{"title":"Opera \/ Operetta \/ Oratorio Video","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"only-the-sound-remains-1","title":"ONLY THE SOUND REMAINS","description":"Angelic' is a word often used to describe Philippe Jaroussky's voice. The ethereal quality of his countertenor is intrinsic to his roles as both an angel and as a ghost in Only the Sound Remains, a double bill of operas by the distinguished Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho, whose first opera L'Amour de loin has captivated audiences at such venues as the Salzburg Festival, Paris's Th��tre du Ch�telet, London's English National Opera and New York's Metropolitan Opera. Saariaho composed Only the Sound Remains with Jaroussky in mind. \"I've been to many concerts that he's given in Paris and I love his voice and the way he sings,\" she told the Dutch website Cultuurpers when the opera received it's premiere in Spring 2016 at the Dutch National Opera in Amsterdam, where this DVD and Blu-ray were recorded. She and Jaroussky worked together as she wrote the score, ensuring that it was tailor-made for his talents. The production - by the celebrated American director Peter Sellars, who declared that \"Philippe Jaroussky sings like nobody else on the planet\" - was subsequently seen in Helsinki (April 2017) and reaches Paris, again with Philippe Jaroussky, in early 2018. \"Only theSound Remains is a profound and moving exploration of mortality and consciousness,\" wrote Classical Voice North America, \"The score [conducted by Andr� de Ridder, who has wide-ranging credentials in contemporary music] is a swirl of choral and instrumental colors layered over a subtle electronic foundation withantiphonal effects. Structured like a series of interlocking boxes and punctuated bydelicate word-painting, this opera marks a breakthrough in Saariaho's ability to bring astory to life, with vividly imagined details that focus on sensory experience and hint atthe inner emotions of the characters.\" The Financial Times described the opera in detail: \"The ending of Kaija Saariaho's new double bill for the Netherlands Opera lives up to it's name. Her subtle and meticulous blend of live electronics with acoustic sound can create curtains and washes of sound, sensual and evocative in ways that have become her trademark.... Tsunemasa (Always Strong) and Hagoromo (Feather Mantle), 14th-century Japanese Noh theatre works brought to the US... in the early 20th century and later pieced together into English approximations by poet Ezra Pound, form the basis of a libretto for an evening of music theatre co-conceived by Saariaho and director Peter Sellars. Both works... are scored for small ensemble with two singers - baritone and countertenor. Both narrate encounters with the supernatural.... Saariaho uses the Finnish zither-like kantele rather than a Japanese koto in her ensemble, and western flutes in place of the shakuhachi [a Japanese flute], but the Japanese sound-world is a clear source of reference, with pentatonic scales and onomatopoeic percussion deployed generously. Baritone Davone Tines and countertenor Philippe Jaroussky are perfect as the earth\/spirit counterparts of the two pieces (ghost and priest for the first opera, fisherman and angel for the second), Tines with his earthy, virile warmth, Jaroussky with his ethereal purity, the music tailored for these two exceptional voices. Sellars, as always, sets out with consummate sincerity and solid stagecraft to convey a highly spiritual message... It is meticulously crafted and superbly performed. Saariaho is in fine form.\" Philippe Jaroussky's performance was summed up by France's Op�ra magazine: \"In Hagoromo the voice of the French countertenor blossoms with a wondrous freedom and expressivity,\" while the S�ddeutsche Zeitung wrote that \"Philippe Jaroussky is the noblest and most distinctive of countertenors... If he has gained fame as an exponent of virtuosic baroque arias, here","brand":"ERATO","offers":[{"title":"Blu-Ray","offer_id":44914030149866,"sku":"190295753917","price":21.78,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/3734742.jpg?v=1780137391"},{"product_id":"tosca-3","title":"TOSCA","description":"Angela Gheorghiu, an iconic artist with a beautiful voice and a star quality that dazzles on stage, captivated the world in her role as Tosca, at the Royal Opera House in July 2011. Puccini's ever-popular opera, Tosca, returned to the Royal Opera House, where the stellar cast included Jonas Kaufmann, Bryn Terfel, the Royal Opera Chorus and the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, who were under the baton of Antonio Pappano, the Music Director of the Royal Opera House. With the all-star cast, opera history was in the making and was, by far, the hottest ticket in town. For the majority of US who were not lucky enough to be there, it has been captured on this DVD, exclusively released by EMI Classics. Gheorghiu received much praise and accolades as Tosca. Laura Kate Wilson of Bach track wrote As Gheorghiu delivered the chilling O Scarpia, avanti a Dio! (Oh Scarpia, we shall meet before God!) and that final heart-wrenching refrain rose from the orchestra pit it was clear that opera history had been made, and I felt incredibly lucky to have witnessed it. Rupert Christiansen of the Telegraph added that the velvety smoothness of (Angela Gheorghiu's) line and tone was something to marvel at.","brand":"WARNER CLASSICS","offers":[{"title":"DVD","offer_id":45862049349866,"sku":"5099940406398","price":24.38,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/2045525_78103475-2fab-4bf3-bdda-e95833176d51.jpg?v=1778376056"},{"product_id":"dove-j-adventures-of-pinocchio-the-opera-north-2008","title":"DOVE, J.: Adventures of Pinocchio (The) (Opera North, 2008)","description":"Victoria Simmonds, Jonathan Summers, Mary Plazas, Rebecca Bottone, and Graeme Broadbent star in this Opera North production of the Jonathan Dove opera with David Parry conducting.","brand":"Opus Arte","offers":[{"title":"DVD","offer_id":46012836577514,"sku":"809478010050","price":29.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/1494898.jpg?v=1778329783"},{"product_id":"charpentier-david-jonathas-christie-198501","title":"Charpentier: David \u0026 Jonathas \/ Christie","description":"The rare biblical opera 'David and Jonathas' is like 'Médée', one of the major works of the French Baroque composer Marc-Antoine Charpentier. The opera has been in the repertoire of Les Arts Florissants since 1988 and was first presented in a stage production by William Christie at the Aix-en-Provence Festival 2012. This DVD release is a special event for all Baroque music lovers.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Written a year after the death of Lully, this lyric tragedy allows Charpentier to develop beyond the religious dimension, a story of male friendship and forbidden love between David and Jonathas. An excellent cast gathered around William Christie and Les Arts Florissants brings young singers to the title roles: Pascal Charbonneau, a tenor and a former student of the European Academy of Music, sings David. The role of Jonathas is given to a woman: soprano Ana Quintans.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e The staging by Andreas Homoki (Director of the Zurich Opera since summer 2012) focuses on the psychological aspect of this forbidden love story, giving a moving reading of the drama.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Direction: Andreas Homoki\u003cbr\u003e Scenography: Paul Zoller\u003cbr\u003e Costumes: Gideon Davey\u003cbr\u003e Lighting: Franck Evin\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e R E V I E W: \u003ctitle\u003e3721880.az_CHARPENTIER_David_Jonathas_William.html\u003c\/title\u003e \u003cmeta http-equiv=\"Content-Type\" content=\"text\/html; charset=utf-8\"\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMarc-Antoine Charpentier’s lack of official affiliation with the French court’s rather formal musical establishment under Jean-Baptiste Lully had two effects, as I noted in my other review this issue. First, he was free to do other things, and since Lully was not especially interested in sacred music, Charpentier was pretty much left on his own to develop music in the church, which he did in a grand style. As a sideline, he was also freed from the inevitable debate that arose between adherents of the French and Italian styles, for having been trained in Italy, he felt free to dip in and out of both with some alacrity. Second, as someone not under Lully’s sway, his desire to compose for the stage was rather curtailed, since the \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003etragédie lyrique\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e was not something he was able to compose officially. Not until 1693 did his only work in this genre, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eMedée\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, come to the stage, notably a number of years after Lully’s death and the implosion of his musical dynasty. In the meantime, he dabbled in the form with a series of Jesuit works for the Collège de Louis-le-Grand, of which \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eDavid et Jonathas\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e from 1688 was the most “operatic” (though of course he was able to get a number of pastorals and ballets performed at the Opéra). Consisting of the usual five acts and prologue, he altered the form somewhat, interspersing the Divertissement at the beginning and end of each act instead of placing it all in a bunch at the end. Otherwise, the flow of the work pretty much follows that of the normal secular works composed by Lully and others. \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eInsofar as the plot goes, this seems to have been a gloss on a play by Etienne Chamillart, performed at the same time, which fleshes out the story of the friendship of David and Jonathan. In a prologue, the seer (here called somewhat ironically La Pythonesse instead of the Witch of Endor) foretells Saul’s defeat through the shade of the prophet Samuel. Act One opens with the Philistines, here seemingly dressed in a motley sartorial concoction of djelabas, working clothes with suspenders, and bright red fezzes, cheering on David (sung here by high tenor Paul Charbonneau), while their King, Achis (sung with a resonant bass by Frédéric Caton, dressed like a Grand Mufti), decides to negotiate a truce with Saul (sung in an equally expressive and resonant bass by Neal Davies, dressed in a weskit and working-class pants). This annoys the general of the Philistine army, Joabel (sung in a lighter tenor by Kre?imir ?picer, who is somehow dressed in a strange turban and has a stringy long goatee), who then plots to destroy David. In the meantime, David meets with his friend Jonathas (sung in a pants role by soprano Ana Quintans, who sports a strange intellectual look replete with dark-rimmed glasses). In the Third Act, Saul’s jealousy explodes, and when Achis won’t execute David and Jonathas also refuses, he prepares to abrogate the truce with the Philistines. Jonathas is gravely wounded in the battle that follows, and although filled with remorse, Saul still attempts to kill David, even though mortally wounded himself. When Jonathas dies in David’s arms, David is overcome with despair, and even the proclamation by Achis that David is now the King of Israel fails to cheer him up. \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAs far as plots for operas go, this one is probably a step up from the usual \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eopera seria\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e or French classical plot of the time, for it contains a great deal of pathos and character development. If there is a moral to the story, it seems rather dispersed among the various turns of the plot. The music is set in a through-composed manner, with recitative and aria flowing easily in and out of each other, and Charpentier’s choice of limiting the dances to the beginnings and ends of each act allows for the plot to develop more smoothly. \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eInsofar as the music goes, the singing is first-rate and, as expected, William Christie’s venerable Arts Florissants ensemble is virtually flawless in their execution of Charpentier’s rich score. If this was a disc, I would purchase it in an instant. I found it every bit as good if not better than his release back in 1998 on Harmonia Mundi (which was re-released just this past year), and I like it much better than the old Erato recording with Opera Lyon. Unfortunately, it is not, and the reason is the staging. The set is a movable wooden box, with basically a large wood picnic table and chairs for props. The walls are movable, including an awkward moment in the final triumphal chorus scene at the end where the chorus is crowded together as the walls hem them in, looking very much at one moment like the interior of a cattle car. The costumes are also bizarre. The Israelites look very much like refugees from some sort of Russian steppe, sometimes with Hasidic hats, while the Philistines are a mismatched bunch of pseudo-Turkish peasants, looking for all the world like they desperately need both shaves and baths. The principals are not immune to this sartorial \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003efaux pas\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, for Jonathas looks like a bit of a nerd and David a working-class bloke straight from a factory. Even their “friendship” is supposed to heighten the homoerotic story, but Quintans doesn’t really act like a guy, just someone who has cross-dressed. Finally, Neal Davies has been directed to play Saul mostly on his knees, grimacing ferociously into the camera. Even the Pythoness and her hoard of priestesses look like they stepped right out of a rural diner in their checked gingham dresses. Of course, this has nothing to do with Charpentier or his dramatic music, or even the terrific musicality of the vocalists. But for visuals, this is yet another bizarre attempt to “update” the setting by doing something artistically unfathomable. Too bad; the artistry of the performers deserves better. \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight:bold\"\u003eFANFARE: Bertil van Boer \u003c\/span\u003e","brand":"BelAir Classiques","offers":[{"title":"DVD","offer_id":46012838412522,"sku":"3760115300934","price":22.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/2165952.jpg?v=1778313149"},{"product_id":"tchaikovsky-eugene-onegin-ticciati-stoyanova-keenlyside-maximova-256590","title":"Tchaikovsky: Eugene Onegin \/ Ticciati, Stoyanova, Keenlyside, Maximova [blu-ray]","description":"\u003cb\u003eThis Blu-ray Disc is only playable 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=1014477\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eAlso available on standard DVD\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Kasper Holten's inaugural production as Director of Opera for The Royal Opera returns to Pushkin's verse novella to reveal the shadows of memory which haunt Tchaikovsky's lyric tragedy. Using doubles to suggest the paths taken, or not taken, by its two impulsive protagonists, Holten gives eloquent voice to the loss and regret that lies at the heart of Eugene Onegin. Simon Keenlyside and Krassimira Stoyanova bring both experience and dynamic energy to the pair of protagonists, while the youthful, 'heartrending' tenor of Pavol Breslik and the idiomatic sweep of Robin Ticciati's 'inspired' conducting (The Independent) were enthusiastically received at the premiere of this visually opulent staging. \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Pyotr Il’yich Tchaikovsky\u003cbr\u003e EUGENE ONEGIN \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Tatyana – Krassimira Stoyanova\u003cbr\u003e Eugene Onegin – Simon Keenlyside\u003cbr\u003e Olga – Elena Maximova\u003cbr\u003e Lensky – Pavol Breslik\u003cbr\u003e Prince Gremin – Peter Rose\u003cbr\u003e Madame Larina – Diana Montague\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Royal Opera House Chorus and Orchestra\u003cbr\u003e Robin Ticciati, conductor\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Kasper Holten, stage director\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Recorded live at the Royal Opera House, Feburary 2013 \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Picture format: 1080i High Definition\u003cbr\u003e Sound format: LPCM 2.0 \/ DTS 5.1\u003cbr\u003e Region code: 0 (worldwide)\u003cbr\u003e Subtitles: English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean\u003cbr\u003e Running time: 154 mins\u003cbr\u003e No. of Discs: 1\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Opus Arte","offers":[{"title":"Blu-Ray","offer_id":46012839559402,"sku":"809478071327","price":32.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/2335601.jpg?v=1781557355"},{"product_id":"verdi-macbeth-currentzis-urmana-tiliakos-furlanetto-blu-80912","title":"Verdi: Macbeth \/ Currentzis , Urmana, Tiliakos, Furlanetto [Blu-ray]","description":"\u003cb\u003eThis Blu-ray Disc is only playable 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=570752\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eAlso available on standard DVD\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e After public and critical acclaim for his Eugene Onegin (available on DVD from BelAir), \"Macbeth\" on Blu-ray and DVD is the latest production from Russian stage director Dmitri Tcherniakov, recorded at the Paris Opera.