Der Rosenkavalier

Richard Strauss Der Rosenkavalier opera to libretto by Hugo von Hofmannsthal. Directed 2014 by Richard Jones at the Glyndebourne Opera House. Stars Tara Erraught (Octavian), Kate Royal (The Marschallin), Lars Woldt (Baron Ochs auf Lerchenau), Teodora Gheorghiu (Sophie), Michael Kraus (Herr von Faninal), Miranda Keys (Marianne Leitmetzerin), Helene Schneiderman (Annina), Christopher Gillett (Valzacchi), Andre Dunajev (Italian Singer) Gwynne Howell (Notary), Robert Wörle (Innkeeper), and Scott Conner (Police Inspector). Robin Ticciati conducts the London Philharmonic Orchestra (Leader Pieter Schoeman) and The Glyndebourne Chorus (Chorus Master Jeremy Bines). Designs by Paul Steinberg; costumes by Nicky Gillibrand; lighting by Mimi Jordan Sherin; moment direction by Sarah Fahie. Directed for TV by François Roussillon; Executive Producer George Bruell. Sung in German. Released 2015, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA

David Baker writing in the November 2015 Opera News (page 52) gives this a Critic's Choice salute summing up as follows: "visual provocation, musical reassurance." This one appears to be more for the young-at-heart than the traditionalist. Here's a clip that shows what I mean:

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Here's news about high-definition video disc ("HDVD") recordings of opera, ballet, classical music, plays, fine-art documentaries, and paintings. In the journal below are independent (and hard-to-find critical) reports on hundreds of HDVDs. Pick the best titles for your excelsisphere.

Feb 25. We have just completed one of our most ambitious reviews: Einstein on the Beach opera, the surreal 4 and 1/2 hour cult legend. Kudos, encomiums, and accolades to Opus Arte for giving us this authoritative and weirdly fascinating recording, which we grade A+. Absorbing and learning Einstein is uniquely challenging. We try to help out by providing aids not included in the keepcase materials: an accurate libretto and a list of segments in the opera with correct Opus Arte time stamps. Good luck!

We have some other good grades with an A for the recent Met The Pearl Fishers (Les pêcheurs de perles) and a B- for an earlier The Pearl Fishers from Naples. Also, we recently gave an A- for the new Don Quixote from the Vienna State Ballet.