Verdi Simon Boccanegra opera to a libretto by Francesco Maria Piave and later revised by Arrigo Boito. Directed 2020 by Andreas Homoki at the Opernhaus Zürich. Stars Christian Gerhaher (Simon Boccanegra), Jennifer Rowley (Amelia Grimaldi), Christof Fischesser (Jacopo Fiesco), Otar Jorjikia (Gabriele Adorno), Nicholas Brownlee (Paolo Albiani), Brent Michael Smith (Pietro), Siena Licht Miller (Amelia’s Maid), and Savelii Andreev (Captain). Fabio Luisi conducts the Philharmonia Zürich, the Chor der Oper Zürich, and the Statistenverein am Opernhaus Zürich. Set and costume design by Christian Schmidt; lighting design by Frank Evin; dramaturgy by Fabio Dietsche. Directed for TV by Michael Beyer; produced by Paul Smaczny. Sung in Italian. Released 2020, disc has dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: A+
If you are not a Verdi expert, you may find this opera hard to follow. For help, see my synopsis at the end of this review. You have to be sharp to follow the plot (even with help). I hope my screenshots will help you learn who is who . . .
Read MoreLeoncavallo Zazà opera to libretto by the composer and Carlo Zangarini. Directed 2020 by Christof Loy at the Theater an der Wien. Stars Svetlana Aksenova (Zazà), Enkelejda Shkosa (Anaide), Dorothea Herbert (Floriana / Madame Dufresne), Juliette Mars (Natalia), Nikolai Schukoff (Milio Dufresne), Vittoria Antonuzzo (Totò Dufresne), Christopher Maltman (Cascart), Tobias Greenhalgh (Bussy), Paul Schweinester (Courtois), Ivan Zinoviev (Duclou), Johannes Bamberger (Augusto / Concierge at Dufresne), Patrick Maria Kühn (A Gentleman); Ena Topčibašić (Claretta), Liliya Namisnyk (Simona), Anna Possarnig and Elias Morales (Two Spanish Dancers), Beatriz Delgardo Flores and Elvis Grezda (Two Clowns), Carina Nopp and Diego Federico (Two Artists), Lilo Besold (Dresser), and Fabio Coutinho (Fireman). Stefan Soltész conducts the ORF Radio-Symphonieorchester Wien and the Arnold Schoenberg Chor (Chorus Master Erwin Ortner). Set design by Raimund Orfeo Voigt; costume design by Herbert Barz-Murauer; lighting design by Reinhard Traub; choreography by Thomas Wilhelm; dramatic advisor was Klaus Bertisch. Directed for TV by Tiziano Mancini. Sung in Italian. Released 2021, disc has 5.0 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: A+ with the 💓 designation.
Read More💓 Romeo and Juliet ballet. Music by Sergei Prokofiev. Libretto by Leonid Lavrovsky and Sergei Prokofiev. Choreography by Kenneth MacMillian. Staged 2019 at the Royal Opera House by Julie Lincoln and Christopher Saunders.
Stars Yasmine Naghdi (Juliet), Matthew Ball (Romeo), Valentino Zucchetti (Mercutio), Gary Avis (Tybalt), Benjamin Ella (Benvolio), Nicol Edmonds (Paris), Christopher Saunders (Lord Capulet), Christina Arestis (Lady Capulet), Kristen McNally (Nurse), Lord Montague (Jonathan Howells), Lady Montague (Tara-Brigitte Bhavnani), Frair Laurence (Jonathan Howells), Escalus (Thomas Whitehead), Rosaline (Fumi Kaneko).
Also stars Beatriz Stix-Brunell, Mica Bradbury, and Romany Pajdak (Three Harlots), Leticia Dias, Isabella Gasparini, Meaghan Grace Hinkis, Chisato Katsura, Ana Rose O’Sullivan, and Gemma Pitchley-Gale (Juliet’s Friends), as well as Marcelino Sambé, Luca Acri, Téo Dubreuil, Paul Kay, and Tomas Mock (Mandolin Dance).
