Fuoco Sacro (Sacred Fire) is a “behind-the-scenes” documentary about opera sopranos with many short video segments of Asmik Grigorian, Barbara Hannigan, and Ermonela Jaho. Most segments come from interviews and rehearsals with piano accompaniment. I normally exclude documentaries about the fine arts as they usually are compiled of trash. But I took a chance, paid retail, and watched this thrice. It’s more trash. My revenge is Grade: D-
The skilled soprano with her high-pitched voice can be heard on the opera stage over all the men on the stage, a chorus, and a huge orchestra. This fierce ability is, I think, the essence of the soprano “sacred fire.” On stage the fire is mollified by the acting, set, costumes, and other music surrounding her. But when the fire is heard solo or with a piano accompaniment, it can be overpowering and even harsh. That’s how these ladies sound much of the time on this disc . . .
Read MoreRiccardo Zandonai Francesca da Rimini opera to libretto by Tito Ricordi. Directed 2021 by Christof Loy at the Deutsche Oper Berlin. Stars Sara Jakubiak (Francesca), Jonathan Tetelman (Paolo il Bello), Ivan Inverardi (Giovanni lo Sciancato, or The Lame), Charles Workman (Malatestino dall’Occhio or The One-Eye), Alexandra Hutton (Samaritana), Samuel Dale Johnson (Ostasio), Meechot Marrero (Biancofiore), Mané Galoyan (Garsenda), Arianna Manganello (Altichiara), Karis Tucker (Adonella), Amira Elmadfa (Smaragdi), Andrew Dickinson (Ser Toldo Berardengo), Dean Murphy (Il giullare or The Jester), Patrick Cook (Il balestriere or The Crossbowman) / Prisoner’s Voice), Thomas Lehman (Il torrigiano or The Towerkeeper). Actors are Jan Gerrit Brüggemann, Farouk El-Khalili, Hanno Jusek, Marcus Mundes, Andrea Spartá, Koray Tuna, Benjamin Werth, Nicolas Franciscus, Franz Gnauck, Kay Bretschneider, Paul Krügener, Lukas Lehner, Maximilian Reisenger, and Pablo Nina Toculescu. Carlo Rizzi conducts the Orchestra of the Deutsche Oper Berlin, the Chorus of the Deutsche Oper Berlin (Chorus Master Jeremy Bines), and Supernumiaries of the Deutsche Oper Berlin. Set design by Johannes Leiacker; costume design by Klaus Bruns; lighting design by Olaf Winter. Directed for TV by Götz Filenius. Sung in Italian. Released 2022, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: A
In the 13th century the land now called Italy was divided into warring oligarchic city-states. In 1275 Francesca Polentani of Ravenna was married to Giovanni Malatesta of Rimini, known as Giovanni the Lame, to bolster the strength of both families . . .
Read MoreJean-Baptiste Lully Atys opera to a libretto by Philippe Quinault. Directed 2011 at the Opéra Comique by Jean-Marie Villégier and associate stage director Christophe Galland. Stars Bernhard Richter (Atys), Stéphanie d'Oustrac (Cybèle), Emmanuelle de Negri (Sangaride), Nicolas Rivenq (Célénus), Marc Mauillon (Idas), Sophie Daneman (Doris), Jaël Azzaretti (Mélisse), Bernard Deletré (Le Temps/le fleuve [river] Sangar), Paul Agnew (Dieu du Sommeil), Cyril Auvity (Morphée), Callum Thorpe (Phobétor), Benjamin Alunni (Phantase), Arnaud Richard (Songe furneste), Jean-Charles di Zazzo (Maître des cérémonies/Alecton), Olivier Collin (L'impresario), Elodie Fonnard (Flore, suite de Sangar), Rachel Redmond (Iris), Anna Reinhold (Melpomène), Francisco Fernández-Rueda (Zéphir, suite de Sangar), and Reinoud Van Mechelen (Zéphir). Also stars the dancers of the Compagnie Fêtes galantes et Gil Isoart de l'Opéra national de Paris. William Christie conducts Les Arts Florissants. Choreography by the late Francine Lancelot and Béatrice Massin; set design by Carlo Tommasi; costumes by Patrice Cauchetier; lighting by Patrick Méeüs; wigs by Daniel Blanc; makeup by Suzanne Pisteur. Directed for TV by François Roussillon; produced by Toni Hajal. Sung in French. Released in 2021, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: A+
