Nicola Vaccaj Giulietta e Romeo opera to libretto by Felice Romani. Directed 2018 by Cecilia Ligorio at the Palazzo Ducale, Martina Franca, Italy as part of the Festival of the Valle d’Itria. Stars Leonor Bonilla (Giulietta), Raffaella Lupinacci (Romeo), Leonardo Cortellazzi (Capellio), Paoletta Marrocu (Adela), Vasa Stajkic (Tebaldo), and Christian Senn (Lorenzo). Sesto Quatrini conducts the Orchestra Academy of the Teatro alla Scala and the Chorus of the Teatro Municipale, Piacenza (Chorus Master Corrado Casati). Directed for TV by Matteo Ricchetti. Sung in Italian, this is the only video available of this opera. Released 2019, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
Read MoreDonizetti Enrico di Borgogna (Henry of Burgundy) opera to a libretto by Bartolomeo Merelli. Directed 2018 by Silvia Paoli at the Teatro Sociale in Bergamo, Italy as part of the Donizetti Opera Festival. Stars Anna Bonitatibus (Enrico), Sonia Ganassi (Elisa), Levy Sekgapane (Guido), Francesco Castoro (Pietro), Luca Tittoto (Gilberto), Lorenzo Barbieri (Brunone), Federica Vitali (Geltrude), and Matteo Mezzaro (Nicola). Alessandro De Marchi conducts the Academia Montis Regalis and the Coro Donizetti Opera (Chorus Master Fabio Tartari). Set design by Andrea Belli; costume design by Valeria Donata Bettella; lighting design by Fiammetta Baldiserri; assistant direction by Tecla Gucci. Directed for TV by Adriano Figari and Matteo Ricchetti; sound recording by Rino Trasi and Giuseppe Famularo. Sung in Italian. Released 2019, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
Read MorePuccini Le Villi opera to a libretto by Ferdinando Fontana. Directed 2018 by Francesco Saponaro at the Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino. Stars Elia Fabbian (Guglielmo Wulf), Maria Teresa Leva (Anna), Leonardo Caimi (Robert), and Tony Laudadio (Narrator). Marco Angius conducts the Orchestra e Coro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino (Chorus Master Lorenzo Fratini). Also stars dancers from Compagnia Nuovo BallettO di ToscanA and special extras Elena Barsotti, Gaia Mazzeranghi, and Paolo Arcangeli. Set design by Francesco Saporano; costume design by Chiara Aversano; lighting design by Pasquale Mari; choreography by Susanna Sastro; assistant direction by Veronica Bolognani; assistant set design by Lucia Imperato. Directed for TV by Matteo Ricchetti; video editing by Adriano Figari; sound recording by Rino Trasi, Vera Zanotti, and Giuseppe Famularo. Sung in Italian. Released 2019, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
Read MoreCharles Gounod La Nonne sanglante (The Bleeding Nun) opera to a libretto by Eugène Scribe and Germain Delavigne. Directed 2018 by David Bobée at the Opéra Comique in Paris. Stars Michael Spyres (Rodolphe), Vannina Santoni (Agnès), Marion Lebègue (La Nonne), Jérôme Boutillier (Le Comte de Luddorf), Jodie Devos (Arthur), Jean Teitgen (Pierre l’Ermite), Luc Bertin-Hugault (Le Baron de Moldaw), Enguerrand De Hys (Fritz/Le Veilleur de nuit), and Olivia Doray (Anna). Laurence Equilbey conducts the Insula orchestra and the accentus choir. Set design by David Bobée and Aurélie Lemaignen; costume design by Alain Blanchot; lighting design by Stéphane Babi Aubert; video design by José Gherrak; make-up design by Amélie Lecul; dramaturgy by David Bobée and Laurence Equilbey; dramaturgical research by Anaëlle Lebovits-Quenehen and Catherine Dewitt; artistic collaboration by Corinee Meyniel. Directed for TV by François Roussillon. Sung in French. Released 2019, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
Read MorePuccini Madama Butterfly opera to libretto by Giuseppe Giacosa and Luigi Illica. Directed 2018 by Annilese Miskimmon at Glyndebourne. Stars Olga Busuioc (Cio-Cio San), Joshua Guerrero (Lieutenant B. F. Pinkerton), Michael Sumuel (Sharpless), Carlo Bosi (Goro), and Elizabeth DeShong (Suzuki). Omer Meir Wellber conducts the London Symphony Orchestra (Leader Pieter Schoeman) and the Glyndebourne Chorus (Chorus Master Nicholas Jenkins). Designs by Nicky Shaw; lighting design by Mark Jonathan; movement direction by Kally Lloyd Jones; video design by Ian William Galloway. Directed for TV by François Roussillon; produced by George Bruell. Sung in Italian. Released 2019, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
