Beethoven Symphonies 1-9. This is a box set of all 9 Beethoven symphonies with Iván Fischer conducting the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra and the Netherlands Radio Choir. Recorded live at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam on 11 May 2013 (1, 2, & 5), 31 May 2013 (3 & 4), 9-10 January 2014 (6 & 7), and 20-21 February 2014 (8 & 9). Symphony No. 9 features Myrto Papatanasiu (soprano), Bernarda Fink (mezzo-soprano), Burkhard Fritz (tenor), and Gerald Finley (bass). Title is available also in DVD, but recordings of single symphonies are not offered. Sound is 96 kHz, 24 bit in LPCM 2.0, and DTS-HD MA 5.0. (It is clearly noted in the booklet and on the cases that both sound formats are 96/24.) TV Director is Dick Kuijs for all. Released 2015. Grade: B- as an average for the whole box.
Read MoreBruckner Symphony No. 9 in D Minor (Edition: Alfred Orel). On May 24, 2015, Christian Thielemann conducts the Dresden Staatskapelle at the Festspielshaus Baden-Baden. Video direction by Agnes Méth. Released 2016 by C Major, music was recorded with 48kHz/24-bit sound sampling, and the disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio output. Grade: B-
Read MoreMahler Symphony No. 9 concert. Claudio Abbado conducts the Lucerne Festival Orchestra in 2010. Directed for TV by Michael Beyer; produced by Paul Smaczny. Released 2011, music was recorded with 48kHz/16-bit [checked this twice] sound sampling, and disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound output. This is the first HDVD to have a "multi-angle conductor camera." Grade: D+
Read MoreSibelius Symphonies 1-7 (or Sibelius Complete Symphonies) box set. Hannu Lintu conducts the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra at the Helsinki Music Centre between 2012 and 2014. Also includes introductions discussing the musical themes for each symphony and extensive other documentary material about Sibelius the man. Directed for TV by Timo Anttila and Mika Paavilainen. Released 2015, music was recorded with 48kHz/24-bit sound sampling, and disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: B for the entire box.
Read MoreMahler Symphony No. 4 and Rückert-Lieder concert. Claudio Abbado conducts the Lucerne Festival Orchestra in 2009. Magdalena Kožená sings mezzo-soproano. TV direction by Michael Beyer. Released 2010, music was recorded with 48kHz/16-bit sound sampling, and the disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio surround sound output. Grade: C+ for Mahler Symphony No. 4 and Grade: B+ for the Rückert-Lieder
Read MoreMahler Symphony No. 1 and Prokofiev Piano Concerto No. 3 concert. Claudio Abbado conducts the Lucerne Festival Orchestra in 2009. Yuja Wang is soloist. TV direction by Michael Beyer. Released 2010, music was recorded with 48 kHz/24-bit sound sampling, and disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound output. Grade: C+ for the Prokofiev concerto and C- for the Mahler Symphony No. 1
Read MoreGeorge Gershwin Porgy and Bess folk opera, to a libretto by DuBose Heyward, Dorothy Heyward, and Ira Gershwin. Directed 2009 by Francesca Zambello (Associate Director Rita D'Angelo Tikador) at the War Memorial Opera House, San Francisco. Stars Eric Owens (Porgy), Laquita Mitchell (Bess), Chauncey Packer (Sportin' Life), Lester Lynch (Crown), Angel Blue (Clara), Karen Slack (Serena), Alteouise deVaughn (Maria), Eric Greene (Jake), Michael Bragg (Mingo), Michael Austin (Robbins), Calvin Lee (Peter), Kenneth Overton (Frazier), Malesha Jessie (Annie), Amber Mercomes (Lily), Samantha McElhaney (Strawberry Woman), Earl Hazell (Jim), Darren K. Stokes (Undertaken), Fredrick Matthews (Nelson), Ashley Faatoalia (Crab Man), Richard Farrell (Detective), Louis Landman (Policeman), and John Minágro (Coroner). Additional solo voices: Pamela Dillard, David Hughey, Kenneth Nichols, Taiwan Norris, Shawnette Sulker, Nicole Taylor, and Tammy Woods. John DeMain conducts the San Fransisco Opera Orchestra (Kay Stern Concert Master) and Chorus (Chorus Director Ian Robertson). Set design by Peter J. Davison; costumes by Paul Tazewell; lighting design by Mark McCullough; choreography by Denni Sayers. Directed for screen by Frank Zamacona. Producers were Jessica Koplos and Matthew Shilvock; Executive Producer was David Gockley. Released 2014, LPCM stereo was recorded with 48kHz/16 bit and surround sound was recorded with 96kHz/24 bit sampling. Disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound output. Grade: A+
