Leoš Janáček Katia Kabanova opera to libretto by the composer based on The Storm, a play by Alexander Nikolayevich Ostrovsky. Directed 2008 by Robert Carsen at the Teatro Real in Madrid. Stars (in order of appearance) Oleg Bryjak (Dikoj), Miroslav Dvorský (Boris), Dalia Schaechter (Kabanicha), Guy De Mey (Tichon), Karita Mattila (Kát'a), Gordon Gietz (Kudrjáš), Natascha Petrinksy (Varvara), Marco Moncloa (Kuligin), Itxaro Mentxaka (Glaša) and María José Suárez (Fekluša). Jiří Bělohlávek conducts the Orchestra and Chorus of the Teatro Real (Chorus Master Peter Burian). Dancers are Ana Aguilar, Magdalena Aizpúrua, Diana Bernedo, Vanesa Calderón, Sandra Cardozo, Leticia Castro, Lorena Díaz, Henar Fuentetaja, Rebeca González Lázaro, María González, Marta Gorriz, Salome Jimenez, Amaia Otcabide, Marta Marcelli, Carmen Mayordomo, Natalia Méndez, Carolina Pastor, Yara Paz, Vanesa Tejedor, Almudena Ramos, Licía Rey Castillo, Diana Samper, Isabel Sánchez, Ainhoa Sarmiento, Beatriz Silva, Izaskun Valmaseda, and Aisha Wizuete. Sets and costumes by Patrick Kinmonth; lighting by Robert Carsen and Peter van Praet; choreography by Philippe Giraudeau; sound supervision by Jean Chatauret; directed for TV by François Roussillon; produced by Tony Hajal). Released 2010, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: A-
Read MoreTchaikovsky Eugene Onegin opera to libretto by the composer and K. Shilovsky based on the verse novel by Alexander Pushkin. Directed 2013 by Deborah Warner at the Met. Stars Mariusz Kwiecien (Onegin), Anna Netrebko (Tatiana), Piotr Beczala (Lenski), Oksana Volkova (Olga), and Alexei Tanovitski (Gremin). Valery Gergiev conducts the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, Chorus, and Ballet. Sets by Tom Pye; costumes by Chloe Obolensky; lighting by Jean Kalman; video designs by Ian William Galloway and Finn Ross; choreography by Kim Brandstrup; directed for video by ?. Released 2014. Grade: NA
Read MoreMozart Die Zauberflöte opera to a libretto by Emanuel Schikaneder. Directed 2012 by Jens-Daniel Herzog at the Salzbulg Festival Felsenreitschule. Stars Bernard Richter (Tamino), Julia Kleiter (Pamina), Mandy Fredrich (Queen of the Night), Georg Zeppenfeld (Sarastro), Markus Werba (Papageno), Elisabeth Schwarz (Papagena), Rudolf Schasching (Monostatos), Martin Gantner (Speaker), Sandra Trattnigg (1st Lady), Anja Schlosser (2nd Lady), Wiebke Lehmkuhl (3rd Lady), Members of the Tölzer Knaben, Lucian Krasznec (1st armed man), and Andreas Hörl (2nd armed man). Nikolaus Harnoncourt conducts the Concentus Musicus Wien and the Wein State Opera Chorus (Chorus Master Ernst Raffelsberger). Sets and costume design by Mathis Neidhard; lighting design by Stefan Bolliger; dramaturgy by Ronny Dietrich; choreography by Ramses Sigl. Directed for TV by Felix Breisach. Sung in German. Released 2014. Grade: NA
Read MoreRichard Strauss Ariadne auf Naxos opera to libretto by Hugo von Hofmannsthal. Directed 2012 by Sven-Eric Bechtolf at the Salzburg Festival. Stars Emily Magee (The Prima Donna/Ariadne), Elena Moșuc (Zerbinetta), Jonas Kaufmann (The Tenor/Bacchus), Eva Liebau (Naiad/A Shepherdess), Marie-Claude Chappuis (Dryad/A Shepherd), Eleonora Buratto (Echo/A Singer), Gabriel Bermúdez (Harlequin), Michael Laurenz, (Scaramuccio), Tobias Kehrer (Truffaldino), Martin Mitterrutzner (Brighella), Peter Matić (The Major-Domo), Cornelius Obonya (M. Jourdain), Thomas Frank (The Composer), Michael Rotschopf (Hofmannsthal), Regina Fritsch (Ottonie/Dorine), Stefanie Dvorak (Nikoline), and Johannes Lange (Lackey). Dancers are: Arsen Mehrabyan, Artur Babajanyan, Boris Myasnkov, Flavio Salamanka, Hasan Topcuoglu, Oleksandr Kirichenko, Sergiy Kirichenko, and Tigran Mikayelyan. Daniel Harding conducts the Wiener Philharmoniker. Set designs by Rolf Glittenberg; costume designs by Marianne Glittenberg; choreography by Heinz Spoerli; dramaturgy by Ronny Dietrich; lighting by Jürgen Hoffmann. Directed for TV by Hannes Rossacher. Released 2014, disc has 5.0 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
