Israel Philharmonic Orchestra 75 Years Anniversary Concert. Zubin Mehta conducts the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra. The program:
1. Saint-Saens Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso op. 28, Julian Rachlin, violin
2. Bach Partita No. 2 in D minor, Julian Rachlin, violin
3. Chopin Piano Concerto No. 1, Evgeny Kissin, piano
4. Chausson Poème for violin and orchestra, op. 25, Vadim Repin, violin
5. Beethoven Symphony No. 8
Concert film directed by János Darvas; audio producer was Friedemann Engelbrecht.
Also included is a documentary, Coming Home, directed by János Darvas and produced for TV by Lothar Mattner, about the history of the the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra. Released 2012, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
Read MoreGiacomo Puccini La Bohème opera to libretto by Giuseppe Giacosa and Luigi Illica. Directed 2012 by Stefan Herheim at the Oslo Opera House. Stars Diego Torre (Rodolfo), Vasilij Ladjuk (Marcello), Marita Sølberg (Mimì), Jennifer Rowley (Musetta), Giovanni Battista Parodi (Colline), Espen Langvik (Schaunard) and Svein Erik Sagbråten (Benoit/Parpignol/Alcindoro/Toll Gate Keeper/Death). Eivind Gullberg Jensen conducts the Norwegian National Opera Orchestra, Norwegian National Opera Chorus, and Norwegian National Opera Children’s Chorus. Set and costume design by Heike Scheele; lighting design by Anders Poll; dramaturgy by Alexander Meier-Dörzenbach; directed for TV by Stein-Roger Bull; produced by NordicStories AS. Released 2012, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: B+
Read MoreThis title has two shorter operas, both directed by Peter Sellers and connected by the same stage setting at Teatro Real:
Tchaikovsky Iolanta opera to a libretto by Modest Tchaikovsky. Stars Ekaterina Scherbachenko (Iolanta), Alexej Markov (Robert) , Pavel Cernoch (Vaudémont), Dmitry Ulianov (King René) , Willard White (Ibn-Hakia), Vasily Efimov (Alméric), Pavel Kudinov (Bertrand), Ekaterina Semenchuk (Marta), Irina Churilova (Brigitta), and Letitia Singleton (Laura). Sung in Russian.
Stravinsky Perséphone to a libretto by André Gide. Stars singers Dominique Blanc (Perséphone), Paul Groves (Eumolpe) as well as dancers Sam Sathya (Perséphone), Chumvan Sodhachivy (Déméter), Khon Chansithyka (Pluton) (Cambodian dance group Amrita), and the Pequeños Cantores chorus. Sung in French.
For both productions: Teodor Currentzis conducts the Chorus and Orchestra of the Teatro Real and young singers of the JORCAM (Chorus Master André Máspero); set designs by George Tsypin; costume design by Martin Pakledinaz & Helen Siebrits; lighting design by James F. Ingalls. Directed for TV by Ángela Álvarez Rilla. Released 2012, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
Read MoreTwo shorter operas by Giovanni Battista Pergolesi to librettos by Gennarantonio Federico directed by Henning Brockhaus at the Pergolesi Spontini Music Festival.
Il prigionier superbo (The Proud Prisoner) stars Antonio Lozano (Sostrate), Marina Rodríguez Cusí (Rosmene), Marina de Liso (Metalce), Ruth Rosique (Ericela), Marina Comparato (Viridate), and Giacinta Nicotra (Micisda). Set design by Henning Brockhaus; costume design by Giancarlo Colis; lighting design by Henning Brockhaus and Fabrizio Gobbi.
La serva padrona (The Servant Turned Mistress) stars Alessandra Marianelli (Serpina), Carlo Lepore (Uberto), and Jean Méningue (Vespone). Set design by Benito Leonori; costumes by Giancarlo Colis; lighting by Alessandro Carletti.
