The Fredösphere

I ordered this recording of Der Fliegende Hollander because I haven't owned a copy of Wagner's best opera since the vinyl era, and particularly because of the performers listed.  Follow the link and scroll down a bit:  is that a dream cast, or what?  How did the producers ever manage to get such a lineup of luminaries together in one recording studio?  And how did they convince Mozart to come out of retirement to conduct?  These producers have some serious connections.  Beyond that, I was surprised to learn Wagner had collaborated with Bartok, Chopin, et al., although I did know Alex Ross has helped the master with orchestration on occassion.

Meanwhile, from my friend Victor, it's possibly the most brazen example of using plain truth to tell a lie in the history of marketing:  meet the GFX-100.