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

Also available on standard DVD

Verdi’s opera of passion, blood, fire and vengeance comes to the stage in an atmospheric production by David Bosch. A quartet of world-class singers bring the principal characters of this searing opera to life. Gregory Kunde stars as the troubadour Manrico, with Lianna Haroutounian as his courageous lover Leonora. Vitaliy Bilyy is the tyrannical Count di Luna, the man who wants Leonora for himself, and Anita Rachvelishvili is Azucena, the mysterious gypsy woman unable to reveal the secret that torments her. Richard Farnes conducts the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House and Royal Opera Chorus in this exploration of love, cruelty, intense passion and revenge. "The evening’s musical credentials are unequivocally outstanding. The soloists are very strong with two performances standing out in particular. The first comes from Vitaliy Bilyy who is making his Royal Opera debut as the Count di Lunaand who combines a deep, rich and secure baritone with a suitably commanding presence.... The second comes from Anita Rachvelishvili as Azucena who displays a rich and nuanced mezzo-soprano, and whose voice and acting mark out the weight of sorrow and resolve that she constantly carries...." (Opera Online)

On Midsummer's Night, the real and fairy worlds collide. Four young lovers, faced with the prospect of unhappy marriage or worse, flee the court of Athens and stumble into an enchanted forest. Nearby, a group of amateur actors rehearse a play to celebrate an upcoming royal wedding. As these mere mortals cross paths with a warring fairy King and Queen, chaos reigns in the natural world. The lines between reality and illusion start to blur and no one but mischievous Puck knows what is true and what is magic. Let Shakespeare's captivating comedy transport you to the most magical of midsummer nights. Director Eleanor Rhode's production of A Midsummer Night's Dream is both epic and intimate, and completely full of wonder

*** 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