Giuseppe Verdi - OTELLO
Verdi's Shakespearian masterpiece: an opera in four acts

Otello: José Cura
Desdemona: Krassimira Stoyanova
Iago: Lado Ataneli
Cassio: Vittorio Grigolo
Emilia: Ketevan Kemoklidze
Roderigo: Vicenç Esteve Madrid
Lodovico: Giorgio Giuseppini
Montano: Francisco Santiago
Herald: Roberto Accurso

Symphony Orchestra and Chorus of the Gran Teatre del Liceu
Antoni Ros-Marbà, Musical Director

Willy Decker, Stage Director

Recorded live at the Gran teatre del Liceu, Barcelona in February 2006

Picture format: NTSC 16:9 Anamorphic
Sound format: DTS Surround / LPCM Stereo
Region code: 0 (All Regions)
Menu Language: English
Subtitles: English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Catalan
Running time: 151 minutes
Bonus Material: Introduction / Illustrated Synopsis / Cast Gallery

* The first of Verdi's two late Shakespearian operas stands as one of the great masterpieces of grand opera. José Cura, ranked among the world's leading interpreters of Verdi's music, takes the title role in Willy Decker's profound and intense production, recorded live at the Liceu, Barcelona in 2006 in true surround sound and filmed with high definition cameras.
* This is Willy Decker's acclaimed minimalist and symbolic production originally created for La Monnaie.

R E V I E W S

"Verdi's wise, passionate score was served with precision, gusto and a keen ear for drama by maestro Antoni Ros-Marbà and the solid, malleable Liceu orchestra." -- Opera News

"José Cura has the vocal colouring, the power and strength, but above all the dramatic temperament that this colossal Verdi character demands." -- El Pais

"…the Bulgarian soprano Krassimira Stoyanova captivated with her sensational Desdemona. Hers is a lyrical voice of great beauty, with sufficient volume used with taste and transmitted with both sweetness and firmness." -- El Pais

The curtain rises and we see practically nothing--minimalism at its most minimalist. With direction by Willy Decker, sets and costumes by John Macfarlane, and lighting by David Finn, this Otello is a masterpiece of internalization. The severely raked playing space narrows as it reaches the back of the stage, where it occasionally opens to reveal the sky--star-filled, or cloudy and treacherous looking. There is a 12-or-so-foot omnipresent wooden cross and a skewed half mirror, stage rear, for the scene in which Otello attacks Desdemona (the first scene of Act 3). Otherwise, no props, no furniture.

The opera is performed in two parts, with the break coming after the second act, and there is no pause in the action at all between Acts 1 and 2--or 3 and 4. The cross is broken by Otello for the Oath scene and Desdemona uses it as her deathbed in the last scene. The only times the narrow playing area gets in the way is in the first act's celebrations and the scene with the Venetian ambassador--chorus and dancers could use some more room. But the first scene in particular is incidental to Otello's character; the effect gives the opera the feeling of claustrophobia--and no escape--that is clearly Otello's mind. And Willy Decker has his characters moving naturally and often--this is anything but a stand-and-deliver performance. The Cassio/Rodrigo duel is action-packed and takes up the entire playing area; Otello's stalking of Desdemona is frightening. Torment reigns supreme.

If you're over 30 it is probably impossible to see this opera without comparing the singer in the title role with Placido Domingo or Jon Vickers. José Cura remains a somewhat frustrating singer--he strains, sings at half voice more often than he ought to (he seems to be saving his voice rather than obeying dynamic markings), and occasionally makes truly unappealing sounds. But when he opts for sheer power or emotional truth, he is breathtaking--more Vickers than Domingo in his raw brutality and equally raw fragility. I can honestly say that before seeing this performance I had never been even remotely moved by a performance of Cura's, either live or recorded, but this is a deeply thought-out, thrilling performance you won't soon forget.

At his side are the Iago of Lado Atanelli and the Desdemona of Krassimira Stoyanova. Atanelli is a smooth actor and therefore a dangerous Iago. His voice is a good size and has true bite to it; his Credo is grand and his sly insinuations cruel. The Oath Duet is terrifying in its intensity. Stoyanova, an unusual dark-haired Desdemona (most directors make her blond for the contrast), has a full, rich sound and she has no fear of letting it out. Her acting is dignified and focused and she moves with grace. Decker's decision to have her on stage from the opening moments of the opera is a mistake; her appearance after the duel and fracas is, as Verdi realized, far more effectual. She delivers a lovely, nervous Willow Song but the Ave Maria disappoints somewhat--an odd flutter enters her voice at piano and it sounds unfinished. Still, there's little to complain about.

