Opera & Classical gift guide 2008

Cult of personality
The Hamburg State Opera released a string of productions in the ’60s and ’70s that took the stage art into the realm of cinema. Cult Opera of the 1970s (Arthaus Musik), an 11-DVD set packaged in trippy kaleidoscope colors, offers curious and countercultural approaches to the craft that go beyond divas who simply park and bark. The mood ranges from Willy Wonka to Wagner. Where else can you see German children fighting aliens with piccolos? Available at amazon.com; $140.38.

Get Hitch’ed
Popular as Alfred Hitchcock is, we tend to overlook how experimental and influential his films’ music became throughout his 47-year career. Jack Sullivan’s book, Hitchcock’s Music, released this year in paperback, amps up this fact by homing in on everything from the comic music of his ’50s period to his final collaboration with John Williams. It’s no wonder the teddy-bear Brit expat, according to Sullivan, “changed the way we think about film music.” Available at amazon.com; $20.

Bobble it up
While Big Papi and Ocho Cinco might have sold more bobbleheads per capita, no athlete can bob his or her head to an etude’s rhythm like a deceased German maestro. So what took so long? Ideal atop a spinet or a great reward for piano pupils, these, erm, baubles from Holland Arts and Studio come as Mozart, Beethoven, Bach and Brahms. Beautifully big and sturdy iron busts are so last century. Available at greatcomposerbobbleheads.com; $14.95 each.

Heart of Glass
Handsomely packaged in a thick cube, this 10-CD set surveys Philip Glass’s impressive 40-year career. Everything from Einstein on the Beach and the Koyaanisqatsi film score to less familiar music is included. There’s also a 200-page booklet to flip through along with cool photography and paintings by Annie Leibovitz and Chuck Close. This is the classical box set of the season. Available at amazon.com; $99.87.

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