Opera

Der Zwerg and Der Zerbrochene Krug

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Der Zwerg and Der Zerbrochene Krug double bill directed 2008 by Darko Tresnjak at the Los Angeles Opera:

  • Alexander Zemlinsky Der Zwerg one-act opera to libretto by George Klaren. Stars Rodrick Dixon (The Dwarf), Mary Dunleavy (Donna Clara, Infanta of Spain), Susan B. Anthony (Ghita), James Johnson (Don Estoban), Melody Moore (First Maid), Lauren McNeese (Second Maid), Elizabeth Bishop (Third Maid), Karen Vuong (First Playmate), and Rena Harms (Second Playmate).

  • Viktor Ullmann Der Zerbrochene Krug one-act opera to a libretto by the composer. Stars James Johnson (Adam, the judge), Bonaventura Bottone (Licht, the court Clerk), Steven Humes (Superior Judge), Elizabeth Bishop (Frau Marthe Rull), Melody Moore (Eve), Jason Stearns (Veit Tümpel), Richard Cox (Ruprecht), Natasha Flores (Frau Brigitte), Rena Harms (First Maid), Lauren McNeese (Second Maid), and Ryan McKinney (Servant).

James Conlon conducts the Los Angeles Opera Orchestra (Concert Master Stuart Canin) and Chorus (Chorus Master Grant Gershon). Set design by Ralph Funicello; costume design by Linda Cho; lighting design by David Weiner; choreography by Peggy Hickey. Directed for TV by Kenneth Shapiro. Both titles sung in German. Released 2010, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio. Grade (for both titles): B

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Cyrano de Bergerac

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Franco Alfano Cyrano de Bergerac opera to a libretto by Henri Cain. Directed 2007 by Michal Znaniecki at the Palau de les Arts `Reina Sofia`Valencia. Stars Plácido Domingo (Cyrano), Sondra Radvanovsky (Roxane), Arturo Chacón Cruz (Christian), Rod Gilfry (De Guiche), Corrado Carmelo Caruso (Ragueneau), Roberto Accurso (De Valver), Javier Franco (Carbon), Itxaro Mentxaka (La Duègne/Sister Marthe),  Nahuel di Pierro (Le Bret), Silvia Vázquez(Lisa/A Nun), Miguel Sola (Lignière), Juan José Navarro (The Musketeer), Juan Felipe Durá (A Cook), Antonio Lozano Mora (First Sentinel), Antonio Gómez Cano (Second Sentinel), Amadis de Murga (Montfleury), and Rubén Belmonte (A Spanish Officer).

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The Cunning Little Vixen

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Janáček The Cunning Little Vixen opera to libretto by the composer. Directed 2008 by Laurent Pelly at the Matsumoto Performing Arts Center in Japan as part of the Saito Kinen Festival. Stars singers Isabel Bayrakdarian (Vixen), Quinn Kelsey (Forester), Judith Christin (Wife/Owl), Dennis Petersen (School Master/Mosquito), Kevin Langan (Parson/Badger), Dale Travis (Poacher), Lauren Curnow (Fox), Tomo Matsubara (Pasek, the Innkeeper), Yayoi Masuda (Innkeeper's Wife), Marie Lenormand (Lapak, the Dog), Mayumi Kuroki (The Cock/Jay), and Mayumi Makino (Woodpecker). Stars dancers Jo Kanamori, Shintaro O-ue, Masahiro Yanagimoto, Shintaro Hirahara, Minoru Harata, Yoshimitsu Kushida, Sawako Iseki, Kaori Terasaka, Natsumi Tokoro, Erina Yamai, Harumi Takeuchi, and Ayako Nakano. Also stars the Tokyo Opera Singers and the SKF Matsumoto Children's Chorus. Seiji Ozawa conducts the Saito Kinen Orchestra. Costumes by Laurent Pelly; set by Barbara de Limburg Stirum; lighting by Peter van Praet; choreographed by Lionel Hoche. This title is also available as part of the Seiji Ozawa 75th Anniversary Box Set. Released 2010, disc has 5.0 PCM sound. Grade: B+

We assume (don’t know) this was sung in Czech. The videographer is not credited. This opera has been recorded many times. There are many YouTube clips, but we haven't found one that we can connect to this production in Japan. However, this was a co-production with Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, and the show was recorded in 2009 at the Maggio Musicale with many of the same opera singers that appeared in Japan. The Maggio Musicale production was published by Arthaus in Blu-ray in 2013.

Amazon in Japan does not carry this title. The best chance to buy this title new appears to be with CD Japan. Click here to purchase.

