Peter Seiffert, Petra Maria Schnitzer, Beatrice Uria-Monzon, Markus Eiche, and Gunther Groissbock star in this Gran Teatre del Liceu production of the Wagner opera conducted by Sebastian Weigle and directed by Robert Carsen.

Hector Sandoval, Norma Fantini, Scott Hendricks, Tania Kross, and Rosalind Plowright star in this production of the Giordano opera performed by the Vienna Symphony, Bregenz Festival Chorus, and Prague Philharmonic Choir conducted by Ulf Schirmer.

Lance Ryan, Jennifer Wilson, Juha Uusitalo, Gerhard Siegel, and Catherine Wyn-Rogers star in this production of the Wagner opera with Zubin Mehta conducting the Orquestra de la Comunitat Valenciana.

Available for the first time on Blu-ray, the lesser known Verdi opera I due Foscari is ready for appreciation by a new generation. A great cast with the likes of Leo Nucci and Roberto de Biasio is assembled at the Teatro Regio di Parma as part of the 200th anniversary series "Tutto Verdi". FAZ notes "This is how Verdi should be played".

Recently appointed the music director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Andris Nelsons is one of the most interesting upcoming conductors. A dynamic young Latvian conductor, he leads the Bavarian Radio Orchestra in a high-profile program featuring Ives, Adams, Stravinsky and Dvorak. Stuttgarter Zeitung raved, "One rarely experiences such a natural connection between conductor and orchestra [...] Andris Nelsons and the Bavarian Radio Orchestra are a sensation!" This concert cemented Nelsons' stated as the "real deal" among up-and-coming conductors.

In his 'new life' as a baritone, Pl�cido Domingo has triumphed in the role of Francesco Foscari in Los Angeles, London and Vienna. Now he takes to the role to La Scala, Milan, the theatre that is the symbol of Italian opera. I due Foscari, premiered in 1844, famously one of Verdi's darkest operas, is staged by Alvis Hermanis, who made such an impact at the Salzburg Festival with "Die Soldaten" and "Il trovatore". Domingo is joined by two of Italy's most exciting singers, the soprano Anna Pirozzi and the tenor Francesco Meli, and the acclaimed Italian conductor Michele Mariotti. The Financial Times was deeply moved by Domingo's performance, calling his interpretation of the role "sublime".

On May 21, 2016 at the Bonn Opera House in Germany, the fifth Opera Gala for the German AIDS Foundation took place. At this performance, some of the world’s most illustrious vocalists performed, such as Simone Kermes, Roberto De Biasio, Marina Prudenskaya, and Robin Johannsen. This release features all of the very best highlights of that outstanding evening. Conducted by Stefan Blunier, music from Mozart, Gounod, Beethoven, Verdi, Delibes, Donizetti, Offenbach, and Rossini is included. This production was filmed in high definition and mastered from an HD source, and includes over an hour of music. This is the next best thing to being present at the fantastic concert.

This Blu-ray Disc is only playable on Blu-ray Disc players and not compatible with standard DVD players.

Also available on standard DVD

It's an event that draws many thousands of music lovers to one of the most beautiful cities in the world every summer: the opera season at the ancient Arena di Verona. The 2,000-year-old roman amphitheater with its gigantic stage dimensions is one of the largest and best preserved Roman construction of its kind, and with over 22,000 seats it is undoubtedly one of the most spectacular open-air venues of the world! The revered master of opera Franco Zeffirelli, who died shortly before the premiere of Il Trovatore, created a legendary scenery with groups of giant sized armored knights, a fortress turning into a luminous cathedral, an enormous choir, horses, breathtaking fights: “his perhaps best arena production” (Opernglas). It brings Anna Netrebko to the Arena of Verona where she is giving her much-anticipated debut in one of Giuseppe Verdi’s most popular operas. Next to Anna Netrebko as Leonora perform Verdi accomplished baritone Luca Salsi as Count di Luna and Yusif Eyvazov returns to the Arena as his powerful-voiced opponent Manrico. MET star Dolora Zajick as Azucena and young rising Italian bass Riccardo Fassi as Ferrando join the prestigious ensemble. “Zeffirelli gives to the arena what it merits: a colourful, multifaceted staging in which impressive mass scenes alternate with intimate moments [...]“ (Der Neue Merker) “Unforgettable” (Verona Settegiorni)

