Some great new arrivals in Arts include latest releases in opera, ballet, pop, rock, classical music, musical theatre and film soundtracks in various audio and video formats such as CD, DVD, Blu-Ray and online database.

Countdown 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1…rock! (CD)

The Bodyguard : the musical : world premiere cast recording.  Music composed by Jule Styne. (CD)

To celebrate 30 years since the last episode was aired, Countdown 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 …Rock! is a 2-disc compilation featuring more ROCK tracks from the former ABC Countdown TV series.  Artists include Cold Chisel, Queen, Blondie, Sherbert, Skyhooks, Dragon, ABBA and many more.

The Bodyguard is the world premiere cast recording of the hit musical based on the 1992 movie. It features all the great songs made famous by pop legend Whitney Houston, such as Queen of the Night, How Will I Know and I Will Always Love You. The Australian production of the musical will play Melbourne’s Regent Theatre this Spring.

Reflections : the greatest songs of Rod McKuen.  Music and lyrics by Rod McKuen. (CD)

Unsent love letters : meditations on Erik Satie.  Composed by Elena Kats-Chernin. (CD)

In popular music there is Reflections : the greatest songs of Rod McKuen, featuring chart-topping hits such as Jean – the theme from the 1969 movie, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, Seasons in the Sun, If You Go Away, and many more by the best-selling 1960s poet and singer-songwriter.

In classical music, works by the renowned Melbourne based composer-pianist, Elena Kats-Chernin, feature on the the ABC Classics release, Unsent love letters : meditations on Erik Satie.  Inspired by his life and work, the album features Tamara-Anna Cislowska on piano.  Another new work by Elena Kats-Chernin, Ancient Letters, was recently premiered at the Metropolis New Music Festival with the Melbourne Symphony.

All of these CDs are currently available on the Listening Posts in Arts.  The online catalogue indicates which Listening Post the CD is available on.  There are eight jukebox listening posts in the Arts Reading Room, where you can listen to CDs from the audiovisual collection.

Einstein on the Beach : an opera in four acts by Phillip Glass/Robert Wilson. (Blu-Ray)

The Sleeping Beauty.  Music composed by Tchaikovsky.  Performed by The Australian Ballet. (DVD)

Einstein on the Beach is a recent French production of the four-act opera by renowned late-20th century “minimalist” American composer, Phillip Glass, directed by playwright and avant-garde theatre artist, Robert Wilson.

Recorded live at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris, where this four and a half hour epic was first performed in 1976, this is a work of art where the visual is inseparable from the musical score, and looks great on this Blu-Ray.  EOTB was first performed in Australia at the Arts Centre during the 1992 Melbourne Festival, and was a very spectacular piece of theatre.

The Australian Ballet’s acclaimed recent production of Tchaikovsky’s The Sleeping Beauty is preserved on this DVD recorded live in performance at the State Theatre, Arts Centre, Melbourne.  Created by Artistic Director, David McAllister AM, this ballet version of the fairy-tale classic is currently being revived as part of the Company’s 2017 season.

These and other DVDs and audio-visual material, can be requested via the online catalogue and viewed in the AV Centre in the Library, during normal opening hours.

Ran : a film by Akira Kurosawa.  Original music composed by Toru Takemitsu. (CD)

Ran features original music for renowned Japanese Director, Akira Kurosawa’s 1985 film, adapted from Shakespeare’s tragedy, King Lear.  The distinctive Gustav Mahler–inspired film score was composed by Toru Takemitsu, and features the Sapporo Symphony Orchestra, conducted by former resident conductor of the Melbourne Symphony, Hiroyuki Iwaki.  

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang : original MGM motion picture soundtrack.  Music and lyrics by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman.  Performed by Dick Van Dyke, Sally Ann Howes [and others]. (CD)

Thoroughly Modern Millie : original soundtrack.  Music composed by Elmer Bernstein.  Musical numbers arranged and conducted by Andre Previn.  Performed by Julie Andrews, Carol Channing [and others]. (CD)

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Thoroughly Modern Millie are two popular movie musical soundtracks.  Chitty is the wonderful 1968 British musical adventure fantasy, loosely based on Ian Fleming’s 1964 novel Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang : the magical car, that starred Dick Van Dyke, Sally Ann Howes and Robert Helpmann.  It features a score by “Mary Poppins” composers The Sherman Brothers.  This 2-disc set also contains many bonus and demo tracks not included in the original release.

Millie is the classic 1967 musical set in 1920s New York, that starred Julie Andrews, Carol Channing and Mary Tyler Moore.  The score includes 1920s standards such as Baby Face and Washington Square, with new songs by Jimmy Van Heusen and Sammy Cahn.  The incidental music score by Elmer Bernstein won an Academy Award.

Leonard Bernstein’s Candide : in concert.  Music by Leonard Bernstein.  Lyrics by Richard Wilbur, Stephen Sondheim [and others]. (Blu-Ray)

Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour : the greatest hits.  Performed by Opera Australia. (DVD)

Leonard Bernstein’s Candide is a comic operetta in two acts based on the 1759 novella of the same name by Voltaire.  A live concert version features on this Blu-Ray recorded live at Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, New York City.  Notable Broadway stage performers such as Kristen Chenoweth and Patti LuPone star with the New York Philharmonic.

A greatest hits DVD compilation from the Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour series, billed “World-class opera in a spectacular setting”, includes highlights from favourites such as Carmen, Aida, La Traviata, Madama Butterfly and many more, performed by artists of Opera Australia.

Glenn Buhr : Winter Poems. (online)

The above album, Winter Poems, is a selection of Wintry themed 20th Century classical music by Canadian composer, Glenn Buhr, performed by Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra with soloists, and available through the Music Online database.  It is available free online in the Library, or from home if you are one of our Victorian registered users.

Enjoy!