KURT WEILL
Weill: Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny (complete opera recorded in 2007) Los Angeles Opera / Audra Mc Donald / Patti Lupone / Anthony Dean / James Colon (cond) [ Euroarts DVD / DVD - released 8/Feb/2008 ] G - Recorded live at Los Angeles Opera, 1 and 4 March 2007 |
WALTER BRAUNFELS
Braunfels: Die Vogel [The Birds] (complete opera recorded in 2009) BLU-RAY Désirée Rancatore / Brandon Jovanovich / James Johnson / Martin Gantner / Los Angeles Opera Orchestra & Chorus / James Conlon [ Arthaus Musik Blu-Ray / Blu-ray Disc - released 16/Feb/2011 ] "A rare chance to hear Braunfels's lighthearted, tenderly spiritual and little-known fable…" The New York Times "A marvelous performance…the orchestra sounded radiant." Los Angeles Times "Conlon conducted with lustrous élan…We should hear more... |
GIUSEPPE VERDI
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Verdi: La Traviata (complete opera recorded in 2006) Los Angeles Opera / Renee Fleming (soprano) Rolando Villazon (tenor) Renato Bruson (baritone) / James Colon (cond) [ Decca DVD / DVD - released 12/Dec/2007 ] "With the benefit of the latest picture technology, this performance goes to the top of the list for those preferring a traditional production." (Recording of the Month May 2008) |
GIUSEPPE VERDI
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Verdi: La Traviata (complete opera) BLU-RAY Los Angeles Opera / Renee Flemin, Rolando Villazon, Renato Bruson / James Colon (cond) [ Decca Music Group Limited Blu-ray / Blu-ray Disc - released 9/Mar/2009 ] "With the benefit of the latest picture technology, this performance goes to the top of the list for those preferring a traditional production." (Recording of the Month May 2008) |
GIACOMO PUCCINI
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Puccini: Gianni Schicchi (complete) (recorded 1958) / Scenes from Verdi's Don Carlo & Simon Boccanegra (recorded 1954 & 1957) Tito Gobbi (baritone) / Orchestra del Teatro dell'Opera di Roma / Gabriele Santini (with Victoria de los Angeles) [ EMI Great Artists of the Century / CD - released 6/Apr/2004 ] 1001 Classical recordings you must hear before you die (1901-1950) - "Gobbi had one of those hauntingly individual voices that leave their imprint on phrases and arias: very much the male counterpart of Maria Callas." |
PIETRO MASCAGNI / RUGGERO LEONCAVALLO
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Mascagni/Leoncavallo: Cavalleria Rusticana / Pagliacci (complete operas recorded in 1960/62 with libretto) Victoria de los Angeles, Lucine Amara, Franco Corelli, Tito Gobbi / Opera Roma, Gabriele Santini, Teatro alla Scala, Lovro von Matacic [ EMI Classics / 2 CD - released 1/Mar/1991 ] "With Met stalwart Lucine Amara a strong Nedda this is one of the most bloodcurdling recordings of this finale." Musicweb (on Pagliacci) |
WALTER BRAUNFELS
Die Vogel [The Birds] (complete opera recorded in 2009) Désirée Rancatore / Brandon Jovanovich / James Johnson / Martin Gantner / Los Angeles Opera Orchestra & Chorus / James Conlon [ Arthaus Musik DVD / DVD - released 16/Feb/2011 ] "Walter Braunfel's Die Vögel is that very rare thing - a neglected work which really is worth reviving...The staging is colourful, with plenty of well-coordinated movement, and James Conlon conducts his Los Angeles forces persuasively, as well as... |
GIACOMO PUCCINI
Puccini: Gianni Schicchi (complete opera recorded in 2015. Directed by Woody Allen) BLU-RAY Los Angeles Opera / Plácido Domingo, Arturo Chacón-Cruz, Andriana Chuchman, Greg Fedderly / Grant Gershon (cond) [ Sony Classical Blu-ray / Blu-ray Disc - released 15/Jun/2016 ] Puccini's Gianni Schicchi is the only opera Woody Allen has ever staged. The 2015 version on this release is a revival of Woody Allen's 2008 production for L.A. Opera, a hilarious parody of classical Italian cinema stereotypes. |
GIUSEPPE VERDI
Verdi: Macbeth ( complete opera recorded in 2016) Los Angeles Opera / Plácido Domingo, Ekaterina Semenchuk, Ildebrando D'Arcangelo, Joshua Guerrero / James Conlon (cond) [ Sony DVD / DVD - released 1/Jul/2017 ] "Advancing age has done nothing but strew bouquets of honor, love and admiration on Plácido Domingo." L.A. Times |
GIUSEPPE VERDI
Verdi: Macbeth ( complete opera recorded in 2016) BLU-RAY Los Angeles Opera / Plácido Domingo, Ekaterina Semenchuk, Ildebrando D'Arcangelo, Joshua Guerrero / James Conlon (cond) [ Sony Blu-ray / Blu-ray Disc - released 1/Jul/2017 ] 'LA Opera's latest production of Verdi s Macbeth (2016) features Plácido Domingo in the title role and Russian mezzo-soprano Ekaterina Semenchuk as Lady Macbeth. The opera is staged by Darko Tresnjak, who won a Tony Award for his direction of the... |
SAINT-SAENS
Essential Saint-Saens (Incl Symphony No. 3, 'Organ' in C minor & Danse macabre) Marilyn Horne. Joshua Bell. Pascal Roge. Cristina Ortiz / Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra; Montreal Symphony Orchestra, Vienna Opera Orchestra [ Double Decca / 2 CD - released 15/May/2004 ] "This is very good value, with consistently fine playing and recording" (Gramophone on the piano concerto) |
PUCCINI
Suor Angelica (complete opera recorded in 1957) Victoria de los Angeles / Fedora Barbieri / Rome Opera / Tullio Serafin [ Naxos Historical / CD - released 1/Jul/2009 ] Victoria de los Angeles's performance as Sister Angelica demands superlatives: 'it is in every way perfect, beautifully sung, infinitely touching, and free from the slightest suggestion of theatricality', wrote The Gramophone when this recording was... |
PUCCINI
Madama Butterfly (complete opera recorded in 1954) [with bonus tracks] Victoria de los Angeles, Giuseppe di Stefano, Tito Gobbi / Chorus & Orchestra, Rome Opera / Ginandrea Gavazzeni (conductor) [ Regis Records / 2 CD - released 15/Feb/2006 ] "Los Angeles herself is adorable,... the voice in richest bloom here, the portrayal almost unbearably vivid in charm and magnanimity." - Gramophone |
VERDI
Simon Boccanegra (complete opera recorded in 1957) Victoria de los Angeles / Tito Gobbi / Boris Christoff / Giuseppe Campora / Rome Opera Chorus and Orchestra / Gabriele Santini [ Naxos Historical Great Opera Recordings / 2 CD - released 15/Mar/2009 ] "Go on, treat yourself: this is Gobbi, Christoff and de Los Angeles in spectacular form." (MusicWeb May 2009) |