Julian Wachner’s music has been described as ‘bold and atmospheric’ (The New York Times), ‘jazzy, energetic, and ingenious’ (Boston Globe), and ‘highly enjoyable, touching, clever, and inspiring’ (Deseret News). As the composer has written: ‘I have found equal inspiration from strict form or unbridled chaos; tonality, modality or post-tonality; and lyricism, pointillism or minimalism – I find it crucial to have as sweeping a palette of creative possibilities at my disposal as possible…The challenge therefore, is to ride this wave of selfproclaimed eclecticism with sincerity, individuality and spontaneity, writing music that speaks to the human condition.’        

1. SCHOENBERG 6 A Cappella Choruses /
   String Quartet No. 2 / Suite in G major
   (Schoenberg, Vol. 3)  8.557521
2. SCHOENBERG Gurre-Lieder
   (Schoenberg, Vol. 1)  8.557518-19
3. SCHOENBERG Pelleas und Melisande /
   Erwartung (Craft) (Schoenberg, Vol. 9)  8.557527
4. SCHOENBERG 6 Orchestral Songs / Kol Nidre /
   Friede auf Erden (Schoenberg, Vol. 7)  8.557525
5. SCHOENBERG Pierrot Lunaire /
   Chamber Symphony No. 1 / 4 Orchestral Songs
   (Schoenberg, Vol. 6)  8.557523

Handel’s keyboard suites may be among his lesser-known works, but the so-called ‘Eight Great Suites’ of 1720 are true masterpieces of the genre.   This volume, containing the first four, showcases his extraordinary versatility, imagination and contrapuntal skill, as well as his willingness to break with tradition.   Handel skilfully weaves together a wide range of forms, including fugues, a toccata, Italianate airs and Baroque dances.

‘The dashing Fisher did not sacrifice his judicious application of touch in the concerto’s energetic finale, which climaxed with more rolls of pianistic thunder, matched only by the ovation afforded to his fine and exciting performance.’ - Inverness Courier

Shaham and Sejong give this repertoire a sense of real intimacy, creating a magical intensity and engagement. The Haydn concerti display Shaham’s flawless technique and lyrical tone - communicating like few others can - and Sejong embrace his direction and Haydn’s intricacies magnificently. Mendelssohn’s Octet in E-flat Major is arguably THE crown jewel of chamber music.  This recording is one of those rare occasions where the ensemble and repertoire come together, the ultimate coup being the blend and balance achieved by Shaham and Sejong to completely immerse the listener in the moment.

In the past decade, China has entered the big leagues on piano with Yundi Li, Lang Lang and more recently Yuja Wang.

• A documentary portrait of Chinese pianist Yundi - formerly called Yundi Li - captures the poetic intensity of this young virtuoso as he works with the great Maestro Seiji Ozawa to prepare for his debut with the Berlin Philharmonic. This is interwoven with Yundi on tour in his home country, where we meet his family, gain insight into his upbringing and are exposed to the massive scale of piano culture in China.
• Yundi startet his career in 2000, when he brilliantly won the famous Chopin Competition, being only 18 years old, succeeding particularly Pollini, Argerich and Zimerman. What immediately delighted was his flawless technique and great poetry.
• Including rich materials with countless testimonies, the film is punctuated by the repetition of Yundi and Maestro Seiji Ozawa in the 2nd Concerto of Prokofiev with the Berlin Philharmonic, revealing a great complicity between the two artists.
• Including a bonus excerpt from a concert Yundi gave at the Festival de La Roque d'Antheron in 2004 where he performed magnificently four Liszt Scherzos (incuding No. 4) and gives a haunting version of the Campanella.

