MASCAGNI / MASSENET / DONIZETTI
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Duets & Arias Angela Gheorghiu (soprano) Roberto Alagna (tenor) / Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Richard Armstrong [ EMI Music / CD - released 1/Dec/2000 ] An ideal gift - a delightful collection of opera duets |
GIACOMO PUCCINI
Puccini: Tosca (complete opera recorded in 2001) BLU-RAY Royal Opera House / Angela Gheorghiu, Roberto Alagna, Ruggero Raimondi / Antonio Pappano (cond) [ BBC / Opus Arte Blu-ray 4K Ultra HD / Blu-ray UHD - released 10/Oct/2017 ] "brings this opera vividly to life ... this is a classic of the future" The Guardian |
BIRGIT NILSSON
La Nilsson (arias and songs by Wagner, Weber, Beethoven, Gounod, etc) Birgit Nilsson (soprano) / Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden / Sir Edward Downes (with Ake Leven, organ) [ Decca ABC Australian Eloquence / CD - released 1/Sep/2008 ] One of the greatest soprano legends of all time, Nilsson's 1963 Decca recital with Sir Edward Downes of popular opera arias by Wagner, Weber, Beethoven, et.al. has never been fully issued. Here it is on CD - issued complete for the first time and in... |
W. A. MOZART
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Mozart: Don Giovanni (complete opera recorded in 1991 with libretto) Ingvar Wixell, Luigi Roni, Martina Arroyo, Stuart Burrows, Kiri te Kanawa / Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Sir Colin Davis [ Philips Complete Mozart Edition Vol 41 / 3 CD Box Set - released 20/Nov/1991 ] Original Recording made at the Watford Town Hall, London. May 1973 |
W. A. MOZART
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Mozart: Don Giovanni (highlights from the opera recorded in 1991) Ingvar Wixell, Luigi Roni, Martina Arroyo, Stuart Burrows,Kiri te Kanawa / Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Sir Colin Davis [ Philips remastered / CD - released 20/Nov/1996 ] Originally recorded in London,1973 |
GAETANO DONIZETTI
Donizetti: Lucia Di Lammermoor (complete opera recorded in 1971) Joan Sutherland, Luciano Pavarotti, Sherrill Milnes, Nicolai Ghiaurov / Chorus and Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Richard Bonynge [ Decca 2 CDs plus Blu-ray audio & Libretto / 3 CD/Blu-ray Disc - released 20/Jun/2019 ] Remastered in ultra-high quality 96kHz/24-bit audio at Abbey Road Studios in 2014 under the supervision of long-term Decca balance engineer Philip Siney. |
GAETANO DONIZETTI
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Donizetti: Lucia Di Lammermoor (Highlights from the complete 1972 recording)) Joan Sutherland, Luciano Pavarotti, Sherrill Milnes, Nicolai Ghiaurov / Chorus and Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Richard Bonynge [ Decca Opera Gala / CD - released 24/Oct/1992 ] "Though some of the girlish freshness of voice which marked the 1961 recording had disappeared by the 1971 set, Sutherland's detailed understanding was intensified. Power is there as well as delicacy, and the rest of the cast is first-rate." Penguin |
ARNE / HANDEL / BELLINI / ROSSINI / MEYERBEER / MOZART / VERDI / etc
Joan Sutherland - The Art of the Prima Donna Joan Sutherland (Soprano) / Chorus & Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden Francesco Molinari-Pradelli [ Decca Australian Eloquence / 2 CD - released 11/Mar/2022 ] Sutherland's sensational debut recital album, long unavailable on its own, reissued with photographs and rarely seen costume designs for the soprano's signature roles. |
CHARPENTIER / DEBUSSY / BERLIOZ / MASSENET / OFFENBACH / GLUCK / BIZET / VERDI
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Kiri te Kanawa - French Opera Arias Kiri te Kanawa (soprano) / Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Jeffrey Tate [ EMI / CD - released 20/Jun/1989 ] "As always, one marvels at the sheer allure of the voice" Gramophone |
RICHARD STRAUSS
Salome (complete opera recorded in 2009) BLU-RAY Royal Opera House / Nadja Michael, Michael Volle, Michaela Schuster, Thomas Moser / Philippe Jordan [ Opus Arte Blu-Ray / Blu-ray Disc - released 1/Aug/2010 ] "Nadia Michael… is an attractive Salome, moving like a dancer, as physically unafraid as she is vocally… Michael Volle is an imposing, rich-toned Narraboth" (Gramophone) |
FERDINAND HEROLD / CHARLES LECOCQ
