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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La Traviata (Gimadieva)

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Verdi La Traviata opera to a libretto by Francesco Maria Piave. Directed 2014 by Tom Cairns at Glyndebourne. Stars Venera Gimadieva (Violetta Valéry), Michael Fabiano (Alfredo Germont), Tassis Christoyannis (Giorgio Germont), Emanuele D’Aguanno (Gastone de Letorières), Magdalena Molendowska (Annina), Hanna Hipp (Flora Bervoix), Eddie Wade (Baron Douphol), Oliver Dunn (Marquis d'Orbigny) , and Graeme Broadbent (Doctor Grenvil). Mark Elder conducts the London Philharmonic Orchestra and the Glyndebourne Chorus. Lighting by Peter Mumford. Directed for TV by François Roussillon. Sung in Italian. Released 2015, Blu-ray disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA

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Tannhäuser

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Wagner Tannhäuser opera to libretto by the composer. Directed 2014 by Sebastian Baumgarten at the Bayreuth Festspiele. Stars Torsten Kerl (Tannhäuser), Camilla Nylund (Elisabeth, Nichte des Landgrafen), Michelle Breedt (Venus), Markus Eiche (Wolfram von Eschenbach), Kwangchul Youn (Landgraf Hermann), Lothar Odinius (Walther von der Vogelweide), Thomas Jesatko (Biterolf), Stefan Heibach (Heinrich der Schreiber), and Rainer Zaun (Reinmar von Zweter). Axel Kober conducts the Bayreuth Festival Orchestra and Chorus (Chorus Master Eberhard Friedrich). Stage design by Joep van Lieshout; costume design by Nina von Mechow; lighting design by Frank Evin; video by Christopher Kondek; dramaturgy by Carl Hegemann. Directed for TV by Michael Beyer; produced by Katharina Wagner. Sung in German. Released 2015, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA

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Il Farnace

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Vivaldi Il Farnace opera to a libretto by Antonio Maria Lucchini. Directed by Marco Gandini at the Teatro Lirico di Calgliari. Stars Mary-Ellen Nesi (Farnace), Delphine Galou (Berenice), Sonia Prina (Tamiri), Loriana Castellano, (Selinda), Emanuele D’Aguanno, (Pompeo), Roberta Mameli (Gilade), and Magnus Staveland (Aquilio). Actors are Carmelo Galati and Carlo Riccioli. Features Giulia Nuti on harpsichord, Simone Vallerotonda on theorbo and baroque guitar, and Michele Tazzari on basso continuo. Federico Maria Sardelli conducts the Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino. Chorus directed by Dario Shikhmiri. Set design by Italo Grassi; costume design by Italo Grassi and Simona Morresi; light design by Valerio Tiberi; video design by Virginio Levrio. Directed for video and TV by Matteo Ricchetti. Released 2015, disc has 5.0 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA

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Lang Lang - The Chopin Dance Project

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Lang Lang - The Chopin Dance Project, is a piano recital by Lang Lang supporting a ballet performance for 16 dancers of the Houston Ballet, all live. Choreographed by Stanton Welch, the Dance Project was filmed 2013 at the Théâtre des Champs Elysées. Dancers are Ian Casady, Jessica Collado, Derek Dunn, Karina Gonzalez, James Gotesky, Oliver Halkowich, Nozomi Iijima, Melody Mennite, Allison Miller, Jim Nowakowski, Katharine Precourt, Lauren Strongin, Brian Waldrep, Connor Walsh, Joseph Walsh, and Charles-Louis Yoshiyama.  Detailed notes in the keepcase booklet list the dancers on stage for each of the following Chopin works:

1. Ballade No.1 in G minor op. 23
2. Etude No. 7 in C-sharp minor op. 25
3. Ballade No. 2 in F major op. 38
4. Ballade No. 4 in F minor op. 52
5. Waltz No. 1 in E-flat major op. 18 "Grande Valse brillante"
6. Nocturne No. 1 in F major op. 15
7. Waltz No. 19 in A minor op. posth.
8. Andante spianato op. 22
9. Etude No. 3 in E major opus 10 "Tristesse"
10. Nocturne No. 2 in E-flat major op. 55
11. Grande Polonaise brillante in E-flat major op. 22
12. Nocturne in C-sharp minor, op. posth. No. 16

Stage Director was Michelle Elliott; Lighting Designer was Lisa J. Pinkham; Video Director was Olivier Simonnet. Produced by Jean-Stéphane Michaux and François Bertrand. Music recorded with 48kHz/24-bit sound sampling. Released 2015, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: A 