In 2002, Nicholas Maw’s opera Sophie’s Choice, based on the novel by William Styron, was given its premiere at the Royal Opera House. The subject had struck Maw when he had first watched the film several years previously, and he immediately felt it would be ‘the most extraordinary basis for an opera’. Commissioned by the Royal Opera House and BBC Radio 3, Maw embarked on an adaptation of Styron’s book, which took six years to complete. Conducted by Simon Rattle, a long-term enthusiast of Nicholas Maw’s music, and with a wonderful cast led by Angelika Kirchschlager, Rod Gilfry, Dale Duesing and Gordon Gietz, the work won international acclaim and was later restaged in Washington, Berlin and Vienna. The Royal Opera House celebrates the work of this British composer, who died in 2009, with the release on DVD of the BBC transmission, as broadcast live in December 2002.

‘The whole world understands my language!' Joseph Haydn's most famous statement about music not only reveals something about his own self - image, but this declaration, made by one of the most brilliant and innovative composers, can also be perceived as a timeless assessment of all musical endeavour. In commemoration of the 200th anniversary of the death of this master composer, the Vienna Philharmonic has released a special edition providing a brief insight into the magnitude of Haydn's compositional output, while at the same time furnishing a selective documentation of the Philharmonic's own Haydn interpretations. For this reason, the edition at hand, compiled under the musicological auspices of Prof. Dr. Otto Biba, Director of the Archives of the Society of Friends of Music in Vienna, not only contains works from different periods of Haydn's creativity, but also supplies the interpretations of five different conductors recorded over a time span of 37 years.

The British Invasion Bonus Disc features an hour of unseen performances from Dusty Springfield and Herman's Hermits as well as 90 minutes of bonus interview footage with Peter Noone, Gerry Marsden, Kenney Jones, Ian McLagan and archival interviews with Dusty Springfield not seen on the other discs. This exclusive disc is only available in the boxed set. The British Invasion Bonus Disc features an hour of unseen performances from Dusty Springfield and Herman's Hermits as well as 90 minutes of bonus interview footage with Peter Noone, Gerry Marsden, Kenney Jones, Ian McLagan and archival interviews with Dusty Springfield not seen on the other discs. This exclusive disc is only available in the boxed set.

Unquestionably Britain’s finest female vocalist, Dusty Springfield made some of the greatest recordings of the sixties. This retrospective honors her enduring legacy, and features 20 complete performances filmed from 1964 to 1969, many of which are available for the first time on DVD. In between the performances are new interviews with Burt Bacharach, and Dusty’s background singers Madeline Bell and Simon Bell, as well as newly discovered archival interviews with Dusty. The British Invasion™ series is produced by Reelin In The Years® Productions in association with Voyage Digital Media and with the full cooperation of the artists or their estates. Featuring newly remastered audio and video, this DVD is one of the first four releases in the series along with Gerry & the Pacemakers, Small Faces and Herman’s Hermits. Reelin’ In The Years has also produced the highly-acclaimed Definitive Motown DVD series (Marvin Gaye, Temptations, Smokey Robinson & the Miracles), the GRAMMY®-nominated American Folk Blues Festival DVD series, and the award-winning Jazz Icons® DVD series. For more info, visit www.the-britishinvasion.com and www.reelinintheyears.com.

During the mid-sixties, Herman’s Hermits were second only to The Beatles in terms of record sales. This DVD is the first official Herman’s Hermits retrospective and features 22 complete performances filmed from 1964 to 1969. Also included are new interviews with Peter Noone and other members of the original group that celebrate one of the most underrated bands of the British Invasion.

In 1963, Gerry & the Pacemakers became the first group to have their first three singles top the British charts, and along with the Beatles, ushered in the British Invasion. This DVD is their first official retrospective and features 17 complete performances filmed between 1963 and 1965. Gerry Marsden, in a new interview filmed in the legendary Cavern Club, reminisces on the band’s history, his songwriting, the Liverpool music scene, and their friendly rivalry with the Beatles.

Small Faces were one of the most influential rock groups of the sixties. This first official retrospective features 27 complete performances filmed between 1965 and 1968, including nine songs from their legendary masterpiece Ogden’s Nut Gone Flake. Archival interviews with Steve Marriott and Ronnie Lane, along with new interviews with Ian McLagan and Kenney Jones, tell the fascinating story of this underappreciated yet groundbreaking group.