Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk

Shostakovich Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk opera to libretto by Alexander Preis and the composer. Directed 2006 by Martin Kušej at Het Muziektheater in Amsterdam. Stars Eva-Maria Westbroek (Katerina Lvovna Ismailova), Christopher Ventris (Sergey), Carole Wilson (Aksinya/Old Convict), Vladimir Vaneev (Boris Timofeyevich Ismailov/Old Convict), Lani Poulson (Sonyetka), Ludovít Ludha (Zinovy Borisovich Ismailov), Alexandre Kravets (Shabby Peasant), Nikita Storojev (Chief of Police), Alexander Zassiliev (Priest/Guard), Valentin Jar (Teacher), Martin Vijgenboom (Steward), Jan Polak (Porter), Ruud Fiselier (First Foreman), Jan Majoor (Second Foreman), Leo Geers (Third Foreman), Harry Teeuwen (Millhand), Cor de Wit (Coachman), Wojtek Okraskra (Sentry), and John van Halteren (Drunken Guest). Mariss Jansons conducts The Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra and the Chorus of De Nederlandse Opera (rehearsed by Winfried Maczewski). Sets by Martin Zehetgruber; contumes by Heide Kastler; lighting by Reinhard Traub; dramaturgy by Marion Tiedtke. Directed for TV by Thomas Grimm. Sung in Russian. Released 2009, 2 discs have 5.0 PCM sound. Grade: C+

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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.