Verdi Rigoletto opera to libretto by Francesco Maria Piave. Directed 2013 by Michael Mayer at the Met. Stars Piotr Beczala (Duke), Željka Lučić (Rigoletto), Diana Damrau (Gilda), Štefan Kocán (Sparafucile), Oksana Volkova (Maddalena), Maria Zifchak (Giovanna), Robert Pomakov (Monterone), Jeff Mattsey (Marullo), Alexander Lewis (Borsa), David Crawford (Count Ceprano), Emalie Savoy (Countess Ceprano), Earle Patriarco (A Guard), and Catherine Choi (Page). Michele Mariotti conducts the Met Orchestra and Chorus (Chorus Master Donald Palumbo). Met Ballet choreographed by Steven Hoggett. Sets by Christine Jones; costumes by Susan Hilferty; lighting by Kevin Adams. The English subtitles in this production contribute enormously to its success; I think the credit for this should go to David Rebhun. Released 2013, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: A+

Wagner Tristan und Isolde opera to libretto by the composer. Directed 2015 by Katharina Wagner at the Bayreuth Festival. Stars Stephen Gould (Tristan), Evelyn Herlitzius (Isolde), Georg Zeppenfelds (König Marke), Iain Paterson (Kurwenal), Raimund Nolte (Melot), Christa Mayer (Brangäne), Tansel Akzeybek (Ein Hirt), Kay Stiefermann (Ein Steuermann), and Tansel Akzeybek (Junger Seemann). Christian Thielemann conducts Orchester der Bayreuther Festpiele and the Chor der Bayreuther Frestpiele (Chorus Master Eberhard Friedrich). Set design by Frank Philipp Schlößmann and Matthias Lippert; costume design by Thomas Kaiser; dramaturgy by Daniel Weber; lighting design by Reinhard Traub; video design by Marco Kies and Markus Spona. Directed for TV by Michael Beyer. Sung in German. Released 2016, disc has 5.0 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA

Massenet Manon opera to libretto by Henri Meilhac and Philippe Gille. Directed 2007 by Vincent Paterson at the Staatsoper unter den Linden. Stars Anna Netrebko (Manon), Rolando Villazón (Le Chevalier des Grieux), Christof Fischesser (Le Comte des Grieux), Alfredo Daza (Lescaut), Rémy Corazza (Guillot de Morfontaine), Arttu Kataja (Brétigny, a nobelman), Hanan Alattar (Poussette, an actress), Gal James (Javotte, an actress), Silvia de la Muela (Rosette, an actress),  and Matthias Vieweg (Inkeeper). Daniel Barenboim conducts the Staatskapelle Berlin and the Staatsopernchor (Chorus Master Eberhard Friedrich). Stage design by Johannes Leiacker; costumes by Susan Hilferty; lighting by Duane Schuler; choreography by Vincent Paterson. Directed for TV by Andreas Morell; produced by Bernhard Fleischer. Sung in French. Released 2008, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: A+

Mozart Don Giovanni opera to libretto by Lorenzo da Ponte. Directed 2011 by Robert Carsen at the Teatro alla Scala. Stars Peter Mattei (Don Giovanni), Bryn Terfel (Leporello), Anna Netrebko (Donna Anna), Giuseppy Filianoti (Don Ottavio), Barbara Frittoli (Donna Elvira), Štegan Kocán (Maseto), Anna Prohaska (Zerlina), and Kwangchul Youn (Commhendatore). Daniel Barenboim conducts the  Orchestra and Chorus of the Teatro alla Scala. Set designs by Michael Levine; costumes by Brigitte Reiffenstuel; lighting by Robert Carsen and Peter van Praet; choreography by Philippe Giraudeau. Directed for video by Andreas Morell. Released 2015. Grade: NA

