Alban Berg Lulu opera to libretto by the composer (3-act version completed by Friedrich Cerha in 1979). Directed 2015 by William Kentridge at the Met. Stars Marlis Petersen (Lulu), Susan Graham (Countess Geschwitz), Daniel Brenna (Alwa, Dr. Schön's Son, a composer), Paul Groves (The Painter/The African Prince), Johan Reuter (Dr. Schön/Jack the Ripper), Martin Winkler (The Animal Tamer/The Acrobat), Franz Grundheber (Schigolch), Elizabeth DeShong (The Wardrobe Mistress/The Schoolboy/The Page), Alan Oke (The Prince/the Manservant/The Marquis), Julian Close (The Theater Manager/The Banker), Ashley Emerson (The Fifteen-Year-Old Girl), Jane Shaulis (Her Mother), Kathryn Day (The Designer), Tyler Duncan (The Journalist), Paul Corona (The Servant), James Courtney (The Physician/The Professor/The Police Commissioner), Joanna Dudley (Solo Performer), and Andrea Fabi (Solo Performer). Lothar Koenigs conducts the Orchestra of the Metropolitan Opera. Co-directed by Luc De Wit; projection designs by Catherine Meyburgh; sets by Sabine Theunissen; costumes by Greta Goiris; lighting design by Urs Schönebaum; video direction by Matthew Diamond; music production by Jay David Saks. Supervising Producers were Mia Bongiovanni and Elena Park; Producers were Louisa Briccetti and Victoria Warivonchik. Released 2016, combo package has a Blu-ray disc and a DVD. The Blu-ray disc has Dolby TrueHD surround sound. Grade: NA
Read More"Cav and Pag" opera double feature directed and staged 2015 by Philipp Stölzl at the Salzburg Easter Festival (Osterfestspiele).
- First plays the Pietro Mascagni Cavalleria rusticana to libretto by Giovanni Targioni-Tozzeti and Guido Menasci. Stars Jonas Kaufmann (Turiddu), Liudmyla Monastyrska (Santuzza), Stefania Toczyska ( Lucia), Ambrogio Maestri (Alfio), Annalisa Stroppa (Lola), and Paul Clementi (Turiddu's Son).
- Then follows the Ruggero Leoncavallo Pagliacci to libretto by the composer. Stars Jonas Kaufmann (Canio), Maria Agresta (Nedda), Dimitri Platanias (Tonio), Tansel Akzeybek (Beppe), and Alessio Arduini (Silvio).
Christian Thielemann conducts the (1) Staatskapelle Dresden and the Sächsischer Staatsopernchor (Chorus Master Jörn Hinnerk Andresen), (2) the Salzburger Bachchor (Chorus Master Alois Glassner), and (3) the Salzburger Festspiele und Theater Kinderchor (Chorus Master Wolfgang Götz). Stage music by members of the Staatskappelle Dresden. Sets designed by Philipp Stölzl; costumes by Ursula Kudrna; lighting by Heinz Ilsanker; dramatury by Jan Dvořák; director of photography Nyika Jancsó; video direction by Brian Large. Released 2016, disc has 5.0 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: A-
Read MoreThis is a report on recent HDVDs envolving the mangling of Mozart music in one case of malsponsorship of public domain art and in another case of reverse product placement advertisement. Volkswagen and Rubolph Buchbinder are the culprits in the malsponsorship mangle. Red Bull is the culprit in the reverse product placement. First I'll introduce the two HDVDs:
1. Mozart Piano Concertos played 2014 by Rudolf Buchbinder in Dresden. Buchbinder also conducts the Staatskapelle Dresden in:
- Piano Concerto No. 20
- Piano Concerto No. 21 "Elvira Madigan"
- Piano Concerto No. 27
There is a bonus extra about the making of this recording in 4K. This is a 2K product---it appears there could be a 4K version later. Directed for video by Michael Beyer. Released 2016, disc has 5.0 dts-HD Master Audio sound output. Grade: F
2. Mozart Die Entführung aus dem Serail opera to libretto by Johann Gottlieb Stephanie (from Christoph Friedrich Bretzner). Directed 2013 by Adrian Marthaler at the Salzburg Airport Hangar-7 entertainment complex (as part of the Salzburg Festival) Stars Desirée Rancatore (Konstanze), Tobias Moretti (Bassa Selim, spoken role), Javier Camarena (Belmonte), Rebecca Nelsen (Blonde), Thomas Ebenstein (Pedrillo), and Kurt Rydl (Osmin). Hans Graf conducts the Camerata Salzburg and Salzburger Bachchor (Chorus Master Alois Glaßner). Costumes by Lena Hoschek; dramatury by Ronny Dietrich; directed for TV by Felix Breisach. Released 2014, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: F
