Blu-Rays
720 products
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Prokofiev: Romeo And Juliet / Cuthbertson, Bonelli, Royal Ballet [blu-ray]
Opus Arte · Apr 2013Blu-Ray$26.99 -
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SaleProkofiev: Symphonies Nos. 1 'classical' & 2; Dreams
Naxos AudioVisual · Oct 2014Blu-Ray$16.99$8.49 -
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Prokofiev: Symphony No. 3; Scythian Suite; Autumn / Alsop [blu-ray Audio]
Naxos AudioVisual · May 2015Blu-Ray$16.99 -
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Prokofiev: Symphony No. 4 / Alsop, Sao Paulo Symphony [blu-ray Audio]
Naxos AudioVisual · Oct 2013Blu-Ray$16.99 -
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Puccini: Gianni Schicchi / Galli, Orchestra Del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino [blu-ray]
Dynamic · Aug 2020Blu-Ray$26.99 -
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Puccini: Il Trittico / Pappano, Gallo, Demuro, Westbroek, Larsson [blu-ray]
Opus Arte · Jul 2012Blu-Ray$39.99 -
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Puccini: La Boheme / Chailly, Livermore, James, Machado, Romeu [blu-ray]
Accentus Music · Nov 2013Blu-Ray$37.99 -
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Puccini: La boheme / Dessi, Galli, Puccini Festival Orchestra [Blu-ray]
C Major Entertainment · May 2016Blu-Ray$45.99 -
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Puccini: La Boheme / Nelsons, Gerzmava, Dukach, Maxwell, Imbralio
Opus Arte · Jul 2010Blu-Ray$39.99 -
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Puccini: La boheme / Pappano, Car, Fabiano, Royal Opera House [Blu-ray]
Opus Arte · Sep 2018Blu-Ray$39.99 -
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Puccini: Madama Butterfly / Pappano, Jaho, Puente, Royal Opera House [Blu-ray]
Opus Arte · Oct 2018Blu-Ray$39.99
Prokofiev: Romeo And Juliet / Cuthbertson, Bonelli, Royal Ballet [blu-ray]
Also available on standard DVD
Sergey Prokofiev
ROMEO AND JULIET
(Blu-ray Disc Version)
Romeo – Federico Bonelli
Juliet – Lauren Cuthbertson
Mercutio – Alexander Campbell
Tybalt – Bennet Gartside
Benvolio – Dawid Trzensimiech
Paris – Valeri Hristov
Lord Capulet – Christopher Saunders
Lady Capulet – Christina Arestis
Esclasus – Gary Avis
Royal Ballet
Royal Opera House Orchestra
Barry Wordsworth, conductor
Kenneth MacMillan, choreographer
Recorded live at the Royal Opera House, March 2012
Bonus:
- Documentaries on Kenneth MacMillan’s production
- Sharps, Points and Pirouettes – the famous sword fight scene
- Cast gallery
Picture format: 1080i High Definition
Sound format: LPCM 2.0 / DTS 5.1
Region code: 0 (worldwide)
Subtitles (bonus): French, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese
Running time: 158 mins (ballet) + 15 mins (bonus)
No. of Discs: 1 (BD50)
Prokofiev: Symphonies Nos. 1 'classical' & 2; Dreams
Prokofiev: Symphony No. 3; Scythian Suite; Autumn / Alsop [blu-ray Audio]
It is also available on standard CD.
This fourth volume in Marin Alsop’s acclaimed Prokofiev symphonic cycle features two of his most viscerally exciting works. Using material salvaged from his opera The Fiery Angel, the Third Symphony was hailed by Serge Koussevitzky at its 1929 première as ‘the best symphony since Tchaikovsky’s Sixth’. Originally commissioned as a ballet by Sergey Dyagilev but rejected as un-danceable, the Scythian Suite has become a popular orchestral showpiece, while Prokofiev retained a lifelong fondness for his dark-hued early symphonic sketch Autumn.
