Eugene Onegin

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Tchaikovsky Eugene Onegin opera to libretto by the composer and K. Shilovsky based on the verse novel by Alexander Pushkin. Directed 2013 by Kapser Holten at the Royal Opera House. Stars Simon Keenlyside, Krassimira Stoyanova, Thom Rackett, Vigdis Hentze Olsen, Pavol Breslik, Elena Maximova, Diana Montague, Kathleen Wilkenson, Peter Rose, Christophe Mortagne, Jihoon Kim, Michel de Souza, Elliott Goldie, and Luke Price. Robin Ticciati conducts the Orchestra of the Royal House (Concert Master Vasko Vassilev) and the Royal Opera Chorus (Chorus Master Renato Balsadonna). Sets by Mia Stensgaard; costumes by Katrina Lindsay; lighting by Wolfgang Göbbel; video designs by Leo Warner (59 Productions); animations by Lawrence Watson (59 Productions); choreography by Signe Fabricius; directed for the screen by Jonathan Haswell. Released 2013, disc has 5.0 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA

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Waltzes (Vienna Café Music) by the Philharmonics.

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Waltzes (Vienna Café Music) by The Philharmonics, a group of star players from the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra augmented from time to time by guests. These elites enjoy slumming around with fare ranging from Vienna favorites to Latin Jazz to Gypsy and other folk music. Of the 10 numbers presented on the disc, only 5 are Strauss waltzes. So I'm going to call this Waltzes (Vienna Café Music).

Members of the Philharmonics on this disc are Tibor Kováč (first violin), Shkëlzen Doli (second violin), Thilo Fechner (viola), Stephan Koncz (cello), Ödön Rácz (double bass), Daniel Ottensamer (clarinet), and František Jánoška (piano). Guest stars are  Walter Auer (flute) and Christoph Traxler (harmonium).

Here are the selections on Waltzes (Vienna Café Music):

  • Johann Strauss II Kaiserwalzer

  • Fritz Kreisler Marche miniature viennoise

  • Johann Strauss II Schatzswalzer

  • Johann Strauss II Rosen aus dem Süden

  • Fritz Kreisler Schön Rosmarin

  • Fritz Kreisler Caprice viennois

  • Johann Strauss II Wein, Weib, and Gesang!

  • Tibor Kováč Yiddische Mame

  • Johann Strauss II Lagunenwalzer

  • Leopold Godowsky Alt-Wien

Directed for TV by Tilo Krause; photography directed by Nyika Jancsó; audio production by Joachim Müller; Maria Stodtmeier and Paul Smaczny were Executive Producers. Released 2011, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: A

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Tales of Beatrix Potter

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Tales of Beatrix Potter ballet. Choreography by Frederick Ashton. Music by John Lanchbery. Produced 2008 by Anthory Dowell at the Royal Opera House. Stars Victoria Hewitt, Ricardo Cervera, Jonathan Howells, Gemma Sykes, Gary Avis, Bennet Gartside, Laura Morera, David Pickering, Zachary Faruque, Giacomo Ciriaci, Iohna Loots, Joshua Tuifua, and Steven McRae. The Royal Ballet Synfonia was conducted by Paul Murphy. Designs by Christine Edzard; masks by Rostislav Doboujinsky; lighting by Mark Jonathan; staging by Christopher Carr and Grant Coyle. Directed for TV by Jonathan Haswell. Released 2010, this disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: A

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Mozart Requiem Mass

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Mozart Requiem Mass, K 626 (Franz Beyer edition; Sanctus completed by Robert Levin). Performed as part of the 2012 Lucern Festival at the KKL Luzern Concert Hall. Claudio Abbado conducts the Lucern Festival Orchestra, the Bavarian Radio Choir, and the Swedish Radio Choir (Chorus Master Peter Dijkstra). Singers are Anna Prohaska (soprano), Sara Mingardo (alto), Maximilian Schmitt (tenor), and René Pape (bass). Directed for TV by Michael Beyer; produced by Paul Smaczny. Released 2013, disc has 5.1dts-HD Master Audio sound. 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 2012 by Christof Loy at the Swedish Royal Opera House. Stars Nina Stemme, John Lundgren, Aleksandrs Antonenko, Niklas Björling Rygert, Michael Schmidberger, Ola Eliasson, Karl Rombo, Gunnar Lundberg, Linus Börjesson, Conny Thimander, Magnus Kyhle, Kristian Flor, Ian Power, Alar Pintsaar, Agneta Lundgren, John Erik Eleby, Anton Eriksson, and Jon Nilsson. Pier Giogio Morandi conducts The Royal Swedish Opera Orchestra (Concertmaster Tomas Gustafsson) and Royal Opera Male Chorus (Chorus Master Bo Wannefors). Set and costume design by Herbert Murauer; video direction by Hannes Rossacher. Released in 2013, disc has 5.1 Dolby Digital sound. Grade: NA