Read MoreGiorgio Battistelli Experimentum Mundi opera (composed 1981). Staged and directed 2013 by the composer himself at the Auditorium Parco della Musica in Rome. Percussion by Nicola Raffone; voce recitante (both spoken and sung narration) by Peppe Servillo. Star performers and "accidental musicians" include male craftsmen and female citizens of Albano Laziale, a suburb of Rome. Filmed by Giancarlo Matcovich. The aspect ratio of the video is given as 16:9. But the film (while recorded at 30fps) is in "letterbox" format similar to the Cinemascope picture ratio of 1:2.35 that was used in Written on Skin. The music was recorded for stereo and surround using 48kHz/24-bit sound sampling. Released 2015, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound output.This is the only HDVD so far that has the score reprinted in the keepcase booklet (the front page of the score is also on the keepcase cover). But we know of no resource with the text of the libretto. Grade: A
Read MoreShakespeare Much Ado About Nothing film. Adapted for the screen and directed by Joss Whedon. Stars Amy Acker (Beatrice), Alexis Denisof (Benedick), Jillian Morgese (Hero), Fran Kranz (Claudio), Reed Diamond (Don Pedro), Clark Gregg (Leonato), Sean Maher (Don John), Spencer Treat Clark (Borachio), Riki Lindhome (Conrade), Nathan Fillion (Dogberry), Ashley Johnson (Margaret), Emma Bates (Ursula), Tom Lenk (Verges), Nick Kocher (First Watchman), Brian McElhaney (Second Watchman), Joshua Zar (Leonato’s Aide), Paul M. Meston (Friar Francis), Romy Rosemont (The Sexton), and Elsa Guillet-Chapuis (mute role as Court Photographer). Music by Joss Whedon; cinematography by Jay Hunter; edited by Daniel Kaminsky and Joss Whedon; produced by Joss Whedon and Kai Cole. Released 2013, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: A
Read MorePoulenc La voix humaine opera to a libretto by Jean Cocteau. Recorded 2011 at the Music Room of Champs Hill Records. Soprano Felicity Lott and pianist Graham Johnson perform the piano version by special permission from the composer’s estate (normally the singer is backed by an orchestra). Producer and balance engineer was Alexander Van Ingen; director of photography was Steve Plant. Sung in French. The package has a DVD, a Blu-ray disc, and a very nice keepcase booklet with the complete libretto in French and English. The video was made at 24 frames per second. Released 2013, disc has stereo only. We normally exclude classical music Blu-rays that have only stereo sound. But we made an exception for this because surround sound might be overkill for music with only 2 sound sources and this recording is unique. Grade: B
Read MoreMata Hari ballet choreographed and directed by Ted Brandsen. Music by Tarik O'Regan with orchestration by Anthony Weeden. Libretto by Janine Brogt. Staged 2016 at the Dutch National Opera. Stars (in order listed in disc booklet) Anna Tsygankova (Born Margaretha Zelle, later known as Mata Hari), Casey Herd (Rudolph McLeod, Margaretha's husband), Jozef Varga (General Kiepert), Artur Shesterikov (Vadim De Masloff), Young Gyu Choi (Shiva), Wen Ting Guan (Temple Dancer), Emanouela Merdjanova (Friede McLeod, Rudolph's mother), Erica Horwood (Isadora Duncan), Nadia Yanowsky (La Madame), Edo Wijnen (Master of Ceremonies), Anatole Babenko (M. Guimet), Roman Artyushkin (Lieutanant Ladoux), Wendeline Wijkstra, Pascalle Paerel, Hannah de Klein (three Aunts), Wolfgang Tietze, Peter Leung, Matthew Pawlicki-Sinclair (three Uncles), and Nicolas Rapaic (Adam Zelle, Margatetha's father) as well as students and pupils of the Dutch National Ballet Academy. Matthew Rowe conducts the Dutch National Ballet Orchestra. Sets and lighting by Clement & Sanôu; costumes by François-Noël Cherpin; video directed by Jeff Tudor. Released 2016, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound (sound info on back of package above is wrong and was corrected on the disc I bought). Grade: B
Read MoreBrahms Ein Deutsches Requiem concert. Franz Welser-Möst, on August 22-23, 2016, conducts the Cleveland Orchestra and the Vienna Singverein. Welser-Möst is back at his home-town church in Austria, the Stiftsbasilika Monastery in St. Florian. (The picture above was made with a still camera for disc PR; for much more on this beautiful church see our review of a Bruckner Symphony No. 4 concert by the Cleveland Orchestra and Welser-Möst at the same Stiftsbasilika.) Soloists are Hanna-Elisabeth Müller (soprano) and Simon Keenlyside (baritone). Directed for TV by Brian Large. (This title complements the three Blu-ray set “Johannes Brahms Cycle”, which was released in late 2015, and which we have not yet reviewed.) Released 2016, disc has 5.1 dts-Master Audio sound. The video was made in 1080p rather than 1080i. Grade: A
This title is an absolute winner! It may be the best symphony recording ever made by a Western recording company. (The only better recordings would be those state-of-the-art demo discs made by NHK in Japan.) Before I fill your plate with too much text, I'll serve some screenshots appetizers.