The Cunning Little Vixen

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Leoš Janáček The Cunning Little Vixen opera to libretto by the composer. Directed 2008 by André Engel with the Opéra national de Paris at the Opéra Bastille. Stars Elena Tsallagova (Vixen), Jukka Rasilainen (Forester), Michèle Lagrange (Wife/Owl), David Kuebler (Schoolmaster), Roland Bracht (Parson), Paul Gay (Vagrant), and Hannah Esther Minutillo (Fox). Dennis Russell Davies conducts the Orchestra of the Opéra national de Paris, the Choir of the Opéra national de Paris, and the Childrens' Choir of the Opéra national de Paris (Maîtrise des Hauts-de-Seine). The Chorus Master was Alessandro Di Stefano. Stage design by Nicky Rieti; costumes by Elizabeth Neumuller; choreography by Françoise Grès; lighting by André Diot; dramaturgy by Dominique Muller. Directed for TV by Don Kent. Released 2009,  disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: B


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La Clemenza di Tito

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Mozart La Clemenza di Tito opera to a libretto by Pietro Metastasio adapted by Caterino Mazzolà. Directed 2005 by Ursel and Karl-Ernst Herrmann at the Palais Garnier, Paris.  Stars Susan Graham (Sesto), Hannah Esther Minutillo (Annio), Catherine Naglestad (Vitellia), Ekaterina Siurina (Servilia), Roland Bracht (Publio), and Christoph Prégardien (Tito). Sylvain Cambreling conducts the Orchestra and Chorus of The Opéra national de Paris (Chorus Master Peter Burian). Set and costume design by Karl-Ernst Herrmann; lighting by Karl-Ernst Herrmann and Heinz Ilsanker. Directed for TV by Thomas Grimm. Released 2010,  disc has 5.0 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: B+

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Cherevichki

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Tchaikovsky Cherevichki opera to a libretto by Yakov Polonsky. Directed 2009 by Francesca Zambello at the Royal Opera House. Stars Olga Guryakova (Oxana), Vsevolod Grivnov (Valuka), Larissa Diadkova (Solokha), Vladimir Matorin (Chub), Maxim Mikhailov (The Devil), Viacheslav Voynarovskiy (The Schoolmaster), Alexander Vassiliev (Pan Golova), John Upperton (Panas), Sergei Leiferkus (The Highness), Jeremy White (Master of Ceremonies), Olga Sabadoch (Odarka), Changhan Lim (Wood Goblin), and Andrew Macnair (Echo). Also stars dancers Mara Galeazzi, Gary Avis, Tara-Brigitte Bhavnani, Cindy Jourdain, Kristen McNally, Pietra Mello-Pittman, Bennet Gartside, Kenta Kura, Ernst Meisner, and Johannes Stepanek. Alexander Polianichko conducts The Orchestra of the Royal Opera House (Concert Master Peter Manning) and The Royal Opera Chorus (Chorus Directors Renato Balsadonna and Stephen Westrop). Set design by Mikhail Mokrov; costume design by Tatiana Noginova; lighting by Rick Fisher; choreography by Alastair Marriott; film direction by Jonathan Haswell. Released  2010, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio. Grade: B

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Turandot

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Puccini Turandot opera to a libretto by Giuseppe Adami and Renato Simoni. Directed 2009 by David Kneuss after Franco Zeffirelli at the New York Met. Stars Maria Guleghina (Turandot), Marina Poplavskaya (Liù), Marcello Giordani (Calaf), Samuel Ramey (Timur), Charles Anthony (Emperor Altoum), Joshua Hopkins (Ping), Tony Stevenson (Pang), Eduardo Valdes (Pong), Mark de Chiazza, Andrew Robinson, Sam Meredith (Three Masks), Keith Miller (Mandarin), Antonio Demarco (Executioner), Sasha Semin (Prince of Persia), Anne Nonnemacher and Mary Hughes (Handmaidens), as well as Linda Gelinas, Alexandra Gonzalez, Annemarie Lucania, and Rachel Schuette (Four Temptresses). Andris Nelsons conducts the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Chorus (Chorus Master Donald Polumbo). Production and set designs by Franco Zeffirelli; costume design by Anna Anni and Dada Saligeri; lighting design by Gil Wechsler; choreography by Chiang Ching. Directed for TV by Gary Halvorson. Sung in Italian. Released 2011, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: A

