Classical Music

• John Adams - A Portrait And Concert Of American Music | DVD | (18/10/2002) from £14.09   |  Saving you £5.90 (29.50%)   |  RRP £19.99

  In a format that ought to be widely emulated, this Composers of Our Time feature comprises a portrait of American composer John Adams, followed by a concert that places his music in a suitable context. Adams has come a long way from the Harvard graduate who travelled to San Francisco in the early 1970s, taking a number of menial jobs while he discovered his own idiom. Those years are vividly recalled by the composer, and the seven-part documentary also features extracts from three of his stageworks, all of which are controversial but relevant in their choice of topics and handling of issues. David Jeffcock's direction makes the most of some stunning West Coast scenery, and the only real drawback here is the plodding, clichéd narration. The concert portion was filmed live at the Chatelet in Paris, and features the Ensemble Intercontemporain and Jonathan Nott, currently their Music Director and a conductor with a future. André Trouttet is the scintillating soloist in Adams' stylish if vacuous clarinet concerto Gnarly Buttons, while the musically more substantial Chamber Symphony is given virtuoso treatment, as are Steve Reich's classic Eight Lines and arrangements of two Player Piano Studies by Conlon Nancarrow. On the DVD: Composers of Our Time: John Adams comes with options of PCM Stereo, Dolby Digital 5.0 or DTS 5.0, while the 16:9 picture format captures Bob Coles' perceptive direction in full. Subtitles are in English, French, German and Spanish, and there are three related Arthaus trailers. It all adds up to a stimulating and informative package. --Richard Whitehouse

• Lotte Lenya & Gisela May - Theatre Music of Brecht & Weill | DVD | (04/07/2005) from £27.94   |  Saving you £-2.95 (N/A%)   |  RRP £24.99

  Lotte Lenya and Gisela MayTheater Music of Brecht and Weill including performances by Martha Schlamme and Will Holt.Lotte Lenya (1958)Gisela May (1972)Martha Schlamme (1970/1963).

• Leopold Stokowski : Classic Archive Seri | DVD | (27/10/1998) from £18.88   |  Saving you £-4.89 (-35.00%)   |  RRP £13.99

• Runnin' Wild -The Final Jolly Roger | DVD | (27/06/2011) from £13.09   |  Saving you £1.90 (14.51%)   |  RRP £14.99

  Tracklist: 1. Intro 2.Port Royal 3. Bad To The Bone 4. Riding The Storm 5. Soulless 6. Prisoner Of Our Time 7. Black Hand Inn 8. Purgatory 9. Battle Of Waterloo 10. Der Kaltverformer 11. Raging Fire 12. Whirlwind 13. Tortuga Bay 14. Branded & Exiled 15. Raise Your Fist 16. Conquistadores 17. Under Jolly Roger 18. Tourreport 1994 - 1996 19. Studioreport Masquerade 20. Keep Smiling 21. Interviews April 2009 Pt. I / Pt. II / Pt. III / Wacken 2009

• REO Speedwagon - Live In The Heartland | DVD | (13/10/2008) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £14.99

  Live In The Heartland captures the band's current line-up of Kevin Cronin (lead vocals guitar) Bruce Hall (bass) Neal Doughty (keyboards) Dave Amato (lead guitar) and Bryan Hitt (drums) performing in front of adoring fans on their home turf in 2007. The spectacular 16-song set recorded in awe inspiring High-Definition and mixed in 5.1 Surround Sound for the hit PBS concert series Soundstage spans REO's celebrated 35 year career.

• Verdi - Il Trovatore (Rizzi, the Royal Opera Chorus) | HD DVD | (28/01/2008) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £29.99

• Braunfels: The Birds (Die Vogel/ The Birds) | Blu Ray | (15/11/2010) from £31.15   |  Saving you £-1.16 (-3.90%)   |  RRP £29.99

  ARTH 101530; ARTHAUS MUSIK - Germania;

• Shostakovich-Jazz Suite | DVD | (17/06/2003) from £9.74   |  Saving you £-0.75 (-8.30%)   |  RRP £8.99

