2005 FALL CATALOGUE THE LEADER IN RECORDINGS OF HISTORIC PERFORMANCES AND RARE REPERTOIRE A-18 GEN TWO NEW DVDS IN ALICIA ALONSO ON VVVAI’sss BROADWAAAY SERIES Listing on page 2 Listings on page 3 New Compact Disc Releases on Page 22 These and other recent VAI DVD releases pp. 2-8! New Hardy & Kicco Classics DVDs on Page 21 A Tribute to the “Voice of an Angel” Listing on page 3 Listing on page 3 February 1, 1922 ••• December 20, 2004 Details of this 2-DVD retrospective on page 3 Listing on page 7 Listing on page 6 From the President of VAI Recently Released Dance & Orchestral DVDs from VAI Dear Friends, Our current listings feature some of HARDY CLASSICS DVD Broadway’s brightest stars. Most of this material derives from the rich archives of the Bell Telephone Hour which has provided us with performances by some of the greatest artists from the worlds of opera, dance and the concert stage. The Broadway offerings were no less luminous with star turns from such legendary greats as Ethel Merman, Barbara Cook, Robert Goulet, Alfred Drake, Carol Lawrence, Larry Kert, Dolores Gray John Raitt, Howard Keel and Gretchen Wyler. Highlighting our new releases are TWO NEW DANCE DVDS FROM VAI DVDs devoted to the art of Barbara Cook and Carol Lawrence. Both ladies ALICIA ALONSO – PRIMA BALLERINA ASSOLUTA This GISELLE are still very much in the public eye. compilation from 1958 to 1985 includes extracts from many of Alicia Miss Cook, a cabaret favorite, is about NUREYEV • FRACCI Alonso’s most celebrated roles. They range from classics such as Giselle, to make her first concert appearance From Rome in 1980, the legendary Swan Lake, Don Quixote and Coppelia, to unusual works such as Oedipus on the stage of the Metropolitan Opera Rudolf Nureyev danced Albrecht to Rex (Leo Brouwer) and the “Grand Pas de Quatre” (Cesare Pugni). There House while Miss Lawrence has just the celebrated Carla Fracci’s are two versions of the latter, one with dancers from Miss Alonso’s own finished an unprecedented three Giselle in one of the great classics acclaimed company, and another in which Madame Alonso is joined by month run of her one woman show! of romantic ballet, Adam’s Giselle. some of the most famous leading ballerinas of the day. 74 Min., Black Both artists are indefatigable and This choreographed version by and White and Color VAI 4343 $34.95 undiminished. Leonid Lavrosvsky was mounted by PAS DE DEUX A gala evening of dance present by the Los Angeles The often-maligned word “Diva” the Ballet of the Rome Opera. 125 International Ballet Festival, 1984. Program includes Tchaikovsky Pas could appropriately be applied to minutes, Color. singers Renata Tebaldi, Montserrat de deux with Patricia McBride & Reid Olson; La Sylphide with Ghislaine Caballé, and Marilyn Horne, all of HCD 4019 $39.95 Thesmar & Michal Denard; Flower Festival at Genzano with Linda Hindberg whom are featured on new VAI & Arne Villumsen; Don Quixote danced by Yoko Morishita & Tetsutaro releases. Sadly, the DVD devoted to Shimizu; Le Corsaire with Marielena Mencia & Yanis Pikieris; The Bluebird the art of Miss Tebaldi is a memorial To order, call Pas de deux danced by Nadezda Zybine & Luis Astorga; Grand Pas de deux from Sleeping Beauty with Ellen Bauer & Damian Woetzel. 81 min., tribute. The beloved singer passed 1-800-477-7146 away last December after a long illness. Color, VAI DVD 4351 $29.95 For many, this writer included, Tebaldi was the supreme soprano, a Diva in Recent Boston Symphony Orchestra DVD Releases the truest sense of the word. We are not likely to see her equal again. From Caballé and Horne, come concerts showcasing the talents of these exceptional artists. Caballé was the true mistress of bel canto and her 1966 Paris concert featuring music of Bellini and Donizetti is an object lesson in the art of singing. Marilyn Horne’s marathon La Scala recital demonstrates both her extraordinary technical control and her powers of communication. Ballet lovers will also have a field day with a compilation of works featuring GREAT CONDUCTORS the great Cuban ballerina Alicia BOSTON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA • Pierre Monteux Alonso. Personally selected by Miss KAREL ANCERL & HERMANN The beloved French conductor was closely associated with the Boston Alonso, these extracts demonstrate the SCHERCHEN Early in his career, Symphony Orchestra, but only one of his performances with the orchestra versatility of one of the greatest the eminent Czech conductor Karel has been preserved on film. In this 1959 telecast, Monteux conducts the dancers of her time. From her Ancerl studied under Maestro music of Brahms, Hindemith and Stravinsky. The Stravinsky work, smoldering Carmen to her classically Hermann Scherchen. This DVD Petrouchka, premiered in its original form as a ballet, in Paris, in 1911. pure Act 2 Giselle, Alonso triumphs as brings the two together, combining Monteux was the conductor for that world premiere, hence this video has a unique interpreter of divergent styles. two programs which were previously particular historical significance. Approx. 