NEW ON NAXOS | JULY 2019


Verbier Festival


The 25th Anniversary Concert Various Soloists RIAS Kammerchor Verbier Festival Chamber Orchestra Valery Gergiev and Gábor Takács-Nagy, Conductors


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The Verbier Festival is one of classical music’s greatest events. In celebration of the festival’s 25th anniversary, this unique concert brings together 36 classical stars in an unprecedented evening of ingenious programming and captivating performances. The line-up includes the world’s greatest violinists, violists, cellists and pianists as well as other leading performers conducted by Valery Gergiev and Gábor Takács-Nagy.


ALSO AVAILABLE ON BLU-RAY VIDEO: NBD0098V


Picture format: HD 16:9 Sound format: PCM stereo Language: English Region code: A, B, C No. of disc/s: 1 (BD 50)


2.110636


Picture format: NTSC 16:9 Sound format: PCM stereo Language: English


Region code: 0 (worldwide) No. of disc/s: 1 (DVD 9)


2.110572 (NBD0073V) 2.110397 (NBD0068V)


Charles GOUNOD (1818–1893) Faust


Libretto by Jules Barbier and Michel Carré Aljaž Farasin, Tenor • Carlo Colombara, Bass • Marjukka Tepponen, Soprano Diana Haller and Ivana Srbljan, Mezzo-sopranos • Lucio Gallo and Waltteri Torikka, Baritones Croatian National Theatre in Rijeka Opera Orchestra and Choir • Ville Matvejeff


The international success of Faust after its premiere in 1859 completely overshadowed all of Gounod’s subsequent operas. He had known Goethe’s masterpiece for two decades and brought to the text his gifts for memorable melody and rich orchestration. Added to this, the plot of Faust’s ageing and the heroine Marguerite’s redemption, offered the opportunity for the most spectacular stage effects. Heard here in its 1864 London version with an additional air and without spoken dialogue or ballet, Faust represents 19th-century French opera at its peak.


Key Features: 8.660456-58 BUY NOW!


CLICK PLAY BUTTON TO HEAR FROM CD 1, TRACK 04:


Act I – Duo: Me voici! (Méphistophélès, Faust)


PLAY AUDIO


● This recording features the renowned bass Carlo Colombara as Méphistophélès. Of his DVD The Art of the Bass (2.110612), Fanfare wrote: ‘The music is well sung by Colombara, a seasoned performer now in mid- career and known particularly for his Verdi roles. It all proves to be quite entertaining, both for the rarely collected bass opera repertoire and for the fine performances of Colombara, both musical and dramatic…’ Colombara was also featured in a recording of Verdi’s Messa da Requiem and Quatro pezzi sacri (8.550944-45) which was a Gramophone ‘Editor’s Choice’, and his performance in Rossini’s Stabat Mater (8.554443) was also praised (‘The performance is vigorous’ – Hi-Fi News & Record Review).


● The titular role was sung by tenor Aljaž Farasin. He graduated in 2008 with honours from the Academy of Music in Ljubljana in the class of Vlatka Oršanić and received a Bachelor degree summa cum laude. His professional opera debut was at the Slovenian National Opera in Ljubljana in 2009 and since then has appeared in many important roles.


● Baritone Waltteri Torikka has recorded Sibelius’ Kuolema and King Christian II (8.573299) with the Turku Philharmonic and Leif Segerstam. Gramophone stated: ‘The young Finnish baritone Waltteri Torikka gives a wonderful account of the haunting Fool’s Song of the Spider… [His] lustrous timbre sent shivers down my spine in Paavali’s Song.’


5 2.110368 2.110283 Companion Titles – Other exciting concert performances on DVD/Blu-ray BUY NOW!


© Darja Štraus Tisu


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