Handel Rodelinda opera to a libretto by Nicola Francesco Haym. Directed 2018 by Jean Bellorini at the Opéra de Lille. Stars Jeanine De Bique (Rodelinda), Tim Mead (Bertarido), Benjamin Hulett (Grimoaldo), Avery Amereau (Eduige), Jakub Józef Orliński (Unolfo), and Andrea Mastroni (Garibaldo). Emmanuelle Haïm conducts Le Concert d’Astrée. Collaboration to the stage direction by Mathieu Coblentz, set design by Jean Bellorini and Véronique Chazal; costume design by Macha Makeïeff; lighting design by Luc Muscillo; assistance to the musical direction by Benoît Hartoin and Elisabeth Geiger. Sung in Italian. Released 2019, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA

Rossini Le comte Ory opera to libretto by Eugène Scribe and Charles-Gaspard Delestre-Poirson. Directed 2011 by Bartlett Sher at the Met. Stars Juan Diego Flórez (Le Comte Ory), Diana Damrau (La Comtesse Adèle), Joyce DiDonato (Isolier), Susanne Resmark (Ragonde), Michele Pertusi (Tutor), Stéphane Degout (Raimbaud), Monica Yunus (Alice), Tony Stevenson (Courtier), and Tyler Simpson (Courtier). Maurizio Benini conducts the Orchestra and Chorus of the Metropolitan Opera (Chorus Master Donald Palumbo). Sets designed by Michael Yeargan; costume design by Catherine Zuber; lighting design by Brian MacDevitt; music produced by Jay David Saks; directed for video by Gary Halvorson. Supervising Producers Mia Bongiovanni and Elena Park. Producers Louisa Briccetti and Victoria Warivonchik. Released 2015, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: A

Handel Alcina opera to a libretto by an unknown author. Directed 2015 by Katie Mitchell (assisted by Dan Ayling and Robin Tebbutt) at the Aix-en-Provence Festival. Stars Patricia Petibon (Alcina, a sorceress), Philippe Jaroussky (Ruggiero, a warrior enchanted by Alcina), Anna Prohaska (Morgana, Alcina’s younger sister), Katarina Bradić (Bradamante, Ruggiero’s former sweetheart), Anthony Gregory (Oronte, Alcina’s general), Krzysztof Baczyk (Melisso, Ruggiero’s former comrade), and Elias Mädler (Oberto, a boy seeking his missing father). Actors are Juliet Alderdice (the real Alcina), Jane Thorne (the real Morgana), Ian Hallard (Oberto's father/servant), plus Zoé Aldrich, Josephine Arden, Sarah Northgraves, and Anna Martine (more servants of Alcina). Andrea Marcon conducts the Freiburger Barockorchester and Chœur MusicAeterna (Chœur de l'Opéra de Perm under Chorus Master Vitaly Polonsky). Continuo: theorbos Daniele Ciminiti and Maria Ferré; cello Guido Larisch; harpsichords Andrea Marcon and Johannes Keller. Set design by Chloe Lamford; costume design by Laura Hopkins assisted by Blanca Anon Garcia and Clémence Pernoud; lighting design by James Farncombe; choreography by Joseph W. Alford; musical assistant was Johannes Keller; piano répétiteur was Jean-Paul Pruna. Directed for TV by Corentin Leconte; produced by François Duplat. Sung in Italian. Released  2016, disc has 5.1 Dolby Digital sound output. Grade: A+

Thomas Adès The Exterminating Angel opera to libretto by Tom Cairns. Directed 2017 by Tom Cairns at the Metropolitan Opera. Stars Audrey Luna (Leticia Maynar), Amanda Echalaz (Lucía de Nobile), Sally Matthews (Silvia de Ávila), Sophie Bevan (Beatriz), Alice Coote (Leonora Palma), Christine Rice (Blanca Delgado), Iestyn Davies (Francisco de Ávila), Joseph Kaiser (Edmundo de Nobile), Frédéric Antoun (Raúl Yebenes), David Portillo (Eduardo), David Adam Moore (Colonel Álvaro Gómez), Rod Gilfry (Alberto Roc), Kevin Burdette (Señor Russel), Christian Van Horn (Julio), and John Tomlinson (Doctor Carlos Conde). Thomas Adès conducts the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Chorus (Chorus Master Donald Palumbo). Set and costume design by Hildegard Bechtler; lighting design by Jon Clark; projection design by Tal Yarden; choreography by Amir Hosseinpour; music production by David Frost; recorded for TV by Gary Halvorson. Released 2019, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA

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

Bizet Les pêcheurs de perles(The Pearl Fishers) opera to libretto by Eugène Cormon and Michel Carré. Directed 2016 by Penny Woolcock (based on a 2010 English National Opera production). Stars Mariusz Kwiecien (Zurga), Matthew Polenzani (Nadir), Diana Damrau (Leïla), and Nicolas Testé (Nourabad). Gianandrea Noseda conducts the The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Chorus (Chorus Master Donald Palumbo). Sets by Dick Bird with assistance of Scott Laule; costumes by Kevin Pollard; lighting by Jen Schriever; projection designs by 59 Productions; movement direction by Andrew Dawson; fight direction by J. Allen Suddeth; music production by Jay David Saks; directed for TV by Matthew Diamond. Released 2017, disc has 5.1 Dolby Digital Audio. Grade: A

Kaija Saariaho Only the Sound Remains double-bill opera. The two operas are Always Strong and Feather Mantle, both based on traditional Noh plays from Japan, with Saariaho contributing the libretto and music for each.  Directed 2016 by Peter Sellars at the Dutch National Opera. Stars Philippe Jaroussky (Ghost/Angel) and Davóne Tines (Priest/Fisherman). Also stars dancer Nora Kimball-Mentzos. André De Ridder conducts the Dudok Kwartet (string quartet) and four singers from the Dutch Chamber Choir. Scenography by Julie Mehretu; costumes by Robby Duiveman; lighting by James F. Ingalls; choreography by Nora Kimball-Mentzos; computer music design by Christophe Lebreton; and sound projection by David Poissonnier. Released 2017, disc has 5.1 Dolby Digital sound. Grade: NA

Donizetti Lucia di Lammermoor opera to libretto by Salvadore Cammarano. Directed 2016 by Katie Mitchell at the Royal Opera House. Stars Diana Damrau (Lucia), Charles Castronovo (Edgardo), Ludovic Tézier (Enrico), Taylor Stayton (Arturo), Kwangchul Youn (Raimondo), Rachael Lloyd (Alisa), and Peter Hoare (Normanno). Daniel Oren conducts the Orchestra (Associate Concert Master Ania Safonova) and Chorus of the Royal Opera House (Chorus Director Renato Balsadonna). Designs by Vicki Mortimer; lighting design by Jon Clark; Movement Director and Associate Director Joseph Alford; Fight Directors Rachel Bown-Williams and Ruth Cooper-Brown. Directed for screen by Margaret Williams. Released 2017, disc has 5.1 Dobly Digital sound. Grade: NA

Umberto Giordano Andrea Chénier opera to libretto by Luigi Illica. Directed 2015 by David McVicar at the Royal Opera House. Stars Jonas Kaufmann (Andrea Chénier), Željko Lučić (Carlo Gérard), Eva-Maria Westbroek (Maddalena Di Coigny), John Cunningham (Major-Domo), Basil Patton (An Old Gardener, Gérard’s Father), Denyce Graves (Bersi), Rosalind Plowright (Contessa Di Coigny), Peter Coleman-Wright (Pietro Fléville), Andrew Carter (Flando Fiorinelli), Peter Hoare (The Abbé), Adrian Clarke (Mathieu), Michael Kenneth Stewart (Orazio Coclite), Carlo Bosi (The Incredibile (An Incroyable)), Roland Wood (Roucher), Andrew Hobday (Maximilien Robespierre), Elena Zilio (Madelon), Ed Lyness (Madelon’s Grandson), Eddie Wade (Fouquier-Tinville), Yuriy Yurchu (Dumas), Basil Patton (Gravier De Vergennes), Irene Hardy (Laval-Montmorency), Judith Georgi (Idia Legray), and Jeremy White (Schmidt). Antonio Pappano conducts the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House and the Royal Opera Chorus. Set design by Robert Jones; costume design by Jenny Tiramani; choreography and movement by Andrew George; lighting design by Adam Silverman. Directed for TV by Jonathan Haswell. Sung in Italian. Released 2016, disc has 5.1 Dolby Digital sound. Grade: NA

