Barrie Kosky, one of the most innovative opera directors of our time, creates a new interpretation of Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro at the Vienna State Opera with a very young ensemble: Andre Schuen and Hanna-Elisabeth Muller in the roles of Count and Countess Almaviva, Peter Kellner as Figaro, Patricia Nolz as Cherubino. Susanna's role is interpreted by both Ying Fang (acting) and Maria Nazarova (singing), as Ying Fang could not sing due to a vocal cord illness. Philippe Jordan conducts the Orchestra of the Wiener Staatsoper and together they "deliver an ideal mixture of elegant lyricism and concentrated expression - each and every one" (Wiener Zeitung) // "Beauty and pointedness are combined in the noblest way. " (Der Standard) // "A triumph of Barrie Kosky's directorial brilliance - hilarious yet deeply engaging and thought-provoking. " (klassik-begeistert. De)

Leonard Bernstein in Salzau offers a lively and fascinating inside look at the professional world of young conductors and orchestral musicians in three one-hour-long programs. It also portrays one of the greatest conductors of the 20th century, Leonard Bernstein, shown at work with young musicians. "I am trying to do something for Europe that Europe actually did for me. I had promised myself to founding another Tanglewood here." (Leonard Bernstein) "If a piece of art is something designed with many facets and perspectives, then this three-piece is a piece of art." (FAZ) The programs included on this release are The Birth of an Orchestra, Orchestral Work with the Rite of Spring, and International Conductors' Competition and Master Course. As a bonus, this release also includes Schumann's Piano Concerto in A minor performed by pianist Justus Frantz and the Wiener Philharmoniker conducted by Leonard Bernstein.

A box set celebrating Leonard Bernstein's upcoming 100th birthday including concerts with the Wiener Philharmoniker and the Orchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale Di Santa Cecilia as well as the prizewinning Documentary ''Leonard Bernstein - Larger than Life.'' Works by Sibelius, Beethoven, Haydn, Debussy and some of Bernstein's own compositions.

This Blu-ray box contains legendary concerts from 1977 – 1990 of Leonard Bernstein conducting the Wiener Philharmoniker, Orchestre National de France and the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks. The set also includes the Centennial Celebration Concert at Tanglewood, featuring John Williams, Yo-Yo Ma, Andris Nelsons, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Tony Yazbeck and many more, performing works by Bernstein, Williams, Mahler and Copland. Notable compositions include Jean Sibelius’s Symphonies 1, 2, 5, and 7, Beethoven’s String Quartet No. 16, Haydn’s Missa in tempore beli, Berlioz’s Symphonie fantastique, and many more.

In a competitive field — there are at least three other DVDs about Leonard Bernstein currently on the market — it is only modestly successful. To wit, we are still awaiting a documentary that provides a seriously critical appraisal of this iconic figure.

The best parts of Georg Wübbolt’s film are probably the interviews, especially those with Bernstein’s children; they emphasize their father’s endless curiosity and his love of teaching. Many of the other friends and colleagues interviewed talk about how they were moved to embrace classical music by watching Bernstein on his Omnibus television shows in the 1950s or by attending the Young People’s Concerts he did with the New York Philharmonic.

The Bernstein footage on this documentary has all been seen before in other documentaries. One of the most memorable sequences depicts Bernstein losing his patience with the Vienna Philharmonic in rehearsal.

– Musical Toronto (Paul E. Robinson)

Picture Format: NTSC 16:9
Sound Format: PCM Stereo
Subtitles: English (Original Language), German, French, Korean
Region Code: 0 (Worldwide)
Total Running Time: 76 mins

The Wiener Staatsoper presents a Wagner classic staged by duo Jossi Wieler and Sergio Morabito, who showcase Lohengrin as a crime thriller with a twist. At the podium is Christian Thielemann, who more than proves his reputation as the Wagner-expert par excellence. On stage, David Butt Philip as the titular Lohengrin is a "heldentenor with radiance and stamina" (Kleine Zeitung), while Malin Bystrom portrays an Elsa who might not be as innocent as the libretto suggests and convinces with "dramatic furore" (Der Standard). Anja Kampe sings her Ortrud "beautifully, yet so expressively, with such diction" (Kurier) and Martin Gantner's Telramund is "flawless in it's precision" (News). / "When it comes to Wagner, Christian Thielemann really is in a class of his own" (Der Standard) / "The choirs were a force to be reckoned with, and the orchestra proved it's outstanding quality in harmony with the great Wagnerian Thielemann" (Salzburger Nachrichten)

