HENRY PURCELL
Dido and Aeneas (complete opera recorded in 2014) Opera de Rouen / Vivica Genaux, Henk Neven, Ana Quintans, Marc Mauillon / Vincent Dumestre (cond) [ Alpha DVD / DVD - released 20/Feb/2015 ] CHOEUR ACCENTUS Vivica GENAUX Dido Henk NEVEN Æneas Ana QUINTANS Belinda Marc MAUILLON Sorceress, Marin Vincent DUMESTRE Musical direction Cécile ROUSSAT & Julien LUBEK Staging, Choregraphy, Set, Costumes Laurent CASTAINGT Lights Stéphane... |
JONATHAN DOVE
Dove: The Adventures of Pinocchio (Complete opera recorded in 2008) BLU-RAY Opera North / Victoria Simmonds, Jonathan Summers, Mary Plazas, Rebecca Bottone / David Parry, conductor [ Opus Arte Blu-Ray / Blu-ray Disc - released 1/Apr/2009 ] "Plaudits should also go to the chorus, whose scenes are always visually and sonically spectacular, while the stunning surround sound of the DVD capturing every detail of Opera North's bold undertaking." (BBC Music Five Stars) |
ALMA DEUTSCHER
Deutscher: Cinderella (complete recorded in 2017) Opera San Jose / Vanessa Becerra, Jonas Hacker, Nathan Stark, Karin Mushegain / Jane Glover (cond) [ Sony Classical DVD / DVD - released 18/Dec/2018 ] "As a dramatic construct, the opera's a marvel for one so young...Deutscher starts with two gifts on her side: natural talent (I'll avoid the word genius) and sincerity. Cinderella may be pastiche, but at the same time nothing is fake." BBC Music |
JANACEK
The Cunning Little Vixen (Complete opera sung in Czech recorded in 2008) Opéra Bastille / Elena Tsallagova, Jukka Rasilainen, Michèle Lagrange / Dennis Russell Davies (conductor) [ EuroArts / Medici Arts DVD / DVD - released 20/Sep/2011 ] "Elena Tsallagova made an irresistible vixen with her lovingly observed paw-work and pretty soprano…Some of the best singing of the evening came from Jukka Rasilainen as the all-important gamekeeper." Opera News |
HENRY PURCELL
Purcell: Dido and Aeneas (complete opera recorded in 2008) Opéra Comique / Malena Ernman, Christopher Maltman, Judith van Wanroij, Hilary Summers / Les Arts Florissants William Christie [ Naxos DVD / DVD - released 21/Jan/2022 ] Recorded at the Opéra Comique, Paris, France, 7 and 9 December 2008 |
REYNALDO HAHN
Hahn: Ciboulette (Complete Operetta recorded in 2013) Opéra Comique, Paris / Julie Fuchs, Jean-François Lapointe, Julien Behr, Eva Ganizate / Accentus Chamber Choir / Laurence Equilbey (cond) [ Naxos DVD / DVD - released 10/Oct/2021 ] Even if Ciboulette, with its fresh and spruce title, depicts the dawning of sentiments between two young people - the urban aristocrat and the little farm girl - it was written by an experienced and scrupulous composer of almost 50 years of age. |
JEAN PHILIPPE RAMEAU
Rameau; Hippolyte et Aricie (complete opera recorded in 2020) Opéra Comique / Reinoud van Mechelen, Elsa Benoit, Sylvie Brunet-Grupposo, Séraphine Cotrez / Raphaël Pichon (cond) [ Naxos DVD / DVD - released 19/Nov/2021 ] Recorded at the Opéra Comique, Paris, France, 12 and 14 November 2020 |
JEAN CASSANEA de MONDONVILLE
Mondonville: Titon et l'Aurore (complete opera recorded in 2021) Opéra Comique / Reinoud van Mechelen, Gwendoline Blondeel, Emmanuelle de Negri, Marc Mauillon / Les Arts Florissants, William Christie [ Naxos FRA DVD / DVD - released 3/Dec/2021 ] Recorded at the Opéra Comique, Paris, France, 18-19 January 2021 |
WAGNER
Lohengrin (recorded live at the Festspielhaus, Baden-Baden in 2006) Opera National de Lyon / Klaus Florian Vogt, Solveig Kringelborn, Hans-Peter Konig, Waltraud Meier / Tom Fox / Roman Trekel / Kent Nagano (cond) [ Opus Arte DVD / 3 DVD - released 6/Dec/2006 ] G :- "Very highly recommended for those not allergic to updated Wagner" (MusicWeb May 2007) |
GIUSEPPE VERDI
Verdi: Macbeth (complete opera recorded in 2007) Orchestra Filarmonia Marchigiana / Giuseppe Altomare / Olha Zhuravel / Pavel Kudinov / Danielle callegari (cond) [ Naxos DVD / DVD - released 1/Mar/2009 ] "A straightforward, vigorous account of one of Verdi's finest scores. Simply but effectively staged, it gets strong, unsubtle vocal and acting performances from a young cast" BBC Music |
GIOACCHINO ROSSINI
Rossini: Il Turco in Italia (complete opera recorded in 2007) Orchestra Haydn di Bolzano e Trento / Marco Vinco / Alessandra Marianelli / Andrea Concetti / Antonello Allemandi (cond) [ Naxos DVD / DVD - released 1/Mar/2009 ] G - Filmed at the Teatro Rossini, Pesaro, Italy, 18 August 2007. |