Verdi Macbeth opera to a libretto by Francesco Maria Piave. The 2007 Adrian Nobel production is revived in 2014 at the Met and directed by Assistant Stage Directors Gregory Anthony Fortner and Gina Lapinski. Stars Željko Lučić (Macbeth), Anna Netrebko (Lady Macbeth), René Pape (Banquo), Joseph Calleja (Macduff), Raymond Renault (Duncan), Noah Baetge (Malcolm), Claudia Waite (Lady-in-waiting), Christopher Job (Servant), Moritz Linn (Fleanzio), Richard Bernstein (Murderer), Seth Malkin (Herald), James Courtney (Doctor), David Crawford (Warrior Apparition), Ashley Emerson (Bloody Child Apparition), and Jihee Kim (Crowned Child Apparition). Fabio Luisi conducts the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, Chorus (Donald Palumbo Chorus Master) and Ballet (Sue Lefton Choreographer). Stage band conducted by Jeffrey Goldberg. Sets and costumes by Mark Thompson; lighting by Jean Kalman; directed for live TV by Gary Halvorson; music producer Jay David Saks. Supervising Producers are Mia Bongiovanni and Elena Park; Producers are Louisa Briccetti and Victoria Warivonchik. Released 2015, disc has 5.0 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA

Charles Gounod Roméo et Juliette opera to libretto by Jules Barbier & Michel Carré. Directed 2008 by Bartlett Sher at the Salzburg Festival. Stars Nino Machaidze (Juliette), Rolando Villazón (Roméo), Mikhail Petrenko (Frère Laurent), Russell Braun (Mercutio), Cora Burggraaf (Stéphano), Falk Struckmann (Comte Capulet), Juan Francisco Gatell (Tybalt), Susanne Resmark (Gertrude, the Nurse), Christian Van Horn (Duc de Vérone), Mathias Hausmann (Comte Pâris), Jean-Luc Ballestra (Grégorio), and Robert Murray (Benvolio). Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducts the Mozarteum Orchester Salzburg and the Konzertvereinigung Wiener Staatsopernchor (Chorus Master Jörn H. Andresen). Musical Assistant was Leo Hussain; set design by Michael Yeargan; costumes by Catherine Zuber; lighting by Jennifer Tipton; choreography by Chase Brock; fight scene by B. H. Barry; directed for TV by Brian Large. Released  2009, disc has 5.0 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: B+

Wagner Der Fliegende Holländer opera to a libretto by the composer. Directed 2013 by Andreas Homoki at the Zurich Opera House. Stars Bryn Terfel (Der Holländer), Matti Salminen (Daland), Anja Kampe (Senta), Marco Jentzsch (Erik), Liliana Nikiteanu (Mary), Fabio Trümpy (Dalands Steuermann), and Nelson Egede (Dalands Diener). Alain Altinoglu conducts the Philharmonia Zürich and the Chor def Oper Zürich (Chorus Master Jürg Hämmerli. Set design by Wolfgang Gussmann; costume design by Wolfgang Gussmann and Susana Mendoza; lighting design by Franck Evin; dramaturgy by Werner Hintze; directed for video by Nele Münchmeyer. Released 2015, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA

Borodin Prince Igor opera to libretto by the composer. Directed by Dmitri Tcherniakov at the Metropolitan Opera. Stars Ildar Abdrazakov (Prince Igor), Mikhail Petrenko (Prince Galitsky), Sergey Semishkur (Vladimir Igorevich), Vladimir Ognovenko (Skula), Andrey Popov (Yeroshka), Oksana Dyka (Yaroslavna), Kiri Deonarine (Polovtsian Maiden), Anita Rachvelishvili (Konchakovna), Mikhail Vekua (Ovlur), Štefan Kocán (Khan Konchak), Barbara Dever (Yaroslavna's Nurse), and Mikhail Vekua (Ovlur). Gianandrea Noseda conducts the Metropolitan Opera. Released 2014, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA

Anna Netrebko - Live from the Salzburg Festival opera box with 3 titles and some new bonus literature. Each of the titles has already been reported on this website, and you can get more details by using the links provided:

• Mozart, Le nozze di Figaro. 2006. Anna stars as Susanna. (Grade B)

• Puccini, La Bohème. 2012. Anna stars as Mimi. (Grade C)

• Verdi, La Traviata. 2005. Anna stars as Violetta. (Grade B-)

Released 2014, each opera has 5.0 or 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Composite Grade: B-

Donizetti L'elisir d'amore opera to libretto by Felice Romani. Directed 2012 by Rolando Villazón at the Baden-Baden Festspielhaus. Stars Miah Persson (Adina), Rolando Villazón (Nemorino), Ildebrando D'Arcangelo (Dulcamara), Regula Mühlemann (Giannetta), and Roman Trekel (Belcore). Pablo Heras-Casado conducts the Balthasar-Neumann Ensemble and Choir (Chorus Master Detlef Bratschke). Staging by Rolando Villazón; sets by Johannes Leiacker; costumes by Thibault Vancraenenbroeck; lighting by Davy Cunningham; movement coached by Nola Rae; directed for TV by Nele Münchmeyer; produced by Jocthim Lang. Released 2014, this disc has 5.0 dts Master Audio. Grade: NA