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Coproduced with Siberia's Novosibirsk Opera, this new Macbeth uses cutting-edge multimedia technology to give the viewer a fresh perspective on the work. Google Earth satellite images plunge us into the heart of the action: a gloomy square surrounded by soulless buildings, and the interior of an aristocratic residence. Witches are no more a part of Tcherniakov's Macbeth that the duel was of Onegin, but once again the atmosphere is one of brooding claustrophobia. Tcherniakov has chosen a great cast, beginning with the marvellous Lithuanian soprano Violeta Urmana as Lady Macbeth. Greek baritone Dimitris Tiliakos is a powerful presence as Macbeth, while the Italians Ferruccio Furlanetto (bass) and Stefano Secco (tenor) are sumptuous as, respectively, Banquo and Macduff. In this, his second production at the Paris Opera, Teodor Currentzis, music director of the Novosibirsk Opera and Ballet Theatre conducts with verve and a splendid theatrical sense.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Subtitles: English, French, German, Spanish, Italian\u003cbr\u003e Format: Stereo, DTS-HD 5.1, Aspect Ratio: 16:9\u003cbr\u003e Director: Andy Sommer \u0026amp; Denis Sneguirev\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"BelAir Classiques","offers":[{"title":"Blu-Ray","offer_id":46012843655402,"sku":"3760115304543","price":23.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/1855832.jpg?v=1778402470"},{"product_id":"verdi-falstaff-2","title":"Verdi: Falstaff","description":"All the world's a joke, says Falstaff, and these words are truly given weight by Ambrogio Maestri, one of the finest Falstaffs of our time. The Italian baritone brings a powerful, versatile voice to his role, but also brings to his character a hilarious buffo quality. Daniele Gatti, one of the most acclaimed opera conductors working today, leads a stunning cast of singers, including Barbara Frittoli as Alice Ford. This boisterous production by stage director Sven-Eric Bechtolf delivers a Falstaff that is a fireworks display of high spirits. \"Bechtolf turns Verdi's last opera \"musically and dramaturgically into a feast of life and of love of life.\"","brand":"C Major Entertainment","offers":[{"title":"DVD","offer_id":46012849520874,"sku":"814337011116","price":18.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/2017613.jpg?v=1778330488"},{"product_id":"love-passion-deceit-rossini-mozart-strauss-glyndebourne-256552","title":"Love, Passion \u0026 Deceit - Rossini, Mozart, Strauss \/ Glyndebourne Festival","description":"R E V I E W S:\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003ci\u003eDie Fledermaus\u003c\/i\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e When a director and a production team have a concept for an opera production that alters the composer-librettist’s original vision, the results can vary from imaginative to hubristic expressions of a director trying to be unique—or just unusual. The concepts that work best are the ones that retain the integrity of the opera. Such is the case with this DVD of Die Fledermaus derived from performances at Glyndebourne. The action has been moved into the early 20th century, art deco simplicity has replaced 19th-century fussiness. The score remains intact, but the dialogue is new—yet it remains quite faithful to the story line. It was adapted by Stephen Lawless and Daniel Dooner, written in English, and then translated into German by Johanna Mayr. Purists are not likely to be offended by Glyndebourne’s updated Die Fledermaus, and most viewers will probably greatly enjoy this production.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e The cast is a talented ensemble that excels not only as musicians but actors as well. Thomas Allen and Pamela Armstrong are wonderful as the Eisensteins. Their comic timing creates characterizations that are in equal measure sophisticated and droll. The act-II seduction with the watch is terrific. Lyubov Petrova makes the most out of Adele, the chambermaid with a mind of her own. Håkan Hagegård is an especially genial Dr. Falke, with intriguing glimpses of the anger prompting the Revenge of the Bat. Pär Lindskog makes a suitably lecherous Afredo. Special kudos to Malena Ernman in the trouser role of Prince Orlofsky. She does a convincing male impersonation complete with bushy mustache.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Udo Samel has the non-singing role of Frosch, the jailer. Frequently the role is assigned to the comedian of the day who pads the third act with a monologue of trademark shtick or topical humor. Mr. Samel introduces himself as Frosch — James Frosch. He admits his banter is intended to cover a scene change; however, this interplay with the audience has been edited from the operetta and appears as part of the Extras.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e The biggest liability of Die Fledermaus is the third act. The first act lays the groundwork for the disguises and intrigues in act II. The third act serves as the dénouement, the unmasking after the splashy second-act party...Happily, this Glyndebourne production keeps affairs moving along nicely. The cast maintains the energy level from the first two acts. Quite a feat, since it appears the entire performance was done without intermissions.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Scene designer Benoit Dugardyn has created a clever set on a revolving stage...in this case the set is interesting and adapts quite well to the scenic demands of each act. A rather nifty scene change transforms the Eisenstein home into the Orlofsky ballroom. During the second act, the set frequently revolves, adding interesting dimensions and scenic interest.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Acts I and II and the Entr’acte to act III are on the first disc, act III is on the second disc, along with a number of interesting extra features and interviews. A compliment is due to television director Francesca Kemp and television producer Ross MacGibbon for the excellent transference of a stage production to home video. This video is respectful of the stage production without gimmicky distractions. There is very much a sense of being in the theater while watching....the new Glyndebourne production makes any evening New Years Eve.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e David L. Kirk, FANFARE\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003ci\u003eLa cenerentola\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e This is a conventional production of \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eLa cenerentola\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e in most respects. The stage sets are sparsely suggestive rather than literal and detailed, but sufficient. Costumes are excellent, and Peter Hall gets superior comic acting from his principals. Timing and definition of gesture are especially good, with Di Pasquale and Alberghini making the most of their respective parts, minus any distracting add-on gags that all too often disrupt both the work’s rhythm and audience’s attention. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cspan\u003eI have one reservation concerning Hall’s production, however: his treatment of the \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003econcertato\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e. This Italian operatic convention completely stops the action and allows all characters on stage to express their thoughts simultaneously; which in Rossini’s comic operas invariably means stupefaction and derision. Hall exchanges conventional lighting at these instances for blue scrims, and sets his performers moving and weaving about in odd, slow motion patterns. In theory, this is interesting; in practice, I admittedly found it hard not to laugh at something Hall intended to be taken earnestly. I could only recall Eugene O’Neill’s pretentious 1929 play, \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eStrange Interlude\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e, with its characters given to occasional zombie-like speeches out of time, revealing their thoughts; or to Groucho Marx’s satire on it in the 1930 movie, \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eAnimal Crackers\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e: “I see figures . . . strange figures . . . weird figures . . . Steel 186, Anaconda 74, American Can 138 . . .”. Hall’s desire to gussy up each \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003econcertato \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e(and there are several, if you count smaller sections of otherwise standard ensembles, as Hall does) with a psychological dimension definitely raised a specter, but I don’t think Rossini had bushy eyebrows, a moustache, and a cigar. It’s possible to work up an academic thesis about the depth and seriousness of anything meant humorously, and the liner notes accompanying this release strive earnestly to accomplish this. But sometimes the light is just that—all light, no shadows; and this composer wasn’t a post-modernist. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cspan\u003eLike most other Rossini operas, for many years \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eLa cenerentola \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003ewent unperformed because of changing public tastes that in turn led to an absence of singers who could handle the parts. This was a vicious circle—for a lack of appropriate voices meant a lack of productions, and the absence of productions meant no need to train the voices. What are Rossini voices? They require the same qualities that can be found in other \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003ebel canto\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e music: great agility, firm breath support, good enunciation, proper score-reading habits, and schooling in style. All of these qualities can be found in varying degrees in the seven performers who take a major stage part in this \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eLa cenerentola\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e. Please note this; because if you ever doubted we’re entering a renewed age of \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003ebel canto\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e, then a Rossini production that can boast of three basses, a tenor, two sopranos, and a mezzo, all reasonably fluent in coloratura, is surely as good an indication as any. However, I will single out only Ruxandra Donose for praise. Hers is a dusky mezzo, even in coloration, volume, and support across the registers. The voice is able to handle exacting coloratura without any aspiration or evidence of strain. Her forthright, focused attack in her final aria (“Non più mesta”) brought memories of Marilyn Horne in the 1970s; and like Horne, Donose builds her part from the text, not by working around it. A young singer with little as yet on CD or DVD, she clearly bears watching. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cspan\u003eJurowski is incisive, and alert to his singers’ needs. Sound is available in LPCM stereo and surround sound, while the video is offered in 16:9 anamorphic. Finally, there are subtitles in English, French, German, Spanish, and Italian, as well as one of those bits-and-pieces interviews (entitled “Insights,” just in case you missed what it offered) that tries to sell a darker view of the opera. It doesn’t work, but it also doesn’t matter. This production of \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eLa cenerentola\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e was a good one for Rossini, and the audience agreed. I think you will, too. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-weight:bold\"\u003eFANFARE: Barry Brenesal \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003ci\u003eCosi Fan Tutte\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Simply put, this widely praised Glyndebourne production is the \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eCosì\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e we’ve been waiting for. Yes, there are plenty of alternatives. But little of the video competition has fared well on these pages. Sometimes the problems stem from the musical performance: the Pritchard-led Glyndebourne predecessor was dismissed as “largely routine” by David Kirk (29:5); the Östman was ruled out of court by Barry Brenesal, who said that the “conducting belonged to the then-new movement that found only three tempos in Mozart operas: fast, faster, fast forward” (30:4). Others were panned because of inadequate production values: Chereau’s “takes itself far too seriously,” according to Brian Robins (30:3); Bob Rose was less charitable still with Hermanns’ “simply rotten” production that, he said, “reveals the producers’ lack of understanding Mozart’s genius” (30:6). Only Muti’s Vienna production (Brenesal 32:3) and Harnoncourt’s from Zurich (Christopher Williams, 30:1) received passing grades. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cspan\u003eSo what makes this performance stand out? First, the singing of the young cast is uniformly excellent. Or perhaps not quite uniformly: as is the case with her new Susanna in Pappano’s \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eFigaro\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e, Miah Persson is even better than excellent, combining a gorgeous, flexible, and stunningly controlled voice (even in the most challenging coloratura passages) with her by-now familiar depth of dramatic insight. Just listen to (and watch) the solid scorn on “Come scoglio”—or, even better, the subtle variations in mood in her wrenching account of “Per pietà”—and you’ll understand why she’s my favorite Mozart soprano these days. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cspan\u003eBut the rest of the cast is nearly as good. Anke Vondung holds her own as Dorabella (certainly, a less rich part), and their voices blend extremely well. Topi Lehtipuu and Luca Pisaroni capture the emotional wobbles of the two self-deluded lovers—their ardor, their ungrounded confidence, their fury—with unerring security and luxurious tone. More than most performances, too, this one reveals a key social dynamic: the deception works in part because they’re so much sexier when their costumes allow them to abandon the constraining propriety imposed by the social conventions that normally govern their behavior. Ainhoa Garmendia is a pert, disdainful Despina who doesn’t over-camp the impersonations; and running the show tactfully is Nicholas Rivenq. An unusually attractive Don Alfonso, he’s younger and far more fit than most in this role (he looks as if he just came off the racquet-ball court), and he seems an intellectual without a trace of pedantry; you can really believe that he wants to educate these two naive friends. Iván Fischer conducts with more romantic flexibility than you often get with period-instrument orchestras—and balance (both among the singers and between stage and pit) is finely calibrated. Purely as an audio version, this would stand up to any I’ve heard. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cspan\u003eFortunately, Nicholas Hytner’s production is equally impressive—hardly a false step from beginning to end. In general, this staging takes the opera—arguably, Mozart’s most intellectually challenging—seriously. But the seriousness does not bring solemnity. Hytner may avoid extreme farce, but there’s plenty of wit, energy, and color throughout. More important, he doesn’t condescend to the characters: you can understand both why they’re so foolish and why they’re so torn, and the final shots (where the resolution is clearly only partial) create tremendous poignance. The sets and costumes—simple but far from austere—suggest the late 18th or early 19th century, without creating a very specific moment; and while the production doesn’t ostentatiously update the action, it stresses those aspects of character and situation that still ring true today. One point highlighted here is the bond between the sisters—indeed, one could argue that it’s really Dorabella who seduces Fiordiligi; and while there is nothing louche or tasteless in the presentation of their relationship, it’s obvious that they have a strong erotic link. Not that there’s any lack of heterosexual electricity—as a result, the final scene, where nearly every possible pairing seems highly charged, is as smoldering as any you’ll see. Yet aside from one or two moments, the sex is handled with tact: the performance is hardly prudish, but it’s never aggressive either. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cspan\u003eThe Blu-ray video quality is stunning: you can see each leaf on the salads that our heroines are eating in act I. The 5.0 channel PCM is excellent as well. And while the extras are nothing special, both the conductor and the director offer intelligent insights into the opera. Two numbers are omitted, No. 7 (the duet “Al fato dan legge”) and No. 24 (Ferrando’s “Ah, io veggio”), but that’s a minor issue. All in all, if this doesn’t make it to my next Want List, we’ve got quite a year in store for us. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-weight:bold\"\u003eFANFARE: Peter J. Rabinowitz \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Opus Arte","offers":[{"title":"DVD","offer_id":46012853682410,"sku":"809478010746","price":23.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/2002843.jpg?v=1778325325"},{"product_id":"verdi-i-lombardi-alla-prima-crociata-callegari-65511","title":"Verdi: I Lombardi Alla Prima Crociata \/ Callegari, Theodossiou, De Biasio, Pertusi","description":"\u003ca class=\"links\" href=\"album.jsp?album_id=807934\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eAlso available on Blu-ray\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e The foremost voices in Verdi interpretation today have gathered in the historic Teatro Regiotoday have gathered in the historic Teatro Regio di Parma to present I Lombardi, for the uninitiated a hidden treasure nestled in Verdi's vast catalogue. For the first time Blu-ray video and audio unite to bring this gem to sparkling new heights of picture and sound.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Giuseppe Verdi\u003cbr\u003e I LOMBARDI ALLA PRIMA CROCIATA \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Arvino – Roberto de Biasio\u003cbr\u003e Pagano – Michele Pertusi\u003cbr\u003e Viclinda – Cristina Giannelli\u003cbr\u003e Giselda – Dimitra Theodossiou\u003cbr\u003e Pirro – Roberto Tagliavini\u003cbr\u003e Un priore – Gregory Bonfatti\u003cbr\u003e Acciano – Valdis Jansons\u003cbr\u003e Oronte – Francesco Meli\u003cbr\u003e Sofia – Daniela Pini\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Parma Teatro Regio Chorus and Orchestra\u003cbr\u003e (chorus master: Martino Faggiani)\u003cbr\u003e Daniele Callegari, conductor\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Lamberto Puggelli, stage director\u003cbr\u003e Paolo Bregni, set designer\u003cbr\u003e Santuzza Calí, costume designer\u003cbr\u003e Andrea Borelli, lighting designer\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Recorded live from the Teatro Regio di Parma, 2009\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Bonus:\u003cbr\u003e - Introduction to I Lombardi alla prima crociata \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Picture format: NTSC 16:9\u003cbr\u003e Sound format: PCM Stereo \/ DTS 5.1\u003cbr\u003e Region code: 0 (worldwide)\u003cbr\u003e Subtitles: Italian, English, German, French, Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Japanese\u003cbr\u003e Running time: 144 mins (opera) + 10 mins (bonus)\u003cbr\u003e No. of DVDs: 1\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e R E V I E W: \u003ctitle\u003e3644100.az_VERDI_I_Lombardi_Daniele.html\u003c\/title\u003e \u003cmeta http-equiv=\"Content-Type\" content=\"text\/html; charset=utf-8\"\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cspan class=\"COMPOSER12\"\u003eVERDI \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12bi\"\u003eI Lombardi alla prima crociata \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"BULLET12\"\u003e • \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e Daniele Callegari, cond; Dimitra Theodossiou (\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12i\"\u003eGiselda\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e); Francesco Meli (\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12i\"\u003eOronte\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e); Roberto de Biasio (\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12i\"\u003eArvino\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e); Michele Pertusi (\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12i\"\u003ePagano\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e); Teatro Regio di Parma O \u0026amp; Ch \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"BULLET12\"\u003e • \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e UNITEL CLASSICA 720608 (DVD: 154:00\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003eText and Translation) Live: Teatro Regio, Parma 1\/2009 \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cspan\u003eIt takes some courage to produce this opera, whose title translates as “The Lombards at the first Crusade,” in these times of tensions between the worlds of Islam and those of Western religions. Portraying the Crusaders as heroes in their defeat of the infidel Muslims, and depicting with glory their taking of Jerusalem, could easily result in a \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003efatwa \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003ebeing called down upon an impresario’s head. There is no doubt that I winced uneasily at moments during \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eI Lombardi. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cspan\u003eHowever, the element of religious war really serves as a backdrop to stories of love gone wrong, and to Verdi’s interest in character exploration. Verdi shows here, in only his fourth opera, an already highly developed talent for drawing strong character differences with the music he creates for each. He also shows here his strong melodic gift, and his imagination. For its time, \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eI Lombardi\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e is daring in the scope of its choral writing. Indeed, the chorus is a fifth principal in the opera. And then there is that remarkable trio at the end of the third act, with a concertante violin solo and a little orchestral prelude at its beginning. This is very innovative writing. So despite some basic dramatic silliness (all the key characters wind up at the same place, whether they have gone there to do battle or have been exiled; Giselda inexplicably is in love with the leader of the infidels, who at his death converts to Christianity for her!), the sweep and inspiration of Verdi’s music carries the listener\/viewer along. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cspan\u003eI am only aware of one other video, a 1984 La Scala production with José Carreras in one of the two lead tenor roles (Oronte). He is in great voice, but he is not enough to save the performance from the squally Ghena Dimitrova, thin-voiced Carlo Bini, and wooden singing of bass Silvano Carroli. Parma, on the other hand, assembled a first-rate cast, and conductor Callegari has both the moment-to-moment details and the long line in perfect balance. His ability to keep things moving, while lingering when lingering is needed, is one of the reasons for this performance’s success. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cspan\u003eIf one singer stands out in an excellent cast, it is Dimitra Theodossiou. The Greek soprano is onstage for much of the opera, and she dominates when she is. She reminds me, in her approach to this music, of Caballé, though she may lack the Spanish soprano’s remarkably distinct beauty of tone. Theodossiou floats glorious \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003epianissimi\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e, soars over the entire ensemble when required, sculpts long phrases naturally, and is deeply inside the character. Giselda may well be the opera world’s first anti-war activist, and we identify strongly with her horror at the mentality of the Crusaders. This is a truly triumphant performance, and marks the arrival of a major Verdi soprano for our time. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cspan\u003eThe remainder of the cast is very good, if not quite as outstanding as Theodossiou. One difficulty in casting \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eI Lombardi \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003eis the need for two good tenors. Complicating things is the fact that the one with the smaller role gets the good aria! In Meli and De Biasio, Parma has found two good ones. Meli has the lighter color, de Biasio a bit more tonal richness. But both sing beautifully, using the full range of dynamics available to them, and both have strong top notes produced without strain. Michele Pertusi has a dual role—that of Pagano (Arvino’s brother) and then disguised as a hermit (who undergoes a dramatically absurd transformation from a vicious murderer to a man of peace). He starts off with a touch of tonal unsteadiness in his first scenes, but quickly warms up and gives a performance of great distinction. These three men, two tenors and a bass, share the load fairly equally, and it is a great strength of this performance that they are all very good. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cspan\u003eThe stage production is extremely traditional—no “Eurotrash” here. We get simple backdrops that create the illusion of location (a castle, a cave, Jerusalem) and very elaborate and effective period costumes. There is no attempt, thank Heaven, to bring contemporary relevance to the opera by updating it into the current Mid-East cauldron. I don’t know if anyone was tempted, but we must all be grateful that they avoided that trap. This is probably \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eI Lombardi \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003eas Verdi and his librettist, Solera, imagined it—although I doubt that they imagined a performance any better. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cspan\u003eSpecial kudos to the unnamed concertmaster who plays the solo in the third act gorgeously. Tiziano Mancini’s direction for the camera would have benefited from a bit more patience. His camera shots jump from one to another too often—particularly during Giselda’s solos. He should have trusted the music to hold us. But this is only a minor annoyance in what is overall a DVD that any opera lover will want. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-weight:bold\"\u003eFANFARE: Henry Fogel \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"C Major Entertainment","offers":[{"title":"Blu-Ray","offer_id":46012870066410,"sku":"814337012076","price":22.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/2059126.jpg?v=1782660686"},{"product_id":"verdi-aida-fantini-berti-ono-206347","title":"Verdi: Aida \/ Fantini, Berti, Ono","description":"Verdi (1813 - 1901) AIDA\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Norma Fantini, Marco Berti, Ildiko Komlosi, Mark Doss, Orlin Anastassov, Guido Jentjens\u003cbr\u003e Symphony Orchestra and Choir of La Monnaie - De Munt\u003cbr\u003e Kazushi Ono\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Stage director Robert Wilson\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Picture Format : 16:9 Anamorphic (widescreen)\u003cbr\u003e Sound Formats: DTS Surround \/ LPCM Stereo\u003cbr\u003e Region Code: All regions\u003cbr\u003e Menu languages: English Subtitles: English\/French\/German\/Spanish\/Italian\u003cbr\u003e Running Time: 159 mins\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Cult director Robert Wilson's highly stylised and intensely dramatic staging brings a Zen-like tranquillity to Verdi's great opera concerning the conflict between individual aspiration, tradition and duty. His visually calm, yet emotionally taut, direction is emphasised by outstanding performances from the cast and the Symphony Orchestra and Choir of la Monnaie - De Munt under the commanding and inspired musical direction of Kazushi Ono. Recorded live at the Royal Opera House (La Monnaie\/De Munt) in Brussels, this riveting and painstakingly beautiful production, reminiscent at times of Japanese Noh theatre, offers a new and thought-provoking experience of a masterpiece. Recorded in High Definition and true surround sound.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e R E V I E W S\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \"Wilson’s production of Aida is one of his truly great creations - highly disciplined and utterly convincing. ...The Monnaie’s performance was superb... The outstanding cast had no weak links vocally.\" -- Phil Ward, Opera\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \"...the Hungarian mezzo Ildiko Komlosi is a sensational Amneris, a singer of the highest calibre and a born tragédienne. The rest of the cast is equally outstanding... Verdi’s score acquired a chamber-music quality and the subtle instrumental details were lovingly underlined. A stunning production, not to be missed.\" -- The Bulletin\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \"...Monnaie orchestra was in tip-top rip-roaring form, brass firm focussed and cutting edge, woodwind, specially the flutes, longbreathed and luminous, strings reaching to top and bottom of their ranges with exemplary certainty and clarity.\" -- John McCann, Opera\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \"Amneris is sung by the rivetingly powerful Hungarian mezzo Ildiko Komlosi... Norma Fantini’s vibrant, emotionally confused Aida is sheathed in white... Mr Wilson ... creates a sense of visual calm and continuum that has you looking at the stage as you might contemplate a painting. ... Under his subtle, emotionally taut direction, the singers, chorus and orchestra sounded magnificent.\" -- The Wall Street Journal Europe\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Opus Arte","offers":[{"title":"DVD","offer_id":46012882845930,"sku":"809478009542","price":29.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/941962.jpg?v=1778334655"},{"product_id":"verdi-g-falstaff","title":"Verdi, G.: Falstaff","description":"Chirstopher Purves, Tassis Christovannis, Dina Kuznetsova, Marie-Nicole Lemieux, and Adriana Kucerova star in this Glyndebourne production of the Verdi opera conducted by Vladimir Jurowski.","brand":"Opus Arte","offers":[{"title":"DVD","offer_id":46012883730666,"sku":"809478010210","price":26.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/1626654.jpg?v=1778286837"},{"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=1782660645"},{"product_id":"monteverdi-lorfeo-ainsley-balleys-stubbs-chance-219611","title":"Monteverdi: L'orfeo \/ Ainsley, Balleys, Stubbs, Chance","description":"\"Simply the most compelling account of L'Orfeo yet produced...John Mark Ainsley is simply superb as Orfeo...\" -- BBC Music Magazine\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Claudio Monteverdi\u003cbr\u003e L’ORFEO\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Orfeo – John Mark Ainsley\u003cbr\u003e Euridice – Juanita Lascarro\u003cbr\u003e La Messagiera – Brigitte Balleys\u003cbr\u003e Apollo \/ Pastore II – Russell Smythe\u003cbr\u003e La Musica – David Cordier\u003cbr\u003e La Speranza – Michael Chance\u003cbr\u003e Caronte – Mario Luperi\u003cbr\u003e Proserpina – Bernarda Fink\u003cbr\u003e Plutone \/ Pastore IV – Dean Robinson\u003cbr\u003e Pastore I \/ Eco – Jean-Paul Fouchécourt\u003cbr\u003e Pastore III – Douglas Nasrawi\u003cbr\u003e Ninfa – Suzie LeBlanc \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Tragicomedia\u003cbr\u003e Concerto Palatino\u003cbr\u003e Stephen Stubbs, conductor \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Pierre Audi, stage director\u003cbr\u003e Michael Simon, set designer\u003cbr\u003e Jorge Jara, costume designer\u003cbr\u003e Jean Kalman, lighting designer \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Recorded live at Het Muziektheater Amsterdam, July 1997 \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Picture format: NTSC 16:9\u003cbr\u003e Sound format: LPCM Stereo \/ DTS 5.1\u003cbr\u003e Region code: 0 (worldwide)\u003cbr\u003e Subtitles: English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Dutch\u003cbr\u003e Running time: 140 mins\u003cbr\u003e No. of DVDs: 2\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Opus Arte","offers":[{"title":"DVD","offer_id":46012889268458,"sku":"809478060079","price":16.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/2335586.jpg?v=1778289641"},{"product_id":"rossini-il-signor-bruschino","title":"Rossini: Il Signor Bruschino","description":"#N\/A","brand":"Opus Arte","offers":[{"title":"Blu-Ray","offer_id":46012894970090,"sku":"809478071242","price":29.