Opera

Only the Sound Remains

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Kaija Saariaho Only the Sound Remains double-bill opera. The two operas are Always Strong and Feather Mantle, both based on traditional Noh plays from Japan, with Saariaho contributing the libretto and music for each.  Directed 2016 by Peter Sellars at the Dutch National Opera. Stars Philippe Jaroussky (Ghost/Angel) and Davóne Tines (Priest/Fisherman). Also stars dancer Nora Kimball-Mentzos. André De Ridder conducts the Dudok Kwartet (string quartet) and four singers from the Dutch Chamber Choir. Scenography by Julie Mehretu; costumes by Robby Duiveman; lighting by James F. Ingalls; choreography by Nora Kimball-Mentzos; computer music design by Christophe Lebreton; and sound projection by David Poissonnier. Released 2017, disc has 5.1 Dolby Digital sound. Grade: NA

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Le nozze di Figaro

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Mozart Le nozze di Figaro opera to libretto by Lorenza da Ponte. New production directed 2016 by Frederic Wake-Walker at the Teatro alla Scala. Stars Carlos Álvarez (Il Conte d'Almaviva), Diana Damrau (La Contessa d'Almaviva), Golda Schultz (Susanna), Markus Werba (Figaro), Marianne Crebassa (Cherubino), Anna Maria Chiuri (Marcellina), Andrea Concetti (Bartolo / Antonio), Kresimir Spicer (Basilio / Don Curzio), Theresa Zisser (Barbarina), Francesca Manzo (Prima contadina), and Kristín Sveinsdóttir (Seconda Contadina). Franz Welser-Möst conducts the Orchestra and Chorus of Teatro alla Scala (Chorus Master Bruno Casoni). Basso continuo: James Vaughan (piano) and Simone Groppo (cello). Stage and costume design by Antony McDonald; lighting design by Fabiana Piccioli. Directed for video by Patrizia Carmine. Released 2017, has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA

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Die Walküre

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Wagner Die Walküre to a libretto by the composer. Directed 2017 by Vera Nemirova at the Großes Festpielhaus as part of the Easter Salzburg Festival. Stars Peter Seiffert (Siegmund), Georg Zeppenfeld (Hunding), Vitalij Kowaljow (Wotan), Anja Harteros (Sieglinde), Anja Kampe (Brünnhilde), Christa Mayer (Fricka), Johanna Winkel (Gerhilde), Brit-tone Müllertz (Ortlinde), Christina Bock (Waltraude), Katharina Magiera (Schwertleite), Alexandra Petersamer (Helmwige), Stepanka Pucalkova (Siegrune), Katrin Wundsam (Grimgerde), and Simone Schröder (Roßweiße). Christian Thielemann conducts the Staatskapelle Dresden. Set design by Günter Schneider-Siemssen; reconstruction of 1967 set and costume design by Jens Kilian; lighting design by Olaf Freese; video by rocafilm. Directed for TV by Tiziano Mancini. Sung in German. Released 2017 in 2K and in 2018 in 4K, disc has 5.0 dts-HD Master Audio. Grade: NA

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L'incoronazione di Dario

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Vivaldi L'incoronazione di Dario opera to a libretto by Adriano Morselli. Directed by Leo Muscato at the Teatro Regio Torino. Stars Carlo Allemano (Dario), Sara Mingardo (Statira), Delphine Galou (Argene), Riccardo Novaro (Niceno), Roberta Mameli (Alinda), Lucia Cirillo (Oronte), Veronica Cangemi (Arpago), Romina Tomasoni (Flora), and Cullen Gandy (Ombra di Ciro/Oracolo di Apollo). Ottavio Dantone conducts the Orchestra Teatro Regio Torino and plays harpischord. Sets and costumes by Accademia Albertina di Belle Arti di Torino; choreographic movements and assitance to director by Alessandra di Angelis; light design by Alessandro Verazzi; technical direction by Paolo Giacchero. Directed for TV by Mattero Ricchetti and Adriano Figari. Sung in Italian. Released 2017, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA

This is a complicated piece that will require a substantial investment of time to enjoy. Richard Lawrence, writing in the February 2018 Gramophone at page 93, tries, and miserably fails, to explain in 3 long paragraphs what going on here. He finally gives up and concludes, "I enjoyed this a lot." Sounds like an intriguing early-music adventure for fans of Rubik's Cube.

