GIOACCHINO ROSSINI
Rossini: L'Italiana In Algeri (complete opera recorded in 2018) BLU-RAY Salzburg Festival / Cecilia Bartoli, Ildar Abdrazakov, Edgardo Rocha, Alessandro Corbelli, José Coca Loza / Jean-Christophe Spinosi (cond) [ C Major Blu-Ray / Blu-ray - released 9/Aug/2019 ] "The role of Isabella is sung to perfection by Cecilia Bartoli - a clever, independent woman with an adventurous streak" (New York Times). Bartoli's superb performance in Gioachino Rossini's L'Italiana in Algeri (The Italian Girl in Algiers) at... |
RICHARD STRAUSS
Strauss, (R.): Elektra (complete opera recorded in 2010) BLU-RAY Salzburg Festival / Irene Theorin, Waltraud Meier, Eva-Maria Westbroek, Robert Gambill, René Pape / Wiener Philharmoniker / Daniele Gatti [ Arthaus Musik Blu-Ray / Blu-ray Disc - released 23/Jun/2011 ] "Among Elektras on DVD this, along with Karl Böhm's historical performance, must rank among the best; and on Blu-ray it is superb." BBC Music Magazine, October 2011 ***** (Award Finalist 2012) |
CHARLES GOUNOD
Gounod: Romeo et Juliet (complete opera recorded in 2008) Salzburg Festival / Nino Machaidze, Rolando Villazon, Russell Braun / Mozarteum Orchester Salzburg, Yannick Nezet-Seguin [ Deutsche Grammophon DVD / 2 DVD - released 4/May/2009 ] "There are some excellent performances...Villazón knows how to turn up the drama several volts...the passion he brings to moments such as the murder of Tybalt at the end of Act 3 raises the quality of the film." (Musicalcriticism.com) |
GIACOMO PUCCINI
Puccini: La Boheme (complete opera recorded in 2012) Salzburg Festival / Anna Netrebko, Nino Machaidze, Piotr Beczala / Daniele Gatti (cond) [ Deutsche Grammophone DVD / DVD - released 15/Nov/2012 ] The New York Times wrote, "You don't often hear Mimì sung with such vivid character and sheer charisma." |
GIUSEPPE VERDI
Verdi: Otello (complete opera recorded in 2016) BLU-RAY Salzburg Easter Festival / José Cura, Dorothea Röschmann, Carlos Álvarez, Benjamin Bernheim / Staatskapelle Dresden, Christian Thielemann [ C Major Blu-Ray / Blu-ray Disc - released 20/May/2017 ] A superb new Otello from the Salzburg Easter Festival: 'Cura is a commanding Otello with his richly coloured tenor and both fragile delicacy and fiery ardour' Südwestpresse. 'Röschmann as Desdemona guarantees effortless perfection' Neue Musikzeitung. |
LEOS JANACEK
Janacek: The Makropulos Case (complete opera recorded in 2011) BLU-RAY Salzburg Festival / Angela Denoke, Raymond Very, Peter Hoare, Jurgita Adamonyte, Johan Reuter / Esa-Pekka Salonen (cond) [ C Major Blu-Ray / Blu-ray Disc - released 1/Jan/2017 ] "The vocal performances are nearly all compelling. The men - Janacek's usual weak and neurotic bunch - are entirely believable...Both the lead and female roles are remarkably complete." (BBC Music) |
W. A. MOZART
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Mozart: Die Zauberflote [The Magic Flute] (complete opera recorded the Salzburg Festival in 2006) Salzburg Festival / Rene Pape, Genia Kuhmeier, Paul Groves, Diana Damrau / Vienna Philharmonic / Riccardo Muti (cond) [ Decca Classics / Mozart 22 DVD / 2 DVD - released 9/Nov/2006 ] Unsurpassed Mozartian Riccardo Muti conducts the Vienna Philharmonic and a superb cast in an outstanding performance of Pierre Audi's fantastic, colourful production of Mozart's sublime 'singspiel'. |
HANS WERNER HENZE
Hans Werner Henze: The Bassarids Salzburg Festival / Sean Panikkar, Russell Braun, Willard White, Nikolai Schukoff / Vienna Philharmonic, Kent Nagano [ Arthaus Musik DVD / 2 DVD - released 11/Oct/2019 ] The opera, inspired by Euripides' tragedy The Bacchae, is as seductive as it is topical: When Dionysus - is he a charlatan? is he a demigod? - bursts into the intact world of ancient Thebes, he plunges a city into chaos. In stark contrast to his... |
HANS WERNER HENZE
Hans Werner Henze: The Bassarids (Complete Opera) BLU-RAY Salzburg Festival / Sean Panikkar, Russell Braun, Willard White, Nikolai Schukoff / Vienna Philharmonic, Kent Nagano [ Arthaus Musik Blu-ray / 2 Blu-ray Disc - released 11/Oct/2019 ] The opera, inspired by Euripides' tragedy The Bacchae, is as seductive as it is topical: When Dionysus - is he a charlatan? is he a demigod? - bursts into the intact world of ancient Thebes, he plunges a city into chaos. In stark contrast to his... |
GEORG FRIDERIC HANDEL
Handel: Giulio Cesare [complete opera recorded in 2012] Blu-ray Salzburg Whitsun Festival / Cecilia Bartoli, Andreas Scholl, Philippe Jaroussky, Anne Sofie von Otter. Christophe Dumaux / Giovanni Antonini (cond) [ Decca Blu-ray / Blu-ray Disc - released 13/May/2016 ] "[Andreas Scholl's] coloratura is note perfect, he phrases recitatives with as much musicianship as arias, and the steadiness and purity of his voice are remarkable." The Financial Times |