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/2969683_eca1417e-18e6-4aee-95f1-a580203dab1d.jpg?v=1778301579"},{"product_id":"glass-the-perfect-american-purves-pittsinger-davies-136649","title":"Glass: The Perfect American \/ Purves, Pittsinger, Davies, Teatro Real [blu-ray]","description":"\u003cb\u003eThis Blu-ray Disc is only playable 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=1014476\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eAlso available on standard DVD\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e The last days of the American icon Walt Disney form a powerful and poignant subject for Philip Glass's latest opera, which was filmed at its first performances in Madrid in January 2013. Phelim McDermott's spectacular production is worthy of Disney's own visual imagination and its definitive influence on American culture, while in the pit is the conductor Dennis Russell Davies, an experienced and authoritative champion of the composer's hypnotically beautiful music, which gives wings to Rudy Wurlitzer's operatic transformation of Peter Stephan Jungk's novel, using both fact and fiction to peer into Disney's troubled psyche as illness forces him to confront his mortality. \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e What the press said: ''...one of the crowning events of the past year's globe-trotting celebration of Mr. Glass's 75th birthday.'' The New York Times\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Philip Glass\u003cbr\u003e THE PERFECT AMERICAN\u003cbr\u003e (Blu-ray Disc Version)\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eWalt Disney – Christopher Purves\u003cbr\u003e Roy – David Pittsinger\u003cbr\u003e Dantine – Donald Kaasch\u003cbr\u003e Hazel George – Janis Kelly\u003cbr\u003e Lillian Disney – Marie McLaughlin\u003cbr\u003e Sharon – Sarah Tynan\u003cbr\u003e Diane – Nazan Fikret\u003cbr\u003e Lucy \/ Josh – Rosie Lomas\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e The Improbable Skills Ensemble\u003cbr\u003e Madrid Teatro Real Chorus and Orchestra\u003cbr\u003e Dennis Russell Davies, conductor\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Phelim McDermott, stage director\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Recorded live from the Teatro Real, Madrid, February 2013\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Bonus:\u003cbr\u003e - Cast gallery\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Picture format: 1080i High Definition\u003cbr\u003e Sound format: LPCM 2.0 \/ DTS 5.1\u003cbr\u003e Region code: 0 (worldwide)\u003cbr\u003e Subtitles: English, French, German, Spanish, Japanese, Korean\u003cbr\u003e Running time: 120 mins\u003cbr\u003e No. of Discs: 1 (Blu-ray)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Opus Arte","offers":[{"title":"Blu-Ray","offer_id":46012913811690,"sku":"809478071297","price":32.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/2335600.jpg?v=1778388666"},{"product_id":"verdi-alzira-kuhn-facini-gazheli-lindsay-hirano-233040","title":"Verdi: Alzira \/ Kuhn, Facini, Gazheli, Lindsay, Hirano, Tsuchizaki","description":"\u003ca class=\"links\" href=\"album.jsp?album_id=824899\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eAlso available on Blu-ray\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Giuseppe Verdi ALZIRA \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Alvaro – Francesco Facini\u003cbr\u003e Gusmano – Thomas Gazheli\u003cbr\u003e Ovando – Joshua Lindsay\u003cbr\u003e Zamoro – Ferdinand von Bothmer\u003cbr\u003e Ataliba – Yasushi Hirano\u003cbr\u003e Alzira – Junko Saito\u003cbr\u003e Zuma – Anna Lucia Nardi\u003cbr\u003e Otumbo – Joe Tsuchizaki\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Orchestra Haydn di Bolzano e Trento\u003cbr\u003e (chorus master: Marco Medved)\u003cbr\u003e Istituto Corale ed Orchestrale di Dobbiaco\u003cbr\u003e Gustav Kuhn, conductor\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Andreas Leisner, scenic concept \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Recorded live at the Grand Hotel Centro Culturale, Dobbiaco, 13 and 15 September 2012, in a concert performance from the Alto Adige Festival\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Bonus:\u003cbr\u003e - Introduction to Alzira \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Picture format: NTSC 16:9\u003cbr\u003e Sound format: PCM Stereo \/ Dolby Digital 5.1\u003cbr\u003e Region code: 0 (worldwide)\u003cbr\u003e Subtitles: Italian, English, German, French, Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Japanese\u003cbr\u003e Running time: 107 mins (opera) + 10 mins (bonus)\u003cbr\u003e No. of DVDs: 1\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"C Major Entertainment","offers":[{"title":"DVD","offer_id":46012914499818,"sku":"814337012144","price":13.49,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/2108937.jpg?v=1778320529"},{"product_id":"verdi-la-traviata-temirkanov-vassileva-trevisan-pini-65513","title":"Verdi: La Traviata \/ Temirkanov, Vassileva, Trevisan, Pini, Giordano, Stoyanov, Tagliavini","description":"\u003ca class=\"links\" href=\"album.jsp?album_id=922286\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eAlso available on Blu-ray\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Giuseppe Verdi\u003cbr\u003e LA TRAVIATA\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Violetta Valéry – Svetla Vassileva\u003cbr\u003e Flora Bervoix – Daniela Pini\u003cbr\u003e Annina – Antonella Trevisan\u003cbr\u003e Alfredo Germont – Massimo Giordano\u003cbr\u003e Giorgio Germont – Vladimir Stoyanov\u003cbr\u003e Gastone – Gianluca Floris\u003cbr\u003e Barone Douphol – Armando Gabba\u003cbr\u003e Marchese d’Obigny – Filippo Polinelli\u003cbr\u003e Dottore Grenvil – Roberto Tagliavini\u003cbr\u003e Giuseppe – Iorio Zennaro\u003cbr\u003e Un domestico di Flora – Roberto Scandura\u003cbr\u003e Un commissionario – Matteo Mazzoli\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 Karl-Ernst Herrmann and Ursel Hermann, stage directors\u003cbr\u003e Karl-Ernst Herrmann, set, costume, and lighting designer\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Recorded live at the Teatro Regio di Parma, 9, 13, 15 October 2007\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Bonus:\u003cbr\u003e - Introduction to La Traviata\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Picture format: NTSC 16:9\u003cbr\u003e Sound format: PCM Stereo \/ DTS 5.1\u003cbr\u003e Region code: 0 (worldwide)\u003cbr\u003e Subtitles: Italian, English, German, French, Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Japanese\u003cbr\u003e Running time: 133 mins (opera) + 11 mins (bonus)\u003cbr\u003e No. of DVDs: 1\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"C Major Entertainment","offers":[{"title":"DVD","offer_id":46012915319018,"sku":"814337012366","price":13.49,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/2165965.jpg?v=1778290004"},{"product_id":"mozart-le-nozze-di-figaro-mattei-oelze-126060","title":"Mozart: Le Nozze Di Figaro \/ Mattei, Oelze, Grant Murphy, Cambreling","description":"\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan class=\"COMPOSER12\"\u003eMOZART \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12bi\"\u003eLe nozze di Figaro \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"EXTRAS12\"\u003e\u0026amp; \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"BULLET12\"\u003e • \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e Sylvain Cambreling, cond; Peter Mattei (\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12i\"\u003eCount Almaviva\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e); Lorenzo Regazzo (\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12i\"\u003eFigaro\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e); Heidi Grant Murphy (\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12i\"\u003eSusanna\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e); Christine Schäfer (\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12i\"\u003eCherubino\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e); Roland Bracht (\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12i\"\u003eDr. Bartolo\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e); Burkhard Ulrich (\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12i\"\u003eDon Basilio\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e); Helene Schneiderman (\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12i\"\u003eMarcellina\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e); Eberhard Francesco Lorenz (\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12i\"\u003eDon Curzio\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e); Cassandra Berthon (\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12i\"\u003eBarbarina\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e); Jürg Kienberger (\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12i\"\u003eRecitativist\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e); Op National de Paris O \u0026amp; Ch \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"BULLET12\"\u003e • \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e OPUS ARTE 6004 (2 DVDs: 250:00 + 59:43) Live: Paris 2006 \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan class=\"EXTRAS12\"\u003e\u0026amp;\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e Bonus: \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12i\"\u003eA Day of Real Madness, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003edocumentary by Reiner E. Moritz \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis splendid performance of \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eLe nozze di Figaro \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003ewas originally issued on DVD in 2006, and is here making its reappearance in Opus Arte’s “Essential Opera Collection.” As in the case of the \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eRigoletto \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003efrom 2001, reviewed elsewhere, this designation is well deserved. Since this disc was fully reviewed by Christopher Williams in these pages when it was first released, I won’t retread the excellent detail of his review but only make some observations of my own. \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFirst, the production by Christoph Marthaler is whimsical and truly funny. Back in the 1980s, I complained bitterly of Peter Sellars’s ridiculous updating and setting of this opera in a New York penthouse (like the Trump Tower) because so much of what was in the libretto—not only the stage directions, which for better or worse are very explicit because this was based on a play that had equally specific instructions, but also in the words of the recitatives and arias—was either ignored or completely contradicted by his almost consistently asinine setting. Marthaler has set nearly the entire opera in front of a marriage bureau, which has a certain relationship to the subtext of the opera (it is, after all, about marriage, fidelity, and whether or not one should ever marry for convenience or just for love), but even here there are moments, such as the riotous conclusion of act II or the final scene which is supposed to take place in the garden outside the Count’s abode, that just don’t work. Marthaler, in collaboration with conductor Cambreling, has come up with an amusing alternative to playing the secco recitatives on a harpsichord. They have invented a character called the “Recitativist,” a comedian-musician (Jürg Kienberger) who whimsically plays the recitative accompaniment on any number of instruments, including (at one point) a balloon with air escaping from it and, at another, by tooting on beer bottles that he drinks from to continually lower their pitch, sometimes humming along with them. This creates a very funny diversion to these otherwise dull moments, which is fortunate since Cambreling insisted on keeping all of them because they realized that this is where the real drama takes place, that the arias are just moments of reflection that stop the action. \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAs an overall production I much preferred David McVicar's contemporary staging given at the Royal Opera, Covent Garden. Here, the opera was updated to 1830s post-Revolution France where “the inexorable unraveling of an old order has produced acute feelings of loss.” More to the point, the costumes are closer to the era of Beaumarchais’s play and the stage settings equally funny due to McVicar's sharp wit. The differences lie in the quality of the casts and of the recorded sound. In the Royal Opera video (Opus Arte 990), we are given strong vocal and acting performances by Erwin Schrott (Figaro), Miah Persson (Susanna), the Count (Gerald Finley), and Don Basilio (Philip Langridge). Dorothea Röschmann’s Countess is extremely well acted, but she doesn’t have the steadiest or most beautiful voice for the role, and the singing of our Cherubino (Rinat Shaham), Dr. Bartolo (Jonathan Veira), and Marcellina (Graciela Araya) is substandard. The recorded sound, however, is terrific, the microphone picking up orchestra and soloists with crisp, lifelike fidelity. In this Paris production, every single role from top to bottom is sung splendidly. Williams had a niggling complaint about the fact that Christine Schäfer, the Cherubino, is a soprano, and thus does not add variety to the ensembles but sounds a bit too much like the Susanna and Countess. This is true, but except for the very low notes in “Voi che sapete,” Schäfer sings and acts brilliantly, really looking like an adolescent, sex-drawn boy. My complaints about the cast here are small, mostly of baritone Regazzo as an almost consistently scowling, over-macho Figaro with a gorgeous voice but almost no inflection in his use of it, and of soprano Heidi Grant Murphy as Susanna, who sings beautifully but looks rather dowdy, something like Angela Lansbury in \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eMurder, She Wrote. \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMore to the point, the sound recording and mix by Radio France is not consistently clear. The microphones seem to be a little high or a bit away from both soloists and orchestra, with the result that everyone sounds a little reverberant most of the time. Once in a while, the principals walk right under the microphone—it seems to have been set up a little to stage left of center—and then sound marvelous, but at moments the sonics are a little off. This is a shame, as Cambreling conducts here a shade better than Antonio Pappano on the Royal Opera DVD, the differences being in the Countess’s two arias. Having played these pieces for a soprano friend of mine many years ago, I can assure you that they are written in cut time, 2\/2, and so are not to be performed as slowly as they so often are. Pappano, then, conducts them in the conventional way which is wrong; Cambreling at a brisker pace which is right. Christiane Oelze cannot match Röschmann as an actress, thus her overall presentation (visual as well as aural) is not as strong, but strictly from a singing perspective Oelse’s voice is radiant and exquisite (I have previously described her as having a voice of pure crystal) whereas Röschmann’s is plain-sounding and a bit fluttery. \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWhat makes Marthaler’s conception work is his zany, Marx Brothers-style sense of humor, which (thankfully) is tasteful and never overdone. In brief, this is a great singing and conducting performance set to a clever but not always convincing stage production. An opera like Rossini’s \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eLa pietra del paragone \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003ebenefits from this kind of surreal zaniness because it isn’t really a stage plot that one takes the least bit seriously, but Beaumarchais’s comedy of manners, though requiring some good slapstick moments, needs a bit more structure in order to make sense of it. Therefore I recommend this DVD for its many good points while still preferring the Royal Opera version as a visual representation of the work. \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":46012937961706,"sku":"809478060048","price":16.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/2335583.jpg?v=1778298588"},{"product_id":"torroba-luisa-fernanda-domingo-herrera-lopez-cobos-256574","title":"Torroba: Luisa Fernanda \/ Domingo, Herrera, Lopez-Cobos, Madrid Teatro Real [Blu-ray]","description":"\u003cb\u003e*** This Blu-ray Disc is only playable on Blu-ray Disc players and not compatible with standard DVD or HD DVD players. ***\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003ctitle\u003e3313850.zz80_MORENO_TORROBA_Luisa_Fernanda.html\u003c\/title\u003e \u003cmeta http-equiv=\"Content-Type\" content=\"text\/html; charset=utf-8\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cspan class=\"COMPOSER12\"\u003eMORENO TORROBA \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12bi\"\u003eLuisa Fernanda \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"EXTRAS12\"\u003e\u0026amp; \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"BULLET12\"\u003e•\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e Jesús López-Cobos, cond; Nancy Herrera (\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12i\"\u003eLuisa Fernanda\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e); Mariola Cantarero (\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12i\"\u003eDuchess Carolina\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e); José Bros (\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12i\"\u003eJavier Moreno\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e); Plácido Domingo (\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12i\"\u003eVidal Hernando\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e); Raquel Pierotti (\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12i\"\u003eMariana\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e); Teatro Real O \u0026amp; Ch \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"BULLET12\"\u003e•\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e BBC\/OPUS ARTE 969 (Blu-ray: 132:00) Live: Madrid 7\/14,16\/2006 \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cspan class=\"EXTRAS12\"\u003e\u0026amp;\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e Interviews with Domingo, Sagi, and López-Cobos; illustrated synopsis; cast gallery \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cspan\u003eAlan Swanson covered the earlier DVD release of this production in \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eFanfare\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e 31:2; hie thee to our online archive for details. This is a highly engaging work from 1932 about a love triangle during an anti-royalist uprising in 19th-century Spain; the musical style is Spanish Puccini with even catchier tunes (by which I mean the melodies are built from short, memorable phrases rather than long operatic lines). You need only see and hear Nancy Herrera for a few seconds to think, “What a perfect Carmen she’d be.” Indeed, she has sung that role many times. Here, she’s not a dangerous Gypsy vamp but an ordinary middle-class woman torn between two lovers: a brash, womanizing, ambitious royalist and military man (sung ringingly by José Bros) and an earnest and stable country gentleman who falls in with the rebels (the superb Plácido Domingo, venturing into high baritone territory). In every respect—composition, singing, orchestral management by Jesús López-Cobos, stage direction, and set design by Emilio Sagi, everything—the production is a delight. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cspan\u003eThe high-definition video format is perfect for keeping the deep blacks and bright whites in balance, never allowing the light colors to flare or bloom or the dark patches to turn the overall picture murky. As usual with Opus Arte, the audio options are limited to stereo and 5.0 PCM. Extras include a narrated synopsis, and good interviews with Domingo and the stage director and conductor. This is an endearing work, lovingly presented. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-weight:bold\"\u003eFANFARE: James Reel \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Vidal Hernando – Plácido Domingo\u003cbr\u003e Luisa Fernanda – Nancy Herrera\u003cbr\u003e Javier Moreno – José Bros\u003cbr\u003e Duchess Carolina – Mariola Cantarero\u003cbr\u003e Mariana – Raquel Pierotti\u003cbr\u003e Aníbal – Javier Ferrer\u003cbr\u003e Rosita – Sabina Puértolas\u003cbr\u003e Don Florito Fernández – José Antonio Ferrer\u003cbr\u003e Don Luís Nogales – Federico Gallar\u003cbr\u003e Bizco Porras – David Rubiera\u003cbr\u003e Emilio Sagi, Stage Director\u003cbr\u003e Recorded live at the Teatro Real, Madrid in July 2006\u003cbr\u003e Bonus:\u003cbr\u003e - Interviews with Plácido Domingo, Emilio Sagi and Jesús López Cobos\u003cbr\u003e - Illustrated Synopsis \/ Cast Gallery\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Region code: 0 (All Regions)\u003cbr\u003e Picture: 16:9; 1080i\u003cbr\u003e Sound: PCM 2.0 and 5.1\u003cbr\u003e Subtitles: English, French, German, Spanish, Italian\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Opus Arte","offers":[{"title":"Blu-Ray","offer_id":46012938944746,"sku":"809478070238","price":30.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/1499702.jpg?v=1778388694"},{"product_id":"puccini-turandot-guleghina-licitra-iveri-carella-80896","title":"Puccini: Turandot \/ Guleghina, Licitra, Iveri, Carella","description":"\u003ca href=\"album.jsp?album_id=644699\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eAlso available on Blu-ray\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cspan class=\"COMPOSER12\"\u003ePUCCINI \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12bi\"\u003eTurandot \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"BULLET12\"\u003e • \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e Giuliano Carella, cond; Maria Guleghina (\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12i\"\u003eTurandot\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e); Salvatore Licitra (\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12i\"\u003eCalaf\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e); Tamar Iveri (\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12i\"\u003eLiù\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e); Luiz-Ottavio Faria (\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12i\"\u003eTimur\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e); Carlo Bosi (\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12i\"\u003eEmperor\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e); Leonardo Lòpez Linares (\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12i\"\u003ePing\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e); Saverio Fiore (\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12i\"\u003ePang)\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e; Gianluca Bocchino (\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12i\"\u003ePong\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e); Arena di Verona O \u0026amp; Ch \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"BULLET12\"\u003e • \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e BELAIR BAC 066 (DVD: 128:00); BAC 466 (Blu-ray: 128: 00) Live: Verona 2010 \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eTurandot\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e was Giacomo Puccini’s last opera and one he did not live to finish. He “laid down his pen,” as the expression goes, for the last time after he had finished the music for the death of Liù and the solemn procession during her ritual removal from the stage. Unfortunately for the composer who eventually finished the work, Franco Alfano, Puccini left more than the unfinished manuscript; he left an untenable dramatic situation as well. With the death of Liù there remains a clueless tenor who has apparently been fatuously pursuing the wrong girl all along, and a cruel, unlikeable dramatic soprano, Turandot. These two are finally to come together as a couple and the audience must feel that a celebratory resolution of the opera’s emotional impetus is occurring with this union. Sorry, it just doesn’t happen. Alfano wrote approximately 14 more minutes of pretty good music, certainly nothing that would embarrass Puccini, much of it based on the older composer’s extensive notes, but he could not dispel the anticlimactic pall of this final bit. One or two other composers have rewritten the completion in the decades since, but have fared no better, I’m not at all sure Puccini could have saved the bacon either had he lived longer. So we are left with a congenitally weak conclusion for the opera, but it is a work that contains much superior material elsewhere as well. The aria “Nessun dorma” alone is a small Puccini miracle and rivals or surpasses anything else he wrote for the tenor voice. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cspan\u003eThis production from the Arena di Verona is a quite traditional one and uses the standard Alfano ending. As I have said in previous reviews, this particular outdoor venue demands spectacular sets and special effects to make up for the less than ideal acoustics and the distance from audience to stage. It gets plenty of glitz and glitter here with a new celebratory production from that master showman, the Cecil B. DeMille of his day, Franco Zeffirelli. The Arena, \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eTurandot,\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e and Zeffirelli are a near-perfect match, and the Italian stage director vindicates the confidence shown in him with this splendid new production. The new sets are ornate, sumptuously colorful, detailed, and properly large. The production employs a large chorus and many extras, all meticulously dressed, to attend and pay homage at Turandot’s father’s impressive Imperial Palace. We get many close-ups, and the crowd in general is doing more natural things than in some other Zeffirelli efforts. I must admit to a guilty secret: I am a closet Zeffirelli fan. His work is always a visual feast even when it may be drawing attention away from the drama and the singing. I’ll take my chances. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cspan\u003eThis production was to prove somewhat of a swan song for tenor Salvatore Licitra, at least on video. Licitra was to die almost exactly a year later in a motor scooter accident in Sicily, apparently brought on by a cerebral hemorrhage. It is an unfortunate loss to the artistic community when any artist dies prematurely, but particularly so in the already thin ranks of premier operatic tenors. Licitra sings quite well here as Calaf; he even encores “Nessun dorma,” once a big no-no in Italian opera houses. In my estimation Licitra is the pick of the cast, but fails to bring the last ounce of thrilling vocalism that would rank him alongside a Corelli or a Pavarotti in the role. Dramatic soprano Maria Guleghina has begun competing with herself in recordings of \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eTurandot, \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003emuch like Eva Marton did back in the ’80s and ’90 s (and stage designer\/director Zeffirelli is doing as well). This is Guleghina’s third video performance in the role, and there are quite a few audio recordings of her Turandot as well. Here she is in quite good voice and sings cleanly, if a little passionlessly. Her big voice at times has a steely edge, much like Birgit Nilsson in the role, but then much of Turandot’s music is not meant to charm. The Liù of Tamar Iveri is a bit more problematic. She has a heavy vibrato that distracts from the vocal line, and her tone turns edgy when she pushes in her top range. Beginning back with Anna Moffo and even earlier, the singing of Liù has been of a generally high standard in the recorded history of the opera, so to come up a bit short here is unexpected. Luiz-Ottavio Faria as Timur sings solidly, as do the Ping, Pang, and Pong, especially the baritone Ping of Leonardo Lòpez Linares, who acquits himself with distinction. The sound on video from the Arena orchestra is really much better than it has any right to be, as I have noted before. And the chorus sounds very good as well, thanks to the miracles of modern sound reproduction. Thomas Edison would be amazed. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cspan\u003eThere has been a plethora of videos of \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eTurandot\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e (though not so many as for some other Puccini operas), but not one has really separated itself from the pack as a clear first choice. The Levine set with Eva Marton and Plácido Domingo has been highly praised over the years and also features a Zeffirelli production, but suffers from 25-year-old video and audio technology. The Gergiev set on TDK offers the novelty of the Luciano Berio ending in place of the Alfano, but the cast is quite pedestrian. An earlier set from the Arena features Ghena Dimitrova and Nicola Martinucci. This one is better, in fact as good a choice as any, and has quite the best cast of singers of the three Guleghina sets. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cspan\u003eThe booklet contains a synopsis in Italian, English, German, and French. Audio formats are PCM stereo and Dolby 5.1 surround. Subtitles are in all major European languages, no Korean, but Japanese. There are no extras with the opera but it is available in both DVD and Blu-Ray formats. I would recommend the latter if you have the equipment; this production is a visual \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003etour de force \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003eand the high-resolution picture is like watching it in a theater. Recommended. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-weight:bold\"\u003eFANFARE: Bill White \u003c\/span\u003e","brand":"BelAir Classiques","offers":[{"title":"DVD","offer_id":46012946940138,"sku":"3760115300668","price":22.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/1908281_a242127d-2821-465d-8fbb-9c965598b50e.jpg?v=1778343044"},{"product_id":"verdi-la-traviata-delunsch-polenzani-sado-182464","title":"Verdi: La Traviata \/ Delunsch, Polenzani, Sado","description":"\u003cp\u003e'This is the story of a dying woman. It is written as such. This is what it tells. During the performance, this woman dies before your eyes, in what is practically a live event. There is no way to conjure the fact away. The main subject of this opera is death and there is no way to avoid that. Death with love. Love with death. One and the other, one in the other.' - Peter Mussbach A production by Festival d'Aix en Provence 2003.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"BelAir Classiques","offers":[{"title":"DVD","offer_id":46012953755882,"sku":"3760115302051","price":22.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/1080482_29dcb7b8-2f40-4a87-a040-328bf076f450.jpg?v=1778343062"},{"product_id":"rimsky-korsakov-legend-of-the-invisible-city-230373","title":"Rimsky-korsakov: Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh \/ Vedernikov, Kazakov, Panfilov","description":"\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cspan class=\"COMPOSER12\"\u003e RIMSKY-KORSAKOV \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12bi\"\u003eThe Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh and the Maiden Fevronya \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"BULLET12\"\u003e • \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e Vitaly Panfilov (\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12i\"\u003ePrince Vsevolod\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e); Tatiana Monogarova (\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12i\"\u003eFevronya\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e); Mikhail Gubsky (\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12i\"\u003eGrishka Kuterma\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e); Mikhail Kazakov (\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12i\"\u003ePrince Yury\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e); Gevorg Hakobyan (\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12i\"\u003eFyodor Poyarok\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e); Marika Gulordava (\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12i\"\u003ePage\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e); Valery Gilmanov (\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12i\"\u003eBedyay\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e); Alexander Naumenko (\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12i\"\u003eBurunday\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e); Alexander Vedernikov, cond; Cagliari Th O \u0026amp; Ch \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"BULLET12\"\u003e • \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e NAXOS 2.110277\/78 (2 DVDs: 187:28) Live: Cagliari 5\/2–4\/2008 \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cspan\u003eI wanted to see this video because, for many years, I’ve heard exorbitant praise from certain critics regarding \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eKitezh\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e, yet in listening to the commercial recording conducted by Valery Gergiev I felt let down. The music seemed to me flat and characterless, lacking drama, development, and momentum. Surely, I said to myself, a good stage production would change my mind, as it did with Mussorgsky’s \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eKhovanschina. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cspan\u003eYet opinions on \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eThe Invisible City of Kitezh\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e (to abbreviate its title) are divided. Although many critics wax ecstatic over Rimsky-Korsakov’s magnificent \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eorchestration\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e for this work, few outside Russia are very impressed by the opera as a whole. It is an overlong, derivative grand opera in which two old tales of magic were welded together by librettist Vladimir Belsky, and finally presented intact in 1908. Even the first Russian audiences didn’t care much for it, finding it very old-fashioned in concept and musical style as well as overly rambling, though it is still periodically revived, mostly within Russia. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cspan\u003eThis production gives us a rare glimpse of the opera as performed in Italy. The audience reaction is not enthusiastic; on the contrary, when the applause comes at the ends of acts, it sounds like perhaps 80 to 100 people half-heartedly clapping. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cspan\u003eOne glance at the production tells you why. Although it is not \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eRegietheater\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e—the characters are, thankfully, clad in traditional-looking costumes—Eimuntas Nekro?ius’s idiotic staging has too much symbolism and too little that resembles reality. The first act, set in the “woods,” presents a stage littered with “wooden” structures, bird houses and the like. Get it? Woods. The presentation of Little Kitezh, where the maiden Fevronya is to marry Prince Vsevolod, is cluttered with giant, tinfoil-covered bell-like objects with people popping out of their tops. Get it? Bells. This kind of idiocy continues throughout a production of a work in which the music itself is also static and rarely wedded to the text. In act IV, scene 1, where Fevronya and Grishka are supposed to be wandering in the woods, what you see is a plain blue-tiled floor with two Erector-set structures in the background. Apparently, Nekro?ius ran out of birdhouses, but not to despair! When Grishka runs off into the woods and Fevronya is left alone, two giant, hideous bird creatures sneak out of the woods and behind her as she sleeps. Perhaps Nekro?ius has seen too many of the \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eAlien \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003emovies. In the final scene, supposed to represent Kitezh triumphant, the stage is filled with objects that look like rocket silos. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cspan\u003eMusically, many passages sound like leavings from \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eBoris Godunov,\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e and not good leavings at that, so even when the singers are excellent the plot crawls along. It is an opera more about characters who stand there and sing than about characters creating a musical drama. Compare, for instance, the first act to the similar situation in Verdi’s \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eDon Carlo.\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e A prince meets a beautiful woman in the woods, and they fall in love. Verdi miraculously manages to wed lovely music, some of it even memorable, to a flexible musical structure in which the orchestra comments on or moves the action. Rimsky-Korsakov creates a static structure wedded to pretty but undistinguished melodies that just toodle along, and do so for half an hour. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cspan\u003eMoreover, the plot is remarkably dismal and depressing for a magic or fairy-tale opera. Everyone sings about death even \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003ebefore \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003ethe Tartars invade Russia, and several characters die except Fevronya and the seedy drunkard Grishka Kuterma, who becomes a traitor, willing to turn Kitezh over to invading Tartars \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eand\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e finger Fevronya as the snitch just to save his own worthless hide. Prince Vsevolod goes off to battle for Kitezh, not to win it but to die in it. (I’m guessing he flunked military school.) He does so, but returns in the second half of act IV as a ghost, and at the end of the opera Fevronya marries the ghost. And you talk about overlong … each of the first two acts runs over a half hour, but each of the \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003elast\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e two acts runs more than an hour apiece. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cspan\u003eGetting to the performance, Tatiana Monogarova is simply magnificent as Fevronya, not only vocally but histrionically, which is important because this is a rare Russian opera in that the soprano dominates everything. Here is a woman who fully understands how to inhabit a role. You come to believe wholeheartedly in her character within the first five minutes she is onstage, and she holds you in her thrall to the end. As for her voice, it is a remarkably rich lyric soprano, close to spinto in power, exactly the kind of voice Rimsky wanted for this part. Her midrange, in fact, reminds me strongly of Mirella Freni at her best, only with more power. The top range is not as lovely as Freni’s, but it has its own interesting luster and more metal. Monogarova made her American debut as Lisa in \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003ePique Dame\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e in Houston in 2010, and also began singing Cio-Cio-San around the same time in Europe. She is signed with IMG, and I really do wish her well in what I hope will be a major career. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cspan\u003eVitaly Panfilov, as Prince Vsevolod, is neither an interesting actor nor a particularly fine singer. The voice is fluttery, dry, and percussive. He sings on pitch and phrases well, but that is all one can say of him. His stage presence registers somewhere between nil and mediocre. On the other hand, Mikhail Gubsky as the nefarious Grishka Kuterma is a superb stage actor, though his voice is strictly that of a good comprimario. Nevertheless, the world needs good comprimarios, and he is certainly one of them. His pathetic wheedling is completely believable. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cspan\u003eA word of praise is also due Marika Gulordava in the somewhat thankless role of the Page. The Page is analogous to Cassandra in \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eLes Troyens\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e or the Simpleton in \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eBoris,\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e someone who warns of danger to come. Though her role is important it is not as long as either of the other two, yet Gulordava is simply stunning in her one big scene. Her voice is not as beautiful as Monogarova’s, but it has a laser-beam focus with a bright, perhaps over-brilliant top. As a musician and singing actress she is first-rate. I also hope for her to have a good career. Mikhail Kazakov, singing the role of Vesvolod’s father, Prince Yury, has a nice voice but an uneven flutter and a constricted low range, a real detriment for a Russian bass. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cspan\u003eAlexander Vedernikov is a fine conductor who obviously loves and understands this music. He brings out all of the wonderful orchestral subtleties of the score and moves the opera about as well as can be expected under the circumstances. Indeed, his conducting here is finer for this particular work than Gergiev’s. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cspan\u003eMy copy of the DVD may have been defective, but all through the first two acts the video is out of synch with the audio, as if one were watching something in which the video was on a two-second tape delay. On the second DVD, most of it is in synch, yet there are still strange moments when the picture freezes for a couple of seconds, only to jump ahead and eventually catch up with the audio. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cspan\u003eThus there are good and bad points to be taken into consideration in approaching both the work and the performance, but if you are fond of \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eKitezh\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e I would recommend this for the excellent acting of a handful of participants and the excellent singing of the two sopranos. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-weight:bold\"\u003eFANFARE: Lynn René Bayley \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e -------\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e THE LEGEND OF THE INVISIBLE CITY OF KITEZH AND THE MAIDEN FEVRONYA\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Opera in 4 Acts. Sung in Russian\u003cbr\u003e Libretto by Vladimir I. Belsky\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Prince Yuri Vsevolodovich – Mikhail Kazakov\u003cbr\u003e Hereditary prince Vsevolod Yuryevich – Vitaly Panfilov\u003cbr\u003e Fevronya – Tatiana Monogarova\u003cbr\u003e Grishka Kuterma – Mikhail Gubsky\u003cbr\u003e Fyodor Poyarok – Gevorg Hakobyan\u003cbr\u003e Page – Marika Gulordava\u003cbr\u003e Two notables – Gianluca Floris, Marek Kalbus\u003cbr\u003e Bedyay – Valery Gilmanov\u003cbr\u003e Burunday – Alexander Naumenko\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Orchestra e Coro del Teatro Lirico di Cagliari\u003cbr\u003e (chorus master: Fulvio Fogliazza)\u003cbr\u003e Alexander Vedernikov, conductor\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Eimuntas Nekrošius, stage director\u003cbr\u003e Marius Nekrošius, set designer\u003cbr\u003e Nadezhda Gultiayeva, costume designer\u003cbr\u003e Audrius Jankauskas, lighting designer\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Recorded live from the Teatro Lirico di Cagliari, Sardinia, 2 and 4 May 2008\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Picture format: NTSC 16:9\u003cbr\u003e Sound format: PCM Stereo \/ Dolby Digital 5.0 \/ DTS 5.0\u003cbr\u003e Region code: 0 (worldwide)\u003cbr\u003e Subtitles: English\u003cbr\u003e Running time: 187 mins\u003cbr\u003e No. of DVDs: 2 (DVD 5 + DVD 9)\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Naxos AudioVisual","offers":[{"title":"DVD","offer_id":46012985245930,"sku":"747313527755","price":18.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/1912423.jpg?v=1778338146"},{"product_id":"norma","title":"NORMA","description":"NORMA","brand":"Dynamic","offers":[{"title":"DVD","offer_id":46012999336170,"sku":"8007144334932","price":27.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/1947304_b5e4f493-9ba0-48a9-afcd-58ea1b53c21e.jpg?v=1778315658"},{"product_id":"attila","title":"ATTILA","description":"This recording includes an amazing vocal performance of Orlin Anastasov, recorded at the very impressive medieval stronghold of Tsaverets (Bulgaria). As Benjamin Lumley wrote in his memoirs, perhaps no other opera by Verdi was received more enthusiastically or won the composer more laurels than Attila.","brand":"Dynamic","offers":[{"title":"DVD","offer_id":46013000089834,"sku":"8007144337322","price":27.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/2108942.jpg?v=1778324696"},{"product_id":"wagner-die-walkure-keyes-secunde-brocheler-rydl-256613","title":"Wagner: Die Walkure \/ Keyes, Secunde, Brocheler, Rydl, Haenchen","description":"Richard Wagner\u003cbr\u003e DIE WALKÜRE\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Wotan – John Bröcheler\u003cbr\u003e Siegmund – John Keyes\u003cbr\u003e Hunding – Kurt Rydl\u003cbr\u003e Sieglinde – Nadine Secunde\u003cbr\u003e Brünnhilde – Jeannine Altmeyer\u003cbr\u003e Fricka – Reinhild Runkel\u003cbr\u003e Gerhilde – Irmgard Vilsmaier\u003cbr\u003e Ortlinde – Annegeer Stumphius\u003cbr\u003e Waltraute – Hanna Schaer\u003cbr\u003e Schwertleite – Hebe Dijkstra\u003cbr\u003e Helmwige – Kirsi Tiihonen\u003cbr\u003e Siegrune – Catherine Keen\u003cbr\u003e Grimgerde – Regina Mauel\u003cbr\u003e Rossweise – Elzbieta Ardam\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra\u003cbr\u003e Hartmut Haenchen, conductor\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Pierre Audi, stage director\u003cbr\u003e George Tsypin, set designer\u003cbr\u003e Eiko Ishioka, costume designer\u003cbr\u003e Wolfgang Göbbel, lighting designer\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Recorded live from the Het Muziektheater, Amsterdam, 1999 \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Picture format: NTSC 16:9\u003cbr\u003e Sound format; LPCM Stereo \/ DTS 5.1\u003cbr\u003e Region code: 0 (worldwide)\u003cbr\u003e Subtitles: English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Dutch, Japanese\u003cbr\u003e Running time: 260 mins\u003cbr\u003e No. of DVDs: 3","brand":"Opus Arte","offers":[{"title":"DVD","offer_id":46013001040106,"sku":"809478060086","price":16.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/2335587.jpg?v=1778381962"},{"product_id":"prokofiev-s-amour-des-3-oranges-l-dno-2005-blu-ray","title":"PROKOFIEV, S.: Amour des 3 Oranges (L') (DNO, 2005) (Blu-ray","description":"Alain Vernhes, Martial Defontaine, Francois Le Roux, Serghei Khomov, Sandrine Piau, Anna Shafajinskaja, and Sir Willard White star in this de Nederlandse Opera production of the Prokofiev opera conducted by Stephane Deneve.","brand":"Opus Arte","offers":[{"title":"Blu-Ray","offer_id":46013005136106,"sku":"809478070160","price":30.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/1459847.jpg?v=1778324331"},{"product_id":"tan-dun-marco-polo-dno-2008-blu-ray-full-hd","title":"Tan, Dun: Marco Polo (DNO, 2008) (Blu-ray, Full-HD)","description":"Charles Workman, Sarah Castle, Stephen Richardson, and Nancy Allen Lundy star in this production of the Tan Dun opera with the composer conducting the Netherlands Chamber Orchestra and Cappella Amsterdam.","brand":"Opus Arte","offers":[{"title":"Blu-Ray","offer_id":46013012705514,"sku":"809478070290","price":30.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/1525343_3e44059d-e064-48e2-b282-6bd1ad2b3100.jpg?v=1778397166"},{"product_id":"berg-lulu-pappano-vogt-larmore-volle-eichenholz-256544","title":"Berg: Lulu \/ Pappano, Vogt, Larmore, Volle, Eichenholz","description":"Berg's masterful and thought-provoking opera tells the gripping story of the rise and fall of an alluring, destructive but vulnerable woman, culminating in her death at the hands of Jack the Ripper. Christof Loy's austere, minimalist production allows the complexities of the drama to unfold through the sumptuous, taut beauty of the score. Agneta Eichenholz and Michael Volle lead an all-star cast under Antonio Pappano. Recorded in High Definition and true surround sound.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Lulu : Agneta Eichenholz\u003cbr\u003e Dr Schön\/Jack the Ripper: Michael Volle\u003cbr\u003e Alwa: Klaus Florian Vogt\u003cbr\u003e Countess Geschwitz: Jennifer Larmore\u003cbr\u003e Prince\/Manservant\/Marquis: Philip Langridge\u003cbr\u003e Orchestra of the Royal Opera House\u003cbr\u003e Conductor: Antonio Pappano\u003cbr\u003e Director: Christof Loy\u003cbr\u003e Recorded live at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London, in June 2009\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Extra features:\u003cbr\u003e Cast gallery\u003cbr\u003e Interview with Antonio Pappano\u003cbr\u003e Interview with Agneta Eichenholz\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e “It is immaculately rehearsed and executed – one doesn't often see opera acted with such freedom and honesty and absence of flummery. 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To summarize that briefly, my verdict was: excellent staging, superlative Gheorghiu, good Vargas and Maazel, hapless Frontali and \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003ecomprimario\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e singers. I also provided an extensive overview of other versions of the opera on DVD; all are flawed, but the best alternatives are the 1968 film version on VAI with Anna Moffo, Franco Bonisolli, Gino Bechi, and Giuseppe Patané; a 1972 Tokyo staging starring Renata Scotto, José Carreras, Sesto Bruscantini, and Nino Verchi, also on VAI; and the 2006 Los Angeles Opera production on Decca with Renée Fleming, Rolando Villazón, Renato Bruson, and James Conlon. Opus Arte now brings us a new version with Renée Fleming, and while it too is not without its flaws, it joins the aforementioned entries in the top rank of \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eLa traviata\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e performances on video. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cspan\u003eAt the risk of seeming like a gaggle of geese nibbling this DVD to death, I will state up front that this version of the opera is carried by a few great strengths over multiple secondary weaknesses. The strengths are easy to state: All the principal roles are securely sung, a top-notch conductor is on the podium, and the staging is sensible. In particular, Joseph Calleja is one of the greatest Alfredos ever to record the role. While not ideally handsome and dashing in physical appearance, he has the ringing tenor voice, secure technique, heartbreaking plangency of timbre, and interpretive imagination for the ideal Alfredo. Every time he opens his mouth, you simply don’t want him to close it again. He is also an effective actor whose facial expressions, postures, and gestures harmonize with his singing. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cspan\u003eAfter Calleja, however, the “yes, but” element of this review enters in for everyone and everything else, beginning with the Violetta of Renée Fleming. Doubtless she is a very good Violetta, and superior to many rivals, but I do not think she is a truly great one. Compared to her Los Angeles performance from three years earlier, her interpretation is considerably deeper but her vocal technique (particularly in “Sempre libera”) is more labored and the sound less creamy. Thankfully, she does far less of the distracting grimacing and bizarre grinning than before, though sometimes it still intrudes (someone needs to tell her to rehearse in front of a mirror). However, my greater concern is that her acting is too calculated and external to the character rather than indwelling it; she expends too much energy portraying, rather than being, Violetta. The gestures and movements all seem too self-conscious; instead of just picking up a champagne bottle, or flitting a handkerchief, or sitting down in a chair, one can almost see her thinking, “Now I’m supposed to pick up the champagne bottle,” “Now I should flit my handkerchief,” “Now I should sit down in this chair.” Again, I would prefer to emphasize the real improvement in her characterization in just three years, but this dimension is present and it does matter. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cspan\u003eNext there is the Germont of Thomas Hampson. The good news is that he is in steady and secure voice here—not always the case recently—which is more than can be said for much of his painfully superannuated competition. The less than ideal news is that, in order to keep the voice steady, he constantly forces it so that every syllable is pushed out at a \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eforte\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e with a hard, unyielding tone that limits him to a single mode of expression, one of preemptive sternness. His acting and facial gestures are similarly limited and wooden; when Violetta pleads for his fatherly embrace he remains stock-still and ignores her, and displays equal unconcern for his son at “Di Provenza il mar.” In an unintentionally comic sartorial aspect, the light green piping on his brown suit unavoidably conjures up a chocolate sundae with mint drizzle icing, while his stiff posture and lumbering gait in an over-padded full-length fur coat keep bringing to mind actor Fred Gwynne (aka Herman Munster). Again, I don’t want these smaller details to override the fact that Hampson’s Germont trumps that of many lesser singers, but again they are present and do matter. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cspan\u003eThe rest can be summarized more briefly. One always expects fine Verdi conducting when Antonio Pappano is in the pit, and so it proves here; but this time he seems a bit too deferential to his singers and the performance lacks the extra \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003efrisson\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e found in his very best interpretations, and I actually find myself preferring Maazel overall despite his occasional eccentricities. The \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003ecomprimario\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e singers are uniformly excellent to a rare degree—every one of them could easily be singing a principal role in a major opera instead—and the deft stage direction makes their momentary interactions contribute far more to the cogency of the plot that I have ever experienced before. The recorded sound and film quality are quite good, with the quality of the Blu-ray disc only marginally superior to that of the regular DVD; the camerawork is sensible if not exceptional; the costumes are of the period and (Hampson’s suit and coat excepted) attractive and elegant; the ballet sequence at Flora’s party is nicely staged. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cspan\u003eMy one other major reservation concerns the production’s sets, which are quite pedestrian. Act I is set in a round room with brown wood paneling and a single large window with blinds in the back, with a small round settee and semicircular padded backless benches around it—no banquet table, chandelier, or anything else to indicate either elegance or the intended significance of Violetta in the round. While not the awful Willy Decker sofa and clock, it’s a major disappointment. The villa interior for act II, scene 1 is painted a drab eggshell blue and has no furniture other than a long work table and a few chairs. Several paintings—whether waiting to be hung or sold is not clear—are stacked on the floor to one side, and several little squares painted with stripes—color swatches, perhaps?—rest in a row on the wall molding halfway off the floor. It’s not very attractive, and simply leaves one baffled regarding the desired effect. By contrast, Flora’s party in act II scene 2 is appropriately elegant, marred only by garish red stage lighting, a huge modern dome light fixture hanging from the ceiling like an oversized cafeteria heat lamp hovering over sandwiches. Act III has an appropriately simple setting of a bare room outfitted with a bed, a dresser, and a couple of chairs, but again is marred by two enormous windows with blinds, against which inexplicably tall shadows (up to 30 feet) of carnival revelers are cast after Violetta finishes “Addio del passato.” Compared to the high-class La Scala staging for Gheorghiu, this is an impoverished country cousin. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cspan\u003eSo, once again, we still await the ideal\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003e La traviata\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e. In the best of all possible worlds, I would be able to take the La Scala production, replace its wretched \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003ecomprimario\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e singers with their Covent Garden counterparts, swap out Vargas for Calleja, and replace Frontali with almost any other baritone from another DVD. (Leonard Warren, where are you when we need you?) Barring such a pleasing impossibility, however, this production is as good as any other and better than most, and is recommended accordingly. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-weight:bold\"\u003eFANFARE: James A. Altena \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Opus Arte","offers":[{"title":"Blu-Ray","offer_id":46013049864426,"sku":"809478070764","price":29.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/1844810.jpg?v=1781371765"},{"product_id":"verdi-falstaff-battistoni-maestri-salsi-gandia-pini-65509","title":"Verdi: Falstaff \/ Battistoni, Maestri, Salsi, Gandia, Pini","description":"\u003ca class=\"links\" href=\"album.jsp?album_id=974937\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eAlso available on Blu-ray\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e","brand":"C Major Entertainment","offers":[{"title":"DVD","offer_id":46013049962730,"sku":"814337012526","price":13.49,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/2248424.jpg?v=1778305797"},{"product_id":"tutto-verdi-highlights-226103","title":"Tutto Verdi Highlights","description":"\u003ca class=\"links\" href=\"album.jsp?album_id=807940\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eAlso available on Blu-ray\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e From the innovative and gorgeous \"Tutto Verdi\" project comes a chance to catch all the high points! \"Tutto Verdi\" includes arias from 20 Verdi operas. 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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":"verdi-g-un-ballo-in-maschera","title":"Verdi, G.: Un ballo in maschera","description":"Marcelo Alvarez, Violeta Urmana, Marco Vratogna, and Elena Zaremba star in this Teatro Real de Madrid\/Royal Opera co-production of the Verdi opera conducted by Jesus Lopez Cobos.","brand":"Opus Arte","offers":[{"title":"Blu-Ray","offer_id":46013071917290,"sku":"809478070481","price":29.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/1612427.jpg?v=1778388662"},{"product_id":"lanza-le-songe-de-medee-zahmal-mc-137659","title":"Lanza: Le Songe de Medee; Zahmal: MC 14\/22 \/ Court-Circuit Ensemble","description":"\u003cb\u003eChoreography by Angelin Preljocaj\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e This double bill from one of the world’s leading choreographers offers two of his major works, danced by the Ballet de l’opéra de Paris. The dreamlike Songe de Médée, with music by Mauro Lanza and freely based on the Greek myth of Medea, explores a woman’s soul, portraying her, paradoxically, as a tender loving mother and a tormented victim who sacrifices everything, including her children, for love. MC14\/22 (Ceci est mon corps) is a meeting of the spiritual and the carnal, drawing on St Mark’s version of The Last Supper in the Bible: ‘Take, eat: this is my body’. Created for twelve male dancers, Preljocaj’s ‘Apostles of Movement’, and with soundscapes by Tedd Zahmal, this powerfully sensual and passionate work is a hymn to the male body, stripped down to its deepest reality, juxtaposing the glorification of strength and the condemnation of force. \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e LE SONGE DE MEDEE\u003cbr\u003e Médée: Marie-Agnès Gillot\u003cbr\u003e Créüse, fille de Créon: Eleonora Abbagnato\u003cbr\u003e Jason: Wilfried Romoli\u003cbr\u003e Les Enfants: Constance Nicolas \u0026amp; Carl Van Gotdsenhoven\u003cbr\u003e Ensemble Court-Circuit\u003cbr\u003e Musical Director: Pierre-André Valade\u003cbr\u003e Music by: Mauro Lanza\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e MC 14\/22 « CECI EST MON CORPS »\u003cbr\u003e Soundscapes by: Tedd Zahmal\u003cbr\u003e Guest dancer\/singer: Sylvain Groud\u003cbr\u003e Opéra national de Paris Ballet\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Choreography: Angelin Preljocaj\u003cbr\u003e Stage Director: Denis Caïozzi\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Picture format: NTSC 16:9 anamorphic\u003cbr\u003e Sound formats: Dolby Digital Stereo \/ Dolby Digital 5.0\u003cbr\u003e Region code: 0 (All Regions)\u003cbr\u003e Menu language: English\u003cbr\u003e Subtitles: English, German, French, Spanish, Italian\u003cbr\u003e Running time: 155 mins\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Special Features:\u003cbr\u003e Interviews with Angelin Preljocaj, Mauro Lanza and Brigitte Lefèvre, director of Ballet de L’Opéra\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e R E V I E W S\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \"With Angelin Preljocaj’s work, precision is such that the outline of the bodies, inscribed on our retina, marks both the memory of and trajectory made by each gesture. A palpable memory, a memory of a gesture divided into an almost visible infinity of micro-intervals. There is no doubt that Angelin Preljocaj is one of those people who dictate an essential part of our choreographic heritage. He is unquestionably one of those artists who, mirroring the intentions of Arthur, asks the questions that need asking, and most notably the ones linked to the urgencies of life.\" -- montpellierdance.com\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Opus Arte","offers":[{"title":"DVD","offer_id":46013083746538,"sku":"809478009818","price":26.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/1136372.jpg?v=1778224882"},{"product_id":"rossini-cenerentola-la-glyndebourne-2005-blu-ray-nts","title":"ROSSINI: Cenerentola (La) (Glyndebourne, 2005) (Blu-ray, NTS","description":"Ruxandra Donose and Luciano di Pasquale star in this Glyndebourne production of the Rossini opera conducted by Vladimir Jurowski.","brand":"Opus Arte","offers":[{"title":"Blu-Ray","offer_id":46013084565738,"sku":"809478070085","price":30.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/1367452.jpg?v=1778329792"},{"product_id":"verdi-la-forza-del-destino-3","title":"Verdi: La forza del destino","description":"For La forza del destino, Verdi created one of his most famous melodies, the \"fate\" motif that permeates the whole score. Music and action alternate in masterly fashion between large-scale crowd scenes and intimate interiority, illustrating Verdi's real theme: The manner in which fallible human beings are destroyed by a cruel fate.","brand":"C Major Entertainment","offers":[{"title":"DVD","offer_id":46013091021034,"sku":"814337012441","price":30.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/2225666.jpg?v=1778312059"},{"product_id":"britten-death-in-venice-bartoletti-miller-riga-89480","title":"Britten: Death In Venice \/ Bartoletti, Miller, Riga, Hendricks [blu-ray]","description":"\u003cb\u003eThis Blu-ray Disc is only playable on Blu-ray Disc players and not compatible with standard DVD players.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003ca class=\"links\" href=\"album.jsp?album_id=522210\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eAlso available on standard DVD\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Benjamin Britten’s last opera Death in Venice is based on the novella by Thomas Mann. It was first performed in England in 1973. The astringent score is marked by some haunting soundscapes of 'ambiguous Venice'. The boy Tadzio is portrayed by a silent dancer, gamelan-like percussion accompaniment. The music of the opera is precise, direct and movingly understated. Britten had been contemplating the novella for many years and began work in September 1970 with approaches to Piper and to Golo Mann, son of the author. Because of agreements between Warner Brothers and the estate of Thomas Mann for the production of Luchino Visconti’s 1971 film, Britten was advised not to see the movie when it was released. According to Colin Graham, director of the first production of the opera, some colleagues of the composer who did see the film found the relationship between Tadzio and Aschenbach \"too sentimental and salacious\". This contributed to the decision that Tadzio and his family and friends would be portrayed by non-speaking dancers. Themes in the work of \"formalism in art and the perilous dignity of the acclaimed artist\" have been noted. \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Marlin Miller, tenor – Gustav von Aschenbach; Scott Hendricks, baritone – Traveller and other roles;François Bittar, countertenor – Voice of Apollo; Allessandro Riga, dancer – Tadzio;\u003cbr\u003e La Fenice Theatre Orchestra and Chorus; Bruno Bartoletti, conductor\u003cbr\u003e DIRECTION \u0026amp; COSTUMES: Pierluigi Pizzi\u003cbr\u003e CHOREOGRAPHY: Gheorghe Iancu\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Recorded Live at Teatro La Fenice, Venice 2008\u003cbr\u003e NTSC; All Regions\u003cbr\u003e Running time 155 min. \u003cbr\u003e Sung in English\u003cbr\u003e Subtitles: Italian, German, French, Spanish\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Dynamic","offers":[{"title":"Blu-Ray","offer_id":46013105373418,"sku":"8007144556082","price":20.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/2248408.jpg?v=1781723822"},{"product_id":"puccini-g-gianni-schicchi-rachmaninov-s-the-miserly","title":"PUCCINI, G.: Gianni Schicchi \/ RACHMANINOV, S.: The Miserly","description":"Alessandro Corbelli, Felicity Palmer, Maria McLaughlin, Massimo Giordano, Sally Matthews, and Sergei Leiferkus star in this production of the Puccini opera with Vladimir Jurowski conducting the London Philharmonic Orchestra.","brand":"Opus Arte","offers":[{"title":"Blu-Ray","offer_id":46013157605610,"sku":"809478070108","price":29.