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MacMillan Triple Bill

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Triple bill of short ballets choreographed by Kenneth MacMillan---each ballet is quite different and unrelated to the others.

1. Elite Syncopations. Music by Scott Joplin and others. Stars Sarah Lamb, Mara Galeazzi, Laura McCulloch, Iohna Loots, Valeri Hristov, Paul Kay, Steven McRae, Liam Scarlett, and Jonathan Watkins. Onstage band includes players Deborah Green, John Montague, Stephen Broom, Rhydian Shaxson, Tony Hougham, Sarah Brooke, Rachel Elliott, Ian Balmain, John Shaddock, Lindsay Shilling, Jim Anderson, and Nicholas Ormrod led by Robert Clark, piano player and conductor. Costume design by Ian Spurling; lighting by John B. Reed; staging by Julie Lincoln.

2. The Judas Tree. Music by Brian Elias commissioned for this ballet. Stars Carlos Acosta, Edward Watson, Bennet Gartside, Leanne Benjamin, Ryoichi Hirano, Andrej Uspenski, Valeri Hristov, Kenta Kura, José Martín, Erico Montes, Michael Stojko, Eric Underwood, Jonathan Watkins, James Wilkie, and Thomas Whitehead. Barry Wordsworth conducts the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House with concert master Sergey Levitin. Designs by Jock McFadyen; lighting by Mark Henderson; staging by Karl Burnett.

3. Concerto. Music is the Dmitry Shostakovich Piano Concerto No. 2. Stars Yuhui Choe, Steven McRae, Marianela Nuñez, Rupert Pennefather, and Helen Crawford. Dominic Grier conducts the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House with concert master Sergey Levitin. Jonathan Higgins plays solo piano. Designs by Jürgen Rose; lighting by John B. Read; staging by Christopher Carr.

Film director was Ross MacGibbon. Released 2010, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio. Grade: B

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Verdi Messa da Requiem

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Verdi Messa da Requiem. Recorded 2011 at the Teatro Farnese as part of the Verdi Festival Parma and published as the last release in the Tutto Verdi project. Yuri Temirkanov conducts the Orchestra e Coro del Teatro Regio di Parma (Chorus Master Martino Faggiani). Singers are Dimitra Theodossiou (soprano), Sonia Ganassi (mezzo-soprano), Francesco Meli (tenor), and Riccardo Zanellato (bass). Directed for TV by Tiziano Mancini. Includes a bonus, directed by Sergej Grguric, called Verdi's Backyard, about the Parma region (near Verdi's birthplace) that Verdi called home and where the famous Verdi Festival is located. Sung in Latin. Released 2013, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA

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Caravaggio

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Caravaggio modern ballet with choreography by Mauro Bigonzetti. Music by Bruno Moretti based on numerous selections from Claudio Monteverdi. Performed  2008 by the Berliner Stattsballett at the Staatsoper Unter den Linden. Stars Vladimer Malakhov, Polina Semionova, Beatrice Knop, Mikhail Kaniskin, Dmitry Semionov, Elisa Carrillo Cabrera, Shoko Nakamura, Michael Banzhaf, and Leonard Jakovina. Additional dances are Sarah Mestrovic, Stephanie Greenwald, Sebnem Gülseker, Marina Kanno, Krasina Pavlova, Nanami Terai, Xenia Wiest, Arshak Ghalumyan, Dominic Hodal, Alexander Korn, Vladislav Marinov, Federico Spallitta, Robert Wohlert, Mehmet Yümak, Iana Balova, Maria Baumpouli, Soraya Bruno, Maria Giambona, Elinor Jagodnik, Enelyn Kocak, Anastasia Kukova, Natalia Munoz, Aoi Suyama, Verena Thurm, Martin Arroyos, Gevorg Asoyan, Giacomo Bevilacqua, Taras Bilenko, Christian Krehl, Aymeric Mosselmans, Alexej Orlenco, Javier Pena Vazquez, Kévin Pouzou, Alexander Shpak, and David Simic. Paul Connelly conducts the Staatskapelle Berlin. Lighting and set design by Carlo Cerri; costumes by Kristopher Millar and Lois Swandale; choreology Marzena Sobanska (not a typo---choreology is a form of dance notation); directed for TV by Andreas Morell. Released 2009, this disc has 7.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: B+