Read MoreRossini L'italiana in Algeri opera to a libretto by Angelo Anelli. Directed 2018 by Moshe Leiser and Patrice Caurier at the Haus für Mozart as part of the Salzburg Festival. Stars Cecilia Bartoli (Isabella), Ildar Abdrazakov (Mustafà), Edgardo Rocha (Lindoro), Alessandro Corbelli (Taddeo), José Coca Loza (Haly), Rebecca Olvera (Elvira), and Rosa Bove (Zulma). Jean-Christophe Spinosi conducts the Ensemble Matheus and the Philharmonia Chor Wien (Chorus Master Walter Zeh). Set design by Christian Fenouillat; costume design by Agostino Cavalca; lighting design by Christophe Forey; video design by Étienne Guiol. Directed for TV by Tiziano Mancini. Sung in Italian. Released 2019, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
Read MoreAlfredo Casella La donna serpente opera to libretto by Cesare Vico Lodovici. Directed 2016 by Arturo Cirillo at at the Teatro Regio Torino. Stars Piero Pretti (King Altidòr), Carmela Remigio (Miranda, a Fairy), Erika Grimaldi (Armilla), Francesca Sassu (Farzana / Coryphaea), Anna Maria Chiuri (Canzàde), Francesco Marsiglia (Alditrúf), Marco Filippo Romano (Albrigòr), Roberto de Candia (Pantúl), Fabrizio Paesano (Tartagíl), Fabrizio Beggi (Tògrul), Sebastian Catana (Demogorgòn), Kate Fruchterman (Smeraldina / A voice), Donato Di Gioia (Badúr / Coryphaeus), and Emilio Marcucci (Herald / Magician Geònca’s voice). Also features dancers from Fattoria Vittadini with choreography by Riccardo Olivier. Gianandrea Noseda conducts the Orchestra Teatro Regio Torino and the Chorus Teatro Regio Torino (Chorus Master Claudio Fenoglio). Set design by Dario Gessati; costume design by Gianluca Falaschi; lighting design by Giuseppe Calabrò. Directed for TV by Ariella Beddini. Sung in Italian. Released 2019, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio surround sound. Grade: NA
Read MoreWagner Lohengrin opera to libretto by the composer. Directed 2018 by Yuval Sharon at at the Bayreuth Festival. Stars Georg Zeppenfeld (Heinrich), Piotr Beczala (Lohengrin), Anja Harteros (Elsa von Brabant), Tomasz Konieczny (Friedrich), Waltraud Meier (Ortrud), Egils Silins (Der Heerrufer des Königs or King’s Herald), Michael Gniffke (an Elder), Eric Laporte (an Elder), Raimund Nolte (an Elder), and Timo Riihonen (an Elder). Christian Thielemann conducts the Bayreuth Festival Orchestra & Chorus. Stage and costume designs by Neo Rauch and Rosa Loy; lighting by Reinhard Traub. Sung in German. Released 2019, disc has 5.0 dts-HD Master Audio surround sound. Preliminary info needs confirmation and completion. Grade: NA
Read MorePietro Mascagni Cavalleria rusticana to a libretto by Giovanni Targioni-Tozzeti and Guido Menasci. Directed 2019 by Luigi Di Gangi & Ugo Giacomazzi at the Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino. Stars Alexia Voulgaridou (Santuzza), Marina Ogii (Lola), Angelo Villari (Turiddu), Devid Cecconi (Compar Alfio), Elena Zilio (Mamma Lucia), and Cristina Pagliai (Una donna). Valerio Galli conducts the Orchestra e Coro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino (Chorus Master Lorenzo Fratini). Set design by Federica Parolini; costume design by Agnese Rabatti; lighting design by Luigi Biondi. Directed for TV by Matteo Ricchetti; sound recording by Rino Trasi and Vera Zanotti. Released 2019, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
Read MoreBerthold Goldschmidt Beatrice Cenci opera to a libretto by Martin Esslin based on The Cenci by Percy Bysshe Shelley. Directed 2018 by Johannes Erath at the Bregenze Festival. Stars Christoph Pohl (Count Francesco Cenci), Dshamilja Kaiser (Lucrezia), Gal James (Beatrice), Christina Bock (Bernardo), Per Bach Nissen (Cardinal Camillo), Michael Laurenz (Orsino), Wolfgang Stefan Schwaiger (Marzio), Sébastien Soulès (Olimpio), and Peter Marsh (Judge). Johannes Debus conducts the Wiener Symphoniker and the Prague Philharmonic Choir (Chorus Master Lukáš Vasilek). Stage design by Katrin Connan; costume design by Katharina Tasch; lighting design by Bernd Purkrabek; dramaturgy by Olaf A. Schmitt. Directed for TV by Felix Breisach. Sung in German. Released 2019, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
