Tchaikovsky The Complete Symphonies box set. This is not a collection of titles previously published separately. This box includes six symphonies performed on three separate days. Philippe Jordan conducts the Paris Opera Orchestra for each performance. The symphonies are split across three discs as follows:
Symphony No. 1 “Winter Dreams,” Symphony No. 5. Performed at the Opera Bastille, October 12, 2017.
Symphony No. 2 “Little Russia,” Symphony No. 4. Performed at the Philharmonie de Paris, March 27, 2018.
Symphony No. 3 “Polish,” Symphony No. 6 “Pathétique.” Performed at the Philharmonie de Paris, May 15, 2018.
Released 2019, the 3 discs have 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
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Prokofiev Complete Symphonies and Concertos box set. Valery Gergiev conducts the Orchestra and Chorus of the Mariinsky Theatre (Principal Chorus Master Andrei Petrenko) at the Tchaikovsky Concert Hall in Moscow and the Concert Hall of the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, April 2016. Features soloists Denis Kozhukhin (Piano), Denis Matsuev (Piano), Leonidas Kavakos (Violin), Daniil Trifonov (Piano), Igor Morozov (Tenor), Sergei Redkin (Piano), Vadym Kholodenko (Piano), Kristof Barati (Violin), Olga Borodina (Mezzo-soprano), Yulia Matochkina (Mezzo-soprano), Mikhail Petrenko (Bass), Alexei Petrenko (Narrator), and Alexander Ramm (Cello). The symphonic and choral works included in this box set are spread over three Blu-ray discs.
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Puccini Madama Butterfly opera to libretto by Giuseppe Giacosa and Luigi Illica. Directed by Moshe Leiser and Patrice Caurier at the Royal Opera House in 2017. Stars Ermonela Jaho (Cio-Cio San), Marcelo Puente (Pinkerton), Scott Hendricks (Sharpless), Carlo Bosi (Goro), Elizabeth DeShong (Suzuki), Jeremy White (Bonze), Emily Edmonds (Kate Pinkerton), Gyula Nagy (Imperial Commissioner), and Yuriy Yurchuk (Prince Yamadori). Antonio Pappano conducts the Orchestra of The Royal Opera House and the Royal Opera Chorus (Chorus Master William Spaulding; Co-Concert Master Sergey Levitin). Set design by Christian Fenouillat; costume design by Agostino Cavalca; lighting design by Christophe Forey; directed for video by Matthew Woodward. Released 2018, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
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Triple bill of shorter ballets choreographed by Frederick Ashton---each work is quite different and unrelated to the others. All were recorded on the same day in June 2017 at a revival in honor of Ashton. Because the works are so different, we grade each separately:
Symphonic Variations. Music by César Franck. Features Marianela Nuñez, Vadim Muntagirov, Yasmine Haghdi, James Hay, Yuhui Choe, and Tristan Dyer. Solo piano by Paul Stobart. Designs by Sophie Fedorovitch; lighting by John B. Read, staging by Wendy Ellis Somes and Malin Thoors.
Marguerite and Armand. Music by Franz Liszt. Stars Zenaida Yanowsky (Marguerite), guest Roberto Bolle (Armand), Christopher Saunders (Armand’s father), Gary Avis (Duke), Mica Bradbury (Maid) and the following as admirers of Margarite:
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Mahler Symphony No. 6 "Tragic”. Sir Simon Rattle conducts the Berliner Philharmonker in 1987 and 2018. This is a commemorative release celebrating Sir Simon Rattle’s final performance as chief conductor for the Berliner Philharmoniker. Title includes two recordings of Mahler Symphony No. 6: an early recording from 1987 and Rattle’s final concert from 2018. The package also includes a CD version for each recording and a bonus documentary. Released 2018. Grade: NA
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Verdi I Lombardi alla prima crociata opera to a libretto by Temistocle Solera. Directed 2018 by Stefano Mazzonis di Pralafera at the Teatro Regio Torino. Stars Giuseppe Gipali (Arvino), Alex Esposito (Pagano), Lavinia Bini (Viclinda), Angela Meade (Giselda), Antonio Di Matteo (Pirro), Joshua Sanders (Prior of Milan), Giuseppe Capoferri (Acciano), Francesco Meli (Oronte), and Alexandra Zabala (Sofia). Michele Mariotti conducts the Orchestra and Chorus of Teatro Regio Torino (Chorus Master Andrea Secchi). Set design by Jean-Guy Lecat, costume design by Fernand Ruiz, light design by Franco Marri; assistant direction by Gianni Santucci; recorded by Rino Trasi and Giuseppe Famularo; directed for video by Matteo Ricchetti and Adriano Figari. Released 2012, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
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St. Thomas Choir Leipzig box set with 3 titles featuring The St. Thomas Boys Choir. Below are the discs. The first two titles have been covered on this site, and you can get more details by using the links provided. The third title is a documentary that we do not cover.