Pavel Sorokin conducts the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House (Sergey Levitin Concert Master). Designs by Nicholas Georgiadis; lighting design by John B. Read; staging by Julie Lincoln and Christopher Saunders. Directed for TV by Ross MacGibbon. Released 2021, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: A+
Read MoreSchubert’s Winterreise song cycle ballet. Music is Hans Zender’s 1993 Winterreise for tenor and small orchestra, which is an interpretation of the Schubert song cycle for solo voice and piano. Choreographed and performed 2021 by Christian Spuck at the Ballett Zürich. Mauro Peter sings tenor. Benjamin Schneider conducts forces from the Philharmonia Zürich. Set by Rufus Didwiszus; costumes by Emma Ryott; lighting by Martin Gebhardt; dramaturgy by Christian Spuck and Michael Küster. Directed for TV by Michael Beyer; produced by Paul Smaczny. Sung in German. Subtitles in German and English. Released 2021, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: A
Here we enjoy the product of 5 geniuses: (1) Wilhelm Müller, who wrote the Winterreise poetry, (2) Schubert, who published the original song cycle in 1828, (3) Hans Zender, who composed his interpretation of the music in 1993, (4) Christian Spuck, who put all this on the ballet stage in 2019, and (5) Mauro Peter, seen below, who sings the entire cycle for Zender’s composition by memory standing in the pit or wandering about the stage . . .
Read MoreEin Sommernachtstraum (A Midsummer Night’s Dream) ballet. Recorded music of Mendelssohn, Ligeti, and traditional tunes for organ grinder. Staged and choreographed 2021 by John Neumeier at the Hamburg Ballet. Stars Anna Laudere (Hippolyta/Titania), Edvin Revazov (Theseus/Oberon), Alexandr Trusch (Philostrate/Puck), Hélène Bouchet (Helena), Madoka Sugai (Hermia), Karen Azatyan (Demetrius), Jacopo Bellussi (Lysander), and Marc Jubete (Bottom/Pyramus) as well as many other dancers in the Hamburg Ballet. Stage design and costumes by Jürgen Rose; lighting by John Neumeier. Directed for TV by Myriam Hoyer. Incudes The Artist’s Privilege, an interview with Neumeier about this production. Released 2021, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: A+
A Midsummer Night’s Dream is the most famous stage comedy in the Western tradition. Artists of every ilk have tried to adapt it including—believe it or not—synchronized swimmers. It’s a complicated play. To turn Shakespeare’s play with many interwoven plots lines into a ballet, Neumeier had to simplify and add his own twists . . .
Read MoreErich Wolfgang Korngold Die tote Stadt opera to a libretto by the composer and his father, Julius Korngold, under the collective pseudonym of Paul Schott. Directed 2019 by Simon Stone at the Bayerische Staatsoper, Munich. Stars Jonas Kaufmann (Paul), Marlis Petersen (Marietta/Die Erscheinung Mariens [The Apparition of Marien]), Andrzej Filończyk (Frank/Fritz), Jennifer Johnston (Brigitta), Mirjam Mesak (Juliette), Corinna Scheurle (Lucienne), Manuel Günther (Gaston/Victorin), and Dean Power (Graf Albert). Kirill Petrenko conducts the Bayerisches Staatsorchester and the Chorus and Children’s Chorus of the Bayerische Staatsoper (Chorus Master Stellario Fagone). Sets by Ralph Myers; costumes by Mel Page; lighting by Roland Edrich. Directed for TV by Myriam Hoyer; produced by Dr. Roland Schwab and Guido Gärtner. Sung in German. Released 2020, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: A
This title created more excitement and critical praise than any other in 2021. It’s hard to imagine anyone doing better by Korngold’s libretto and score. But for me, the best thing about this title is that it led to my reading of the book behind it: Bruges-la-Morte by the symbolist poet and novelist George Rodenbach. Finally, it was exciting to see our new super-nova videographer, Myriam Hoyer, at work on a recent important opera production. So in this review, I’ll tell you about . . .
Read MoreLeft or Above are Full Reviewsㅤㅤ
Right or Below are Basic Stories about New Titles
We split the front journal page into two sections. The first section has our most recent full reviews with all the screenshots. The section below are stories on new titles with basic information and preliminary comments only. In each section, the latest information is at the top.
Now you don’t have to scroll through the entire journal (with 30 entries) to find the full reviews.
