Jose Cura, Dmitri Hvorostovsky, Yvonne Naef and Veronica Villarroel lead the star cast of Verdi's blazingly passionate opera, in Elijah Moshinsky's new Royal Opera House production co-produced with Teatro Real Madrid, with sets by the noted film designer Dante Ferretti and costumes by Anne Tilby.

Falstaff
Sir John Falstaff - Bryn Terfel
Ford - Roberto Frontali
Fenton - Kenneth Tarver
Dr Caius - Robin Leggate
Bardolph - Peter Hoare
Pistol - Gwynne Howell
Alice Ford - Barbara Frittoli
Nannetta - Desirée Rancatore
The Orchestra and Chorus of the Royal Opera House
Bernard Haitink, Conductor
Graham Vick, Stage Director

Il trovatore
Manrico - José Cura
Count di Luna - Dmitri Hvorostovsky
Leonora - Verónica Villarroel
Azucena - Yvonne Naef
Ferrando - Tómas Tómasson
Ines - Gweneth-Ann Jeffers
Old gypsy - Thomas Barnard
The Orchestra and Chorus of the Royal Opera House
Carlo Rizzi, Conductor
Elijah Moshinsky, Stage Director

Rigoletto
Duke of Mantua - Marcelo Alvarez
Matteo Borsa - Peter Auty
Count Ceprano - Graeme Broadbent
Countess Ceprano - Dervla Ramsay
Rigoletto - Paolo Gavanelli
Marullo - Quentin Hayes
Sparafucile - Eric Halfvarson
Gilda - Christine Schäfer
The Orchestra and Chorus of the Royal Opera House
Edward Downes, Conductor
David McVicar, Stage Director

Extras:
Each opera has an illustrated synopsis, various documentaries and interviews with members of the creative team

Picture format: NTSC 16:9 Anamorphic
Sound format: Dolby Surround / Dolby Stereo
Region code: 0 (All Regions)
Menu Language: English
Subtitles: English
Running time: 8 hours 15 minutes
No. of DVDs: 3

Firkusny gives us a performance very much in the class of Artur Rubinstein... His Czech roots give him an enlivening sense of rhythm, allowing him to convey high spirits with impeccable poise and style.

Claus Peter Flor leads a sober, "Germanic" performance of Franck's symphony, noteworthy for its clarity of texture and sensitivity to dynamic nuance. This is evident at both ends of the dynamic spectrum, whether in the delicate tracery of the second movement's central section, or in the distinct audibility of the trumpets in their final lick just before the work's closing chords. I do miss the rhythmic lift that Monteux brings to the finale (it's not entirely free of Teutonic heaviness, but then that's Franck's fault too), and the Royal Philharmonic strings could have a sweeter timbre now and then, but this is a good performance, strong on basic musical values. The sonics are also well-balanced and pleasing.

The Symphonic Variations is even better, and valuable for enshrining yet another telling example of the artistry of Rudolf Firkusny, whose "Indian summer" recordings for RCA comprise his most important artistic legacy aside from his Janácek piano music discs on DG. For some reason, perhaps because of its brevity and lack of virtuoso fireworks, the Variations doesn't often feature on concert programs anymore, but the piece was a favorite of Artur Rubinstein, and Firkusny gives us a performance very much in that class. The variations proper, actually the central episode sandwiched in between the dramatic introduction and the fully developed finale, have just the right serenely graceful flow, while the conclusion is simply delightful. Clearly the pianist's Czech roots give him an enlivening sense of rhythm, allowing him to convey high spirits with impeccable poise and style.

--David Hurwitz, ClassicsToday.com