Opera

Admeto Special 4-Pack

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Admeto Special 4-Pack. The Handel Admeto opera from the 2006 Halle Handel Festival was published in 2009 by Arthaus as Item No. 101258. See the preceding entry in the Alphalist. Later Arthaus announced a new version with 1 Blu-ray disc, the whole opera on 2 DVDs, and a separate CD with the music. That's 4 discs packed in one case. The Blu-ray disc appears to be the same as in the old edition except it's on a double-layer disc (50 GB). The item number of the 4-Pack is 109067.

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The Passenger

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Mieczysław Weinberg The Passenger opera to libretto by Alexander Medvedev after a novel of the same name published in 1962 by concentration camp survivor Zofia Posmysz. Directed 2010 by David Pountney at the Bregenz Festival (The title in German is Die Passagierin). Stars singers Michelle Breedt (Lisa), Roberto Saccà (Walter), Elena Kelessidi (Martha), Artur Rucinski (Tadeusz), Svetlana Doneva (Katja), Angelica Voje (Krzystina), Elżbieta Wróblewska (Vlasta), Agnieszka Rehlis (Hannah), Talia Or (Ivette), Helen Field (Alte), Liuba Sokolova (Bronka), Tobias Hächler (1st SS Officer), Wilfried Staber (2nd SS Officer), David Danholt (3rd SS Officer), Richard Angas (Elderly Passenger/Steward), Heide Capovilla (Senior Overseer/Capo), David Gabl, Michael Koch, Juliusz Kubiak, and Anton Schwärzler (4 Soldiers), Michelle Lau and Matthias Zuggal (Soldiers on watchtowers), and violinist Andreas Semlitsch (Double for Tadeusz in violin scene). Also stars stage musicians Raphael Brunner, Stefan Mikic, Roger Szedalik, Dominik Neunteufel, and Michael Schatzmann. Teodor Currentzis conducts the Weiner Symphoniker and the Prague Philharmonic Choir (Choirmaster Lukáš Vasilek). Set design by Johan Engels; costume design by Marie-Jeanne Lecca; lighting design by Fabrice Kebour; video direction by Felix Breisach. The opera is sung in German, English, French, Russian and Yiddish. There is also a documentary film "In der Fremde" in German with English subtitles. Released  2015, disc has 5.0 dts-HD Master Audio sound and the documentary and extras are in stereo. Grade: A

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Death and the Powers

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Tod Machover Death and the Powers opera to a libretto by Robert Pinsky (from a story by Randy Weiner and Robert Pinsky). Directed February 2014 at the Winspear Opera House in Dallas, Texas by Andrew Eggert (with assistance from Allegra Libonati) using original stage directions of Diane Paulus. Stars baritone Robert Orth (Simon Walter Powers, an aging Jillionaire), mezzo-soprano Patricia Risley (Simon's Trophy Wife), soprano Joélle Harvey (Miranda, Simon's step-daughter), tenor Hal Casalet (Simon's protégé whom Simon rescued as a deformed infant foundling), counter-tenor Frank Kelley (The United Way, an important charity in the United States), baritone David Kravitz (The United Nations), and bass Tom McNichols (The Administration). Nicole Paiement conducts The Simon Walter Powers Post-Organic-Age Orchestra (a small ensemble of unidentified mechanical devices and electronic gadgets), the Miseries Chorus, and the Chorus of Operabots. Visionary technology provided by Opera of the Future Group and MIT Media Lab. Production designs by Alex McDowell; choreography by Karole Armitage; costumes by David C. Woolard; lighting by Donald Holder; sound design by Chris Full; wig and make-up by David Zimmerman; visual design and software systems by Peter Torpey; media design by Matt Checkowski, sound technology by Ben Bloomburg; robot mechanical design and technical development by Bob Hsiung; robotic control systems by Michael Miller; interaction design by Elena Jessop.

