Mozart Così fan tutte opera to libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte. Directed 2016 by Jan Philipp Gloger at the Royal Opera House. Stars Corinne Winters (Fiordiligi), Angela Brower (Dorabella), Daniel Behle (Ferrando), Alessio Arduini (Guglielmo), Johannes Martin Kränzle (Don Alfonso), and Sabina Puértolas (Despina). Semyon Bychkov conducts the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House (Concert Master Peter Manning) and the Royal Opera Chorus (Chorus Director William Spaulding). Set design by Ben Baur; costume design by Karin Jud; lighting by Bernd Purkrabek; dramaturgy by Katharina John; directed for the screen by Rhodri Huw. Released 2018, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
Read MoreLa grande danza---Aterballettoin Milan triple bill of dances performed 2017 by the Aterballeto Dance Company at the Piccolo Teatro in Milan. Directed for TV by Andreas Morell with Director of Photography Henning Brümmer:
- Words and Space. Choreography by Jiří Pokorny. Music by Georg Friedrich Händel. Sound design by Sawaki Yukari; costumes by Carolina Mancuso; sets and lighting by Carlo Cerri.
- Narcissus. Choreography by Giuseppe Spota. Music by Joby Talbot. Costume design by Francesca Messori; sets and lighting by Carlo Cerri; on-stage video designs by OOOPStudio.
- Phoenix. Choreography by Philippe Kratz. Music by Borderline Order. Costume design by Costanza Maramotti; sets and lighting by Carlo Cerri.
Released 2017, disc has 5.0 dts-HD Master Audio. Grade: B+
Read MoreMahler Symphony No. 3. Claudio Abbado conducts the Lucerne Festival Orchestra, the female voices of the Arnold Schoenberg Choir Vienna, and the Tölzer Knabenchor in 2007. Mezzo-soprano Anna Larson is the soloist contralto. Directed for TV by Michael Beyer. Released in 2009, this disc has 5.1 PCM sound. Grade: C+
Read MoreMahler Symphony No. 5. Riccardo Chailly conducts the Gewandhaus Orchestra Leipzig. Directed for TV by Henning Kasten; sound production by Sebastian Braun; produced by Günter Atteln and Paul Smaczny. Released 2014, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: C
Read MoreMahler Symphony No. 6 ("Tragic"). Riccardo Chailly conducts the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig in 2012. Audio production by Sebastian Braun; directed for TV by Ute Feudel; produced by Günter Atteln and Paul Smaczny. Released 2013, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: C+
Read MoreMahler Symphony No. 7 concert. Riccardo Chailly conducts the Gewandhaus Orchestra Leipzig. Audio production by Sebastian Braun; directed for TV by Ute Feudel; produced by Günter Atteln and Paul Smaczny. Released 2013, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: C
Read MoreMahler Symphony No. 9 concert. Riccardo Chailly conducts the Gewandhaus Orchestra Leipzig. Audio production by Sebastian Braun; directed for TV by Ute Feudel; produced by Günter Atteln and Paul Smaczny. Released 2014, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: C
Read More2017 New Year's Concert a/k/a Silversterkonzert by the Berliner Philharmoniker (Berlin Philharmonic) conducted by Sir Simon Rattle at the Berlin Philharmonie. Features mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato. Here is the program:
- Antonín Dvořák Carnival Overture
- Igor Stravinsky "Pas de deux" from Apollon musagète
- Richard Strauss Zueignung (orch. by Robert Heger) with Joyce DiDonato
- Richard Strauss Wiegenlied with Joyce DiDonato
- Richard Strauss Müttertändelei with Joyce DiDonato
- Richard Strauss Morgen with Joyce DiDonato
- Richard Strauss Die heiligen drei Könige aus Morgenland with Joyce DiDonato
- Leonard Bernstein, 3 Dance Episodes from On the Town
- Leonard Bernstein, "Take Care of this House" from the White House Cantata with Joyce DiDonato
- Dmitri Shostakovich Suite from The Golden Age
Released 2018, the disc has 5.1 dts sound. Grade: NA
Read MoreRomeo and Juliet ballet. Music by Sergei Prokofiev. Libretto by Leonid Lavrovsky and Sergei Prokofiev. Staged 2015 at the San Francisco Ballet based on choreography by Helgi Thomasson. Stars Maria Kochetkova (Juliet), David Karapetyan (Romeo), Pascal Molat (Mercutio), Joseph Walsh (Benvolio), Luke Ingham (Tybalt), Ricardo Bustamante (Lord Capulet), Sofiane Sylve (Lady Capulet), Anita Paciotti (Nurse), Myles Thatcher (Paris), Wan Ting Zhao (Rosaline), Rubén Martín Cintas (Lord Montague), Lacey Escabar (Lady Montague) Jim Sohm (Friar Lawrence), and Martino Pistone (Prince of Verona) along with many other dancers and extras. Martin West conducts the San Francisco Ballet Orchestra. Lighting design by Thomas R. Skelton; sets and costumes by Jens-Jacob Worsaae; fight direction by Martino Pistone; directed for film by Thomas Grimm; executive producer Andrew Carl Wilk. Released 2017, disc has 5.0 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: B
