Puccini Turandot opera to libretto by Giuseppe Adami and Renato Simoni. Directed 2008 by Chen Kaige at the Calatrava opera house Palau de las Arts "Reina Sofía" in Valencia. Stars Maria Guleghina (Turandot), Marco Berti (Calaf), Alexia Voulgaridou (Liù), Alexander Tsymbalyuk (Timur), Fabio Previati (Ping), Vincenç Esteve (Pang), Roger Padullés (Pong), Javier Agulló (Altoum), Ventseslav Anastasov (Un Mandarino), Ossama Badreddine (Prince of Persia, with voice sung by Javier Agulló), Eguzki López (Executioner), plus Immaculada Burriel and Jacqueline Squarcia (Handmaids). Zubin Mehta directs the Orquestra de la Comunitat Valenciana, the Cor de la Generalitat Valenciana (Chorus Master Francesc Perales), and the Escolania de la Mare de Déu dels Desemparats (Chorus Master Luis Garrido). Sets by Liu King; costumes by Chen Tong Xun; lighting by Albert Faura. Directed for TV by Tiziano Mancini. Sung in Italian. Released 2016, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: A
Read MoreGeorges Bizet Carmen opera to libretto by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy. Directed 2010 by Calixto Bieito at the Gran Teatre del Liceu. Stars Béatrice Uria-Monzon (Carmen), Roberto Algana (Don José), Marina Poplavskaya (Micaëla), Erwin Schrott (Escamillo), Eliana Bayón (Frasquita), Itxaro Mentxaka (Merédès), Marc Canturri (Le Dancaïre), Francisco Vas (Le Remendado), Àlex Sanmartí (Moralès, a Sergeant), Josep Ribot (Zungia, the Lieutenant), Abdel Aziz El Mountassir (Lillas Pastia), Xavi Estrada (mute/nude Toréador), and Tamara Santiago (Macarena). Marc Piollet conducts the Symphony Orchestra and Chorus of the Gran Teatre del Liceu (Chorus Master José Luis Basso) and the Cor Vivaldi - Petits Cantors de Catalunya (Chorus Master Òscar Boada). Set design by Alfons Flores; costume design by Mercè Paloma; lighting design by Xavi Clot; video direction by Pietro d'Agostino; produced for video by Gemma Felius; video executive production by Barbara Berini. Released 2016, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: B+
Read MoreDvořák Symphony No. 9 and Mussorgsky Pictures at an Exhibition concert. In 2014 Mariss Jansons conducts the Bavarian Radio Orchestra. Released 2016, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound output. Grade: NA
Read MoreHandel Giulio Cesare (Julius Caesar) opera to libretto by Nicola Francesco Haym. Directed 2012 by Moshe Leiser and Patrice Caurie at the Salzburg Whitsun Festival. Stars Cecilia Bartoli (Cleopatra), Andreas Scholl (Cesare), Philippe Jaroussky (Sesto), Anne Sofie von Otter (Cornelia), Christophe Dumaux (Tolomeo), Ruben Drole (Achilla), Jochen Kowalski (Nirena), and Peter Kálmán (Curio). Giovanni Antonini conducts Il Giardino Armonico. Sets by Christian Fenouillat; costumes by Agostino Cavalca; lighting by Christoph Forey, choreography by Beate Vollack; dramaturgy by Konrad Kuhn. Directed for TV by Olivier Simonnet. Released 2016, disc has dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
Read MoreVerdi I due Foscari opera to a libretto by Francesco Maria Piave. Directed by Thaddeus Strassberger in 2015 at the Royal Opera House. Stars Plácido Domingo (Francesco Foscari), Francesco Meli (Jacopo Foscari), Maria Agresta (Lucrezia Contarini), Maurizio Muraro (Jacopo Loredano), Samuel Sakker (Barbarigo), Rachel Kelly (Pisana), Lee Hickenbottom (Fante), and Dominic Barrand (Servant of the Doge). Antonio Pappano conducts the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House (Concert Master Peter Manning) and the Royal Opera Chorus (Chorus Director Renato Balsadonna). Set designs by Kevin Knight; costume design by Mattie Ullrich; lighting by Bruno Poet. Directed for the screen by Jonathan Haswell. Released 2016, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