Read MoreDvořák Rusalka opera to libretto by Jaroslav Kvapil. Directed 2012 by Kristina Wuss at the Opera Nova in Bydgoszcz, Poland. Stars Magdalena Polkowska (Rusalka); Tadeusz Szlenkier (Prince); Jacek Greszta (Water Gnome); Darina Gapicz (Witch); Katarzyna Nowak-Stańczyk (Foreign Princess); Pavlo Tolstoy (Gamekeeper); Victoria Vatutina (Turnspit); and Krystyna Nowak, Marta Ustyniak, Ewa Banasiak, Mariola Winkler-Kołtyś, Lidia Golińska, and Dorota Sobczak (Wood-sprites). Maciej Figas conducts Orchestra and Choir of the Opera Nova in Bydgoszcz (Choir Master Henryk Wierzchoń). Set and costume design by Mariusz Napierała; choreography by Iwona Runowska; multimedia productions by Krystian Drywa; light design by Maciej Igielski. Sung in Polish; subtitles in Polish, English, and German. Released 2019, disc has 5.1 Dolby Digital sound. Grade: NA
Read MoreMozart Die Zauberflöte (the Magic Flute) opera to libretto by Emanuel Schikaneder. Directed 2018 by Lydia Steier at the Großes Festspielhaus as part of the Salzburg Festival. Stars Matthias Goerne (Sarastro), Mauro Peter (Tamino), Albina Shagimuratova (The Queen of the Night), Christiane Karg (Pamina), Adam Plachetka (Papageno), Maria Nazarova (Papagena), Michael Porter (Monostatos), Klaus Maria Brandauer (Grandfather), Tareq Nazmi (The Speaker), and the Wiener Sängerknaben (Three Boys). Constantinos Carydis conducts the Wiener Philharmoniker and the Konzertvereinigung Wiener Staatsopernchor (Chorus Master Ernst Raffelsberger). Stage design by Katharina Schlipf; costume design by Ursula Kudrna; lighting by Olaf Freese. Directed for TV by Michael Beyer. Sung in German. Disc has 5.0 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
Read MoreTchaikovsky Pique Dame opera to a libretto by Modest Tchaikovsky. Directed 2018 by Hans Neuenfels at the Großes Festpielhaus as part of the Salzburg Festival. Stars Brandon Jovanovich (Hermann), Evgenia Muraveva (Lisa), Vladislav Sulimsky (Count Tomsky/Plutus), Igor Golovatenko (Prince Yeletsky), Hanna Schwarz (Countess), Alexander Kravets (Chekalinsky), Stanislav Trofimov (Surin), Gleb Peryazev (Narumov), Pavel Petrov (Chaplitsky), and Oksana Volkova (Polina/Daphnis). Mariss Jansons conducts the Wiener Philharmoniker, the Konzertvereinigung Wiener Staatsopernchor (Chorus Master Ernst Raffelsberger), and the Salzburger Festspiele und Theater Kinderchor (Chorus Master Wolfgang Götz). Set design by Christian Schmidt; costume design by Reinhard von der Thannen; lighting design by Stefan Bolliger; video designs by Nicolas Humbert and Martin Otter. Directed for TV by Tiziano Mancini. Sung in Russian. Released 2019, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
Read MoreGiuseppe Saverio Mercadante Didone Abbandonata opera to a libretto by Andrea Leone Tottola. Directed 2018 by Jürgen Flimm at the Tiroler Landestheater, Innsbruck, Austria as part of the Innsbruck Festival of Early Music. Stars Viktorija Miškūnaitė (Didone), Katrin Wundsam (Enea), Carlo Vincenzo Allemano (Jarba), Pietro Di Bianco (Osmida), Diego Godoy (Araspe), and Emilie Renard (Selene). Alessandro De Marchi conducts the Academia Montis Regalis. Features Chiara Cattani on fortepiano. Set design by Magdalena Gut; costume design by Kristina Bell; lighting design by Irene Selka; choreography by Tiziana Colombo. Directed for TV by Götz Filenius. Sung in Italian. Released 2019, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
Read MoreDonizetti Il castello di Kenilworth opera to a libretto by Andrea Leone Tottola. Directed 2018 by Maria Pilar Pérez Aspa (with assistant director Federico Bertolani) at the Bergamo Teatro Sociale as part of the Donizetti Opera Festival. Stars Jessica Pratt (Elisabetta), Carmela Remigio (Amelia), Xabier Anduaga (Leicester), Stefan Pop (Warney), Dario Russo (Lambourne), and Federica Vitali (Fanny). Riccardo Frizza conducts the Orchestra Donizetti Opera and the Coro Donizetti Opera (Chorus Master Fabio Tartari). Set design by Angelo Sala; costume design by Ursula Patzak with assistant costume designer Nika Campisi; lighting design by Fiammetta Baldiserri. Directed for TV by Adriano Figari and Matteo Ricchetti. Sound recorded by Rino Trasi and Giuseppe Famularo. Sung in Italian. Released 2019, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
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