{"title":"Alfred \"Chico\" Alvarez","description":"","products":[{"product_id":"hidden-objects","title":"Hidden Objects \/ Holman Alvarez","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe pianist and composer Holman Alvarez was born in Barranquilla and raised in Cali - Colombia. He enjoys finding connections between things. This kind of thinking has allowed him to use in his music ideas coming from several influences: Colombian and Latin American music, Jazz, classic and contemporary music, salsa, and free improvisation.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn November 2024 Sunnyside Records released his new album called Hidden Objects along with NY-based musicians Adam O'Farril, Drew Gress, and Satoshi Takeishi. Since 2022 he has been playing actively in the NYC scene along with musicians John Benitez, Sean Conly, Billy Mintz, Michael Veal, Rachel Therrien among others. Collaboration opportunities: Moving to New York has allowed Alvarez to collaborate with renowned NYC-based musicians. His upcoming album \"Hidden Objects\" features collaborations with local artists like Adam O'Farril, Drew Gress, and Satoshi Takeishi.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"SUNNYSIDE","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":44907904696554,"sku":"016728173520","price":16.63,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/4380774-3275717.jpg?v=1778370189"},{"product_id":"frances-de-iribarren-sacred-music-in-malaga-cathedral-5028421958590","title":"Francés De Iribarren: Sacred Music In Malaga Cathedral","description":"Juan Frances de Iribarren Echevarr�a (1699-1767) received his musical education at the Royal Chapel in Madrid. He was taught there by the composer Jose de Torres who, in 1717, recommended that Iribarren be appointed organist at Salamanca Cathedral. Sixteen years later Iribarren moved on to become maestro de capilla at the Cathedral of Malaga, the city in which he spent the rest of his life. On his death there he left a huge library of his own music - with the proviso that it not be copied and only performed at services in the cathedral. Such constraints have until recently prevented this marvelously vivid music from receiving the attention it deserves. The present album presents a tasting menu of Iribarren's work in various genres and from different periods of his career, Italian vocal styles over native, more vernacular idioms. There are four pieces written to mark the Immaculate Conception, composed over a 22-year period from 1743 to 1764, all unique in form, all devotional but quite different in material and expression. Irribarren's technique encompassed transparent polyphony as well as solo-vocal motets of a homely, often bucolic character. Several pieces here were composed to accompany the exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, and these are more intimate in tone. The selection focuses on pieces written for one or two solo voices with a small accompanying ensemble, but during his time in charge of the music at Malaga Iribarren assembled a team of 30 singers and instrumentalists including a plainchant choir, cantors, wind and string players, organists and boy choristers. The composer, organist, harpsichordist and conductor Federico del Sordo has a diverse discography on Brilliant Classics encompassing the full range of his musical talents and reviving several little-known Baroque composers such as Fasolo (95512), Bonelli (95816) and Salvatore (95146).","brand":"Brilliant Classics","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46012872589546,"sku":"5028421958590","price":13.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/3812183-2564544.jpg?v=1778257457"},{"product_id":"verdi-luisa-miller-renzetti-surian-franci-alvarez-87590","title":"Verdi: Luisa Miller \/ Renzetti, Surian, Franci, Alvarez, Cedolins  [blu-ray]","description":"\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan class=\"COMPOSER12\"\u003eVERDI \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12bi\"\u003eLuisa Miller \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"BULLET12\"\u003e • \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003eDonato Renzetti, cond; Fiorenza Cedolins (\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12i\"\u003eLuisa\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e); Marcelo Alvarez (\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12i\"\u003eRodolfo\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e); Leo Nucci (\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12i\"\u003eMiller\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e); Giorgio Surian (\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12i\"\u003eCount Walter\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e); Rafal Siwek (\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12i\"\u003eWurm\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e); Francesca Franci (\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12i\"\u003eFederica\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e); Katerina Nikolic (\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12i\"\u003eLaura\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e); Teatro Regio Parma O \u0026amp; Ch \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"BULLET12\"\u003e • \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e C MAJOR 722904 (Blu-ray: 147: 00 + 10:00 bonus) Live: Parma 2007 \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan class=\"EXTRAS12\"\u003e\u0026amp;\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e Introduction to \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12i\"\u003eLuisa Miller \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSome commentators say Giuseppe Verdi’s opera \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eLuisa Miller\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e represents a transition in his work from the use of traditional musical forms seen early in his career to the more innovative style of his great middle period works beginning with \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eRigoletto\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e and continuing with \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eIl Trovatore\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e and \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eLa traviata\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e. That very well may be true, but another trend I can attest to is that with this opera Verdi’s music is getting noticeably better. Perhaps it is not consistently better throughout the opera, but certainly notable in the ensemble pieces, the finales of acts I and II and the extended duet which ends the last act. The arias for both tenor and soprano are also well conceived, if not as catchy as “Caro nome” or “La donna è mobile.” Verdi’s \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eLuisa\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e overture is one of the best from his pen until \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eLa traviata\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e comes along. All of this fine music unfortunately is a bit wasted on another of Frederich Schiller’s rather dreary romantic tragedies, but the opera has proved popular enough to remain in the repertoire of houses both big and small, particularly on the continent of Europe, \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe story is of the love between peasant Luisa and Rodolfo, son of the local count (although Luisa doesn’t know that at first). Their match is opposed by both fathers, who know it means trouble, and by the Count’s principal retainer, Wurm, who wants the girl for himself. Miller père challenges the Count after he insults Luisa, and Miller is thrown in jail. Wurm tells Luisa that in order to free her father she must write a letter denying her love of Rodolfo and saying she is in love with Wurm himself. She does so under duress and the father is freed, but Rodolfo takes the letter seriously amiss. He shows up at the Miller house to confront Luisa, who is honor bound not to explain her actions. Rodolfo, in despair, gives them both poison, so they can expire slowly together while singing a love duet. Rodolfo still has enough strength left to get the Wurm before he dies himself. Oh, and there’s a stray Countess around somewhere that Rodolfo is supposed to marry who gets to sing in a set piece or two. \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe Parma production seen here from 2007 is a pretty good one. It is one of the sets in the Tutto Verdi project, and one of the better I have seen in that series. Tutto Verdi aims to record all of Verdi’s operas and his Requiem on high definition Blu-ray disc for release this year to honor the composer’s 200th birthday. Stage Director Denis Krief has done a clever job of providing stylized yet evocative sets of time and place which can be changed quite quickly and easily, sometimes in full view of the audience. The Millers’ humble village domicile, with wooden walls contrasts with a backdrop of geometric shapes meant to represent the Count’s much grander quarters. Video projections of swaying trees mark one or two of the outdoor scenes. Krief also uses the costumes to emphasize the difference between peasants and aristocrats so crucial to the story line. All the denizens of the Count’s estates seem to be wearing plush finery while the peasants are dressed as . . . well, peasants. Stage action is blocked quite naturally and the video direction provides a good account of it. Although a bit stylized, the whole production has a traditional feel which I enjoy. \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eUnlike some other Verdi operas, this one requires six solid principal singers to be performed really successfully. Here we get five, which is above average for the Tutto Verdi series, at least in the early operas. Only the bass of Giorgio Surian as the Count really disappoints. His heavy vibrato has developed a beat which he doesn’t control, and it disfigures any attempts at lyrical singing, even noticeable in the ensembles. It is refreshing to hear a really first class tenor like Marcelo Alvarez singing here. I have always liked Argentinean Alverez’s voice, he adds a touch of vocal class to any role, and here his dramatic involvement nearly matches his fine singing. Almost the same can be said of Fiorenza Cedolins in the lead soprano role of Luisa. Her voice is just a bit heavy for the lyric agility Verdi asks for in Luisa, but Cedolins still outsings a bevy of other sopranos cast in these early Tutto Verdi productions and her high range is very enjoyable. She can also act, and if she and Alvarez are a bit more than callow youths, they still provide a properly satisfying couple in their duets together. Then we come to 65-year-old Leo Nucci, who has been a staple in several of these C Major sets. Nucci performs quite well here as Miller, and for once he is not asked to sing more than his aging stamina allows. Mezzo Francesca Franci sings the Countess and bass-baritone Rafal Siwek the role of Wurm to round out the principal singers. Both perform well, although Siwek’s vocal tone sounds too similar to the other lower voices in some of the duets and ensembles. Donato Renzetti leads the Parma orchestra members in one of their better outings, and we video viewers actually get to watch them playing during the Overture for a change. \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThere are several sets of \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eLuisa Miller\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e available on DVD; I have only seen the one from Venice, recorded in 2006. That set features another strong soprano performance by Darina Takova; she rivals Cedolins on this set but only the Count of Alexander Vinogradov tops the group of male leads seen and heard here. The Venice production is also quite traditional, but I like the Parma sets and costumes better. In an earlier review \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eFanfare \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003ecolleague Bob Rose recommends the 1979 Met production with Scotto, Domingo, Milnes, and Morris, which I have not seen, but despite the strong cast, that video technology is nearly 35 years old, and this C Major set is in breathtaking Blu-ray video and high definition sound. It is better than satisfactory, it is quite good, and I recommend it. \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight:bold\"\u003eFANFARE: Bill White\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e     \u003c\/span\u003e","brand":"C Major Entertainment","offers":[{"title":"Blu-Ray","offer_id":46012884451562,"sku":"814337012298","price":18.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/2136964.jpg?v=1778305920"},{"product_id":"mozart-don-giovanni-montanari-arena-di-verona-279282","title":"Mozart: Don Giovanni \/ Montanari, Arena Di Verona","description":"\u003ca class=\"links\" href=\"album.jsp?album_id=2290199\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eAlso available on Blu-ray\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003eMozart’s Don Giovanni, in the beautiful staging by legendary Franco Zeffirelli, is a spectacle with a strong anaesthetising component, and a feast for the eyes. In this production “Zeffirelli returns to a representative Super classic line, renewing the complex mechanisms of almost all his other productions” (Il corriere musicale) with “beautiful classic costumes by Maurizio Millenotti and lights by Paolo Mazzon” (L'ape musicale). Carlos Álvarez is “of beautiful voice” (GP Opera) and “presumably today’s best Don Giovanni” (L'ape musicale) while “Irina Lungu is one of the best lyric sopranes” (L'ape musicale). “Donna Elvira, being sung by Maria José Siri was clearly and advantageously represented by her mellow and beguiling voice.” (MTG Lirica)","brand":"C Major Entertainment","offers":[{"title":"DVD","offer_id":46012941271274,"sku":"814337015183","price":25.