Walking Home: The Life and Lessons of a City Builder by Ken Greenberg

One of the world's foremost urban designers shares his passion and methods for rejuvenating neglected cities and argues passionately for the importance and possibilities of their renewal.

From a youth spent in the boroughs of New York City and other great cities of the world, to his beginnings as an architect in Toronto, Ken Greenberg has long recognized that cities at their best provide much of what we seek in a place to call home. Community, places of culture and business that we can walk to, mass transit and a wealth of amenit­ies that couldn't be supported without a city's density: the mid-century drive to suburbanization deprived us of these inherent advantages of urban living. The realization of this loss, in tandem with pressing recent concerns about energy scarcity and global warming, has made us see cities with fresh eyes and a growing understanding that they can provide us with an unparalleled measure of sustainability.

Ken Greenberg has not only advocated for the renewal of downtown cores, he has for thirty years designed the very means by which that renewal can happen. Walking Home is both Ken's story and a lesson in turning the world's urban spaces back into places that can give us not only a platform to face the challenges of the future, but also a place we can call, with pride and satisfaction, home.

Свобода на продажу. Джон Кампфнер

"Демократия перед теми, кто к ней относится серьезно, ставит почти неразрешимые проблемы, а тем, кто ее ненавидит, открывает почти неограниченные возможности", - отмечал Вацлав Гавел. Почему столь многие из нас готовы поступиться "громкими правами" в обмен на процветание и безопасность, часто иллюзорные? И возможен ли свободный рынок без демократии, а демократия без свободы? Над этими и другими трудными вопросами предлагает задуматься известный английский журналист Джон Кампфнер, изучивший политический опыт Сингапура, Китая, России, Объединенных Арабских Эмиратов, Италии, Великобритании и США.

“A pungent thesis, argued with verve and an abundance of telling detail…. The fundamental questions of Freedom for Sale [are] often posed with a clarity that makes you wince.” The Guardian

“Crisply written and smartly argued, this global tour of civil liberties in de­cline from India to Italy is an unnerving, urgent, and very persuasive wake-up call.” Publishers Weekly

Оскар Уайльд. Ричард Эллман

Американский литературовед Ричард Эллман двадцать лет работал над биографией Оскара Уайльда, отмеченной National Book Critics Circle Award и Пулитцеровской премией. По книге Эллмана снят знаменитый фильм «Уайльд» (1997) со Стивеном Фраем, Ванессой Редгрейв и Джудом Лоу в главных ролях.

В этой книге — абсолютно все, что вы хотели узнать о трагичной фигуре Уайльда в интерьере своей эпохи. Эллман, работавший над биографией около двадцати лет, буквально вырастил образ Уайльда на ее страницах — от маленького мальчика, наряженного в девичьи платьица, до самого желанного гостя во всех лондонских салонах, от студента, восхищавшегося Рескиным и белыми лилиями, до погибшего в нищете изгнанника.

The Worm Hunters. Directed by Randall Wood

In a dark underworld of dirty deeds, vile slime and deadly pollution, scientists are exposing an animal that could help save our challenged planet – the humble earthworm. So what can it tell us about earth’s geographic evolution? Can it reverse the earth’s infertile hot spots? Can it really cure cancer? Is it the answer to toxic waste? In 2009/2010 The Worm Hunters go underground to find answers. Armed with spades, GPS worm locators, secret ‘worm ousting’ fluids, back-hoes and worm evacuators our somewhat oddball, but dedicated, scientists literally search ‘high and low’ for the world’s first Super Worm.

Гран-при VII Международного кинофестиваля научно-популярных фильмов «Мир знаний»

Label: Gulliver Media

Les vagabonds des cendres. Directed by Bertrand Loyer

On the volcanic island of New Britain, a handful of animals have learned to live with the sporadic anger of the Earth. When ash from an eruption invades their habitat, the choice seems simple: stay and adapt, or leave.

Призер VII Международного кинофестиваля научно-популярных фильмов «Мир знаний»

Label: Saint Thomas Productions

The Boy Who Was a King. Directed by Andrey Paounov.

Explores the strange history of Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha who became Bulgaria's tsar at age 6, then was exiled during years of communism and returned to be elected Prime Minister.

