Classical Music Discoveries

This recording was made in 1975 when the Bolshoi Opera Company, under the direction of Gennady Rozhdestvensky, performed at the Metropolitan Opera. The recording was initially held by Melodiya and finally released 2 years later in 1977 and then scraped!  No one knows why and only a handful of copies were ever sold. This extremely rare recording doesn't even show up on any list as having ever been done! But here it is. Sung entirely in Russian, this superb recording (remastered by Classical Music Discoveries) is a definite MUST for your library. “The Gambler” is an opera in 4 acts to a Russian libretto by Dostoyevsky. Composed in the years of 1915 and 1916 the opera did not receive its first performance until 1929 and it had been extensively revised in 1927. First performed in the United States in 1975 by the Bolshoi Opera, “The Gambler” did not receive its first American production until 2001. This lost recording of 1977, conducted by Gennady Rozhdestvensky is the US Premiere of the work which was performed at the Metropolitan Opera in 1975. Purchase this recording here: CD or Digital plus Shipping Destination Digital Download ONLY $5.99 USD CDs with USA Shipping $14.99 USD CDs with International Shipping $24.99 USD

This week we return to our sponsors at La Musica International Chamber Music Festival as we bring to you the La Musica Chamber Music Hour which brings to our listeners the greatest collection of chamber music in the world. For this show we are delighted to bring to you: Haydn’s “Divertimento in C Major for Violin, Cello and Double Bass” Faure’s “La Bonne Chanson, Op. 61” Bruckner’s “String Quintet in F Major” Performers are: Federico Agostini and Ari Noda, violins Daniel Avshalomov and Bruno Giuranna, violas Eric Kim and Julie Albers, cellos Dee Moses, Double Bass Dina Kuznetsova, soprano James Winn, piano Become a Friend of Classical Music Discoveries. Your kind donation of ANY amount is greatly appreciated.

Il tabarro (The Cloak) is an opera in one act by Giacomo Puccini to an Italian libretto by Giuseppe Adami, based on Didier Gold's play La houppelande. It is the first of the trio of operas known as Il trittico. The first performance was given on 14 December 1918 at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City. Place: A barge on the Seine in Paris. Time: 1910. It is close to sundown in Paris, and the stevedores work unloading Michele's barge. Giorgetta, Michele's wife, asks her husband if she can bring wine to the workers. He agrees but does not join them because she refuses his kiss. The stevedores start dancing to the music of a nearby organ grinder and one of them steps on Giorgetta's foot. Luigi, a stevedore, dances with her, and it is evident that there is something between them. Upon hearing of Michele's return the stevedores' gathering breaks up. Work is getting scarce and Giorgetta and Michele discuss which of the stevedores should be dismissed; she prefers that it be anyone other than Luigi despite this being Michele's first choice. Soon the conversation turns into a fight. La Frugola enters, looking for Talpa, one of the stevedores and her husband. She shows everyone the fruits of her scavenging in Paris and scolds the men for their drinking. Luigi laments his lot in life, and La Frugola sings of her wish to one day buy a house in the country that she and her husband can retire to. Giorgetta and Luigi sing a duet remembering the town they were both born in. The stevedores depart except for Luigi who asks Michele to dismiss him and that he be allowed to disembark in Rouen, but Michele convinces him against this notion. When alone, Giorgetta asks Luigi why he requested to be dismissed and they acknowledge their mutual love. They plan to meet later that evening upon the signal of a match being lit on-board. By now Luigi seems very determined to kill Michele and flee with Giorgetta. Michele reminisces with Giorgetta of the days before their child died and how all three would fit under his cloak. He is distressed about the fact that he is twice her age; she comforts him but she will still not kiss him. Michele wonders if his wife is still faithful to him and ponders who might have changed her so much. He reviews for himself the list of all the men that have shared in their lives but dismisses all of them as improbable. Michele then lights his pipe and Luigi, seeing it from afar, thinks that it is Giorgetta's signal. He returns to the barge only to be confronted by Michele. In the ensuing fight Michele gets the upper hand and forces Luigi to confess his affair before killing him and hiding the body under his cloak. Giorgetta returns to the barge, feigning remorse, and Michele opens wide the cloak to reveal her dead lover Purchase this new recording below: Select Media and Shipping CD and USA Shipping $7.50 USD CD and International Shipping $13.50 USD Digital Download Only $5.00 USD