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Blu-Ray","offer_id":46025382723818,"sku":"814337015190","price":34.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/3699020-2412383.jpg?v=1778184101"},{"product_id":"20-years-on-the-opera-stage-marcelo-alvarez-013491347226","title":"20 Years on the Opera Stage: Marcelo Alvarez","description":"\u003cp\u003eNow celebrating his twentieth year of distinguished operatic achievements, this collection of arias from mostly “Verismo” operas features tenor Marcelo Alvarez delivering high-impact accounts of both popular and lesser-known selections by masters such as Puccini, Leoncavallo, Giordano, Mascagni and Massenet. + You will also hear – possibly for the first time – a fascinating array of choice rarities by Verismo-era composers (Gomes, Cilea, Zandonai, and Halévy) who were prominent in their day, but whose music has since fallen into comparative neglect. + Maestro Constantine Orbelian – leading the St. Petersburg State Symphony Orchestra – provides the necessary and important support. + “Marcelo Alvarez gave his usual passionate and thrilling performance ... taking advantage of his beautiful voice by phrasing the musical lines with elegance.” - Ingrid Haas\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Delos","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46012960604394,"sku":"013491347226","price":18.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/2804666.jpg?v=1778311534"},{"product_id":"kallstrom-flute-chamber-works-vol-2","title":"Kallstrom: Flute Chamber Works, Vol. 2","description":"This is the second volume of Michael Kallstrom's flute chamber work. They offer varied timbres, interesting orchestrations, thoughtful melodies, bold harmonies, and interesting new cross-rhythms. Heidi Pintner has made performances of Kallstrom's music a specialty for her.","brand":"Centaur Records","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46012968894698,"sku":"044747327228","price":14.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/2335556.jpg?v=1778290452"},{"product_id":"mozart-don-giovanni-7","title":"Mozart: Don Giovanni","description":"The Essential Opera Collection is an exciting new mid-price series that brings together popular operas and classic productions in simple stylish packaging. The ten launch titles represent the leading opera houses of the world, including the Royal Opera House, Teatro Real, Paris Opera, Glyndebourne and the Netherlands Opera.","brand":"Opus Arte","offers":[{"title":"DVD","offer_id":46013071098090,"sku":"809478060031","price":16.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/2335582.jpg?v=1778291785"},{"product_id":"molino-i-molinisti-complete-works-for-flute-941322","title":"Molino: I Molinisti - Complete Works for Flute \u0026 Guitar \/ Álvarez, Loh","description":"\u003cp\u003eIn the early 19th-century, a rivalry existed between two of Italy's greatest guitarists\/composers, Francesco Molini and Ferdinando Carulli. This album features not only the complete Molino works for flute and guitar, but also the Carulli Concerto for Flute and Guitar. Both composers are wonderful, as are these performances. Diversity of styles is a hallmark of Roberto Alvarez’s concerts and recitals. As a matter of fact he feels just as comfortable performing classical, baroque or avant-garde music as well as Celtic, jazz or rock. He has received various international prizes, such as the Diploma of Honor in the Torneo Internazionale di Musica, Concurso Internacional de Música “Paper de Musica” de Capellades, the Ángel Muñíz Toca Award and the Ciutat de Manresa Prize. Born and raised in Singapore, Kevin Loh is a recipient of the Fellowship of the Royal Schools of Music, the 2018 Goh Soon Tioe Centenary Award and the 2010 HSBC Youth Excellence Award for Musical Excellence. He was talent-scouted by The Yehudi Menuhin School via his YouTube channel when he was only 12 years old and was awarded a grant by The Rolling Stones to study at the prestigious music school as their first Asian guitarist.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Centaur Records","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46013113565418,"sku":"044747385020","price":13.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/3987843-2723381.jpg?v=1778262188"},{"product_id":"mozart-the-great-operas-13-dvd-set-256562","title":"Mozart - The Great Operas","description":"From the mythological setting of Idomeneo via the sparkling wit of Le nozze di Figaro and powerful tragicomedy of Don Giovanni to the fantastical workings of the late Singspiel Die Zauberflöte, Mozart’s mature operas stand among the greatest achievements of Western art, dramas that illuminate the composer’s creativity as a whole and which stood out in their own time for the new level of characterisation, wit and lessons on life and humanity they brought to the musical stage. Featuring recordings made during the last ten years from some of the world’s leading opera houses, this collection offers an acclaimed series of productions that present consummate interpretations of Mozart’s scores through striking set designs and peerless singing, paying homage to a group of masterpieces which are just as relevant today as when they were first performed.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart\u003cbr\u003e  THE GREAT OPERAS\u003cbr\u003e  (13-DVD Box Set)\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e   \u003cb\u003eIdomeneo\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e   \u003ci\u003eIdomeneo \u003c\/i\u003e-  \u003cb\u003eRamón Vargas\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e   \u003ci\u003eIdamante \u003c\/i\u003e-  \u003cb\u003eMagdalena\u003c\/b\u003e  \u003cb\u003e Kožená\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e   \u003ci\u003eIlia \u003c\/i\u003e-  \u003cb\u003eEkaterina Siurina\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e   \u003ci\u003eElettra \u003c\/i\u003e-  \u003cb\u003eAnja Harteros\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e   \u003ci\u003eArbace \u003c\/i\u003e-  \u003cb\u003eJeffrey Francis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e   \u003cb\u003eSalzburg\u003c\/b\u003e  \u003cb\u003e Bach Chor\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  (chorus master:  \u003cb\u003eAlois Glassner\u003c\/b\u003e)\u003cbr\u003e   \u003cb\u003eCamerata Salzburg\u003cbr\u003e Roger Norrington\u003c\/b\u003e, conductor\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e   \u003cb\u003eKarl-Ernst Hermann\u003c\/b\u003e,  \u003ci\u003estage director, set and costume designer\u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/i\u003e  \u003cb\u003eUrsel Herman\u003c\/b\u003e,  \u003ci\u003estage director\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e   \u003ci\u003eRecorded live from the Salzburg Festival, 2006\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e     \u003cb\u003eDie Entführung aus dem Serail\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e   \u003ci\u003eKonstanze\u003c\/i\u003e -  \u003cb\u003eLaura