The Wiener Staatsoper presents a Wagner classic staged by duo Jossi Wieler and Sergio Morabito, who showcase Lohengrin as a crime thriller with a twist. At the podium is Christian Thielemann, who more than proves his reputation as the Wagner-expert par excellence. On stage, David Butt Philip as the titular Lohengrin is a "heldentenor with radiance and stamina" (Kleine Zeitung), while Malin Bystrom portrays an Elsa who might not be as innocent as the libretto suggests and convinces with "dramatic furore" (Der Standard). Anja Kampe sings her Ortrud "beautifully, yet so expressively, with such diction" (Kurier) and Martin Gantner's Telramund is "flawless in it's precision" (News). / "When it comes to Wagner, Christian Thielemann really is in a class of his own" (Der Standard) / "The choirs were a force to be reckoned with, and the orchestra proved it's outstanding quality in harmony with the great Wagnerian Thielemann" (Salzburger Nachrichten)

They languish until the last encore Wiener Zeitung, "A deeply felt, rapturous performance" The Guardian A radiant concert at the Great Golden Hall of the Wiener Musikverein: Diana Damrau and Jonas Kaufmann, luminaries of the classical realm and celebrated interpreters of Lieder, breathe life into love songs of two titans of romanticism, Robert Schumann and Johannes Brahms. They explore love's myriad dimensions through soul-stirring solos and mesmerizing duets in a journey through a kaleidoscope of emotions, from reverie and yearning to the bliss of fulfillment, tempered by moments of heartache, resignation, and sacrifice, charming and moving. Adding to the magic is their esteemed collaborator at the piano, the incomparable Helmut Deutsch, whose artistry enhances every note and infuses the music with an undeniable depth of expression.

In this interpretation of Verdi's MacBeth, stage director Christof Loy skillfully navigates the interplay of light and dark, infusing the opera - based on Shakespeare's work - with remarkable depth and drama. The outstanding vocal ensemble vividly captures the psychological nuances of the characters, featuring Ludovic Tezier as the paranoid MacBeth and Martina Serafin as Lady MacBeth, the mastermind behind the crimes. Giampaolo Bisanti pours his passion into the score, while The Symphony Orchestra and the Liceu Choir deliver exceptional performances in response. Consequently, the audience experiences a flawless blend of lyrics and music, crafted by the Milanese composer, librettist Francesco Maria Piave, and poet Andrea Maffei. "It is a unique scenography." El Pais

In this interpretation of Verdi's MacBeth, stage director Christof Loy skillfully navigates the interplay of light and dark, infusing the opera - based on Shakespeare's work - with remarkable depth and drama. The outstanding vocal ensemble vividly captures the psychological nuances of the characters, featuring Ludovic Tezier as the paranoid MacBeth and Martina Serafin as Lady MacBeth, the mastermind behind the crimes. Giampaolo Bisanti pours his passion into the score, while The Symphony Orchestra and the Liceu Choir deliver exceptional performances in response. Consequently, the audience experiences a flawless blend of lyrics and music, crafted by the Milanese composer, librettist Francesco Maria Piave, and poet Andrea Maffei. "It is a unique scenography." El Pais

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

Also available on standard DVD

The hr-Sinfonieorchester has for decades been numbered among the world's leading Mahler orchestras. Between 2008 and 2013 it gave its most recent Mahler cycle as part of the Rheingau Music Festival under principal conductor Paavo Järvi. The recordings were made in the unique space of the Basilica of Eberbach Monastery, in the magnificent ambiance of the Friedrich von Thiersch Hall at the Wiesbaden Kurhaus and in the outstanding acoustics of the Great Hall of the Alte Oper in Frankfurt. In all of these venues Mahler's symphonies left a particularly fascinating impression.

