Handel Messiah oratorio to libretto by Charles Jennens. At Easter 2016 Rubén Dubrovsky conducts the Bach Consort Wien and the Salzburger Bachchor (Chorus Master Alois Glassner) at the Basilica Stift Klosterneuburg in Austria. Stars Hanna Herfurtner (soprano), Gaia Petrone (alto), Michael Schade (tenor), and Christian Immler (bass). Subtitles in German and English only. Produced by Martin Pichl. Directed for TV by Volker Werner (Bildregie). Released in 2017, disc has 5.1 dts-HD sound output. This is published by Naxos as its own label. Grade: C+
Read MoreVerdi Don Carlo opera to a 4-act libretto by Joseph Méry and Camille du Locle. Directed 2016 by Cesare Lievi as part of the Verdi Festival, Teatro Regio di Parma. Stars Michele Pertusi (Philip II, King of Spain), José Bros (Don Carlo, Infante of Spain), Vladimir Stoyanov (Rodrigo, Marchese di Posa), Ievghen Orlov (Grand Inquisitor), Serena Farnocchia (Elisabetta di Valois), Marianne Cornetti (Princess Eboli), Lavinia Bini (Tebaldo, Elisabetta’s Page), Gregory Bonfatti (Conte di Lerma), and Marina Bucciarelli (Celestial Voice). Daniel Oren conducts the Filarmonica Arturo Toscanini and the Chorus of the Teatro Regio di Parma (Chorus Master Martino Faggini). Sets and costumes designed by Maurizio Balò; lighting by Andrea Borelli. Released 2017, disc has 5.1 dts HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
Read MoreBerlioz Béatrice et Bénédict opera to a libretto by the composer. Directed 2106 by Laurent Pelly at the Glyndebourne Summer Festival. Stars Stéphanie d'Oustrac (Béatrice), Paul Appleby (Bénédict), Philippe Sly (Claudio), Léonato (Georges Bigot), Sophie Karthäuser (Hero), Lionel Lhote (Somarone), Frédéric Caton (Don Pedro), Katarina Bradić (Ursule), and Paul Sheridon (Notary). Antonello Manacorda, replacing the ill Robin Ticciati, directs the London Philharmonic Orchestra (Leader Vesselin Gellev) and the Glyndebourne chorus (Chorus Master Jeremy Bines). Set designs by Barbara de Limburg; costumes designed by Laurent Pelly; lighting by Duane Schuler; and dialogue adapted by Agathe Mélinand. Film direction by François Roussillon; George Bruell was Executive Producer. Sung in French. Released 2017, disc has 5,1 dts-HD Master Audio surround sound. Grade: NA
Read MoreBeethoven Symphony No. 6 and Symphony No. 7 concert. Herbert Blomstedt conducts the Gewandhausorchester in 2015 and 2016. Directed for TV by Ute Feudel; produced by Paul Smaczny. Released 2017, disc has 5.1 Dolby Digital and dts sound. Grade: NA
Read MoreVerdi Macbeth opera to a libretto by Francesco Maria Piave. Directed 2016 by Darko Tresnjak at the LA Opera House. Stars Plácido Domingo (Macbeth), Ekaterina Semenchuk (Lady Macbeth), Ildebrando D’Arcangelo (Banquo), Joshua Guerrero (Macduff), Joshua Wheeker (Malcolm), Summer Hassan (Lady-in-Waiting), Theo Hoffmann (Doctor/ First Apparition), Liv Redpath (Second Apparition), Isaiah Morgan (Third Apparition), Reid Bruton (Servant), and James Martin Schaefer (Assassin). James Conlon conducts LA Opera Orchestra and Choir (Chorus Director Grant Gershon). Scenic design by Darko Tresnjak and Colin McGurk; costume design by Suttirat Anne Larlarb; lighting design by Matthew Richards; projection design by Sean Nieuwenhuis; fight director by Steve Rankin; climbing consultant was Daniel Lyons. Executive Producers Christopher Koelsch and Rupert Hemmings; Screen Producers Anthea Bhargava and Eric White; directed for screen by Matthew Diamond. Released 2017, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
Read MoreBeethoven Triple Concerto and Beethoven Symphony No. 5 concert. Herbert Blomstedt conducts the Gewandhausorchester in 2017. The Triple Concerto features Isabelle Faust (violin), Jean-Guihen Queyras (cello), and Martin Helmchen (piano). Directed for TV by Ute Feudel; produced by Paul Smaczny. Released 2017, disc has 5.1 Dolby Digital and dts sound. Grade: NA
Read MoreRossini Il barbiere di Siviglia opera to libretto by Cesare Sterbini. Directed by 2016 Annabel Arden at Glyndebourne. Stars Danielle de Niese (Rosina), Alessandro Corbelli (Dr Bartolo), Björn Bürger (Figaro), Taylor Stayton (Count Almaviva), Christophoros Stamboglis (Basilio), and Janis Kelly (Berta). Enrique Mazzola conducts the London Philharmonic Orchestra (Leader Pieter Schoeman) and The Glyndebourne Chorus (Chorus Master Jeremy Bines). Designs by Joanna Parker; lighting by James Farncombe; movement by Toby Sedgwick; directed for film by François Roussillon; Executive Producer George Bruell. Released 2017, 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 Orpha Phelan at the Malmö Opera. Stars Olesya Golovneva (Mimì), Joachim Bäckstöm (Rodolfo), Vladislav Sulimsky (Marcello), Maria Fontosh (Musetta), Daniel Hellström (Schaunard), and Miklós Sebestyén (Colline). Christian Badea conducts the Malmö Opera Orchestra & Chorus and Malmö Children’s Chorus. Choreography by Lynne Hockney; stage and costume designs by Leslie Travers; lighting design by Thomas C. Hase; video direction by Volker Werner. Released 2017, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