Aikin\u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/b\u003e  \u003ci\u003eBelmonte\u003c\/i\u003e -  \u003cb\u003eEdgaras Montvidas\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e   \u003ci\u003eOsmin\u003c\/i\u003e -  \u003cb\u003eKurt Rydl\u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/b\u003e  \u003ci\u003eBlonde\u003c\/i\u003e -  \u003cb\u003e Mojca Erdmann\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e   \u003ci\u003ePedrillo\u003c\/i\u003e -  \u003cb\u003eMichael Smallwood\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e   \u003ci\u003eBassa Selim\u003c\/i\u003e -  \u003cb\u003eSteven Van Watermeulen\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e   \u003cb\u003eChorus of De Nederlandse Opera\u003cbr\u003e The Netherlands Chamber Orchestra\u003cbr\u003e Constantinos Carydis\u003c\/b\u003e,  \u003ci\u003econductor\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e   \u003cb\u003eJohan Simons\u003c\/b\u003e,  \u003ci\u003estage director\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e   \u003ci\u003eRecorded live at Het Musiektheater, Amsterdam on 2, 7 and 19 February 2008\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e   \u003cb\u003eLe nozze di Figaro\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e   \u003ci\u003eIl Conte di Almaviva\u003c\/i\u003e -  \u003cb\u003ePeter Mattei\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e   \u003ci\u003eLa Contessa di Alamviva\u003c\/i\u003e -  \u003cb\u003eChristiane Oelze\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e   \u003ci\u003eSusanna\u003c\/i\u003e -  \u003cb\u003eHeidi Grant Murphy\u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/b\u003e  \u003ci\u003eFigaro\u003c\/i\u003e -  \u003cb\u003eLorenzo Regazzo\u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/b\u003e  \u003ci\u003eCherubino\u003c\/i\u003e -  \u003cb\u003eChristine Schäfer\u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/b\u003e  \u003ci\u003eMarcellina\u003c\/i\u003e -  \u003cb\u003eHelene Schneiderman\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e   \u003ci\u003eBartolo\u003c\/i\u003e -  \u003cb\u003eRoland Bracht\u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/b\u003e  \u003ci\u003eDon Basilio\u003c\/i\u003e -  \u003cb\u003eBurkhard Ulrich\u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/b\u003e  \u003ci\u003eDon Curzio\u003c\/i\u003e -  \u003cb\u003eEberhard Francesco Lorenz\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e   \u003ci\u003eBarbarina\u003c\/i\u003e -  \u003cb\u003eCassandre Berthon\u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/b\u003e  \u003ci\u003eAntonio\u003c\/i\u003e -  \u003cb\u003eFrederic Caton\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e   \u003cb\u003eParis\u003c\/b\u003e  \u003cb\u003e National Opera Chorus and Orchestra\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  (chorus master:  \u003cb\u003ePeter Burian\u003c\/b\u003e)\u003cbr\u003e   \u003cb\u003eSylvain Cambreling\u003c\/b\u003e,  \u003ci\u003econductor\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e   \u003cb\u003eChristoph Marthaler\u003c\/b\u003e,  \u003ci\u003estage director\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e   \u003cb\u003eAnna Viebrock\u003c\/b\u003e,  \u003ci\u003eset and costume designer\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e   \u003cb\u003eOlaf Winter\u003c\/b\u003e,  \u003ci\u003elighting designer\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e   \u003cb\u003eThomas Stache\u003c\/b\u003e,  \u003ci\u003echoreographer\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e   \u003ci\u003eRecorded live at the Palais Garnier, Paris, 2006\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e   \u003cb\u003eDon Giovanni\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e   \u003ci\u003eDon\u003c\/i\u003e  \u003ci\u003eGiovanni\u003c\/i\u003e -  \u003cb\u003eCarlos Álvarez\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e   \u003ci\u003eCommendatore\u003c\/i\u003e -  \u003cb\u003eAlfred Reiter\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e   \u003ci\u003eDonna Anna\u003c\/i\u003e -  \u003cb\u003eMaría Bayo\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e   \u003ci\u003eDon Ottavio\u003c\/i\u003e -  \u003cb\u003eJosé Bros\u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/b\u003e  \u003ci\u003eDonna Elvira\u003c\/i\u003e -  \u003cb\u003eSonia Ganassi\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e   \u003ci\u003eLeporello\u003c\/i\u003e -  \u003cb\u003eLorenzo Regazzo\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e   \u003ci\u003eMasetto\u003c\/i\u003e -  \u003cb\u003eJosé Antonio López\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e   \u003ci\u003eZerlina\u003c\/i\u003e -  \u003cb\u003eMaría José Moreno\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e   \u003cb\u003eMadrid\u003c\/b\u003e  \u003cb\u003e Teatro Real Chorus and Orchestra\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  (chorus master:  \u003cb\u003eJordi Casas Bayer\u003c\/b\u003e)\u003cbr\u003e   \u003cb\u003eVictor Pablo Pérez\u003c\/b\u003e,  \u003ci\u003econductor\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e   \u003cb\u003eLluis Pasqual\u003c\/b\u003e,  \u003ci\u003estage director\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e   \u003cb\u003eEzio Frigerio\u003c\/b\u003e,  \u003ci\u003eset designer\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e   \u003cb\u003eFranca Squarciapino\u003c\/b\u003e,  \u003ci\u003ecostume designer\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e   \u003cb\u003eWolfgang von Zoubek\u003c\/b\u003e,  \u003ci\u003elighting designer\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e   \u003cb\u003eNuria Castejón\u003c\/b\u003e,  \u003ci\u003echoreographer\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e   \u003ci\u003eRecorded live at the Teatro Real de Madrid, 8, 10 and 12 October 2005\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e   \u003cb\u003eCosi fan tutte\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e   \u003ci\u003eFerrando -\u003c\/i\u003e  \u003cb\u003e Topi Lehtipuu\u003c\/b\u003e  \u003ci\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Guglielmo \u003c\/i\u003e-  \u003cb\u003eLuca Pisaroni\u003c\/b\u003e  \u003ci\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Don Alfonso - \u003c\/i\u003e  \u003cb\u003eNicolas Rivenq\u003c\/b\u003e  \u003ci\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Fiordiligi - \u003c\/i\u003e  \u003cb\u003eMiah Persson\u003c\/b\u003e  \u003ci\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Dorabella - \u003c\/i\u003e  \u003cb\u003eAnke Vondung\u003c\/b\u003e  \u003ci\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Despina - \u003c\/i\u003e  \u003cb\u003eAinhoa Garmendia\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e   \u003cb\u003eThe Glyndebourne Chorus\u003cbr\u003e Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment\u003cbr\u003e Iván Fischer\u003c\/b\u003e  \u003ci\u003e, Conductor\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e   \u003cb\u003eNicholas Hytner, \u003c\/b\u003e  \u003ci\u003eStage Director\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e   \u003ci\u003eRecorded live at the Glyndebourne Festival Opera in June and July 2006\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e   \u003cb\u003eLa Clemenza di Tito\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e   \u003ci\u003eSesto\u003c\/i\u003e -  \u003cb\u003eSusan Graham\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e   \u003ci\u003eAnnio\u003c\/i\u003e -  \u003cb\u003eHannah Esther Minutillo\u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/b\u003e  \u003ci\u003eVitellia\u003c\/i\u003e -  \u003cb\u003eCatherine Naglestad\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e   \u003ci\u003eServilia\u003c\/i\u003e -  \u003cb\u003eEkaterina Siurina\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e   \u003ci\u003ePublio\u003c\/i\u003e -  \u003cb\u003eRoland Bracht\u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/b\u003e  \u003ci\u003eTito\u003c\/i\u003e -  \u003cb\u003eChristoph Prégardien\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e   \u003cb\u003eParis\u003c\/b\u003e  \u003cb\u003e National Opera Chorus and Orchestra\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  (chorus master:  \u003cb\u003ePeter Burian\u003c\/b\u003e)\u003cbr\u003e   \u003cb\u003eSylvain Cambreling\u003c\/b\u003e,  \u003ci\u003econductor\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e   \u003cb\u003eUrsel Herrmann\u003c\/b\u003e,  \u003ci\u003estage director\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e   \u003cb\u003eKarl-Ernst Herrmann\u003c\/b\u003e,  \u003ci\u003estage director\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e   \u003ci\u003eRecorded live at the Palais Garnier, Paris, May and June 2005\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e   \u003cb\u003eDie Zauberflöte\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e   \u003ci\u003eSarastro\u003c\/i\u003e -  \u003cb\u003eGünther Groissböck\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e   \u003ci\u003eTamino\u003c\/i\u003e -  \u003cb\u003eSaimir Pirgu\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e   \u003ci\u003eQueen of the Night\u003c\/i\u003e -  \u003cb\u003eAlbina Shagimuratova\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e   \u003ci\u003ePamina\u003c\/i\u003e -  \u003cb\u003eGenia Kühmeier\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e   \u003ci\u003ePapagena\u003c\/i\u003e -  \u003cb\u003eAilish Tynan\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e   \u003ci\u003ePapageno\u003c\/i\u003e -  \u003cb\u003eAlex Esposito\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e   \u003ci\u003eMonostatos\u003c\/i\u003e -  \u003cb\u003ePeter Bronder\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e   \u003cb\u003eMilan\u003c\/b\u003e  \u003cb\u003e La Scala Chorus and Orchestra\u003cbr\u003e Roland Böer\u003c\/b\u003e,  \u003ci\u003econductor\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e   \u003cb\u003eWilliam Kentridge\u003c\/b\u003e,  \u003ci\u003estage director\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e   \u003ci\u003eRecorded live at La Teatro alla Scala, 20 March 2011\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e   \u003ci\u003eBonus:\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  - Overview of  \u003ci\u003eThe Magic Flute\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  - Illustrated synopsis\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  --- \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  Picture format:  \u003cb\u003eNTSC 16:9\u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/b\u003eSound format:  \u003cb\u003ePCM Stereo \/ DTS 5.1\u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/b\u003eRegion code:  \u003cb\u003e0\u003c\/b\u003e (worldwide)\u003cbr\u003e  Subtitles:  \u003cb\u003eEnglish, French, German, Spanish, Italian + Chinese\u003c\/b\u003e  \u003ci\u003e(Idomeneo) \u003c\/i\u003e  \u003cb\u003e\/ Dutch\u003c\/b\u003e  \u003ci\u003e(Serail\u003c\/i\u003e)\u003cbr\u003e  Running time:  \u003cb\u003e24 hours 20 mins\u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/b\u003eNo. of DVDs:  \u003cb\u003e13\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Opus Arte","offers":[{"title":"DVD","offer_id":46013293691114,"sku":"809478011316","price":82.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/2524859.jpg?v=1778320854"},{"product_id":"verdi-otello-thielemann-cura-staatskapelle-dresden-blu-186184","title":"Verdi: Otello \/ Thielemann, Cura, Staatskapelle Dresden [Blu-ray]","description":"\u003cp\u003eA superb new Otello from the Salzburg Easter Festival: “Cura is a commanding Otello with his richly coloured tenor and both fragile delicacy and fiery ardour” (Südwestpresse). “Röschmann as Desdemona guarantees effortless perfection” (Neue Musikzeitung). “Álvarez as Iago would be hard to surpass” (Abendzeitung). This Salzburg production – featuring “a cast worthy of any festival” (Südwestpresse) – is conducted by Christian Thielemann, who displays a command of Verdian tragedy to match his celebrated sovereignty in Wagner. He and his great Dresden Staatskapelle, a consummate opera ensemble, “achieve wonders” (Die Presse), “generating Italian ‘Musikdrama’ with their incandescence and precise nuances” (Abendzeitung). In his fascinating staging, director Vincent Broussard integrates video with set and lighting design to create an idealized visual context for what he calls Otello’s “conflict of ancient and modern, of 2D and 3D”.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"C Major Entertainment","offers":[{"title":"Blu-Ray","offer_id":46025391112426,"sku":"814337014018","price":34.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/3599943_6b1b22ca-2705-4ddc-8c92-4ea095901b79.jpg?v=1778387796"},{"product_id":"verdi-il-trovatore-sgura-romano-nioradze-alvarez-233043","title":"Verdi: Il Trovatore \/ Sgura, Romano, Nioradze, Alvarez, Temirkanov [blu-ray]","description":"\u003cb\u003eNote: This Blu-ray Disc is playable only on Blu-ray Disc players, and not compatible with standard DVD players.