Verdi La Traviata opera to a libretto by Francesco Maria Piave. Directed 2007 by Karl-Ernst Herrmann and Ursel Herrmann at the Teatro Regio di Parma Verdi Festival. Stars Svetla Vassileva (Violetta Valery), Daniela Pini (Flora Bervoix), Antonella Trevisan (Annina), Massimo Giordano (Alfredo Germont), Vladimir Stoyano (Giorgio Germont), Gianluca Floris (Gastone), Armando Gabba (Barone Douphol), Filippo Polinelli (Marchese D’Obigny), Roberto Tagliavini (Dottore Grenvil), Iorio Zennaro (Giuseppe), Roberto Scodura (Un Domestico di Flora), and Matteo Mazzoli (Un Commissionario). Yuri Termirkanov conducts the Orchestra and Chorus of the Teatro Regio di Parma (Chorus Master Martino Faggiani). Set, costume, and lighting design by Karl-Ernst Herrmann. Directed for TV by Tiziano Mancini. Sung in Italian. Released 2013, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
Read MoreVincenzo Bellini Beatrice di Tenda opera to a libretto by Felice Romani. Directed 2010 by Henning Herman Brockhaus at the Teatro Massimo Bellini in Catania. Stars Michele Kalmandi, Dimitra Theodossiou, José Maria Lo Monaco, Alejandro Roy, Michele Mauro, and Alfio Marletta. Antonio Pirolli conducts the Orchestra and Chorus of Teatro Massimo Bellini (Chorus Master Tiziana Carlini). Sets and lighting by Henning Herman Brockhaus; costumes by Giancarlo Colis (who also assisted in set design); assistant director and choreographer was Emma Scialfa; video director was Matteo Ricchetti. Released 2013, disc has dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
Read MoreJohn Adams Nixon in China opera to a libretto by Alice Goodman. Directed 2011 by Peter Sellars at the Metropolitan Opera. Stars singers (order of appearance) Russell Braun (Chou En-lai), Ginger Costa-Jackson (Nancy Tang, First Secretary to Mao), Teresa S. Herold (Second Secretary to Mao), Tamara Mumford (Third Secretary to Mao), James Maddalena (Richard Nixon), Janis Kelly (Pat Nixon), Richard Paul Fink (Henry Kissinger), Robert Brubaker (Mao Tse-tung), and Kathleen Kim (Chiang Ch'ing [Madame Mao Tse-tung]), as well as dancers Haruno Yamazaki and Kanji Segawa. John Adams (the composer) conducts the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, Chorus (Chorus Master Donald Palumbo), and Ballet. Produced by Peter Sellars; set design by Adrianne Lobel; costume design by Dunya Ramicova; lighting design by James F. Ingalls; choreography by Mark Morris; sound design by Mark Grey. Released 2012, disc has Dolby TrueHD 24-bit sound. Grade: A-
Read MoreBritten Peter Grimes opera to a libretto by Montagu Slater. Directed 2012 by Richard Jones at the Teatro alla Scala. Stars John Graham-Hall (Peter Grimes), Susan Gritton (Ellen Orford), Christopher Purves (Captain Balstrode), Felicity Palmer (Auntie), Ida Falk Winland (Niece), Simona Mihai (Niece), Peter Hoare (Bob Boles), Daniel Okulitch (Swallow), Catherine Wyn-Rogers (Mrs. Sedley), Christopher Gillett (Horace Adams), George Von Bergen (Ned Keene), Stephen Richardson (Hobson), and Francesco Malvuccio (Boy). Robin Ticciati conducts the Orchestra e Coro del Teatro alla Scala (Choras Master Bruno Casoni). Sets and costumes by Stewart Laing; lighting by Mimi Jordan Sherin; movement direction by Sarah Fahie; directed for TV by Patrizia Carmine. Released 2013, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
Read MoreHaydn Orlando Paladino opera to libretto by Nunziano Porta. Directed 2009 by Nigel Lowery and Amir Hosseinpour at the Staatsoper unter den Linden, Berlin. Stars Marlis Petersen, Tom Randle, Pietro Spagnoli, Magnus Staveland, Sunhae Im, Alexandrina Pendatchanska, Victor Torres, and Arttu Kataja. René Jacobs conducts the Freiburger Barockorchester. Set and costume design by Nigel Lowery. Directed for TV by Andreas Morell; produced by Paul Smaczny. Released 2013, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