At the age of six, Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha received the first phone call of his life, informing him of his father's sudden death and his birthright to become Tsar of Bulgaria. Only three years later, the nine-year-old king was overthrown by communist dissenters and he and his family were exiled from the country. Fifty years passed before the communist regime collapsed and Simeon was allowed to return home. Crowds cheered, 'We want our King!', even though the title no longer existed. Simeon created a new political party and won a landslide majority to become the Prime Minister of Bulgaria in 2001. But it was a difficult period of transition for a country with eighty per cent unemployment. In four years, Simeon would find himself in a sort of exile again: this time from the favor of the nation that had celebrated his return.

RiverRun International Film Festival prize

Elliott Erwitt: I Bark at Dogs. Directed by Douglas J. Sloan

Elliott Erwitt: "I Bark At Dogs" examines the diverse scope of Erwitt's photography, a 60+ year career that has earned him a major retrospective showcase at the International Center of Photography museum as well as recognition for Lifetime Achievement at the 2011 Infinity Awards Ceremony where the film was screened for the first time. Distinguished as both a documentary and commercial photographer, Erwitt has made some of the most memorable photographs of the twentieth century, including portraits of Marilyn Monroe, Jackie Kennedy, and Che Guevara, as well as astonishing scenes of everyday life, filled with poetry, wit, and special sense of humor. Dogs are a subject of constant fascination for Erwitt, and add yet another dimension to a wildly variant body of work. Erwitt is also known for the creation of an alter ego, a persona he has dubbed Andre S. Solidor (ASS for short), who has come to represent a sort of satirical conflation of the fads, absurdities and shortcomings of the modern art world as Erwitt sees them. Solidor graces the film with a special appearance, surreal and hilarious in equal measure. With his love of taking pictures, his personal interests, and the response to his work, Erwitt continues to be one of the leading figures in the world of photography.

Samsara. Ron Fricke

Filmed over nearly five years in twenty-five countries on five continents, and shot on seventy-millimetre film, Samsara transports us to the varied worlds of sacred grounds, disaster zones, industrial complexes, and natural wonders.

Expanding on the themes they developed in BARAKA (1992) and CHRONOS (1985), SAMSARA explores the wonders of our world from the mundane to the miraculous, looking into the unfathomable reaches of man’s spirituality and the human experience. Neither a traditional documentary nor a travelogue, SAMSARA takes the form of a nonverbal, guided meditation. Through powerful images, the film illuminates the links between humanity and the rest of nature, showing how our life cycle mirrors the rhythm of the planet.
The filmmakers approach non verbal filmmaking with an understanding that it must live up to the standard of great still photography, revealing the essence of a subject, not just its physical presence. SAMSARA was photographed entirely in 70mm film utilizing both standard frame rates and with a motion control time-lapse camera designed specifically for this project. This camera system allows perspective shifts to reveal extraordinary views of ordinary scenes. The images were then transferred through the highest resolution scanning process available to the new 4K digital projection format that allows for mesmerizing images of unprecedented clarity. SAMSARA will be a showpiece for the new, high-resolution 4K digital projection, the HD format, as well as standard digital and film projection.

Leonardo Vinci: Artaserse

Philippe Jaroussky, Max Emanuel Cencic, Franco Fagioli, Valer Barna-Sabadus, Daniel Behle, Concerto Köln, Diego Fasolis

Dans l’Italie du début du XVIIIe siècle, le compositeur napolitain Leonardo Vinci était l’une des plus brillantes étoiles de l’opéra, et Artaserse est considéré comme son chef-d’œuvre absolu, que Diego Fasolis, entouré des plus belles voix de la scène baroque, ressuscite aujourd'hui. L’ouvrage, qui raconte l’histoire de l’empereur perse Artaxerxès, a été créé en 1730 au Teatro delle Dame à Rome. A cette époque, un décret pontifical interdisant aux femmes de se produire sur la scène des théâtres de la ville, les rôles féminins étaient tenus par des castrats. Cet enregistrement relève brillamment le défi, et regroupe le croate Max Emanuel Cencic, le français Philippe Jaroussky, l’argentin Franco Fagioli, le roumain Valer Barna-Sabadus et l’ukrainien Yuriy Mynenko. A découvrir de toute urgence !

