Verdi Les vêpres siciliennes opera to libretto by Charles Duveyrier and Eugène Scribe. Directed 2010 by Christof Loy at the Amsterdam Music Theatre. Stars Alejandro Marco-Buhrmester (Guy de Montfort), Jeremy White (La Sire de Béthune), Christophe Fel (Le Comte de Vaudemont), Burkhard Fritz (Henri), Balint Szabo (Jean Procida), Barbara Haveman (Duchess Hélène), Lívia Ághová (Ninetta), Fabrice Farina (Daniéli), Hubert Francis (Thibault), Roger Smeets (Robert), and Rudi de Vries (Mainfroid). Also features dancers Barbara Spitz (Barbara Nota), Adam Ster (Henri Nota), Richard Gittins (Frédéric d'Autriche), Katharina Wunderlich (Hélène d'Autriche), and Samon Presland (The Young Montfort) for the Four Seasons ballet segment. Paolo Carignani conducts the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra and the Koor van De Nederlandse Opera (Chorus Master Martin Wright). Ballet storybook by Thomas Jonigk; set design by Johannes Leiacker; costume design by Ursula Renzenbrink; lighting design by Bernd Purkrabek; choreography by Thomas Wilhelm; dramaturgy by Yvonne Gebauer; video by Evita Galanou and Thomas Wollenberger. Directed for TV by Misjel Vermeiren. Sung in French. Released 2011, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: D+
Read MoreLa finta giardiniera
Mozart La finta giardiniera opera to a libretto possibly by Giuseppe Petrosellini. Directed 2014 by David Lescot at the Opéra de Lille. Stars Carlo Allemano (Don Anchise, the Podestà), Erin Morley (Violante, disguised as Sandrina), Enea Scala (Comte Belfiore), Marie-Adeline Henry (Arminda), Marie-Claude Chappuis (Ramiro), Maria V. Savastano (Serpetta), and Nikolay Borchev (Roberto, disguised as Nardo). Emmanuelle Haïm conducts Le Concert d'Astrée (Chorus Master Philippe Grisvard). Atsushi Sakaï was Assistant to the Music Director. Set designs by Alwyne de Dardel; costumes by Sylvette Dequest; lighting by Paul Beaureilles; directed for film by Jean-Pierre Loisil. Released 2009, disc has 5.1 dts-HD sound. Grade: NA
Read MoreOtello
Verdi Otello opera to libretto by Arrigo Boito. Directed 2012 by Elijah Moshinsky at the Met. Stars Johan Botha (Otello), Renée Fleming (Desdemona), Falk Struckmann (Iago), Michael Fabiano (Cassio), Renée Tatum (Emilia), Stephen Gaertner (Montano), Eduardo Valdes (Roderigo), James Morris (Lodovico), and Luthando Qave (A Herald). Semyon Bychkov conducts the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, Chorus, and Ballet (Chorus Master Dorald Palumbo). Sets designed by Michael Yeargan; costumes by Peter J. Hall; lighting by Duane Schuler; choreography by Eleanor Fazan; stage direction by David Kneuss; directed for TV by Barbara Willis Sweete. Music Producer was Jay David Saks; Supervising Producers were Mia Bongiovanni and Elena Park; Producers were Louisa Briccetti and Victoria Warivonchik. Released 2014, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
Read MoreShakespeare Globe Box Set
Shakespeare Globe box set with 3 Globe Theatre productions. 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. As You Like It. 2009. (Grade A+)
2. Love's Labour's Lost. 2010. (Grade A)
3. Romeo and Juliet. 2009. (Grade B+)
Released 2015, each disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
Read MoreDonizetti Classic Comedies
Donizetti Classic Comedies box set. This box set includes two previously released Glyndebourne productions of Donizetti operas. Below are the discs. See the individual titles for more information:
1. Don Pasquale. 2013. (Not Yet Graded)
2. L'elisir d'amore. 2009. (Grade A+)
Released 2015, both discs have 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
Read MoreJenůfa
Janáček Jenůfa opera to a libretto by the composer. Directed 2009 by Stéphane Braunschweig at the Teatro Real Madrid. Stars Amanda Roocroft (Jenůfa), Deborah Polaski (Kostelnička), Miroslav Dvorský (Laca Klemeň), Nikolai Schukoff (Števa Buryja), Mette Ejsing (Grandma Buryjovka), Károly Szemerédy (Mill Foreman), Sandra Ferrández (Barena), Miguel Sola (The Mayor), Marta Mathéu (Mayor's Wife), Marta Ubieta (Karolka), María José Suárez (Herdswoman), Elena Poesina (Jano), and Marina Makhmoutova (Aunt). Ivor Bolton conducts the Orchestra and Chorus of the Teatro Real (Chorus Master Perter Burian). Sets by Stéphane Braunschweig; costumes by Thibault Vancraenenbroeck; lighting by Marion Hewlett; directed for TV by Ángel Luis Ramírez. Music Producer was James Whitbourn; Executive Producer was Ângela Âlvarez Rilla. Sung in Czech with subtitles in English, French, German, and Spanish. Released 2011, disc has 5.1 dts Master Audio. Grade: A+