Read MoreTchaikovsky Eugene Onegin opera to libretto by the composer and K. Shilovsky based on the verse novel by Alexander Pushkin. Directed 2011 by Mariusz Treliński at the Paleau De Les Arts Valencia. Stars Kristine Opolais, Lena Belkina, Artur Ruciňski, Dmitri Korchak, Günther Groissböck, Helene Schneiderman, Margarita Nekrasova, Emilio Sánchez, Aldo Heo, and Simon Lim. Omer Meir Wellber conducts the Orquestra and Cor de la Generalitat Valenciana. Choreography by Emil Wesolowski. Released 2013, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
Read MoreVerdi Il trovatore opera to a libretto by Salvadore Cammarano and Leone Emanuele Bardare. Directed 2010 by Lorenzo Mariani at the Teatro Regio di Parma Verdi Festival. Stars Claudio Sgura (Il Conte di Luna), Teresa Romano (Leonora), Mzia Nioradze (Azucena), Marcelo Álvarez (Manrico), Deyan Vatchkov (Ferrando), Cristina Giannelli (Ines), Roberto Jachini Virgili (Ruiz), Enrico Rinaldo (Un Vecchio Zingaro), and Seung Hwa Paek (Un Messo). Yuri Temirkanov conducts the Orchestra and Chorus of the Teatro Regio Di Parma (Chorus Master Martino Faggiani). Set and costume design by William Orlandi; lighting design by Christian Pinaud. Directed for TV by Tiziano Mancini. Sung in Italian. Released 2013, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
Read MoreVerdi Stiffelio opera to a libretto by Francesco Maria Piave. Directed by Guy Montavon in 2012 at the Teatro Regio di Parma Verdi Festival. Stars Roberto Aronica (Stiffelio),Yu Guanqun (Lina), Roberto Frontali (Stankar), Gabriele Magnione (Raffaele), George Andguladze (Jorg), Cosimo Vassallo (Federico), and Lorelay Solis (Dorotcea). Andrea Battistoni conducts the Orchestra and Chorus of the Teatro Regio Di Parma (Chorus Master Martino Faggiani). Sets and costumes by Francesco Calcagnini; lighting by Guy Montavon. Directed for TV by Tiziano Mancini. Sung in Italian. Released 2013, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
Read MoreLeoš Janáček The Cunning Little Vixen opera to libretto by the composer. Directed by Melly Stil at Glyndebourne. Stars Lucy Crowe (Vixen Sharp Ears), Emma Bell (Fox), Sergei Leiferkus (Forester), Mischa Schelomianski (Badger/Priest), Adrian Thompson (Schoolmaster/Mosquito), William Dazeley (Harašta), Jean Rigby (Forester's Wife/Owl), Colin Judson (Pásek the Innkeeper), and Sarah Pring (Inkeeper's Wife). Vladimir Jurowski conducts the London Philharmonic Orchestra and the Glyndebourne chorus (Chorus Master Jeremy Bines). Set designs by Tom Pye; costumes by Dinah Collin; lighting by Paule Constable; choreography by Maxine Doyle; fight direction by Kevin McCurdy; directed for film by Thomas Grimm; executive producer George Bruell. Released 2013, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
Read MoreHans Pfitzner Palestrina opera to a libretto by the composer. Directed 2009 by Christian Stückl at the Nationaltheater in Munich. Stars Christopher Ventris (Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina), Peter Rose (Pope Pius IV), Michael Volle (Giovanni Morone), Jon Daszak (Bernardo Novagerio), Roland Bracht (Cardinal Christoph Madruscht), Falk Struckmann (Carlo Borromeo), and Christiane Karg (Ighino). Simone Young conducts the Bayerisches Staatsochester and the Chor der Bayerischen Staatsoper (Chorus Masters Andrés Máspero and Stellario Fagone). Stage and costume design by Stefan Hageneier; lighting design by Michael Bauer; video direction by Karina Fibich. Also includes Making of “Palestrina” bonus film. Released 2019, disc has dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