Read MoreOffenbach Les contes d'Hoffmann opera to a libretto by Jules Barbier. Directed 2015 by Stefan Herheim at the Bregenz Festival. Stars Daniel Johansson (Hoffmann), Kerstin Avemo (Olympia, Giulietta), Mandy Friedrich (Antonia, Giulietta), Rachel Frenkel (Muse, Niklausse, Voice of Antonia's mother), Michael Volle (Lindorf, Luther, Coppélius, Dr. Miracle, Dapertutto), Bengt-Ola Morgny (Spalanzani), Ketil Hugaas (Crespel) and Christophe Mortagne (Andrès, Cochenille, Frantz, Pitichinaccio). Back art leaves out Stella, who is played it seems by Pelle Karlsson. But Herheim cuts Schlemil. Johannes Debus conducts the Wiener Symphoniker and Prague Philharmonic Orchestra (Chorus Master Lukáš Vasilek). Set design by Christof Hetzer; costume design by Esther Bialas; lighting design by Phoenix (Andreas Hofer); videos by fettFilm (Momme Hinrichs and Torge Møller); dramaturgy by Olaf A. Schmidt; video direction by Felix Breisach. Released 2016, Blu-ray disc has 5.0 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
Read MoreVerdi La forza del destino opera to libretto by Francesco Piave revised by Antonio Ghislanzoni. Directed 2014 by Martin Kušej at the Bayerische Staatsoper. Stars Anja Harteros (Leonora), Jonas Kaufmann (Don Alvaro), Vitalij Kowaljow (Il Marchese di Calatrava/Padre Guardiano), Ludovic Tézier (Don Carlo de Vargas), Nadia Krasteva (Preziosilla), Renato Girolami (Fra Melitone), Heike Grötzinger (Curra), Christian Rieger (the Mayor), Francesco Petrozzi (Maestro Trabuco), and Rafał Pawnuk (Un chirurgo). Asher Fisch conducts the Bayerisches Staatsorchester & Chor der Bayerischen Staatsoper (Chorus Master Sören Eckhoff). Sets by Martin Zehetgruber; lighting by Reinhard Traub; costumes by Heidi Hackl; dramatic advisors Olaf A. Schmitt and Benedikt Stampfli. Directed for video by Thomas Grimm. Executive Producer Norman Patokha; Producer Magdalena Herbst. Released 2016, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: A-
Read MoreShakespeare King & Country Box Set. This box set includes the Royal Shakespeare Company productions of Richard II, Henry IV Part I, Henry IV Part II, and Henry V. All four titles are available individually on this website, and you can get more details by using the links provided:
1. Richard II. 2014. (A)
2. Henry IV Part I. 2015. (A+)
3. Henry IV Part II. 2015. (A)
4. Henry V. 2016. (A+)
This is one of the best boxes Opus Arte has put together. Everything is superb. It's April 2017 and the price for this in the US now is about $65, which is a real bargain. I remember watching some of this in about 1980 when the BBC put all of Shakespeare on SD TV. I didn't dare to dream then that I would ever see the Henriad done so well as the RSC does it in these HDVDs.
Read MoreBruckner Symphony No. 4 (the "Romantic"). Franz Welser-Möst conducts the Cleveland Orchestra at the Stiftsbasilika Monastery in St. Florian, Austria in 2012. Produced by Herbert G. Kloiber and Felix Breisach; video director was Brian Large. Released 2013, music was recorded with 48 kHz/24-bit sound sampling, and the disc has 5.0 dts-HD Master Audio sound output. Grade: A-
Read MoreBruckner Symphony No. 8. Franz Welser-Möst conducted the Cleveland Orchestra at Severance Hall in 2010. Directed for TV and video by William Cosel; audio production by Elaine Martone and Robert Woods; audio recording and mixing by Michael Bishop and Thomas C. Moore; produced by Herbert G. Kloiber. Released 2012, music was recorded with 48kHz/24-bit sound sampling, and the disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound output. Grade: B+
Read MoreDes Knaben Wunderhorn concert. Pierre Boulez conducts the Cleveland Orchestra in 2010 at Severance Hall in Cleveland. Soloists Magdalena Kožená and Christian Gerhaher present the standard twelve songs from Mahler's Wunderhorn collection. The adagio from Mahler's Symphony No. 10 (unfinished) is also performed. This title, originating with Clasart Film und Fernsehproduktions GmbH, was produced by Herbert G. Kloiber and directed for TV and video by Wiliam Cosel. Released 2011, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: C-
Read MoreBruckner Symphony No. 7. Franz Welser-Möst conducts the Cleveland Orchestra at Severance Hall in 2008. This title, originating with Clasart Film und Fernsehproduktions GmbH, was produced by Herbert G. Kloiber and directed for TV and video by William Cosel. Released 2011, music was recorded with 48kHz/24-bit sound sampling, and the disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: D
Read MoreBaroque Opera Classics box set released 2016. 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. Handel Deidamia. 2012. (Grade: NA)
2. Cavalli La Didone. 2012. (Grade: NA)
3. Pergolesi Adriano In Siria. 2011. (Grade: NA)
4. Cavalli Ercole Amante. 2010. (Grade: B-)
5. Rameau Zoroastre. 2008. (Grade: A)
6. Scarlatti Dove È Amore È Gelosia. 2013. (Grade: A+)
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