Read MoreProkofiev The Fiery Angel opera to libretto by the composer. Directed 2019 by Emma Dante at the Teatro dell’Opera di Roma. Stars Leigh Melrose (Ruprecht), Ewa Vesin (Renata), Anna Victorova (The Landlady), Mairam Sokolova (Fortune-teller/Mother Superior), Sergey Radchenko (Agrippa of Nettesheim), Andrii Ganchuk (Johann Faust/The Servant), Maxim Paster (Mephistopheles), Goran Jurić (The Inquisitor), Domingo Pellicola (Jacob Glock), Petr Sokolov (Mathias Wiessman), Murat Can Güvem (The Doctor), Timofei Baranov (The Innkeeper), Arianna Morelli (First Nun), and Emanuela Luchetti (Second Nun). Alejo Pérez conducts the Orchestra del Teatro dell’Opera di Roma and the Coro del Teatro dell’Opera di Roma (Chorus Master Roberto Gabbiani). Set design by Carmine Maringola; costume design by Vanessa Sannino; choreography by Manuela lo Sicco; lighting design by Cristian Zucaro; fight direction by Sandro Maria Campagna. Directed for TV by Carlo Gallucci. Sung in Russian. Released 2021, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: A
The libretto of The Fiery Angel opera is based on the eponymous novel by Valery Bryusov (1873-1924), whose portrait is seen below left. Valery was in love with Nina Petrovskaya (1879-1928), also a writer, seen on the right. Nina was in love with Andrei Bely (1880-1934), yet another writer, seen below in the chair. Eventually Nina took up with Valery, but she remained in love with Andrei. Valery poured out his frustration about this . . .
Read MoreMozart La finta giardiniera opera (composed at age 18) to a libretto possibly from Giuseppe Petrosellini. Directed by Frederic Wake-Walker at the Teatro alla Scala in 2018 (reviving his 2014 production at Glyndebourne). Stars Julia Martin du Theil (La Marchesa Violante or Sandra in disguise), Bernard Richter (Il Contino Belfiore), Krešimir Špicer (Don Anchise), Anett Fritsch (Arminda), Lucia Cirillo (Il Cavalier Ramiro), Giulia Semenzato (Serpetta), and Mattia Olivieri (Nardo). Diego Fasolis directs the Orchestra del Teatro alla Scala on period instruments; fortepiano by James Vaughan; harpsichord by Paolo Spadaro. Set and costume designs by Antony McDonald; lighting by Lucy Carter. Directed for TV by Daniela Vismara. Sung in Italian. Released 2001, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
This is our third Finta in Blu-ray. It’s a 3 act work, but it seems to divide into two halves: the first half is set in the house of the town mayor, Don Anchise. The second half begins when all the characters find themselves lost in the woods. Our earliest Finta, from Opernhaus Zürich, has an hilarious first half, but the second half gets boring. Our second Finta, from Opéra de Lille, starts off weak, but is delightful in the second half. Let’s hope this Glyndebourne production revived in Milan is good all the way through . . .
Read MorePuccini La Bohème opera to libretto by Giuseppe Giacosa and Luigi Illica. Directed 2012 by Stefan Herheim at the Oslo Opera House. Stars Diego Torre (Rodolfo), Marita Sølberg (Mimì), Vasilij Ladyuk (Marcello), Jennifer Rowley (Musetta), Giovanni Battista Parodi (Colline), Espen Langvik (Schaunard), and Svein Erik Sagbråten (Benoît / Parpignol / Alcindoro / Toll Gate Keeper / Death). Eivind Gullberg Jensen conducts the Norwegian National Opera Orchestra, the Norwegian National Opera Chorus, and the Norwegian National Opera Children’s Chorus. Set and costume design by Heike Scheele; lighting design by Anders Poll; dramaturgy by Alexander Meier-Dörzenbach. Directed for TV by Stein-Roger Bull. Sung in Italian. Released 2022, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: B+
A Blu-ray of this performance was originally published by Electric Picture. (See images 3 and 4 in the gallery above.) I Electric Picture no longer exists, and Naxos purchased the right to publish this recording.
Gordon Smith (our first wonk) showed the original Electric Picture version to his friends on the much celebrated L’ OperaDou Jury . . .