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L'Orfeo

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Claudio Monteverdi L'Orfeo opera to a libretto by Alessandro Striggio. Directed 2017 by Paul Agnew at the Théâtre de Caen. Stars Cyril Auvity (Orfeo), Hannah Morrison (Euridice/La Musica), Paul Agnew (Apollo/Eco), Miriam Allan (Proserpina/Ninfa), Lea Desandre (Messaggiera/Speranza) Carlo Vistoli (Spirito infernale/Pastore), Sean Clayton (Pastore), Zachary Wilder (Spirito infernale/Pastore), Antonio Abete (Plutone/Spirito infernale/Pastore), and Cyril Costanzo (Caronte/Spirito infernale). Paul Agnew conducts Les Arts Florissants as well as serving as director and having two roles! Costumes by Alain Blanchot; sets and lights by Christophe Naillet. Directed for TV by Isabelle Soulard. Released 2017, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA

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L'Orfeo

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Luigi Rossi L'Orfeo opera to a libretto by Francesco Buti. Directed 2016 by Stéphane Vérité at l'Opéra national de Lorraine (Nancy). Stars Judith van Wanroij (Orfeo), Francesca Aspromonte (La Musica/Euridice), Giuseppina Bridelli (Aristeo), Giulia Semenzato (Venere, Proserpina), Luigi de Donato (Augure, Plutone), Ray Chenez (Nutrice, Amore), Renato Dolcini (Satiro), Dominique Visse (Vecchia), Victor Torres (Endimione, Caronte), Marc Mauillon (Momo), and David Tricou (Apollo). Raphaël Pichon conducts Pygmalion (a combination of orchestra and choir). Staging by Jetske Mijnsseni. Released 2017, disc has 5.1 dts sound. Grade: NA

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Norma

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Bellini Norma opera to libretto by Felice Romani. Directed 2016 by Àlex Ollé at the Royal Opera House. Stars Sonya Yoncheva (Norma), Joseph Calleja (Pollione), Sonia Ganassi (Adalgisa), Brindley Sherratt (Oroveso), David Junghoon Kim (Flavio), and Vlada Borovko (Clotilde). Antonio Pappano conducts the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House and the Royal Opera Chorus (Concert Master Peter Manning). Set design by Alfons Flores; costume design by Lluc Castells; lighting design by Marco Filibeck. Directed for screen by Jonathan Haswell. Released 2017, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA

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I Puritani

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Bellini I Puritani opera to libretto by Carlo Pepoli. Directed 2016 by Emilio Sagi at the Teatro Real de Madrid. Stars Miklós Sebestyén (Lord Gualtiero Valton), Nicolas Testé (Sir Giorgio), Javier Camarena (Lord Arturo Talbo), Ludovic Tézier (Sir Riccardo Forth), Antonio Lozano (Sir Bruno Robertson), Annalisa Stroppa (Enrichetta di Francia), and Diana Damrau (Lady Elvira Valton). Evelino Pidò conducts the Orchestra and Chorus of the Teatro Real de Madrid (Chorus Master Andrés Máspero). Stage design by Daniel Bianco; costume design by Peppispoo; lighting design by Eduardo Bravo; filmed and edited by Jérémie Cuvillier. Producer Xavier Dubois; Executive Producer François Duplat. Released 2017, disc has 5.1 dts HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA

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Ernani

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Verdi Ernani opera to a libretto by Francesco Maria Piave. Directed 2017 by Jean-Louis Grinda at the Opéra Monte-Carlo. Stars Ramón Vargas (Ernani), Ludovic Tézier (Don Carlo), Alexander Vinogradov (Don Ruy Gomez de Silva), Svetla Vassilieva (Elvira), Karine Ohanyan (Giovanna), Maurizio Pace (Don Riccardo), and Gabriele Ribis (Jago). Daniele Callegari conducts the Monte-Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra and the Monte-Carlo Opera Chorus (Chorus Master Stefano Visconti). Set design by Isabelle Partiot-Pieri; costumes by Teresa Acone; lights by Laurent Castaingt; film direction by Stéphan Aubé; produced by Frederic Allain (Wahoo). Released 2017, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA

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Lucia di Lammermoor

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Donizetti Lucia di Lammermoor opera to libretto by Salvadore Cammarano. Directed 2016 by Katie Mitchell at the Royal Opera House. Stars Diana Damrau (Lucia), Charles Castronovo (Edgardo), Ludovic Tézier (Enrico), Taylor Stayton (Arturo), Kwangchul Youn (Raimondo), Rachael Lloyd (Alisa), and Peter Hoare (Normanno). Daniel Oren conducts the Orchestra (Associate Concert Master Ania Safonova) and Chorus of the Royal Opera House (Chorus Director Renato Balsadonna). Designs by Vicki Mortimer; lighting design by Jon Clark; Movement Director and Associate Director Joseph Alford; Fight Directors Rachel Bown-Williams and Ruth Cooper-Brown. Directed for screen by Margaret Williams. Released 2017, disc has 5.1 Dobly Digital sound. Grade: NA