Prokofiev: Symphony No. 4 / Alsop, Sao Paulo Symphony [blu-ray Audio]
It is also available on standard CD
PROKOFIEV Symphony No. 4 (revised version); op. 112. The Prodigal Son, op. 46 • Marin Alsop, cond; São Paulo SO • NAXOS 0038 (Blu-ray Audio: 78:18)
Of Prokofiev’s seven symphonies, the Fourth has the most unassuming demeanor. Less sparkling than the First, less violent than the acidic Second and Third, less monumental than the Fifth and Sixth, and less magical than the nostalgic Seventh, its lack of distinctive character has kept it (especially in its baggier revised version) on the edge of the repertoire. Still, despite its relatively anodyne character, it has its fair share of charm, and its virtues are brought to the fore in this graceful performance, the second installment in Alsop’s symphony cycle.
Granted, at first, the performance seems slightly distracted. But within a minute or two, it comes into focus, and from then on, Alsop shows consistent sensitivity to the score’s harmonic flavor (the more mournful harmonies are especially well conveyed), its lyrical pull (especially in the more regretful moments—try the melancholy of the second movement), and its rhythmic stride. Alsop never tries to push the score into a grandeur it doesn’t possess—this is a fairly laid-back performance. But while it’s low in pressure, it’s never inattentive. She has a good sense of balance, so the passages with superimposed ideas (especially in the Finale) have enviable transparency. Details carry well, too (listen, for instance, to the marcato chatter on the bass lines at the beginning of the Finale). And while São Paulo is not quite a super-virtuoso ensemble, its members (especially the busy solo winds) play deftly. If the Symphony still sometimes seems to meander or sag (especially in the second movement and the Finale), the fault is really with the composer, not the performers.
Just as Prokofiev fashioned his Third from his opera The Fiery Angel, so he filched most of the musical material of the Fourth from his ballet The Prodigal Son. Putting the Symphony and its source material together on a single disc will seem either revelatory or redundant, depending on whether you are more interested getting insight into Prokofiev’s compositional methods or getting some musical variety. In any case, the original ballet is as pale as the Symphony (and formally a lot looser): You’ve rarely heard a less violent robbery scene than the seventh movement here, or, for that matter, a more anemic seductress than the one Prokofiev introduces in the third. Still, it too has its beauties (or, most of the time, the same beauties), and the interpretive grace that serves the Symphony so well has the same effect here. The sound is excellent, with plenty of timbral clarity (timpani have exceptional presence); the surround speakers on the 5.1 tracks offer an appropriate warmth to the total aural experience. Recommended.
FANFARE: Peter J. Rabinowitz
Prokofiev: Symphony No. 5 - The Year 1941
Prokofiev: War and Peace
Puccini: Gianni Schicchi / Galli, Orchestra Del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino [blu-ray]
When Il trittico premiered at New York's Metropolitan Opera in December 1918, Gianni Schicchi became an immediate hit. The libretto is based on an incident mentioned in Dante's Divine Comedy. The action in Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi takes place in Buoso Donati’s bedroom in 13th-century Florence, immediately after his death, as his greedy relatives feign grief and search for his will. The mood shifts to anger when the relatives discover that they have been disinherited. They seek out the clever and resourceful Schicchi to make a counterfeit will. Schicchi, however, turns their scheme against them, bequeathing most of the dead man’s fortune to himself while the relatives, all parties to the crime of forgery, are forced to sit by silently. The aria O mio babbino caro is one of Puccini's most popular arias for soprano. Bruno de Simone plays the character of Gianni Schicchi. As Italy's finest basso buffo, he is perfect for this role. Puccini completed the score on 20 April, 1918, eight months before the scheduled premiere. At that performance it was presented as the third part of a trilogy of newly written one-act operas by Puccini billed as Il trittico (The Triptych); the first two were Il tabarro (The Cloak) and Suor Angelica (Sister Angelica). Il tabarro was a dark tragedy and Suor Angelica a sweet one, so by closing with Gianni Schicchi Puccini rounded off the night with a high-spirited comic farce. Critical reaction at the time judged that Gianni Schicchi was “an uproarious delight”, and it was the most favorably received of the three.
