No.8 Il Mio Tesoro Intanto 9. Don Giovanni - No.8c In Quali Ecessi O Numi! - Mi Trad Quall' Alma Intrata 10. Don Giovanni - Rez. Ah Ah Ah! Non Mi Dir Bell' Idol Mio 11. Don Giovanni - No.9 O Statua Gentilissima 12. Don Giovanni - No.10 Crudele! Non Mi Dir Bell' Idol Mio 13. Don Giovanni - No.11 Finale Gi La Mensa Preparata 14. Don Giovanni - L'ultima Prova 15. Don Giovanni - Don Giovanni! 16. Don Giovanni - Scena Ultima. Ah Dov' Il Perfido 17. Don Giovanni - Curtain Calls

• Giselle | DVD | (15/05/2000) from £24.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £24.99

  Alolphe Adam's Giselle is the first of the great classical ballets and this production was choreographed by Patrice Bart and filmed at La Scala in Milan.

• Mozart: The Mozart Glyndebourne Collection | DVD | (28/11/2005) from £51.39   |  Saving you £8.60 (16.73%)   |  RRP £59.99

  Six Mozart features: 'Cosi Fan Tutte (1975)' 'Don Giovani (1977)' 'Die Entfuhrung Aus Dem Serail (1980)' 'Idomeneo (1974)' 'Le Nozze Di Figaro (1973)' and 'Die Zauberflote (1978)'.

• Carmen - Bizet | DVD | (29/10/2004) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £24.99

  Bizet: Carmen (Zeffirelli)

• Scenic Scotland | DVD | (01/08/2000) from £16.55   |  Saving you £-6.56 (N/A%)   |  RRP £9.99

  Join Rel Records on a breathtaking tour through the many sights and sounds of Scotland! This imagery-rich journey offers viewers a chance to delight in the beauty of the Scottish countryside, featuring video footage of rolling green hills and cloudy valle

• Kiri Te Kanawa - A Celebration - Live At The Royal Albert Hall | DVD | (11/06/2007) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £16.99

  Join Kiri and friends for a very special musical celebration as she sings the greatest hits from her sensational international career: from favourite operatic arias by Mozart and Puccini to musical theatre classics by Rodgers and Hammerstein and Andrew Lloyd Webber. A traditional ensemble from New Zealand perform a Maori tribute, and special guests Andre Previn and his join trio Kiri for intimate performances of popular American songs.The evening culminates in spectacular style with the arrival of a huge birthday cake, celebrating the 50th birthday of a unique musical star.

• La Cenerentola | DVD | (30/01/2006) from £15.96   |  Saving you £14.03 (87.91%)   |  RRP £29.99

  Vladimir Jurowski and Sir Peter Hall are re-united for a fresh and vibrant but timelessly elegant production of Rossinin's much-loved setting of the Cinderella story with a fine cast led by Ruxandra Donose in the title role. Filmed in June 2005 with high definition cameras and recorded in multi-track 5.1 surround sound