Daniel Barenboim conducts the Staatskapelle Berlin in concert in Berlin, Vienna, and New York. Also included is a 22 minute documentary on the musical world of Mahler as seen by Barenboim and Pierre Boulez.

Before moving into the Elbphilharmonie, chief conductor Thomas Hengelbrock and his NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchester performed a “Brahms Marathon” with all four symphonies of the Hamburg-born composer in the historic Laeiszhalle. Brahms’ music has always played an important role in the history of the orchestra, whose defining interpretations of the symphonies by Brahms and Bruckner have become the ensemble’s artistic hallmark. The orchestra, founded in 1945, was led by outstanding conductors such as Günter Wand, Christoph Eschenbach and Christoph von Dohnanyi. Since 2011, chief conductor Thomas Hengelbrock is in charge of continuing the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchester’s history. In the bonus program ''Discovering Brahms'', Thomas Hengelbrock offers interesting background information on all four symphonies. “The evening was more than worth it” (Hamburger Abendblatt).

Rossini's penultimate opera, premiered in 1828 at the Op�ra National de Paris, is a musical comedy about a love triangle set during the Crusades. At the Op�ra Comique it's plot is transported to the time of the works' creation with France's military expeditions to Algeria. It is staged by a first-rate creative team: Stage director Denis Podalyd�s and costume designer Christian Lacroix provide stunning visuals, whilst conductor Louis Langr�e leads the Orchestre des Champs-�lys�es, the Ch�ur Les �l�ments and a stellar cast of soloists in this delightful fool's game. Mezzo-soprano Ga�lle Arquez shines with her "superlative technique" (Le Monde) and Julie Fuchs's Ad�le performance elicits "more than just admiration, namely enthusiasm in the etymological sense of the word: inspired by the divine" (Le Monde). "A masterpiece!" (T�l�rama), "Pure pleasure!" (Les �chos). Le Comte Ory at the Op�ra Comique is "a true musical and theatrical celebration where everything sparkles!" (Bachtrack)

Also available on Blu-ray

Vincenzo Bellini is widely regarded as the last and greatest composer of bel canto opera, and his most famous operas, Norma, is one of the leading works in the genre. Even Richard Wagner said of Norma: “If we weep from emotion on hearing it, it’s nothing to be ashamed of.” This release is a new production of the opera, directed by Grammy Award-nominated director of opera, theatre, and film, Kevin Newbury. Sondra Radvan stars as a captivating Norma in a performance in which the New York Times described as “powerful, elegant.” Gregory Kunde performs as Pollione. operatraveller.com wrote of his performance: “something very special. The word ‘historic’ is used perhaps a little too often but tonight there really is no other adjective to describe the sensational performances offered to us by Sondra Radvanovsky and Gregory Kunde.”

Christian Thielemann conducts the Munich Philharmonic in 2 symphonies by Bruckner.

Christian Thielemann and the Staatskapelle Dresden already released the Bruckner symphonies Nos. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 and continue their Bruckner Cycle at the Philharmonie in Munich with Symphony No. 1 in C minor, Bruckner's first masterful composition. Thielemann, widely regarded as the leading Brucknerian of our age, opted for the more lively early original Linz version of this symphony. Buckner himself called it "a cheeky wench" and said about the finale: "Never again have I been so audacious and bold." Christian Thielemann has been the Principal Conductor of the Staatskapelle Dresden for six years. In that time, and even from before, he has amassed a comprehensive catalogue of recordings. The Bruckner cycle with the Staatskapelle Dresden is his most ambitious and most well-received series yet.