Last season we were proud to debut a new ensemble in Italy called the Quartetto degli Afetti which was founded by cellist Barbara Bertoldi. Since their debut on Classical Music Discoveries, this group has been extremely active in Europe with even bigger plans in the near future. This week we present to you a concert by their new “Ensemble degli Affetti” entitled “Vivaldi Meets Bach” which was recorded live at the San Marco Church in Trento, Italy. All works were performed on period instruments for this concert so the audience could gain a better understanding of how the composers heard the music when originally composed. Joining the ensemble for this concert is soprano Stefanie Steger and the ensemble is conducted by Stefano Chicco. Comprising the “Ensemble degli Affetti” are: Sergio la Vaccara and Andrea Marmolejo Ortiz, violins Barbara Bertoldi, cello Adriana Dallape, organ Works performed for this concert are: The 2nd Canzon from “La Enricuccia” by Girolamo Frescobaldi Sonata, Correnti ed Ari, Op. 4 by Marco Uccellini Sonata 26 from “La Prosperina” by Antonio Vivaldi Nulla in Mundo Pax Sincera by Antonio Vivaldi and the concert concludes with a Johann Sebastian Bach Cantata To order a CD of this performance, just click on the hyperlink below the photos the concert at any time during the broadcast. Now, just sit back and let’s travel back in time to the 17th century of Italy as we enjoy the unique sounds of Barbara Bertold’s “Ensemble degli Affetti” Order CD here: Order CD with Shipping Option CD - USA Shipping $13.00 USD CD - International Shipping $29.95 USD Digital Download Only $8.00 USD

This month we bring to you the Award Winning lost recording of the satirical opera “The Nose” composed by Dmitri Shostakovich. The plot of this opera concerns a St. Petersburg official who loses his nose due to his drunken barber giving him a shave. Of course, the nose develops a life of its own. According to British composer Gerard McBurney, “The Nose” is one of the young Shostakovich’s greatest masterpieces, an electrifying tour de force of vocal acrobatics, wild instrumental colors and theatrical absurdity, all shot through with a blistering mixture of laughter and rage. The result is an operatic version in the style of Charlie Chaplin or Monty Python despite its magnificently absurd subject matter. This Lost Recording is the World Premiere of this opera performed by the Moscow Chamber Opera Company conducted by Gennandy Rozhdestvensky. This digitized recording, by Classical Music Discoveries, is mastered from the 1975 Melodiya Master Recording. Act 1 The morning after shaving Kovalyov, one of his regular customers, a barber finds a nose in his bread. He tries to get rid of it by throwing it in the Neva River, but he is caught by a police officer. Meanwhile Kovalyov wakes and finds his nose missing. He later sees his nose in the Kazan Cathedral, but it has acquired a higher rank than he and refuses to return to his face. Act 2 Kovalyov visits the newspaper office to place an advertisement about the loss of his nose, but is refused. He returns to his flat, where his servant sings a love song and Kovalyov is left in despair. Act 3 A group of policemen are at a coach station, in order to prevent the nose from escaping. The nose tries to get on the coach at the last minute: the horse is frightened and runs away, while the driver tries to shoot the nose. The nose is caught, beaten and returned to Kovalyov; however, he is unable to reattach it. He suspects that he has been enchanted by a woman called Madame Podtochina, because he would not marry her daughter. He writes to ask her to undo the spell, but she misinterprets the letter as a proposal to her daughter. She convinces him that she is innocent. In the city, crowds gather in search of the nose. Epilogue Kovalyov wakes up with his nose reattached. He is shaved by the barber and flirts as he walks along Nevsky Prospekt. Order you CDs below or purchase a digital only copy - Format (price includes shipping) USA Purchase CD $20.00 USD International Purchase CD $30.00 USD Digital Download only $10.00 USD

