GIUSEPPE VERDI
Verdi: Un ballo in maschera (complete opera recorded in 2016) BLU-RAY Bavarian State Opera / Piotr Beczala, George Petean, Anja Harteros, Okka von der Damerau, Sofia Fomina / Zubin Mehta (cond) [ C Major BLU-RAY / Blu-ray Disc - released 20/Mar/2017 ] "Musically things are more than fine. BeczaĆa pulls off this one hell of a tenor role…with style and confidence. Harteros gives her usual tightly focused emotional performance." Gramophone Magazine - Blu-ray of the Month - May 2017 |
RICHARD WAGNER
Wagner: Tannhäuser (complete recorded in 1995) BLU-RAY Bayerische State Opera / René Kollo, Waltraud Meier, Bernd Weikl, Nadine Secunde / Zubin Mehta (cond) [ Arthaus Legendary Performances Blu-ray / Blu-ray Disc - released 1/Oct/2015 ] "Waltraud Meier is a superb Venus, by far the best of this cast (and on DVD). All accompanied by a sufficiently energetic performance from Zubin Mehta with the Bavarian State Opera Orchestra." (Mostly Opera) |
RICHARD WAGNER
Wagner: Der fliegende Holländer [The Flying Dutchman] (Complete opera recorded in 2021) BLU-RAY & DVD Bayreuth Festival / John Lundgren, Georg Zeppenfeld, Asmik Grigorian, Attilio Glaser / Oksana Lyniv (conductor) [ Deutsche Grammophon DVD / Blu-Ray / Blu-ray Disc/DVD - released 20/Apr/2024 ] "Lyniv's conducting is superb in terms of pacing and tonal weight and balance...Grigorian and Zeppenfeld sing as fluently and fearlessly as they act." Gramophone Magazine September 2022 Blu-ray of the Month |
RICHARD WAGNER
Wagner: Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg (complete opera recorded live in 2008) BLU-RAY Bayreuth Festival / Michael Volle, Klaus Florian Vogt, Johannes Martin Kränzle, Anne Schwanewilms / Philippe Jordan (cond) [ Deutsche Blu-ray / 2 Blu-ray - released 5/Dec/2019 ] "The performances of the cast are of a high standard dramatically and mostly musically. Volle now paces himself well and Lehmkuhl is a magical and unclichéd Magdalene." Gramophone |
RICHARD WAGNER
Wagner: Tristan und Isolde (complete opera recorded live in 2009) BLU-RAY Bayreuth Festival / Robert Dean Smith, Robert Holl, Irene Theorin, Jukka Rasilainen / Peter Schneider (cond) [ Opus Arte Blu-Ray / Blu-ray Disc - released 20/Feb/2010 ] G - 'In Tristan the standard of conducting and singing is high. Peter Schneider draws seamless playing from the orchestra, contouring Wagner's long arcs of sound as only someone of his experience can do.' The Financial Times |
RICHARD WAGNER
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Wagner: Tannhauser (complete opera recorded live in 2019) (Blu-ray) Bayreuth Festival / Stephen Gould, Lise Davidsen, Elena Zhidkova, Markus Eiche / Valery Gergiev (cond) [ Deutsche Grammophon Blu-ray / Blu-ray - released 15/May/2020 ] "In his Bayreuth debut, Valery Gergiev conducts with such verve that at multiple turns it was like hearing the score anew." Limelight. |
TCHAIKOVSKY / ADAM / ASAFIEV
Great Ballets from the Bolshoi: Sleeping Beauty / Nutcracker / Giselle / Flames of Paris [complete ballets recorded 2010 & 2011] BLU-RAY Bolshoi Theatre / David Hallberg, Svetlana Zakharova, Nina Kaptsova, Artem Ovcharenko, Svetlana Lunkina, Ivan Vasiliev, etc [ Bel Air Classiques Blu-Ray / 4 Blu-ray Disc - released 20/Dec/2014 ] Four famous productions from the Bolshoi Ballet HD Collection in an exceptional 4 digistack-set: Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty, Giselle & Flames of Paris by the greatest performers of the Bolshoi Ballet: Svetlana Zakharova, Natalia Osipova, Nina... |
BERTHOLD GOLDSCHMIDT
Goldschmidt: Beatrice Cenci (complete opera recorded in 2018) BLU-RAY Bregenz Festival / Christoph Pohl, Gal James, Dshamilja Kaiser, Christina Bock / Johannes Debus (cond) [ C Major Blu-Ray / Blu-ray Disc - released 12/Jul/2019 ] "There is never a dull moment…Pohl takes the brave route with Cenci…With his baritone in lustrous form, this is a performance to savour" Opera - October 2019 - Disc of the Month |
JACQUES OFFENBACH
Offenbach: Les Contes d'Hoffmann [The Tales of Hoffmann] (complete opera recorded in 2015) BLU-RAY Bregenz Festival / Daniel Johansson, Kerstin Avemo, Mandy Fredrich, Rachel Frenkel, Michael Volle / Johannes Debus (cond) [ C Major BLU-RAY / Blu-ray Disc - released 1/Aug/2016 ] "Johansson's big-voice Hoffmann lacks a genuine pianissimo but phrases elegantly…Fredrich and Frenkel are nicely stylish…playing and choral singing are both excellent" (Gramophone) |
UMBERTO GIORDANO
Giordano: Andrea Chénier (complete opera recorded in 2011) BLU-RAY Bregenz Festival / Hector Sandoval, Norma Fantini, Scott Hendricks / Ulf Schirmer (cond) [ C Major Blu-ray / Blu-ray Disc - released 1/Feb/2016 ] Girodano Umberto's Andrea Chénier is set against the backdrop of the horrors of the French Revolution and tells the tragic tale of a doomed love affair involving the historical figure of the poet Andrea Chénier, who initially champions the Revolution |