3 disques - 72 pistes - Durée totale : 03:07:20
Virgin Classics

Qobuz, le choc classique du mois

Christian Gerhaher: Ferne Geliebte (Distant Beloved)

Christian Gerhaher (baritone) & Gerold Huber (piano)

Christian Gerhaher is the outstanding Lieder singer of our time. His recordings of the art songs and song cycles by Schubert, Schumann, Brahms and Mahler possess reference status, and have been awarded many major prizes. In the UK alone his awards include the 2009 BBC Music Magazine Award for Vocal Performance, a Gramophone award in 2006, and in 2011 he won the Olivier Outstanding Achievement in Opera award.

Gerhaher now presents his first ‘concept album’, which is at the same time his first album of songs by multiple composers in 10 years.

‘Ferne Geliebte’ (Distant Beloved) juxtaposes compositions from the two great Vienna schools, Viennese Classicism on the one hand, represented by Haydn and Beethoven, and the Second Viennese School with Schönberg and Berg on the other. The connection between them all is their preoccupation with loneliness, longing and hopeless love.

“He treats the cycles with the same care for the meaning of every word, beauty of tone, subtle emphasis and shading...Both the Schoenberg and the Berg are usually sung by a soprano or mezzo...But hearing them juxtaposed in such poised performances – Gerold Huber is Gerhaher's acutely sensitive partner – seems totally logical.” The Guardian

“a recital of rare and compelling musical intelligence and integrity of response...But as well as the intellectual satisfaction of this recital, there is also the sheer delight of Gerhaher's superbly cultivated baritone, and his outstanding artistry. If ever art concealed art, it is here” BBC Music Magazine

Sony - 88691935432

House of Legends. Courtney Pine

Drawing on the varied styles of Caribbean music, and identifying them with historical events, figures and places, Pine has created a marvellous patchwork of melodies and rhythms. From the solemn opening threnody for Stephen Lawrence to a fizzing Tico-Tico at the end, it's thoroughly absorbing. This album makes a fascinating companion piece to last year's Europa, which treated European musical traditions in a similar way. For that, Pine confined himself to playing bass clarinet. This time he sticks to soprano saxophone, supported by an impressive cast of musicians, representing several generations. Guardian

'Pine's pin-sharp soprano is a joy throughout' Roger Thomas

Destin-E 77721028867

Armenian Spirit (Esprit d'Arménie)

Hespèrion XXI - Jordi Savall

This album is a tribute to Armenia and to the Armenian musicians who played alongside Jordi Savall and his wife Montserrat Figueras over the years. The repertoire consists alternately of very lively pieces and more contemplative ones, all of them beautifully played on traditional instruments, including the ‘duduk’, a flute with a deeply moving sound originating from a time before times.

Jordi Savall unveils this music with his faultless musical flair and an endless curiosity, as testified in the lavishly documented and illustrated booklet.

Alia vox SACD AVSA9892

Император Мэйдзи и его Япония. А. Н. Мещеряков

Книга известного япониста представляет собой самое полное в отечественной историографии описание правления императора Мэйдзи (1852-1912), которого часто сравнивают с великим преоб­разователем России - Петром I. И недаром при Мэйдзи страна, которая стояла в шаге от превращения в колонию, преобрази­лась при Мэйдзи в мощное государство, в "полноправного игрока" на карте мира. За это время сформировались японская нация и японская культура, которую ценят во всем мире. А.Н.Ме­щеряков составил летопись событий, позволивших Японии стать такой, как она есть. За драматической судьбой Мэйдзи стоит увлекательнейшая история его страны.

"Период, про который я писал, – период Мэйдзи – очень важен для японской истории, потому что именно в это время происхо­дит переход от средневекового к современному обществу. Причем это происходит по историческим меркам мгновенно. Япо­ния была первой неевропейской страной, которая сумела осуще­ствить этот переход: только что она жила Средневековье, но су­мела выиграть о войну у огромного Китая в 1894-95 гг., а потом и у России.

Меня интересовало, каким образом это могло быть достигнуто и какие чувства испытывали люди, которые жили в это сложное для японца время. Переход от Средневековья к Новому времени в крайне короткий период – это ломка натур и характеров, пере­ход от одних установок к другим. Этот период вызвал много из­менений, которые были оценены в мире: и почти 100%-е началь­ное образование, введенное в Японии чуть ли не впервые в мире, и начало промышленного развития, и повышение продук­тивности сельского хозяйства, и быстрый рост населения. Но в то же самое время возникли такие проблемы, которых Япония до этого не знала: проблема отцов и детей, увеличение разрыва между богатыми и бедными, психические заболевания, милита­ризация страны." А.Н.Мещеряков

Наталис, ISBN 978-5-8062-0306-0; 2009 г.

