Gioachino Rossini Il Barbiere di Siviglia opera to libretto by Cesare Sterbini. Directed 2005 by Emilio Sagi at the Teatro Real de Madrid (Assistant Stage Director Javier Ulacia). Stars Juan Diego Flóres (Conte d'Almaviva), María Bayo (Rosina), Bruno Praticò (Bartolo), Pietro Spagnoli (Figaro), Ruggero Raimondi (Don Basilio), Marco Moncloa (Fiorello), Susana Cordón (Berta), Enrique Sánchez Ramos (An Official), Antonio Ortega (Ambrogio), and José Antonio Sanguino (Notary). Dancers are Mar Moreira, Susana González, Encarna Piedrabuena, Delia Rodríguez, Cristina Arias, Rodrigo Alonso, David Bernardo, Juan Busto, Fermín Calvo de Mora, Damián Donado, Rafa González, Luis Hacha, Julián Herrero, Joaquín León, Jorge López, David Martín, Pedro Navarro, Antonio Ortega, Joseba Pinela, Carlos Quirós, Luis Romero, José Antonio Sanguino, Aitor Santamaría, Marco Sauco, and Gregorio Such Fuster. Continuo: Patricia Barton (piano); John Paul Friedhoff (cello); Luis Augusto de Fonseca (double bass). Gianluigi Gelmetti conducts the Orquesta Titular del Teatro Real and the Coro de la Comunidad de Madrid (Chorus Master: Jordi Casas). Sets by Llorenç Corbella (assisted by Montse Garre); costumes by Renata Schussheim (assisted by Susana Mendoza); lighting by Eduardo Bravo; directed for TV by Ángel Luis Ramírez; produced for TV by Ángela Álvarez Rilla; music preduced by James Whitbourn; stereo and surround sound by Andy Rose; Hans Petri was Executive Producer. Released 2008, disc has 5.0 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: A-
Gordon Smith and his L'OperaDou jury awarded the grade of "A-" to this title.
Read MoreRichard Strauss Ariadne auf Naxos opera to libretto by Hugo von Hofmannsthal. Directed 2006 by Claus Guth at Opernhaus Zürich. Stars Emily Magee (Ariadne/Primadonna), Elena Moçuc (Zerbinetta), Roberto Saccà (Tenor/Bacchus), Alexander Pereira (Haushofmeister), Michael Volle (Musiklehrer), Michelle Breedt (Komponist), Randall Ball (Offizier), Guy de Mey (Tanzmeister), Andrew Ashwin (Perückenmacher), Ruben Drole (Lakai), Gabriel Bermúdez (Harlekin), Martin Zysset (Scaramuccio), Reinhard Mayr (Truffaldin), Blagoj Nacoski (Brighella), Eva Liebau (Najade), Irène Friedli (Dryade), and Sandra Trattnigg (Echo). Christoph von Dohnányi conducts the Orchestra der Oper Zürich. Set and costume designs by Christian Schmidt; dramaturgy by Ronny Dietrich; lighting by Jürgen Hoffmann; directed for TV by Thomas Grimm. Released 2009, this disc has 7.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: B
Read MoreVerdi Aida opera to libretto by Antonio Ghislanzoni. Directed 2006 by Franco Zeffirelli at the Teatro alla Scala. Stars Violeta Urmana (Aida), Roberto Alagna (Radamès), Ildiko Komlosi (Amneris), Giorgio Giuseppini (Ramfis), Carlo Guelfi (Amonastro), Marco Spotti (The King), Antonello Ceron (Messenger), and Sae Kyung Rim (Priestes) in singing roles. Dancers from the Teatro alla Scala Ballet are Luciana Savignano, Roberto Bolle, and Myrna Kamara. Riccardo Chailly directs the Orchestra e coro del Teatro alla Scala (Chorus Master Bruno Casoni). Sets by Franco Zeffirelli; costumes by Maurizio Millenotti; lighting by Gianni Mantovanini; choreography by Vladimir Vassiliev. Directed for TV by Patrizia Carmine. Released 2008, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: B