Read MoreSchumann Symphonies 1-4 or (Complete Schumann Symphonies) box set. In 2013, Sir Simon Rattle conducts the Berliner Philharmoniker in all four Schumann symphonies. Released in 2014, all the symphonies, a bonus interview, and audio tracks recorded at 96kHz/24-bit are on a Blu-ray disc with 5.0 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Also in the package are two CDs, a download code for other audio files, and a digital concert ticket. Grade: NA
Read MoreBach St. John Passion oratorio. Ritualised (directed) 2014 by Peter Sellers at the Philharmonie in Berlin. Stars tenor Mark Padmore (Evangelist), baritone Christian Gerhaher (Pilatus/Petrus), baritone Roderick Williams (Jesus), soprano Camilla Tilling, mezzo-soprano Magdalena Kozena, tenor Topi Lehtipuu (Arias), and bass Thomas Quasthoff. Sir Simon Rattle conducts the Berliner Philharmoniker and the Rundfunkchor Berlin (Chorus Master Simon Halsey). Music has runtime of 135 minutes and there is a 52-minute bonus extra with Peter Sellers in conversation with Simon Rattle. Directed for video by Daniel Finkerhagel and Alexander Lück. Released 2014, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Package also has 2 DVDs, an extensive booklet, and a 7-day digital concert voucher. Grade: NA
Read MoreMahler Symphony No. 5 and selected songs from Des Knaben Wunderhorn. Andris Nelsons conducts the Lucerne Festival Orchestra. Baritone Matthias Goerne sings the following 7 songs (from 12) included in the Wunderhorn collection:
"Rheinlegendchen"
"Wo die schönen Trompeten blasen"
"Das ridische Leben"
"Urlicht"
"Des Antonius von Padua Fischpredigt"
"Revelge"
"Der Tamboursg'sell"
Released 2016, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
Read MorePuccini La Bohème opera to libretto by Giuseppe Giacosa and Luigi Illica. Directed 2014 by Ettore Scola at the Puccini Festival in Torre del Lago. Stars Daniela Dessì (Mimì), Alida Berti (Musetta), Fabio Armiliato (Rodolfo), Alessandro Luongo (Marcello), Federico Longhi (Schaunard), Marco Spotti (Colline), Angelo Nardinocchi (Benoît/Alcindoro), Ugo Tranquini (Parpignol), Marco Simonelli (Customs officer), and Jacopo Bianchini (Customs man). Valerio Galli conducts the Orchestra and Choir of the Puccini Festival (Chorus Master Stefano Visconti) and the Coro delle voci bianche del Festival Puccini (Chorus Master Sara Matteucci). Set designs by Luciano Ricceri; costume designs by Cristina da Rold; lighting design by Valerio Alfieri; video direction by Francesca Nesler. Released 2016, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
Read MoreClaudio Abbado conducts the Berliner Philharmoniker for the last time. Recorded live at the Berlin Philharmonie on 18, 19, and 21 May 2013. Two works are featured:
Mendelssohn: A Midsummer Night’s Dream (excerpts). Soloists are Deborah York (soprano), Stella Doufexis (mezzo-soprano). Chorus is comprised of women of the Chors des Bayerischen Rundfunks (Bavarian Radio Chorus).
Berlioz: Symphonie fantastique
Released 2016, the main feature for us is the Blu-ray video of the entire concert. The concert can also be played as a Blu-ray audio music recording. All Blu-ray music was recorded with 48kHz/24-bit sound sampling, and the disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound output (literature from publisher incorrectly states that sound is 5.0). In addition to the Blu-ray disc, there is a CD of A Midsummer Night’s Dream and a separate CD of the Symphonie fantastique. There is also a bonus documentary video. All this is included in an extravagant box set with a 56-page booklet of program notes and an article with numerous photographs honoring Claudio Abbado. Purchase of the box includes a 7-day ticket for the Berliner Philharmoniker’s video streaming service (“Digital Concert Hall”), and a download code for 48kHz/24 audio files of the performance (which the Berlin folks call "high resolution" files). Video Directors are listed as Daniel Finkernagal and Alexander Lück. No DVD version of this title is available. Could this be a sign that the age of DVD is about over?