Короткий список премии «Просветитель»

Страна вина. Мо Янь

"Страна вина", произведение выдающегося китайского романи­ста наших дней Мо Яня (род. 1955), дает читателю прекрасную возможность познакомиться с самой яркой и колкой сатирой в современной китайской литературе. Великолепная, оригиналь­ная образность, безграничная сила воображения, сплетенная с мифологичностью, мастерское владение различными формами повествования - все это присуще уникальному стилю Мо Яня.

«Страна вина» — это моралите, притча, историческая аллегория и шедевр литературы абсурда, вместе взятые. В то же время это самая яркая и колкая сатира в современной китайской литерату­ре. Но в глубоко философском и политическом контексте это ро­ман не только о Китае, и принадлежит он уже не только китайско­му искусству, а всему человечеству. Что же касается русскоязыч­ного читателя, то автор уверен: «Раз русским читателям пришел­ся по душе роман «Мастер и Маргарита» Булгакова, то они при­мут и мою «Страну вина».

Нобелевская премия 2012 года по литературе присуждена ки­тайскому писателю Мо Яню, за его работы, в которых "галлюци­ногенный реализм сочетается с народными сказками, историей и современностью".

Амфора, ISBN 978-5-367-02229-2; 2012 г.

The Darwin Economy: Liberty, Competition, and the Common Good. Robert H. Frank

Who was the greater economist--Adam Smith or Charles Darwin? The question seems absurd. Darwin, after all, was a naturalist, not an eco­nomist. But Robert Frank, New York Times economics columnist and best-selling author of The Economic Naturalist, predicts that within the next century Darwin will unseat Smith as the intellectual founder of economics. The reason, Frank argues, is that Darwin's understanding of competition describes economic reality far more accurately than Smith's. And the consequences of this fact are profound. Indeed, the failure to recognize that we live in Darwin's world rather than Smith's is putting us all at risk by preventing us from seeing that competition alone will not solve our problems.

Smith's theory of the invisible hand, which says that competition chan­nels self-interest for the common good, is probably the most widely cited argument today in favor of unbridled competition--and against regulation, taxation, and even government itself. But what if Smith's idea was almost an exception to the general rule of competition? That's what Frank argues, resting his case on Darwin's insight that in­dividual and group interests often diverge sharply. Far from creating a perfect world, economic competition often leads to "arms races," en­couraging behaviors that not only cause enormous harm to the group but also provide no lasting advantages for individuals, since any gains tend to be relative and mutually offsetting.

"Important." New York Times

Axiom Business Book Awards, ForeWord Reviews Book of the Year

Гумилев, сын Гумилева. Сергей Беляков

«Экзотическое происхождение; фантастическая судьба; долгая линия жизни (1912–1992); колоссальное научное наследие, чье значение по-прежнему точно не оценено в силу причудливости теорий, опередивших свою эпоху; эксцентричность в быту (в квартире висел плакат с телеведущим Невзоровым на коне) и в мышлении; словом, если вам понадобится идеальный герой для ЖЗЛ, то никого лучше, чем Лев Гумилев, вы все равно не приду­маете.

Это биография исчерпывающая, «окончательная». Автор решил не концентрироваться на отдельных аспектах личности своего клиента — и изложить в одной книге все, имеющее отношение к феномену Льва Гумилева. Из-за этого книга получилась «черес­чур толстой» — чересчур, потому что вряд ли найдутся читатели, которым одинаково интересны и от­ношения ЛГ с матерью (крайне сложные; не из латиноамериканского, пожалуй, сериала — но из романа Улицкой точно), и научное творчество, и описа­ние лагерного опыта» - Афиша

Oxford handbook of philosophy of economics, edited by Harold Kincaid and Don Ross

Это один из нескольких «супер-новых» исследовательских спра­вочников по экономической методологии. Львиная доля книги – исследования совсем новые и весьма оригинальные, посвящен­ные в основном отдельным областям экономической науки – экс­периментальной экономике, теории аукционов, вычислительной экономике, теории роста, экономике развития, теории благосо­стояния, наконец, эконометрическим исследованиям. В принци­пе, знакомство с этой (иногда весьма непростой для чтения) кни­гой должно показать не только достижения, но и рубежи, недо­делки, принципиальные трудности, участвовать в разреше­нии ко­торых можем и мы.