Read MoreRichard Strauss Der Rosenkavalier opera to libretto by Hugo von Hofmannsthal. Directed 2010 by Brian FitzGerald at the Sydney Opera House. Stars Cheryl Barker (The Feldmarschallin), Catherine Carby (Count Octavian Rofrano), Manfred Hemm (Baron Ochs Auf Lerchenau), Warwick Fyfe (Herr von Faninal), Emma Pearson (Sophie von Faninal), Andrew Brunsdon (Valzacchi), Jacqueline Dark (Annina), and Henry Choo (Italian Singer). Andrew Litton conducts the Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra (Concertmaster Aubrey Murphy), Opera Australia Chorus (Chorus Master Michael Black), and Children's Chorus (Chorus Preparation by Anthony Hunt). Rehearsed by Roger Press; designs by Carl Friedrich Oberle; lighting by Nigel Levings. Audio direction by Tony David Cray; TV direction by Cameron Kirkpatrick. Production Executive was Chris Yates; Producer was Sam Russell. Released 2013, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
Read MoreVerdi La forza del destino opera to libretto by Francesco Piave. Directed 2007 by Nicolas Joël at Teatro del Maggio Musicale in Florence. Stars Violeta Urmana (Donna Leonora), Carlo Guelfi (Don Carlo di Vargas), Marcello Giordani (Don Alvaro), Duccio Dal Monte (Il Marchese di Calatrava), Julia Gertseva (Preziosilla), Roberto Scandiuzzi (Padre Guardiano), Bruno De Simone (Fra Melitone), Antonella Trevisan (Curra), Filippo Polinelli (Un alcalde), Carlo Bosi (Mastro Trabuco), and Alessandro Luongo (Un chirurgo). MaggioDanza choreographed by Sabine Mouscardès. Zubin Mehta conducts the Orchestra and Chorus of Maggio Musicale Fiorentino (Chorus Master Piero Monti). Restaged by Timo Schlüssel; set designs by Ezio Frigerio; costumes by Franca Squarciapino; lighting by Jürgen Hoffman; video projections by Ideogamma di Sergo Metalli, Rimini. Directed for TV by Andrea Bevilacqua. Released 2009, disc has 7.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: C
Read MorePergolesi L'Olimpiade opera to a libretto by Metastasio. Directed by Italo Nunziata in 2011 at the Teatro Valeria Moriconi in Jesi as part of the Pergolesi Festival. Stars Raúl Giménez, Lyubov Petrova, Yetzabel Arias Fernández, Jennifer Rivera, Sofia Soloviy, Antonio Lovano, and Milena Storti. Alessandro De Marchi conducts the Academia Montis Regalis. Sets by Luigi Scoglio; costumes by Ruggero Vitrani; lighting by Patrick Latronica; directed for TV by Tiziano Mancini. Released 2013, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: B+
Read MoreVerdi La battaglia di Legnano opera to a libretto by Salvadore Cammarano. Directed 2012 by Ruggero Cappuccio at the Teatro Lirico "Giuseppe Verdi" di Trieste. Stars Enrico Giuseppe Iori, Francesco Musini, Federico Benetti, Gabriele Sagona, Leonardo López Linares, Dimitra Theodossiou, Andrew Richards, Giovanni Guagliardo, Sharon Pierfederici, Alessandro de Angelis, and Nicola Pascoli. Boris Brott conducts the Orchestra e Coro del Teatro Lirico "Giuseppe Verdi" (Chorus Master Paolo Vero). Sets and custumes by Carlo Savi with the participation of Mimmo Paladino and Matthew Spender; lighting by Nino Napoletano; directed for video by Tiziano Mancini. Released 2013, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
Read MoreVerdi Il corsaro opera to a libretto by Francesco Maria Piave. Directed 2008 by Lamberto Puggelli at the Teatro Regio di Parma Verdi Festival. Stars Bruno Ribeiro, Andrea Papi, Irina Lungu, Luca Salsi, Silvia dalla Benetta, Gregory Bonfatti, and Angelo Villari. Carlo Montanaro conducts the Orchestra e Coro del Teatro Regio di Parma (Chorus Master Martino Faggiani). Sets by Marco Capuana; costumes by Vera Marzot; lighting by Andrea Borelli; directed for video by Tiziano Mancini. Released 2013, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
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