GIUSEPPE VERDI
Verdi: Aida (complete opera filmed in 2003) Gran Teatre del Liceu / Daniela Dessi, Elisabetta Fiorillo, Fabio Armiliato, Juan Pons / Miguel Ángel Gómez Martínez (cond) [ Opus Arte Essential Opera Collection DVD / 2 DVD - released 20/Oct/2013 ] "Juan Pons' Amonasro is a big-voiced portrayal by a big man with a big presence. He is quite simply superb, making his mark with every note he sings." (MusicWeb) |
JULES MASSENET
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Massenet: Thais (complete opera recorded in 2004) Teatri La Fenice / Eva Mei (soprano), Michele Perusi (bass-baritone), William Joyner (tenor) & Christophe Fel (bass) / Marcello Viotti (cond) [ Dynamic DVD / DVD - released 28/Oct/2004 ] Venice's prestigious Teatro La Fenice's production of this enthralling opera, full of captivating music and dramatic development. The title role, in this excellent production, is sung by an Eva Mei in great vocal form, who gives an interpretation... |
GIACOMO PUCCINI
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Puccini: Tosca (complete opera recorded in 2000) Teatro alla Scala / Maria Guleghina, Salvatore Licitra, Leo Nucci / Riccardo Muti (cond) [ EuroArts DVD / DVD - released 23/Jun/2011 ] "As Tosca, Maria Guleghina is in fine voice, and Muti supports her at every turn. Her great Act Two lament 'Vissi d'arte' is beautifully shaped, with phrases carefully structured so as not to peak too soon." MusicWeb |
GIACOMO PUCCINI
Puccini: La Boheme (Complete opera directed by Franco Zeffirelli in 1965) Teatro alla Scala Opera / Mirella Freni / Adriane Martino / Gianni Raimondi / Herbert von Karajan (cond) [ Deutsche Grammophon / Unitel DVD / DVD - released 15/Jun/2006 ] "A Bohème you can believe in." (The New York Times) |
UMBERTO GIORDANO
Giordano: Andrea Chénier (complete opera recorded in 2017) Teatro alla Scala / Yusif Eyvazov, Anna Netrebko, Luca Salsi, Annalisa Stroppa / Riccardo Chailly [ C Major DVD / DVD - released 16/Apr/2021 ] By choosing to work with director Mario Martone, known for his films as well as his work in opera and theatre, Chailly has given overall coherence to his cinematic vision. |
GIOACCHINIO ROSSINI
Rossini: L'Italiana in Algeri [An Italian in Algeries] (complete opera recorded in 2013) Teatro Comunale di Bologna / Anna Goryachova, Alex Esposito, Yijie Shi & Mario Cassi / José Ramón Encinar [ Opus Arte DVD / DVD - released 20/Aug/2014 ] Pesaro's new offering in 2013 was an off-the-wall production of Rossini's popular comedy, 'The Italian Girl in Algiers', presented as a Swinging Sixties, James Bond adventure, set in the desert oil fields of the North African coast. Davide... |
GIOVANNI BATTISTA PERGOLESI
Pergolesi: Adriano in Siria (Complete opera recorded live in 2011) BLU-RAY Teatro Comunale Pergolesi / Marina Comparato, Lucia Cirillo, Annamaria Dell'Oste / Ottavio Dantone (cond) [ Opus Arte Blu-Ray / Blu-ray Disc - released 20/Apr/2012 ] "Top marks go to conductor and director for giving the music space to breathe. The vocal cast is almost uniformly brilliant. Dell'Oste is in a class of her own: she turns coloratura into eloquent, heart-rending declarations" (BBC Music) |
GIUSEPPE VERDI
Verdi: Nabucco (opera recorded 2012) Teatro Regio di Parma / Leo Nucci, Bruno Ribeiro, Riccardo Zanellato, Dimitra Theodossiou / Michele Mariotti (cond) [ C Major / Unitel Classics DVD / DVD - released 7/Apr/2015 ] "the two main roles - Nabucco and Abigaille - are taken by two outstanding artists who are convincing both musically and dramatically." (MusicWeb) |
GIACOMO PUCCINI
Puccini: La Boheme (complete opera recorded in 2009) Teodor Ilincai / Hibla Gerzmava / Gabriele Viviani / Inna Dukach / Royal Opera House Chorus and Orchestra / Andris Nelsons [ Opus Arte DVD / DVD - released 1/Aug/2010 ] "In every sense this Boheme glows...Teodor Ilincai is a splendid Rodolfo...radiating Italian lyricism and boyish good nature. Hibla Gerzmava is a gorgeous Mimi...Inna Dukach is a splendid Musetta...On DVD it looks and sounds wonderful - but on... |
GAETANO DONIZETTI
Donizetti: La Favorite (Complete opera recorded in 2014) Theatre du Capitole de Toulouse / Kate Aldrich, Yijie Shi, Ludovic Tézier / Antonello Allemandi (cond) [ Opus Arte DVD / DVD - released 20/May/2015 ] One of the composer's most beguiling scores, La Favorite is Donizetti's La favorita in its original French form - a tale of love and war that represents a glorious mix of Italian bel canto and 19th century grand opera. Today's scholarly interest... |
