Richard Strauss Elektra opera to a libretto by Hugo von Hofmannsthal. Directed 2020 by Krzysztof Warlikowski at the Felsenreitschule as part of the Salzburg Festival. Stars Aušrinė Stundytė (Elektra), Tanja Ariane Baumgartner (Klytaemnestra), Asmik Grigorian (Chrysothemis), Michael Laurenz (Aegisth), Derek Welton (Orest), Tilmann Rönnebeck (Orest’s Tutor), Verity Wingate (The Trainbearer), Valeriia Savinskaia (The Confidante), Matthäus Schmidlechner (A Young Servant), Jens Larsen (An Old Servant), and Sonja Šarić (The Overseer). Franz Welser-Möst conducts the Wiener Philharmoniker and the Konzertvereinigung Wiener Staatsopernchor (Chorus Master Ernst Raffelsberger). Set and costume design by Małgorzata Szczęśniak; lighting design by Felice Ross; video design by Kamil Polak; choreography by Claude Bardouil; dramatic adviser was Christian Longchamp. Directed for TV by Myriam Hoyer. Sung in German. Released 2021, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: B

It’s summer 2020 during the pandemic. We are at the horrible Felsenriteschule stage for a Salzburg Festival opera. The director for Elektra is eurotrashmaster Krzysztof Warlikowski. No curtain, no fly, no turntable—it’s like being outside except you are in a cave. Since this was a stable for horses, it has plumbing . . .

Offenbach 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

Beethoven Fidelio opera (1806 version) to libretto by Joseph Ferdinand von Sonnleithner and Stephan von Breuning. Directed 2020 by Christoph Waltz at the Theater an der Wien, Austria. Stars Nicole Chevalier (Leonore), Eric Cutler (Florestan), Gábor Bretz (Don Pizarro), Christof Fischesser (Rocco), Mélissa Petit (Marzelline), Benjamin Hulett (Jaquino), Károly Szemerédy (Don Fernando), Johannes Bamberger (First Prisoner), and Dumitru Mădăraşăn (Second Prisoner). Manfred Honeck conducts the Wiener Symphoniker and the Arnold Schoenberg Chor (Chorus Master Erwin Ortner). Set design by Barkow Leibinger; costume design by Judith Holste; lighting design by Henry Braham. Directed for TV by Felix Breisach. Sung in German. Released 2021, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA

Beethoven wrote 3 versions of what I call “Leonore/Fidelio”:

1. 1805, now often if not usually called “Leonore 1”

2. 1806, now often if not usually called “Leonore 2”

3. 1814, now usually called “Fidelio”

It’s now December 25, 2020 (yes, this is my Christmas present to you). We already have two versions of the 1814 Fidelio in HDVD on our Alphalist (one on Opus Arte from Opernhaus Zürich and another on Sony from the 2015 Salzburg Festival).

Now subject title brings us a rendition of Leonore 2 from the Teater an der Wien. Of course, life being inherently complicated, Unitel calls it “Fidelio (1806)” instead of “Leonore 2.” (The person to blame for all this is not I but Beethoven, who was a rather complicated guy himself.)

Mozart Così fan tutte opera to libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte. Directed 2014 by Felix Breisach at the Theater an der Wien. Stars Mari Eriksmoen (Fiordiligi), Katija Dragojevic (Dorabella), Andrè Schuen (Guglielmo), Mauro Peter (Ferrando), Elisabeth Kulman (Despina), and Markus Werba (Don Alfonso). Nikolaus Harnoncourt conducts the Concentus Musicus Wien and the Arnold Schoenberg Chor (Chorus Master Erwin Ortner). Costume design by Doris Maria Aigner. Directed for TV by Felix Breisach. Sung in Italian. Released 2021, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: D

This video was made 6 years ago—a bad sign. There’s no director because this is an un-staged concert production of the opera. The package does credit Felix Breisach for “scenic arrangement.” That means, I think, that . . .

