Verdi: Requiem

Deutsche Grammophon celebrates Nikolaus Harnoncourt's 80th birthday with this 2-DVD release of rare, vintage, period Bach performances for the first time. Never released on DVD and, to the dismay of fans, long unavailable-these glorious Bach pieces are conducted by period instrument pioneer, Nikolaus Harnoncourt, as only he can. Harnoncourt, a notable cellist, performs in two concertos and on gamba in one. Harnoncourt warns, "If we lose contact with the great works of Bach, we lose our contact with humanity." Vocalists Janet Perry, Robert Holl, and Peter Schreier sing with distinction in the Coffee Cantata. The Surround Sound makes clear that they revel in the acoustics of the visually magnificent Baroque library of Wiblingen Monastery.

Requiem in D minor, K 626 by Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus Performer: Walter Berry Gundula Janowitz Christa Ludwig Peter Schreier Orchestra/Ensemble: Wienere Symphoniker Orchestra Conductor: Bohm Karl Chor der Wiener Staatsoper Period: Classical Written: 1971 ; UNITEL

The moon landing is juxtaposed to Dante and Beatrice's journey through paradise in this visual oratorio composed by Jacob ter Veldhuis.

George Frederic Handel's oratorio Theodora, in its first-ever staged version at the Salzburg Festival, was among the highlights of Handel Year 2009. Acclaimed director Christof Loy presented Theodora as the profoundly moving tale of a woman who prefers death to denying her faith, an interpretation captivated with bravura by world-renowned video director Hannes Rossacher. A luminous Christine Schaefer and countertenor Bejun Mehta formed a perfect leading couple altogether suited to conductor Ivor Bolton's vigorus reading.

A beautiful, sensitive, reverent performance. Fischer allows Bach to speak with no unnecessary flourishes. Padmore as the Evangelist is superb, and the other soloists and choirs are near perfect. And of course the Concertgebouw orchestral musicians are absolutely first class.

Johann Sebastian Bach’s St John Passion with the Berliner Philharmoniker and Sir Simon Rattle was one of the outstanding events of the past season. As before with the St Matthew Passion, star director Peter Sellars succeeded in creating a staging which made the spiritual and dramatic content of the Passion story even more intensive. The New York Times also praised the “brilliant and energetic” playing of the orchestra, the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung the “haunting, almost unsurpassable singing of all those involved.”

Under intense fire from the Russian forces, Ukrainian civilians-turned-soldiers document their first experiences on the battlefield using smartphones and cameras to show the do-or-die reality of war.

Since the mid-20th century, the world has only ever heard one side of an incredible story. The story of a boy from an ordinary family whose ambition was to become an artist, but who instead became a drifter. His destiny, however, was not to drift, but to rise to the greatest heights of power, eventually becoming one of the most influential men who ever lived. Now for the first time, here is a documented account of a story many believe to be The Greatest Story NEVER Told! This ground-breaking documentary chronicles the rise of Germany from defeat in World War I, to communist attempts to take over Germany, hyperinflation during the Weimar Republic, widespread unemployment and misery, and Adolf Hitler’s rise to power. It also reveals the personal side of Adolf Hitler: who he was, his family background, his artwork and struggles in Vienna, and what motivated him to come to power.

Celebrating 50 years since ABBA won Eurovision in 1974 with Waterloo, through the extraordinary and entertaining story of how international stardom almost didn't happen for the group.

The making of the film that introduced Timothy Dalton as James Bond, who gave Bond a darker edge for a new generation.

Danielle, a young musician, sets off on a journey with Diego, her best friend, while both of them face the pain of breaking-up with their partners. Ending up at the north border of Mexico, they’ll have to use their abilities as musicians to survive as they get to know the complicated context between the US and Mexico. Two broken hearts, two friends, a road trip, a new lover, but fundamentally, a deep need to find themselves.