Read MoreWagner Parsifal opera to a libretto by the composer. Directed 2013 by Francois Girard at the New York Met. Stars Jonas Kaufmann, Katarina Dalayman, Peter Mattei, René Pape, Evgeny Nikitin, Rúni Brattaberg, and Maria Zifchak. Daniele Gatti conducts the Orchestra of the Metropolitan Opera. Sets and costumes by Alexander Polzin; lighting by Urs Schönebaum; choreography by Annett Göhre; video directed by Brian Large. Released 2014. Grade: NA
Read MoreMussorgsky Boris Godunov opera to a libretto by the composer. Directed 2013 by Calixto Bieito at the Bayerische Staatsoper. Stars Alexander Tsymbalyuk, Yulia Sokolik, Eri Nakamura, Heike Grötzinger, Gerhard Siegel, Markus Eiche, Anatoli Kotscherga, Sergey Skorokhodov, Vladimir Matorin, Ulrich Reß, Kevin Conners, and Goran Juric. Kent Nagano conducts the Bayerisches Staatsorchester and the Chor der Bayerischen Staatsoper Lighting by Michael Bauer; sets by Rebecca Ringst; costumes by Ingo Krügler; dramaturgy by Andrea Schönhofer. Released 2014, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
Read MoreHenry Purcell Dido and Aeneas opera to a libretto by Nahum Tate. Directed 2008 by Deborah Warner at the Paris Opéra Comique. Stars Malena Ernman (Dido), Christopher Maltman (Aeneas), Judith Van Wanroij (Belinda), Hilary Summers (Sorceress), Lina Markeby (Second Woman), Céline Ricci (First Witch), Ana Quintans (Second Witch), Damian Whiteley (Sailor), and Marc Mauilon (Spirit). Fiona Shaw speaks the Prologue. William Christie conducts Les Arts Florissants Orchestra and Choir (Chorus Master François Bazola). Sets and costumes by Chloé Obolensky; lighting by Jean Kalman; directed for TV by François Roussillon; produced by Tony Hajal and David Kulas. Sung in English; subtitles in English, French, German, Spanish, and Italian. Released 2010, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: A+
Read MoreJean-Baptiste Lully Armide opera to libretto by Philippe Quinault. Directed 2008 by Robert Carsen at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées. Stars Stéphanie d'Oustrac (Armide), Paul Agnew (Renaud), Claire Debono (Glory, Phénice, and Lucinde), Isabelle Druet (Sagacity, Sidone, and Mélisse), Laurent Naouri (Hatred), Nathan Berg (Hidraot), Marc Mauillon (Ubalde and Aronte), Marc Callahan (Artémidore), Andrew Tortise (a Danish knight), Virginie Thomas (the nymph) and Anders J. Dahlin, Francesca Boncompagni, and Violaine Lucas (other demons in disguise). William Christie conducts the orchestra and choir of Les Arts Florissants. Mise en scène and direction by Robert Carsen; set and costumes by Gideon Davey; choreography by Jean-Claude Gallotta; lighting by Robert Carsen and Peter Van Praet; television direction by François Roussillon; produced by Tony Hajal and David Kulas. There is a bonus extra with excellent discussion of the production by Carsen, Christie and others. Released 2010, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: A
Read MoreRossini Le Comte Ory opera to libretto by Eugène Scribe and Charles-Gaspard Delestre-Poirson. Directed 2009 by Lluis Pasqual at the Rossini Opera Festival in Pesaro. Stars Yijie Shi (Le Comte Ory), Maria José Moreno (La Comtesse Adèle), Lorenzo Regazzo (Le Gouverneur), Laura Polverelli (Isolier), Roberto de Candia (Raimbaud), Natalia Gavrilan (Dame Ragonde), and Rinnat Moriah (Alice). Paolo Carignani conducts the Teatro Comunale di Bologna and the Prague Chamber Choir (Chorus Master Lubomir Mátl). Video directed by Tiziano Mancini. Sung in French with subtitles in French and 6 other languages. Released 2014, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
Read MoreBenjamin Britten The Turn of the Screw chamber opera to a libretto by Myfanwy Piper based on the novella by Henry James. Directed 2011 by Jonathan Kent at Glyndebourne. Stars Miah Persson (Governess), Toby Spence (Quint), Thomas Parfitt (Miles), Joanna Songi (Flora), Susan Bickley (Mrs. Grose), and Giselle Allen (Miss Jessel). Jakub Hrůša conducts members of the London Philharmonic Orchestra (Leader Pieter Schoeman). Design by Paul Brown; lighting design by Paul Henderson; sound supervision by Jean Chatauret; music produced by Sébastian Chonion. Directed for TV by François Roussillon; produced by George Bruell and Toni Hajal. Sung in English. Released 2012, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: A-
