Donizetti Don Pasquale opera to libretto by Giovanni Ruffini. Directed 2013 by Mariame Clément at Glyndebourne. Stars Alessandro Corbelli (Don Pasquale), Danielle de Niese (Norina), Nikolay Borchev (Malatesta), Alek Shrader (Ernesto), James Platt (Notary), and Anna-Marie Sullivan (Servant). Enrique Mazzola conducts the London Philharmonic Orchestra (Leader Pieter Schoeman) and Glyndebourne Chorus (Chorus Master Jeremy Bines). Designs by Julia Hansen; lighting by Bernd Purkrabek; directed for TV by Myriam Hoyer. Released 2014, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
Read MoreRichard Strauss Capriccio opera to a libretto by Clemens Krauss and Richard Strauss. Directed 2013 by Marco Arturo Marelli at the Vienna State Opera. Stars Renée Flemming (Countess), Bo Skovhus (Count, Brother of Countess), Michael Shade (Flamand, a Musician), Markus Eiche (Olivier, a Poet), Angelika Kirchschlager (Clairon, an Actress), Kurt Rydl (La Roche, a Theater Director), Michael Roider (Monsieur Taupe, a Prompter), Íride Martínez (an Italian Singer), Benjamin Bruns (an Italian Tenor), Josefine Tyler (Young Dancer), Samuel Colombet (Young Dancer), and Clemens Unterreiner (the Major-Domo). Christoph Eshenbach conducts the Orchestra of the Vienna State Opera. Sets and lighting by Marco Arturo Marelli; costumes by Dagmar Niefind; choreography by Lukas Gaudernak; video directed by Brian Lange. Released 2014, disc has 5.0 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
Read MoreRossini La Cenerentola to libretto by Jacopo Ferretti. Directed 2007 by Joan Font at the Liceu Theatre. Stars Joyce DiDonato (Angelina, the Cenerentola or Cinderella), Juan Diego Flórez (Prince Ramiro), Bruno De Simone (Don Magnifico), David Menéndez (Dandini), Simón Orfila (Alidoro), Cristina Obregón (Clorinda) and Itxaro Mentxaka (Tisbe). Patrick Summers conducts the Met Orchestra & Chorus of the Gran Teatre del Liceu. Sets and costumes by Joan Guillen. Released 2014. Grade: NA
Read MorePuccini Turandot opera to a libretto by Giuseppe Adami and Renato Simoni. Directed 2013 by Andrew Sinclair, after Andrei Serban, at the Royal Opera House. Stars Lise Lindstrom (Turandot), Marco Berti (Calaf), Eri Nakamura (Liù), Michel de Souza (Mandarin), Raymond Aceto (Timur), Dionysios Sourbis (Ping), David Butt Philip (Pang), Doug Jones (Pong), and Alasdair Elliott (Emperor Altoum). Henrik Nánási conducts the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House (Concert Master Vasko Vassilev) and the Royal Opera Chorus (Chorus Director Renato Balsadonna). Designs by Sally Jacobs; lighting design by F. Mitchell Dana; choreography by Kate Flatt; choreologist was Tatiana Novaes-Coelho. Directed for TV by Ian Russell. Sung in Italian. Released 2014, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
Read MoreWagner Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg opera to a libretto by the composer. Directed 2011 by David McVicar at Glyndebourne. Stars Gerald Finley (Hans Sachs), Marco Jentzsch (Walter von Stolzing), Johannes Martin Kränzle (Sixtus Beckmesser}, Alastair Miles (Veit Pogner), Anna Gabler (Eva), Topi Lehtipuu (David), Michaela Selinger (Magdelena), Colin Judson (Kunz Vogelgesang), Andrew Slater (Konrad Nachtigall), Henry Waddington (Fritz Kothner), Robert Poulton (Herrman Ortel), Alasdair Elliot (Balthasar Zorn), Daniel Norman (Augustin Moser), Adrian Thompson (Ulrich Eisslinger), Graeme Broadbent (Hans Foltz), Maxim Mikhailov (Hans Schwarz), Mats Almgren (Nightwatchman). Vladimir Jurowski conducts the London Philharmonic Orchestra (Leader Pieter Schoeman; Assistant Conductor Anthony Negus) and the Glyndebourne Chorus (Chorus Master Jeremy Bines). Design by Vicki Mortimer; lighting design by Paule Constable; choreography by Andrew George; fight direction by Nicholas Hall; film direction by François Roussillon; soundd supervision by Andy Rose; executive production by George Bruell; produced by Toni Hajal. Released 2012, 2 discs have 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: A