A fine young, handsome tenor named Vittorio Grigolo sings and acts Cassio with clear tone and dramatic purpose; Ketevan Kemoklidze's Emilia is young and helpful and she holds up her end of the ensembles handsomely. The same might be said of the Rodrigo, Lodovico, and Montano.

Conductor Antoni Ros-Marbà at first seems to be on the verge of losing control of the pit/stage relationship but quickly takes over and delivers a fervent, disturbing, large-scale reading of the score, with the Liceu Orchestra and Chorus performing splendidly. This is not a perfect show--the crowd scenes are awkward, there are small vocal and dramatic mis-steps along the way--but it packs a considerable punch and serves Verdi's drama as successfully as I've seen in years.

The performance dates from two evenings in late February, 2006 at Barcelona's Gran Teatre del Liceu. Extras are a six-minute introduction to the opera with brief interviews and a five-minute synopsis. Picture, in high definition, is superb, as is the sound--surround or stereo. Subtitles are in English, French, Italian, Spanish, Catalan, and German.

--Robert Levine, ClassicsToday.com [reviewing the standard DVD version]

This 2 DVD set is a unique and intimate live performance by a chamber ensemble of actors, singers, and instrumentalists, portraying the deep and ultimately tragic love between the composer Robert Schumann (Sting/Simon Keelyside) and his pianist wife Clara.

Featuring Sting and his wife Trudi Styler, Twin Spirits is a unique and intimate, live theatrical performance by a chamber ensemble of actors, singers and musicians, portraying the deep and ultimately tragic love between the composer Robert Schumann and his pianist wife Clara. Conceived and directed by John Caird, Twin Spirits was first performed in June 2005 at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London and has since been experienced by audiences of all ages and interests, leaving them deeply touched and inspired.

Paper becomes a solo instrument in this ingenious fusing of of orchestral music and organic sounds to create accessible, even melodious, music. Tan Dun conducts the Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra with soloist Haruka Fuji.

REGIONS: All Regions
PICTURE FORMAT: 1080i
LENGTH: 155 Mins
SOUND: 2.0 & 5.1 PCM
SUBTITLES: ENGLISH/FRENCH/GERMAN/SPANISH/ITALIAN/CATALAN
NO OF DISCS: 1

The Nobel Prize-winning writer Dario Fo applies his inventive genius to Rossini's comic opera in its premiere DVD release. Recorded in 2005 under the musical direction of Maurizio Barbacini, Fo's production brings fresh vitality and colour to the story of Lisetta, and of her father's attempts to find a husband for her through an advertisement in the newspaper La Gazzetta.

Lisetta: Cinzia Forte
Don Pomponio: Bruno Praticò
Filippo: Pietro Spagnoli
Alberto: Charles Workman
Madame La Rose: Agata Bienkowska
Doralice: Marisa Martins
Monsù Traversen: Simón Orfila
Anselmo: Marc Canturri

Orchestra Academy of the Gran Teatre del Liceu
Intermezzo Choir
Musical Director: Maurizio Barbacini
Stage Director: Dario Fo.

Recorded live at the Gran Teatre del Liceu, Barcelona, on 1st and 3rd July 2005. Plus Illustrated synopsis & cast gallery. Interview with Dario Fo. Reviews ‘…ironic and sensual, friendly but with a light taste of satire, La Gazzetta by Rossini has been reborn in this production that has the distinctive stamp of Fo, who has been able to handle with strength the Rossinian chaos without neglecting - and here his major virtue - the music.’ El Periodico de Catalunya

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.

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



MORENO TORROBA Luisa Fernanda & • Jesús López-Cobos, cond; Nancy Herrera ( Luisa Fernanda ); Mariola Cantarero ( Duchess Carolina ); José Bros ( Javier Moreno ); Plácido Domingo ( Vidal Hernando ); Raquel Pierotti ( Mariana ); Teatro Real O & Ch • BBC/OPUS ARTE 969 (Blu-ray: 132:00) Live: Madrid 7/14,16/2006


& Interviews with Domingo, Sagi, and López-Cobos; illustrated synopsis; cast gallery


Alan Swanson covered the earlier DVD release of this production in Fanfare 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.


