Il Bajazet was a work of Vivaldi’s late maturity, a dramatic tale that recounts the capture of the Turkish sultan Bajazet by the all-conquering Tartar, Tamerlane. It is a pasticcio, a well-established form, in which Vivaldi incorporated arias by some of the greatest young composers of his time – Johann Adolf Hasse, Geminiano Giacomelli and Riccardo Broschi, brother to the famous castrato Farinelli – to form a generous buffet of musical fireworks. Still, Vivaldi’s recitatives, choruses and arias form the backbone of the opera, and constitute the majority of the music, producing a work of kaleidoscopic invention.

Also available on Blu-ray Video (DYN-58056)

The world-renowned Royal Shakespeare Company presents the most complete collection of Shakespeare’s plays to be captured in widescreen. Filmed onstage in Shakespeare’s hometown of Stratford-upon-Avon, these 35 unforgettable dramas feature iconic performances by leading actors.

From David Tennant’s ‘mesmerising’ Richard II (Guardian) and Paapa Essiedu’s ‘utterly engaging performance’ as Hamlet (Times), to Josette Simon delivering ‘a Cleopatra to die for’ (Observer), and Sir Antony Sher’s King Lear being hailed as ‘a crowning achievement in a major career’ (Telegraph), this special collection showcases British theatre at its finest.