GASPARE SPONTINI
Spontini: Fernando Cortez (La conquète du Mexique) (complete opera recorded in 2019) Maggio Musicale Fiorentino / Dario Schmunck, Alexia Voulgaridou, Luca Lombardo, Gianluca Margheri / Jean-Luc Tingaud (cond) [ Dynamic DVD / 2 DVD - released 1/May/2020 ] Gaspare Spontini's rare opera 'Fernand Cortez' is now available on DYNAMIC. Recorded in October 2019 at the Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, this production is a WORLD PREMIERE VIDEO RECORDING of the first modern times performance |
FERRUCCIO BUSONI
Busoni: Doktor Faust (Complete Opera recorded in 2023) Blu-ray Maggio Musicale Fiorentino / Dietrich Henschel, Daniel Brenna, Wilhelm Schwinghammer, Joseph Dahdah, Olga Bezsmertna, Florian Stern / Cornelius Meiste [ Naxos / Dynamic Blu-ray / Blu-ray - released 15/Mar/2024 ] "Meister [acquits himself well], conducting by turns with sensitivity and vigour, and capturing effectively the haunting, mysterious sound world of the piece. The orchestral playing could be more refined but doesn't lack for commitment." Gramophone |
GAETANO DONIZETTI
Donizetti: Linda Di Chamounix (complete opera recorded in 2021) BLU-RAY Maggio Musicale Fiorentino / Jessica Pratt, Teresa Iervolin, Francesco Demuro, Marina de Liso / Michele Gamba (cond) [ Dynamic Blu-Ray / Blu-ray Disc - released 3/Dec/2021 ] "Deploying her voluminously secure soprano with artistry, [Pratt] gives us a sweetly innocent 'O luce di quest'anima' and skilfully navigates the once-famous Mad Scene. Her romantic partner is attractively voiced by Francesco Demuro." Opera |
FRANCESCO CILEA
Cilea: Adriana Lecouvreur (Complete Opera recorded in 2021) Maggio Musicale Fiorentino / Maria José Siri, Ksenia Dudnikova, Martin Muehle, Paolo Antognetti / Daniel Harding (cond) [ Naxos / Dynamic DVD / DVD - released 9/Sep/2022 ] Francesco Cilea's Adriana Lecouvreur was inspired by the real-life story of a celebrated actress at the Comédie-Française who was much admired by Voltaire. Hailed as a masterpiece, the opera was triumphantly staged in cities around the world. |
FRANCESCO CILEA
Cilea: Adriana Lecouvreur (Complete Opera recorded in 2021) Blu-ray Maggio Musicale Fiorentino / Maria José Siri, Ksenia Dudnikova, Martin Muehle, Paolo Antognetti / Daniel Harding (cond) [ Naxos / Dynamic Blu-ray / Blu-ray - released 9/Sep/2022 ] Francesco Cilea's Adriana Lecouvreur was inspired by the real-life story of a celebrated actress at the Comédie-Française who was much admired by Voltaire. Hailed as a masterpiece, the opera was triumphantly staged in cities around the world. |
GEORG FRIDERIC HANDEL
Handel: Rinaldo (complete opera recorded in 2020) BLU-RAY Maggio Musicale Fiorentino / Raffaele Pe, Carmela Remigio, Leonardo Cortellazzi, Francesca Aspromonte / Federico Maria Sardelli (cond) [ Dynamic Blu-Ray / Blu-ray Disc - released 28/May/2021 ] "Sardelli directs a stylish performance, drawing some fine playing from the modern instruments of the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino orchestra...It is only right that this famous staging should have been preserved on film" Opera |
JEAN-BAPISTE LULLY
Lully: Acis et Galatée BLU-RAY Maggio Musicale Fiorentino / Sean-Francois Lombard, Elena Harsanyi, Valeria La Grotta, Luigi de Donato / Benjamin Lazar (cond) [ Dynamic Blu-Ray / Blu-ray Disc - released 19/May/2023 ] "Sardelli (wielding an authentically Lullian staff for certain movements) propels a crisp account - the festival orchestra's first with period instruments." Gramophone Blu-ray of the Month Aug 2023 |
RICHARD WAGNER
Wagner: Der fliegende Holländer [The Flying Dutchman] Maggio Musicale Fiorentino / Thomas Gazheli, Marjorie Owens, Mikhail Petrenko, Bernhard Berchtold / Fabio Luis (cond) [ C Major DVD / 2 DVD - released 1/May/2020 ] At Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, maestro Fabio Luisi gives "a superb performance" (Operawire) of Der Fliegende Holländer (The Flying Dutchman), the forerunner of grand Wagnerian dramas. |
W. A. MOZART
Mozart: Cosi fan Tutte (complete opera recorded in 2021) Maggio Musicale Fiorentino / Valentina Nafornita, Benedetta Torre, Vasilisa Berzhanskaya, Matthew Swensen, Thomas Hampson / Zubin Mehta (cond) [ Naxos DVD / 2 DVD - released 8/Apr/2022 ] The production of Mozart's classic comic opera from 2021 is directed by the acclaimed German director Sven-Eric Bechtolf. Conducted by Zubin Mehta, the cast includes Thomas Hampson as Don Alfonso, and the Moldovan soprano Valentina NaforniĊ£a. |
W. A. MOZART
