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
Read MoreVerdi Traviata opera to libretto by Francesco Maria Piave. Andrew Sinclair directed 2019-2020 a revival at the Royal Opera House of the well-regarded 1994 production by Richard Eyre. Stars Ermonela Jaho (Violetta Valéry), Charles Castronovo (Alfredo Germont), Plácido Domingo (Giorgio Germont), Simon Shibambu (Dr. Grenvil), Catherine Carby (Annina), Germán E. Alcántara (Baron Douphol), Aigul Akhmetshina (Flora Bervoix), Thomas Atkins (Gastone de Letorières), and Jeremy White (Marchese d'Obigny). Antonello Manacorda conducts the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House (Concert Master Sergey Levitin) and the Royal Opera Chorus (Chorus Director William Spaulding). Designs by Bob Crowley; lighting by Jean Kalman; movement direction by Jane Gibson. [No credit on package for TV director.] Sung in Italian. Released 2016, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
Read MoreChristoph Gluck Orphée et Eurydice opera/ballet production to libretto by Pierre-Louis Moline. Directed and choreographed 2018 by John Neumeier at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. Singing stars are tenor Dmitry Korchak (Orphée), soprano Andriana Chuchman (Eurydice), and soprano Lauren Snouffer (Amore [should be Amour, as this is the French version]). Features The Joffrey Ballet (now the official ballet of the Lyric Opera) performing as themselves and the inhabitants of the underworld. Harry Bicket conducts the Lyric Opera of Chicago Orchestra and Chorus (Chorus Master Michael Black). Sets by Neumeier (assisted by Heinrich Tröger), lighting design by Neumeier (assisted by Chris Maravich), and costumes by Neumeier. Directed for TV by Matthew Diamond; produced by John Walker; executive producer was David Horn. Sung in French. Released 2019, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: B+
Gluck’s relatively simple opera libretto and music encourages extensive embellishment with dancing and updated plot elements. Still, making a video of this is
Read MoreSir Karl Jenkins The Armed Man - A Mass for Peace concert. Performed 2019 at the Mercedes Benz Arena, Berlin. Sir Karl Jenkins (The Armed Man) and Grant Llewellyn (Lament for Syria) conduct the World Orchestra for Peace and the World Choir for Peace (Chorus Master Nicol Matt). Soloist singers are Leah-Marian Jones, Yumeji Matsufuji, Pauline Rathmann, and Amir Aziz. Features cellist Valentino Worlitzsch. Directed for TV and produced by Hefin Owen; executive production by Gareth Williams; music production by Gwawr Owen; film editing by Gareth Owens and Chris Lawrence. Sung in English, French, Arabic, Welsh, German, Latin, and Japanese. Released 2019, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
Read MoreAntônio Carlos Gomes Lo Schiavo opera to libretto by Rodolfo Paravicini. Directed 2019 by Davide Garattini Raimondi at the Teatro Lirico di Cagliari. Stars Svetla Vassileva (Ilàra), Massimiliano Pisapia (Américo), Andrea Borghini (Iberè), Elisa Balbo (La contesa di Boissy), Daniele Terenzi (Gianfèra), Dongho Kim (Il conte Rodrigo/Goitacà), Marco Puggioni (Guarûco), Francesco Musinu (Tupinambà/Lion), and Michelangelo Romero (Tapacoà). John Neschling conducts the Orchestra e Coro del Teatro Lirico di Cagliari (Chorus Master Donato Sivo). Set design by Tiziano Santi; costume design by Domenico Franchi; light design by Alessandro Verazzi; choreography by Luigia Frattaroli. Directed for TV by Tiziano Mancini. Sung in Italian. Released 2019, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