Herold: La Fille Mal Gardee / Lecocq: Mam'zelle Angot (Complete Ballets) Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, John Lanchbery / National Philharmonic Orchestra, Richard Bonynge [ Decca Australian Eloquence / 2 CD - released 20/May/2007 ] "Here, with sound of spectacular Decca digital fidelity, Lanchbery conducts a highly seductive account of the complete ballet with an orchestra long familiar with playing it in the theatre." (Rosette Penguin Stereo Guide) |
PIOTR ILYICH TCHAIKOVSKY
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker Op 71 (complete ballet) [with Arensky: Variations on a theme by Tchaikovsky] The Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Mark Ermler [ Conifer / 2 CD Box Set - released 20/Nov/1989 ] "The orchestra respond idiomatically to Tchaikovsky dance music and with obvious familiarity and love. Ermler has a natural feeling for springing rhythms and moulding rubato persuasively." (Gramophone) |
GAETANO DONIZETTI
Donizetti: La Fille du Regiment (The Daughter of the Regiment) [complete opera recorded in 2007] Natalie Dessay, Juan Diego Florez, Felicity Palmer, Alessandro Corbelli, Donald Maxwell, Dawn French, Orchestra & Choir of the Royal Opera House, Brun [ Erato / Warner Classics DVD / DVD - released 29/Sep/2008 ] GRAMOPHONE MAGAZINE AWARD FINALIST 2008 - DVD - "The Royal Opera's new staging of La Fille du régiment will probably go down in history as one of the company's great achievements ... Laurent Pelly's production casts Natalie Dessay and Juan... |
W. A. MOZART
Don Giovanni (complete opera recorded in 2014) BLU-RAY Royal Opera House, Covent Garden / Mariusz Kwiecien, Alex Esposito, Alexander Tsymbalyuk, Véronique Gens , Antonio Poli / Nicola Luisotti (cond [ Opus Arte Blu-Ray / Blu-ray Disc - released 20/Nov/2014 ] Mozart's sublime tragic comedy offers boundless scope for directors, and Kasper Holten has chosen it to follow his directorial debut of Eugene Onegin. He wanted to shift the emphasis from Don Giovanni's sex life into a darker place, showing... |
W. A. MOZART
Mozart: Die Zauberflote (The Magic Flute) (complete opera recorded in 2021) Royal Opera House, Covent Garden / Mauro Peter, Siobhan Stagg, Roderick Williams, Sabine Devieilhe, Mika Kares / Julia Jones (cond) [ Opus Arte DVD / DVD - released 26/Nov/2021 ] "This spirited performance, with good video direction by Jonathan Haswell, will give a great deal of pleasure." Gramophone |
W. A. MOZART
Mozart: Die Zauberflote (The Magic Flute) (complete opera recorded in 2021) BLU-RAY Royal Opera House, Covent Garden / Mauro Peter, Siobhan Stagg, Roderick Williams, Sabine Devieilhe, Mika Kares / Julia Jones (cond) [ Opus Arte Blu-ray / Blu-ray - released 26/Nov/2021 ] David McVicar's classic production embraces both the seriousness and comedy of Mozart's work. The audience is transported to a fantastical world of dancing animals, flying machines and dazzlingly starry skies. The setting provides a wonderful... |
GIUSEPPE VERDI
Verdi: Macbeth (complete opera recorded in 2011) Royal Opera House / Simon Keenlyside, Liudmyla Monastryrska, Raymond Aceto / Antonio Pappano (cond) [ Opus Arte / BBC DVD / DVD - released 20/Apr/2012 ] "Lloyd's Covent Garden staging of Verdi's opera has a good deal going for it; there's plenty of atmosphere in Anthony Ward's aptly dark-toned sets...Keenlyside sings the title role with imagination and insight" (BBC Music) |
GIACOMO PUCCINI
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Puccini: Tosca (complete opera recorded in 2011) Royal Opera House / Angela Gheorghiu (soprano) Jonas Kaufmann (tenor) Bryn Terfel (bass-baritone) / Antonio Pappano (cond) [ Warner Classics DVD / DVD - released 19/Oct/2012 ] GRAMOPHONE AWARD FINALIST 2013: Opera / BBC MUSIC AWARD WINNER 2014: DVD Performance |
FRANCESCO CILEA
Cilea: Adriana Lecouvreur (complete opera recorded in 2010) BLU-RAY Royal Opera House / Angela Gheorghiu, Olga Borodina, Jonas Kaufmann / Mark Elder (cond) [ Decca Music Group Blu-Ray / Blu-ray Disc - released 5/Apr/2012 ] "Gheorghiu is an inspired piece of casting for the heroine...There is an excitement about [Kaufmann's] voice and stage presence that is infectious" (MusicWeb) |
PYOTR Il'yich TCHAIKOVSKY
Tchaikovsky: Eugene Onegin (complete opera) Bernd Weik, Teresa Kubiak, Stuart Burrows / Royal Opera House, Covent Garden / Sir Georg Solti [ Decca Music Group Limited DVD / DVD - released 16/Aug/2004 ] Director Petr Weigl is celebrated for his sumptuous opera films, using magnificent natural settings and casting photogenic actors in the principal roles. |