Verdi: Aida

Tchaikovsky: Eugene Onegin, Op. 24, TH 5 (Recorded 1954)

Tchaikovsky: Eugene Onegin, Op. 24, TH 5 (Sung in Italian) [

PUCCINI: Messa di Gloria / Preludio Sinfonico

Classical Music

An exhilarating new Carmen from Glyndebourne. Director David McVicar describes Carmen as "the first ever musical", and in his new production, with Anne Sofie von Otter in the title role, Carmen is restored to the original Opera. Comique as Bizet wrote it, stripping away subsequent re-workings which turned it into a grand opera. Philippe Jordan makes his Glyndebourne debut with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the Glyndebourne Chorus and a cast that includes Marcus Haddock, Laurent Naouri and Lisa Milne. This double disc set also includes extensive extra features on costume, dance, characters and the gardens of Glyndebourne.

Extra features include:
* Costume design
* How to fight on stage
* Illustrated synopsis
* The cast and their characters
* Choreographing Carmen
* The Gardens of Glyndebourne
* Booklet with new short story by novelist Jeanette Winterson

PICTURE FORMAT: 16:9
SOUND: dts Surround/LPCM Stereo
SUBTITLES: English

Sung in English

Region Code: All regions
Picture format: 16/9 Anamorphic
Sound format: Dolby Digital stereo, Dolby 5.1 surround
Menu languages: English
Subtitles: French/German/Spanish
Running time: 120 minutes

"It's a wonderfully rich piece of musical theatre, of course gorgeous melodies but also the story touches on some real basic truths about human relationships" -- Director Lotfi Mansouri

BBC Opus Arte are proud to release Lotfi Mansouri's spectacular last production as General Director of The San Francisco Opera with Yvonne Kenny making her debut in the title role of the Merry Widow. To bring fresh insight into Lehár's classic operetta new dialogue was specially commissioned from Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright, Wendy Wasserstein. Also an original ballet was composed to set the scene 'Chez Maxime.' This production also features another world premiere, Njegus's song "Quite Parisian" although Lehár in fact, wrote it later.

Extra Features:
* Illustrated Synopsis
* Cast Gallery
* "Impressions" - Lotfi Mansouri, Yvonne Kenny, Bo Skovhus, Angelika Kirchschlager and Gregory Turay discuss The Merry Widow.
* Illustrated booklet with an essay by Camille Crittenden examining what insight the Merry Widow gives into women's roles in fin-de-siecle Vienna.

Reviews

‘A production that deftly captures the sparkle and eroticism of Lehar’s music. I love it. Under Erich Kunzel, the orchestra brings out all the sparkle and eroticism of Lehár's bewitching melodies and orchestrations. Best of all, perhaps, are Michael Yeargan's sets and Thierry Bosquet's costumes. The gently varied range of colours as the curtain rises on the Widow's lamp-lit Act 2 party is quite simply breathtaking, and Act 3, too, is a riot of colour. Enjoy!’ The Gramophone

‘Mansouri’s staging, lavishly kitted out in elegant Jugendstil sets and costumes by Michael Yeargan and Thierry Bosquet, achieves the rare feat of bringing off the work’s unique mix of boulevard farce and sophisticated eroticism.’ The Independent

‘…this is about as lavish a production of Franz Lehár’s adorable operetta as you are ever likely to see…soprano Yvonne Kenny is perfectly cast in the title role.’ Classic FM Magazine

‘Michael Yeargan’s glamorous and beautifully-wrought designs and Thierry Bosquet’s extravagant costumes. We see all too little of this kind of splendour in these cash-strapped days.’ Opera

"Franz Lehar's immortal Merry Widow is presented here in a San Francisco Opera production recorded during a performance Dec. 8, 2001 at the War Memorial Opera House. New dialogue from Pulitzer Prize-winning playright Wendy Wasserstein adds to the production as does an original ballet during the 'Chez Maxim' scene. The entire cast is superb, with soprano Yvonne Kenny singing the title role for the first time and doing so brilliantly. Angelika Kirschschlager, who already has to her credit a superb SACD of Bach arias (REVIEW), is wonderful as Valencienne. In addition to fine singing throughout, all of the singers are attractive, the many stretches of dialogue spoken with style. Everything about this production is first-rate, the beautiful sets and costumes are perfect, camera work exemplary, and the Dolby digital surround sound totally natural." - CLASSICAL CD REVIEW