Salute to Youth - Concerto Classic Southwest Symphony concert recorded live at the Cox Auditorium March 29, 2013 Orchestra conductor, Gary Caldwell Performed works and soloists are: 1. Rimsky-Korsakov: Procession of the Nobles 2. Kabalevsky: Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in C, Op. 48 First movement Joelle Henrie, violin 3. Delibes: Flower Duet from the opera Lakme Bonnie Miller and Amanda White, sopranos 4. Koussevitzky: Concerto for Double Bass and Orchestra, Op. 3 Third movement Teren Christensen, double bass Cadenza is composed by Teren Christensen 5. Actor: Concerto for Timpani and Orchestra Zac Webb, timpani The Orchestra, for this number is conducted by Zac's father, Glenn Webb Music Department Chair at Dixie State University 6. Saint-Saens: Concerto for Piano and Orchestra in G minor, Op. 22 First Movement Lauren Cain, piano 7. Sarasate: Navarra (Spanish Dance) for Two Violins and Orchestra, Op. 33 Hillary Dalton and Kezia Brown, violins 8. Arutunian: Concerto for Trumpet and Orchestra in A-flat Major Derek Thomas, trumpet Order a CD of this concert below for only $5.00 (USD) plus shipping

Symphony No. 5 by Gustav Mahler was composed in 1901 and 1902, mostly during the summer months at Mahler's cottage at Maiernigg. Among its most distinctive features are the funereal trumpet solo that opens the work and the frequently performed Adagietto. The musical canvas and emotional scope of the work, which lasts over an hour, are huge. After its premiere, Mahler is reported to have said, “Nobody understood it. I wish I could conduct the first performance fifty years after my death.” Conductor Herbert von Karajan said that when one hears Mahler's Fifth, “you forget that time has passed. A great performance of the Fifth is a transforming experience. The fantastic finale almost forces you to hold your breath.” This new recording by the CMD Philharmonic of Paris is now available on our CD store at www.ClassicalRecordings.co or just click on the “Buy Now” button below to order.

We are proud to bring to our listeners a concert from one of our sponsors, La Musica International Chamber Music Festival. La Musica’s summer concert season begins on April 8, 2013 in Sarasota, Florida. This year they celebrate Maestro Bruno Giuranna’s 80th birthday and his many accomplishments in the world of music. For complete information and to order tickets, please visit their website at www.LaMusicaFestival.org In this week’s broadcast we will be pleased to hear: Beethoven’s “String Trio in G Major, Op. 9, No.1” Roberto Sierra’s “Songs from the Diaspora”   Brahm’s “String Sextet in G Major, Op. 36” Performers are: Federico Agostini, Ari Noda, Nokuthula Ngwenyama - violinsBruno Giuranna, Nokuthula Ngwenyama - violas Julie Albers, Eric Kim - cello Derek Han, piano Dina Kuznetsova, soprano We wish to thank Festival Director Sally Faron for arranging to have these recordings made available to our listeners. Please support our mission to bring beautiful classical music to the entire world. Your kind donation of ANY amount is greatly appreciated.

This week we are proud to bring to you a live recording of the Southwest Symphony Orchestra in St. George, Utah. This concert, entitled “Festivale - Music of the Americas” features music from Mexico and Brazil. Performed works are: “Huapango” by Jose Pablo Moncayo of Mexico  “Concerto for Vibraphone and Orchestra, Op. 24” by Ney Rosauro of Brazil with Glenn Webb as the featured soloist.  “Mexican Snapshots” by Manuel Ponce of Mexico  “Sinfonietta No. 1 - In Memory of Mozart” by Heitor Villa-Lobos of Brazil  “Danzon No. 2” by Arturo Marquez of Mexico. This concert is conducted my Gary Caldwell. Recordings of this concert are available for only $5 plus shipping. Just click on “Buy Now” button below to purchase your CD.

Join us as Classical Music Discoveries celebrates the 2013 season of La Musica International Chamber Music Festival. In this week's show, Ken discusses the 2013 season (opens April 8th) with Festival Director Sally Farron and Associate Artistic Director Derek Han. Plus, listen to selections from previous seasons during the interview. La Musica’s mission is to bring outstanding European and American chamber musicians together in Sarasota to present exciting programs of familiar and seldom-heard chamber music. Among the events during the annual festival in April are open rehearsals, pre-concert lectures, youth activities, and five concerts performed at the historic Sarasota Opera House in Sarasota, Florida.

