Thank you. I do so happen to have a Region Free player - a recent acquisition to play some movies not available in the USA.
I suppose... if one could hook up the laptop's video output to a TV. Not sure how well it would upscale. Maybe it's just me, but I don't like watching movies on a computer monitor.
First listen to "Pierre de la Rue - Missa di Sancta Anna & Lamentatione Jeremaie" performed by Schola Discantus directed by Kevin Moll on Lyrichord.
My father absolutely loved Morse. I never watched it but I believe it showcases Oxford very nicely ...
My 1967 RCA LP of Bizet's "L'Arlésienne" Suites (Jean Martinon, conductor) has the same cover art as @coopmv 's CD. Van Gogh: L'Arlésienne (Mme. Ginoux) -- in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Martinon is okay, but my preferred recording is Paul Paray's account with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra from the '50s. Mercury LP, 1958.
My mother lives in South Manchester so it's an easy drive from her house - I will suggest a visit next time we are up!
It's a superb series. "Endeavour," of course, is Morse as a young man-- a Detective Constable just starting out. As a Chief Inspector in his fifties, he's still working cases around Oxford, driving his vintage Jaguar, listening to classical music, and rarely passes up a pub. And he's still single. When he and a colleague muse about why neither of them has married, Morse quips: "No one would put up with me -- I play my records too loud!"
Now playing the following CD from my Quantz collection ... This is probably the best of the four Quantz recordings in my collection. The following etailer used to have this CD, which is now out of stock. Amazon does not have it. http://www.russiancdshop.com/music.php?zobraz=details&id=14740&lang=en
I remember that, when I was young, I had a delightful disc of Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker also narrated by Peter Ustinov. He read out humourous verse by Ogden Nash in between the pieces. Really great. I'd love to find it on CD, but I haven't been able to find if it was ever transferred to CD. Anyone else remember it ? I have found this cover via Mr. Google but I could have sworn my copy had a different cover.....
I don't usually post stuff like this here, but I'll make an exception for this. Got the Claudio Arrau Complete Philips Recordings box from Amazon Germany today. Their packaging usually leaves a lot to be desired, but they got it right this time, a sturdy outer box and a smaller box within holding the Arrau box (a tight fit), with bubble wrap all around it; brilliant
Now listening to CD 5 from "Beethoven - Complete Piano Sonatas" performed by Melodie Zhao on Claves. Sonatas 13-15
The same way you order from US Amazon. Just enter your address and they will ship it to you no problem.
Listened to parts of this set a few times and to be honest I'm not impressed. Very superficial, no depth; at least that's how her playing sounds to me.
My son's Xbox One S games console reads Blu-ray which is quite handy as it means one less box for us ... Even better, it will play the new 4K discs but sadly I don't have a 4K screen yet ...
There's a live version of Martinon conducting the Farandole from L'Arlesienne No. 2 where he whips the orchestra into an incredible frenzy by the end. It's part of his sadly OOP 2-CD CSO "From the Archives" box set - http://www.davidroyko.com/photos/undefined/vol12-1.jpg
After having owned over a dozen of Complete Beethoven Piano Sonatas box, I have stopped searching for the next box. While there are big-name pianists like Pollini and Brendel whose boxes are not among what I have, I have made the "relatively" subjective conclusion that they may not be the best for Beethoven Piano Sonatas and forget about the rest ...