Oxford University Press, 2009

Философия экономики. Антология. Под ред. Дэниела Хаусмана

Стандартная антология, которая несколько раз переиздавалась и дополнялась. В ней можно найти немало оригинальных текстов, которые обсуждаются в учебниках. Есть и современные авторы, представляющие собственные подходы, и, что особенно важно, в книгу включены статьи, посвященные философскому осмысле­нию отдельных областей экономической науки – осмыслению, выходящему, конечно, за пределы собственно методологических задач и затрагивающему фундаментальные этические и социаль­но-философские вопросы (такова, например, обзорная статья Нобелевского лауреата А. Сена). Это разнообразие делает книгу незаменимой в качестве современного справочного издания по философии экономической науки.

Изд. Института Гайдара, 2012

Алхимия. Вадим Рабинович

Судьба книги литературоведа и переводчика Вадима Львовича Рабиновича, вышедшей еще в 1979 году, сложилась в некотором смысле в духе средневековых книг-не-для-всех. Тогда книга так и не попала в книжные магазины, а разошлась по знатокам и цени­телям на черном рынке. Сейчас то первое издание — библио­фильская редкость. В переизданном только что варианте появи­лись новые разделы, а некоторые из старых были переработаны. Общий же замысел по реконструкции «полнозвучного» Средне­вековья и одного из его ключевых явлений — алхимии, по Раби­новичу, являющую собой «свидетельство поразительно устойчи­вого сознания», сохранился. Получается настоящая алхимиче­ская энциклопедия — от этимологии самого понятия до связи с исследованиями по химии XX века. - Афиша

A Catalogue of the Armenian Manuscripts in the British Library and Other Libraries in the United Kingdom. Vrej Nersessian

This catalog identifies and describes the Armenian manuscripts acquired since 1913 and held in the British Library’s extensive collection, as well as thirteen other significant and previously uncatalogued collections in libraries and museums in the United Kingdom, including the Bodleian Library and John Rylands University Library in Manchester.

Vrej Nersessian’s introduction provides a short history of each of the collections, followed by a chapter outlining the sources of Armenian iconography. There is an entry for each of the manuscripts described that gives full details—a description of the physical object and its present condition, including the binding, provenance, contents, and details of any illustrations contained. The catalog also contains twenty-four pages of color images of miniatures contained in the manuscripts.

Intended as a reference work for scholars, this comprehensive catalogue is the only listing of its kind and will stand as a major achievement in Armenian studies for many generations.

Vrej Nersessian is head of the Christian Middle East section at the British Library.

ISBN-13: 978-0712349055

Being in the World. Tao Ruspoli

Ten years after graduating with a degree in philosophy from UC Berkeley, filmmaker Tao Ruspoli returned to visit his one-time pro­fessor, world-renowned philosopher Hubert Dreyfus. That visit led to meetings with a whole generation of philosophers whom Dreyfus had taught, which subsequently sparked the inspiration for this film. Being in the World raises the question of whether we have forgotten what it means to be truly human in today's technological age, and proceeds to answer this question by taking a journey around the world to meet a whole host of remarkable individuals, including Manuel Molina, the legendary poet and flamenco master; Leah Chase, affectionately known as the Queen of Creole Cuisine; and Hiroshi Sakaguchi, a master carpenter from Japan. By showing how these modern day masters approach life from within their chosen fields, Ruspoli's film celebrates the ability of human beings to find meaning in the world through the mastery of physical, intellectual, and creative skills.