Classical Music

Classical Music

Verdi: Giovanna d'Arco (Live)

MOZART IN TURKEY
featuring Die Entfuhrung aus dem Serail

Featuring; Paul Groves, Yelda Kodalli, Desiree Rancatore, Lynton Atkinson, Peter Rose and Oliver Tobias
The Scottish Chamber orchestra Conducted by Sir Charles Mackerras

A 90 MINUTE FILM BY ELIJAH MOSHINSKY AND MICK CSAKY, OF AND ABOUT MOZART'S OPERA

Region Code All regions Running time approx 90 minutes DVD 9
Sound format Dolby Stereo, Dolby 5.1 Surround
Menu language English
Subtitle languages French/German/Spanish/English/Dutch
Cat. No. OA 0892 D (NTSC)

More than just a performance film featuring Mozart's opera, Mozart in Turkey also studies the history of opera's fascination with Turkish culture and some illuminating biographical information about Mozart's life during the composition of 'The Abduction', his most popular opera during his lifetime.

Acclaimed opera director Elijah Moshinsky is filmed at work with an international cast during the staging and filming of a magnificent production of Mozart's opera Die Entfuhrung aus dem Serail (The Abduction from the Harem), set within the harem of the Topkapi Palace. This remarkable film, conceived, produced and directed by Mick Csaky, combines both performance and process. It simultaneously presents a highly dramatic performance of the opera within the spectacular setting of the Topkapi Palace at the same time as documenting the entire creative process of recording of the soundtrack, rehearsing the singers and filming the production.

The film also provides fresh insights into the history of the opera and the personal life of Mozart while composing this opera - Mozart's most popular during his lifetime. Key to the success of the film is a central interview with the opera director Elijah Moshinsky explaining his very personal approach to this opera.

Classical Music

Classical Music

Classical Music

Classical Music

Classical Music

Richard Strauss: Elektra, Op. 58, TrV 223 (Recorded 1957) [L

MANON: JURINAC-DERMOTA-OLAH-NE

FAUST: ROSVAENGE-BOHNEN-SINGEN

Classical Music

Franz Schubert
ALFONSO UND ESTRELLA
Opera in 3 Acts

Mauregato – Olaf Bär
Estrella – Luba Orgonasova
Adolfo – Alfred Muff
Froila – Thomas Hampson
Alfonso – Endrik Wottrich

Arnold Schoenberg Choir
Chamber Orchestra of Europe
Nikolaus Harnoncourt, conductor
Jürgen Flimm, stage director
Erich Wonder, set design
Florence von Gerkan, costumes

Filmed at the Theater an der Wien during performances in Wiener Festwochen, May 1997.

Picture format: NTSC 16:9
Sound format: Dolby Digital 2.0 / Dolby Surround 5.0
Region code: 0 (worldwide)
Subtitles: English, German
Running time: 140 mins
No. of DVDs: 1 (DVD 9)

Gaetano Donizetti
LUCREZIA BORGIA

Lucrezia Borgia – Dimitra Theodossiou
Gennaro – Roberto de Biasio
Don Alfonso – Enrico Giuseppe Iori
Maffio Orsini – Nidia Palacios
Rustighello – Luigi Albani
Gubetta – Giuseppe di Paola
Astolfo – Mauro Corna

Bergamo Musica Festival Choir and Orchestra
Tiziano Severini, conductor
Francesco Bellotto, stage director

Filmed at the Teatro Donizetti, Bergamo, Italy, during performances in the Bergamo Musica Festival Gaetano Donizetti, 30 November and 2 December 2007

Picture format: NTSC 16:9
Sound format: Dolby Digital 2.0 / Dolby Surround 5.0
Region code: 0 (worldwide)
Subtitles: English, Italian
Running time: 138 mins
No. of DVDs: 1 (DVD 9)

Verdi: Il trovatore (Live)

Classical Music

Classical Music