Puccini: Il Trittico / Pappano, Gallo, Demuro, Westbroek, Larsson [blu-ray]
Also available on standard DVD
Leading director Richard Jones staged his witty, darkly comic realization of Gianni Schicchi for The Royal Opera in 2007. The production was revived in 2012 and here he completes the trio with two new productions of Il Tabarro and Suor Angelica. Antonio Pappano conducts an acclaimed cast including Eva-Maria Westbroek, Ermonela Jaho, Lucio Gallo, Elena Zilio and rising star Francesco Demuro. These three one-act works were broadcast on BBC Radio 3 and went to cinemas world-wide in February 2012.
Giacomo Puccini IL TRITTICO
(Blu-ray Disc Version)
Il Tabarro
Michele – Lucio Gallo
Giorgetta – Eva-Maria Westbroek
Luigi – Aleksandrs Antonenko
Suor Angelica
Suor Angelica – Ermonela Jaho
La zia principessa – Anna Larsson
La badessa – Irina Mishura
Gianni Schicchi
Gianni Schicchi – Lucio Gallo
Lauretta – Ekaterina Siurina
Rinuccio – Francesco Demuro
Royal Opera House Chorus and Orchestra
Antonio Pappano, conductor
Richard Jones, stage director
Recorded live at the Royal Opera House, September 2011
Bonus
- Introductions by Antonio Pappano
- Behind the Scenes
Picture format: 1080i High Definition
Sound format: LPCM 2.0 / DTS 5.1
Region code: 0 (worldwide)
Subtitles: Italian, English, German, French, Spanish
Running time: 180 mins (operas) + 20 mins (bonus)
No. of Discs: 1 (Blu-ray)
Puccini: La Boheme / Chailly, Livermore, James, Machado, Romeu [blu-ray]
Also available on standard DVD
Giacomo Puccini
La Bohème
from the Palau de les Arts "Reina Sofía", Valencia
Directed by Riccardo Chailly
Staged by Davide Livermore
Orquestra de la Comunitat Valenciana
Cor de la Generalitat Valenciana
Escola Coral Veus Juntes de Quart de Poblet
Escolania de la Mare de Déu dels Desemparats
Gal James (Mimì), Aquiles Machado (Rodolfo)
Carmen Romeu (Musetta), Massimo Cavalletti (Marcello)
Gianluca Buratto (Colline), Mattia Olivieri (Schaunard)
Matteo Peirone (Benoît)
The musical notes of this Puccini masterpiece provide the starting point and foundation for a new, highly successful collaboration between Riccardo Chailly and Davide Livermore. In their interpretation, there is "no moment, no movement, that goes against the musical meaning" (R. Chailly). The result is an energetic, authentic, and atmospherically strong Bohème, "in which every sacred phrase receives its own orchestral colour, its own dynamic and its own expression." (Corriere della Sera)
Bonus Film (20 min)
“The Making of La Bohème in Valencia”
(Subtitles: Italian, English, German, French)
Picture Format Blu-ray: Full HD
Sound Formats Blu-ray: DTS HD Master Audio, PCM Stereo
Region Code: 0 (worldwide)
Subtitles: Original (Italian), English, German, French, Korean, Japanese
Running Time: 114:13 min
Number of Discs: 1
R E V I E W:
PUCCINI La bohème & • Riccardo Chailly, cond; Gal James (Mimì); Aquiles Machado (Rodolfo); Massimo Cavalletti (Marcello); Carmen Romeu (Musetta); Mattia Olivieri (Schaunard); Gianluca Buratto (Colline); Matteo Peirone (Benoit); Andrea Snarski (Alcindoro); Pablo Garcia López (Parpignol); Comunitat Valencia O; Ch of the Generalitat Valencia • ACCENTUS 10283 (Blu-ray: 114:13+20:00) Live: Valencia 2012
& The Making of La Bohème
All major opera houses need a production of Puccini’s ever popular La bohème. It provides almost guaranteed full houses, is not terribly difficult to cast, and is a staple of the operatic repertoire. Now, in conjunction with the Opera Company of Philadelphia, Valencia has theirs, strictly traditional, with a visual thematic emphasis on the Impressionist masters of the era, Renoir, Van Gogh, Degas. Several paintings of this genre are projected onto the garret wall in act I, while they simultaneously appear on Marcello’s easel. Hopefully, the boys weren’t burning those in the stove for heat before Rodolfo’s play is sacrificed. It seems like all new productions of Bohème lately have attempted to outdo one another in the act II party scene in and around the Café Momus. This one comes with marching children, circus performers, ballet dancers, comedic waiters, and an overactive chorus reminiscent of the famous Zeffirelli style, all performed in front of a Van Gogh-inspired painting of the Paris skyline. It is very entertaining, if not a bit overwhelming to both Mimì and the video viewer.