The credits in the previous paragraph relate to what the live audience in Dallas saw. In addition, there was a simulcast of the opera to some 10 locations in Dallas and other cities. It appears WFAA, a Dallas TV station, was responsible for the vision and sound simulcast transmissions and that the Blu-ray recording we review here is the same electronic document as the simulcast. TV credits: Jerry Cadigan was the Production Manager; Don Hazen was Facilities Manager; and Aaron Butler was Director with Assistant Director Rob Horning; cameras were operated by Chris Brock, Chris Cook, Bryan Walor, Chuck Crosswhite, Jim Conrad, Bill Sons, Bobby Hester, and DodeBigley.

It appears this title is published jointly by the Dallas Opera and the MIT Media Lab. There are no bonus extras, but the keepcase booklet has a lot of information including a detailed synopsis. Sung in English. There are subtitles in English only. The video is 1080i. Released 2015, the LPCM stereo sound was recorded at 48kHz/24-bits. The surround audio is 5.1 Dolby Digital recorded at 48kHz (no word-length given).

This title is currently available only from www.cdbaby.com, a company that sells recordings from independent sources at reasonable prices. Grade: B+ (but "A+" if you like science-fiction, contemporary opera, poetry, or robots)

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The Bayreuth Edition

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Wagner The Bayreuth Edition box set with 6 operas performed at the Bayreuth Festival. Below are the titles. Each of them has already been reported on this website, and you can get more details by using the links provided:

1. Der Fliegende Holländer. 2014. (Grade NA)
2. Tannhäuser. 2015. (Grade NA)
3. Lohengrin. 2011. (Grade NA)
4. Die Walküre. 2011. (Grade C+)
5. Tristan und Isolde. 2010. (Grade D)
6. Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg. 2010. (Grade B)

Released 2015, there are 8 Blu-ray discs in this set with a running time of 24 hours, 18 minutes of opera plus 1 hour, 21 minutes of bonus material. Disc have  5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA

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Rusalka

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Dvořák Rusalka opera to libretto by Jaroslav Kvapil. Directed 2014 by Laurie Feldman reviving the 1933 Otto Schenk production. Stars Renée Fleming (Rusalka), Piotr Beczala (Prince), Dolora Zajick (Jezhibaba), John Relyea (Water Gnome), Emily Magee (Foreign Princess), Julie Boulianne (Kitchen Boy), Vladimír Chmelo (Gamekeeper), Alexey Lavrov (Hunter), Dísella Lárusdóttir (First Wood Sprite), Renée Tatum (Second Wood Sprite), Maya Lahyani (Third Wood Sprite), and Amir Levy (Noble). Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducts The Metropolitan Opera and Chorus. Sets by Günther Schneider-Siemssen; costumes  by Silvia Strahammer; lighting by Gil Wechsler; choreography by Carman De Lavallade; sound editing by John Bowen, directed for TV by Barbara Willis Sweete; produced by Mia Bongiovanni. Released 2015. Grade: NA

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La Fanciulla del West

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Puccini La Fanciulla del West opera to a libretto by Guelfo Civinini and Carlo Zangarini. Directed by Marco Arturo Marelli. Stars Jonas Kaufmann, Nina Stemme, and Tomasz Konieczny. Franz Welser-Möst conducts the Orcheste & Chor der Wiener Staatsoper. Released in 2015. Grade: NA

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L'Arlesiana

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Francesco Cilea L'Arlesiana opera to a libretto by Leopoldo Marenco. Directed 2013 by Rosetta Cucchi at the Teatro G. B. Pergolesi, Jesi, Italy as part of the Festival Pergolesi Spontini. Stars Annunziata Vestri (Rosa Mamai), Dmitry Golovnin (Federico), Mariangela Sicilia (Vivetta), Stefano Antonucci (Baldassarre), Valeriu Caradja (Metifio), Christian Saitta (Marco), and Riccardo Angelo Strano (L'Innocente). Francesco Cilluffo directs the Marche Philharmonic Orchestra and the Marche Lyric Choir "V. Bellini" (Chorus Master Carlo Morganti). Set design by Sarah Bacon; costume design by Claudia Pernigotti; lighting by Martin McLachlan; directed for TV by Tiziano Mancini. Released 2015, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA

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Jonas Kaufmann Box Set

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Jonas Kaufmann box set with 4 operas featuring Jonas Kaufmann. Below are the discs. Each of them has already been reported on this website, and you can get more details by using the links provided:

1. Bizet Carmen. 2014. (Grade NA)
2. Gounod Faust. 2014. (Grade NA)
3. Massenet Werther. 2014. (Grade A+)
4. Puccini Tosca. 2014. (Grade NA)

Released 2015. Grade: NA

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Ballo in Maschera

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Giuseppi Verdi Un ballo in maschera opera to libretto by Antonio Somma. Directed 2005 by Ermanno Olmi at the Leipzig Oper.  Stars Massimiliano Pisapia (Riccardo), Franco Vassalio (Renato), Chiara Taigi (Amelia), Annamaria Chiuri (Ulrica), Eun Yee You (Oscar), Herman Wallén (Silvano), Tuomas Pursio (Enemy of Riccardo), Metodie Bujor (Enemy of Riccardo), and Seung-Hyun Kim (Judge). Ricardo Chailly conducts (1) the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, (2) the Chorus of the Leipzig Opera (Chorus Masters Romano Gandolfi and Sören Eckhof), (3) members of the Orchester der Musikalischen Komödie, and (4) the Leipzig Ballet.  Sets and costumes Arnaldo Pomodoro; choreography by Paul Chalmer; directed for TV by Don Kent; Günter Atteln was TV producer; Paul Smaczny was producer. Released 2013, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: A

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Ballo in Maschera

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Giuseppi Verdi Un ballo in maschera opera to libretto by Antonio Somma. Directed 2008 by Mario Martone at the Teatro Real de Madrid. Stars Marcelo Álvarez (Riccardo), Marco Vratogna (Renato), Violeta Urmana (Amelia), Elena Zaremba (Ulrica), Alessandra Marianelli (Oscar), Borja Quiza (Silvano), Miguel Sola (Samuel, enemy of Riccardo), Scott Wilde (Tom, enemy of Riccardo), Orlando Niz (A Judge), and César San Martín (Amelia's servant). Jesús López Cobos conducts the Madrid Symphony Orchestra and Chorus (Chorus Master Peter Burian). Set design by Sergio Tramonti; costume design by Bruno Schwengl; choreography by Duncan Macfarland; lighting design by David Harney; film direction by Ángel Luis Ramírez. Released  2010, disc has 5.1 PCM sound. Grade: C+

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La Favorite

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Donizetti La Favorite opera to a libretto by Alphonse Royer and Gustave Vaëz. Directed 2014 by Vincent Boussard at the Théâtre du Capitole de Toulouse. Stars Kate Aldrich (Léonor de Guzmán), Yijie Shi (Fernand), Ludovic Tézier (Alphonse XI, King of Castile), Giovanni Furlanetto (Balthazar), Marie-Bénédicte Souquet (Inès), Alain Gabriel (Don Gaspar), and Dongjin Ahn (A Lord). Extras: Éric Afergan, Margo Becz, Evelyne Capot, Joël Capot, Céline Chemin, Sylvie Clanet, Yannick Dubuisson, Valérie Habermann, Patrick Joseph, Antonio Scarano,  Joël Sitbon, and Corinne Vrignon. Antonello Allemandi conducts the Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse and the Choeur du Capitole de Toulouse (Chorus Master Alfonso Caiani). Set design by Vincent Lemaire; costume design by Christian Lacroix; lighting design by Guido Levi. Directed for TV by Olivier Simonnet. Audio Producer was Philippe Engel; TV Producer was Pierre Moitron; Executive Producers were Sabrina Azoulay and Jean-François Boyer. Released 2015, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: A-