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Turandot

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Puccini Turandot opera to libretto by Giuseppe Adami and Renato Simoni. Directed 2008 by Chen Kaige at the Calatrava opera house Palau de las Arts "Reina Sofía" in Valencia. Stars Maria Guleghina (Turandot), Marco Berti (Calaf), Alexia Voulgaridou (Liù), Alexander Tsymbalyuk (Timur), Fabio Previati (Ping), Vincenç Esteve (Pang),  Roger Padullés (Pong), Javier Agulló (Altoum), Ventseslav Anastasov (Un Mandarino), Ossama Badreddine (Prince of Persia, with voice sung by Javier Agulló), Eguzki López (Executioner), plus Immaculada Burriel and Jacqueline Squarcia (Handmaids). Zubin Mehta directs the Orquestra de la Comunitat Valenciana, the Cor de la Generalitat Valenciana (Chorus Master Francesc Perales), and the Escolania de la Mare de Déu dels Desemparats (Chorus Master Luis Garrido). Set design by Liu King; costume design by Chen Tong Xun; lighting design by Albert Faura. Directed for TV by Tiziano Mancini. Sung in Italian. Released 2009, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: A

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La Cenerentola

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Gioachino Rossini La Cenerentola to libretto by Jacopo Ferretti. Directed 2005 by Sir Peter Hall at Glyndebourne. Stars Ruxandra Donose (Cenerentola), Maxim Mironov (Don Ramiro), Luciano Di Pasquale (Don Magnifico), Simone Alberghini (Dandini), Nathan Berg (Alidoro),  Raquela Sheeran (Clorinda), and Lucia Cirillo (Tisbe). Vladimir Jurowski directs the London Philharmonic Orchestra (Leader Pieter Schoeman) and the Glyndebourne Opera Chorus (Chorus Master Bernand McDonald). Design by Hildegard Bechtler; costumes by Moritz Junge; lighting by Peter Mumford; directed for TV by Robin Lough. Released  2008, disc has 5.0 PCM audio. Grade: A

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Elektra

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Richard Strauss Elektra opera to libretto by Hugo von Hofmannsthal. Directed 2005 by Martin Kušej at Opernhaus Zürich. Stars Eva Johansson (Elektra), Marjana Lipovšek (Klytämnestra), Melanie Diener (Chrysothemis), Rudolf Schasching (Aegisth), Aldred Muff (Orest), Reinhard Mayr (Tutor of Orest), Cassandra McConnell (The Confidant), Christine Zoller (Trainbearer), Andreas Winkler (A young servant), Morgan Moody (An old servant), Margaret Chalker (Overseer),  Kismara Pessatti, Katharina Peetz, Irène Friedli, Liuba Chuchrova, and Sen Guo (5 Maids) as well as Martina Weingärtner, Thomas Bäuml, Gerhard Hänfling, and Baila Brasil Show (Movement Group). Christoph von Dohnányi conducts the Orchestra of the Zurich Opera House, the Chorus of the Zurich Opera House (Chorus Master: Ernst Raffelsberger), and the Zurich Opera House Extras Association. Sets by Rolf Glittenberg; costumes by Heidi Hackl; lighting by Jürgen Hoffmann; dramaturgy by Regula Rapp and Ronny Dietrich; directed for TV by Feliz Breisach.  Released 2009, disc has 7.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound.  Grade: C+

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Elektra

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Richard Strauss Elektra opera to a libretto by Hugo von Hofmannsthal. Directed 2010 by Nikolaus Lehnhoff at the Salzburg Festival. Stars Iréne Theorin (Elektra), Waltraud Meier (Klytämnestra), Eva-Maria Westbroek (Chrysothemis), Robert Gambill (Orest), René Pape (Aegisth), Oliver Zwarg (Orest's tutor), Benjamin Hulett (A young servant), Josef Stangl (An old servant), Orla Boylan (An overseer), Maria Radner (First maidservant), Martina Mikelić (Second maidservant), Stephanie Atanasov (Third maidservant), Eva Leitner (Fourth maidservant), Anita Watson (Fifth maidservant), Arina Holecek (Confidante), and Bardara Reiter (Trainbearer). Daniele Gatti conducts the Wiener Philharmoniker and the Konzertvereinigung Wiener Staatsopernchor (Chorus Master Thomas Lang). Sets by Raimund Bauer; scenic cooperation by Daniel Dooner; costumes by Andrea Schmidt-Futterer, lighting by Duane Schuler; video by Martin Kern; choreography by Denni Sayers; directed for TV by Thomas Grimm. Released 2011, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade B+

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Cavalleria rusticana & Pagliacci

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"Cav and Pag" opera double feature directed 2009 by Grischa Asagaroff at the Zurich Opera House.

1. First plays the Pietro Mascagni Cavalleria rusticana to libretto by Giovanni Targioni-Tozzeti and Guido Menasci. Stars José Cura (Turiddu), Paoletta Marrocu (Santuzza), Liliana Nikiteanu (Lola), Irène Friedli (Lucia), and Cheyne Davidson (Alfio).

