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October 2004 New Release Highlights from EMI Classics and Virgin Classics

*Vocal & Choral riches from The Boys of King's College Choir, Cambridge and a richly romantic recital by mezzo soprano Stephanie Blythe

*Sir Simon Rattle and The Berlin Philharmonic perform Oliver Messiaen's Illuminations of the Beyond, his final masterpiece

*DVD releases of Tosca's Kiss, a cult film about retired opera singers, and a new album from Libera, the dynamic young vocal ensemble

HEAVENLY VOICES

The solo debut recording from the Boy choristers of the world renowned King's College Choir, Cambridge

Music by Franck, Fauré, Schubert, Mendelssohn, Verdi, etc.

The Choir of King's College, Cambridge - currently under the direction of Stephen Cleobury (KLEE' berry)- is probably the most famous choir in the world, embodying the spirit and glory of the centuries-old English choral tradition. An earlier album, of Rachmaninov's Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, added further luster to King's' extraordinary EMI Classics discography and garnered lavish critical acclaim as well as the distinction of a Gramophone "Editor's Choice." Now the Boys of King's College Choir, Cambridge can be heard on their own for the first time on EMI Classics in a joyous and sublimely beautiful new album entitled Heavenly Voices, a collection of popular favorites along with lesser-known choral gems such as Franck's "Panis Angelicus" and the transcendent, ethereal "Pie Jesu" from Fauré's Requiem.

A companion disc, Best Loved Christmas Carols, features both boys and men of the King's College Choir in a 2 CD compilation of beloved holiday classics drawn from the extensive EMI catalogue. For 36 years American audiences have watched King's perform these and other works in their famous "Lessons and Carols" Christmas Eve broadcast on Public Television. American audiences will have the extra joy of hearing King's in concert for the first time since 1990 when the choir performs its first holiday tour in the U.S. this December. The tour features performances in Dallas (12/11), St. Louis (12/12), St. Paul (12/13, co-presented by Minnesota Public Radio), New York (12/15), Norfolk (12/17) and Washington DC (12/18). Minnesota Public Radio will broadcast the concert from the Cathedral of St. Paul on December 13 that will be aired by many NPR stations across the country.

MESSIAEN: ILLUMINATIONS OF THE BEYOND


Sir Simon Rattle, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
"It's the most tremendously optimistic affirmation of faith and humanity. In fact it's like a message from another world." Sir Simon Rattle
Sir Simon Rattle considers Oliver Messiaen (1908-1992) one of the towering giants among 20th-century composers. His first Messiaen recording for EMI Classics was made with the City of Birmingham Orchestra and showcased the composer's voluptuous and volcanic tribute to human love, the Turangalîla-Symphony. Now, Sir Simon is joined by his "new" orchestra, the incomparable Berlin Philharmonic, for a transcendently beautiful traversal of Messiaen's last completed masterpiece, Éclairs sur l'au-Delà.

Éclairs sur l'au-Delà (best translated as Illuminations of the Beyond) was premiered by the New York Philharmonic just months after the composer's death in 1992. This vast, 11-movement work - featuring everything from serene strings to massive blocks of percussion and the exhilarating ninth movement when 18 different woodwinds sing 18 different birdsongs simultaneously - is not only an amalgam of much of the composer's original and unique compositional techniques but also a final song of praise documenting his lifelong devotion to nature, the Roman Catholic faith and human love.

"This is a man for whom the idea of a small portion, or 'perhaps', or 'maybe', is just simply foreign," says Maestro Rattle. "He's a man who throws his whole heart into everything and this piece is one of the greatest examples of his art and devotion. Éclairs is a deeply moving masterpiece that tries to show the whole world as he sees it." Critics in Europe are praising the new release for both its interpretative insight as well as the lavish tonal palette of EMI Classics' recording. Rob Cowan has reviewed the album for London's Independent: "Olivier Messiaen's...Eclairs sur l'au-delà is like a musical glimpse of paradise and Sir Simon Rattle's new live recording with the Berlin Philharmonic suggests an unprecedented degree of interpretative dedication. Indeed, I'm tempted simply to advise playing the fifth movement, 'Demeurer dans l'Amour', and leave it that. No music written during the past 50 years is more rapt or ravishing, more able to express the dizzying power of religious ecstasy. Everything vital to the composer's style seems finally to have settled in this, his last great orchestral work...I would normally hesitate to label any new recording 'great' after just three encounters, but I'll risk it."