  Tracklisting: 01. Overture (Introduction) 02. The Bureauocrat (Polka) 03. The Drayman's Dance (Variations) 04. Kozelkov's Dance with Friends (Tango) 05. Intermezzo 06. The Dance of the Colonial Slave-Girl 07. The Conciliator 08. General Dance of Enthusiasm and Apotheosis (Finale) Jazz Suite No. 2 09. March 10. Lyric Waltz 11. Dance 1 12. Waltz 1 13. Little Polka 14. Waltz 2 15. Dance 2 16. Finale Jazz Suite No. 1

• Classic Archive - Arthur Rubinstein | DVD | (04/11/2002) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £13.99

  Arthur Rubinstein - Classic Archive

• Igor Markevitch | DVD | (03/03/2003) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £15.99

  Tracklisting; Richard Wagner - Tannhauser: Overture / Tristan und Isolde: Prelude / Tristan und Isolde: Liebestod (Orchestre National de I'ORTF filmed at the Besancon XXI International Festival 15 September 1968). Dmitri Shostakovich - Symphony No. 1 in F Minor Op. 10 (Orchestre National de la RTF filmed in Paris 15 June 1963). Igor Stravinsky - Symphony Of Psalms (Orchestre Philharmonique et Choeurs de l'ORTF filmed at the ORTF Paris 14 June 1967). Igor Stravinsky - The Firebird Suite (New Philharmina Orchesra filmed at the Royal Festival Hall London 14 September 1965).

• Irish Jigs & Reels | DVD | (20/02/2008) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £3.99

  Irish Jigs & Reels01. Reel: Shaskeen Reel02. Reels: Paddy Gone To France/Concertina Reel03. Lark In The Morning Selection04. My Little Son05. Slipjigs: Cook And The Hen/Humours Of Whiskey06. Reels:Farewell To Erin/Darby's Favourite/Humours Of Toomagh07. Clonmel Jail08. Clare Polkas Selection09. Hornpipes: Thomand Bridge/The Souvenir10. Jigs Gallaghers Frolics/Richard Brennans/Battering Ram11. Stone Outside Dan Murphy's Door/Kircoff's Rag12. Jigs: Ballinacura Hare/keane's Delight13. The Praties They Grow Small14. Reels: Crowley's/The Camerones/The Mason's Apron15. Polkas: Kerry Polkas Selection16. Reels Pigeon On The Gate/The Foxhunters

• Lucia Di Lammermoor | DVD | (24/09/2007) from £21.52   |  Saving you £3.47 (13.90%)   |  RRP £24.99

• Live in Miami - DVD | DVD | (13/02/2012) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £13.99

  Having led worship in churches, stadiums and open fields around the world, UNITED's Live In Miami is the first live album from the band in four years and features 22-tracks all captured during the band's sold out worship night in Miami.In 2011, bestselling modern worship band Hillsong UNITED brought a new and fresh approach to tours, visuals, songs and multimedia to the U.S. for the widely successful 'Aftermath' Tour. The tour logged sold out worship nights in venues across the country - from New York to Los Angeles (where the band became the first Christian band to sell out Staples Center) and back east to Miami where the CD and DVD were recorded.In studio and out of studio, on tour or home at Hillsong Church, UNITED is committed to sharing songs that speak truth, create a unique sound, connects with churches, individuals and ultimately connects people everywhere with God. Born out of the Youth Movement of Australia's Hillsong Church, UNITED is fronted by worship leaders Joel Houston, Jad Gillies, Jonathon JD Douglass and backed by an evolving collaboration of pastors, worship leaders, musicians and songwriters - all intentional about giving voice to a generation passionate about God.Tracklisting:1. Take Heart2. Go3. Break Free4. you5. Search My Heart6. Mighty To Save7. Hosanna8. All I Need Is You9. Bones10. Nova11. Aftermath12. Freedom Is Here13. Shout Unto God14. Like An Avalanche15. Rhythms Of Grace16. Oh You Bring17. The Stand18. From The Inside Out19. A Song To Sing20. With Everything21. Your Name High22. Take It All23. Yours Forever24. Take Heart

• Kronos Quartet - In Accord | DVD | (05/04/2000) from £9.71   |  Saving you £11.54 (136.57%)   |  RRP £19.99