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Swan Lake

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Swan Lake ballet. Music by Tchaikovsky. Book by V. P. Begitchev and Vasily Geltzer. Choreography by Marius Petipa, Lev Ivanov, Frederick Ashton, and David Bintley. Danced 2015 in the Anthony Dowell production at the Royal Opera House. Stars Natalie Osipova (Odette/Odile), Matthew Golding (Prince Siegfried), Gary Avis (Rothbart), Elizabeth McGorian (Queen), Alastair Marriott (Tutor), Ryoichi Hirano (Benno), and Erico Montes (Lord Chamberlain). Other dancers include Francesca Hayward, Yuhui Choe, and Alekander Campbell (Pas de trois); Tara-Brigitte Bhavnani and Nathalie Harrison (Chaperones); Erico Montes (A General); Manon Forssell Pyk and Emily-Rose Holland (Young Girls); Christina Arestis, Fumi Kaneko, Kristen McNally, Beatriz Stix-Brunell, Sander Blommaert, Tristan Dyer, Ryoichi Hirano, Fernando Montaño, Emma Maguire, and Paul Kay (Waltz); Francesca Hayward, Meaghan Grace Hinkis, Emma Maguire, and Yasmine Naghdi (Cygnets); Melissa Hamilton and Itziar Mendizabal (Two Swans); Tara-Brigitte Bhavnani, Olivia Cowley, Nathalie Harrison, Mayara Magri, Yasmine Naghdi,  and Beatriz Stix-Brunell (Six Princesses); Christina Arestis, Kristen McNally, Kevin Emerton, and Thomas Whitehead (Spanish Dance); Claire Calvert and Bennet Gartside (Czárdás); Laura Morera and Ricardo Cervera (Neapolitan Dance); Jacqueline Clark, Sian Murphy, Demelza Parish, Lara Turk, Sander Blommaert, Nicol Edmond, Fernando Montaño, and Donald Thom (Mazurka). Boris Gruzin conducts the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House (Concert Master Vasko Vassilev). Designs by Yolanda Sonnabend; lighting by Mark Henderson; production research by Roland John Wiley; staging by Christopher Carr; ballet mistress was Samantha Raine; principal coaching by Alexander Agadzhanov; Benesh notation by Anna Trevien and Gregory Mislin; directed for TV by Ross MacGibbon. Released 2015, disc has 5.0 (package says 4.1) dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: B-

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Così fan tutte

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Mozart Così fan tutte opera to libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte. Directed 2013 by Sven-Eric Bechtolf at the Salzburg Festival. Stars Malin Hartelius (Fiordiligi), Luca Pisaroni (Guglielmo), Marie-Claude Chappuls (Dorabella), Martin Mitterrutzner (Ferrando), Martina Janková (Despina), and Gerald Finley (Don Alfonso). Christoph Eschenbach conducts the Wiener Philharmoniker and the Konzertvereinigung Wiener Staatsopernchor (Chorus Master Ernst Raffelsberger). Set design by Rolf Glittenberg; costume design by Marianne Glittenberg; lighting design by Jurgen Hoffman; directed for video by Tiziano Mancini. Released 2015, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA

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Aureliano in Palmira

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Rossini Aureliano in Palmira opera to a libretto by G. F. R. (generally attributed to Giuseppe Felice Romani). Directed 2014 by Mario Martone at the Rossini Opera Festival in Pesaro. Stars Michael Spyres (Aureliano), Jessica Pratt (Zenobia), Lena Belkina (Arsace), Raffaella Lupinacci (Publia), Dempsey Rivera (Oraspe), Sergio Vitale (Licinio), Dimitri Pkhaladze (Gran Sacerdote), and Raffaele Constantini (Un Pastore). Will Crutchfield completed a new critical edition of the score and conducts the Orchestra Sinfonica G. Rossini and the Chorus of the Teatro Comunale di Bologna (Chorus Master Andrea Faidutti). Set design by Sergio Tramonti; costume designs by Ursula Patzak; directed for TV by Tiziano Mancini. Released 2015, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA

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Die Zauberflöte

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Mozart Die Zauberflöte opera to a libretto by Emanuel Schikaneder. Directed 2006 by Pierre Audi at the Salzburg Festival (Grosses Festspielhaus) as part of the huge Salzburg Festival M22 Project to record all the Mozart operas in HD. Stars Paul Groves (Tamino), Genia Kühmeier (Pamina), Christian Gerhaher (Papageno), Irena Bespalovaite (Papagena), Diana Damrau (Queen of the Night), René Pape (Sarastro), Inga Kalna (First Lady), Karine Deshayes (Second Lady), Ekaterina Gubanova (Third Lady), Franz Grundheber (Speaker/First Priest), Xavier Mas (Second Priest), Michael Authenrieth (Third Priest), Burkhard Ulrich (Monostatos), Simon O'Neil (First Armoured Man), Peter Loehle (Second Armoured Man), and Members of the Vienna Boys' Choir (The Three Boys) . Riccardo Muti conducts the Wiener Philharmoniker and the Konzertvereinigung Wiener Staatsopernchor (Chorus Master Thomas Lang). Stage design by Karel Appel; costume design by Jorge Jara. Directed for TV by Brian Large; produced by Bernhard Fleischer. Sung in German. Released 2015, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA

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Roméo et Juliette

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Charles Gounod Roméo et Juliette opera to libretto by Jules Barbier & Michel Carré. Directed 2008 by Bartlett Sher at the Salzburg Festival. Stars Nino Machaidze (Juliette), Rolando Villazón (Roméo), Mikhail Petrenko (Frère Laurent), Russell Braun (Mercutio), Cora Burggraaf (Stéphano), Falk Struckmann (Comte Capulet), Juan Francisco Gatell (Tybalt), Susanne Resmark (Gertrude, the Nurse), Christian Van Horn (Duc de Vérone), Mathias Hausmann (Comte Pâris), Jean-Luc Ballestra (Grégorio), and Robert Murray (Benvolio). Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducts the Mozarteum Orchester Salzburg and the Konzertvereinigung Wiener Staatsopernchor (Chorus Master Jörn H. Andresen). Musical Assistant was Leo Hussain; set design by Michael Yeargan; costumes by Catherine Zuber; lighting by Jennifer Tipton; choreography by Chase Brock; fight scene by B. H. Barry; directed for TV by Brian Large. Released  2009, disc has 5.0 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: B+

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The Hollow Crown

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The Hollow Crown television film series. Each film is an adaptation of one of the works of Shakespeare's Henriad: Richard II; Henry IV, Part I; Henry IV, Part II; and Henry V. Directed by Rupert Goold (Richard II), Richard Eyre (Henry IV, Parts I & II), and Thea Sharrock (Henry V). Stars Ben Whishaw (King Richard II of England), Rory Kinnear (Henry Bolingbroke), Clémence Poésy (the Queen), David Suchet (the Duke of York), Patrick Stewart (John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster), David Morrissey (Earl of Northumberland), Tom Hughes (the Duke of Aumerle), James Purefoy (Thomas Mowbray, Duke of Norfolk), Lindsay Duncan (the Duchess of York), Ferdinand Kingsley (Bushy), Samuel Roukin (Bagot), Harry Hadden-Paton (Green), Tom Goodman-Hill (Sir Stephen Scroop), Adrian Schiller (Lord Willoughby), Peter de Jersey (Lord Ross), Finbar Lynch (Lord Marshall), Lucian Msamati (the Bishop of Carlisle), Richard Bremmer (the Abbot of Westminster), Rhodri Miles (the Welsh Captain), David Bradley (the Gardener), Simon Trinder (the Gardener's Assistant), Isabella Laughland (the Queen's Lady), Daniel Boyd (the Groom), Jeremy Irons (Henry IV), Simon Russell Beale (Falstaff), Tom Hiddleston (Prince Hal/King Henry V), Julie Walters (Mistress Quickly), Alun Armstrong (Earl of Northumberland), Joe Armstrong (Hotspur), David Bamber (Robert Shallow), Niamh Cusack (Lady Northumberland), David Dawson (Poins), Michelle Dockery (Lady Percy), Tom Georgeson (Bardolph), Iain Glen (Earl of Warwick), Nicholas Jones (Archbishop of York), David Hayman (Earl of Worcester), James Laurenson (Earl of Westmoreland), Geoffrey Palmer (Lord Chief Justice), Harry Lloyd (Edmund Mortimer), Maxine Peake (Doll Tearsheet), Paul Ritter (Ancient Pistol), Robert Pugh (Owen Glendower), Alex Clatworthy (Lady Mortimer), Ian Conningham (Peto), Stephen McCole (Douglas), Adam Kotz (Hastings), Henry Faber (Prince John of Lancaster), Mark Tandy (Sir Richard Vernon), Pip Torrens (Mowbray), Tim McMullan (Silence), Michael Keane (Thomas Wart), Dominic Rowan (Coleville of the Dale), Jolyon Coy (Sir Walter Blun), John Hurt (the Chorus/Falstaff's boy as a man), Geraldine Chaplin (Alice), Paul Freeman (Thomas Erpingham), Tom Georgeson (Bardolph), Richard Griffiths (Duke of Burgundy), Paterson Joseph (Duke of York), Anton Lesser (Exeter), Paul Ritter (Ancient Pistol), Malcolm Sinclair (Archbishop of Canterbury), Owen Teale (Captain Fluellen), Mélanie Thierry (Princess Katherine), Lambert Wilson (Charles, King of France), Edward Akrout (Louis, the Dauphin), Tom Brooke (Corporal Nym), Jeremie Covillaut (Montjoy), Maxime Lefrançois (The Constable of France), Stanley Weber (Duke of Orleans), Gwilym Lee (Williams), Richard Clothier (Earl of Salisbury), Nigel Cooke (Bishop of Ely), John Dagleish (Peto), George Sargeant (Falstaff’s boy). Cinematography by Danny Cohen (Richard II) and Ben Smithard (Henry IV, Parts I & II); produced by Pippa Harris, Sam Mendes, Gareth Neame, and Rupert Ryle-Hodges. Released 2015, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. From the picture of the back of the package above, you can see that this is marked for Region B only, and this is also pointed out in the Amazon for sale posting. It would appear no Region A or C version of this has been released. Grade: NA

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