Coppélia ballet. Music by Léo Delibes. Libretto by Charles Nuitter and Arthur Saint-Léon after E.T.A. Hoffmann. Choreography by Sergey Vikharev and Vladimir Grigoriev after Marius Petipa and Enrico Cecchetti. Recorded 2018 at the Bolshoi Theater. Stars Margarita Shrayner (Swanilda), Artem Ovcharenko (Frantz), Alexey Loparevich (Coppelius), Xenia Averina, Daria Bochkova, Bruna Cantanhede Gaglianone, Antonina Chapkina, Anastasia Denisova, Elizaveta Kruteleva, Svetlana Pavlova, and Yulia Skvortsova (Eight friends); Nadezhda Blagova (Coppélia [Automaton]), Alexander Fadeyechev (Lord of Manor), Yuri Ostrovsky (Burgomaster), Nikolay Mayorov (Chronos), Oksana Sharova, Alexander Vodopetov, Ekaterina Besedina, and Dmitry Ekaterinin (Mazurka), Kristina Karasyova and Vitali Biktimirov (Czardasz), Anastasia Denisova (Aurora), Antonina Chapkina (Prayer), Daria Bochkova, Ksenia Averina, Maria Mishina, Stanislava Postnova, and Tatiana Tiliguzova (Work), and Elizaveta Kruteleva (Folly). Pavel Sorokin conducts the Orchestra and Chorus of the Bolshoi Theater. Scenography by Boris Kaminsky; costumes by Tatiana Noginova; lighting design by Damir Ismagilov; archive research and coordination by Pavel Gershenzon. Directed for TV by Isabel Julien; produced by François Duplat. Released 2019, disc has 5.1 HD Master Audio sound. Grade: A+
Read MoreTraviata: Vous méritez un avenir meilleur (English: Traviata: You Deserve a Better Future) opera by Benjamin Lazar, Florent Hubert, and Judith Chemla after Verdi’s La Traviata and Dumas’ La Dama aux camélias. Directed 2018 by Benjamin Lazar at the Théâtre des Bouffes du Nord in Paris, France. Stars Judith Chemla (Violetta Valéry), Damien Bigourdan (Alfredo Germont), Jérôme Billy (Giorgio Germont), Élise Chauvin (Flora Bervoix et Anina), Florent Baffi (The Doctor), and Benjamin Locher (Baron Douphol). Also features musicians Marie Salvat (Violin), Myrtille Hetzel (Cello), Axelle Ciofolo de Peretti (Clarinet), Renaud Charles (Flute), Bruno Le Bris (Contrabassa), Gabriel Levasseur (Accordian), Sébastien Llado (Trombone), and Benjamin Locher (Horn). Arrangements and Musical Direction by Florent Hubert and Paul Escobar; vocal coach was Alphonse Cemin. Sets by Adeline Caron; costumes by Julia Brochier; lighting design by Maël Iger; make-up and hairdressing by Mathilde Benmoussa; assistant to stage director was Juliette Séjourné. Sung in Italian with English and French subtitles. Directed for TV by Corentin Leconte; produced by Xavier Dubois Released 2019, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
Read MoreRobert Schumann Scenes from Goethe’s Faust concert. Directed 2017 by Jürgen Flimm at the Staatsoper Unter den Linden. Stars singers Roman Trekel (Faust/Doctor Marianus), Elsa Dreisig (Gretchen/Una Poenitentium), René Pape (Mephistopheles/Evil Spirit/Pater Profundus), Katharina Kammerloher ) (Marthe/Sorge/Mater Gloriosa), Evelin Novak (Not/Magna Peccatrix), Stephan Rügamer (Ariel/Pater Ecstaticus), Gyula Orendt (Pater Seraphicus), Adriane Queiroz (Mangel/Mulier Samaritana), and Natalia Skrycka (Schuld/Maria Aegyptiaca). Also stars actors André Jung (Faust/Horold), Sven-Eric Bechtolf (Mephistopheles/Liechen), Meike Droste (Gretchen/Astrolog/Engel/Tümer), and Anna Tomowa-Sintow (Zueignung) . . . this was the official reopening concert for the Berlin State Opera Unter den Linden after many years of renovations.
Read MoreMahler Symphony No. 1 ("Titan") and Symphony No. 4. Danielle Gatti conducts the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. Released 2019. Grade: NA
Read MoreKurt Weill Street Scene opera to libretto by Elmer Rice and Langston Hughes. Directed 2018 by John Fulljames (with Associate Director Lucy Bradley) at the Teatro Real de Madrid. Stars Paulo Szot (Frank Maurrant), Patricia Racette (Anna Maurrant), Mary Bevan (Rose Maurrant), Joel Prieto (Sam Kaplan), Lucy Schaufer (Emma Jones), Jeni Bern (Greta Fiorentino), Michael J. Scott (Lippo Fiorentino), Tyler Clarke (Daniel Buchanan), Marta Fontanals-Simmons (Jennie Heldebrand), Eric Greene (Henry Davis), Richard Burkhard (Harry Easter), Sarah-Marie Maxwell (Mae Jones), and Dominic Lamb (Dick McGann).
Read MorePuccini Tosca opera to libretto by Giuseppe Giacosa and Luigi Illica. Directed 2010 by Renzo Giacchieri at the Teatro Carlo Felice di Genoa in Italy. Stars Daniela Dessì (Tosca), Fabio Armiliato (Cavarodossi), Claudio Sgura (Scarpia), Nikolay Bikov (Angelotti), Paolo Maria Orecchia (Sacristan), Max De Angelis (Spoletta), Angelo Nardinocchi (Sciarrone), Roberto Conti (Jailer), and Luca Arrigo (Shepherd). Marco Boemi conducts the Orchestra, Chorus (Chorus Master Franco Sebastiani) and Boys' Chorus (Chorus Master Gino Tanasini) of the Teatro Carlos Felice. Set design by Adolf Hohenstein as recreated by Ettore Rondelli; also sets by the Fondazione Teatro dell'Opera di Roma; lighting design by Renzo Giacchieri. Directed for TV by Andrea Dorigo. Sung in Italian. Released 2012, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: A
Read MoreTchaikovsky Eugene Onegin opera to libretto by the composer and K. Shilovsky based on the verse novel by Alexander Pushkin. Directed 2008 by Dmitri Tcherniakov at the Paris Opera. Stars Mariusz Kwiecien (Eugene Onegin), Makvala Kasrashvili (Madame Larina), Tatiana Monogarova (Tatiana), Margarita Mamsirova (Olga), Emma Sarkisyan (The Nurse), Andrey Dunaev (Lenski), Anatolij Kotscherga (Prince Gremin), and Valery Gilmanov (Zaretski). Also stars the Bolshoi Theatre Soloists. Alexander Vedernikov conducts the Bolshoi Theatre Orchestra and Chorus (Chorus Master Valery Borisov). Set design by Dmitri Tcherniakov; costume design by Maria Danilova; lighting design by Gleb Filshtinsky. Directed for TV by Chloé Perlemuter; produced by François Duplat. Released 2019, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
Read MoreWagner Tristan und Isolde opera to libretto by the composer. Directed 2016 by PIerre Audi at the Teatro dell’Opera di Roma. Stars Andreas Schager (Tristan), Rachel Nicholls (Isolde), Michelle Breedt (Brangäne), Brett Polegato (Kurwenal), John Relyea (King Marke), Andrew Rees (Melot), Gregory Bonfatti (A Shepherd), Gianfranco Montresor (A Steersman), and Rainer Trost (A Voice of a Young Sailro). Daniele Gatti conducts Orchestra and Choir of Teatro Opera of Rome (Chorus Master Roberto Gabbiani). Set and costume design by Christof Hetzer; dramaturgy by Willem Bruls; lighting design by Jean Kalman; video design by Anna Bertsch. Directed for TV by Annalisa Botto. Sung in German. Released 2019, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
Read MoreBrahms Symphonies 1-4 (complete symphonies) concert. Performed in 2018 at the Théâtre des Champs Elysées. Paavo Järvi conducts the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen. Music video directed for TV by Jean-Pierre Loisil. Also contains the documentary film The Brahms Code directed by Christian Bercer. Released 2019, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
Well folks, forget about the silly PR that the musicians of Bremen play Brahms best. But it’s also apparent from numerous reviews that Järvi and his scaled-down chamber orchestra play Brahms plenty well with forces that Brahms had in mind when he composed.
Read MoreMozart Die Entführung aus dem Serail opera to libretto by Johann Gottlieb Stephanie (from Christoph Friedrich Bretzner). Directed 2017 at La Scala by Mattia Testi reviving the beloved 1965 production of Giorgio Strehler at the Salzburg Festival. Stars Lenneke Ruiten (Konstanze), Sabine Devieilhe (Blonde), Mauro Peter (Belmonte), Maximilian Schmitt (Pedrillo), Tobias Kehrer (Osmin), Cornelius Obonya (Pasha Selim), and Marco Merlini (A servant). Zubin Mehta conducts the Teatro alla Scala Orchestra and Chorus. Carla Ceravolo revives set designs by Luciano Damiani; Sybille Ulsamer revives costumes by Luciano Damian; lighting by Marco Filibeck. Sung in German. Released 2019. Grade: NA
Read MoreJacques Offenbach Un mari à la porte (A Husband at the Door) operetta to libretto by Alfred Delacour and Léon Morand. Directed 2019 by Luigi Di Gangi and Ugo Giacomazzi at the Teatro del Maggio Musicale in Florence. Stars Patrizio La Placa (Henri Martel), Marina Ogii (Suzanne), Matteo Mezzaro (Florestan Ducroquet), and Francesca Benitez (Rosita). Valerio Galli conducts the Orchestra of the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino. Set design by Federica Parolini; costume design by Agnese Rabatti; lighting design by Luigi Biondi. Directed for TV by Matteo Ricchetti; video editing by Adriano Figari; recording by Rino Trasi and Vera Zanotti; editing by Rino Trasi. Sung in French. Note this is a one-act farce that lasts only 47 minutes. Released 2019, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
Read MoreAmbroise Thomas Hamlet opera to libretto by Michel Carré and Jules Barbier. Directed 2018 by Cyril Teste at the Opéra Comique. Stars Stéphane Degout (Hamlet), Sabine Devieilhe (Ophélie), Laurent Alvaro (Claudius), Sylvie Brunet-Grupposo (Gertrude), Julien Behr (Laërte), Jérôme Varnier (the Ghost), Kevin Amiel (Marcellus, Second Gravedigger), Yoann Dubruque (Horatio, First Gravedigger), and Nicolas Legoux (Polonius). Louis Langrée conducts the Orchestre des Champs-Élysées and Les éléments (Chorus Master Joël Suhubiette). Set design by Ramy Fischler; costume design by Isabelle Deffin; lighting design by Julien Boizard; production design by Nicolas Dorémus and Mehdi Toutain-Lopez; dramaturgy by Leila Adham. Directed for TV by François Roussillon. Sung in French. Released 2019, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
Read MoreThe Car Man dance production. Music arranged by Terry Davies after the Rodion Shchedrin Carmen Suite and other sources. Book and choreography by Matthew Bourne. This is the 2015 revival with staging by Etta Murfit at Sadler’s Wells Theatre, London (which updated the earlier version of the show published in DVD). Stars Christopher Trenfield (Luca), Zizi Strallen (Lana), Dominic North (Angelo), Kate Lyons (Rita), Alan Vincent (Dino) and the following residents of Harmony, USA: Cordelia Braithwaite, Tom Clark, Danny Collins, Pia Driver, Glenn Graham, Nicole Kabera, Katrina Lyndon, Andrew Monaghan, Leon Moran, Danny Reubens, Katie Webb, and Daniel Wright. Set and costume design by Lez Brotherston; lighting design by Chris Davey; sound design by Paul Groothius. Directed for TV by Ross MacGibbon. Released 2017, disc has 48/24 LPCM stereo sound. Grade: B+
The Carmen music gets this show off to a fast start, but the story
Read MoreEkstasis short musical “films.” Jean-Baptiste Barrière directs 6 short avant-garde audio/visual recordings:
Kaija Saariaho Nocturne with violinist Aliisa Neige Barrière (6:20)
Kaija Saariaho NoaNoa with flutist Camilla Hoitenga (8:05)
Kaija Saariaho Lonh with soprano Raphaële Kennedy (16:00)
Jean-Baptiste Barrière Crossing the Blind Forest with flutist Camilla Hoitenga (11:06)
Jean-Baptiste Barrière Violance with violinist Aliisa Neige Barrière (19:22)
Jean-Baptiste Barrière Ekstasis with soprano Raphaële Kennedy (15:39)
Package includes a Blu-ray video disc and a CD of the music.
Read MoreCharles Ives Universe, Incomplete symphony and performance art piece. Directed 2018 (as a world premiere) by Christoph Marthaler at the Jahrhunderthalle in Bochum, Germany as part of the 2018 Ruhrtriennale Festival. Titus Engel is music director for the Bochumer Symphoniker, the Rhetoric Project, and the Schlagquartett Köln with the assistance of multiple student percussion groups. Dancers are Joaquin Abella, Tora Augestad, Liliana Benini, Bérengère Bodin, Marc Bodnar, Magne-Håvard Brekke, Bendix Dethlieffsen, Haizam Fathy, Altea Garrido, Ueli Jäggi, Jürg Kienberger, Antonio J. Navarro, Michael Wilhelmi, Thomas Wodianka, Clements August Becker, and Helmut Schmitt.
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