JOHN CORIGLIANO
Corigliano: The Ghosts of Versailles (complete opera) [CD+DVD+Blu-ray] Teresa Perrotta, Jonathan Bryan, Kayla Siembieda, Ben Schaefer / Orchestre de l'Opéra Royal; Joseph Colaneri [ Château de Versailles Spectacles / 3 CD/DVD - released 14/May/2021 ] "Colaneri's conducting deserves much of the credit, pointing up the most disruptive harmonies while giving the singers their head in the lyrical ensembles that come to dominate the piece" Gramophone Editor's Choice September 2021 |
WAGNER
Die Walkure (Complete Opera recorded in 2007) Osterfesrspiele Salzburg / Robert Gambill / Mikhail Petrenko / Willard White / Joanna Porackova / Eva Johansson / Simon Rattle (cond) [ Bel Air Classiques DVD / 2 DVD - released 20/Nov/2008 ] "In what is both Mr. Rattle's and Aix's first Ring Cycle, "Die Walküre," the Ring's second chapter, was magically transformed by the enclosed space and lively acoustics of the Grand Théâtre de Provence." New York Times, July 5, 2007 |
JOHANN STRAUSS 11
Die Fledermaus (complete operetta recorded in 2003) Glyndebourne Opera / Pamela Armstrong, Thomas Allen, Ragnar Ulfung, Hakan Hagegard / Vladimir Jurowski (cond) [ BBC / Opus Arte / Kultur DVD / 2 DVD - released 1/Dec/2010 ] "Malena Ernman is a stunning Orlofsky (at the end, Lawless reveals that the prince was really a princess after all), and Håkan Hagegård and Pamela Armstrong are very satisfying as Dr. Falke and Rosalinde, respectively." ClassicalNet |
CHARLES GOUNOD
Gounod: Mireille (complete opera recorded in 2009) Inva Mula, Charles Castronovo / Chœur de l'Opéra national de Paris, Orchestre de l'Opéra national de Paris, Marc Minkowski [ Naxos DVD / 2 DVD - released 11/Jun/2021 ] As soon as I was appointed Director of the Paris National Opera, I wanted to open my term of office with Mireille at the Palais Garnier opera house. In my opinion, Gounod was the greatest French musician of the 19th century, in no way inferior to... |
W. A. MOZART
Mozart: La Clemenza di Tito (complete opera recorded in 2005) Paris National Opera / Susan Graham / Hannah Esther Minutillo / Catherine Naglestad / Ekaterina Siurina / Christoph Pregardien / Sylvain Cambreling [ Kultur / Opus Arte DVD / 2 DVD - released 2/Feb/2009 ] G :- "Mortier has done everything in his power to present the opera in this long-lasting form. However, the only justification for adding this to you collection is the outstanding singing of Susan Graham" (MusicWeb March 2006) |
TCHAIKOVSKY / PROKOFIEV / CHOPIN / etc
Opera National de Paris: Ballet - Swan Lake / Cinderella / Jewels / La Dame aux Camelias Paris Opera Ballet / Agnes Letestu, Jose Martinez, Aurélie Dupont, Marie-Agnès Gillot, Laëtitia Pujol, etc [ Opus Arte DVD / 6 DVD Box Set - released 20/Apr/2012 ] Bringing together four seminal works, this attractive collection offers a perfect introduction to the world's oldest national ballet company. |
CHOPIN
La Dame aux Camelias (Complete ballet choreographed by John Neumeier recorded in 2008) Paris Opera Ballet / Agnes Letestu / Jose Martinez / Dorothee Gilbert / Michael Schmidtsdorff (cond) [ Opus Arte DVD / 2 DVD - released 1/Oct/2009 ] G : - 'John Neumeier has created a ballet in which emotions go crescendo … Agnes Letestu, the great dramatic heroine, triumphs in this ballet danced to music by Chopin.' Figaro |
TCHAIKOVSKY
Swan Lake (Complete ballet choreographed by Rudolf Nureyev recorded in 2005) Paris Opera Ballet / Agnes Letestu / Jose Martinez / Karl Paquette / Muriel Halle / Velo Pahn (cond) [ Opus Arte DVD / DVD - released 7/Feb/2007 ] '…their [Agnès Letestu & José Martinez] dancing was sensational, and Letestu in particular was magnificent. She was soft, lyrical yet aristocratic as Odette, as befits her slender, long-limbed body and her mime scene was of intense beauty. …... |
SERGEI PROKOFIEV
Prokofiev: Cinderella (Complete ballet choreographed by Rudolf Nureyev recorded in 2008) Paris Opera Ballet / Agnes Letestu / Jose Martinez / Laetitia Pujol / Koen Kessels (cond) [ Opus Arte DVD / 2 DVD - released 1/Dec/2008 ] "The production here was created in 1986 by Rudolf Nureyev. The setting is Hollywood in the 1930s. The basic story is intact and Nureyev was scrupulous in his use of Prokofiev's music. In all a sumptuous package." (MusicWeb Nov 2008) |