DVD> TOSCA'S KISS

(Il bacio di Tosca)

The film by Daniel Schmid comes to DVD. In Italian with subtitles in English, French, German and Spanish.

"Touching and exhilarating." - From the New York Times review of the original theatrical release.

Tosca's Kiss has gained a cult following since its theatrical release in 1984, and its first release on a new EMI Classics DVD will delight its many fans while introducing a new generation of opera lovers (and independent film mavens) to its touching joy and luminous wisdom. Tosca's Kiss, created by Swiss director Daniel Schmid, tells the story of the inhabitants of the "Casa di Riposa" in Milan, the world's first nursing home for retired opera singers, founded by Giuseppe Verdi in 1896. Among the artists in the film are Sara Scuderi, Giovanni Puligheddu, Leonida Bellon, Salvatore Locapo, Giuseppe Manacchini, Della Benning and Irma Colasanti, as well as its other residents. Schmid captures these artists of the past re-living and re-enacting the roles of their stage careers in the unassuming surroundings of the home. It's a moving and hilarious film that explores aging and the timeless and inspiring nature of music. The new DVD release features music by Verdi, Puccini and Donizetti, artist biographies and interviews. There is also special bonus footage of the film's lead character, Sara Scuderi, in tracks that she recorded for HMV (now EMI) in the late 1940s.

BRAHMS, WAGNER and MAHLER SONGS for VOICE and ORCHESTRA


Stephanie Blythe, mezzo-soprano
A Sei Voci, Ensemble Orchestral de Paris/John Nelson
The Tucker Award-winning American mezzo-soprano/alto Stephanie Blythe made an auspicious solo debut on Virgin Classics with a recording of music by Bach and Handel that was widely praised. A reviewer for Classics Today asked, "How do you characterize a voice like this? The 'official' description is 'contralto', but no way is Richard Tucker Award-winner Stephanie Blythe a contralto in any conventional sense... her [vocal] quality blends the best of male and female characteristics into one gorgeous sound: richly hued, facile of technique, exceptionally wide of range, and with a tone remarkably free of edges - and unlike any of today's Baroque vocal specialists, a formidable lower register of astonishing power that can be both warmly seductive and frightening. Really."

For her second Virgin Classics solo recording, Blythe joins forces once again with John Nelson and the Ensemble Orchestral de Paris - with the addition of the renowned French vocal ensemble A Sei Voci - for a trio of richly romantic works that showcases her ravishing, burnished sound. Wagner's Wesendonck-Lieder are heard here in chamber-orchestral arrangements by Hans Werner Henze (1976). Likewise, Mahler's "Der Abschied" - from his song-symphony Das Lied von der Erde - is performed using an arrangement by Schoenberg (later completed by Rainer Riehn) for alto and chamber orchestra. Brahms's glowing and sublime Alto Rhapsody, op. 53, based on a passage from a Goethe poem, rounds out the unusual program.

Stephanie Blythe will sing the role of Eduige in the new Metropolitan Opera production of Handel's Rodelinda with Renée Fleming and David Daniels this December. She will also give a recital in New York with pianist Warren Jones on January 16 at Alice Tully Hall.

"FREE" is the title of an album from Libera, the dynamic young all-male vocal ensemble

EMI Classics is proud to release a new album from Libera, a dynamic all-male vocal ensemble of young singers aged between seven and fourteen. The album, simply named Free, is the first release under the group's new contract with EMI Classics. The boys, who come from different backgrounds and schools all over London, meet up several times a week to rehearse at a church in the south of the city. Their repertoire is an original mixture of traditional choral, spiritual and new age music and with it Libera's distinctive sound has been heard around the world. Its earlier albums have topped both the mainstream and classical charts in many countries, including the USA and the UK.

In addition to their work together, members of Libera have been involved in numerous and varied projects. They've worked on pop music productions with artists as wide-ranging as Björk, Neil Diamond, Alison Moyet and Elton John, and have appeared in popular UK television shows, such as Top of the Pops and the drama series Poirot. They have also sung on several Hollywood film scores, such the hugely successful new version of Romeo and Juliet, Twelve Monkeys and Hannibal.