The young cast seen here is quite good. Baby-faced Venezuelan tenor Aquiles Machado looks a bit like a young Andrea Bocelli with fatter cheeks, but he sings quite well in the role of Rodolfo. At times, Machado forces his high notes at double forte, but when he is singing more softly he is charming. I believe this is one of Machado’s signature roles, but even so, now and then his acting can be a bit sketchy. Young Israeli soprano Gal James makes a lovely Mimì and is quite the best voice on the set. Her famous act I aria, “Mi chiamano Mimì” (“They often call me Mimì but my real name is Mr. Earl.” Oops, sorry, that’s the Cadillacs) is a highlight, as is the duet with Rodolfo that follows. James brings enough pathos to the dying young seamstress in act IV to elicit tears, as we all secretly hope she will. Of the other bohemians, the Colline of Gianluca Buratto stands out, particularly in the coat aria in act IV. Carmen Romeu delivers a quite lovely Musetta’s waltz in the midst of all the gaiety in act II. All of the principal cast sings quite well, as do the chorus and the children. Maestro Riccardo Chailly takes firm control of the Comunitat Valencia orchestra and together they deliver a vigorous rendition of Puccini’s score. One quibble here: The sound is unbalanced, with the singers quite recessed, more noticeable in PCM stereo than in the surround format.
So, did we really need another video version of La bohème? Perhaps not. I make the number of competing video sets to be in the low 20s, with seven now on high definition Blu-ray disc, including this one. My own favorite is the Met production with Angela Gheorghiu and Ramón Vargas, where the singing is superior and we get the real Zeffirelli production. But there are many fine choices, now including this one where you can enjoy the Impressionistic tinting and the quite manic party scene. Recommended.
FANFARE: Bill White
Puccini: La boheme / Dessi, Galli, Puccini Festival Orchestra [Blu-ray]
Also available on standard DVD
With an outstanding cast including Daniela Dessi, Fabio Armiliato, Alessandro Luongo, and Alida Berti, this incomparable performance is Puccini at his finest.; Directed by Ettore Scola, who has created a great number of award-winning films, this performance is from the Puccini Festival in Torre del Lago.; One of the most represented operas in history, becoming the inspiration for many works to come, La Boheme is a rich, grandiose opera, which is wonderfully represented in this recording.
Picture Format: 1080i, 16:9
Sound Formats: PCM Stereo, DTS-HD MA 5.1
Subtitles: Italian, German, English, French, Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Japanese
Region: All
Total Running Time: 123 mins
Puccini: La Boheme / Nelsons, Gerzmava, Dukach, Maxwell, Imbralio
Also available on standard DVD
This release is a delight, a relay from Covent Garden which was, as far as I’m aware, broadcast live into cinemas last December. It features their current production which has been doing the rounds since the early 1970s, here revived by the original director himself. Copley’s production is traditional and beautiful, its chief concern being to tell the story directly. In December 2009 some criticised it for looking a little worn and shabby. Don’t believe a word of it! In the close-up of the screen it looks neat, fresh and as good as new, every piece of furniture and inch of set design serving the purpose of the drama nicely. The garret is well designed on two levels so that the most intimate action takes place closest to the audience, away from the busyness of the entries and exits. The Barrière d’Enfer looks beautiful with its warm looking tavern and gently falling snow. The Cafe Momus is uncrowded and easy on the eye, though the action in the street outside seems rather cramped. Costumes and sets place us firmly in Paris in the 1830s and there is nothing to detract from the basic narrative. Some might find this unimaginative, but there is a lot to be said for telling a story well and this is certainly one production (or, by extension, DVD) to which I would happily take a newcomer to opera.