Corrado Rovaris conducts the Accademia Barocca de I Virtuosi Italiani. Directed for TV by Tiziano Mancini. Sung in Italian. Released 2012, disc has 5.1 dts HD-Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
Read MoreVerdi Nabucco opera to a libretto by Temistocle Solera. Staged 2009 by Daniele Abbado at the Teatro Regio di Parma Verdi Festival (Stage Director was Caroline Lang). Stars Leo Nucci, Bruno Ribeiro, Riccardo Zanellato, Dimitra Theodossiou, Ana Maria Chiuri, Alessandro Spina, Mauro Buffoli, and Cristina Giannelli. Michele Mariotti conducts the Orchestra e Coro del Teatro Regio di Parma (Chorus Master Martino Faggiani). Sets and costumes by Luiigi Perego; lighting by Valerio Alfieri; directed for TV by Tiziano Mancini. Released 2012, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio. Grade: NA
Read MoreVerdi Un giorno di regno opera to a libretto by Felice Romani. Directed 2012 by Pier Luigi Pizzi at the Teatro Regio di Parma Verdi Festival. Stars Guido Loconsolo, Andrea Porta, Anna Caterina Antonacci, Alessandra Marianelli, Ivan Magri, Paolo Bordogna, Ricardo Mirabelli, and Seung Hwa Paek. Donato Renzetti conducts the Orchestra e Coro del Teatro Regio di Parma (Chorus Master Martino Faggiani). Choreography by Luca Veggetti; lighting by Vincenzo Raponi; directed for TV by Tiziano Mancini. Released 2012, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
Read MoreVerdi Oberto opera to a libretto by Temistocle Solera. Directed 2007 by Pier'Alli at the Teatro Regio di Parma Verdi Festival. Stars Mariana Pentcheva, Fabio Sartori, Giovanni Battista Parodi, Francesca Sassu, Giorgia Bertagni, Elio Battaglia, and Irene Cerboncini. Antonello Allemandi conducts the Orchestra e Coro del Teatro Regio di Parma (Chorus Master Martino Faggiani). Sets, costumes, and lighting by Pier'Alli; directed for video by Tiziano Mancini. Released in 2012, disc has 5.1 dts HD Master Audio Sound. Grade: NA
Read MoreVerdi Falstaff opera to a libretto by Arrigo Boito. Directed 2011 by Sven-Eric Bechtolf at the Opernhaus Zürich. Stars Ambrogio Maestri, Massimo Cavalletti, Javier Camarena, Patrizio Saudelli, Martin Zysset, Davide Fersini, Barbara Frittoli, Eva Liebau, Yvonne Naef, Judith Schmid, and Domenic Gloor. Daniele Gatti conducts the Orchestra of the Zurich Opera House, Chorus of the Zurich Opera House (Chorus Master Ernst Raffelsberger), and the Supernumeraries of the Zurich Opera House. Set design by Rolf Glittenberg; costume design by Marianne Glittenberg; lighting by Jürgen Hoffmann, Pascal Schmid, and Susane Saudan; sound supervised by Wilhelm Zürrer; produced and directed for TV by Feliz Breisach; released 2012, disc has 5.0 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: B-
Read MoreStrauss Arabella opera to a libretto by Hugo von Hofmannsthal. Directed 2012 by Sven-Eric Bechtolf at the Vienna State Opera. Stars Emily Magee (Arabella), Genia Kühmeier (Zdenka), Tomasz Konieczny (Mandryka), Michael Schade (Matteo), Wolfgang Bankl (Count Waldner), and Zoryana Kushpler (Adelaida). Franz Welser-Möst conducts the Orchestra, Chorus, and Stage Orchestra of the Vienna State Opera. Set design by Rolf Glittenberg; costume design by Marianne Glittenberg, TV direction by Don Kent. Sung in German with subtitles in 7 languages. Released 2012, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
Electric Pictures states on the Blu-ray keepcase that Arabella is a problematical work because Hugo von Hofmannsthal died before he could finish the libretto. But the claim is made that Sven-Eric Bechtolf came up with a "superbly convincing" version that resolves ambiguities left by Hofmannsthal.
