SPONSORED: An Integral Part - Lindsey Wallis looks forward to the Canadian Music Centre's tribute concert to composer Roberta Stephen.
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SPONSORED: CD Spotlight. An Encyclopedic Recital - Elizabeth Moak plays Judith Lang Zaimont, heard by the late Howard Smith.
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Founded in 2004 by François Duplat and managed by Jacques-François Suzzoni, Bel Air Classiques is a French video label subsidiary of the production company Bel Air Media. Bel Air Classiques is one of the few independent video labels releasing audiovisual productions of classical music programs on DVD and Blu-ray (operas, ballets, concerts and theatre). Shows are recorded live in high definition for TV channels such as ARTE, France Television and Mezzo, in co-production with foreign partners (eg BBC and NHK) and film directors such as Vincent Bataillon, Denis Caïozzi, Don Kent, Chloé Perlemuter and Andy Sommer.
Bel Air Classiques struggles to produce a very high level of artistic material, in association with some of the greatest European opera houses: Opéra national de Paris, le Grand Théâtre de Genève, le Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, The Bolshoi Theatre, Zurich Opera House, The Mariinsky Theatre and internationally praised festivals such as Aix-en-Provence.
DVD and Blu-ray discs feature the work of some of the most significant artists of our time: William Christie, Jérôme Deschamps, André Engel, Christoph Eschenbach, Valery Gergiev, René Jacobs, Bill T Jones, Marc Minkowski, Ariane Mnouchkine, Peter Mussbach, Laurent Pelly, Angelin Preljocaj, Olivier Py, Simon Rattle, Tugan Sokhiev, Roberto Alagna, Roland Petit, Zizi Jeanmaire and Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui.
Further information: www.belairclassiques.com
DVD Spotlight. Double Murder - Richard Strauss's 'Elektra', reviewed by Robert Anderson. '... the whole cast has been exemplary under the masterful direction of Esa-Pekka Salonen.'
DVD Spotlight. Disturbing Nightmares - Musorgsky's Boris Godunov, reviewed by Robert Anderson. 'I was surprised how quickly my patience ran out.'
DVD Spotlight. Olympic Scale - Charles Gounod's 'Roméo et Juliette', reviewed by Robert Anderson. 'Musically the performance deserves all the applause it gets.'
Ensemble. A Major Revival - Giuseppe Pennisi reports on bel canto in Europe
DVD Spotlight. Refined Qualities - Minkus' 'Don Quijote' from the Ballet Nacional de Cuba impresses Gerald Fenech. '... gorgeous sound and visuals.'