Read MoreBellini I Capuleti e i Montecchi opera to a libretto by Felice Romani. Directed 2015 by Arnaud Bernard at Teatro La Fenice in Venice. Stars Jessica Pratt (Giulietta), Sonia Ganassi (Romeo), Rubén Amoretti (Capellio), Shalva Mukeria (Tebaldo), and Luca Dell’Amico (Lorenzo). Omer Meir Wellber conducts the Orchestra and Chorus of Teatro La Fenice. Set design by Alessandro Camera; costume design by Carla Ricotti; lighting design by Fabio Barettin. Directed for TV by Stéphane Vérité. Sung in Italian. Released 2022, disc has PCM stereo audio output. Grade: NA
Read More"Pag and Cav" opera double feature directed and staged 2019 by Robert Carson at the Dutch National Opera:
First plays the Ruggero Leoncavallo Pagliacci to a libretto by the composer. Stars Roman Burdenko (Tonio), Ailyn Pérez (Nedda), Brandon Jovanovich (Canio), Marco Ciaponi (Peppe), and Mattia Olivieri (Silvio).
Then plays the Pietro Mascagni Cavalleria rusticana to libretto by Giovanni Targioni-Tozzeti and Guido Menasci. Stars Anita Rachvelishvili (Santuzza), Rihab Chaieb (Lola), Brian Jagde (Turiddu), Roman Burdenko (Alfio), and Elena Zilio (Mamma Lucia).
Lorenzo Viotti conducts the Netherlands Philharmonica Orchestra, the Chorus of the Dutch National Opera (Chorus Master Ching-Lien Wu), and the Nieuw Amsterdams Kinderkoor (Chorus Master Anaïs De La Morandais. Set design by Rudu Boruzescu; costume design by Annemaria Woods; lighting design by Robert Carson and Peter von Praet; choreography by Marco Berriel; dramaturge was Ian Burton. Directed for TV by François Roussillon. Sung in Italian. Released 2021, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
We already have 5 HDVDs of the traditional “Cav and Pag” with their of slice-of-life “verismo” stories set in small towns in Italy. But director Carsen switches the customary order making this a “Pag and Cav” in a setting stripped of local color . . .
Read MoreChaya Czernowin Heart Chamber opera to a libretto by the composer. Directed 2019 by Claus Guth at the Deutsche Oper Berlin. Stars Patrizia Ciofi (She), Noa Frenkel (Her Internal Voice), Dietrich Henschel (He), Terry Wey (His Internal Voice), Frauke Aulbert (The Voice), and Uli Fussenegger (The Double Βass Player). Johannes Kalitzke conducts the Orchestra of the Deutsche Oper Berlin and the Ensemble Nikel Vocal Ensemble. Set and costume design by Christian Schmidt; video design by rocafilm; live electronics by SWR Experimentalstudio. The opera lasts 87 minutes and a feature film, I Did Not Rehearse to Say I Love You lasts 86 minutes as an extra feature. Opera and film both directed by Uli Aumüller. Sung in English. Released 2021, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
We have a few truly avant-garde modern operas in Blu-ray by composer like Unsuk Chin and now, Chaya Czernowin. Here is a comment about Heart Chamber from Tim Rutherford-Johnson that was included in the program notes at the world premiere in Berlin in 2019 . . .
Read MoreBizet Carmen opera to libretto by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy. Directed 2009 by Adrian Noble at the Opéra Comique. Stars Anna Caterina Antonacci (Carmen), Andrew Richards (Don José), Anne-Catherine Gillet (Micaëla), Nicolas Cavallier (Escamillo), Virginie Pochon (Frasquita), Annie Gill (Merédès), Matthew Brook (Zuniga), Riccardo Novaro (Moralès), Françis Dudziak (Le Dancaïre); Vincent Ordonneau (Le Remendado), and Simon Davies (Lillas Pastia). Sir John Eliot Gardner conducts the Orchestre Revolutionnaire et Romantique, the Monteverdi Choir, and the Maîtrise des Hauts-de-Seine (Chorus Master Gaël Darchen). Set and costume design by Mark Thompson; lighting design by Jean Kalman; movement collaborator was Sue Lefton. Directed for TV by François Roussillon. Sung in French. Released 2021, disc has 5.0 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
This video harks back to 2009, and it was published in 2010 by FRAmusica (with the eye-catching cut-through keepcase cover), but in DVD only. Critics reviewing the disc were favorable even while they ranked it as runner-up to the famous Covent Garden Blu-ray of Carmen that had come out in 2008 with Antonacci and Kaufman.