2. Then follows the Ruggero Leoncavallo Pagliacci to libretto by the composer. Stars José Cura (Canio), Fiorenza Cedolins (Nedda), Carlo Guelfi (Tonio), Gabriel Bermúdez (Silvio), and Boiko Zvetanov (Peppe).

Stefano Ranzani conducts the Orchestra and Chorus (Chorus Master Jürg Hämmerli) of the Zurich Opera. Set design by Luigi Perego; lighting by Hans-Rudolf Kunz; directed for TV by Nele Münchmeyer.  Released 2010, disc has 7.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. For both operas Grade: B

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Cavalleria rusticana & Pagliacci

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"Cav and Pag" opera double feature directed by Giancarlo del Monaco 2007 at the Madrid Teatro Real.

1. First plays the Pietro Mascagni Cavalleria rusticana to libretto by Giovanni Targioni-Tozzeti and Guido Menasci. Stars Violeta Urmana (Santuzza), Vincenzo La Scola (Turiddu), Dragana Jugovic (Lola), Viorica Cortez (Mama Lucia), and Marco di Felice (Alfio).

2. Then follows the Ruggero Leoncavallo Pagliacci to libretto by the composer. Stars Vladimir Galouzine (Canio), María Bayo (Nedda), Carlo Guelfi (Tonio), Antonio Gandía (Beppe), and Ángel Ódena (Silvio).

Jesús López Cobos conducts the Orchestra and Chorus of the Teatro Real. Set design by Johannes Leiacker; costumes by Birgit Wentsch; lighting by Wolfgang von Zoubek; directed for TV by Ángel Ruis Ramirez. This is a single disc, released in 2009, with 5.1 PCM sound. For both operas, Grade: A-

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Carmen (von Otter)

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Georges Bizet Carmen opera to libretto by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy. Directed 2002 by David McVicar at Glyndebourne. Stars Anne Sophie von Otter (Carmen), Marcus Haddock (Don José), Hans Voschezang (Moralès), Lisa Milne (Micaëla), Jonathan Best (Zuniga), Mary Hegarty (Frasquita), Christine Rice (Mercédès), Anthony Wise (Lillas Pastia), Laurent Naouri (Escamillo), Quentin Hayes (Le Dancaïre), Colin Judson (Le Remendado), and Franck Lopez, (Le Guide). Philippe Jordan conducts the London Philharmonic Orchestra (Leader Pieter Schoeman), the Glyndebourne Chorus (Chorus Master Tecwyn Evans) and the Children's Chorus of Stoke Brunswick School, East Grinstead. Set design by Michael Vale; costumes by Sue Blane; lighting by Paule Constable; choreography by Andrew George; fight scenes by Nicholas Hall; directed for TV by Sue Judd; produced for TV by Peter Maniura. Released 2008, disc has 5.1 Dolby TrueHD sound. Grade: B

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Tosca

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Special notes: We usually exclude titles shot in large open arenas or theaters because it is so hard to make images there that will look good in the home theater. (We make exceptions to this rule for titles that turn out well despite being shot outdoors.) We cover this Tosca now as proof of the wisdom of our exclusion rule. Above are 4 images of the same Tosca shot at the Arena de Verona. Two images show the regular price disc. Two other images are for the bargain disc that also has trailers for 47 other Arthaus titles. This is the same recording as an earlier Tosca released by TDK. This show is now (January 2020) quite old. In the future these discs will likely be discontinued and may also become collector items.

Puccini Tosca opera to libretto by Giuseppe Giacosa and Luigi Illica. Directed 2006 by Hugo de Ana at the Arena di Verona. Stars Fiorenza Cedolins (Floria Tosca), Marcelo Álvarez (Mario Cavaradossi), Ruggero Raimondi (Barone Scarpia), Marco Spotti (Cesare Angelotti), Fabio Previati (The Sacristan), Enrico Facini (Spoletta), Giuliano Pelizon (Sciarrone), Angelo Nardinocchi (a Jailor), and Ottavia Dorrucci (A Shepherd). Daniel Oren conducts the Orchestra and Chorus of the Arena di Verona (Chorus Master Marco Faelli) and the Accademica Lirica Verona Children's Choir (Conductor Paola Facincani). Set, costumes, and lighting design by Hugo de Ana; stage design by Giuseppe De Filippi Venezia; lighting design by Paolo Mazzon; costume design by Tirelli Costumi. Directed for TV by Loreena Kaufmann; production supervised by Tiziano Mancini; executive producer was Mario Dradi. Sung in Italian. Released 2011, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: D

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