Sunday, June 18, 2017

This week: A selection of DVDs permanently reduced in price (CHALLENGE RECORDS)

A selection of Challenge DVD productions have been permanently reduced in price, including the live recording with behind-the-scenes documentary of Winterreise, the Tango! DVD with the Isabelle van Keulen Ensemble, the Toots Thielemans live registrations 90 yrs. and Live at le Chapiteau Opèra de Liège, and the heroic Handel opera Agrippina.

Franz Schubert
Christoph Prégardien / Michael Gees

Winterreise
Schubert's Winterreise is one of the most famous song cycles that exist in classical music and musicians take it up again and again because of its beauty, sorrow and depth. It is about life itself and which performer wouldn't like to reflect on life? Both tenor Christoph Prégardien and pianist Michael Gees have their own vision on the cycle. Playing together, a third view develops, combining their two visions into an exciting interpretation of Winterreise. The film includes a live registration and a documentary with interviews, and is available on both DVD and Bluray.

Isabelle van Keulen/Piazzolla, Ástor
Isabelle van Keulen Ensemble

Tango!
Isabelle van Keulen plays the music she has loved since she was a child of six years old. With her new ensemble she also performs in concert halls and she recorded this beloved tango music on film (on DVD and Bluray) in January 2013 in Mechelen (Belgium). In a bonus documentary that goes with the BluRay, Isabelle and her colleagues Ulrike Payer, Christian Gerber and Rudiger Ludwig tell about this music, about the tango technique and about their instruments.

Toots Thielemans European Quartet
European Quartet

Toots Thielemans

Toots Thielemans
Both Live at le Chapiteau Opèra de Liège and 90 yrs. contain live concerts of the legendary Toots Thielemans during the last years of his life, celebrating his 90th birthday. The DVD 90 yrs. even includes footage from his last concert in Japan. Pianist Karel Boehlee, drummer Hans van Oosterhout and double-bass player Hein Van de Geyn support Toots in the passion which is for him like breathing: making music!

George Frideric Handel
Combattimento Consort Amsterdam

Agrippina
Agrippina is one of the first serious, heroic operas by George Frideric Handel. The piece is considered as an operatic masterpiece and is still viewed as one of his best works. The three acts tell the story of Agrippina, mother of emperor Nero, who conspires to murder the emperor Claudius to get her son on the throne. The opera is performed by the Combattimento Consort Amsterdam led by Jan Willem de Vriend. The DVD also includes interviews, and some behind-the-scenes bonus material.
© 2017 - NewArts International / Challenge Records Int.