The cast of singers are all young up-and-comings, but they are all the better for that. Bohème is all about the energy of youth and the excitement of young love, and this cast all look the part as well as sounding great. Hibla Gerzmava is a lovely Mimi, lyrical and vulnerable with a very beautiful voice: she is at her best during the parting duet of Act 3. Teodor Illincai is a very fine Rodolfo with a great ring to his voice and lots of youthful ardour. Strangely, though, Che gelida manina is probably the weakest point of his performance as he attacks from below the note – a shame as the top of his voice is thrilling. Inna Dukach is a characterful Musetta, her bright, slightly sharp soprano contrasting well with Gerzmava’s. Viviani is a warm, likeable Marcello, powerful in Acts 2 and 3 and very moving in the duet at the start of Act 4. Kostas Smorginias is of rather pale voice until the Raincoat aria which he sings with strength, and Jacques Imbrailo’s Schaunard is lovely of presence and voice. Benoit and Alcindoro are acted well by two stalwarts who love every minute of it.
Like his cast, conductor Andris Nelsons brings youth, vigour and energy to this ever-young score. The pulse of the first Act is infectious and the great crashes that begin and end Act 3 are razor-sharp. The orchestra play this most familiar of scores as if it were the only performance they would ever give, enthusiasm and virtuosity coming through in every bar. They are helped in this by production values of the highest order: the DTS sound, in particular, is outstandingly clear and well-separated without drawing attention to itself. The picture is also crystal-clear and the camera-work is effective and entirely non-intrusive.
Opus Arte’s usual high standards are maintained in the presentation and title menus, and there are brief interviews with Nelsons and Copley about the production. There are many Bohèmes available on DVD, but this one is as recommendable as any, and it feels good to be able to say this about such a home-grown product. Covent Garden have kept this production for so long because it works so well, and I think that anyone with this DVD in their collection would feel the same way.
-- Simon Thompson, MusicWeb International
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J Regions: All regions
Picture Format: 1080i High Definition / 16:9
Sound Type: 2.0 LPCM & 5.1 DTS Surround
Subtitles: English, French, German, Spanish, Italian
Rodolfo: Teodor Ilincai
Mimì: Hibla Gerzmava
Marcello: Gabriele Viviani
Musetta: Inna Dukach
Colline: Kostas Smoriginas
Schaunard: Jacques Imbrailo
Benoit: Jeremy White
Alcindoro: Donald Maxwell
Royal Opera Chorus
Orchestra of the Royal Opera House
Conductor: Andris Nelsons
Director: John Copley
Recorded live at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London, in December 2009
Extra features:
Cast gallery
Interview with Jonathan Copley
Interview with Andris Nelsons
Puccini: La boheme / Pappano, Car, Fabiano, Royal Opera House [Blu-ray]
Also available on standard DVD
Simply superb in every way - unmissable.
A penniless poet, a young seamstress, and a lost key: Puccini’s passionate opera tells the story of a captivating romance set against the background of 19th-century Paris. The luscious score, with its soaring melodies and rich orchestration, brings to life the relationships between Rodolfo, Mimì and their friends, the painter Marcello and fiery Musetta. Acclaimed director Richard Jones stages a fresh and intelligent new production of one of the world’s most popular operas, conducted by The Royal Opera’s Music Director, Antonio Pappano. Extra features on this release include Antonio Pappano speaking about the music as well as a Cast Gallery. ‘‘A startlingly new production’’ (The Independent) ‘‘…fresh, beautiful, and intelligent’’ (The Daily Telegraph) ‘‘Car is so good at the sudden bursts of lyricism’’ (The Art Desk)
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REVIEWS:
Pappano is always terrific in Puccini. His pacing and attention to orchestral detail are superb and he draws highly sympathetic playing from his orchestra. Car is a lovely Mimì, with a simple charm to her Act I aria that immediately makes you love her.