Verdi Il trovatore opera to a libretto by Salvadore Cammarano and LeoneEmanuele Bardare. Directed 2013 by Philipp Stölzl. Stars Plácido Domingo (Count di Luna), Anna Netrebko (Leonora), Marina Prudenskaya (Azucena), Gaston Rivero (Manrico), Adrian Sâmpetrean (Ferrando), Anna Lapkovskaja (Inez), and Florian Hoffman (Ruiz). Daniel Barenboim conducts the Staatskapelle Berlin and the Staatsopernchor Bersin (Chorus Master Martin Wright). Co-direction and choreography by Mara Kurotschka; set design by Philipp Stölzl and Conrad Moritz; costume design by Ursula Kudrna; lighting design by Olaf Freese. Directed for TV by Tiziano Mancini. Sung in Italian. Released 2014, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA

Bellini I Puritani opera to libretto by Carlo Pepoli. Directed 2007 by Sharon Thomas at the New York Metropolitan Opera. Stars Anna Netrebko (Elvira), Eric Cutler (Arturo), Franco Vassallo (Riccardo), John Relyea (Giorgio), Valerian Ruminski (Gualtiero), Eduardo Valdes (Bruno), and Maria Zifchak (Enrichetta). Patrick Summers conducts the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Chorus  (Chorus Master Raymond Hughes). Set design by Ming Cho Lee; costumes by Peter J. Hall; directed for TV by Gary Halvorson. Released 2008, disc has 5.1 PCM and 5.1 dts-HD sound. Grade: A+

Bellini I Puritani opera to libretto by Carlo Pepoli. Directed 2007 by Sharon Thomas at the New York Metropolitan Opera. Stars Anna Netrebko (Elvira), Eric Cutler (Arturo), Franco Vassallo (Riccardo), John Relyea (Giorgio), Valerian Ruminski (Gualtiero), Eduardo Valdes (Bruno), and Maria Zifchak (Enrichetta). Patrick Summers conducts the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Chorus  (Chorus Master Raymond Hughes). Set design by Ming Cho Lee; costumes by Peter J. Hall; directed for TV by Gary Halvorson. Released 2008, disc has 5.1 PCM and 5.1 dts-HD sound. Grade: A+

It's about 1650 in England. The Puritans, followers of Oliver Cromwell, are pursuing the English Revolution with Parliament pitted against the royal Stuart family. Elvira (Anna Netrebko) is the daughter of Lord Walton, a Puritan General. As the opera opens, she is getting married, and the chorus is singing her praises. (You might notice how similar this is to the opening of La Sonnambula, another famous Bellini opera):

Elvira's hand had been promised to Riccardo (Franco Vassallo), a Puritan colonel. But Elvira was in love with Arturo, a cavalier and supporter of the royal family. Here we see Elvira:

She learns that her uncle Giorgio (John Relyea) interceded for her and got permission from her father that she may marry Arturo:

This is crushing news for Riccardo, just home from the wars dreaming of marrying Elvira as promised:

The Puritans and Royalists are playing for keeps, and King Charles I has just had his head cut off. Still, Arturo is allow to cross enemy lines for the wedding at the Puritan fortress. Well, it seems security at the fortress is a bit lax---Enrichetta, a mysterious imprisoned woman connected to the Royalists, is wandering around the grounds making friends with everyone including Elvira. The Puritans don't realize she is the widow of King Charles I:

Arturo arrives to marry Elvira:

Tchaikovsky Eugene Onegin opera to libretto by the composer and K. Shilovsky based on the verse novel by Alexander Pushkin. Directed 2013 by Deborah Warner at the Met. Stars Mariusz Kwiecien (Onegin), Anna Netrebko (Tatiana), Piotr Beczala (Lenski), Oksana Volkova (Olga), and Alexei Tanovitski (Gremin). Valery Gergiev conducts the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, Chorus, and Ballet. Sets by Tom Pye; costumes by Chloe Obolensky; lighting by Jean Kalman; video designs by Ian William Galloway and Finn Ross; choreography by Kim Brandstrup; directed for video by ?. Released 2014. Grade: NA