Read MorePuccini Turandot opera to a libretto by Giuseppe Adami and Renato Simoni and as completed by Lucio Berio. Directed 2015 by Nikolaus Lehnhoff and assistant Daniel Dooner at Teatro alla Scala. Stars Nina Stemme (Turandot), Aleksandrs Antonenko (Calaf), Maria Agresta (Liù), Alexander Tsymbalyuk (Timur), Angelo Veccia (Ping), Roberto Covatta (Pang), Blagoj Nacoski (Pong), Carlo Bosi (Altoum), Gianluca Breda (Mandarino), Azer Rza-Zada (Prince of Persia), Barbara Rita Lavarian (First Handmaid), and Kjersti Ødegaard (Second Handmaid). Riccardo Chailly conducts the Orchestra and Chorus of the Teatro alla Scala and the Childrens' Chorus of the Teatro alla Scala School (Chorus Master Bruno Casoni). Set design by Raimund Bauer; costume design by Andrea Schmidt-Futterer; lighting design by Duane Schuler; choreography by Denni Sayers. Directed for TV by Patrizia Carmine. Sung in Italian. Released 2017, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio surround sound. Grade: NA
Read MoreRossini Armida opera to libretto by Giovanni Schmidt. Directed 2015 by Mariame Clément at the Vaanderen Opera House. Stars Carmen Romeu (Armida), Enea Scala (Rinaldo), Robert McPherson (Gernando/Ubaldo), Dario Schmunck (Goffredo/Carlo), Lenoard Bernad (Idraote/Astarotte), and Adam Smith (Eustazio). Alberto Zedda conducts the Vaanderen Opera House Symphony Orchestra and Opera Chorus (Chorus Master Jan Schweiger). Set and costume design by Julia Hansen; lighting by Bernd Purkrabek; directed for video by Jan Bosteels. Released 2017, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
Read MoreWagner Das Liebesverbot opera to a libretto by the composer. Directed 2016 by Kasper Holten at the Teatro Real. Stars Manuela Uhl (Isabella), Christopher Maltman (Friedrich), Peter Lodahl (Lucio), Ilker Arcayürek (Claudio), David Alegret (Antonio), David Jerusalem (Angelo), María Miró (Mariana), Ante Jerkunica (Brighella), Isaac Galán (Danieli), María Hinojosa (Dorella), and Francisco Vas (Pontio Pilato). Ivor Bolton conducts the Chorus and Orchestra of Teatro Real (Chorus Master Andrés Máspero). Sets and costumes by Steffen Aarfing; choreography by Signe Fabricius; video design by Luke Halls; lighting by Bruno Poet. Directed for the screen by János Darvas. Released 2017, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
Read MoreSchönberg Gurre-Lieder (or Gurrelieder) "opera" based on a medieval Danish legend. Directed (staged) 2014 by Pierre Audi at the Dutch National Opera. Stars Burkhard Fritz (Waldemar), Emily Magee (Tove), Anna Larsson (Waldtaube), Markus Marquardt (Bauer), Wolfgang Ablinger-Sperrhacke (Klaus Narr), and Sunnyi Melles (Narrator). Marc Albrecht conducts the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra, the Chorus of the Dutch National Opera (Chorus Master Thomas Eitler), and Kammerchor des Chorforum Essen (Chorus Master Alexander Eberle). Set and costume design by Christof Hetzer; lighting design by Jean Kalman; video by Martin Eidenberger; dramaturgy by Klaus Bertisch; directed for the screen by Misjel Vermeiren. Released 2017, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio. Grade: NA
Read MoreThe Sleeping Beauty ballet. Music by Tchaikovsky. Libretto by Nacho Duato after Ivan Vsevolozhsky. Choreography and stage direction by Nacho Duato.