Read MoreJewels
Jewels ballet. Choreography by George Balanchine. Music by Gabriel Fauré, Igor Stravinsky, and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Performed 2005 by Paris Opera Ballet. Stars solo dancers Aurélie Dupont, Marie-Angès Gillot, Angès Lestestu, Clairemarie Osta, Laëtitia Pujol, Eleonora Abbagnato, Isabelle Ciaravola, Emilie Cozette, Jean-Guillaume Bart, Kader Belarbi, Mathieu Ganio, Alessio Carbone, Nolwenn Daniel, and Emmanuel Thibault. Corps de ballet: Nathalie Aubin, Bertrand Belem, Aurelia Bellet, Sébastien Bertraud, Audric Bezard, Bruno Bouché, Marie-Solène Boulet, Alexandra Cardinale, Cyril Chokroun, Lucie Clément, Aurore Cordellier, Julien Cozette, Leïla Dilhac, Noëmie Djiniadhis, Grégory Dominiak, Christophe Duquenne, Fanny Fiat, Mathilde Froustey, Grégory Gaillard, Mallory Gaudion, Muriel Hallé, Laura Hecquet, Mathias Heymann, Josua Hoffalt, Axel Ibot, Laurence Laffon, Vanessa Legassy, Laurène Lévy, Florian Magnenet, Sabrina Mallem, Sandrine Marache, Julie Martel, Juliane Mathis, Julien Meyzindi, Cyril Mitilian, Myriam Ould-Braham, Ludmilla Pagliero, Céline Palacio, Sofia Parcen, Nathalie Quernet, Fabien Révillion, Alexis Saramite, Cécile Sciaux, Simon Valastro, and Karine Villagrassa. Paul Connelly directs the Orchestra of the Opéra national de Paris. Set and costume design by Christian Lacroix; lighting by Jennifer Tipton; directed for TV by Pierre Cavassilas. Released 2008, has 5.0 PCM sound. Grade: B
Read MoreJewels
Jewels ballet. Choreography by George Balanchine. Music by Gabriel Fauré, Igor Stravinsky, and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Performed 2006 by the Mariinsky Ballet Company. Solo stars in the Emeralds part are Zhanna Ayupova, Denis Firsov, Daria Sukhorukova, Dmitry Semionov, Yana Selina, Xenia Ostreikovskaya, and Anton Korsakov; in Rubies, Irina Golub, Andrian Fadeyev, and Sofia Gumerova are the soloists; the soloists in Diamonds are Ulyana Lopatkina and Igor Zelensky. Tugan Sokhiev directs the Mariinsky Theater Orchestra. Rubies piano solo by Lyudmila Sveshnikova. Staging by Karin von Aroldingen, Sarah LeLand, Elyse Borne, and Sean Lavery; scenery by Peter Harvey, costumes by Karinska with recreation of costumes supervised by Holly Hines; original lighting by Roland Bates is executed by Perry Silvey; directed for TV by Brian Large. Released 2011, has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound Grade: A
Read MoreMacbeth
Verdi Macbeth opera to a libretto by Francesco Maria Piave. Directed 2013 by Dario Argento at the Teatro Carlo Coccia, Novara Italy. Stars Giuseppe Altomare (Macbeth), Giorgio Giuseppini (Banquo), Dimitra Theodossiou (Lady Macbeth), Valeria Sepe (Lady-in-waiting), Dario Di Vietri (Macduff), and Ernesto Petti (Malcolm). Giuseppe Sabbatini conducts the Orchestra Filarmonica del Piemonte and the Schola Cantorum San Gregorio Magno of Trecate, Italy (Chorus Master: Dario Argenta). Sets and lighting by Angelo Linzalata; costumes by Elena Bianchini. Released 2015, disc has 5.0 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
Read MoreCosì fan tutte
Mozart Così fan tutte opera to a libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte. Directed 2013 by Michael Haneke at the Teatro Real de Madrid. Stars Anett Fritsch (Fiordiligi), Paola Gardina (Dorabella), Kerstin Avemo (Despina), Juan Francisco Gatell (Ferrando), Andreas Wolf (Guglielmo), and William Shimell (Don Alfonso). Sylvain Cambreling conducts the Orchestra and Chorus of the Teatro Real de Madrid (Chorus Master Andrés Maspero). Pianoforte by Eugène Michelangeli. Sets designed by Christoph Kanter; costumes by Moidele Bickel; lighting by Urs Schönebaum; video edited by Monika Willi; directed for TV by Hannes Rossacher. Released 2013, disc has 5.0 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: C-
Read MoreI Capuleti e i Montecchi
