Offenbach Barbe-Bleue comic opera to a libretto by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halävy. Directed 2019 by Laurent Pelly in collaboration with Christian Räth at Opéra de Lyon. Stars Yann Beuron (Barbe-Bleue), Héloïse Mas (Boulotte), Christophe Gay (Popolani), Christophe Mortagne (King Bobeche), Jennifer Courcier (Fleurette), Thibault de Damas (Count Oscar), Carl Ghazarossian (Prince Saphir), and Aline Martin (Queen Clemetine). Michele Spotti conducts the Orchestra and Chorus of Opéra de Lyon (Chorus Master Karine Locatelli). Dialogues rewritten by Agathe Mélinand; sets by Chantal Thomas; costumes by Laurent Pelly with Jean-Jacques Delmotte; lighting by Joël Adam. Directed for TV by Vincent Massip. Sung in French. Released 2021, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA

This is the comic version of Blue-Beard in which no wives are harmed. It’s a close call whether we should cover this as we don’t do operettas or musical comedies. Also, we haven’t found any print reviews or decent video trailers online. But something told us to give it a try. If you saw this live or on TV, please let us know if this is too silly for our website.

Handel Semele opera to libretto by William Congreve. Directed 2021 by Thomas De Mallet Durgess and Jacqueline Coats for The New Zealand Opera. Performed and recorded at the Holy Trinity Cathedral in Auckland. Stars Emma Pearson (Semele), Amitai Pati (Jupiter/Apollo), Sarah Castle (Juno/Ino), Paul Whelan (Cadmus/Somnus), Stephen Diaz (Athamas), Chelsea Dolman (Iris), and Sashe Angelovski (Priest). Peter Walls conducts the New Zealand Opera Baroque Orchestra (Concert Master Peter Clark), the New Zealand Opera Chorus, and the Holy Trinity Cathedral Choir (Chorus Master Andrew Crooks). Designs by Tracy Grant Lord; lighting by Jo Kilgour. Directed for TV by Rebecca Tansley. Sung in English. Released  2023, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio. Grade: NA

This is our first title from New Zealand! Also our first opera staged and recorded in a cathedral . . .

Puccini La Bohème opera to libretto by Giuseppe Giacosa and Luigi Illica. Directed 2020 by Richard Jones at the Royal Opera House. Stars Sonya Yoncheva (Mimì), Andrzej Filończyk (Marcello), Charles Castronovo (Rodolfo), Peter Kellner (Colline), Gyula Nagy (Schaunard), Jeremy White (Benoît), Andrew Macnair (Parpignol), Simona Mihai (Musetta), Eddie Wade (Alcindoro), John Morrisey (Customs Officer), and Thomas Barnard (Sergeant). Emmanuel Villaume conducts the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House (Concert Master Sergey Levitin) and Royal Opera Chorus (Chorus Master William Spaulding). Designs by Stewart Laing; lighting design by Mimi Jordan Sherin; movement direction by Sarah Fahie. Directed for TV by Johnathan Haswell. Released 2021, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA

Charles Gounod Faust opera to libretto by Jules Barbier and Michel Carré. Directed 2019 by David McVicar at the Royal Opera House. Stars Michael Fabiano (Faust), Erwin Schrott (Méphistophélès), Irina Lungu (Marguerite), Germán E. Alcántara (Wagner), Stéphane Degout (Valentin), Marta Fontanals-Simmons (Siébel), and Carole Wilson (Marthe Schwertlein). Also features principal dancers Megan Griffiths and Yasset Roldan. Dan Ettinger conducts the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House (Associate Concert Master Ania Safonova) and the Royal Opera Chorus (Chorus Master William Spaulding). Set design by Charles Edwards; costume design by Brigitte Reiffenstuel; lighting design by Paule Constable. Directed for TV by Rhodri Huw. Sung in French. Released 2021, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA

Monteverdi L'Orfeo opera to a libretto by Alessandro Striggio. Co-directed 2017 by Sir John Eliiot Gardiner and Elsa Rooke at the Teatro La Fenice in Venice. Stars Krystian Adam (Orfeo), Hana Blažíková (La Musica / Euridice), Lucile Richardot (Messaggiera), Francesca Boncompagni (Proserpina), Gianluca Buratto (Caronte / Plutone), Kangmin Justin Kim (Speranza), and Furio Zanasi (Apollo). Sir John Eliot Gardner conducts the English Baroque Soloists and the Monteverdi Choir. Lighting design by Rick Fisher; costumes by Patricia Hofstede and Isabella Gardiner. Directed for TV by Sébastien Glas. Sung in Italian. Released 2022, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: D

This is a “staged” concert verison of L’Orfeo. It’s not an opera performance . . .

Monteverdi Il ritorno d’Ulisse in patria opera to a libretto by Giacomo Badoaro. Co-directed 2017 by Sir John Eliiot Gardiner and Elsa Rooke at the Teatro La Fenice in Venice. Stars Furio Zanasi (Ulisse), Lucile Richardot (Penelope), Krystian Adam (Telemaco), Hana Blažíková (Minverva / Fortuna), Gianluca Buratto (Tempo / Nettuno / Antinoo), Michał Czerniawski (Pisandro), Gareth Treseder (Anfinomo), and Zachry Wilder (Eurimaco). Sir John Eliot Gardner conducts the English Baroque Soloists and the Monteverdi Choir. Lighting design by Rick Fisher; costumes by Patricia Hofstede and Isabella De Sabata. Directed for TV by Sébastien Glas. Sung in Italian. Released 2022, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: D

This is a “staged” concert version of Il ritorno d’ulisse in patria. It’s not an opera performance. We ran into somethings similar in 2021 with the three Mozart/Da Ponte operas in concert versions presented by Harnoncourt. Concert versions of operas can be thrilling for opera experts. But they would be unsatisfactory if you want to see an actual opera. This website is aimed at folks just getting into the fabulous world of fine arts on HDVDs, so we only review real opera performances. We give a D to the staged concerts. This doesn’t mean the performance is bad. It just means “don’t buy this unless you have a special reason.”