Grade: B- for the Mendelssohn and B for the Belioz
Read MoreWagner Tristan und Isolde opera to libretto by the composer. Directed 2007 by Patrice Chéreau at the Teatro alla Scala. Stars Waltraud Meier (Isolde), Ian Storey (Tristan), Michelle DeYoung (Brangaene), Gerd Grochowski (Kurwenal), Matti Salminen (King Marke), Willy Hartmann II (Melot), Ryland Davies (Shepherd), Ernesto Panariello (Steersman), and Alfredo Nigro (Voice of a young sailor). Daniel Barenboim conducts the Coro e Orchestra del Teatro alla Scala (Chorus Master Bruno Casoni). Sets by Richard Peduzzi; costumes by Moidele Bickel. Released 2015. Grade: NA
Read MoreMahler: Origins and Legacy documentary and concert package, part of the "Keeping Score" series. Michael Tilson Thomas directs the San Francisco Symphony. Produced by Michael Bronson; directed for TV by Gary Halvorson. This is a two-disc set. Released in 2011, music was recorded at 48 kHz/24-bit, and discs have 5.1 surround or 7.1 Dolby TrueHD surround sound. Grade: A for the documentary Origins and Legacy and D for Symphony No. 1
Read MoreMahler Symphony No. 5. Claudio Abbado conducts the Lucerne Festival Orchestra at the KKL Luzern in 2004. Produced by Paul Smaczny; directed for TV by Michael Beyer. Released 2011, music was recorded with 48kHz/24-bit sound sampling, and disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: D
Read MoreLa reine morte (The Dead Queen) ballet. Music by Tchaikovsky. Libretto by Kader Belarbi. Choreographed and directed by Kader Belarbi in 2015 at the Ballet du Capitole. Stars Artjom Maksakov (King Ferrante of Spain), Davit Galstyan (Don Pedro, Prince of Portugal, son of King Ferrante), Maria Gutierrez (Doña Inés de Castro, Lady-in-waiting of Infanta), and Juliette Thélin (The Infanta, the daughter of the King of Navarre). Supporting dancers are Matthew Astley, Takafumi Watanabe, Kayo Nakazato, and Caroline Betancourt (Fools); Lauren Kennedy, Julie Loria, Virginie Baïet-Dartigalongue, Emilia Cadorin, Sofia Caminiti, and Solène Monnereau (Ladies of the court); Evgueni Dokoukine, Maxim Clefos, Minoru Kaneko, Shizen Kazama, Jérémy Leydier and Maksat Sydykov (Courtiers); Taisha Barton Rowledge (Lady of honor to the Infanta); Nicolas Rombaut (Lieutenant of the guards); Demian Vargas (Close advisor to the King); Matthew Astley, Shiven Kazama, Maxim Clefos, Evgueni Dokoukine, Minoru Kaneko, Jérémy Leydier, Nicolas Rombaut, and Maksat Sydykov (Councillors); Andrea Morelly (Priest); Lauren Kennedy, Julie Loria, Beatrice Carbone, Virginie Baïet-Dartigalongue, Taisha Barton Rowledge, Caroline Betancourt, Emilia Cadorin, Sofia Caminiti, Vanessa Dirven, Solène Monnereau, Kayo Nakazato, and Tiphaine Prévost (Ghost brides); Andrea Morelli and Takafumi Watanabe (Executioners) and Eukene Sagues-Abad (understudy to for Doña Inés). Koen Kessels conducts the Orchestre National du Capitole. Stage designs by Bruno DeLavenère; costumes by Olivier Bériot; lighting by Sylvain Chevallot. Directed for screen by Luc Riolon; produced by Fabienne Servan Schreiber and Laurence Miller. Released 2016, music was recorded with 48kHz/24-bit sampling, and the disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: A-
Read MoreJonas Kaufmann - An Evening With Puccini concert performed in June, 2015 at the Teatro alla Scala. Jochen Rieder conducts the Filarmonica della Scala. Features the following pieces:
Curtis, E:
"Non ti scordar di me"
Puccini:
'Ecco la casa . . .Torna ai felici di' (from Le Villi)
Le Villi - Prelude: 'La tregenda'
'Orgia, chimera dall'occhio vitreo' (from Edgar)
Edgar: Prelude to Act III
'Donna non vidi mai' (from Manon Lescaut)
Manon Lescaut: Intermezzo Act III
'Ah! Non v'avvicinate . . . No! pazzo son' (from Manon Lescaut)
Tosca: Prelude to Act Three
'E lucevan le stelle' (from Tosca)
Madama Butterfly: Prelude to Act Three
'Una parola sola! . . . Or son sei mesi' (from La Fanciulla del West)
Suor Angelica : Intermezzo
'Nessun dorma' (from Turandot)
'Recondita armonia' (from Tosca)
'Ch'ella mi creda libero e lontano' (from La Fanciulla del West)
Refice:
"Ombra di nube"
Directed for TV by Brian Large. Released 2016, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
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