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Anna Nicole

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Mark-Anthony Turnage Anna Nicole opera to a libretto by Richard Thomas. Commissioned by The Royal Opera. Directed February 2011 as a world première by Richard Jones at the Royal Opera House. Stars Eva-Maria Westbroek (Anna Nicole), Wynne Evans (Mayor of Mexia), Damian Thantrey (Roy Fiction, Deputy Mayor of Mexia), Susan Bickley (Virgie), Jeremy White (Daddy Hogan), Rebecca de Pont Davies (Aunt Kay), Loré Lixenberg (Shelly), Grant Doyle (Billy), Gerald Finley (Stern), Allison Cook (Blossom), Yvonne Barclay, Katy Batho, Amanda Floyd, Amy Catt (Four Lap Dancers), Jeffrey Lloyd-Roberts (Trucker), Dominic Peckham (Dominic Gent), Grant Doyle (Patron), Kiera Lyness, Marianne Cotterill, Louise Armit, Andrea Hazell (Meat Rack Quartet), Andrew Rees (Doctor Yes), Alan Oke (J. Howard Marshall II), Andrew Gilbert (Young Daniel), Dominic Rowntree (Teenage Daniel), ZhengZhong Zhou (Runner), and Peter Hoare (Larry King, a television ajournalist). Also features onstage band members Peter Erskine (Drummer), John Paul Jones (Bass Guitar), and John Parricelli (Guitar). Antonio Pappano conducts the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House (Concert Master Vasko Vassilev) and the Royal Opera Chorus (Chorus iDirector Renato Balsadonna). Sets by Miriam Buether; costumes by Nicky Gillibrand; lighting by Mimi Jordan Sherin and D.M. Wood. Directed for TV by Francesca Kemp. We can't be sure, but we think the recording presented in this title was substantially or entirely shot on the opening night of February 17, 2011. Sung in vulgar American English. Released 2011, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: B

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Rienzi

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Wagner Rienzi opera to libretto by the composer. Directed 2012 by Jorge Lavelli at the Théâtre du Capitole, Toulouse. Stars Torsten Kerl (Rienzi), Marika Schönberg (Irene), Daniela Sindram (Adriano), Richard Wiegold (Stefano Colonna), Stefan Heidemann (Paolo Orsini), Robert Bork (Cardinal Orvieto), Marc Heller (Baroncelli), Leonardo Neiva (Cecco del Vecchio), and Jennifer O'Loughlin (Messenger of Peace). Pinchas Steinberg conducts the Orchestre National du Capitole, the Chœur du Capitole, and the Coro dell'Accademia Teatro alla Scala di Milano (Chorus Master Alfonso Caiani). Artistic collaboration by Dominique Poulange; sets by Ricardo Sánchez Cuerda; costumes by Francesco Zito; lighting by Jorge Levelli and Roberto Trafferi; directed for TV by Denis Caïozzi. Released 2013, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA

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Tanglewood 75th Anniversary Celebration

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Tanglewood 75th Anniversary Celebration concert. Here's the program and the performers:

  • Copland. Fanfare for the Common Man. Boston Pops Orchestra conducted by Keith Lockhart.

  • Leonard Bernstein. Three dance episodes from On the Town. Boston Pops Orchestra conducted by Keith Lockhart.

  • Selections from The Great American Song Book. James Taylor and John Williams with the Boston Pops.

  • Haydn Piano Concerto in D (excerpts). Emanual Ax with the Tanglewod Music Center Orchestra conducted by Stefan Asbury.