GIACOMO PUCCINI
Puccini: Turandot (complete opera recorded in 2015) BLU-RAY Bregenz Festival / Mlada Khudoley, Manuel von Senden, Michael Ryssov, Riccardo Massi / Paolo Carignani (cond) [ EuroArts / Unitel Blu-ray / Blu-ray Disc - released 1/Mar/2016 ] "Guanqun Yu's schoolgirl Liu, sporting beret and pigtails, is the pick of the cast. She delivers a beautifully affecting, 'Tu che di gel sei cinta'. Riccardo Massi sings attractively as Calaf, with a very creditable 'Nessun dorma'." |
AGOSTINO STEFFANI
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Steffani: Mission (Blu-ray) Cecilia Bartoli (mezzo-soprano) / I Barocchisti, Diego Fasolis, with Philippe Jaroussky (countertenor) [ Decca Classics Blu-Ray / Blu-ray Disc - released 6/Dec/2012 ] "Bartoli's programming instincts are immaculate in terms of musical and emotional variety; she is compelling in pearly arioso and slow numbers, less so in bravura ones." Sunday Times, 14th October 2012 |
LAVAILLAT
La Petite Danseuse De Degas (from The Opéra Garnier, Paris 2010) BLU-RAY Clairemarie Osta / Dorothée Gilbert / Mathieu Ganio / Corps De Ballet & Orchestre De L'Opéra National De Paris / Koen Kessels [ ArtHaus Musik Blu-Ray / Blu-ray Disc - released 8/Aug/2011 ] "An inspired and visually ravishing creation. This ballet deserves to go from success to success." (recording of the Month MusicWeb Aug 2011) |
RICHARD STRAUSS
Feuersnot, Op. 50 (Complete opera recorded in 2014) BLU-RAY Teatro Massimo Palermo / Nicola Beller Carbone, Dietrich Henschel, Alex Wawiloff / Gabriele Ferro (cond) [ ArtHaus Musik Blu-Ray / Blu-ray Disc - released 1/Jul/2015 ] Feuersnot is Strauss's second opera and made up for the failure of his first when its 1902 Dresden premiere was a resounding success. It is a lively one-act drama about the ancient Bavarian tradition of celebrating midsummer night with bonfires. |
BEETHOVEN / BRUCKNER / BOULEZ
Salzburg Opening Concert 2010 - Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 4 / Bruckner's Te Deum / Boulez's Notations BLU-RAY Daniel Barenboim / Dorothea Roschmann / Elina Garanca / Klaus Florian Vogt / René Pape / Chorus State Opera Vienna / Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra [ C Major Blu-Ray / Blu-ray Disc - released 26/Oct/2011 ] "there is no doubting the powerful authority that characterizes Barenboim's direction of Beethoven's Fourth Piano Concerto from the keyboard. Perhaps rather unexpectedly, the magic really starts with a reading of Boulez's Notations I-IV and VII" IRR |
BELLINI
I Puritani (Recorded live at the Netherlands Opera, October 2009) BLU-RAY Netherlands Opera / Daniel Borowski, Mariola Cantarero, Riccardo Zanellato / Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra, Giuliano Carella (conductor) [ Opus Arte Blu-Ray / Blu-ray Disc - released 20/Feb/2013 ] "Negrin gets some excellent performances from his cast, who are able to express emotion without being either hammy or cheesy. Scott Hendricks as the rejected lover sings nobly after a gusty start...Osborn manages a stupendous top F, non-falsetto, and |
HECTOR BERLIOZ
Berlioz: Les Troyens (complete opera recorded in 2009) BLU-RAY Daniela Barcellona / Lance Ryan / Elisabete Matos / Gabriele Viviani / Eric Cutler / Orquestra de la Comunitat Valenciana / Valery Gergiev [ C Major BLU-RAY / Blu-ray Disc - released 25/Aug/2011 ] "The cast in Valencia has its strengths, prime among them the proud, brassy mezzo of Daniela Barcellona as Dido...Elisabete Matos is a properly intense Cassandra." (Gramophone) |
ERICH WOLFGANG KORNGOLD
Korngold: Das Wunder der Heliane (complete opera recorded in 2018) BLU-RAY Deutsche Oper Berlin / Sara Jakubiak, Brian Jagde, Josef Wagner, Okka von der Damerau, Derek Welton / Christof Loy [ Naxos Blu-ray / Blu-ray Disc - released 7/Jun/2019 ] "Marc Albrecht and his orchestra are familiar, so their excellence is no surprise. But the three lead singers are relative unknowns-and their stupendous performances leave you wondering why." Fanfare |
RICHARD WAGNER
Wagner: Das Reingold (complete opera recorded in 2008) BLU-RAY Deutsches Nationaltheater, Weimar / Mario Hoff / Alexander Gunther / Jean-Noel Briend / Erin Caves / Carl St. Clair (cond) [ Arthaus Blu-Ray / Blu-ray Disc - released 20/Jun/2009 ] DVD Blu-Ray - "Weimar National Theatre opens a promising 'Ring' cycle with Wagner's original ur-scene." Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung |
RICHARD WAGNER
Wagner: Siegfried (complete opera recorded in 2008) BLU-RAY Deutsches Nationaltheater, Weimar / Tomas Mowes / Catherine Foster/ Frieder Aurich / Carl St. Clair (cond) [ Arthaus Blu-Ray / Blu-ray Disc - released 1/Aug/2009 ] BLU-RAY - Richard Wagner's Ring of the Nibelung refl ects the composer's autobiography as much as the political turmoil of his times. As work progressed, another figure grew to be as important as the hero Siegfried, the god Wotan, the mouthpiece for... |