Gustav Mahler
THE COMPLETE SYMPHONIES

Symphony No. 1 in D Major, “Titan”
Symphony No. 2 in C Minor, “Resurrection”
Symphony No. 3 in D Minor
Symphony No. 4 in G Major
Symphony No. 5 in C-Sharp Minor
Symphony No. 6 in A Minor, “Tragic”
Symphony No. 7 in E Minor
Symphony No. 8 in E-Flat Major, “Symphony of a Thousand”
Symphony No. 9 in D Major
Symphony No. 10 in F-Sharp Minor: I. Adagio

Camilla Tilling, soprano
Genia Kühmeier, soprano
Erin Wall, soprano
Ailish Tynan, soprano
Anna Lucia Richter, soprano
Lilli Paasikivi, mezzo-soprano
Waltraud Meier, mezzo-soprano
Alice Coote, mezzo-soprano
Charlotte Hellekant, mezzo-soprano
Nikolai Schukoff, tenor
Michael Nagy, baritone
Ain Anger, bass

Bavarian Radio Chorus
North German Radio Chorus
Limburger Cathedral Boys Choir
Leipzig MDR Radio Choir
Czech Philharmonic Choir, Brno
Europa Chor Akademie
Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra
Paavo Järvi, conductor

Recorded at Rheingau Musik Festival, 2003–2013

Bonus:
- Introductions to the Symphonies by Paavo Järvi
- Paavo’s Mahler: The Project

Picture format: 1080i High Definition
Sound format: PCM Stereo / DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Region code: 0 (worldwide)
Audio Language (bonus): English
Subtitles: German, English, French, Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Japanese (Symphonies Nos. 2, 3, 4, 8) / German, Korean, Japanese (bonus)
Booklet notes: English, German, French
Running time: 12 hrs 35 mins (concert) + 96 mins (bonus)
No. of Discs: 5 (BD 50)

Also available on Blu-ray

The highly praised Mahler Cycle with Paavo Järvi and the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra continues with the release of the 7th and 8th Symphonies.

PAAVO JÄRVI CONDUCTS MAHLER SYMPHONIES

Gustav Mahler:
Symphony No. 7 in E Minor
Symphony No. 8 in E-Flat Major, “Symphony of a Thousand”

Erin Wall, soprano
Ailish Tynan, soprano
Anna Lucia Richter, soprano
Alice Coote, mezzo-soprano
Charlotte Hellekant, mezzo-soprano
Nikolai Schukoff, tenor
Michael Nagy, baritone
Ain Anger, bass

Limburger Cathedral Boys Choir
Czech Philharmonic Choir, Brno
Europa Chor Akademie
Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra
Paavo Järvi, conductor

Recorded at the Rheingau Musik Festival, 2011 (Symphony No. 7) and 2013 (Symphony No. 8)

Bonus:
- Introductions to the Symphonies by Paavo Järvi

Picture format: NTSC 16:9
Sound format: PCM Stereo / DTS 5.1
Region code: 0 (worldwide)
Subtitles: Latin, German, English, French, Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Japanese / English, German, Korean, Japanese (bonus)
Booklet notes: English, German, French
Running time: 149 mins (concert) + 20 mins (bonus)
No. of DVDs: 2 (DVD 9)

This 2 DVD C Major Entertainment release of Gustav Mahler's Fifth and Sixth Symphonies continues the issuance of the complete, acclaimed Mahler cycle with Paavo J�rvi and the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra, which since the 1980s and the release of Eliahu Inbal's FRSO Mahler cycle has come to be known as a "powerful Mahler orchestra" (Frankfurter Rundschau). As on previous releases, conductor Paavo J�rvi's learned and probing introductions to the symphonies heard on the accompanying release are a worthy and self-recommending bonus feature.