All dancers are soloists or members of the Corp de Ballet of the Staatsballett Berlin. Members of the Court are Iana Salenko (Aurora), Marian Walter (Prince Désiré), Michael Banzhaf (King Florestan), Beatrice Knop (Queen), Arshak Ghalumyan (Catalabutte, Master of Ceremony), Martina Böckmann (the Nurse), Elvis Abazi (Page), and Ty Gurfein (Page). Fairies and their suites are Anastasia Kurkova and Dominic Hodal (Candide Fairy), Krasina Pavlova and Alexej Orlenco (Fleur de Farine Fairy), Aurora Dickie and Kévin Pouzou (Miettes Fairy), Marina Kanno and Federico Spallitta (Canari Fairy), Elena Pris and Olaf Kollmannsperger (Violante Fairy), Sarah Mestrovic and Nikolay Korypaev (Lilac Fairy), Rishat Yulbarisov and Alexander Abdukarimov, Alexander Korn, Artur Lill, Vladislav Marinov, Lucio Vidal, and Wei Wang (Carabosse). The four Princes are Nikolay Korypaev, Kévin Pouzou, Alexej Orlenco, and Olaf Kollmannsperger. Sebnem Gülseker is the Duchess. The trio consists of Krasina Pavlova, Vladislav Marinov, and Ulian Topor. The Fairy Jems are Anastasia Kurkova (Sapphire), Krasina Pavlova (Amethyst), Elena Pris (Gold) and Olaf Kollmannsperger (Gold). Danielle Muir and Ulian Topor are Puss in Boots and the White Pussycat. The Bluebird and Princess Florine are Marina Kanno and Nikolay Korypaev. Little Red Riding Hood and the Wolf are Maria Boumpouli and Dominic Hodal. The Frog Prince and the Princess are Lisa Breuker and Alexander Shpak. Cinderella and the Prince are Aoi Suyama and Giacomo Bevilacqua. The Beauty and the Beast are Xenia Wiest and Taras Bilenko.
Robert Reimer conducts the Orchestra of the Deutsche Oper Berlin. Set and costume designs by Angelina Atlagic; lighting by Brad Fields. Directed for TV and video by Andy Sommer. Produced by François Duplat. Released 2016, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: A+
Read MoreFrederick Ashton Rhapsody and The Two Pigeons ballets:
- Steven McRae and Natalia Osipova star in Rhapsody supported by Olivia Cowley, Elizabeth Harrod, Meaghan Grace Hinkis, Emma Maguire, Yasmine Naghdi, Beatriz Stix-Brunell, Luca Acri, Tristan Dyer, Nicol Edmonds, Benjamin Ella, Kevin Emerton, and Marcelino Sambé of the Royal Ballet. Music is Rachmaninoff's Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini. Barry Wordsworth conducts the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House (Concert Master Vasko Vassilev); solo piano by Robert Clark. Sets by Ashton; original costumes by William Chappell recreated by Natalia Stewart; lighting by Peter Teigen; staging by Christopher Carr; ballet mistress was Samantha Reine; principal coaching by Alexander Agahzhanov and Lesley Collier; Benesh notator Grant Coyle.
- The Two Pigeons is danced by Lauren Cuthbertson (The Girl Friend), Vadim Muntagirov (The Artist), Fumi Kaneko (The Gipsy Princess), Ryoichi Hirano (The Gypsy Prince), and Marcelino Sambé (Gypsy Boy) supported by Elizabeth McGorian, Elizabeth Harrod, Meaghan Grace Hinkis, Chisato Katsura, Mayara Magri, Emma Maguire, Yasmine Naghdi, Romany Pajdak, and Leticia Stock of the Royal Ballet. Music is by André Messager adapted and arranged by John Lanchbery. Barry Wordsworth conducts the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House (Concert Master Vasko Vassilev). Designs by Jacques Dupont; lighting by Peter Teigen; revived and staged by Chistopher Carr; ballet mistress was Samantha Reine; principal coaching by Gary Avis, Christopher Carr, and Lesley Collier; Benesh notator Gregory Mislin.
Directed for TV by Ross MacGibbon. Released 2016, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: B for Rhapsody, C+ for The Two Pigeons, and B- blended grade.
Read More2015 Gala des Étoiles dance recital at the Teatro alla Scala. Stars dancers (alphabetical order) Roberto Bolle, Claudio Coviello, Marlon Dino, Maria Eichwald, Melissa Hamilton, Lucia Lacarra, Nicoletta Manni, Massimo Murru, Leonid Sarafanov, Alina Somova, Ivan Vasiliev, Maria Vinogradova, Svetlana Zakharova, and Mick Zeni. David Coleman conducts the Orchestra del Teatro alla Scala. Directed for the screen by Lorena Sardi. Released 2016, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: A (see qualifications below)
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