IGOR STRAVINSKY
Stravinsky: The Rake's Progress (complete opera recorded in 2007) Theatre Royal de la Monnaie, Brussels / Andrew Kennedy / William Shimell / Laura Claycomb / Kazushi Ono (cond) [ Opus Arte DVD / DVD - released 21/Mar/2008 ] G - Recorded live at Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie, Brussels on 26 and 28 April 2007. |
PIOTR ILYICH TCHAIKOVSKY
Tchaikovsky: Swan Lake - The Complete Ballet.(recorded 1967) Vienna Opera Ballet / Margot Fonteyn, Rudolf Nureyev / John Lanchbery (cond) [ Deutsche Grammophon DVD / DVD - released 16/Jun/2005 ] "No matter how many ballet lovers have watched "Swan Lake" on the stage, they must see the new film version. Rudolf Nureyev's sensational handling of an unforgettable final scene is far different from the usual stage performance." -Record Review |
GIUSEPPE VERDI
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Verdi: Don Carlos (complete unabridged version 1867, recorded in 2004) Vienna State Opera / Alastair Miles, Ramon Vargas, Bo Skovhus, Iano Tamar / Bertrand de Billy [ ArtHaus Musik DVD / 2 DVD - released 1/Aug/2010 ] "A provocative, rewarding production." (beckmessersquill.com) |
GEORG FRIDERIC HANDEL
Handel: Alcina (complete opera recorded in 2011) Vienna State Opera / Anja Harteros, Vesselina Kasarova, Veronique Gangemi / Marc Minkowski (cond) [ Arthaus DVD / 2 DVD - released 10/Nov/2012 ] "onductor and orchestra are superb; so is Anja Harteros, who finds real depth in Alcina's passion for Ruggiero. After an effortful start in her opening aria, Veronia Cangemi is well on form in 'Credete al mio dolore'." Gramophone |
GAETANO DONIZETTI
Donizetti: L'elisir d'amore (complete opera recorded in 2005) Vienna State Opera / Anna Netrebko, Rolando Villazón, Leo Nucci, Ildebrando D´Arcangelo / Alfred Eschwé (cond) [ Erato / Warner Classics DVD / DVD - released 1/Aug/2017 ] "The Vienna State Opera's presentation of Donizetti's L'Elisir d'Amore in April 2005 is as good as it gets. All in all, this is a superb release, and highly recommended." (ClassicalCDReview.com) |
GIUSEPPE VERDI
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Verdi: Falstaff (complete opera studio film recorded in 1979). Vienna State Opera / Gabriel Bacquier, Richard Stilwell, Karan Armstrong, Jutta-Renate Ihloff / Sir Georg Solti (cond) [ Deutsche Grammophon DVD / DVD - released 13/Oct/2010 ] Gotz Friedrich's charming, bawdy 1979 studio film of Verdi's comic masterpiece was acclaimed cy critics for its Shakespearean vitality. The cast headlined by Gabriel Bacquier in his signature role. |
CHARLES GOUNOD
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Gounod: Faust (complete opera directed by Ken Russell in 1985) Vienna State Opera / Gabriela Benackova, Francisco Araiza, Ruggero Raimondi / Erich Binder (cond) [ Deutsche Grammophon DVD / 2 DVD - released 23/Jun/2006 ] Gounod's crowning achievement Faust, first staged in 1859 at the Lyric Theatre in Paris, is a conflict of good and evil, love and hate. |
LUDWIG van BEETHOVEN
Beethoven: Fidelio (complete opera recorded in 1978) Vienna State Opera / Gundula Janowitz, Rene Kollo, Lucia Popp, Hans Sotin / Leonard Bernstein (cond) [ Deutsche Grammophon DVD / DVD - released 15/Nov/2006 ] Since its release on CD, Leonard Bernstein's rendering of Fidelio has achieved cult status. |
GEORGES BIZET
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Bizet: Carmen (complete Franco Zeffirelli production recorded in 1978) Vienna State Opera / Placido Domingo, Elena Obraztsova, Isobel Buchanan, Yuri Mazurok, Isobel Buchanan / Carlos Kleiber (cond) [ Arthaus DVD / Blu-ray Disc - released 12/Jul/2004 ] The Vienna Carmen from 1978 is a sensational filmed document from the musical legacy of Carlos Kleiber: the meticulous conductor only ever conducted a highly selected repertoire, and among his very few audio and video recordings are only seven... |
GIUSEPPE VERDI
Verdi: Simon Boccanegra (complete recorded in 2002) BLU-RAY Vienna State Opera / Thomas Hampson, Cristina Gallardo-Domas, Ferruccio Furlanetto, Miroslav Dvorský / Daniele Gatti (cond) [ Arthaus Legendary Performances Blu-ray / Blu-ray Disc - released 1/Oct/2015 ] Arthaus presents a "visually alert, musically sensitive and disturbingly coherent" (The Standard) production of Simon Boccanegra on Blu-ray, one of Verdi's lesser known works yet regarded by many opera lovers as one of his finest. |