Read MoreUmberto Giordano Fedora opera to a libretto by Arturo Colautti. Directed by Rosetta Cucchi at the Teatro Carlo Felice in Genova (assistant director Stefania Panighini). Stars Daniela Dessì (Fedora), Fabio Armiliato (Loris), Alfonso Antoniozzi (De Siriex), Daria Kovalenko (Olga), Margherita Rotondi (Dimitri), Manuel Pierattelli (Desirè), Alessandro Fantoni (Baron Rouvel), Luigi Roni (Cirillo), Claudio Ottino (Boroff), Roberto Maietta (Gretch), Davide Mura (Lorek), Sirio Restani (Lazinski), and Sebastiano Carbone (Peasant Boy). Valerio Galli conducts the Orchestra and Chorus of the Carlo Felice Theatre (Chorus Master Patrizia Priarone). Set design by Tiziano Santi; light design by Luciano Novelli, costume design by Claudia Pernigotti. Video Director was Matteo Ricchetti. Released 2017, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
Read MoreGergiev at the Proms concert. Valery Gergiev conducts the Münchner Philharmoniker at the BBC Proms in 2016. Features Behzod Abduraimov on Piano and Alexei Petrenko as reciter. Video Director was Simon Broughton. Released 2018, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
Read MoreVerdi La forza del destino opera to libretto by Francesco Piave. Directed 2008 by David Pountney at the Wiener Staatsoper. Stars Alastair Miles (Il Marchese di Calatrava/Padre Guardiano), Nina Stemme (Leonora), Carlos Álvarez (Don Carlo di Vargas), Salvatore Licitra (Don Alvaro), Nadia Krasteva (Preziosilla), Tiziano Bracci (Fra Melitone), Elisabeta Marin (Curra), Dan Paul Dumitrescu (Un alcalde), Michael Roider (Mastro Trabuco), Clemens Unterreiner (Un chirurgo), and dancers of the Wiener Staatsballett. Zubin Mehta conducts the Chor und Orchester der Wiener Staatsoper (Chorus Master Thomas Lang). Set and costume design by Richard Hudson; lighting design by Frabrice Kebour; choreography by Beate Vollack; video by fettFilm (Momme Hinrichs & Torge Møller). Directed for TV by Karina Fibich; video editing by Gernot Arendt; sound by Gregor Hornacek. Released 2018, disc has 5.0 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: B-
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Romeo and Juliet ballet. Music by Sergei Prokofiev. Libretto by Leonid Lavrovsky and Sergei Prokofiev. Staged 2017 at the Teatro alla Scala with choreography by Kenneth MacMillan revived by Julie Lincoln. Stars Roberto Bolle (Romeo); Misty Copeland (Juliet); Antonino Sutera (Mercutio); Mick Zeni (Tybalt); Marco Agostino (Benvolio); Riccardo Massimi (Paris); Alessandro Grillo (Lord Capulet); Emanuela Montanari (Lady Capulet); Luigi Saruggia (The Duke); Chiara Borgia (Rosaline); Monica Vaglietti (Nurse); Matthew Endicott (Friar Laurence); Christian Fagetti (Mandolin solo); Virna Toppi, Denise Gazzo, and Beatrice Carbone (Three Gypsies); Giuseppe Conte (Lord Montague); Francesca Podini (Lady Montague); Vittoria Valerio, Agnese di Clemente, Marta Gerani, Danieal Cavalleri, Chiara Fiandra, and Alessandrea Vassallo (Six Friends of Juliet); and dancers from the Ballet Company of Teatro alla Scala. Patrick Fournillier conducts the Orchestra of Teatro alla Scala. Set design by Mauro Carosi; costume design by Odette Nicoletti; lighting design by Marco Filibeck. Video direction by Lorena Sardi; photography directed by Luciano Cricelli. Released 2017, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: A+
Read MoreShakespeare Antony and Cleopatra play. Directed 2017 by Iqbal Khan at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre. Stars Joseph Adelakun (Scarus/Mardian), Ben Allen (Octavius Caesar), Kristin Atherton (Iras), Will Bliss (Soothsayer), David Burnett (Pompey), Antony Byrne (Mark Antony), James Corrigan (Agrippa), Paul Dodds (Menas), Patrick Drury (Lepidus/Schoolmaster), Waleed Elgardi (Alexas), Sean Hart (Eros), Amber James (Charmian), Luke MacGregor (Proculeius/Menecrates), Anthony Ofoegbu (Diomedes), Dharmesh Patel (Ventidius), Lucy Phelps (Octavia), Josette Simon (Cleopatra), Jon Tarcy (Demetrius), Marcello Walton (Maecenas), and Andrew Woodall (Enobarbus). Set design by Robert Innes Hopkins; lighting design by Tim Mitchell; music by Laura Mvula; sound by Carolyn Downing; movement by Villmore James; fights by Kev McCurdy. Screen direction by Robin Lough; produced by John Wyver. Has a director's commentary. Released 2018, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
Read MoreMahler Symphony No. 1 "Titan" concert. Riccardo Chailly conducts the Gewandhaus Orchestra Leipzig in 2015. Directed by Ute Feudel; produced by Paul Smaczny. Released 2018, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
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