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Guillaume Tell

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Rossini Guillaume Tell opera to a libretto by Étienne de Jouy and Hippolyte Bis. Directed 2013 by Graham Vick at the Rossini Opera Festival in Pesaro. Stars Nicola Alaimo (Guillaume Tell), Juan Diego Flórez (Arnold Melcthal), Marina Rebeka (Mathide), Amanda Forsythe (Jemmy), Veronica Simeoni (Hedwige) Simon Orfila (Walter Furst), Simone Alberghini (Melcthal, Arnold's father), Luca Tittoto (Gesler), Alessandro Luciano, (Rodolphe), Celso Albulo (Ruodi), and Wojtek Gierlach (Leuthold/Hunter). Michele Mariotti conducts the Orchestra e Coro del Teatro Comunale di Bologna (Chorus Master Andrea Faidutti). Set and costume designs by Paul Brown; choreography by Ron Howell; lighting design by Giuseppe Di Iorio; directed for screen by Tiziano Mancini. Released 2015, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio. Grade: A-

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Lucrezia Borgia

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Donizetti Lucrezia Borgia opera to a libretto by Felice Romani. Directed 2012 by John Pascoe at the War Memorial Opera House in San Fransisco. Stars Renée Fleming (Borgia), Michael Fabiano (Gennaro), Elizabeth DeShong (Maffio Orsini), Vitalij Kowaljow (Duca Alfonso), Christopher Jackson (Jeppo Liverotto), Brian Jagde (Oloferno Vitellozzo), Austin Kness (Apostolo Gazella), Ao Li (Ascanio Petrucci), Daniel Montenegro (Rustighello), Igor Vieira (Gubetta), Ryan Kuster (Astolfo), Blanche Hampton (Princess Negroni), Jere Torkelsen (A Voice) as well as Mary Finch, Claire Kelm, Sally Mouzon, and Sally Monro (Ladies of the Court). Riccardo Frizza conducts the San Francisco Opera Orchestra (Acting Concertmaster Laura Albers) and Chorus (Chorus Master Ian Robertson). Production designs by John Pascoe; lighting by Jeff Bruckerhoff; choreography by Lawrence Pech; directed for TV by Frank Zamacona. Producers were Jessica Koplos and Matthew Shilvock; David Gockley was Executive Producer. Released 2013, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: A

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Lucrezia Borgia

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Donizetti Lucrezia Borgia opera to libretto by Felice Romani. Directed 2009 by Chistof Loy at the Bayrische Staatsoper. Stars Edita Gruberova (Donna Lucrezia Borgia), Franco Vassallo (Don Alfonzo), Pavol Breslik (Gennaro), Alice Coote (Maffio Orsini), Bruno Ribeiro (Jeppo Liverotto) , Christian Rieger (Don Apostolo Gazella), Christopher Magiera (Ascanio Petrucci), Erik Årman (Oloferno Vitellozzo), Steven Humes (Gubetta), Emanuele D'Aguanno (Rustighello), Christian van Horn (Astolfo), and Elisabeth Haag (Principessa Negroni). Bertrand de Billy conducts the Bayerisches Staatsorchester and the Chor der Bayerischen Staatsoper (Chorus Master Andrés Máspero). Stage Music Director: Gregor Raquet. Sets by Henrik Ahr; costumes by Barbara Drosihn; lighting by Joachim Klein; director of photography was Gerald Schäfer; audio engineer was Stefan Kröhn; sound engineer was Jakob Palfrader; video direction by Brian Large; produced by Magdalena Herbst. Disc also includes a 54 minutes documentary "The Art of Bel Canto---Edita Gruberova" by Claus Wischmann and Stefan Pannen. Released 2012, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: A

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Il signor Bruschino

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Rossini Il signor Bruschino opera to a libretto by Giuseppe Maria Foppa. Performed 2012 by the Teatro Sotterraneo collective at the Rossini Opera Festival, Pesaro. Stars  Roberto De Candia (Bruschino Senior), Francisco Brito (Bruschino Junior/Police Officer), Carlo Lepore, (Gaudenzio), Maria Aleida (Sofia), David Alegret (Florville), Andrea Vincenzo Bonsignore (Filiberto), and Chiara Amarù (Marianna). Daniele Rustioni conducts the Orchestra Sinfonica G. Rossini (Répétitieur and Fortepiano by Carmen Santoro). Set and costume designs by the Accademia di Belle Arti di Urbino; lighting by Roberto Cafaggini; directed for video and TV by Tiziano Mancini. Released 2015, Blu-ray disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA

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