Handel Rinaldo opera to a libretto by Giacomo Rossi. Directed 2011 by Robert Carsen at Glyndebourne. Stars Sonia Prina (Rinaldo), Anett Fritsch (Almirena), Luca Pisaroni (Argante), Brenda Rae (Armida), Varduhi Abrahamyan (Goffredo), Tim Mead (Eustazio), William Towers (Christian Magus), Oliver Mercer (Herald), Rhian Lewis (Woman), plus Charlotte Beament and Rebecca van den Berg (Sirens). Ottavio Dantone conducts the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment (Leader Matthew Truscott). Harpsichord continuo Bernard Robertson; cello continuo Jonathan Manson; double bass continuo Chi-chi Nwanoku; theorbo continuo Elizabeth Kenny). Design by Gideon Davey; lighting by Robert Carson and Peter van Praet; movement direction by Philippe Giraudeau; dramaturgy by Ian Burton. Directed for TV by François Roussillon; sound supervision by Jean Chatauret. Good extras. Sung in Italian. No subtitles in Italian—sad for those learning opera Italian. Released in 2012, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: A+

Massenet Cendrillon (Cinderella) opera to a libretto by Henri Caïn. Directed 2019 at Glyndebourne by revival director Fiona Dunn after Fiona Shaw. Stars Danielle de Niese (Cendrillon), Kate Lindsey (Prince Charming), Lionel Lhote (Pandolfe), Nina Minasyan (The Fairy Godmother), Agnes Zwierko (Madame de la Haltière), Eduarda Melo (Noémie), Julie Pasturaud (Dorothée), Romanas Kudriašovas (Master of Ceremonies), Anthony Osborne (The Dean), Michael Wallace (The Prime Minister), Adam Marsden (The King), Sofia Larsson (First Spirit), Jacquelyn Parker (Second Spirit), Jennifer Witton (Third Spirit), Leslie Davis (Fourth Spirit), Rhiain Taylor (Fifth Spirit), Lauren Easton (Sixth Spirit). Also features Megan Silburn (Little Cinderella [mute]), Richard Bignall, Natalia Brzezińska, Sam Carl, Andrew Davies, Jade Moffat, David Shaw, Rachel Taylor, and Pamela Wilcock (Servants) as well as dancers Jess Barlow, Ryan Munroe, Emily Pottage, Sophie Thorpe, and Connor Williams. John Wilson conducts the London Philharmonic Orchestra (Leader Pieter Schoeman) and the Glyndebourne Chorus (Chorus Director Aiden Oliver). Set design by Jon Bausor; costume design by Nicky Gillibrand; lighting design by Anna Watson; and movement direction by Mike Ashcroft. Directed for TV by François Roussillon. Sung in French. Released 2020, disc has 5.1 HD Master Audio sound. Grade: A

In the heart of every child burns the existential question: “What will I become?”

Prokofiev The Love for Three Oranges opera to a libretto written by the composer based on a play by Carlo Gozzi. Directed 2005 by Laurent Pelly at De Nederlandse Opera (Muziektheater). Stars Alain Vernhes (King of Clubs), Martial Defontaine (The Prince), Natascha Petrinsky (King's Niece), François Le Roux (Léandre, the Prime Minister), Serghei Khomov (Trouffaldino), Marcel Boone (Pantalon), Sir Willard White (Tchélio, sorcerer, the King's protector), Anna Shafajinskaja (Fata Morgana, Léandre's protector), Sylvia Kevorkian (Linette, a princess), Magali de Prelle (Nicolette, a princess), Sandrine Piau (Ninette, a princess), Richard Angas (La Cuisinière, the gigantic cook), Alexander Vassiliev (Farfarello, a demon/herald), Marianna Kulikova (Sméraldine, a slave), Sergei Khomov (Master of Ceremonies), as well as Ruud Kok, Robert Kops, Willem Korteling, Jan Majoor, Wojtek Okraska, Jan Polak, Harry Teeuwen, Martin Vijgenboom, Bert Visser, and Arjan Wiering (10 Eccentrics). Stéphane Denève conducts the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra and the Chorus of De Nederlandse Opera (Chorus Master Martin Wright). Sets by Chantal Thomas; costumes by Laurent Pelly; lighting by Joël Adam; choreography by Laura Scozzi. Directed for TV by Misjel Vermeiren. Sung in French. Released 2008, disc has PCM 5.1 sound. Grade: A+

When I was a kid, we didn't have HDVD. We didn't have TV. We had radio and 8mm black and white home movies. Kids loved the serials on radio. I waited all week for "The FBI in Peace and War." I wasn't interested in the propaganda—I loved the theme song, a jaunty march that sent me careening about the kitchen. I asked my mom, "Where did the music come from?" She said, "From a modern opera about oranges. It was too crazy to perform, but people like that song."

Mom was wrong about one thing. The Love for Three Oranges wasn't modern. The way I see it,