DECCA & PHILIPS CLASSICS NEWSLETTER

Hello Again,

There's much excitement at Decca this month with the success of new albums from Cecilia Bartoli, Luciano Pavarotti, Hayley Westenra and Renee Fleming. Cecilia Bartoli is currently touring the Salieri album, and the critics have delighted in her unearthing of Salieri's rarely performed works. Cecilia has also just been voted Classic FM 'listener's choice' at the 2003 Gramophone Awards. In New York, Renee Fleming finally made her Met debut as Violetta in La Traviata. From what we've been reading, it's been well worth the wait! Luciano Pavarotti has been promoting his fantastic new album, ti adoro and Hayley Westenra has stunned us all with the latest chapter in her success - a record-breaking album in the UK.

Elsewhere on the label Nelson Freire follows his debut Chopin album with his Schumann recordings that are set to become one of the truly great recordings of the repertoire, and we have a breathtaking surround-sound SACD release of Bartok's Bluebeard's Castle newly recorded under Ivan Fischer. Andrea Bocelli's classic Sacred Arias has been re-released in a special CD and DVD edition which contains new tracks, and a new Bond Remixed album is just out for lucky fans in the US and Japan.

That's all for this month, read on for all the latest news.

Wim Jenkins, Site Editor, Decca Music Group, London

In this month's newsletter...

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>> LISTEN & WATCH <<
>> NEWS <<
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In the Studio
Gramophone Awards success
Echo Awards
Cecilia Bartoli - The Salieri Album - album reviews
Concert review - Cecilia Bartoli, Bridgewater Hall, Manchester
Renee Fleming - Triumph at the Met
Luciano Pavarotti spreads the word - ti adoro!
Hayley Westenra storms the UK charts
Bond Remixed - in the US and Japan

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NEW RELEASES
>> LISTEN & WATCH <<
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Luciano Pavarotti - Ti adoro video
http://www.deccaclassics.com/media/ram/pavarotti_tiadoro_mbr.ram

Luciano Pavarotti - Il Canto video
http://www.deccaclassics.com/media/ram/pavarotti_ilcanto_mbr.ram

The Salieri Album - web feature
http://www.ceciliabartolionline.com

Renee Fleming: by request - web feature
http://www.deccaclassics.com/reneefleming

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NEWS
>> In the Studio <<
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Alfred Brendel and Matthias Goerne are recording their concerts of Schubert: Winterreise at London's Wigmore Hall for release in 2004, and new tenor signing Joseph Calleja continues recording sessions for his debut album with Riccardo Chailly - due out next spring. We'll bring you more on this in the New Year.

>> Gramophone Awards success <<

The Gramophone Awards 2003 have just been announced, and there are notable Decca successes this year. This month's Gramophone cover star, Cecilia Bartoli, has been voted the Classic FM 'Listener's Choice. See http://www.ceciliabartolionline.com for the full story.

The Clifford Curzon, Original Masters Vol I recordings won in the category of historical reissue and made it into the final 6 for album of the year. For a complete list of our 'Original Masters' series, go to http://www.deccaclassics.com/originalmasters. Clifford Curzon Volume II is now available! Also Leontyne Price received Gramophone's 2003 Lifetime Achievement Award at a special ceremony held recently in New York City.

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CROSSOVER NEWS
>> Hayley Westenra storms the UK charts <<
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Hayley Westenra has blitzed the UK charts with her international debut album, Pure. As well as clinching the #1 spot in the classical charts, and having the fastest selling debut album in the history of the classical charts, she's also become a bona fide pop star.

Pure is at #8 in the pop charts this week, four weeks since it was released.

As you can imagine, everyone wants a piece of Hayley at the moment, and she's been busy promoting the album and on tour with Aled Jones in the UK. Don't miss her next UK date at the Royal Albert Hall in London on December 10th as a special guest of Jose Carreras. Pure will shortly be released in Japan, and in the USA spring 2004.

Keep up to date with Hayley by visiting her official site at hayleywestenra.com

READ MORE HERE : http://www.deccaclassics.com ----- http://www.philipsclassics.com