(Ignore the Read More link below—we don’t know how to get rid of it.)
Read MoreBruckner 11: The Complete Symphonies box set has the following works recorded by the Wiener Philharmoniker conducted by Christian Thielemann: Here is a list of the 11 works:
No. 0 in D minor “Nullte”
No. 1 in C minor
No. 2 in C minor
No. 3 in D minor “Wagner”
No. 4 in Eb major “Romantic”
No. 5 in Bb major
No. 6 in A major
No. 7 in E major
No. 8 in C minor
No. 9 in D minor
No. 00 in F minor “Study Symphony”
The gimmick here is that two incomplete works have been added to the 9 works usually considered to be the complete symphonies. All of this was issued earlier in 5 single Blu-ray discs. Now you can get all 5 in a single box for a savings. Never before was so much confusion created in the recording industry. See our Alphalist if you are interested in buying a particular symphony—we have 5 earlier titles listed there as they came out earlier . . .
Read MoreLike Water for Chocolate ballet. Music by Joby Talbot. Book and choreography 2022 by Christopher Wheeldon after the novel by Laura Esquivel. Stars Francesca Hayward (Tita), Laura Morera (Mama Elena), Mayara Magri (Rosaura), Meaghan Grace Hinkis (Gertrudis), Marcelino Sambé (Pedro), Matthew Ball (Dr. John Brown), Christina Arestis (Nacha), Cesar Corrales (Juan Alejandrez), Gary Avis (Don Pasqual), and Isabella Gasparini (Chencha). Alondra de la Parra conducts the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House (Concert Master Valsko Vassilev). Solo guitar Tomás Barreiro; guest singer Siān Griffiths. Designs by Bob Crowley; lighting by Natasha Katz; video designs by Luke Halls. Directed for TV by Ross MacGibbon. Released 2023, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
As I write, this new production has been seen only a few times in London at The Royal Opera and in New York at the American Ballet Theater. It’s pretty impressive to see how quickly this has been published in Blu-ray for the rest of us to enjoy…
Read MoreEmilio de’ Cavalieri Rappresentatione di Anima et di Corpo (Portrayal of the Soul and the Body) opera to libretto by Agostino Manni. First performed in 1600, Cavalieri believed this to be the first opera. Directed 2021 by Robert Carson at the Theater an der Wien in Vienna, Austria. Stars Georg Nigl (Time/The World/Damned Soul), Cyril Auvity (Intellect), Anett Fritsch (The Soul), Daniel Schmutzhard (The Body), Florian Boesch (Councilor), Margherita Maria Sala (Peace), Michal Marhold and Matus Simko (Companions of Peace), Carlo Vistoli (Guardian Angel), Giuseppina Bridelli (Mundane Life/Blessed Soul). Giovanni Antonini conducts the Arnold Schoenberg and Il Giardino Armonico. Sets by Robert Carson and Luis Carvalho; costumes by Luis Carvalho; lighting by Robert Carsen and Peter van Praet; choreography by Lonera Randi; dramaturgy by Ian Burton. Directed for TV by Paul Landsmann and Peter Landsmann. Sung in Italian. Released 2023, disc has stereo sound only. Grade: NA
Experts today argue whether Cavalieri wrote an oratorio or an opera. And if it’s an opera, was he the the first as he claimed? Well, he was for sure around at the beginning. The music is available in CDs. There are a surprisingly large number of streamed videos of this music on YouTube and other Internet providers including what appears to be a full version of the music by Il Giardino Armonico. But Carsen is the first to produce a video of this music performed as an opera published in Blu-ray for home theaters . . .
Read MoreMythologies modern classical dance production for 20 dancers. Original music for symphony orchestra by Thomas Bangalter (previous of Daft Punk fame). Choreographed and directed 2020 by Angelin Preljocaj at the Grand-Théâtre de Bordeaux, France. Stars 10 dancers from the Ballet Preljocaj and 10 dancers from the Ballet de l'Opéra de Bordeaux. Romain Dumas conducts the Orchestre National Bordeaux Aquitaine. Scenography by Adrien Chalgard; costumes by Adeline André; lighting by Èric Soyer; video projections by Nicolas Clauss; assistant director was Youri Aharon Van den Bosch. This was shown extensively on the French TV channel culturbox. It was published in 2023 in an 89 minute YouTube file. Directed for TV by Thomas Pascal. Grade: A+ (for a YouTube video).