82 minutes, B&W, mono. Other highlights of our recent DVD available as individual VHS releases include more performances releases. Ancerl leads the Toronto VAI DVD 4316 $29.95 from the archives of the Boston Symphony Orchestra in a rehearsal Symphony Orchestra, concerts by Emil and performance of Smetana’s The BOSTON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA • Charles Munch Gilels, Pierre Fournier, Aldo Ciccolini, Moldau (taped 1968 and first BERLIOZ, RAVEL & DEBUSSY Munch’s performances of the French Dmitri Hvorostovsky, Gerard Souzay telecast 1969); Scherchen symphonic repertoire were cornerstones of his tenure with the Boston and Renata Scotto. Operatic offerings rehearses his own orchestration of Symphony Orchestra. From a 1962 concert with the orchestra, Munch include an all-star Falstaff and Don Bach’s The Art of the Fugue wth provides thrilling, luminous performances of Symphonie Fantastique, La Giovanni, from the archives of RAI. the CBC Toronto Chamber Mer, Daphnis and Chloe Suite No.2. Approx. 80 minutes, B&W, mono. Happy viewing and listening, Orchestra (taped 1965 and first telecast 1966). 115 min., Color & VAI DVD 4317 $29.95 B&W, mono. VAI DVD 4322 $34.95 More BSO DVDs on page 18 2 Recently Released Vocal Performances on DVD from VAI TWO NEW DVDS IN VAI’S BROADWAY SERIES MARILYN HORNE BARBARA COOK: BELL TELEPHONE HOUR (1960-65) AN EVENING WITH IN RECITAL Never-before-released! Television performances by one of Broadway’s most KIRI TE KANAWA beloved singers. Show music includes selections from The Music Man Though Marilyn Horne is known A never-before-released program of (which Cook had premiered in 1957), Camelot, South Pacific, and A Funny mostly for her virtuosic operatic opera arias sung by Dame Kiri Te Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. Additional songs include such roles, she is a superb recitalist who Kanawa, in her most radiant and rarities as the folksong “He’s Gone Away,” Viennese operetta gems “Merry can scale her powerful voice down graceful form, in a 1986 concert Widow Waltz” and “I Hear You Calling Me” (with the legendary Alfred to the more intimate requirements with the Montreal Symphony Drake), “I’m Just a Bird in a Gilded Cage,” and others. 50 minutes, Color of the recital stage. In 1981, she Orchestra, conducted by Charles / B&W, VAI DVD 4347 $29.95 appeared at Milan’s La Scala opera Dutoit. Dame Kiri sings arias from house in a recital consisting of CAROL LAWRENCE: BELL TELEPHONE HOUR (1960-67) Rinaldo, Le Nozze di Figaro, I music by Italian, German, Spanish, Never-before-released! Carol Lawrence’s Broadway career began when Capuleti e i Montecchi, Faust, French and American composers. she was featured in the revue New Faces of 1952. She achieved legendary Mefistofele, Louise, Tosca, and Horne was in superb form that status as Maria in the 1957 premiere of West Side Story, and continued Gianni Schicchi. 60 minutes, Color evening, partnered brilliantly by to make noted stage appearances, most recently in Kiss of the Martin Katz at the piano. 90 VAI DVD 4341 $29.95 Spiderwoman in the mid-1990s. In this collection, Miss Lawrence sings minutes, color, mono. selections from West Side Story and many other hit shows, including VAI DVD 4323 $34.95 duets with her West Side Story co-star, Larry Kert. The DVD includes an Order online at exclusive interview with Miss Lawrence in which she discusses her life & career. 100 minutes including interview, Color VAI DVD 4346 $29.95 vaimusic.com DMITRI HVOROSTOVKSY MONTSERRAT CABALLÉ RENATA TEBALDI Russian Songs from the War Years Never before available! This 1966 A PORTRAIT A compendium of TV concert with orchestra produced for Dmitri Hvorostovsky has conquered the world’s opera houses in a series performances by Renata Tebaldi. French television features the Diva of celebrated portrayals. He is also an accomplished singer of songs Includes her complete Bell at the peak of her powers, lavishing which he delivers with tremendous communicative power. In 2003, the Telephone Hour performances, the gorgeous tone and depth of feeling baritone gave a concert in his native Russia consisting completely of Act I Finale of La Bohème with on a group of bel canto arias and songs from the years of World War II. Hvorostovsky’s performances of Jussi Bjoerling from “Producers’ scenes. This memorable concert these stirring works are irresistible. 60 minutes, color, stereo. Showcase,” and excerpts from the program by the great Spanish VAI DVD 4318 $24.95 complete Tosca from Stuttgart with soprano includes selections from Il Eugene Tobin and George London. Pirata, Anna Bolena, Roberto DMITRI HVOROSTOVSKY IN CONCERT Disc 2 is a complete CBC telecast Devereux, and Granados’s entitled “Concerto Italiano,” with Goyescas.