  With In Accord, the string quartet's answer to the Fantastic Four, the Kronos Quartet, present a showcase of modern compositions and a couple of early music arrangements (incidentally demonstrating areas of commonality yet again), featuring a wide range of composers including Piazzolla, Riley, Adams, Partch, Schnittke and Hendrix, among several others. Several of the pieces are introduced, pre-concert-talk fashion, by individual members of the group and, while their comments aren't exactly revelatory, it's a feature well worth having and should be a compulsory ingredient for all music DVDs. The individual performances are up to the quartet's usual impeccably high standards, while the accompanying graphics are interesting or intrusive, depending on taste. As far as the programme structure goes, things are pretty straightforward, as they are with most other music DVDs: one hankers after some more detailed interview material, say, or on-screen composer biographies rather than those in the accompanying booklet which, running as it does to 32 multilingual pages, rather subverts the altogether handier text-carrying potential of the DVD itself. However, the music's intriguing stuff, and any Kronos fan or devotee of new music in general will appreciate this disc. --Roger Thomas

• New Squadronaires Orchestra With Roy Edwards | DVD | (08/06/2009) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £14.99

  A Big Band TV Special featuring the reformed New Squadronaires Orchestra under the leadership of Harry Bence. Hear the band play the original wartime swing arrangements with Sheila Southern Stutz Bear Cats & The Squad Cats. There is also an exclusive interview with Roy Edwards band singer and one-time leader of the original Squadronaires as well as vocalist with Geraldo and the Oscar Rabin Band plus a short history of the original orchestra. In 1939 the Royal Air Force implemented a plan to raise morale and entertain the troops during wartime and The Squadronaires was one of the bands organized as a result. The band drew from some of the best musicians of the day. It became a popular jazz band and likely the best known of the English military dance bands of the time with hits like There's Something in the Air and South Rampart Street Parade. The Squadronaires played at dances and concerts for service personnel and also broadcast on the BBC and recorded on the Decca label. The orchestra's first broadcast took place in January 1941. After demobilization the members formed a civilian band of the same name. Ronnie Aldrich had been the arranger and co-piano player but in 1950 he took over as bandleader and the band was then billed as Ronnie Aldrich and The Squadronaires. The Squadronaires continued to work together under Ronnie Aldrich until 1964. Bandleader Harry Bence re-formed the orchestra as the 'New' Squadronaires until his death in 1997 when musical arranger and trumpet player Greg Francis took over the leadership and the The Squadronaires remain as popular today as they always were.

• Verdi: Overtures And Ballet Music | DVD | (26/02/2001) from £12.98   |  Saving you £-2.99 (-29.90%)   |  RRP £9.99

  From elegant palaces and opulent castles to magnificent lakes and rolling-hill vineyards the passion of Italy and its emotion echoes through Verdi's greatest and most popular operas: 'La Traviata' 'Rigoletto' 'I Vespri Siciliani' and 'La Forza del Destino'.This volume of the Naxos Musical Journey soars on the overtures and ballet music of Verdi's beloved works. Explore the medieval town of Assisi and the origin of its holy St. Francis. Revel in the ripe natural wonder of the Tu

• B.B. King - The Thrill Is Gone | DVD | (16/10/2014) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £6.99

  New !!! Neuf !!! Neu !!! Nuovo !!! Nuevo !!!

• Verdi - Rigoletto (Santi, Orch. of the Zurich Opera House) | Blu Ray | (27/10/2008) from £30.05   |  Saving you £-0.06 (N/A%)   |  RRP £29.99

  A powerful and stirring performance of Verdi's Rigoletto recored at the Zurich Opera House.

• Appalachian Journey - Live In Concert | DVD | (13/11/2000) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £13.99

  Appalachian Journey - Live In Concert captures three of the world's most extraordinary musicians live in concert along with some very special guests from their sold out performance at New York City's avery Fisher Hall in April. This captivating hour-plus concert contains music from Appalachian Journey including Meyer's ""1B"" Stephen Foster's timeless classic 'Hard Times Come Again No More' featuring James Taylor and Foster's 'Slumber My Darling' with vocals by Alison Krauss. Kr

• Karaoke Opera Vol.1 - Nessun Dorma | DVD | (11/04/2006) from £8.69   |  Saving you £4.08 (46.95%)   |  RRP £12.77