Read MoreDonizetti Rosmonda d'Inghilterra opera to libretto by Felice Romani. Directed 2016 by Paolo Rota [named apparently misspelled "Paola" on back cover above] at the Teatrto Donizetti in Bergamo. Stars Jessica Pratt (Rosmonda), Eva Mei (Leonora), Dario Schmunck (Enrico), Nicola Ulivieri (Clifford), and Raffaella Lupinacci (Arturo). Sebastiano Rolli conducts the Orchestra Donizetti Opera. Set and lighting design by Nicolas Bovey; costumes by Massimo Cantini Parrini; assistant direction by Irene Petris; assistent costume design by Jessica Zambelli; video direction by Matteo Ricchetti. Released 2017, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
Read MoreHandel Il trionfo del tempo e del disinganno oratorio to a libretto from Benedetto Pamphili. Directed 2016 by Krzysztof Warlikowski with assistant Marielle Kahn at at the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence. Stars Sabine Devieilhe (Bellezza), Franco Fagioli (Piacere), Sara Mingardo (Disinganno), Michael Spyres (Tempo), with the participation of Christine Angot. Extras are Mama Bouras, Margot Briosne Frejaville, Sherine Colin, Johanna Costa, Léa De Carvalho Massabo, Amani Djelassi, Thaïs Drujon D’astros, Hélène Fouque, Rui Jin, Colette Levron, Elena Parniere, Pablo Pillaud-Vivien, Nangué Sabaly, Marina Saïd, and Marie Signoret-O. Emmanuelle Haïm conducts Le Concert d’Astrée. Continuo: Felix Knecht and Oleguer Aymami (Cellos); Nicola Dal Maso (Double Bass); Laura Monica Pustilnik and Rémi Cassaigne (Lutes); Benoît Hartoin and Philippe Grisvard (Harpsichords); and Benoît Hartoin (Organ). Stage and costume designs by Malgorzata Szczesniak and Barbara Creutz; dramaturge by Christian Longchamp; lighting by Felice Ross; choreography by Claude Bardouil; video designs by Denis Guéguin and Fabien Laubry; musical assistance was by David Bates; language coaching by Rita de Letteriis. Directed for TV by Stéphane Metge. Produced by Françoise Gazio. Sung in Italian. Released 2017, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound output. Grade: NA
Read MoreMahler Symphony No. 8 with Ricardo Chailly conducting the Lucerne Festival Orchestra and the following vocal groups (1) the Chor des Bayersichen Rundfunks (Bavarian Radio Choir), (2) the Latvian Radio Choir, (3) the Orfeón Donostiarra (famous Spanish choir), and (4) the Tölzer Knabenchor (Tölzer Boys Choir). Also stars sopranos Ricarda Merbeth (Magna Peccatrix), Julia Banse (Una poenitentium), Anna Lucia Richter (Mater gloriosa), contralto Sara Mingardo (Mulier Samaritana), mezzo Mihoko Fujimura (Maria Aegyptiaca), tenor Andreas Schager (Doctor Marianus), baritone Peter Mattei (Pater ecstaticus), and bass-baritone Samuil Youn (Pater profundus). This was performed in the Concert Hall of KKL Luzern as Chally's first performace with the Lucern Festival Orchestra. It also completes the Lucerne Festival Orchestra cycle of all the Mahler symphonies begun by the late Claudio Abbado. Grade: NA
Read MoreSacred Cantatas - Bach & Telemann concert. Philippe Jaroussky (countertenor) performs sacred cantatas with the Freiburger Barockorchester (which often works with the concertmaster serving also as conductor). Performed at the Alte Oper Frankfurt, 2011. The Cantatas are as follows:
- Telemann Overture to St. Matthew Passion; "Der am Ölberg zagende Jesus"
- Telemann Overture to Brockes Passion; "Jesus liegt in den letzten Zügen"
- Bach "Ich hatte viel Bekümmernis"
- Bach "Der Herr denket an uns"
- Bach "Ich habe genug"
Directed for TV by Grete Liffers. Released in 2017, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
Read MoreBeethovenSymphony No. 9 concert. Othermusic in the program: Beethoven Coriolan Overture, aChristian Jost Fanfare (for 9 brass commissioned by the Graffenegg Festival), and the Jost An die Hoffnung (for voice and orchestra, also commissioned by the Graffenegg Festival). Yutaka Sado conducts, at the 2016 Graffenegg Festival, the Tonkunster Orchestra, 24 alumni of the European Union Youth Orchestra, and the Weiner Singverein (Chorus Master Johannes Prinz). Soloists are Camilla Nylund (soprano), Elena Zhidkova (mezzo-soprano), Klaus Florian Vogt (tenor), and René Pape (baritone). Video by Karina Fiibich. Released in 2017, disc has 5.0 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
Read MoreBeethoven Symphonies 6-7 concert. Herbert Blomstedt conducts the Gewandhausorchester. Performed at the Gewandhaus zu Leipzig May 2016 (Symphony 6) and May 2015 (Symphony 7). Ute Feudel was TV director. Produced by Paul Smaczny. Released 2017, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio. Grade: NA
Read MoreBrahms Symphonies 1-4.In 2016, Thomas Hengelbrock conducts the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchester at the Laeiszhalle Hamburg. Video director was Beatrice Conrad. Released 2017, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
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