Bellini I Capuleti e i Montecchi opera to a libretto by Felice Romani. Directed 2012 by Vincent Boussard at the San Francisco Opera. Stars Joyce DiDonato (Romeo [trousers]), Nicole Cabell (Giulietta), Saimir Pirgu (Tebaldo), Eric Owens (Capellio), and Ao Li (Lorenzo). Riccardo Frizza conducts the San Francisco Opera (Acting Concertmaster Laura Albers) and Chorus (Chorus Master Ian Robertson). Sets by Vincent Lemaire; costumes by Christian Lacroix; lighting by Guido Levi; directed for screen by Frank Zamacona; Master Audio/Video Engineer was Doug Mitchell; Audio Recording Engineer was Michael Chen. Zoltan Glied first reported this title was recorded with 96kHz/24-bit sound sampling for both its stereo and surround sound versions, and we confirmed this later. Released 2014, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio output. This is (we think) the second opera recording to have both audiophile sound and HD TV (our Alcina was the first). Grade: A+
Read MoreGiulio Cesare
Handel Giulio Cesare (Julius Caesar) opera to libretto by Nicola Francesco Haym. Directed 2005 by David McVicar at Glyndebourne. Stars singers Danielle de Niese (Cleopatra), Sarah Connolly (Giulio Cesare), Patricia Bardon (Cornelia), Angelika Kirchschlager (Sesto), Rachid Ben Abdeslam (Nireno), Christophe Dumaux (Tolomeo), Christopher Maltman (Achilla), Alexander Ashworth (Curio) and Nadja Zwiener (On-Stage Violin). Actors: Sirena Tocco, Irene Hardy, Hatim Kamel, Trevor Goldstein, Benjamin Timothy, and Ted Sikström. William Christie conducts the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment (Leader Alison Bury) and the Glyndebourne Chorus (Chorus Master Bernard McDonald). Continuo: harpsichord, Laurence Cummings and Benoìt Hartoin; cello, Jonathan Cohen; viola da gamba, Richard Tunnicliffe; bass, Chi-chi Nwanoku; theorbo, Elizabeth Kenny. Set design by Robert Jones; costumes by Brigitte Reiffenstuel; lighting by Paule Constable; movement direction by Andrew George; fight direction by Nicholas Hall; directed for TV by Robin Lough. Music was recorded with 48kHz/24-bit sound sampling. Opera has 5.0 PCM sound output. Released 2009, the opera runs 3 hours and 46 minutes, and there are valuable extras for a total of 5 hours runtime on 2 discs. Grade: A+
Read MoreThe Two Gentlemen of Verona
Shakespeare The Two Gentlemen of Verona play. Directed 2014 by Simon Godwin at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre. Stars Mark Arends (Proteus), Elliot Barnes-Worrell (Outlaw), Martin Bassindale (Speed), Pearl Chanda (Julia), Nicholas Gerard-Martin (Turio), Robert Gilbert (Outlaw), Jonny Glynn (Duke of Milan), Molly Gromadzki (Host/Outlaw), Youssef Kerkour (Sir Eglamour), Sarah MacRae (Silvia), Michael Marcus (Valentine), Roger Morlidge (Launce), Keith Osborn (Antonio), Leigh Quinn (Lucetta/Outlaw), Simon Yadoo (Panthino/Outlaw), and Mossup (Crab) [Mossup, a dog, plays the role of Crab, Launce's pet]. Design by Paul Wills; lighting design by Bruno Poet; music by Michael Bruce; sound by Christopher Shutt; movement by Jonathan Goddard. Directed for TV by Robin Lough; produced by John Wyver. Released 2015, this disc has 5.1 dts Master Audio. Grade: NA
Read MoreShostakovich Complete Symphonies and Concertos
Shostakovich Complete Symphonies and Concertos box set. Recorded 2013 and 2014 at the Salle Pleyel, Paris.Valery Gergiev conducts the Orchestra and Chorus of the Mariinsky Theatre. This set has introductions to compositions by Gergiev. And for those who don't want to listen to Gergiev, there is a "Play Music Only Function" that gives you just the music. Directed for TV by Don Kent. Released 2015, set has 5.0 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
Read MoreLear
Aribert Reimann Lear opera (composed 1978) to a libretto by Claus H. Henneberg. Directed 2014 by Karoline Gruber at the Staatsoper Hamburg. Stars Bo Skovhus (König or King Lear), Katja Pieweck (Goneril), Hellen Kwon (Regan), Siobhan Stagg (Cordelia), Erwin Leder (Narr or Fool), Lauri Vasar (Graf or Count von Gloster), Andrew Watts (Edgar), Martin Homrich (Edmund), Christian Miedl (Herzog or Duke von Albany), Peter Galliard (Herzog or Duke von Cornwall), Jürgen Sacher (Graf or Duke von Kent), Wilhelm Schwinghammer (König von Frankreich), and Frieder Stricker (Bedienter or Servant). Simone Young conducts the Philharmoniker Hamburg and Chor der Staatsoper Hamburg (Chorus Master Eberhard Friedrich). Set Design by Roy Spahn; costume design by Mechthild Seipel; lighting design by Hans Toelstede; directed for video by Marcus Richardt. Released 2015, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio. Grade: NA
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