Also available on Blu-ray

Conducting the Wiener Philharmoniker, Andris Nelsons presents a concert night which concentrates every conceivable passion: Bernd Alois Zimmermann’s Trumpet Concerto “Nobody knows de trouble I see” performed with “technical perfection” (Kronenzeitung) by “the fantastic Håkan Hardenberger” (Salzburger Nachrichten) and Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 in C minor “Resurrection”. “Nelsons proved to be delicate but hearty when interpreting Mahler.” (Wiener Zeitung) The conductor led the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra to “enticingly beautiful sounds” (Die Presse). “High praise goes to the vocal soloists Ekaterina Gubanova, Lucy Crowe and the Bavarian Broadcasting choir.” (Salzburger Nachrichten) “Standing ovation”! (Kurier)

-----

REVIEW:

This is a pretty compelling performance of the ‘Resurrection’ Symphony. The orchestral playing is superb, as you’d expect, and the quality of the singing is no less fine. Andris Nelsons is in his element with this dramatic, highly charged work and he does full justice to Mahler’s amazingly imaginative score. Lest it be thought that this is simply a no-holds-barred performance, let it be remembered that the less theatrical inner movements come off very well too.

Throughout the Zimmermann Concerto the soloist plays almost continuously and though the duration is only just over 15 minutes Hardenberger looks physically drained at the end. Nelsons is an alert and watchful accompanist. The Salzburg audience received the performance very warmly indeed.

– MusicWeb International

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.

Gustav Mahler’s Ninth Symphony shows the culmination of the composer’s career. The concert recorded in this landmark live performance was part of The Mahler Project, in which friends and conductors Daniel Barenboim and Pierre Boulez tackled all of Mahler’s symphonies with the Staatskapelle Berlin. A documentary from Christoph Engel accompanies the concert, in which a diverse selection of statements and conversations from both conductors is featured.

“Mahler, Live” is a dialogue between two outstanding ballets, the world premiere of “4” by Martin Schläpfer and Hans van Manen‘s icon of dance history “Live”. The new director of the Vienna State Ballet Martin Schläpfer not only presents his first own program at the Vienna State Opera with the premiere “Mahler, Live” but also introduce himself as choreographer with his world premiere “4” to Gustav Mahler‘s 4th Symphony. The result is a great ballet for the entire ensemble, which is preceded by an icon of dance history at the opening of the evening, with Hans van Manen‘s “Live”. Hans van Manen‘s “Live” is the first video ballet in dance history and a masterful puzzle game with the mechanisms of perception. First performed in Amsterdam in 1979, “Live” has so far been danced exclusively by Het Nationale Ballett. With this new production in Vienna, Hans van Manen entrusts his work to another company for the first time. “The ballet evening Mahler, live at the Vienna State Opera is already writing dance history” (Kurier) “A sensational start. The Viennese have undoubtedly drawn a lucky draw.” (Süddeutsche Zeitung).

Also available on Blu-ray

The “striking interpretation” (Neue Musikzeitung) of Jules Massenet’s operatic rarity Don Quichotte at Bregenz Festival, received an "unanimous jubilation for director Mariame Clément, her outfitter Julia Hansen and the entire stage team: a typical Bregenz Festival orchid flourished!“ (Neue Musikzeitung Online). But this opera is also a musical discovery, not least because of the outstanding cast: “the balsamic sound of well-being of Gábor Bretz, David Stouts mobile Sancho Panza is also wonderfully shaded (Salzburger Nachrichten) and “Anna Goryachova impresses as Dulcinée with vocal clarity and scenic presence”. (Wiener Zeitung) “The Bregenz Festival discovers a dreamlike operatic beauty full of melancholy and farewell” (Salzburger Nachrichten)

“During creation, every new ballet seems a possible film. When developing the idea of filming “A Midsummer Night’s Dream“, I insisted on planning a true ballet film which, for me, is completely different than a documentary. Within the three days of recording, we did not schedule a single complete run-through of the work. Instead, we recorded the film in sequences and with exciting camera positions which can be compared to the way one would film a drama. What we really love when watching films, is the immediacy, the vibrancy of the moment. The camera being so close, means that we don’t want the dancers representing something, we don’t want them presenting something, we want them simply being – “now”. We want that spark of truth that springs towards us and that touches us.” John Neumeier

C Major continues it's Tutto Verdi edition with his Messa da Requiem. This film includes a 52-minute bonus documentary introducing US to Verdi's beautiful homeland, the region of Parma; from the little village where Verdi was born, to the estate close to Parma where Verdi always came back to and chose to spend most of his life.