– Gramophone
Simply superb in every way - unmissable.
– MusicWeb International
Puccini: La Bohème
Puccini: La bohème
Puccini: La Bohème / Lopez-Cobos, Mula, Machado [Blu-ray]
Picture Format: 1080i High Definition, NTSC 16:9 Anamorphic
Sound Format: 2.0 and 5.0 PCM audio
Region Code: 0 (All Regions)
Menu Language: English
Subtitles: English, French, German, Spanish, Italian
Running Time: 149 mins
No. of Discs: 1 (Blu-ray)
Puccini: Le Villi / Angius, Maggio Musicale Fiorentino [Blu-ray]
Also available on standard DVD
Le Villi is an opera-ballet in two acts that marked Giacomo Puccini’s debut in the world of opera. It was first staged at Teatro dal Verme in Milan in 1884. Librettist Ferdinando Fontana based the story on the ancient legend of the Willis, fantastic creatures representing the souls of young women who were the victims of love. Anna and Roberto are engaged, but during a trip the man is seduced by a woman and his fiancée dies of heartbreak. Roberto, who is by then abandoned and left penniless, is haunted by remorse and attacked by the revengeful fairies and Anna’s ghost. All the elements of the more mature Puccini are already recognizable: the characters of Anna and Roberto anticipate the “love victim” and the “man without qualities” archetypes of his later operas, whereas some of the composer’s touches of harmony and aria structure foresee his future success. This rare work was chosen to open the 2018-2019 season of Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino and the performance received very good reviews. “Le Villi is an opera full of excellent music, where Puccini’s future grandeur is already recognizable. This production mingles essentiality, intelligence and youth” (Gbopera.it) “Conductor Marco Angius delivers a fierce and passionate performance and under his baton the Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino is able to convey all the various shades of the score.” (Gbopera.it)
Puccini: Madama Butterfly
Puccini: Madama Butterfly
Puccini: Madama Butterfly / Pappano, Jaho, Puente, Royal Opera House [Blu-ray]
Also available on standard DVD
Puccini’s Japanese tragedy Madama Butterfly is given a ravishing production by The Royal Opera. Its alluring imagery of Japan from the 19th-century European Imagination heightens the intense clash of East and West. When the American naval officer Pinkerton seduces the young ‘Butterfly’ Cio-Cio-San, he seems to promise every happiness – but his cruel abandonment leads to her tragic self-sacrifice. Antonio Pappano, Music Director of The Royal Opera and renowned for his interpretations of Puccini, conducts an exceptionally fine cast with the Royal Opera Chorus and the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House. Powerful performances show why Madama Butterfly remains one of the all-time operatic favourites. ‘‘Always at his best in Puccini, Antonio Pappano conducts with passionate sincerity.’’ (The Guardian 5 Stars) ‘‘An opera that ranks among the very greatest of the 20th century.’’ (The Daily Telegraph 4 Stars) ‘‘Ermonela Jaho is the best Cio-Cio-San London has seen in years’’ (Independent 4 Stars)
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REVIEWS:
The Albanian soprano Ermonela Jaho is one of the great singing actresses of our time. Hers is not a sumptuous soprano, but the colors she brings to her portrayal are astonishing. Her Flower Duet with Elizabeth DeShong's feisty, sympathetic Suzuki is quite beautifully sung. Pappano - arguably today's greatest Puccianian conductor - draws ardent playing from the orchestra, superbly detailed in its commentaries.
– Gramophone
Pappano is particularly alert to Puccini borrowing traditional Japanese melodies; at times he makes you hear this score, as well as the drama on stage, as a tug of war between East and West. It’s Sharpless and Suzuki who steal the show – a consul with a tender conscience from Scott Hendricks and Elizabeth DeShong as a maid who could melt the stoniest of hearts.
– BBC Music Magazine