Read MoreChristmas Oratorio. Music is Bach concert of 6 cantatas (BWV 248) to a sacred text. Recorded 2018 at the St. Thomas Church in Leipzig. Gotthold Schwarz conducts the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig and the Thomanerchor Leipzig with soloists Dorothee Mields (soprano), Elvira Bill (alto), Patrick Grahl (tenor for Evangelist part), Markus Schafer (tenor for arias), and Klaus Hager (bass). Sung in German. Released 2019, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound output. Grade: NA
Read MoreRichard Strauss Ariadne auf Naxos opera to libretto by Hugo von Hofmannsthal. Directed 2014 by Sven-Eric Bechtolf at the Wiener Staatsoper. Stars Soile Isokoski (Primadonna/Ariadne), Sophie Koch (Der Komponist), Jochen Schmeckenbecher (Ein Musiklehrer), Johan Botha (Bacchus), Daniela Fally (Zerbinetta), Adam Plachetka (Harlekin), Carlos Osuna (Scaramuccio), Jongmin Park (Truffaldin), Benjamin Bruns (Brighella), Norbert Ernst (Ein Tanzmeister), Peter Matić (Der Haushofmeister), Macus Pelz (Ein Lakai), Won Cheol Song (Ein Perückenmacher), Dániel Lőkös (Ein Offizier), Valentina Nafornița (Najade), Rachel Frenkel (Dryade), and Olga Bezmertina (Echo). Christian Thielemann conducts the Orchestra of the Wiener Staatsoper. Set design by Rolf Glittenberg; costume design by Marianne Glittentberg; lighting design by Jürgen Hoffmann. Directed for TV by Robert Gummlich. Released 2019, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
Read MoreHans Werner Henze The Bassarids opera to libretto by W. H. Auden and Chester Kallman. Directed 2018 by Krzysztof Warlikowski at the Salzburg Festival. Stars singers Sean Panikkar (Dionysus), Russell Braun (Pentheus), Willard White (Cadmus), Nikolai Schukoff (Tiresias/ Calliope), Tanja Ariane Baumgartner (Agave/Venus), Károly Szemerédy (Captain/Adonis), Vera-Lotte Böcker (Autonoe/Proserpine), Anna Maria Dur (Beroe). Bassarid dancers are Rosalba Guerrero Torres, Hector Buenfil Palacio, Flavie Haour, Katharina Platz, and Javier Salcedo Hernandez. Kent Nagano conducts the Wiener Philharmoniker and the Konzertvereinigung Wiener Staatsopernchor.
Read MoreSchumann Complete Symphonies:
Symphony No. 1 "Spring"
Symphony No. 2
Symphony No. 3 "Rhenish"
Symphony No. 4
In 2018, Christian Thielemann conducts the Staatskapelle Dresden at the Suntory Hall, Tokyo. Directed for TV by Akira Miki. Released 2019, disc has 5.0 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
Read MoreChristoph Gluck Orphée et Eurydice opera to libretto by Pierre-Louis Moline. This is the 1859 version by Hector Berlioz. Directed 2018 by Aurélien Bory at the Opéra Comique. Stars Marianne Crebassa (Orphée), Hélène Gilmette (Eurydice), and Lea Desandre (Amour). Raphaël Pichon conducts the Ensemble Pygmalion. Set design by Aurélien Bory and Pierre Dequivre; lighting design by Arno Veyrat; costume design by Manuela Agnesini; dramaturgy by Taïcyr Fadel. Directed for TV by François Roussillon. Sung in French. Released 2019, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
Read MoreWagner Der Fliegende Holländer opera to a libretto by the composer (original 1841 version). Directed 2015 by Olivier Py at the Theater an der Wien. Stars Samuel Youn (Der Holländer), Ingela Brimberg (Senta), Lars Woldt (Donald), Bernard Richter (Georg), Manuel Günther (Der Steuermann), Ann-Beth Solvang (Mary), and Pavel Strasil (Satan). Marc Minkowski conducts Les Musiciens du Louvre and the Arnold Schoenberg Chor (Chorus Masters Erwin Ortner, Ottokar Prochazka, and Jordi Casals). Set design by Pierre-André Weitz; lighting design by Bertrand Killy. Directed for TV by François Roussillon. Sung in German. Released 2019, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
Read More2019 Europakonzert: Daniel Harding conducts the Berliner Philharmoniker this year in its traditional “Europakonzert” on May 1 celebrating the founding of the orchestra on May Day. Normally this event occurs in a different European city in a beautiful venue of historical significance. Performed 2019 at the Orsay Museum (Musée d'Orsay) in Paris. Here’s the program:
Wagner “Good Friday Spell” from Parsifal
Wagner '“Wotan’s Farewell” and “The Magic Fire” from Die Walküre (Concert Version)
Wagner “Liebestod” from Tristan und Isolde
Berlioz “Royal Hunt” and “Storm” from Les Troyens
Berlios “Love Scene” from Romeo et Juliette
Debussy Pelléas and Mélisande Concert Suite (Suite by Claudio Abbado, based on the Orchestral Suite arranged by Erich Leinsdorf)
Debussy Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune
Read MoreHedda Gabler ballet. Music composed by Nils Petter Molvær. Choreographed and directed by Marit Moum Aune based on the play of the same name by Henrik Ibsen. Staged 2017 at the Norwegian National Opera and Ballet. Stars Grete Sofie Borud Nybakken (Hedda Gabler) Silas Henriksen (Eilert Løvborg, Hedda’s first lover), Philip Currell (Jørgen Tesman, Hedda’s husband), Eugenie Skilnand (Thea Elvsted, Hedda’s schoolmate), Shane Urton (Assessor or Judge Brack), Samantha Lynch (Aunt Julie), Klara Mårtensson (Diana), Kristian Alm (General Gabler, Hedda’s father), Erle Østraat (Hedda Gabler as child), and Helle Flood (Thea Elvsted as child) supported by other dancers of The Norwegian National Ballet and The Norwegian National Ballet School. Set design by Even Børsum; costume design by Ingrid Nylander; lighting design by Kristin Bredal; assistant direction by Christoper Kettner; group choreography by Kaloyan Boyadjiev. Directed for TV by Tommy Pascal; produced by Xavier Dubois. Released 2019, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: B+
Read MoreRameau Hippolyte et Aricie opera to a libretto by Simon-Joseph Pellegrin. Directed 2018 by Aletta Collins at the Staatsoper Unter den Linden. Stars Anna Prohaska (Aricie), Reinoud Van Mechelen (Hippolyte), Magdalena Kožená (Phèdre), Gyula Orendt (Thésée), Elsa Dreisig (Diane), Adriane Queiroz (Œnone), Sarah Aristidou (La Grande Prêtresse de Diane/Une Matelote), Slávka Zámečníková (Une Chasseresse), Serena Sáenz (Une Bergère), Peter Rose (Pluton), Michael Smallwood (Mercure), Linard Vrielink (Première Parque), Arttu Kataja (Deuxième Parque), and Jan Martinik (Troisième Parque). Features dancers Bruna Diniz Afonso, Ema Jankovic, Patricia Langa, Sophia Preidel, Casia Vengoechea, Yuri Fortini, Daniel Hay-Gordon, Alessandro Marzotto Levy, Will Thompson, Po-Nien Wang, and Victor Villarreal. Sir Simon Rattle conducts the Freiburger Barockorchester and the Staatsopernchor (Chorus Master Martin Wright). Stage design, lighting design and costumes by Ólafur Elíasson; choreography by Aletta Collins; light by Olaf Freese; dramaturgy by Detlef Glese. Sung in French. Released 2019, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
Read MoreBlomdstedt Conducts Beethoven Box Set released 2019. Herbert Blomstedt conducts the Gewandhausorchester, the MDR Rundfunkchor, the GewandhausChor and the GewandhausKinderchor from 2015-2017. Below are the discs. Each of them has already been reported on this website, and you can get more details by using the links provided:
Beethoven Triple Concerto and Beethoven Symphony No. 5. The Triple Concerto features Isabelle Faust (violin), Jean-Guihen Queyras (cello), and Martin Helmchen (piano).(Grade: N/A)
Beethoven Symphony No. 6 and Symphony No. 7. (Grade: N/A)
Beethoven Symphony No. 9. Features Simona Šaturová (soprano), Mihoko Fujimura (alto), Christian Elsner (tenor), Christian Gehaher (baritone). (Grade:N/A)
Released 2019, three disc set has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Total Grade: N/A
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