Read MoreJonathan Dove The Adventures of Pinocchio opera to libretto by Alasdair Middleton. Directed 2008 by Martin Duncan at Sadler's Wells Theater (James Bonas Assistant Director). Stars Victoria Simmonds (Pinocchio), Jonathan Summers (Geppetto), Mary Plazas (The Blue Fairy), Rebecca Bottone (Cricket/Parrot), Graeme Broadbent (Puppeteer/Ape-Judge/Ringmaster/Big Green Fisherman), Allan Clayton (Lampwick), Mark Wilde (Cat), James Laing (Fox/Coachman), Carole Wilson (Pigeon/Snail), Paul Gibson (Barker), Ben Kerslake (Arlecchino), Gillene Herbert (Rosaura), Nicholas Butterfield (Pantalone), Jeremy Peaker (Owl Doctor/Bricklayer), Campbell Russell (Craw Doctor), Hazel Croft (Beetle Doctor), Edward Thornton (Coal-Merchant), and Anthony Cunningham (Drum Maker). Dancers are Ted Sikström, Stacy Abalogun, Marie Andersen, and James Roberts. David Parry conducts the Orchestra (Anthony Kraus Assistant Conductor) and Chorus (Bernhard Schneider Chorus Master) of Opera North. Set and costume design by Francis O'Connor; lighting by Davy Cunningham; movement direction by Nick Winston. Directed for video by Thomas Grimm; sound production by James Whitbourn; produced by Ferenc van Damme and Hans Petri. Sung in English. Released 2009, disc has 5.1 Dolby TrueHD sound. Grade: C
Read MoreHandel Admeto opera to libretto by Aurelia Aureli and Ortensio Mauro. Directed 2006 by Axel Köhler at Opernhaus Halle as part of the the Halle Handel Festival. Stars Matthias Rexroth (Admeto), Romelia Lichtenstein (Alceste), Mechthild Bach (Antigona), Tim Mead (Trasimede), Raimund Nolte (Ercole), Melanie Hirsch (Orindo), Gerd Vogel (Moraspe), and Howard Arman/Alex Köhler (Voice of Apollo). Howard Arman conducts the Handel Festival Orchestra playing historical instruments. Stage design by Roland Aeschlimann; costumes by Marie-Thérèse Jossen; masks by Mario Ansinn; lighting by Matthias Hönig. Directed for TV by Ute Feudel. Released in 2009, this disc features 7.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: C+
Read MoreHandel Acis and Galatea opera to libretto by John Gay, Alexander Pope, and John Hughes. Directed 2009 by Wayne McGregor (assistant Laïla Diallo) at the Royal Opera House. The singing stars are Danielle de Niese (Galatea, a Nymph), Charles Workman (Acis, a Shepherd), Paul Agnew (Damon, a Shepherd), Matthew Rose (Polyphemus), Ji-Min Park (Coridon, a Shepherd), Juliet Schiemann (Chorus Soprano Soloist), and Phillip Bell (Chorus Tenor Soloist). The dancing stars from the Royal Ballet are Lauren Cuthbertson (Galatea), Edward Watson (Acis), Steven McRae (Damon), Melissa Hamilton (Damon), Eric Underwood (Polyphemus), and Paul Kay (Coridon). Other dancers are Olivia Cowley, Cindy Jourdain, Kristen McNally, Iohna Loots, Samantha Raine, Brian Maloney, Liam Scarlett, Johannes Stepanek, and Dawid Trzensimiech. Christopher Hogwood conducts the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment (leader: Kati Debretzeni) and the The Royal Opera Extra Chorus (Chorus Master: Stephen Westrop). Continuo: harpsichord by Julian Perkins; theorbo by Jan Čižmář; cello by Andrew Skidmore. Chamber organ by Steven Moore. Designs by Hildegard Bechtler; lighting by Lucy Carter; film director was Jonathan Haswell. Released in 2010, disc has 5.0 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: D+
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