Read MoreHenry Purcell The Fairy Queen semi-opera to anonymous adaptation (with massive cuts) of Shakespeare'sA Midsummer Night's Dream. Directed 2009 by Jonathan Kent at Glyndebourne. Stars as actors Joseph Millson (Oberon), Sally Dexter (Titania), JothamAnnan (Puck), Desmond Barrit (Bottom), Robert Burt (Flute), Jack Chissick (Snout), Paul McCleary (Quince), Brian Pettifer (Snug), Roger Sloman (Starveling), Taliesin Knight (Changeling Boy), TerrenceHardiman (Egeus), William Gaunt (Theseus), Susannah Wise (Hermia), Helen Bradbury (Helena), Oliver Kieran Jones (Lysander), and Oliver Le Sueur (Demetrius). Singing stars are Claire Debono (First Fairy/Spring), Anna Devin (Second Fairy), Desmond Barrit (Drunken Poet), Carolyn Sampson (Night), Ed Lyon (Secrecy/Adam), Andrew Foster-Williams (Sleep/Coridon), Robert Burt (Mopsa), Sean Clayton (Summer), Adrian Ward (Autumn), LukasKargl (Phœbus), Lucy Crowe (Juno), and Helen-Jane Howells (Eve) as well as Miriam Allan, Rachel Redmond, and John Mackenzie (Soloists from the Glyndebourne Chorus). Dancing stars are Laura Caldow, NuniCampos, Tommy Franzén, Caroline Lynn, Omar Gordon, Anthony Kurt-Gabel, MaurizioMontis, and Sarah Storer. William Christie conducts the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment (Leader Alison Bury) and the Glyndebourne Chorus (Assistant Chorus Master Oliver Gooch). Designs by Paul Brown; lighting by Mark Henderson; choreography by Kim Brandstrup; TV direction by FrançoisRoussillon; executive production by Toni Hajal; sound supervision by Jean Chatauret. Released 2010, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio. Grade: B
Read MoreWagner Götterdämmerung opera. Directed 2013 by Guy Cassiers at the Teatro alla Scala. Stars Lance Ryan (Siegfried), Gerd Grochowski (Gunther), Johannes Martin Kränzle (Albrerich), Mikhail Petrenko (Hagan), Iréne Theorin (Brünnhilda and Third Norn), Anna Samuil (Gutrune), Waltraud Meier (Waltraute and 2nd Norn), Margarita Nekrasova (1st Norn), Aga Mikolaj (Woglinda), Maria Gortsevskaya (Wellgunda), and Anna Lapkovskaja (Flosshilda). Daniel Barenboim conducts the Orchestra and Chorus of the Teatro alla Scala (Chorus Master Bruno Casoni). 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; TV direction by Patrizia Carmine. Released 2014, disc has 5.1 Dolby Digital sound. Grade: NA
Read MorePuccini Tosca opera to libretto by Giuseppe Giacosa and Luigi Illica. Directed 2009 by Robert Carsen at Opernhaus Zürich. Stars Emily Magee (Tosca), Jonas Kaufmann (Caravadossi), Thomas Hampson (Scarpia), Valeriy Murga (Angelotti), and Giuseppe Scorsin (Sacristan). Paolo Carignani conducts the Orchestra, Chorus and Children's Chorus of Opernhaus Zürich. Set and costume design by Anthony Ward; lighting design by Davy Cunningham. Directed for TV by Felix Breisach, executive producer was Alexander Pereira. Sung in Italian. Released 2014, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
Read MoreBenjamin Britten Death in Venice opera to a libretto by Myfanwy Piper. Directed by Deborah Warner in 2013 at The London Coliseum. Stars John Graham-Hall (Gustav von Aschenbach), Andrew Shore (Traveller/Elderly Fop), Tim Mead (Apollo), Sam Zaldivar (Tadzio), Laura Caldow (The Polish Mother), Mia Angelina Mather (Polish Daughter), Xhuliana Shehu (Polish Daughter), Joyce Henderson (The Governess), and Marcio Teixeira (Jaschiu, Tadzio's friend). Edward Gardner conducts the Orchestra and Chorus of the English National Opera. Released 2014, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
Read MoreGeorge Benjamin Written on Skin opera to a libretto by Martin Crimp. Written on Skin had its first performance at the Grand Théâtre de Provence, France in July, 2012. It was soon thereafter produced in Bonn and in Amsterdam. The performance on this disc was directed by Katie Mitchell in March 2013 at the Royal Opera House. Stars Christopher Purves (The Protector), Barbara Hannigan (Agnès, wife of the Protector), Bejun Mehta (Angel 1/The Boy), Victoria Simmonds (Angel 2/Marie), Allan Clayton (Angel 3/John), as well as David Alexander, Laura Harling, Peter Hobday, and Sarah Northgraves (Angel Archivists). The composer himself conducted the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House. Design by Vicki Mortimer; lighting design by Jon Clark; fight direction by Kate Waters. Produced and directed for TV by Margaret Williams. Sung in English. Released 2014, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. The video was shot at 23.976 fps with a Cinemascope (letterbox) picture ratio of 1:2.35 (incorrectly printed on the letterbox as "1:2:35"). Grade B+