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e   \u003ca class=\"links\" href=\"album.jsp?album_id=871493\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eAlso available on standard DVD\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  Giuseppe Verdi\u003cbr\u003e  IL TROVATORE\u003cbr\u003e  (Blu-ray Disc Version) \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  Il conte di Luna – Claudio Sgura\u003cbr\u003e  Leonora – Teresa Romano\u003cbr\u003e  Azucena – Mzia Nioradze\u003cbr\u003e  Manrico – Marcelo Álvarez\u003cbr\u003e  Ferrando – Deyan Vatchkov\u003cbr\u003e  Ines – Cristina Giannelli\u003cbr\u003e  Ruiz – Roberto Jachini Virgili\u003cbr\u003e  Un vecchio zingaro – Enrico Rinaldo\u003cbr\u003e  Un messo – Seung Hwa Paek\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  Parma Teatro Regio Chorus and Orchestra\u003cbr\u003e  (chorus master: Martino Faggiani)\u003cbr\u003e  Yuri Temirkanov, conductor\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  Lorenzo Mariani, stage director\u003cbr\u003e  William Orlandi, set and costume designer\u003cbr\u003e  Christian Pinaud, lighting designer\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  Recorded live at the Teatro Regio di Parma, 5 and 9 October 2010 \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  Bonus:\u003cbr\u003e  - Introduction to Il Trovatore \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  Picture format: 1080i High Definition\u003cbr\u003e  Sound format: PCM Stereo \/ DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1\u003cbr\u003e  Region code: 0 (worldwide)\u003cbr\u003e  Subtitles: Italian, English, German, French, Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Japanese\u003cbr\u003e  Running time: 140 mins (opera) + 10 mins (bonus)\u003cbr\u003e  No. of Discs: 1 (BD 50)","brand":"C Major Entertainment","offers":[{"title":"Blu-Ray","offer_id":46025492889834,"sku":"814337012359","price":37.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/2142755.jpg?v=1778305920"},{"product_id":"verdi-rigoletto-downes-alvarez-schafer-gavanelli-84104","title":"Verdi: Rigoletto \/ Downes, Alvarez, Schafer, Gavanelli","description":"\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan class=\"COMPOSER12\"\u003e VERDI \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12bi\"\u003eRigoletto \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"EXTRAS12\"\u003e\u0026amp; \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"BULLET12\"\u003e • \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e Edward Downes, cond; Christine Schäfer (\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12i\"\u003eGilda\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e); Marcelo Álvarez (\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12i\"\u003eDuke of Mantua\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e); Paolo Gavanelli (\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12i\"\u003eRigoletto\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e); Eric Halfvarson (\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12i\"\u003eSparafucile\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e); Elizabeth Sikora (\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12i\"\u003eGiovanna\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e); Graciela Araya (\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12i\"\u003eMaddalena\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e); Peter Auty (\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12i\"\u003eBorsa\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e); Giovan Battista Parodi (\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12i\"\u003eMonterone\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e); Royal Op O \u0026amp; Ch \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"BULLET12\"\u003e • \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e OPUS ARTE 6005 (DVD: 135:15 + 11:33) Live: London 9\/19\/2001. \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan class=\"EXTRAS12\"\u003e\u0026amp;\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e Documentary: \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12i\"\u003eVerdi Through the Looking Glass\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e (17:50); Interview with David McVicar \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eRigoletto \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003edirected by David McVicar, last available on a Kultur DVD in 2009, is not to be confused with the other Marcelo Álvarez \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eRigoletto \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003ewith soprano Inva Mula and baritone Carlos Alvarez (originally issued by TDK in 2004 and reissued by Arthaus Musik in 2010). I reviewed the latter performance in \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eFanfare \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e34:2 and found it interesting but somewhat ho-hum. This one apparently made its appearance in a boxed set from the BBC that also included productions of \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eFalstaff \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eand \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eIl trovatore. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eUnless the \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eFanfare \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eArchive is incorrect (I checked under “Singers” for Paolo Gavanelli as well as under “Composers \u0026amp; Works” for “Verdi \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eRigoletto\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e”), this one seems to have somehow escaped being previously reviewed in \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eFanfare. \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMcVicar, in his brief interview, describes \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eRigoletto \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eas “a scream of rage” against social inequality. He’s probably right. He also brings up the \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eCommunist Manifesto \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eand relates Verdi to it. He’s probably wrong. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eRigoletto \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003ewas just good old Victor Hugo, and Hugo had a lifelong fascination with hunchbacks and other physically deformed humans. That’s all it is. It’s not a Communist plot. “It deals with questions of what is beautiful, what is ugly,” he continues, and in that he is 100 percent correct. That was, indeed, Hugo’s focal point. Neither Tribolet (Rigoletto) nor Quasimodo (the hunchback of Notre Dame) are bad people, just unfortunate in the way they were born. “This [opera] is about things that are darker, things that are more unpalatable,” McVicar continues, and this, indeed, is the focus of his production. \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAn interesting point of dramatic relationship between the two DVD \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eRigoletto\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003es: in neither one does the title character have a real “hunchback” as one would imagine, for instance, from seeing either the Lon Chaney or Charles Laughton films of \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eThe Hunchback of Notre Dame. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThey have, rather, a sort of bulging shark fin growing out of their shoulders. One of the most impressive characterizations of the title role (and I’ve mentioned this before) was a 1970s filmed performance in which Rolando Panerai, his back bulging and deformed, scampered across the stage like some sort of huge and unsettling spider. I don’t demand that every Rigoletto act that way, but Panerai’s conception was uncomfortable to watch in a bizarre, black humor concept. \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThus, in McVicar’s mind, the opening “grand ballroom scene” has no splendor whatsoever. It is a dark, almost forbidding atmosphere in which topless women carouse like whores with the courtiers. The Duke of Mantua’s court has nothing festive, celebratory, or grand about it; it is seamy and disgusting, like the Duke himself. Yet the Duke is handsome and looks (relatively) innocent; it is his twisted jester who personifies all the ugliness inside of him, though Rigoletto is actually the most acutely self-aware person up there. He knows exactly what’s going on, what his function is within the court, and so is able to play up to the Duke’s depravity in a black-humor sort of way and thus win his favor. \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMarcelo Álvarez, though a very accomplished tenor, is not one of the world’s great stage actors, thus he follows McVicar’s stage directions—looking rather blasé, jaded, and bored with the many topless beauties in his court—without really getting into the character the way a Jon Vickers, for instance, would have, yet he is certainly good enough to fit into the overall concept. “Questa o quella” sounds almost more brutal than jolly; this is no devil-may-care flirt, but a lecherous Don Juan with no pretense at looking or acting like a gentleman—except when he is play-acting with Gilda. In a way, however, I found the overwhelming number of topless women carousing around like whores to be too much of a bad thing. OK, fine, you made your point. Do you have to keep drumming it over our head like Gene Krupa’s tom-toms? Enough already. I mean, why would they even bother getting dressed in the first place if all they’re going to do is run around laughing and having their dresses pulled down and their knickers pulled up? Yet vocally and dramatically, this performance really takes off. Downes drives his orchestra, chorus, and soloists like a man possessed—I haven’t heard such a well-conducted \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eRigoletto \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003esince the old Bonynge recording—and all the solo voices are good in the first scene, even the dark sound of Parodi as Monterone. Gavanelli not only has a first-class voice, he knows how to use it for both musical and dramatic effect and is a fine stage actor as well. Vocally, the one fly in the ointment is Halfvarson as Sparafucile. His voice has a squally sound, which is exacerbated by an uneven flutter bordering on wobble, but he \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eis \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003ea good stage actor, so that’s half the battle won. \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eI’ve long felt that Edward Downes was one of the more underrated opera conductors in the world. For whatever reason, he always seemed to be overshadowed by other British opera conductors: John Barbirolli when he was younger, John Pritchard when he was older, and later by Antonio Pappano; yet though I am also a big fan of Pappano, there has never been any question in my mind that Downes was always better than Barbirolli or Pritchard, and his work here is splendid. He takes slightly more relaxed tempos than you might be familiar with from the Richard Bonynge or Francesco Molinari-Pradelli recordings, and certainly more relaxed than Arturo Toscanini took act III back in 1944, yet as always his conducting has real “bite.” Not only the brass and winds, but also the strings, speak to you as the drama unfolds on stage, and that, to me, is definitely the mark of a great conductor. Here, too, he uses rubato, rallentandos, and other rhythmic devices to occasionally elongate the musical line without distorting it, as well as a wide range of dynamics and accents to make the music “speak.” A sterling example of how he works may be heard in “Pari siamo,” that difficult quasi-parlando aria in which the title character vacillates between self-reflection and loathing of the court and those he must serve and make laugh. This has always been, for me, one of the supreme highlights of this opera, yet too many baritones run through it as if it were a \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003ebel canto \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eexercise. Gavanelli and Downes know exactly how to play it, and it comes off beautifully. The baritone here reveals as great a command of soft singing and half-shades as of ringing, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eforte \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003ehigh notes. \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThere’s a bit of luxury casting here in having Christine Schäfer, the world’s most famous exponent of Berg’s Lulu, singing Gilda. She is in superb voice and, more importantly, is a fine stage actress. Moreover, she is able to bring the voice “down” enough from its usual stratospheric heights to give the middle and lower ranges some richness and depth, something I would not have expected of her prior to hearing this. Toscanini, defying operatic conventions of his day and long afterward, insisted that Gilda be sung by a strong lyric soprano voice of the sort that could conceivably also sing Aida and Leonora. For generations, collectors have been enamored of the 1944 performance he gave of act III with Zinka Milanov as Gilda, but although Milanov sang very well her basic timbre was wrong for the part. It was simply too dark and matronly-sounding, more like a 40-year-old Gilda. Toscanini had a much better soprano in his 1943 broadcast, Gertrude Ribla. My other favorite Gildas in the lyric soprano mold are Maria Callas, Cristina Deutekom (only in the first duet with Rigoletto; I don’t think she ever sang the complete role on stage) and Margarita Rinaldi in the aforementioned performance with Panerai, but to this very short list I now add Schäfer. She not only sings it well but brings an entirely new dimension to Gilda that only Ribla and Callas came close to. I was also delightfully surprised to hear that many of the normal cuts in the music were opened up here. In “E il sol dell’anima,” Álvarez sings some of the phrases with something close to the melting legato and sensual phrasing of Tito Schipa—another pleasant surprise. Both soprano and tenor hit the high D? at the end of “Addio, addio,” yet both cut it off short as the score prescribes. Verdi would have been very pleased by this, yet perhaps more so by Schäfer’s near miraculous performance of “Caro nome.” She is even better, musically and dramatically, in this worn-out set piece than Callas or Rinaldi, binding the phrases beautifully yet still “clipping” the descending eighth notes as the score demands, limning every trill, however short, with dramatic meaning. This is surely the work of a great singing actress, and Schäfer does herself proud. Unlike so many practitioners of