Read MoreMozart Idomeneo opera to a libretto by Gianbattista Varesco. Directed 2008 by Dieter Dorn at the Cuvilliés Theatre, Munich. Stars John Mark Ainsley (Idomeno), Pavol Breslik (Idamante), Juliane Banse (Ilia), Annette Dasch (Elettra), Rainer Trost( Arbace), Guy de Mey (Gran Sacerdote di Nettuno), and Steven Humes (La Voce). Kent Nagano conducts the Bayerisches Staatsorchester as well as the Chor, Extrachor, and Bewegungschor der Bayerischen Staatsoper (Chorus Master Andrés Máspero). Stage and costume design by Jürgen Rose; choreographic assists by Marco Santi; lighting design by Tobias Löffler; dramaturgy by Hans-Joachim Ruckhäberle and Peter Heilker; and assistant stage direction by Oliver Brunner. Directed for TV by Brian Large. Released 2012, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: A-
Read MoreMahler Symphony No. 8 "Symphony of a Thousand." Gustavo Dudamel conducts the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Simón Bolivar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela in Caracas, Venezuela, augmented by multiple student choruses (Chorus Masters Lourdes Sánchez and Manuel López Gomez). Soloists are Manuela Uhl (soprano), Julianna Di Giacomo (soprano), Anna Larsson (contralto), Charlette Hellekant (mezzo-soprano), Burkhard Fritz (tenor), Brian Mulligan (baritone), and Alexander Vinogradov (bass). Produced by Bernhard Fleischer and Chris Ayzoukian; video direction by Michael Beyer. Released 2012, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
There were a lot of performers in this massive effort. I haven't seen any such claim, but with all the student choirs and orchestras available in Venezuela, putting 1,000 musicians in a piece might be possible.
Read MoreBritten War Requiem. Recorded 2012 at Coventry Cathedral. Andris Nelsons conducts the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Chorus and Youth Chorus. Features soprano Erin Wall, tenor Mark Padmore, and baritone Hanno Muller-Brachmann. Directed for TV by Ute Feudel. Released 2012. The information on the back of the package says that the surround sound is Dolby Digital. Wonk James Kreh reports this is incorrect; the disc in fact has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Probably the art department at Arthaus Musik copied the mistaken information from the DVD version of this production, which does use 5.1 Dolby Digital. Kreh also reports that the music was recorded at 48kHz24 bit. Grade: A+
Read MoreMozart Die Entführung aus dem Serail opera to libretto by Christoph Friedrich Bretzner. Directed 2008 by Johan Simons (with Assistant Director Bert Bijnen) at Het Muziektheater, home of De Nederlandse Opera. Stars Laura Aikin (Konstanze), Edgaras Montvidas (Belmonte), Kurt Rydl (Osmin), Mojca Erdmann (Blonde), Michael Smallwood (Pedrillo), Steven Van Watermeulen (Bassa Selim), Oleksandra Lenyshyn, Maartje de Lint, Ian Spencer, Bert Visser (Four Janissaries), and Goua Robert Grovogui (A mute). Constantinos Carydis (with Assistant Boudewijn Jansen) conducts the Netherlands Chamber Orchestra and the Chorus of De Nederlandse Opera (Chorus Master Brian Fieldhouse). Sets by Bert Neumann, costumes by Nina von Mechow; lighting by Lothar Baumgarte; dramaturgy by Koen Tachelet and Klaus Bertisch; directed for TV by Misjel Vermeiren. Released 2008, disc has 5.0 Dolby TrueHD sound. Grade: C+
Read MoreBach St. Matthew Passion oratorio recorded live 2012 at the St. Thomas Church in Leipzig. Georg Christoph Biller conducts the Thomanerchor Leipzig and the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig (the Leipzig St. Thomas Boys Choir and the Gewandhaus Orchestra). Soloists are Christina Landshamer (soprano), Stefan Kahle (alto), Wolfram Lattke (tenor), Martin Lattke (tenor), Klaus Mertens (bass), and Gotthold Schwarz (bass). Directed for TV by Michaes Beyer; produced by Paul Smaczny. Released 2012, disc has dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
Read More