Madama Butterfly is an opera in three acts (originally two acts) by Giacomo Puccini, with an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa. The libretto of the opera is based in part on the short story "Madame Butterfly" (1898) by John Luther Long, which was dramatized by David Belasco. Elements also appear to derive from the novel Madame Chrysanthème (1887) by Pierre Loti. According to one scholar, the story of the opera was based on events that actually occurred in Nagasaki in the early 1890s. The original version of the opera, in two acts, had its premiere on February 17, 1904, at La Scala in Milan. It was very poorly received. This was due in large part to the late completion and inadequate time for rehearsals. Puccini revised the opera, splitting the second act into two acts and making other changes. On May 28, 1904, this version was performed in Brescia and was a huge success. You can purchase this recording at any time by clicking on “Buy Now” below. This CD set is available for only $15 plus shipping.

Welcome to the 11th edition of the Southwest Symphony Hour featuring the finest classical music in the world. This month we bring to you Handel’s Messiah as performed by the Southwest Symphony Orchestra and Chorale. This is from a live performance, recorded on December 3rd at Dixie State College’s Cox Auditorium in St. George, Utah. Also you may order a CD of this concert for only $10. Your purchase will help support the Southwest Symphony Orchestra. You can order a CD by clicking on name of each piece while each piece is being performed, use the Buy Now button below or, just visit www.SWSORecordings.com In order not to break the sacred feel of this performance, we will play our sponsors ads before the performance so the performance can play uninterrupted. Also, we received numerous comments about last week’s Christmas show, which we will read and reply to next week. Order your copy by using the button below.  Each CD also comes with a voucher good for $1,000 in groceries!  This voucher can be used at any supermarket or store that accepts food coupons.  This voucher is good for 1 year!

This week we are proud to present the Southwest Symphony’s Spooktacular Concert which was recorded on October 30th. This is always a very fun concert as the entire orchestra dresses up in costume and we will show several photos of the concert during the broadcast. Performed works for this show are: Music from “Spider Man”Selections from the “Corpse Bride” Soundtrack highlights from “King Kong” Prokofiev’s “Peter and the Wolf” with Utah news celebrity Ed Rogers as the narrator World of Warcraft soundtrack Selections from “Phantom of the Opera” For complete information on upcoming concerts for the Southwest Symphony, please visit their website at: www.southwestsymphony.org Order a CD of this concert here.

Welcome to another edition of the Southwest Symphony Hour featuring the finest classical music in the world. In this month’s edition, we are proud to bring to you the Opening Night concert of the Southwest Symphony Orchestra as they bring to you their Magical Mozart concert. This concert was recorded live on Oct. 16 at the Cox Auditorium on the Dixie State College Campus in St. George Utah. The orchestra is conductedy by Maestro Gary Caldwell. To learn more about the Southwest Symphony Orchestra, be sure to visit their website at www.southwestsymphony.org or just click on the hyperlink appearing below the photo you see now. Also you may order a CD of this concert for only $5. Your purchase will help support the Southwest Symphony Orchestra. You can order a CD by clicking on name of each piece while each piece is being performed. Or, just visit www.SWSORecordings.com Or click on "Buy Now" to order -

Mr. Sukaryo is the founder and the Artistic Director of Musik Klasik Indonesia which is the largest educative and informative classical music group in Indonesia. Teguh is also the owner and President of the Teguh Sukaryo International Music School. If that isn’t enough to keep him busy, other than his regular concert and solo appearances, Teguh is also the Artistic Director of Kusuma Widjaja Music Medan. For more information on Teguh, please visit his Blog Site. Today we will hear several extraordinary performances from Teguh. Performed works on this show are: Brahms: “Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Handel” Debussy: “Children’s Corner” Robert Schumann: “Kinderszenen” Mussorgsky: “Pictures at an Exibition” Be sure and visit Musik Klasik Indonesia on Facebook! Click on "Donate" to become a Friend of Classical Music Discoveries.