Wagner Tristan und Isolde opera to libretto by the composer. Directed 2007 by Patrice Chéreau at the Teatro alla Scala. Stars Waltraud Meier (Isolde), Ian Storey (Tristan), Michelle DeYoung (Brangaene), Gerd Grochowski (Kurwenal), Matti Salminen (King Marke), Willy Hartmann II (Melot), Ryland Davies (Shepherd), Ernesto Panariello (Steersman), and Alfredo Nigro (Voice of a young sailor). Daniel Barenboim conducts the Coro e Orchestra del Teatro alla Scala (Chorus Master Bruno Casoni). Sets by Richard Peduzzi; costumes by Moidele Bickel. Released 2015. Grade: NA

Rossini La donna del lago opera to libretto by Andrea Leone Tottola. Directed 2015 by Paul Curran at the Met with assistant directors Sara Erde, Gregory Keller, and Elise Sandell. Stars Joyce DiDonato (Elena), Juan Diego Flórez (King Giacomo V (James V) disguised as Uberto), John Osborn (Rodrigo), Daniela Barcellona (Malcolm Groeme), Oren Gradus (Douglas), Olga Makarina (Albina, Elena's confidant), Eduardo Valdes (Serano, a servant to Douglas), and Gregory Schmidt (Bertram, servant to the King). Michele Mariotti conducts the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Chorus (Chorus Master Donald Palumbo). Musical preparaton by Dennis Giauque, Donna Racik, Gregory Buchalter, Joshua Greene, and Liora Maurer. Sets by Kevin Knight; costumes designed by Kevin Knight with Ryan Moller; lighting by Duane Schuler; projection designs by Driscoll Otto with David Bengali; stage band conductor is Gregory Buchalter.  Directed for HD TV by Gary Halvorson; music producer was Jay David Saks. Supervising Producers were Mia Bongiovanni and Elena Park; Producers were Louisa Briccetti and Victoria Warivonchik. Released in 2015, has LPCM stereo (48kHz/24-bit) and 5.1 Dolby Digital (48kHz) surround sound. Grade: A

Donizetti La fille du régiment opera to libretto by Jules-Henri Vernoy de Saint-Georges and Jean-François-Alfred Bayard. Directed 2007 by Laurent Pelly (assistance in directing and dialogue by Agatha Mélinard) at the Royal Opera House. Stars Natalie Dessay (Marie), Juan Diego Flórez (Tonio), Felicity Palmer (La Marquise de Birkenfeld), Alessandro Corbelli (Sergeant Sulpice Pingot), Donald Maxwell (Hortensius), Dawn French (La Duchesse de Crackentorp), Bryan Secombe (A Corporal), Luke Price (A Valet), and Jean-Pierre Blanchard (A Notary). Bruno Campanella conducts the Orchestra (Peter Manning Concert Master) and Chorus of the Royal Opera House (Renato Balsadonna Chorus Master).  Sets by Chantal Thomas; costumes by Laurent Pelly; lighting by Joël Adam; choreography by Laura Scozzi. Directed for TV by Robin Lough; produced by Peter Byram and Hazels Wright. Released 2015, music was recorded at 48kHz/24-bit and disc has 5.1 Dolby Digital sound output. Grade: A+

Donizetti L'elisir d'amore opera to libretto by Felice Romani. Directed 2005 by Otto Schenk at the Baden-Baden Festspielhaus. Stars Rolando Villazon (Nemorino), Anna Netrebko (Adina), Leo Nucci (Belcore), and Ildebrando d'Arcangelo (Dulcamara), Inna Los (Gianneta) and Michael Burggasser (Dulcamera's assistant). Alfred Eschwé conducts the Orchester and Chor der Wiener Staatsoper. Sets and costumes by Jürgen Rose; directed for TV by Karina Fibich. Released 2015. Grade: NA