Andre Messager Fortunio opera to libretto by Gaston Arman de Caillavet and Robert de Flers. Directed 2019 by Denis Podalydès at the Opéra Comique in Paris. Stars Cyrille Dubois (Fortunio), Anne-Catherine Gillet (Jacqueline), Franck Leguérinel (Maître André), Jean-Sébastien Bou (Clavaroche), Philippe-Nicolas Martin (Landry), Pierre Derhet (Lieutenant d’Azincourt), Thomas Dear (Lieutenant de Verbois), Aliénor Feix (Madelon), Luc Bertin-Hugault (Maître Subtil), Geoffroy Buffière (Guillame), Sarah Jouffroy (Gertrude), Laurent Podalydès (Comedien). Louis Langrée conducts the Orchestre des Champs-Élysées and the Chœur Les Éléments (Chorus Master Joël Suhubiette). Set design by Éric Ruf; costume design by Christian Lacroix; lighting design by Stéphanie Daniel. Directed for TV by François Roussillon. Sung in French. Released 2020, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
Read MorePuccini Tosca opera to libretto by Giuseppe Giacosa and Luigi Illica. Directed 2019 by Margarethe Wallmann at the Wiener Staatsoper. Stars Karine Babajanyan (Floria Tosca), Piotr Beczaɫa (Mario Cavaradossi), Carlos Álvarez (Baron Scarpia), Sorin Coliban (Cesare Angelotti), Alexandru Moisiuc (The Sacristan), Wolfram Igor Derntl (Spoletta), Hans Peter Kammerer (Sciarrone), Ayk Martirossian (A Gaoler), and Maryam Tahon (A Shepherd). Marco Armiliato conducts the Orchester der Wiener Staatsoper and the Chor der Wiener Staatsoper (Chorus Master Martin Schebesta). Costume and set design by Nicola Benois. Directed for TV by Ella Gallieni. Sung in Italian. Released 2021, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
This Wallmann show premiered 63 years ago! The Vienna State Opera kept it going ever since to . . .
Read MoreJean-Philippe Rameau Les Indes galantes opera-ballet to a libretto by Louis Fuzelier. Choreographed and directed 2014 by Laura Scozzi at the Bordeaux National Opera. Stars Amel Brahim-Djelloul (Hébé/Fatime/Phani), Benoît Arnould (Bellone/Alvar), Eugénie Warnier (Roxane), Olivera Topalovic (Amour/Zima), Judith van Wanroij (Emilie/Atalide), Vittorio Prato (Osman), Anders Dahlin (Valère/Tacmas/Carlos/Damon), Nathan Berg (Huascar), and Thomas Dolié (Adario). Christophe Rousset conducts Les Talens Lyriques and the Choeur de L'Opéra National be Bordeaux (Chorus Director Alexander Martin). Sets by Natascha Leguen de Kerneizon; costumes by Jean-Jacques Delmotte; lighting by Ludovic Bouaud. Directed for TV by Olivier Simonnet; produced by Jean-Stéphane Michaux. The publisher Alpha-Classics is a French company, and the keepcase material is in French. Sung in French. Released 2015, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: A with ‽ designation for extensive nudity.
Jean-Philippe Rameau's first hit was the opera Hippolyte et Aricie from 1733. In 1735, Les Indes galantes (The Amorous Indies) was his first opera-ballet. It's a package of 5 mini-operas: a prologue followed by 4 independent pieces, each running from roughly 30 to 40 minutes. The Prologue is set in a mythological garden (here the Garden of Eden). Bellone, the God of War, enters the Garden and leads the men off to the joy of combat. Amour then sends the women off to observe 4 stories about love; director Scozzi assigns this task to 3 lady comedians called the “love tourists.”
Read MoreJean-Philippe Rameau Les Indes galantes opera-ballet to a libretto by Louis Fuzelier. Directed and choreographed 2016 by Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui at the Prinzregentheater in Munich as part of the Munich Opera Festival. Stars Lisette Oropesa (Hébé/Zima), Goran Juric (Bellone), Ana Quintans (L'Amour/Zaïre), Tareq Nazmi (Osman/Ali), Elsa Benoit (Emilie), Cyril Auvity (Valère/Tacmas), François Lis (Huascar/Don Alvaro), Anna Prohaska (Phani/Fatime), Mathias Vidal (Don Carlos/Damon), and John Moore (Adario). Also features the Dancers of Eastman. Ivor Bolton conducts Munchner Festspielorchester and Balthasar-Neumann-Chor (Chorus Master Detlef Bratschke). Set design by Anna Viebrock; costume design by Greta Goiris; lighting design by Michael Bauer; dramaturgy by Antonio Cuenca Ruiz and Miron Hakenbeck. Directed for TV by Andy Sommer; produced by François Duplat. Released 2017, the disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound output. Grade: B-
The Prologue opens in a elementary school where Hébé (Lisette Oropesa), the goddess of youth, is teaching school children about the wonders of nature.