Don Quixote was created by the master choreographer Marius Petipa, together with the composer Ludwig Minkus, for the Imperial Bolshoi Ballet in Moscow in 1869. Marking the 400th anniversary of Cervantes’s death, Don Quixote is here seen in the revised version by Nureyev which the French choreographer Manuel Legris – once a noted Basil himself in his days as an “étoile” in Nureyev’s Paris troupe – devised for the Wiener Staatsballett. “A Don Quixote to love … Legris and company can count the evening a total success” (Die Presse). As for the two principals, Maria Yakovleva and Denys Cherevychko as Kitri and Basil, no praise was high enough: “both are technically brilliant” (Wiener Zeitung).

Also available on Blu-ray

This incredible production of the ballet Don Quixote from Teatro alla Scala features the renowned choreography of Rudolf Nureyev. Don Quixote has become one of the most loved ballets, with its energy, freshness, and choreographic splendor, requiring the highest skills of dancers. Natalia Osipova, principal dancer of the Royal Ballet in London, and Leonid Sarafanov, principal dancer of the Mihaylovsky Theatre Ballet in St. Petersburg, are the stars in this dazzling performance.

Picture Format: 16:9
Sound Formats: Dolby Digital Stereo, DTS 5.1
Region Code: 0 (Worldwide)

Acclaimed across the globe for the beauty of his voice and the emotional power of his performances, Peruvian tenor Juan Diego Flórez, famous for his bel canto repertoire by Rossini, Donizetti and Bellini, shows in this concert another fascinating side to his vocal personality. The concert program includes many of the most popular Mozart arias – all of them magnificently performed by the Orchestra La Scintilla, an ensemble with outstanding reputation for their historical performance practice, led by Riccardo Minasi. This all-Mozart recital takes place at the Cuvilliés Theatre of Munich, one of the most beautiful Bavarian Rococo theatres. “Beautiful lyrical and elegant, Flórez shows all the emotions that Mozart captured in his scores – and the tenor's multi-colored spectrum of expression is impressive.” (Musik Heute)

Also available on Blu-ray


MOZART Così fan tutte & • Sylvain Cambreling, cond; Anett Fritsch ( Fiordiligi ); Paola Gardina ( Dorabella ); Kerstin Avemo ( Despina ); Juan Francisco Gatell ( Ferrando ); Andreas Wolf ( Guglielmo ); William Shimell ( Don Alfonso ); Teatro Real de Madrid O & Ch • C MAJOR 714508 (2 DVDs: 202:00+18:00) Live: Madrid March 2013


& kulTour with Holender: Michael Haneke


Così fan tutte is quite an unconventional little opera and unique for its time. It treats the subject of female inconstancy in romance, a topic that proved too controversial for 18th- or 19th-century tastes, but one that still piques our interest today, even if now considered a bit cynical and chauvinistic. If librettist Lorenzo Da Ponte had written a more conventional tale about male inconstancy instead, it likely would have already faded into operatic history. Perhaps Da Ponte got lucky in his choice of subjects, but then he always seemed to get lucky in his endeavors with W. A. Mozart. Perhaps we are underestimating the man. Of course, a sublime score from a true musical master does the mutual product no harm.


Here award-winning film and stage director Michael Haneke takes Da Ponte’s story even a bit further, with somewhat mixed results. Instead of two romantic couples we now have three, with Don Alfonso married to ladies’ maid Despina. This pair seems to bicker and fight like the best of modern couples, but they live in a sumptuous villa overlooking the Mediterranean. Set designer Christoph Kanter has located all the action in the couple’s modern drawing room, with low bookcases and a well-stocked wet bar on the left, and built-in couch and marble fireplace on the right. Three steps in the rear lead up to ceiling-high French doors that open onto a patio with ornate columns overlooking the sea. When we join the action, there is a costume cocktail party going on, 18th-century period costumes apparently optional. Of our six protagonists, only Don Alfonso is in period garb, although Despina wears what appears to be a clown suit (she also dons a red clown nose in her appearance as the medico at the end of act I). Fiordiligi wears a red party dress and Dorabella a black pant suit with t-shirt with her boyfriend’s visage on it. Later the t-shirt comes off, providing damning evidence to Ferrando that his lady has been rather naughtier than nice.