Mozart: Cosi fan Tutte (complete opera recorded in 2021) BLU-RAY Maggio Musicale Fiorentino / Valentina Nafornita, Benedetta Torre, Vasilisa Berzhanskaya, Matthew Swensen, Thomas Hampson / Zubin Mehta (cond) [ Naxos Blu-ray / Blu-ray - released 8/Apr/2022 ] The production of Mozart's classic comic opera from 2021 is directed by the acclaimed German director Sven-Eric Bechtolf. Conducted by Zubin Mehta, the cast includes Thomas Hampson as Don Alfonso, and the Moldovan soprano Valentina NaforniĊ£a. |
GIUSEPPE VERDI
Verdi: La forza del destino(complete opera recorded in 2021) BLU-RAY Maggio Musicale Fiorentino / Saioa Hernandez, Roberto Aronica, Amartuvshin Enkhbat / Zubin Mehta (cond) [ Dynamic Blu-Ray / Blu-ray Disc - released 18/Feb/2022 ] 'Three hours of a convincing performance, which managed to ignite reflections and questions about multiple aspects of human destiny, enriched by some brilliant artists and an open musicality.' - Lyric Opera Journal |
VINCENZO BELLINI
Bellini: Norma (complete opera recorded in 1994) Jane Eaglen (Norma), Vincenzo La Scola, Eva Mei, Dimitri Kavrakos / Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Riccardo Muti [ Warner Classics The Home of Opera / 2 CD - released 1/Oct/2012 ] |
DONIZETTI
Lucia di Lammermoor (Complete opera) [Recorded 1953] Maria Callas / Giuseppe Di Stefano / Tito Gobbi / Raffaele Arie / Coro e Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino / Tullio Serafin [ EMI Classics / Brilliant Classics Opera Collection / 2 CD - released 20/Feb/2010 ] 'Here is certainly some of the finest singing of our time, and there is one moment in the repeat of Spargi d'amaro when the voice is recorded with all the actuality of 3-dimensional sound. It is startling.' Gramophone 1954 |
GAETANO DONIZETTI
Donizetti: Lucia di Lammermoor (Complete opera) [Recorded 1953] Maria Callas, Nicolai Gedda, Robert Massard / Coro e Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Tullio Serafin [ Warner Classics Maria Callas Remastered / 2 CD - released 20/Oct/2014 ] 'Callas's Lucia is a great performance of the part and, especially in the Mad Scene, we hear some of the finest singing of our time. Credit is also due to Tullio Serafin for his admirable direction of the opera and to the engineers for the excellent... |
DONIZETTI
Lucia di Lammermoor (complete opera recorded 1953) Maria Callas (soprano) / Giuseppe di Stefano (tenor) / Tito Gobbi (baritone) / Fiorentino Maggio Musicale / Tullio Serafin [ Naxos Historical Great Operas / 2 CD - released 1/Mar/2005 ] Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor was the first complete recording for EMI that Callas took part in, in February 1953 |
DONIZETTI
Lucia Di Lammermoor (complete) plus 3 Bellini arias Maria Callas (soprano) Giuseppe di Stefano (tenor) Tito Gobbi (baritone) Orchestra & Chorus of Maggio Musicale Fiorentino / Tullio Serafin [ Regis Records / 2 CD - released 20/May/2007 ] "The Diva is better controlled than in her later stereo set, and indeed some of the coloratura is excitingly brilliant... there are memorable contributions from di Stefano and Gobbi..." Penguin Guide |
Neil Shicoff, Carol Vaness, Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Fabio Luisi
Verdi - Aroldo (Complete Opera) [ Decca Records / 2 CD - released 26/Oct/2001 ] GRAMOPHONE AWARD NOMINATION 2002 - Opera |
VERDI
Il trovatore (complete opera recorded in 1990) Luciano Pavarotti, Shirley Verrett, Antonella Banaudi, Leo Nucci / Orchestra e Coro di Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Zubin Mehta [ Decca Operas / 2 CD - released 15/Mar/2012 ] "Verrett's portrayal, always one of her best roles, is given here with more feeling and involvement than anyone else in the cast." (Gramophone) |
DONIZETTI / BELLINI / VERDI / PUCCINI
Virginia Zeani: The Decca Recitals Virginia Zeani (soprano) / Orchestra dell'Accademia di Santa Cecilia, Roma, Franco Patané / Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Gianandrea Gavaz [ Decca Australian Eloquence / 2 CD - released 20/Jul/2016 ] "she has an excellent sense of rhythm (witness the finale to the Traviata Act I) and she has what all too few sopranos even attempt on more than an occasional phrase: a steady legato" (Gramophone) |
DONIZETTI / BELLINI / VERDI / PUCCINI
Virginia Zeani: Operatic Recital Virginia Zeani (soprano) / Orchestra dell'Accademia di Santa Cecilia, Roma, Franco Patané / Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Gianandrea Gavaz [ Decca Most Wanted Recitals Vol. 50 / CD - released 20/Sep/2014 ] |