Read MoreWagner Siegfried to a libretto by the composer. Directed 2012 by Guy Cassiers at Teatro alla Scala in Milan. Stars Lance Ryan (Siedfried), Peter Bronder (Mime), Terje Stensvold (The Wanderer), Johannes Martin Kränzle (Alberich), Anna Larsson (Erda), Nina Stemme (Brünnhilde), and Rinnat Moriah (Waldvogels). Daniel Barenboim conducts the Orchestra of the Teatro Alla Scala. Set design by Guy Cassiers; set and lighting design by Enrico Bagnoli; costume design by Tim van Steenbergen; video design by Arjen Klerkx and Kurt D'Haeseleer; choreography by Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui; directed for TV by Emanuele Garafalo. Released 2014, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio. Grade: NA
Read MoreRimsky-Korsakov The Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh opera to a libretto by Vladimir Nikolayevich Belsky. Directed 2012 by Dimtri Tcherniakov at De Nederlandse Opera. Stars Svetlana Ignatovich (Fevroniya), John Daszak (Grishka Kuterma), Vladimir Vaneev (Prince Yuriy Vsevolodovich), Maxim Aksenov (Prince Vsevolod Yuryevich), Ante Jerkunica (Bedyay), Vladimir Ognovenko (Burunday), Alexey Markov (Fyodor Poyarok), and Mayram Sokolova (Page). Marc Albrecht conducts the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus of the Netherlands Opera. Released 2014, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
Read MorePeter Grimes on Aldeburgh Beach. This is a special performance of the PG opera. In June 2013, Tim Albery directed 3 performances of PG on the beach at Aldeburgh, England as part of the Aldeburgh Festival. The orchestra music was pre-recorded by the Britten-Pears Orchestra conducted by Steuart Bedford. The singers were miked, including the Chorus of Opera North and the Chorus of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. It's not clear now how the music was put together for the Blu-ray recording. Stars Alen Oke, Giselle Allen, David Kempster, Gaynor Keeble, Alexandra Hutton, Charmian Bedford, Robert Murray, Henry Waddington, Catherine Wyn-Rogers, Christopher Gillett, Charles Rice, and Stephen Richardson. Screen direction by Margaret Williams. Released January 6, 2014, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
Read MoreVerdi Luisa Miller opera to a libretto by Salvadore Cammarano. Directed 2012 by Stefano Vizioli at the Malmö Opera in Sweden. Stars Olesya Golovneva (Luisa Miller), Vladislav Sulimsky (Miller), Taras Shtonda (Count Walter), Luc Robert (Rodolfo), Ivonne Fuchs (Federica), Lars Arvidson (Wurm), and Emma Lyrén (Laura). Michael Güttler conducts the Malmö Opera Orchestra and Chorus (Chorus Master Elizabeth Boström). Sets by Cristian Taraborrelli; costumes by Anna Maria Heinreich; lighting by Guido Petzold; directed for television and video by Dirk Simon. Released 2013, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
Read MoreUnsuk Chin Alice in Wonderland opera. Directed 2007 by Achim Freyer. Stars Sally Matthews (Alice), Piia Komsi and Julia Rempe (Cheshire Cat), Dietrich Henschel (Duck/Mad Hatter), Andrew Watts (White Rabbit/Badger/March Hare), Guy de Mey (Mouse/Pat/Cook/Dormouse/Invisible Man), Cynthia Jansen (Owl/Ugly Duchess/Two), Gwyneth Jones (Queen of Hearts), Steven Humes (Old Man/Crab/King of Hearts), Christian Rieger (Old Man/Eaglet/Fish-Footman/Five/Executioner), Rüdiger Trebes (Dodo/Frog-Footman/Seven/Mock Turtle), and Stephan Schneider (Caterpillar). Kent Nagano directs the Bayerisches Staatsorchester, the Chor and Kinderchor der Bayerischen Staatsoper (Chorus Master Andrés Máspero), and supernumeraries der Bayerischen Staatsoper. Sets by Achim Freyer, costumes, masks, and puppets by Nina Weltzner. Directed for video by Ellen Fellman; produced by Bernhard Fleischner. Sung in English. Released 2013, disc has 5.0 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
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