The music on Free is all written, arranged and directed by Robert Prizeman, who has led the group for the last ten years and was with it for the release of its first CD in 1999. "They are virtually impossible to pigeon-hole, as their sound covers a variety of styles. It is here their strength lies and I very much hope that this will enable their music to cross borders and cultures around the globe," muses Prizeman. The diversity of the tracks on Free appeals to both classical and crossover audiences. Wonderfully inspiring vocals and melodies for "I am the day", "Stay with me" and "Ave verum" can appeal to mainstream, New Age and spiritual audiences. Classical audiences will appreciate "Voca me", "A song of enchantment", "Do not stand at my grave", "When a knight", "A new heaven", "I vow to thee my country", "Lament", "Twilight" and "Be still my soul."

Beethoven: Triple Concerto


Beethoven (1770- 1827)
Released: 7 OCT 2003
by Angel Records
Catalog # 62655-2

Prague Chamber Orchestra
Eroica Trio plays Ludwig van Beethoven's Triple Concerto
Eroica Trio Members...

Erika Nickrenz: Piano,
Adela Pena: Violin,
Sara Sant' Ambrogio: Cello
with The Prague Chamber Orchestra.

This work has been a long time staple of the Eroica Trio’s repertoire
and as an ensemble they have played the work more than any other group in history.

Melissa Errico- Blue Like That
Blue Like That is the debut CD from Melissa Errico. Melissa Errico is well known from her many Broadway, film and television roles. Blue Like That is her stunning entry to the world of classic and contemporary song.

Izzy

......is, an exciting young soprano. Her love affair with music began at age four when she picked up her first musical instrument, the recorder. Five years later Izzy had worked through the entire recorder family, and began learning the piano, clarinet and flute. Her school choirmaster heard her vocal potential at the age of nine, which proved to be a turning point in her musical career. Izzy went on to gain a place at the Arts Educational School, where she studied music, drama and dance but it was as a singer that she truly began to shine. By her mid-teens, Izzy had progressed to principal soloist in the school choir, which gave her the chance to perform at the Royal Albert Hall and Festival Hall in London, as well as Italy's prestigious St. Francis Basilica in Assisi and the spectacular Florence Cathedral. In singing she had found her forte and it was her clear soprano voice and unique style that led her to win a place at the acclaimed Guildhall School of Music and Drama, having already secured the Junior Guildhall Singing Prize.
In 2000 Izzy was nominated Best Female Artist in the inaugural Classical BRIT Awards and was signed to the Virgin Records Venture Label. She and producer Craig Leon, known for his work with diverse acts such as the "The Ramones," "The Bangles" and "Blondie," went into the famous Beatles studio at Abbey Road pouring over hundreds of different songs and arrangements before finalizing the selection that became Ascolta. The record company encouraged me to take a song or an aria and interpret it in my own way," explains Izzy.
Ascolta sold over 250,000 copies worldwide and was followed by an equally successful CD New Dawn, which helped to broaden her audience even further. Both of these CDs reached the coveted No. 1 position on the UK classical charts.

Classical Graffiti

The Planets- Classical Graffiti
Eight young musicians, trained by Europe’s best music schools, are about to cause a sensation. They call themselves The Planets, and they play an adventurous mix of classical and contemporary pop music, which is both original and entertaining.

The Most Relaxing Classical Album In The World... Ever! II Relax with this superb musical collection of the most serene classics ever written.
Relax Your Mind
Jay Ungar & Molly Mason with Swingology- Relax Your Mind Start the Summer of the right way... by relaxing. Relax Your Mind can help you do just that. This new release from Jay & Molly is the perfect way to start your Summer.

Complete Beethoven: Symphonies
Ludwig Van Beethoven (1770- 1827): Complete Symphonies Sir Simon Rattle, Conductor Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra
Special Release: 5 CD Set for the price of 3. Visit the NPR.org Shop for a special offer of a Free DVD with purchase (while supplies last) and visit NPR Performance Today for a special feature with Sir Simon Rattle.

Nigel Kennedy's Greatest Hits

Bach: Partitas Nos. 1, 3, 6

Telemann: Flute Concertos

Vivaldi: Concerti per mandolini

The Queen Symphony

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