Read MoreGyörgy Ligeti Le Grand Macabre opera to a libretto by the composer based on a play by Michel de Ghelderode. Directed 2011 by Àlex Ollé and Valentina Carrasco with staging by La Fura dels Baus at the Gran Teatre Del Liceu. Stars Chris Merritt (Piet the Pot), Inés Moraleda (Amando), Ana Puche (Amanda), Werner Van Mechelen (Nekrotzar), Frode Olsen (Astradamors), Ning Liang (Mescalina), Barbara Hannigan (Venus/Gepopo), Brian Asawa (Prince Gogo), Francisco Vas (White Minister), Simon Butteriss (Black Minister), Gabriel Diap (Ruffiak), Miquel Rosales (Schabiack), and Ramon Grau (Schabernack). Michael Boder conducts the orchestra and chorus of the Gran Teatre Del Liceu (Chorus Master José Luís Basso). Set design by Alfons Flores; video by Franc Aleu; costume design by Lluc Castells; lighting design by Peter van Praet. Directed for TV by Xavi Bové; produced by Magdalena Herbst. Sung in English. Released 2012, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: A+ with ‽ designation
Le Grand Macabre premiered in 1978, but Ligeti rewrote the opera in 1996. A Hungarian, Ligeti thought that operas should be enjoyed in the native language of the audience. The 1996 version was written in a way that allowed the libretto to be translated into various languages without changing the music. The production in Barcelona was in English (rather than Spanish) in a successful effort to help the work travel better. Le Grand Macabre is a savage comedy and satire on
Read MoreBizet Carmen opera to libretto by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy. Directed 2010 by Richard Eyre at the Met. Stars Elīna Garanča (Carmen), Roberto Alagna (Don José), Barbara Frittoli (Micaëla), Teddy Tahu Rhodes (Escamillo), Elizabeth Caballero (Frasquita), Sandra Piques Eddy (Mercédès), Trevor Scheunemann (Moralès), Keith Miller (Zuniga), Earle Patriarco (Le Dancaïre), Keith Jameson (Le Remendado), Maria Kowroski (dancer), and Martin Harvey (dancer). Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducts the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Chorus (Chorus Master Donald Palumbo), a production Stage Band (Conductor Jeffrey Goldberg), and the Children's Chorus (Director Anthony Piccolo). Set and costume design by Rob Howell; lighting design by Peter Mumford; choreography by Christopher Wheeldon; associate costume design by Irene Bohan; musical preparation by Joan Dornemann, Jane Klaviter, Linda Hall, Pierre Vallet, and Jonathan Kelly; fight direction by Nigel Poulton; assistant stage direction by Jonathan Loy, Paula Williams, and Tomer Zvulun; dramaturgy by Paul Cremo. Directed for TV by Gary Halvorson; Music Producer was Jay David Saks; Supervising Producers were Mia Bongiovanni and Elena Park; Producers were Louisa Briccetti and Victoria Warivonchik. Sung in French. Released 2012, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: A
I probably really don’t need to show screenshots explaining the Carmen plot; you know the story already. But in 2010, Gary Halvorson had 15 cameramen working on this video, which was shown in movie theaters all over the world. The result is almost unbelievable good picture quality, color handling, and video content
Read MoreMozart Le nozze di Figaro opera to libretto by Lorenza da Ponte. Directed 2016 by David Bösch at the Dutch National Opera. Stars Stéphane Degout (Il Conte di Almaviva); Eleonora Buratto (La Contessa di Almaviva); Christiane Karg (Susanna); Alex Esposito (Figaro); Mariane Crebassa (Cherubino); Katharine Goeldner (Marcellina); Umberto Chiummo (Bartolo); Krystian Adam (Basilio); Jeroen de Vaal (Don Curzio); Louise Kemény (Barbarina); Matteo Peirone (Antonio), and Tomoko Makuuchi and Fang Fang Kong (Due donne). Ivor Bolton conducts the Netherlands Chamber Orchestra and the Chorus of the Dutch National Opera (Chorus Master Ching-Lien Wu). Set design by Patrick Bannwart; costume design by Meentje Nielsen; lighting design by Olaf Winter; dramaturgy by Klaus Bertisch. Directed for TV by Misjel Vermeiren. Sung in Italian. Released 2020, disc has 5.0 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
Read MoreTeatro alla Scala Operas box set released 2021. Below are the discs. Four of the titles have already been reported on this website, and you can get more details by using the links provided:
We excluded Die Zauberflöte because it is a student production.