The 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.


FANFARE: James Reel
Vidal Hernando – Plácido Domingo
Luisa Fernanda – Nancy Herrera
Javier Moreno – José Bros
Duchess Carolina – Mariola Cantarero
Mariana – Raquel Pierotti
Aníbal – Javier Ferrer
Rosita – Sabina Puértolas
Don Florito Fernández – José Antonio Ferrer
Don Luís Nogales – Federico Gallar
Bizco Porras – David Rubiera
Emilio Sagi, Stage Director
Recorded live at the Teatro Real, Madrid in July 2006
Bonus:
- Interviews with Plácido Domingo, Emilio Sagi and Jesús López Cobos
- Illustrated Synopsis / Cast Gallery

Region code: 0 (All Regions)
Picture: 16:9; 1080i
Sound: PCM 2.0 and 5.1
Subtitles: English, French, German, Spanish, Italian

Placido Domingo, Monica Bacelli, Ingela Bohlin, Sara Mingardo, Jennifer Holloway, and Luigi de Donato star in this Teatro Real production of the Handel opera conducted by Paul McCreesh and directed by Graham Vick on 2 discs.

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.

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.

Laura Aikin, Edgaras Montvidas, Kurt Rydl, Mojca Erdmann, Michael Smallwood, and Steven Van Watermeulen star in this de Nederlandse Opera production of the Mozart opera conducted by Constantinos Carydis.

This dance film is directed and choreographed by Edouard Lock and performed by the La La La Human Steps dance company to music by David Lang. Lock uses intricate choreography for both camera and dancers, creating amazing and constantly shifting points.

Laura Aikin, Edgaras Montvidas, Kurt Rydl, Mojca Erdmann, Michael Smallwood, and Steven Van Watermeulen star in this de Nederlandse Opera production of the Mozart opera conducted by Constantinos Carydis. This set includes 2 DVDs.

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.

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

Opera & Ballet: The Blu-ray Experience includes opera and ballet highlights from the Opus Arte catalogue, and gives everyone the opportunity to experience the stunning quality of High Definition picture and sound, at an extremely competitive price.

Including world-class artists such as Bryn Terfel, Cecilia Bartoli, Anne Sofie von Otter, Jose Cura, Simon Keenlyside and Agnes Letestu, this 50-minute introduction to the world of Blu-ray is a must-have purchase this autumn.

Blu-ray offers an outstanding audio and visual experience, with up to six times the resolution of standard definition DVD, and up to 7.1 channels of High Definition surround sound.

Repertoire:

Verdi - Il trovatore: Gypsy chorus (Royal Opera House)
Tchaikovsky - Swan Lake: Entrance of Swans (Act 2) (Paris Opera Ballet)
Mozart - The Magic Flute: Aria - Queen of the Night (Act 2) (Royal Opera House)
Puccini - La Bohème: Che gelida manina! (Your tiny hand is frozen!) (Teatro Real)
Bizet - Carmen: Habanera (Glyndebourne)
Mendelssohn - A Midsummer Night's Dream: Divertissement (Act 2) (Pacific Northwest Ballet)
Puccini - Gianni Schicchi: O mio babbino caro (Glyndebourne)
Strauss - Die Fledermaus: Tritsch-Tratsch-Polka (Glyndebourne)
Rameau - Zoroastre: Entr'acte: Ouverture / À mes tristes regards (Act 2 / Scene I) (Drottningholm Theatre)
Rossini - La Cenerentola: Signora Altezza (Act 1) (Glyndebourne)
Bellini - Norma: Casta Diva (De Nederlandse Opera)
Balanchine - Jewels: Emeralds – Final (Paris Opera Ballet)
Cecilia & Bryn at Glyndebourne
Mozart - Die Zauberflöte: ‘Pa-pa-pa-pa’ (duet) (Glyndebourne)

Region code: 0 (all regions)
Picture: 1080i
Sound: PCM Stereo / PCM Surround / DTS-HD Master Audio Surround / Dolby True HD Surround