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/1411808.jpg?v=1778388702"},{"product_id":"meyerbeer-robert-le-diable-oren-ciofi-hymel-80525","title":"Meyerbeer Robert Le Diable \/ Oren, Ciofi, Hymel, Relyea, Poplavskaya, Courjal [blu-ray]","description":"\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan class=\"COMPOSER12\"\u003eMEYERBEER \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12bi\"\u003eRobert le Diable \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"EXTRAS12\"\u003e\u0026amp; \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"BULLET12\"\u003e • \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003eDaniel Oren, cond; Marina Poplavskaya (\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12i\"\u003eAlice\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e); Patrizia Ciofi (\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12i\"\u003eIsabelle\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e); Bryan Hymel (\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12i\"\u003eRobert\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e); John Relyea (\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12i\"\u003eBertram\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e); Jean-François Borras (\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12i\"\u003eRaimbaut\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e); Nicolas Courjal (\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12i\"\u003eAlberti\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e); Royal Opera Ch \u0026amp; O \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"BULLET12\"\u003e • \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e OPUS ARTE 7121 (Blu-ray: 211:00+11:00) Live: Covent Garden 12\/15\/2012 \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan class=\"EXTRAS12\"\u003e\u0026amp; \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12i\"\u003eThe Legacy of Robert le Diable \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSo, it seems I am playing the mop-up role again. James Altena has reviewed the DVD version of this Covent Garden video in the previous issue of \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eFanfare\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e. I have here the Blu-ray version. Altena gives this production of \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eRobert le Diable\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e a favorable review, with which I generally agree, but we have some differences, which I will get to in a few moments. First, let me say that, as usual, the Opus Arte Blu-ray disc provides finely detailed video resolution and in this case, satisfying state of the art sound in both PCM stereo and HD surround formats. We are undergoing another major change in media formats with video and you would be wise to hop on board sooner rather than later. \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eRobert le Diable\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e was one of the most popular operas of the 19th century, not only in France, but throughout the world. If we take a bit less enthusiastic a view today, it still should be with the appreciation that this is a fine operatic work which fully deserves a place in the standard repertoire. Here, as Altena says, we have probably the best recording of it to date, whether on audio or video. It does not come without flaws, however. This production has been criticized, especially in the British press, for its nontraditional, even cartoonish, sets: multicolored plastic horses for the knights, a cut-out cardboard castle for the princess Isabelle, a bar with red-checked tablecloths, and a lighted framework suggesting a simple frame church. In the final scene Robert is tempted to enter the dragon’s mouth to hell by dear old dad, while his doting step-sister Alice sits amongst fleecy clouds trying to entice him to the path of righteousness. Like Altena, I find all of this rather innocuous, even mildly entertaining. The story being told still comes through loud and clear with all its dramatic integrity maintained. The dance of the licentious nuns however, reportedly a major highlight in Paris, is a bit of a disappointment here. With their diaphanous white costumes we can’t even tell they are nuns, and they are made to look and act like escapees from \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eNight of the Living Dead. \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eConsidering all of the changes in cast for this production at the Royal Opera House in London, the singers that finally do appear are quite good. Bryan Hymel, as Robert, smudges a coloratura run or two, which original choice Juan Diego Flórez would have sung more cleanly, but Hymel sings very well here, and his dramatic ability is well beyond anything we could expect from Flórez. Patrizia Ciofi, a last-minute replacement, is a fine singer, and takes the vocal honors in this cast. Her coloratura is performed impeccably, and I do not hear a hint of the acidity in her top range reported by Altena. Ciofi is a major operatic star, lovely and well-cast here. It is baffling to me that she continues to be snubbed by the Metropolitan Opera. Russian soprano Marina Poplavskaya also always sings very well, as I have noted before, but lacks charisma on stage. Here, cast as the loving step-sister Alice, the epitome of good, I found myself rooting for Robert to step into the dragon’s mouth. Maybe it’s just me. Robert, like Hamlet, never really decides anything; the clock runs out, like at a football game. I guess we can all be relieved there are no last-minute turnovers. I was disappointed in bass John Relyea. Not only is he not the successor to Samuel Ramey in these roles, he lacks the vibrant low register to really carry this work as it should be sung. Twenty years ago Ramey would have eaten this role alive; sadly, we have no one comparable today. \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eI am also a bit perplexed by Altena’s favorable advocacy of the booklet notes. If the booklet writer is discussing literary values or grand themes pertaining to all the Meyerbeer operas, he is most probably addressing the work of librettist Eugene Scribe rather than composer Meyerbeer himself. I find all this intellectual analysis a bit pretentious and overblown; Scribe, like all librettists, was just looking for good stories, he was not contemplating writing \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eParadise Lost.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e This one is a good story, despite our perhaps more jaded 21st-century perspective, with quite good music to match. Recommended. \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight:bold\"\u003eFANFARE: Bill White \u003c\/span\u003e","brand":"Opus Arte","offers":[{"title":"Blu-Ray","offer_id":46013158326506,"sku":"809478071211","price":32.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/2266403.jpg?v=1778317225"},{"product_id":"maitre-a-danser","title":"Rameau: Daphnis \u0026 Egle","description":"Classical Music","brand":"Alpha","offers":[{"title":"DVD","offer_id":46013159375082,"sku":"3760014197048","price":26.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/4337428-3271958_762585fe-18ca-420b-b51d-ee2e134e6e13.jpg?v=1778202701"},{"product_id":"verdi-don-carlo-chailly-lloyd-villazon-roocroft-156902","title":"Verdi: Don Carlo \/ Chailly, Lloyd, Villazon, Roocroft, Et Al","description":"PICTURE FORMAT: 16:9\u003cbr\u003e APPROX RUN TIME: 199 Mins\u003cbr\u003e SOUND: DTS SURROUND \/ LPCM STEREO\u003cbr\u003e SUBTITLES: English\/French\/German\/Spanish\/Italian\/Dutch\u003cbr\u003e NO OF DISCS: 2\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Robert Lloyd, Rolando Villazón, Amanda Roocroft, Dwayne Croft, Jaakko Ryhänen, Giorgio Giuseppini, Violeta Urmana\u003cbr\u003e Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra \/ De Nederlandse Opera Chorus\u003cbr\u003e Riccardo Chailly \/ Stage Director Willy Decker\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Includes:\u003cbr\u003e *Illustrated Synopsis and Cast Gallery. *Introduction to the opera including interviews with Robert Lloyd, Rolando Villazón, Amanda Roocroft, Violeta Urmana, Riccardo Chailly and Willy Decker.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e In this majestic production of Verdi’s Don Carlo, Riccardo Chailly’s qualities as a Verdi conductor are brilliantly displayed in the dramatic precision and transparent instrumental detail he draws from both orchestra and cast. Willy Decker directs a wonderful piece of stagecraft, letting the tragedy unwind with minimal, yet telling, interventions.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e The drama takes place in the mausoleum of Filippo II’s Escorial, where the tombs of countless generations of Spanish royalty line the walls. Filippo’s confrontation with Il grande inquisitore – which takes place over his own coffin, its resting place in the wall ready and waiting – is chillingly symbolic, as are the feet of the giant crucifix that hangs over Don Carlo as he sees his life sacrificed by his father.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e R E V I E W S\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-size:10pt\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cspan\u003eThis \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eDon Carlo\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e uses the four-act version of 1884, which is described in an interview extra on the first DVD as intended by Verdi to be more comprehensible than the original five-act version. That is debatable, to say the least, since the composer’s stated reasons for producing that revision (the third of four) were to make its length more manageable on stage and to improve the relation of music and text. Like many another fan of \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eDon Carlo\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e, I admit to a strong affection for both of the two longer editions: the 1867 French version and the 1886 Modena one (or “1884 with many of the great French bits stuck back in”). But that’s for listening, when the more late Verdi you’ve got, the better matters get, and you can take breaks at will for as long as you wish. If it comes to viewing a performance of \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eDon Carlo\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e, the wear-and-tear on the soloists has to be taken into account; and I’m more than willing to watch the 1884 edition.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cspan\u003eSo this \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eDon Carlo\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e lacks the monumental length that some critics (ignoring developments north of the Alps) complained about when the original French version of the opera appeared. But what is not done musically and temporally, stage designer Willy Decker accomplished here visually and vertically. His re-envisioned Crypt of the Kings in El Escorial features a huge, circular stone vault, with square, identical slate-colored wall plates piled seven high and 12 long to mark the burial slots of previous rulers. Towards the back of the stage is the lower shaft of an enormous cross: Christ’s down-turned toe is 12 feet above the singers, while the knee of the carved figure, at the top of the stage, is perhaps another 12 feet above. This unholy alliance of the Bauhaus and Symbolism is intended to convey the harsh, impersonal nature of religion at the royal court and the way in which it dwarfs the personality and reforming ambitions of Don Carlo. It succeeds beautifully, and remains the centerpiece of the production with the addition of minimal props.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cspan\u003eWhile Decker’s visuals are impressive and his blocking effective, I’m less thrilled with his attempts at dramatic reinterpretation. For example, there’s an elaborate dumb show in the opening orchestral prelude of Philip II’s abusing Don Carlo to enforce religious conformity. When the latter attempts to kiss his father’s ring, Philip grabs Don Carlo’s hand in a painful, pincerlike grip, forcing the boy instead to slowly cross himself. Shortly afterwards, Don Carlo is grasped by the back of the neck and pushed down to the ground before the huge cross already discussed. This muddles matters right at the start by placing one of the opera’s victims, Philip, in the role of its only victor, the Grand Inquisitor. Who is the enforcer of dogma at the court and who bows his will to that dogma in the end?\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cspan\u003eThe cast is variable, but generally very fine. Roberto Villazón is exceptional as Don Carlo, with just the right mix of lustrous metal in his attractively light tenor. His is also one of the most detailed assumptions of the title role, attentive to score markings and giving us the half-mad prince with poor impulse control in all his glory. Dwayne Croft is his match, using his lyrical baritone and fine phrasing to great effect (for example) at the start of the act III quartet. Robert Lloyd’s Philip II suffers at this stage of his career from a slight beat whenever he puts significant pressure on the voice, though he manages this by discreetly shortening some phrases. His Philip remains a shrewdly judged assumption of the role, more impressive for the sum of its parts than specific moments.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cspan\u003eAmanda Roocroft may have been under the weather when they filmed this live performance (or series of performances—we are never told whether the recording was a one-shot or compiled over several nights), for her attractive soprano is marred by a wobble that regularly disturbs the musical line during the first act. Later, this problem retreats only to loudly sung high notes. Violeta Urmana similarly improves as the production continues. She has difficulty moving her large, dark voice in her act I song, slurring the repeated minor seconds, but does a fine job in act III’s “O don fatale.” Marisca Mulder is a vocally pert and attractive Tebaldo; and if Jaakko Ryhänen lacks the tonal blackness to make the most of his part as the Grand Inquisitor, he makes up for it by accuracy, strong breath support, and excellent acting. Chailly conducts his soloists sympathetically, if with only moderate energy.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cspan\u003eThough recorded in 2004, the only audio format supplied here is LPCM Stereo. Visuals are 16:9 anamorphic, and subtitles are available in English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, and Dutch. The extras alluded to above include a plot synopsis and single pictures for each member of the cast, both of these features being as dull as they sound. The filmed interview is less interesting for its verbal content, which is often trivial, than for its succession of images showing the cast rehearsing and the stage under construction.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cspan\u003eIn sum, this is an intense, monochromatic, successful production of \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eDon Carlo\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e, sporting interesting ideas about stage design, and possessing performances by Villazón and Croft that are among the finest I’ve seen and heard. Don’t let the price hike for two DVDs throw you off its purchase. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-weight:bold\"\u003eFANFARE: Barry Brenesal\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Opus Arte","offers":[{"title":"DVD","offer_id":46013176676586,"sku":"809478009337","price":29.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/772454.jpg?v=1778187067"},{"product_id":"glass-the-perfect-american-purves-pittsinger-davies-219732","title":"Glass: The Perfect American \/ Purves, Pittsinger, Davies, Teatro Real","description":"\u003ca class=\"links\" href=\"album.jsp?album_id=1014479\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eAlso available on Blu-ray\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e The last days of the American icon Walt Disney form a powerful and poignant subject for Philip Glass's latest opera, which was filmed at its first performances in Madrid in January 2013. Phelim McDermott's spectacular production is worthy of Disney's own visual imagination and its definitive influence on American culture, while in the pit is the conductor Dennis Russell Davies, an experienced and authoritative champion of the composer's hypnotically beautiful music, which gives wings to Rudy Wurlitzer's operatic transformation of Peter Stephan Jungk's novel, using both fact and fiction to peer into Disney's troubled psyche as illness forces him to confront his mortality. \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eWhat the press said: ''...one of the crowning events of the past year's globe-trotting celebration of Mr. Glass's 75th birthday.'' The New York Times \u003cbr\u003ePhilip Glass\u003cbr\u003e THE PERFECT AMERICAN \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Walt Disney – Christopher Purves\u003cbr\u003e Roy – David Pittsinger\u003cbr\u003e Dantine – Donald Kaasch\u003cbr\u003e Hazel George – Janis Kelly\u003cbr\u003e Lillian Disney – Marie McLaughlin\u003cbr\u003e Sharon – Sarah Tynan\u003cbr\u003e Diane – Nazan Fikret\u003cbr\u003e Lucy \/ Josh – Rosie Lomas\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e The Improbable Skills Ensemble\u003cbr\u003e Madrid Teatro Real Chorus and Orchestra\u003cbr\u003e Dennis Russell Davies, conductor\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Phelim McDermott, stage director\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Recorded live from the Teatro Real, Madrid, February 2013 \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Bonus:\u003cbr\u003e - Cast gallery\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Picture format: NTSC 16:9\u003cbr\u003e Sound format: LPCM 2.0 \/ DTS 5.1\u003cbr\u003e Region code: 0 (worldwide)\u003cbr\u003e Subtitles: English, French, German, Spanish, Japanese, Korean\u003cbr\u003e Running time: 120 mins\u003cbr\u003e No. of DVD: 1\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Opus Arte","offers":[{"title":"DVD","offer_id":46013179429098,"sku":"809478011170","price":28.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/2335525.jpg?v=1778315258"},{"product_id":"verdi-la-forza-del-destino-theodossiou-stoyanov-87595","title":"Verdi: La Forza Del Destino \/ Theodossiou, Stoyanov, Machado, Gelmetti [blu-ray]","description":"\u003cb\u003eNote: This Blu-ray Disc is only playable 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=937674\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eAlso available on standard DVD\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Subtitles: English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Chinese\u003cbr\u003e Booklet: English, German, French\u003cbr\u003e No. of Discs: 1\u003cbr\u003e Run time: 190 minutes\u003cbr\u003e Disc Format: Blu-ray 50\u003cbr\u003e Picture: 16:9, HD\u003cbr\u003e Audio: PCM Stereo, PCM 5.1\u003cbr\u003e Bonus Material: Introduction to La forza del destino\u003cbr\u003e Subtitles Bonus: Italian, English\u003cbr\u003e Region Code: 0 (worldwide)","brand":"C Major Entertainment","offers":[{"title":"Blu-Ray","offer_id":46013186670826,"sku":"814337012458","price":26.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/2225667.jpg?v=1778312998"}],"url":"https:\/\/arkivmusic.com\/collections\/opera-operetta-oratorio-video.oembed?page=9","provider":"ArkivMusic","version":"1.0","type":"link"}