this role over the decades, Schäfer doesn’t “give them what they want to hear” but what the score dictates, and the aria is all the stronger for it. \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOne of the more brilliant moments in this production comes when the Duke sings “Ella mi fu rapita … Parmi veder le lagrime.” You finally understand the words. You’re not necessarily supposed to feel sorry for the Duke, but you \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eare \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003esupposed to understand that Gilda’s purity of character made him come close to mending his ways. Would he have? Probably not, and that is the dramatic irony of the aria. Also interestingly, vocal delicacy and dramatic subtlety crown the second half of Rigoletto’s “Cortigianni” aria, with Gavanelli singing as tenderly in this section as Giuseppe de Luca once did, albeit with greater dramatic meaning in his delivery. \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWonder of wonders, Álvarez sings “La donna è mobile” with lightness and delicacy—again, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eà la\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Schipa—though he does not resist the temptation to sing the unwritten high B at the end. Yet he does also, even more surprisingly, sing the opening solo lines of “Bella figlia dell’amore” with equal delicacy, at once bringing the voice down to a mere thread of sound, a \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003efil da voce\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, which makes a much greater dramatic impact than shouting it out. Graciela Araya is an excellent Maddalena, both vocally and histrionically, and the quartet ends quietly with no one banging out a high note—again, as the score directs—and Downes’s conducting of the storm scene is just as powerful as Toscanini’s. The final scene is touchingly sung and acted. All in all, a splendid performance. \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe mini-documentary \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eVerdi Through the Looking-Glass \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003efeatures one of the strangest and most exclusive clubs in the world: a group of old men in Parma who are named after each of Verdi’s operas! So you get to meet Macbeth, Il giorno di regno, I masnadieri, Rigoletto, Otello, Aida, Falstaff, La forza del destino, I due Foscari, etc. in the flesh. (They don’t mention whether or not one of them is named Messa da Requiem!) And they sit around and drink green-colored alcoholic beverages (the color comes from kiwi juice) at nine in the morning! \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight:bold\"\u003eFANFARE: Lynn René Bayley \u003c\/span\u003e","brand":"Opus Arte","offers":[{"title":"DVD","offer_id":46025567568106,"sku":"809478060055","price":21.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/2335584.jpg?v=1778315273"},{"product_id":"duetto-salvatore-licitra-marcelo-alvarez-73344","title":"Duetto \/ Salvatore Licitra, Marcelo Alvarez","description":"Duetto presents tenors Marcelo Alvarez and Salvato re Licitra in a program of romantic ballads writte n and arranged specially for them. One of the feat ured composers on the album is Francesco Sartori, known for having composed Andrea Bocelli's biggest hit songs.","brand":"Sony Masterworks","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46025946235114,"sku":"696998795723","price":7.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/4334086-3177982.jpg?v=1778202831"},{"product_id":"soler-6-concertos-for-2-harpsichords-alvarez-84434","title":"Soler: 6 Concertos for 2 Harpsichords \/ Alvarez, Fernandez-Villacanas","description":"Antonio Soler was a scholar, musicologist (he wrote about the history of Spanish music), composer and virtuoso keyboard player. He was in the service of the Spanish Royal family, and personal tutor of the Infante Gabriel de Borbon. Soler wrote a great quantity of solo keyboard sonatas for the use at the Royal court. They are one movement works, much in the style of the sonatas by Domenico Scarlatti (whom he knew personally). The sonatas abound in instrumental virtuosity, daring harmonies and attractive melodies in pre-classical style. Soler wrote the 6 Concertos for 2 Harpsichords for his royal pupil. Judging by the brilliance and vitality of these popular works the composer and his pupil must have hugely enjoyed themselves playing them. These important works are performed here by the harpsichord duo L’entretien dex clavecins, formed by Agustin Alvarez and Eusebio Fernandez-Villacanas, playing magnificent copies, build by Andrea Restelli, of a Taskin and Donzelague harpsichord.","brand":"Brilliant Classics","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46026700095722,"sku":"5028421953274","price":13.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/3446304.jpg?v=1778298152"},{"product_id":"verdi-g-falstaff-opera-reiner-1949","title":"VERDI, G.: Falstaff [Opera] (Reiner) (1949)","description":"Classical Music","brand":"IDIS","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46028022972650,"sku":"8021945000766","price":32.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/2818184.jpg?v=1778381079"},{"product_id":"the-harps-theatre","title":"The Harp's Theatre","description":"The great Cervantes, he taught me the magic and great humanity that poetry and the music of our Golden Century harbor. In the middle of the 16th century appears in Spain the ''cross-strung harp'', as Juan de Bermudo confirms in his work, Declaration of Musical Instruments, year 1555. This appearance is due to the growing music chromatization and the progressive emancipation of the specific instrumental language. Therefore, the harp, diatonic so far, becomes a chromatic instrument in a very original way: adding an order of chromatic strings interwoven or intertwined with the diatonic ones. It turned out to be an extremely practical invention for the spanish Violeros and, apparently, not sued out of the Iberian Peninsula. The famous Tomos, witness the harp's musical intervention in these two fields, sacred and profane. One of the most prolific composers of the Tonos was Juan Hidalgo, a Royal Chapel's musician, Pedro Calderon de la Barca's right hand and, in turn, prominent harp player.","brand":"DUX","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46028037914858,"sku":"5902547013596","price":21.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/3661182.jpg?v=1778379399"},{"product_id":"vives-dona-francisquita-roa-domingo-arteta-mirabal-262223","title":"Vives: Dona Francisquita \/ Roa, Domingo, Arteta, Mirabal","description":"VIVES: DONA FRANCISQUITA  ROA,","brand":"Sony Masterworks","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46034127061226,"sku":"074646656327","price":25.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}]}],"url":"https:\/\/arkivmusic.com\/collections\/alfred-chico-alvarez.oembed","provider":"ArkivMusic","version":"1.0","type":"link"}