The two young naval officers begin by wearing suits and ties, but when they reappear ready for duty they are in naval greatcoats with powdered wigs and ceremonial swords reminiscent of Lord Nelson or John Paul Jones. Costume party or something else intended? The suitors’ Albanian disguises amount to colorful vests, patently false mustaches, and their neckties, now worn around their heads. The disguises, never serious, are gone completely by the end of act I, raising the issue of the girls’ complicity in the swap of mates. Curiously, the two couples pair up as originally until the little duet in act II where the girls choose up sides. Although making for a dramatic moment, one would think Don Alfonso and director Haneke would be promoting the swap of partners from the outset, as in most productions. Lurkers are another issue, those inappropriate characters who lurk silently on stage when they aren’t supposed to be there. For instance, the opening trio where the ladies’ faithfulness is questioned by Don Alfonso and defended rather ineptly by the young suitors is attended by the ladies in question. Their subsequent duet in praise of their prospective husbands’ effigies seems now a rather sardonic reply. Haneke gives us plenty of lurking, but it is never clear exactly why. In any case, this ploy has been used to excess in other so-called modern productions. Despina is portrayed here as angry and sad, a rather significant change in mood from her written role in what is supposed to be light comedy. I’m not saying director Haneke has completely set us adrift, it’s just not very clear to me exactly where his boat is steering.


Happily, the music-making is first-rate. I am a sucker for this particular Mozart score, so I may be no true judge, but it seems to me the Fiordiligi of Anett Fritsch is quite wonderfully sung, as is the Ferrando turned in by Juan Francisco Gatell. The others are all well above the norm and they all sing exceptionally together in the many ensembles. If I were picking nits, I would say Despina’s voice is not as clearly differentiated from the other young ladies as it might be and Don Alfonso lacks a certain baritonal heft found on many competing sets. Three musical numbers are cut, about average for a live performance, but Haneke has his singers taking extra time and vocal care with Da Ponte’s important recitatives, which are given virtually uncut. Hence the disc timing extends to nearly four hours, perhaps a bit long for modern tastes.


The trend today in opera recording is to live videos, and Così is no exception. The number of Così productions available on video disc is now nearly 20, but only four to date on high definition Blu-ray, this one included. I cannot pretend to have seen them all, but Fanfare ’s staff has reviewed many of them over the years; these reviews available to subscribers at the online Archive. Currently, I am partial to a Riccardo Muti-led performance from Salzburg I reviewed in Fanfare 34:6 with Margaret Marshall and Ann Murray as the two sisters. This Madrid production raises some interesting questions about the opera and is quite well sung. Recommended.


FANFARE: Bill White

Also available on Blu-ray

Barcelona’s prestigious Gran Teatre del Liceu presents Mozart’s beloved Singspiel in an elegant, dramaturgically twisted production with a sparkling cast of top-rank international stars headed by coloratura soprano Diana Damrau as Konstanze and rising star Olga Peretyatko as Blonde. Stage director Christof Loy has conjured up a thought-provoking and strikingly original scenario in which both Konstanze and Blonde are feeling respect, admiration and even profound love for their captors. The result is a tantalizing approach that overturns the traditional patterns of good and evil.

“Diana Damrau achieved a huge success at the Barcelona Liceu.” Opera News “Franz-Josef Selig, the best Osmin I have ever seen.” Opera News

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
DIE ENTFÜHRUNG AUS DEM SERAIL

Selim – Christoph Quest
Konstanze – Diana Damrau
Blonde – Olga Peretyatko
Belmonte – Christoph Strehl
Pedrillo – Norbert Ernst
Osmin – Franz-Josef Selig

Liceu Grand Theatre Chorus and Orchestra
Ivor Bolton, conductor

Christof Loy, stage director
Herbert Murauer, set and costume designer
Olaf Winter, lighting designer

Recorded live at the Grand Teatre del Liceu, Barcelona, 2011

Picture format: NTSC 16:9
Sound format: PCM Stereo / DTS 5.1
Region code: 0 (worldwide)
Subtitles: German, English, French, Spanish, Catalan, Chinese, Korean
Running time: 188 mins
No. of DVDs: 2