Bach St. Matthew Passion. 2012. (Grade NA)
Bach Mass in B minor. 2014. (Grade NA)
Die Thomaner: A Year in the Life of the St. Thomas Boys Choir Leipzig documentary.
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Claudio Abbado: The Last Years box set with 6 titles featuring Claudio Abbado conducting the Lucerne Festival Orchestra and the Orchestra Mozart as they perform works from Mahler, Bruckner, Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms, Schubert, and Shoenberg. Each of the titles have been covered on this site before. You can learn more about an individual title by clicking on the links below:
Mahler Symphony No. 9. 2011. Grade: D+
Bruckner Symphony No. 5. 2012. Grade: NA
Mozart Requiem Mass. 2013. Grade: NA
Mozart Symphony No. 35 (“Haffner”). 2015. Grade: B-
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Play dance production recorded 2017 at the Opéra national de Paris (Palais Garnier). Choreographed by Alexander Ekman and assistant Ana Maria Lucaciu. Music by Mikael Karlsson. Stars Stéphane Bullion (Danseur Étoile), Muriel Zusperreguy (Première Danseuse), Vincent Chaillet (Premier Danseur), and the following dancers from the Corps de Ballet: Marion Barbeau, Aurélia Bellet, Alice Catonnet, Silvia Saint-Martin, Ida Vikinkoski, Juliette Hilaire, Laurène Levy, Charlotte Ranson, Jennifer Visocchi, Claire Gandolfi, Marion Gautier de Charnacé, Clémence Gross, Caroline Osmont, Sofia Rosolini, Chelsea Adomaitis, Margaux Gaudy-Talazac, Mouget Shanti, Aurélien Houette, Allister Madin, Marc Moreau, Jérémy-Loup Quer, Daniel Stokes, Simon Valastro, Adrien Couvez, Yvon Demol, Alexandre Gasse, Antoine Kirscher, Mickaël Lafon, Hugo Vigliotti, Takeru Coste, Simon Le Borgne, Antonin Monié, and Andréa Sarri.
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Alice's Adventures in Wonderland ballet. Original music by Joby Talbot orchestrated by Christopher Austin and Joby Talbot. Choreography by Christopher Wheeldon with assistant Jacquelin Barrett. Performed 2017 at the Royal Opera House. Stars Lauren Cuthbertson (Alice), Federico Bonelli (Jack/The Knave of Hearts), James Hay (Lewis Carroll/The White Rabbit), Laura Morera (Mother/Queen of Hearts), Christopher Saunders (Father/King of Hearts), Steven McRae (Magician/Mad Hatter), Fernando Montaño (Rajah/Caterpillar), Gary Avis (The Duchess), Paul Kay (Vicar/March Hare), Romany Pajdak (Verger/Doormouse), Kristen McNally (Cook), Tristan Dyer (Footman/Fish), Meaghan Grace Hinkis and Beatriz Stix-Brunell (Alice’s sisters), David Yudes (Footman/Frog), and Harry Churches (Butler/Executioner). Koen Kessels conducts the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House (Associate Concert Master Ania Safonova). Designs by Bob Crowley; scenario by Nicholas Wright; lighting design by Natasha Katz; production design by Jon Driscoll and Gemma Carrington; original sound design by Andrew Bruce for Autograph; staging by Christopher Saunders. Directed for TV by Ross MacGibbon. Released in 2018, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: A+
This is the same production that was first recorded and released in 2011. Stars that are the same in both the 2011 and 2018 shows are
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Les Funérailles Royales de Louis XIV concert (The Royal Funerals of Louis XIV) performed 2015 at the Chapelle Royale in Versailles. Raphaël Pichon conducts the Ensemble Pygmalion. Features singers Céline Scheen (Soprano), Lucile Richardot (Mezzo-soprano), Samuel Boden (Countertenor), Marc Mauillon (Baritone), and Christian Immler (Baritone). Directed for TV by Stéphane Vérité. Released 2018, Grade: B+
For the 300th anniversary of the death of Louis XIV (the Sun King), the Palace of Versailles staged a concert featuring French music likely played during the various funereal ceremonies conducted for the King.
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Bellini Norma opera to libretto by Felice Romani. Directed 2018 by Sir David McVicar at the Metropolitan Opera. Stars Matthew Rose (Oroveso), Joseph Calleja (Pollione), Adam Diegel (Flavio), Sondra Radvanovsky (Norma), Joyce DiDonato (Adalgisa), Michelle Bradley (Clotilde), and Christopher Reynolds and John Reynolds (Norma’s Children). Carlo Rizzi conducts the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Chorus (Chorus Master Donald Palumbo). Set design by Robert Jones; costume design by Moritz Junge; lighting design by Paule Constable; movement direction by Leah Hausman; directed for TV by Gary Halvorson. Released 2018, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
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Rossini: Two Classic Operas Box Set released 2018. Below are the discs. Both titles have been reported on this website, and you can get more details by using the links provided:
La Cenerentola. 2005. Grade: A
Il barbiere di Siviglia. 2016. Grade: NA
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Mozart Così fan tutte opera and dance program to libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte. Directed 2017 by choreographer Anne Teresa de Keersmaeker at the Opéra national de Paris. Singing stars are Jacquelyn Wagner (Fiordiligi), Michèle Losier (Dorabella), Frédéric Antoun (Ferrando), Philippe Sly (Guglielmo), Paulo Szot (Don Alfonso), and Ginger Costa-Jackson (Despina). The corresponding dancing stars are Cynthia Loemij (Fiordiligi), Samantha Van Wissen (Dorabella), Julien Monty (Ferrando), Michaël Pomero (Guglielmo), Boštjan Antončič (Don Alfonso), and Marie Goudot (Despina), supported by other dancers of de Keersmaeker's Rosas dance company. Philippe Jordan conducts the Paris Opera Orchestra and Chorus (Chorus Master Alessandro di Stefano). Set and lighting design by Jan Versweyveld; costume design by An D'Huys; choreography by Anne Teresa de Keersmaeker; dramaturgy by Jan Vandenhouwe. Directed for TV by Louise Narboni. Sung in Italian. Released 2017, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: C-
Così fan tutte is my favorite opera. I wish someone would hire me to translate the libretto into English. I would call it So Do They All with the tagline (“It’s in the nature of women to love, and in the nature of men to lie.”) Ponte’s title has more punch because it blames everything on the two sisters, but my title would support Mozart
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💓 Joyce DiDonato - In War and Peace - Harmony through Music concert. Directed June 4, 2017 by Ralf Pleger at the Grand Theatre de Liceu in Barcelona. Features mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato, dancer Manuel Palazzo, and flautist Anna Fusek. Maxim Emelyanychev conducts Il Pomo d'Oro, plays harpsichord, and plays a cornett solo. The concert is split into two sections: War and Peace.
War:
Handel "Some dire event hangs o’er heads…Scenes of horror, scenes of woe" from Jephtha
Leo "Prendi quel ferro, o barbaro!" from Andromaca
De Cavalieri Sinfonia (instrumental)
Purcell Ciaconna in G minor (instrumental)
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