Read MoreVerdi Falstaff opera to libretto by Arrigo Boito. Directed 2009 by Richard Jones at Glyndebourne. Stars Christopher Purves (Falstaff), Tassis Christoyannis (Ford), Dina Kuznetsova (Alice Ford), Marie-Nicole Lemieux (Mistress Quickly), Adriana Kučerova (Nannetta) Bülent Bezdüz (Fenton); Jennifer Holloway (Meg Page), Peter Hoare (Br. Caius), Paolo Battaglia (Pistol), and Alasdair Elliott (Bardolph). Vladimir Jurowski conducts the London Philharmonic Orchestra (Leader Pieter Schoeman) and the Glyndebourne Chorus (Chorus Master Thomas Blunt). Set and costumes by Ultz; lighting by Mimi Jordan Sherin; movement direction by Linda Dobell. François Roussillon was TV Director and Producer; Toni Hajal was Executive Producer; Sound Supervisor was Jean Chatauret. Sung in Italian with Italian, English, German, French, and Spanish subtitles. Released in 2010, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: A
Read MoreCharles Gounod Faust opera to libretto by Jules Barbier and Michel Carré. Directed 2011 by Des McAnuff at the Met. Stars Jonas Kaufmann (Faust), René Pape (Méphistophélès), Marina Poplavskaya (Marguerite), Russell Braun (Valentin), Jonathan Beyer (Wagner), Michele Losier (Siebel), and Wendy White (Marthe). Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducts the Orchestra, Chorus, and Ballet of The Metropolitan Opera (Chorus Master Donald Palumbo). Set designs by Robert Ball; costume designs by Paul Tazewell; lighting designed by Peter Mumford; choreography by Kelly Devine; videos designs by Sean Nieuwenhuis. TV Director was Barbara Willis Sweete; Music Producer was Jay David Saks; Supervising Producers were Louisa Briccetti and Victoria Warivonchik. Released 2014, disc has dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
Read MoreRossini Le Comte Ory opera to libretto by Eugène Scribe and Charles-Gaspard Delestre-Poirson. Directed by Moshe Leiser and Patrice Caurier. Stars Javier Camarena (Le Comte Ory), Cecilia Bartoli (La Comtesse Adèle), Rebecca Olvera (Isolier), Carlos Chausson (Le Gouverneur), Oliver Widmer (Raimbaud), Liliana Nikiteanu (Ragonde), and Teresa Sedlmair (Alice). Muhai Tang conducts the Orchestra La Scintilla and the Chorus of the Opernhaus Zürich. Directed for TV by Olivier Simonnet. Released 2014. Grade: NA
Read MoreRossini Otello opera to libretto by Francesco Maria Berio di Salsi. Directed by Moshe Leiser and Patrice Caurier. Stars John Osborn (Otello), Cecilia Bartoli (Desdemona), Peter Kálmán (Elmiro), Javier Camarena (Rodrigo /Lucio), Edgardo Rocha (Jago), Liliana Nikiteanu (Emilia), Nicola Pamio (Doge di Venezia), Ilker Arcayürek. Muhai Tang conducts the Orchestra La Scintilla and the Supplementary Chorus of the Opernhaus Zürich (Chorus Master Jürg Hämmerli). Set design by Christian Fenouillat, costumes by Agostino Cavalca, lighting by Christophe Forey and Hans-Rudolf Kunz; dramaturgy by Konrad Kuhn. Directed for TV by Olivier Simonnet and produced by Pierre-Olivier Bardet. Released 2014, disc has dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
Read MoreBenjamin Britten Billy Budd opera to a libretto by E. M. Forster and Eric Crozier. Directed 2010 by Michael Grandage at Glyndebourne. Stars (in order of apperance) John Mark Ainsley (Captain Vere), Michael Wallace (First Mate), John-Owen Miley-Read (Second Mate), Matthew Rose (Mr. Flint), Richard Mosley-Evans (Bosun), John Moore (Donald), Peter Gijsbertsen (Maintop), Ben Johnson (Novice), Colin Judson (Squeak), Iain Paterson (Mr. Redburn), Darren Jeffrey (Lieutenant Ratcliffe), Phillip Ens (Claggart), Alasdair Elliott (Red Whiskers), Tony Girling (Arthur Jones), Jacques Imbrailo (Billy Budd), Alexander Robin Baker (Novice's Friend), Jeremy White (Dansker), Sam Honeywood (Cabin Boy), Freddie Benedict, Alastair Dixon, Adam Lord, and Joseph Wakeling (all Midshipmen). Mark Elder conducts the London Philharmonic Orchestra (with Leader Pieter Schoeman) and the Glyndebourne Chorus (with Chorus Master Jeremy Bines). Set design by Christopher Oram; lighting by Paule Constable; movement direction by Tom Roden; sound supervision by Jean Chatauret. TV Director was François Roussillon; Executive Producer was Toni Hajal. Released 2011, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: A+
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