Vail Film Festival Best Documentary

Semper Fi: Always Faithful. Tony Hardmon, Rachel Libert

Marine Corps Master Sgt. Jerry Ensminger was a devoted Marine for nearly twenty-five years. As a drill instructor he lived and breathed the "Corps" and was responsible for indoctrinating thousands of new recruits with its motto Semper Fidelis or "Always Faithful". When Jerry's nine-year old daughter Janey died of a rare type of leukemia, his world collapsed. As a grief-stricken father, he struggled for years to make sense of what happened. His search for answers led to the shocking discovery of a Marine Corps cover-up of one of the largest water contamination incidents in U.S. history. Semper Fi: Always Faithful follows Jerry's mission to expose the Marine Corps and force them to live up to their motto to the thousands of soldiers and their families exposed to toxic chemicals. His fight reveals a grave injustice at North Carolina's Camp Lejeune and a looming environmental crisis at military sites across the country

Tribeca Film Festival Best Editing
Woodstock Film Festival Best Documentary

Бобби Фишер против всего мира. Лиз Гарбус

Уникальная картина, проливающая свет на жизнь одного из са­мых таинственных вундеркиндов XX века - Бобби Фишера, стран­ного и эксцентричного человека, которого называют самым гени­альным шахматистом всех времен. Фишер выигрывал все состя­зания, в которых участвовал, став самым молодым чемпионом США и самым молодым международным гроссмейстером. В 1972 году, в разгар Холодной войны, Фишер стал настоящей иконой, выиграв у "непобедимого" советского шахматиста Бориса Спас-ского. Затем Фишер исчез, превратившись в отшельника. Все эти годы Фишер балансировал на тонкой грани, разделяю­щей гений и безумство. Каким он был? Какие демоны раздирали его изнутри? И почему, в итоге, он не смог одержать победу в самой главной партии жизни - с опасным и непредсказуемым против-ником - своим собственным разумом?

Brilliant, haunting, avid and beautifully inquiring -Entertainment Weekly
a haunting portrait of the chess genius as an incandescent prodigy and horrifying old crank --Village Voice
Garbus has put together a complex and fascinating portrait of genius wasted --The Hollywood Reporter

Nominated for Primetime Emmy. Another 1 win & 1 nomination

L'Insoumis: The Enigma. Bruno Monsaingeon

One of the most famous classic documentaries about pianist Sviatoslav Richter is available on DVD once again! Entirely "narrated" by Richter through his writings and speech, the film reveals the hardships of the great pianist's life that shaped his career and artistry. Archival footage, rare or unpublished musical material, and an interview with his wife, singer Nina Dorliac, make this film a particularly fine document of a life in art.

Ideale Audience Intl

Golden FIPA 1998 - PROCIREP Award 1998
Rocky Award for Best Arts Documentary - BANFF 1998
Best Video Award - Académie Charles Cros 1998 - Grand Prix Pratt and Whitney Canada, Festival International du Film sur l'Art , Montréal, 1999
Diapason d’Or 2000 (Best Classical Music DVD)
Cannes Classical Award 2001 (Best Classical Music DVD)

Into the Storm. Thaddeus O'Sullivan

Into the Storm follows British Prime Minister Winston Churchill (Brendan Gleeson) as he launches ferociously into World War II. The movie’s greatest strength comes from a shifting back and forth in time, portraying Churchill’s post-war life as well, when the very qualities that made him so effective as a military leader threaten both his career and his marriage. Anyone seeking a detailed analysis of the war will be disappointed; Into the Storm skips through history, less interested in the ebb and flow of combat than the weighing of decisions and the composition of speeches. Although this may sound uncinematic, Gleeson does a remarkable job articulating Churchill’s creative thoughts as he walks to and fro in his bedclothes, mulling over the right phrase to sustain his country’s morale, or facing FDR and Stalin across a table, working to shape an effective alliance. Janet McTeer (Tumbleweeds) is even better as Clementine Churchill, a woman who never sought the political life yet strove to support her belligerent, passionate husband as best she could. Written by Hugh Whitemore (author of Breaking the Code and The Gathering Storm, to which this is a sort of sequel), Into the Storm is a complex, well-rounded portrait, capturing how courage and indomitability can, in peacetime, turn brutish and bullying.

Nominated for 3 Golden Globes. Another 5 wins & 18 nominations.

Be My Love: A Tribute to Mario Lanza

Joseph Calleja (tenor), BBC Concert Orchestra, Steven Mercurio

Blessed with “a golden-age voice” (The Sunday Times) that routinely inspires comparisons with legendary singers from earlier eras, Joseph Calleja will follow the success of The Maltese Tenor with a tribute to one of the most popular tenors of all time; the unique “crossover” star of the Hollywood musical – Mario Lanza.