  • Tchaikovsky Andante Cantabile. Yo-Yo Ma and the Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra.

  • Pablo de Sarasate. Carmen Fantasy. Anne-Sophie Mutter with the Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra directed by Andris Nelsons.

  • Ravel La Valse. Boston Symphony Orchestra directed by Andris Nelsons.

  • Beethoven Choral Fantasy for Piano, Chorus, and Orchestra. Peter Serkin plays piano with the Boston Symphony Orchestra conducted by David Zinman and the Tangelwood Festival Chorus under John Oliver.

Directed for TV by Bill Cosel. Released 2013, disc has dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA

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Strauss Don Juan, Wagner Wesendonck-Lieder, and Brahms Symphony No. 1

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Strauss Don Juan, Wagner Wesendonck Lieder, and Brahms Symphony No. 1 concert. In 2012, Mariss Jansons conducts the Wiener Philharmoniker at the Großes Festspielhaus as part of the Salzburg Festival. Nina Stemme sings the 5 Wesendonck Lieder. Here is the program:

  • Richard Strauss Don Juan Tone poem for large Orchestra.

  • Wagner Wesendonck-Lieder. Five songs for female voice after poems by Mathilde Wesendonck, Orchestration by Felix Mottl.

  • Brahms Symphony No. 1.

Directed for TV by Brian Large. Released 2013, disc has 5.0 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA

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Dionysos

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Wolfgang Rihm Dionysos "opera fantasy." World premiere at the 2010 Salzburg Festival directed by Pierre Audi (Haus für Mozart). Stars Mojca Erdmann (1st High Soprano/Ariadane), Elin Rombo (2nd High Soprano), Virpi Räisänen (Mezzo-Soprano), Julia Faylenbogen (Alto), Johannes Martin Kränzle (N.), Matthias Klink (A Guest/Apollo), and Uli Kirsch (The Skin). Ingo Metzmacher conducts the Deutsches Symphonieorchester Berlin and the Konzertvereinigung Wiener Staatsopernchor (Chorus Master Jörn H. Andresen). Sets by Jonathan Meese; costume by Jorge Jara; lighting by Jean Kalman; TV direction by Bettina Ehrhardt. A substantial bonus extra by Bettina Ehrhardt is called I am Thy Labyrinth. Released 2013, disc has 5.0 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA

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Matilde di Shabran

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Rossini Matilde di Shabran opera to a libretto by Jacopo Ferretti. Directed 2012 by Mario Martone at the Rossini Opera Festival in Pesaro. Stars Olga Peretyatko (Matilde), Juan Diego Flórez (Corradino), Paolo Bordogna (Isidoro), Anna Goryachova (Edoardo), Nicola Alaimo (Aliprando), Chiara Chialli (Contessa d'Arco), Simon Orfila (Ginardo), Giorgio Misseri (Egoldo), Marco Filippo Romano (Raimondo), and Ugo Rosati (Rodrigo). Also features musicians Giulio Zappa (fortepiano) and Roberto Cima (Cello continuo). Michele Mariotti conducts the Orchestra and Coro del Teatro Comunale di Bologna (Chorus Master Lorenzo Fratini). Set design by Sergio Tramonti; costume design by Ursula Patzak; lighting design by Pasquale Mari; video direction by Tiziano Mancini. Released 2013, disc has dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA

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Lucia di Lammermoor

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Donizetti Lucia di Lammermoor opera to libretto by Salvadore Cammarano. Directed 2009 by Mary Zimmerman at the Met. Stars Mariusz Kwiecien (Enrico), Anna Netrebko (Lucia), Piotr Beczala (Edgardo), Colin Lee (Arturo), Ildar Abdrazakov (Raimondo), Michaela Martens (Alisa), and Michael Myers (Normanno). Marco Armiliato conducts the Met Orchestra and Chorus (Chorus Master Donald Palumbo). Harp solo by Mariko Anraku; flute solo by Stefán Ragnar Höskuldsson; harmonica solo by Cecilia Brauer. Sets by Daniel Ostling; costumes by Mara Blumenfels; lighting by T. J. Gerckens; choreography by Daniel Pelzig; directed for HD TV by Gary Halvorson. Released 2013, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: A+

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