Rossini Il barbiere di Siviglia opera to libretto by Cesare Sterbini. Directed 2009 by Moshe Leiser and Patrice Caurier at the Teatro Regio di Parma. Stars Changhan Lin (Fiorello), Juan Diego Flórez (Count Almavira), Pietro Spagnoli (Figaro), Joyce DiDonato (Rosina), Alessandro Corbelli (Doctor Bartolo), Ferruccio Furlanetto, (Don Basilio),  Jennifer Rhys-Davies (Berta), Bryan Secombe (Ambrogio), Christopher Lackner (Officer), and Andrew Macnair (Notary). Antonio Pappano conducts the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House (Concert Master Vasko Vassilev) and the Royal Opera Chorus (Chorus Director Renato Balsadonna). Set designs by Christian Fenouillat; costume design by Agostino Cavalca; lighting design by Christophe Forey; directed for screen by David Stevens; produced by Frances Whitaker. Released 2015, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA

Donizetti Maria Stuarda opera to libretto by Giuseppe Bardari. Directed by David McVickar at the Met. Stars Joyce DiDonato (Maria Stuarda), Elza van den Heever (Elisabetta), Matthew Rose (Talbot), Joshua Hopkins (Cecil), Matthew Polenzani (Leicester), and Maria Zifchak (Anna Kennedy). Maurizio Benini conducts the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Chorus. Sets and costumes design by John Macfarlane; lighting design by Jennifer Tipton; choreography by Leah Hausman. Released 2015, disc has 5.0 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA

Les Parapluies de Cherbourg jazz opera. Music by Michel Legrand. Based on the 1964 film of the same name directed by Jacque Demy. Directed 2014 at the Paris Théâtre du Châtelet. Stars Marie Oppert (Geneviève Emery), Vincent Niclo (Guy Foucher), Natalie Dessay (Madame Emery), Laurent Naouri (Roland Cassard), and Louise Leterm (Madeleine). Also stars, with numerous small roles each, Jasmine Roy, Franck Vincent, Franck Lopez, Arnaud Léonard, Valentin Johner, Salem Sobihi, and Elsa Dreisig.  Stage musicians are Denis Leloup (trombone), François Laizeau (drums), Claude Egea (trumpet), Pierre Boussaguet (double bass), and Pierre Perchaud (guitar). Michel Legrand conducts the Orchestre national d’Ile-de-France. Sets by Vincent Vittoz; designs by Jean-Jacques Sempé and Vincent Vittoz; costumes by Vanessa Seward; lighting by Renaud Corler. Directed for TV by Denis Caïozzi.  Released 2014, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: A+

Verdi La Traviata opera to libretto by Francesco Maria Piave. Directed 2014 by Benoît Jacquot the Paris Opéra Bastille. Stars Diana Damrau (Violetta Valéry), Francesco Demuro (Alfredo Germont), Ludovic Tézier (Giorgio Germont), Anna Pennisi (Flora Bervoix), Cornelia Oncioiu (Annina), Gabriele Mangione (Gastone), Fabio Previati (Il Baron Douphoi), Igor Gnidii (Il Marchese d'Obigny) and Nicolas Testé (Dr. Grenvil). Francesco Ivan Ciampa conducts the Ochestre et Chœur de l'Opéra National de Paris. Sets by Silvain Chauvelot; costumes by Christian Casc; lighting by André Diot; choreography by Philippe Giraudeau. Directed for TV by Lousie Narboni and Benoît Jacquot; produced by Françoise Gazio and Laurent Métivier. Sung in Italian. Released 2015, disc has 5.1 Dolby Digital sound. Grade: NA

Mozart La finta giardiniera opera to a libretto possibly by Giuseppe Petrosellini. Directed 2014 by David Lescot at the Opéra de Lille. Stars Carlo Allemano (Don Anchise, the Podestà), Erin Morley (Violante, disguised as Sandrina), Enea Scala (Comte Belfiore), Marie-Adeline Henry (Arminda), Marie-Claude Chappuis (Ramiro), Maria V. Savastano (Serpetta), and Nikolay Borchev (Roberto, disguised as Nardo). Emmanuelle Haïm conducts Le Concert d'Astrée (Chorus Master Philippe Grisvard). Atsushi Sakaï was Assistant to the Music Director. Set designs by Alwyne de Dardel; costumes by Sylvette Dequest; lighting by Paul Beaureilles; directed for film by Jean-Pierre Loisil. Released 2009, disc has 5.1 dts-HD sound. Grade: NA

💓 Francis Poulenc Dialogues des carmélites opera to a libretto by the composer. Directed 2013 by Olivier Py at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées. Stars Patricia Petibon (Blanche de La Force), Sophie Koch (Mère Marie de l’Incarnation), Véronique Gens (Madame Lidoine), Sandrine Piau (Soeur Constance de Saint Denis), Rosalind Plowright (Madame de Croissy), Topi Lehtipuu (Le Chevalier de La Force), Phillippe Rouillon (Le Marquis de La Force), François Piolino (Le Père confesseur du couvent), Annie Vavrille (Mère Jeanne de l’Enfant Jésus), Sophie Pondjiclis (Soeur Mathilde), Matthieu Lécroart (Thierry, le médecin, le geôlier), Yuri Kissin (Le second commissaire, un officier), and Jérémy Duffau (Le premier commissaire). Chœur des Carmélites: Caroline Allonzo, Solange Añorga, Elizabeth Bartin, Anne-Lou Bissières, Béatrice Dupuy, Anne-Sophie Durand, Carolina Fèvre, Claire Geoffroy-Dechaume, Laure Slabiak, Sophie Van de Woestyne, and Mayuko Yasuda. Jérémie Rhorer conducts the Philharmonia Orchestra & Chœur du Théâtre des Champs-Elysées  (Chef de chœur Alexandre Piquion). Set design and costumes by Pierre-André Weitz; lighting by Bertrand Killy; directed for film by François-Rene Martin. Released 2014, disc has Dolby 5.1 sound. Grade: A+