This is one of the very best new ballet productions to be staged in recent years. As I said before, Preljocaj has a refreshing style that mixes modern dance with military precision in larger formations with unusual props and concepts, here including even a magic trick. Above all, he is a genius at displaying feminine sexuality in a slick, tasteful way.
This abstract production has no through-story. It treats 23 ancient and modern myths in separate scenes without a break: (1) Premiers Mouvements, (2) Le Catch . . .
Read MoreThe Monteverdi Trilogy consists of three titles previously reported here:
All these titles are concerts with a few props. They are not opera performances. I maybe should have excluded these titles. But Gardiner is one of the most famous conductors of early music, so I list them out of respect for him. I give a D to these recordings. This doesn’t mean they are bad. It just means don’t buy this unless you know what you are doing . . .
Read MoreHome Music Berlin concert series. When the Covid-19 lockdown hit Berlin in 2020, video director Jan Schmidt-Garre and pianist Francesco Piemontesi dreamed up a live-streaming concert series for top-drawer but out-of-work Berlin musicians. Eventually 19 instrumentalists and singers performed 14 concerts at the Schinkel Pavillon in Berlin for a live-streaming audience. The best recordings from the project are assembled here and there is also a documentary about the project. This yields almost 7 hours of music and documentary info on 2 Blu-ray discs to be played in home theaters. See the back art above for the names of all the musicians and the pieces performed. Songs are rendered in various languages. There are sub-titles, but don’t expect too much in that regard. Released 2023, discs have 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
We have generally been disappointed by the fine-art documentary titles that have come out in Blu-ray. This title, however, promises to be more of a concert than a documentary. So we take a chance . . .
Read MoreRichard Strauss Capriccio opera to a libretto by Clemens Krauss and Richard Strauss. Directed 2021 by Jens-Daniel Herzog at the Semperoper Dresden. Stars Camilla Nylund (The Countess), Christoph Pohl (Flamand), Daniel Behle (Olivier), Nikolay Borchev (La Roche), Morten Frank Larsen (The Count), George Zeppenfeld (Director of a Theatre), Christa Mayer (Clairon), Tuuli Takala and Beomjen Kim (Italian Singers), Frank Blümel, Friedrich Darge, Alexander Födisch, Torsten Schäpan, Norbert Klesse, Thomas Müller, Juan Carlos Navarro, and Jörg Reißmann (Servants), Torben Jürgens (Majordomo), and Wolfgang Ablinger-Sperrhacke (Monsieur Taupe). Christian Thielemann conducts the Sächsische Staatskaapelle Dresden and the Sächsischer Staatsopernchor (Chorus Master André Kellinghaus). Set design by Mathis Neidhardt; costume design by Sibylle Gädeke; lighting design by Fabio Antoci; choreography by Michael Schmieder and Ramses Sigl; dramaturgy by Johann Casimir Eule. Directed for TV by Tiziano Mancini. Sung in German. Released 2022, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
The artwork on the front of the Blu-ray keepcase is strangely ugly and uninformative . . .
Read MoreWagner Der Ring des Nibelungen opera cycle directed by Stefan Herheim in 2021 at the Deutsche Oper Berlin. Sir Donald Runnicles directs the Orchestra and Chorus of the Deutsche Oper Berlin. Set designs by Silke Bauer and Stefan Herheim; costumes by Uta Heiseke; lighting by Ulrich Niepel; video projections by Torge Moller, William Duke, and Dan Trenchard; dramaturgy by Alexander Meier-Dörzenbach and Jörg Königsdorf. Directed for TV by Götz Filenius. Sung in German. Released 2020, this is a box set of 4 Blu-ray discs with the entirety of the Ring and extras. Grade: D
See the artwork for the back of the box set above for some additional information (this is a cropped image from the DVD box, but the information will be the same for the Blu-ray box).
Preliminary reports about this project suggest that Deutsche Oper Berlin did not have the valkyriepower to pull this off. The marketing of this by Naxos and the vendors is as atrocious as anything I have seen . . .
Read More