Read MoreLa Source ballet. Performed 2011 by the Paris Opéra Ballet at the Palais Garnier. Choreographed by Jean-Guillaume Bart. Libretto after Charles Nutter and Arthur Saint-Léon. Music by Léo Delibes and Ludwig Minkus as arranged by Marc-Olivier Dupin. Stars Ludmila Pagliero (Naïla), Karl Paquette (Djémil), Isabelle Ciaravola (Nouredda), Mathais Haymann (Zaël), Christophe Duquenne (Mazdock), Nolwenn Daniel (Dadjé), Alexis Renaud (Le Khan), and dancers of the Corps de Ballet of the Paris Opéra. Koen Kessels conducts the Orchestra of the Paris Opéra. Set design by Éric Ruf; costume design by Christian Lacroix; lighting design by Dominique Bruguière; dramaturgy by Clément Hervier-Léger and Jean-Guillaume Bart. Directed for TV by Francois Roussillon. Released 2022, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: D
The “source” here is a natural water spring inhabited by a water sprite who falls in love with a mortal man. This leads to all kinds of drama . . .
Read MoreFrancesco Cavalli Ercole Amante opera to libretto by Francesco Buti. Directed 2019 by Valérie Lesort and Christian Hecq at the Opéra Comique in Paris. Stars Nahuel di Pierro (Ercole ) Anna Bonitatibus (Giuone), Giuseppa Bridelli (Deianira), Francesca Aspromonte (Iole), Kystian Adam (Hyllo), Eugénie Lefebvre (Pasithea/Clerica/Terza Grazia/Secondo Pianeta), Ray Chenez (Il Paggio), Giulia Semenzato (Venere/Bellezza/Cinzia), Luca Tittoto (Nettuno/Eutyro), and Dominique Visse (Licco). Raphaël Pichon conducts the Choir and Orchestra Pygmalion. Set design by Laurent Peduzzi; costume design and machinery by Vanessa Sannino; lighting design by Christian Pinaud; movement collaboration by Rémi Boissy; puppets by Carole Allemand, Sophie Coeffic, and Valérie Lesort. Directed for TV by François Roussillon. Sung in Italian. Released 2021, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound.Grade: NA
Read MoreBeethoven and His Contemporaries, Vol 1 concert. Performed 2020 at the Schlosstheater Schwetzingen. Bernhard Forck conducts the Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin. Directed for TV by Alexander Radulescu; produced for TV by Harald Letfus and Thomas Martin Salb. Released 2021, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
The program follows:
Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, Symphony in F major
Beethoven, Symphony No 2
Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, Symphony in G major
Beethoven, Symphony No. 1
Wranitzky, Grande symphonie caractéristique pour la paix avec la République française
Mozart, Bastien und Bastienne
Beethoven, Symphony No. 3
Read MoreBeethoven and His Contemporaries, Vol 2 concert. Performed 2020 at the Schlosstheater Schwetzingen. Bernhard Forck conducts the Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin. Directed for TV by Alexander Radulescu; produced for TV by Harald Letfus. Released 2021, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
The program follows:
Luigi Cherubni, Lodoïska - Overture
Étienne Nicolas Méhul, Symphony No. 1
Beethoven Symphony No. 5
Ignaz Hozlbauer, Symphony in E flat major
Justin Heinrich Knecht, Symphony in G major: Le Portait musical de la Nature, ou Grand Simphonie.
Beethoven Symphony no. 6
Read MorePietro Antonio Cesti La Dori opera to libretto by Giovanni Filippo Apolloni. Directed 2019 by Stefano Vizioli at the Innsbruck Festival. Stars Francesca Ascioti (Dori), Rupert Enticknap (Oronte), Federico Sacchi (Artaserse), Francesca Lombardi Mazzulli (Arsinoe), Emőke Baráth (Tolomeo), Bradley Smith (Arsete), Pietro di Bianco (Erasto), and Alberto Allegrezza (Dirce). Ottavio Dantone conducts the Accademia Bizantina. Set design by Emanuele Sinisi; costum design by Anna Maria Heinreich; lighting design by Ralph Kopp; choreography by Pierluigi Vanelli. Directed for TV by Karen Katchatryan. Sung in Italian. Released 2020, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
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