This is an album that Joseph Calleja has always wanted to record. As a youth in Malta he saw Lanza in the cult film The Great Caruso and was so captivated that he gave up his predilection for Metallica and Iron Maiden and decided to become an opera singer

Gramophone Award - Artist of the Year

Decca - 4783531

Joyriding. Derek Nash Acoustic Quartet

One of the strengths of the current British jazz scene comes from its core of mainstream, straight-ahead musi­cians, who focus their creative abilities on drawing fresh nuances from established musical styles; saxophonist Derek Nash is one of them. Joyriding features what he refers to as his "regular quartet," although that phrase does scant justice to the quality of the musicianship. Nash displays engagingly eclectic taste. "Joyriding" — a tune that conjures images of groovy '60s TV shows like Rowan And Martin's Laugh-In—and the cool swing of Phil Phillips' "Be My Valentine," later re­prised in a vocal version featuring singer Beverly Vaughan. "Love At First Sound" is a gentle, slightly mel­ancholy, ballad, with Nash's rich, warm, saxophone lent understated support by Newton, Gascoyne and de Krom. "Voodoo Rex," which Nash dedicates to his alto saxo­phone, is a terrific ensemble number. The core quartet is joined by Winston Rollins' funky trombone, creating a really full-blooded sound. All About Jazz

British Jazz Awards Best Alto Saxophone and Best CD nominated

Anna Vinnitskaya plays Ravel

Following a first solo recital (2008) and a successful Ravel-Prokofiev concerto recording (2010), this is the third recording of Russian pianist Anna Vinnitskaya for Naive.

The recording presents two of the heights of Ravel's pi­ano repertoire, 'Gaspard de la Nuit' and 'Miroirs', per­formed many times in recital before this recording.

In both works, as well as in the mysterious 'Pavane pour une infant défunte', Anna Vinnitskaya displays the whole range of her skills: intense delicacy, amazing legato and control of dynamics, supple and a strong personal style.

Anna Vinnitskaya, aged 29, is developing an intense concert career in Germany, Belgium and the UK. She won First Prize at the Queen Elizabeth Competition in 2007 and an Echo Klassik award (Germany) in 2011 for her latest recording.

“It is with a delicate, beautifully voiced account of the Pavane...that Vinnitskaya gently eases herself into this Ravel recital, indicating an affinity with the style that is immediately underlined by the glistening qualities and chararcterisation of the set of Miroirs...Vinnitskaya's taste, strength and feel for the music are never in doubt.” Daily Telegraph

Gramophone Magazine Editor's Choice

Serge Chaloff. Blue Serge

Quelques mois seulement avant d’être emporté par une tumeur au cerveau, le très sous-estimé sax baryton de Serge Chaloff souffle une dernière fois son chant puissant et bouleversant à la fois sur ce Blue Serge enregistré en mars 1956 pour Capitol. Entouré d’un casting impérial (Sonny Clark au piano, Philly Joe Jones à la batterie et Leroy Vinnegar à la contrebasse), l’ex-Four Brothers signe son plus beau disque.

L'ESSENTIEL DU MOIS Qobuz
Label: Blue Note

Bloch/Bruch: Schelomo, Kol Nidrei & other works

Natalie Clein (cello) BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Ilan Volkov

A dazzling orchestral disc of music from the Jewish tradi­tion of the late-nineteenth and early-twentieth centuries. Bruch’s Kol Nidrei is one of the most well-loved works in the cello repertoire. The descending opening phrase of the cello line is instantly recognizable: a universal, ex­traordinarily expressive utterance.

The main part of the disc comprises the works for cello and orchestra by Ernest Bloch, all part of his ‘Jewish cycle’. The most famous is Schelomo, a work inspired by passages from Ecclesiastes, where the cello, playing a deeply lyric and speaking line of prodigious technical diffi­culty, can be seen as ‘the incarnation of King Solomon’, as Bloch himself wrote. The other large-scale work for cello and orchestra, Voice in the Wilderness, is of a dark­er hue. Both works reveal a composer whose works should be firmly in the canon of twentieth-century sym­phonic writing.

The cellist here is Natalie Clein, a celebrated figure in Brit­ish musical life since winning BBC Young Musician of the Year in 1995 and now a formidable artist, possessed of great musical, technical and intellectual gifts.

“[Clein's] impassioned, sensitive playing finds willing col­laborators in the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and their former principal conductor.” Sunday Times

Gramophone Magazine Editor's Choice