Eva-Maria Westbroek

Nikolaus Lehnhoff’s Hollywood-style production updates this Wild West story to the capitalist culture of Wall Street, perfectly reflecting Puccini’s innovatory spirit. In a new angle on the age-old love triangle theme, corrupt Sheriff Jack Rance (Lucio Gallo) and charismatic criminal Dick Johnson (Zoran Todorovich) vie for the love of glamorous blonde and devout Christian Minnie (Eva-Maria Westbroek), finding her way in a man’s world. Carlo Rizzi’s idiomatic conducting draws excellent singing from the large cast and fine playing from The Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra. Filmed in High Definition and recorded in true surround sound.

Extra features:

Cast gallery

Documentary on Eva-Maria Westbroek

"...a high-powered show throughout..." The Financial Times

"...The Netherlands Opera’s spirited and inventive new production..." New York Times

Running time 160mins

Region code All regions

Picture format 16:9 Anamorphic

Sound format 2.0LPCM + 5.1(5.0) DTS digital

Menu language EN

Subtitles EN/FR/DE/ES/IT/NL

Nikolaus Lehnhoff’s Hollywood-style production updates this Wild West story to the capitalist culture of Wall Street, perfectly reflecting Puccini’s innovatory spirit. In a new angle on the age-old love triangle theme, corrupt Sheriff Jack Rance (Lucio Gallo) and charismatic criminal Dick Johnson (Zoran Todorovich) vie for the love of glamorous blonde and devout Christian Minnie (Eva-Maria Westbroek), finding her way in a man’s world. Carlo Rizzi’s idiomatic conducting draws excellent singing from the large cast and fine playing from The Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra. Filmed in High Definition and recorded in true surround sound.

Extra features:

Cast gallery

Documentary on Eva-Maria Westbroek

"...a high-powered show throughout..." The Financial Times

"...The Netherlands Opera’s spirited and inventive new production..." New York Times

Running time 160 mins

Region code All regions

Video codec AVC/MPEG-4

Disc size BD50

Picture format 1080i

Sound format 2.0 LPCM + 5.1(5.0) DTS digital surround

Menu language EN

Subtitles: EN/FR/DE/ES/IT/NL

Note: This Blu-ray Disc (BD) is not compatible with standard DVD players

Shostakovich’s musically brilliant and ingeniously panoramic opera about love, lust, power and oppression is fabulously performed by the Concertgebouw Orchestra under Mariss Jansons in this authoritative production. Stage director Martin Kušej builds on formidable musical strengths to forge a relentless drama that explores with emotional conviction the shadowy, layered boundaries between victims and perpetrators. First-rate protagonist Eva-Maria Westbroek is phenomenal in her gripping interpretation of Katarina, compelling the entire cast, including the choir, to almost unbearable realism in their portrayal of timeless human weaknesses.

‘With one of the finest orchestras in the world conducted by an eminent Shostakovich conductor, supported by superb soloists and a very tasteful stage setting… [Eva-Maria Westbroek’s] portrayal of the heroine is absolutely superb…the passions and emotions raised by the composer are superbly realised… The soloists and chorus are all superb.’ Music Web International

Bonus material:

Illustrated synopsis & cast gallery.

Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk - The Tragedy of Katerina Ismailova - A documentary film by Reiner E. Moritz, including interviews with Martin Kušej, Mariss Jansons and leading members of the cast.

In a career spanning more than 30 years, Sir Simon Rattle has distinguished himself through his long-term relationships with a number of orchestras, wide-ranging repertoire and innovative educational and audiencebuilding activities. He is currently Chief Conductor and Artistic Director of the Berliner Philharmoniker and Principal Artist with the OAE. Sir Simon first conducted the Berlin Philharmonic in 1987 and appeared regularly with the orchestra in subsequent years.The summer of 2006 saw the first instalment of their Wagner Ring Cycle at the Aix-en-Provence Festival. Sir Simon's most recent appearance at the Proms in Wagner brought forth ecstatic reviews, which bodes well for possible future installments of the Aix /Salzburg Ring on Bel Air Classiques.

"In what is both Mr. Rattle's and Aix's first Ring Cycle, "Die Walküre," the Ring's second chapter, was magically transformed by the enclosed space and lively acoustics of the Grand Théâtre de Provence. But where the new theater makes another significant difference is in Mr. Braunschweig's staging of the opera. Far more than in last year's "Rheingold," even the gods, notably Wotan and his twin children, Siegmund and Sieglinde, can now be felt to experience deeply human emotions. The final curtain brought a standing ovation for both orchestra and singers, with Ms.Westbroek singled out for her "extraordinary power and lyricism," as Jean-Louis Validire, Le Figaro's music critic, put it… The Ring Cycle continues here with "Siegfried" in 2008 and "Götterdammerüng" in 2009 and, as with "Das Rheingold" and "Die Walküre," they will be presented afresh at the Salzburg Easter Festival the following year." The New York Times, July 5, 2007

Bonus Feature: The Tragedy of Katerina Ismailova - A documentary film by Reiner E. Moritz, including interviews with Martin Kušej, Mariss Jansons and leading members of the cast.

WARNING: The strengths of this highly acclaimed production are largely due to its brutal and graphic portrayal of human emotions. Please be aware that the production contains stroboscopic light effects, nudity and scenes of a sexual nature.

PICTURE FORMAT: 16:9

LENGTH: 236 Mins

SOUND: DTS SURROUND / LPCM STEREO

SUBTITLES: EN/FR/DE/ES/IT/NL

• The fourth and final part of Wagner's masterpiece, his epic Ring Cycle, given a revolutionary treatment by the Stuttgart Opera.

• For the first time in the history of The Ring cycle, each of its four sections was given to a different stage-director, providing an exciting range of varying perspectives with a unified theme. The decision to stage Wagner's Ring in four separate pieces, rather than as a single, integrated work spread over four evenings, liberated Gotterdammerung in particular from a need to draw together the threads of a holistic concept of the work.

• Director Peter Konwitschny chooses to ignore the wider myth-bound associations of the work and concentrates on the immediate motivations, emotions and obsessions of the characters. Gone are the gods awaiting nightfall in their imposing hall; the action instead is set on a simple wooden stage of a touring theatre company.

Picture Format: 16:9 Anamorph

Sound Format: PCM stereo, Dolby Digital 5.1, DTS 5.1

Running Time: 280 Mins

Region Code: PAL All

Booklet Languages: GB, F, D

Recording Date: 3 October 2002/12 January 2003

Recorded live at the Staatsoper Stuttgart

This is The Royal Opera’s first complete presentation of Puccini’s Il trittico since 1965. Leading director Richard Jones staged his witty, darkly comic realization of Gianni Schicchi for The Royal Opera in 2007, and here he completes the trio.

3 DVDs for the price of 1

Leading director Richard Jones staged his witty, darkly comic realization of Gianni Schicchi for The Royal Opera in 2007.

The production was revived in 2012 and here he completes the trio with two new productions of Il Tabarro and Suor Angelica.

Antonio Pappano conducts an acclaimed cast including Eva-Maria Westbroek, Ermonela Jaho, Lucio Gallo, Elena Zilio and rising star Francesco Demuro.

These three one-act works were broadcast on BBC Radio 3 and went to cinemas world-wide in February 2012.

Running time: 180 minutes

Subtitles: EN/FR/DE/ES

Sound format: 2.0LPCM + 5.1(5.0) DTS