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Lucio Silla

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Mozart Lucio Silla opera to libretto by Giovanni de Gamerra. Directed 2016 by Marshall Pynkoski at the Teatro alla Scala. Stars Kresimir Spicer (Lucio Silla), Lenneke Ruiten (Giunia), Marianne Crebassa (Cecilio), Inga Kalna (Lucio Cinna), and Giulia Semenzato (Celia). Makhar Vaziev directs the Ballet Company of Teatro alla Scala. Also features basso continuo by Francesco Corti (Cembalo), Simone Groppo (Violoncello), and Pino Ettorre (Contrabasso). Marc Minkowski conducts the Chorus and Orchestra of the Teatro alla Scala (Chorus Master Bruno Casoni). Choreography by Jeannette Lajeunesse Zingg; stage and costume design by Antoine Fontaine; lighting design by Hervé Gary; video direction by Arnalda Canali. Released 2017, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA

This was Mozart's 8th opera, written when he was 18. Hugo Shirley, writing in the March 2018 Gramophone (page 88), praises and recommends this as "an effective video version" of the work. He comments that director Pynkoski  directs "each singer with an impressive, engaging eye for detail . . .  and creates his own aesthetic of artful, flowing theatricality, which is underlined by Antoine Fontaine's designs."

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The Royal Opera Collection

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The Royal Opera Collection Box Set released 2017. Below are the discs for 15 productions of The Royal Opera. Each of them has already been reported on this website, and you can get more details by using the links provided:

  1. Le nozze di Figaro. Mozart. 2009. (Grade: A+)
  2. Don Giovanni. Mozart. 2014. (Grade: A)
  3. Die Zauberflöte. Mozart. 2008. (Grade A)
  4. Macbeth. Verdi. 2012. (Grade A-)
  5. La traviata. Verdi. 2011. (Grade A)
  6. Carmen. Bizet. 2008. (Grade A+)
  7. Parsifal. Wagner. 2014. (Grade N/A)
  8. Cavalleria Rusticana & Pagliacci. Mascagni/Leoncavallo. 2016. (Grade N/A)
  9. La Bohème. Puccini. 2010. (Grade C+)
  10. Turandot. Puccini. 2014. (Grade N/A)
  11. Il trittico (Il tabarro, Suor Angelica, Gianni Schicchi). Puccini. 2012. (Grade A)
  12. Salome. Strauss. 2010. (Grade A+)
  13. Król Roger. Syzmanowski. 2015. (Grade N/A)
  14. Gloriana. Britten. 2013. (Grade N/A)
  15. Written on Skin. Benjamin. 2014. (Grade B+)
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Lulu

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Alban Berg Lulu opera to libretto by the composer (3-act version completed by Friedrich Cerha in 1979). Directed 2015 by Dmitri Tcherniakov at the Bayerische Staatsoper. Stars Marlis Petersen (Lulu), Bo Skovhus (Dr. Schön/Jack the Ripper), Daniela Sindram (Gräfin Geschwitz), Matthias Klink (Alwa), Rainer Trost (Der Maler (Painter)/Ein Neger (Negro)), Martin Winkler (Ein Tierbändiger(Animal Trainer)/Ein Athlet), Pavlo Hunka (Schigolch), Christian Rieger (Der Medizinalrat/Der Bankier/Der Professor), Rachel Wilson (Eine Theater-Garderobiere/Ein Gymnasiast/Ein Groom), Wolfgang Ablinger-Sperrhacke (Der Marquis), Christoph Stephinger (Der Theaterdirektor), Elsa Benoit (Eine Fünfzehnjährige (15 year-old girl)), Cornelia Wulkopf (Ihre Mutter (Mother of the Girl )), Heike Grötzinger (Eine Kunstgewerblerin (Gallery Owner)), John Carpenter (Ein Journalist), Leonard Bernad (Ein Diener (Servant)), and Nicholas Reinke (Der Polizeikommissär). Kirill Petrenko conducts the Bayerisches Staatsorchester. Costume designs by Elena Zaytseva; choreography by Tatiana Baganova; set design by Dmitri Tcherniakov; lighting design by Gleb Filshtinksy; video direction by Andy Sommer; produced by François Duplat. Released 2017, disc has 5.1 dts HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA

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La Favorite

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Donizetti La Favorite opera to a libretto by Alphonse Royer and Gustave Vaëz. Directed 2016 by Amélie Niermeyer at the Bayerische Staatsoper. Stars Elīna Garanča (Léonor de Guzmán), Matthew Polenzani (Fernand), Mariusz Kwiecień (Alphonse XI, King of Castile), Mika Kares (Balthazar), Joshua Owen Mills (Don Gaspar), and Elsa Benoit (Inès). Karel Mark Chichon conducts the Bayerisches Staatsorchester and the Chor der Bayerischen Staatsoper (Chorus Master Sören Eckhoff). Set design by Alexander Müller-Elmau; costume design by Kirsten Dephoff; lighting design by Michael Baueri. Directed for video by Tiziano Mancini. Released 2017, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA

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