Read MoreWagner Siegfried to a libretto by the composer. Directed 2012 by Plamen Kartaloff at the National Opera and Ballet in Sofia, Bulgaria. Stars Martin Iliev (Siegried), Krasimir Dinev (Mime), Biser Georgiev (Alberich) Martin Tsonev (The Wanderer/Wotan), Petar Buchkov (Fafner), Rumyana Petrova (Erda), Bayasgalan Dashnyam (Brünnhilde), and Lyubov Metodieva (Forest Bird). Pavel Baleff conducts the Orchestra of the Sofia Opera and Ballet (Concertmaster Teodora Hristova). Set and costume design by Nikolay Panayotov; lighting design by Andrej Hajdinjak. Directed for TV by Plamen Kartaloff; sound engineer was Yordan Tomov; video editing by Angel Hristov. Sung in German. Released 2021, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio. Grade: D
Read MoreMassenet Don Quichotte opera to libretto by Henri Caïn. Directed 2019 by Mariame Clément at the Bregenz Festival. Stars Gábor Bretz (Don Quichotte), David Stout (Sancho), Anna Goryachova (Dulcinée), Léonie Renaud (Pedro), Vera Maria Bitter (Garcias), Paul Schweinester (Rodriguez), Patrik Reiter (Juan), Elie Chapus (Chief of the Bandits), and Felix Defèr (A Man). Daniel Cohen conducts the Wiener Symphoniker and the Prague Philharmonic Choir (Chorus Master Lukáš Vasilek). Set and costume design by Julia Hansen; lighting design by Ulrik Gad; choreography for fight scenes by Ran Arthur Braun; dramaturgy by Olaf A. Schmitt. Directed for TV by Felix Breisach. Sung in French. Released 2020, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
Read MoreRossini Il barbiere di Siviglia opera to libretto by Cesare Sterbini. Directed 2017 by Laurent Pelly at the Théâtre des Champs Elysées in Paris. Stars Florian Sempey (Figaro) Catherine Trottmann (Rosina), Michele Angelini (Il Conte Almaviva), Peter Kálmán (Bartolo), Robert Gleadow (Basilio), Annunziata Vestri (Berta), Guillaume Andrieux (Fiorello), and Stéphane Facco (Ambrogio). Jérémie Rhorer conducts Le Cercle de l’Harmonie and Unikanti (Chorus Master Gaël Darchen). Set and costume design by Laurent Pelly; associate set designer was Cléo Laigret; associate costume designer was Jean-Jacques Delmotte; lighting design by Joël Adam. Directed for TV by François Roussillon; executive producer was George Bruell. Sung in Italian. Released 2019, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: A+
A great opera production requires excellence in all elements of the work: the orchestral music, singing, stage direction and movements, acting, sets, costumes, and props, etc. Each element needs to be coordinated to the overall concept of the conductor of the orchestra and the stage director. If everything is properly related, you can be successful with almost any “style” you dream up. Then you can also have a great video if you start working with the videographer early
Read MoreSalzburg Festival 100th Anniversary box set with ten operas. You can get more details for each title by using the links provided:
Read MoreDvořák Rusalka opera to libretto by Jaroslav Kvapil. Directed 2019 by Melly Still at the Glyndebourne Festival. Stars Sally Matthews (Rusalka); Evan LeRoy Johnson (Prince); Alexander Roslavets (Vadnick), Patricia Bardon (Ježibaba), Zoya Tsererina (Foreign Princess), Colin Judson (Gamekeeper), Alix Le Saux (Kitchen Girl), Vuvu Mpofu (First Wood Nymph), Anna Pennisi (Second Wood Nymph), Alyona Abramova (Third Wood Nymph), and Adam Marsden (Hunter). Robin Ticciati conducts the London Philharmonic Orchestra and The Glyndebourne Chorus. Designs by Rae Smith; movement direction by Rick Nodine; lighting design by Paule Constable. Directed for TV by François Roussillon. Sung in Czech. Released 2020, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio. Grade: NA
Read MorePuccini Gianni Schicchi to libretto by Giovacchino Forzano. Directed 2019 by Denis Krief at the Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino. Stars Bruno de Simone (Gianni Schicchi), Francesca Longari (Lauretta), Anna Maria Chiuri (Zita detta La Vecchia), Dave Monaco (Rinuccio), Antonio Garés (Gherardo), Costanza Fontana (Nella), Matteo Lantieri (Gheradino), Francesco Venuti (Betto di Signa), Eugenio Di Lieto (Simone), Min Kim (Marco), Giada Frasconi (La Ciesca), Enrico Marabelli (Maestro Spinelloccio/Ser Amantio di Nicolao), Shuxin Li (Pinellino), Adam Jon (Guccio), and Fabrizio Casagrande (Extra). Valerio Galli conducts the Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino. Set, costume, and lighting design by Denis Krief. Sung in Italian. Released 2020, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
Read MoreOffenbach Orphée aux enfers opera to a libretto by Hector Crémieux and Ludovic Halévy. Directed 2019 by Barrie Kosky at the Salzburg Festival. Stars Joel Prieto (Orphée), Kathryn Lewek (Eurydice), Marcel Beekman (Aristée/Pluton), Martin Winkler (Jupiter), Max Hopp (John Styx), Anne Sofie von Otter (L’Opinion publique), Vasilisa Berzhanskaya (Diane), Lea Desandre (Vénus), Frances Pappas (Junon), Nadine Weissmann (Cupidon), Rafał Mawnuk (Mars), and Peter Renz (Mercure). Enrique Mazzola conducts the Wiener Philharmoniker and the Vocalconsort Berlin (Chorus Master David Cavelius). Set design by Rufus Didwiszus; costume design by Victoria Behr; lighting design by Franck Evin; choreography by Otto Pichler; dramatic advisor was Susanna Goldberg. Directed for TV by Michael Beyer. Sung in French. Released 2020, disc has 5.0 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
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