Mozart Don Giovanni opera to libretto by Lorenzo da Ponte. Directed 2014 by Felix Breisach at the Theater an der Wien. Stars Andrè Schuen (Don Giovanni), Mika Kares (Masetto/Il Commendatore), Christine Schäfer (Donna Anna), Mauro Peter (Don Ottavio), Maite Beaumont (Donna Elvira), Ruben Drole (Leporello), and Mari Eriksmoen (Zerlina). Nikolaus Harnoncourt conducts the Concentus Musicus Wien and the Arnold Schoenberg Chor (Chorus Master Erwin Ortner). Costume design by Doris Maria Aigner. Scenic arrangement by Felix Breisach. Directed for TV by Felix Breisach. Sung in Italian. Released 2021, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: D

This video was made 6 years ago—a bad sign. There’s no director because this is an un-staged concert production of the opera. The package does credit Felix Breisach for “scenic arrangement.” That means, I think, that everyone asked Breisach from time to time, “Where should I stand for this number?” There is a stage and costume designer credited. This means, I think, that the singers may wear clothes that vaguely suggest something about their character without looking ridiculous, and there may be a few simple props. Is there some rather shameless puffing going on here? Well, maybe not.

Verdi Simon Boccanegra opera to a libretto by Francesco Maria Piave and later revised by Arrigo Boito. Directed 2019 by Andreas Kriegenburg at the Salzburg Festival. Stars Luca Salsi (Simon Boccanegra), Marina Rebeka (Amelia Grimaldi), René Pape (Jacopo Fiesco), Charles Castronovo (Gabriele Adorno), André Heyboer (Paolo Albiani), Antonio di Matteo (Pietro), Long Long (Captain), and Marianne Sattmann (Amelia’s Maid). Valery Gergiev conducts the Wiener Philharmoniker and the Konzertvereinigung Wiener Staatsopernchor (Chorus Master Ernst Raffelsberger). Set design by Harald B. Thor; costume design by Tanja Hofmann; lighting design by Andreas Grüter; video design by Peter Venus; dramatic advisor was Julia Weinreich. Directed for TV by Tiziano Mancini. Sung in Italian. Released 2020, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: B-

This opera has a complicated libretto. Thanks to Unitel/C Major for an excellent synopsis in the keepcase booklet. I hope the screenshots below will help you keep track of who is who if you watch this title . . .

Mozart Le nozze di Figaro opera to libretto by Lorenza da Ponte. Directed 2014 by Felix Breisach at the Theater an der Wien. Stars Bo Skovhus (Conte di Almaviva); Christine Schäfer (Contessa di Almaviva); Mari Eriksmoen (Susanna); Andrè Schuen (Figaro); Elisabeth Kulman (Cherubino); Ildikó Raimondi (Marcellina); Peter Kálmán (Bartolo/Antonio); Mauro Peter (Basilio/Don Curzio); and Christina Gansch (Barbarina). Nikolaus Harnoncourt conducts the Concentus Musicus Wien and the Arnold Schoenberg Chor (Chorus Master Erwin Ortner). Staging and costumes by Doris Maria Aigner; scenic arrangement by Felix Breisach. Directed for TV by Felix Breisach. Sung in Italian. Released 2021, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: D

This video was made 6 years ago—a bad sign. There’s no director because this is an un-staged concert production of the opera. The package does credit Felix Breisach for “scenic arrangement.” That means, I think, that

Richard Strauss Salome opera to a libretto from Hedwig Lachmann's German translation of Oscar Wilde's play Salome. Directed 2018 by Romeo Castellucci at the Großes Festspielhaus as part of the Salzburg Festival. Stars John Daszak (Herodes), Anna Maria Chiuri (Herodias), Asmik Grigorian (Salome), Gábor Bretz (Jochanaan), Julian Prégardien (Narraboth), Christina Bock (A Page of Herodias), Matthäus Schmidlechner (First Jew), Mathias Frey (Second Jew), Kristofer Lundin (Third Jew), Joshua Whitener (Fourth Jew), David Steffens (Fifth Jew), Tilmann Rönnebeck (First Nazarene), Paweł Trojack (Second Nazarene), Thomas Bennett (Kappadozier), Peter Kellner (First Soldier), and Dashon Burton (Second Soldier). Franz Welser-Möst conducts the Wiener Philharmoniker. Sets, costumes, and lighting design by Romeo Castellucci; choreography by Cindy Van Acker; artistic collaboration by Silvia Costa; dramaturgy by Piersandra Di Matteo. Directed for TV by Henning Kasten. Sung in German. Released 2019, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA