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Originally released in 2010 on DVD and has since shipped nearly 13.000 units, and is now available on BLURAY. Recorded live at the Metropolitan Opera during one of the fabled theatre’s greatest nights in 2009. Elīna Garanča builds on the success of 2009 album, Bel Canto, incarnating the bel canto title role heroine, Cinderella, in Rossini’s touching and hilarious comic masterpiece, La Cenerentola Extras: The opera is introduced by baritone Thomas Hampson, who also interviews Elīna Garanča deftly and with charm. More interviews with Simone Alberghini, Alessandro Corbelli, Lawrence Brownlee and John Relyea | 
| | | DG - 0735014 (Blu-ray) Normally: $29.25 Special: $24.86 |
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| |  | Elīna Garanča: Romantique
In Romantique, Elīna Garanča makes a smashing return to the studio and puts her imprint upon the big Romantic repertory, brilliantly portraying such different heroines as Tchaikovsky’s Joan of Arc (The Maid of Orléans), Gounod’s Sapho and Saint-Saëns’ Dalila Elīna Garanča’s mezzo-soprano is velvet; she is a stunning figure on stage; her formidable technique encompasses repertoire from Mozart and bel canto to dramatic roles and contemporary music Conductor Yves Abel’s penchant for the voice and skill at leading an orchestra draws beautiful sound and potent drama from the Filarmonica del Teatro Comunale di Bologna. Elīna Garanča’s rapport with this orchestra is deeper than ever. “If we needed more evidence that the Latvian mezzo is shaping up to be one of the 21st century’s greatest voices, this superb album of 19th-century arias supplies it in buckets. From top to bottom her timbre is rich and firm and her intonation virtually infallible...Pure vocal bliss.” The Times, 6th October 2012 ***** “She has an intensely lyrical voice, lithe enough for ornamentation but also honing a dusky quality which is immediately appealing in the repertoire selected for this disc...Overall, this is a splendid operatic recital...[and] should appeal to aficionados of fine singing, especially in French repertoire somewhat 'off the beaten track'.” International Record Review, December 2012 “Marguerite's soliloquy, accompanied by an eloquent cor anglais, is movingly done...[as Dalila] Garanca is sensuous without being vampish - quite an achievement in this part...[She] moves effortlessly from top to bottom without ever sacrificing beauty of tone...Fans - and others - need not hesitate.” Gramophone Magazine, January 2013 “She describes herself as a lyric mezzo, but many roles here suggest considerable power, emphasised by the echoey recording...Her French isn't perfect, but it's very good, and she relishes the lyrical lines of Gounod's little-known Sapho and Queen of Sheba...A fine collection.” BBC Music Magazine, January 2013 **** | | | In stock - usually despatched within 1 working day. |
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Elina Garanča (Carmen), Roberto Alagna (Don José), Teddy Tahu Rhodes (Escamillo), Barbara Frittoli (Micaela), Keith Miller (Zuniga), Elizabeth Caballero (Frasquita), Sandra Piques Eddy (Mercedes), Earle Patriarco (Dancaire), Keith Jameson (Remandado), Trevor Scheunemann (Morales) Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Chorus, Yannick Nézet-Séguin Solo Dancers: Maria Kowroski & Martin Harvey Production: Richard Eyre Set & Costume Designer: Rob Howell Lighting Designer: Peter Mumford Choreographer: Christopher Wheeldon As well as triumphant successes as Carmen in London, Vienna and Munich, Elīna Garanča, “the Carmen of our day” (News, Austria), took New York’s Metropolitan Opera by storm in this ‘Met Live in HD’ performance, transmitted to cinemas around the world and now available for the first time on BluRay. Starring alongside her is star tenor Roberto Alagna as Don José, Barbara Frittoli as his first love Micaëla and New Zealand baritone Teddy Tahu Rhodes as the toreador Escamillo. The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra is conducted by rising star Canadian maestro Yannick Nézet-Séguin. Extra material: Backstage at the Met with host Renée Fleming: Interviews with Elīna Garanča and Roberto Alagna as well as with Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Barbara Frittoli, Teddy Tahu Rhodes and Christopher Wheeldon. Format: BD-50 Region: 0 (All regions) Picture format: 1080i60 HD 16:9 Duration: 150 mins (opera)/ 23 mins (extras) Subtitles: English, French, German, Spanish Classification: Exempt “Not only does Ms Garanča sing with wonderful enunciation, but also with meaning and a wide variety of tonal colour. In her singing and acting she exudes Carmen’s sexuality whilst not over-egging it with hip swinging and flaunting...Along with Elina Garanča, the big plus of the performance is found in Yannick Nézet-Séguin. His idiomatic conducting has verve, vitality and sensitivity.” MusicWeb International, August 2012 | | | DG - 0734799 (Blu-ray) Normally: $27.00 Special: $20.25 |
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| |  | Opera 2012
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With her sensational role debut at the Vienna State Opera, superstar diva Anna Netrebko displays a performance of rare vocal and dramatic power. The Russian soprano sings the role of the unjustly accused second wife of British King Henry VIII, ‘veering between indignant fury and tender righteousness’ and demonstrating a new level of confidence in her technique with excellent ‘passagework, particularly in trills, and seamless runs even to the lowest notes’ (Opera News). The performance also stars DG mezzo-soprano Elīna Garanča, in ‘a fantastic display of bel canto’ (Opera News) as Anna's rival Giovanna Seymour. Ildebrando D’Arcangelo brings his beautifully dark tone to the role of Enrico and young Italian tenor Francesco Meli sings the demanding role of Lord Percy with a ‘youthful virility’ (Agence France Press), promising great things for the future. On the podium Evelino Pidò 'drew playing of unusual precision and refinement...making every note matter' (Financial Times). “It's no accident that Netrebko's better forays into bel canto have come with Garanca by her side, inspiring her to some lovely singing. Their voices blend beautifully...I find her a welcome counterpoint to Netrebko's passionate queen...Netrebko emerges from the challenge triumphantly. The sincerity in her performance is admirable, while the darker vocal qualities she possesses suit the character well.” International Record Review, May 2012 “[Netrebko] gives a demonstration of characterisation and bel canto vocal virtuosity that is second to none, Callas included...Garanca’s is a consummate interpretation by an artist at the top of her game...D'Arcangelo is a tall, handsome and seductive Enrico whose smooth singing only lacks a little lower extension... Pidò adds to his reputation in this music with a well-paced and phrased interpretation.” MusicWeb International, May 2012 | | | In stock - usually despatched within 1 working day. |
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With her sensational role debut at the Vienna State Opera, superstar diva Anna Netrebko displays a performance of rare vocal and dramatic power. The Russian soprano sings the role of the unjustly accused second wife of British King Henry VIII, ‘veering between indignant fury and tender righteousness’ and demonstrating a new level of confidence in her technique with excellent ‘passagework, particularly in trills, and seamless runs even to the lowest notes’ (Opera News). The performance also stars DG mezzo-soprano Elīna Garanča, in ‘a fantastic display of bel canto’ (Opera News) as Anna's rival Giovanna Seymour. Ildebrando D’Arcangelo brings his beautifully dark tone to the role of Enrico and young Italian tenor Francesco Meli sings the demanding role of Lord Percy with a ‘youthful virility’ (Agence France Press), promising great things for the future. On the podium Evelino Pidò 'drew playing of unusual precision and refinement...making every note matter' (Financial Times) Subtitles: Italian (Orig. language), English, German, French, Spanish “It's no accident that Netrebko's better forays into bel canto have come with Garanca by her side, inspiring her to some lovely singing. Their voices blend beautifully...I find her a welcome counterpoint to Netrebko's passionate queen...Netrebko emerges from the challenge triumphantly. The sincerity in her performance is admirable, while the darker vocal qualities she possesses suit the character well.” International Record Review, May 2012 “[Netrebko] gives a demonstration of characterisation and bel canto vocal virtuosity that is second to none, Callas included...Garanca’s is a consummate interpretation by an artist at the top of her game...D'Arcangelo is a tall, handsome and seductive Enrico whose smooth singing only lacks a little lower extension... Pidò adds to his reputation in this music with a well-paced and phrased interpretation” MusicWeb International, May 2012 | | | DG - 0734728 (Blu-ray) Normally: $27.00 Special: $20.25 |
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| |  | Live Recording from The Felsenreitschule, Salzburg Festival, 2003
Set Design by Jens Kilian Arthaus presents a truly new way of looking at La clemenza di Tito with this famous and star-studded production from the Salzburg Festival 2003. Here Nikolaus Harnoncourt, renowned for his analytical approach to the search for the core of the music, interprets Mozart’s last opera. Martin Kušej, who is acclaimed for his theatre productions directs the production. Nikolaus Harnoncourt identifies with Mozart’s score as both an extremely knowledgeable musician and a conductor who invariably plays an active part in helping to shape the drama. Together with the Vienna Philharmonic, he savours the miracles of Mozart’s late work, bringing out its instrumental colours and effects and at the same time stimulating his singers while proving a solicitous accompanist. Martin Kušej’s production emphasizes the darker sides of the piece, exploring the opera’s basic archetypal patterns while at the same time interpreting it as a highly topical and – in the truest sense of the term – timeless political and human power game. His ability to bring this concept across by focussing on every last detail of the characterization reflects the demand to provide new insights into Mozart’s works that, in Salzburg more than anywhere else, is incumbent upon interpreters. The suggestive power of this performance however, is also due to an ensemble that was truly worthy of a festival appearance. As one critic wrote, six handpicked artists “brought to their parts both plenty of character and a flawless technique”. Sound Format: LPCM Stereo, DD 5.1, DTS 5.1 Picture Format: 16:9 DVD Format: 1 x DVD 5, 1 x DVD 9 / NTSC Subtitle Languages: DE, GB, FR, ES, IT Running Time: 160 mins FSK: 0 “The strongest point in its favour is its communication of the work's austere power: a music-drama that both sums up the past and looks far into the future...The characters, whether or not one accepts Kusej's view of them, are all delineated with extraordinary vividness; in purely vocal terms likewise this is a Tito cast of considerable all-round distinction.” BBC Music Magazine, July 2011 ** | | | In stock - usually despatched within 1 working day. |
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| |  | New Year's Eve Concert Gala 2010
The 2010 New Year’s Eve concert, from Berlin, frames two of the most prominent stars on DG’s roster, Elina Garanca and Gustavo Dudamel. Recorded live, this gala performance sparkles with a selection of arias and orchestral works that include excerpts from one of Garanca’s most celebrated roles, Bizet’s Carmen, and Marguerite in Berlioz’s Damnation of Faust. As well as providing world class accompaniment, the Berlin Philharmonic makes a stirring contribution to the program with the overture to Berlioz’s thrilling Roman Carnival and excerpts from Manuel de Falla’s ballet, The Three-Cornered Hat. Filmed in HD, the gala will be released in 16:9 widescreen with audio in PCM and DTS surround sound . | | | In stock - usually despatched within 1 working day. |
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| |  | The World of Castrati: The Voices of Angels
Bach, J C: | Ebben si vada...lo ti lascio: Ebben si vada Adriano in Siria: Cara, la dolce fiamma | Broschi, R: | Qual guerriero in campo armato (from Idaspe) | Caldara: | Giacché mi tremi in seno (from La Passione di Gesù Cristo Signor Nostro) | Gluck: | Se mai senti spirarti sul volto (from La clemenza di Tito) | Handel: | Crude furie degli orridi abissi (from Serse) Scherza, infida (from Ariodante) Frondi tenere e belle ... Ombra mai fù (from Serse) Mi lusinga il dolce affetto (from Alcina) Dall'ondoso periglio (from Giulio Cesare) Dolci chiodi, amate spine (from La Resurrezione) Ho un non so che nel cor (from La resurrezione) Se l'arco avessi (from Admeto) Quivi, tra questi soltari orr In mille dolci modi (from Sosarme) Ritorna pur, ritorna...Voglio che sia l'indegno (from Faramondo) Lunga serie d'alti eroi (from Parnasso in festa) | Hasse, J A: | Spesso tra vaghe rose (from Il Siroe Re di Persia) | Monteverdi: | Hor mentre i canti alterno (from L'Orfeo) | Mozart: | Deh, per questo istante solo (from La Clemenza di Tito) Venga pur, minacci e frema (from Mitridate, rè di Ponto) | Rossini: | Dolci silvestri... Perché mai le luci apprimo Arsace (from Aureliano in Palmira) | Vivaldi: | Sposa son disprezzata (from Bajazet) Il Bajazet (Il Tamerlano) : Anch'il mar par che sommerga Destin nemico...Destin avaro (from La fida ninfa) |
Natalie Dessay, Véronique Gens, Kate Royal, Patrizia Ciofi (sopranos), Vivica Genaux, Elina Garanca, Joyce DiDonato, Della Jones, Anne Sofie von Otter (mezzos), Sonia Prina, Stephanie Blythe (contraltos), Philippe Jaroussky, James Bowman, René Jacobs, Max Emanuel Cencic, Gérard Lesne, David Daniels (countertenors) In this double album, the greatest vocal artists of the present day offer their own vision of the singing of their legendary predecessors. The extraordinary adulation accorded to castrati during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries is still today one of the most fascinating phenomena in the history of music. During this golden age of the castrato, these male singers endowed with high voices that combined incredible refinement, amazing power and superhuman virtuosity took the musical world by storm. The whole of Europe was overcome by infatuation for these vocal prodigies. In the absence of the castrati themselves, the singers of today face the formidable challenge of reviving their repertoire. Both male and female singers now undertake the task of bringing back to life the wondrous voices of their androgynous forebears, in music that is by turns unsettling, deeply moving and of a dizzying virtuosity. A 2CD-Compilation for the Price of 1 + 1 Bonus DVD - Digipack Format | | | In stock - usually despatched within 1 working day. |
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Elina Garanča (Carmen), Roberto Alagna (Don José), Teddy Tahu Rhodes (Escamillo), Barbara Frittoli (Micaela), Keith Miller (Zuniga), Elizabeth Caballero (Frasquita), Sandra Piques Eddy (Mercedes), Earle Patriarco (Dancaire), Keith Jameson (Remandado), Trevor Scheunemann (Morales) Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Chorus, Yannick Nézet-Séguin Solo Dancers: Maria Kowroski & Martin Harvey Production: Richard Eyre Set & Costume Designer: Rob Howell Lighting Designer: Peter Mumford Choreographer: Christopher Wheeldon After her triumphant success as Carmen in Riga, London, and Munich, Elîna Garanča, “the Carmen of our day” (News, Austria), took the Met by storm when filmed live in January 2010. Every generation has its “go to” Carmen. In 2010, the list of definitive gypsy seductresses – glittering with names like Baltsa, Bumbry, Calvé, Farrar, and Stevens – is enriched by the addition of Elîna Garanča. The Wiener Zeitung said it all when it observed of Garanča’s Carmen that “the role and the singer are perfectly matched”. This production was also seen at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden in 2009 with Garanča and Alagna in the lead roles. 2 DVD Set in 5.1 DTS surround sound. Subtitles: French (orig. lang.), German, English, Spanish, Chinese “This is a calculating Carmen, who knows the worth of her assets. Some of her wily intelligence is reflected in the voice — strong in all reaches, flaming at the top...[Tahu Rhodes] prov[es] himself to be an ideal toreador, virile of voice, and very tall. All in all, a Carmen well worth seeing and hearing.” The Times, 28th August 2010 “...everyone on stage, from stars to comprimarios and children (authentically underfoot), crackles with individual life, ideal on video... Garanča's clean-cut Baltic mezzo and fresh good looks suggest not the stereotypical gypsy wench, but a free spirit, intelligent and wilful” BBC Music Magazine, December 2010 ***** “Here is an opera DVD where, rare in my experience, each individual element matches the excellence of the others: production, cast, performance, film direction and use of the medium....Garanča has a fine sparring partner in Alagna - both roles are as well acted as they are sung...Halvorson's fluent direction conveys a real sense of occasion to the whole evening.” Gramophone Magazine, November 2010 “Elina Garanca's striking Carmen and Barbara Frittoli's Micaela stand out, with Alagna unexpectedly affecting as Don Jose.” The Observer, 19th December 2010 | | | In stock - usually despatched within 1 working day. |
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