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See Terms & Conditions for p&p rates. | |  | The Enchanted Island
Joyce DiDonato (Sycorax), David Daniels (Prospero), Danielle de Niese (Ariel), Placido Domingo (Neptune), Luca Pisaroni (Caliban), Lisette Oropesa (Miranda), Layla Claire (Helena), Elizabeth DeShong (Hermia), Anthony Roth Costanzo (Ferdinand), Paul Appleby (Demetrius), Elliot Madore (Lysander) Orchestra and Chorus of the Metropolitan Opera, William Christie A showcase for – and a love letter to – a century of amazing music” is how the creator of The Enchanted Island, Jeremy Sams, described this spectacular operatic pasticcio of music by Handel, Vivaldi, Rameau, Purcell and others. Premiered at the Metropolitan in New York on New Year’s Eve 2011, it stars Joyce DiDonato, David Daniels, Danielle de Niese and Plácido Domingo, and is conducted by William Christie. New Year’s Eve 2011 brought the world premiere at New York’s Metropolitan Opera of a spectacular and star-studded opera, The Enchanted Island. With a story based on Shakespeare’s The Tempest and A Midsummer Night’s Dream, it was not the work of contemporary composer, but instead drew on works by figures of the Baroque era – Handel, Vivaldi, Rameau, Purcell, Campra, Ferrandini, Leclair and and Rebel. Devised by the British writer, librettist and translator Jeremy Sams, the piece revived the 18th century tradition of the pasticcio, taking arias from a variety of different sources and setting them to a new libretto. If the work itself was an exotic hybrid, the cast comprised thoroughbreds. The leading roles were assigned to Joyce DiDonato as the sorceress Sycorax, David Daniels as the magician Prospero, Luca Pisaroni as Sycorax’s son Caliban and Danielle de Niese as Prospero’s spirit aide Ariel, while, making a special appearance as King Neptune and rising from the watery depths of the ocean to the bubbling strains of Handel’s Zadok the Priest, was the indefatigable Plácido Domingo. Meanwhile, a cornucopia of rising talent filled the roles of the opera’s six young lovers – Lisette Oropesa, Layla Claire, Elizabeth DeShong, Anthony Roth Costanzo, Paul Appleby and Elliot Madore – while the conductor was that established master of baroque opera, and an essential figure in the Virgin Classics catalogue, William Christie. The sumptuous production, designed by Julian Crouch and blending 18th-century theatrical techniques with advanced video projections, was by Phelim McDermott. Handel is the dominant figure among the composers enlisted by Jeremy Sams, and The Enchanted Island repurposes numbers from his operas (including Alcina, Ariodante, Partenope, Semele, Tamerlano and Teseo), his oratorios (Hercules and Judas Maccabaeus) and his cantatas. The New York Times described the opera as an ”inventive concoction” and a “fanciful, clever and touching pastiche”, while the Associated Press found it “irresistibly entertaining. It's a light-hearted romp with enough fizz to send a dozen champagne corks popping.” Among the praise for the singers, the New York Times spoke of David Daniels’ “transfixing blend of melting sound and forceful delivery and the Financial Times described how “Joyce DiDonato cackled, curled and soared with virtuosic flair in the bitchy-witchy spasms of Sycorax”; the Wall Street Journal felt that “the best moments came from Ms DiDonato, a tragic heroine adrift in a sea of comedy.” Jeremy Sams, writing about The Enchanted Island in The Guardian in January 2012, a couple of weeks after its premiere, said: “On New Year's Eve, we opened at the Met. The production, by Phelim McDermott, is sumptuous, and the cast quite simply the finest in the world. As for the piece, well, many New Yorkers have taken it to their hearts. Purists have been suitably and predictably outraged. My only hope is that it should be seen for what it is: a showcase for – and a love letter to – a century of amazing music.” “The singing from Danielle de Niese, David Daniels and Joyce DiDonato is stellar...William Christie conducts magisterially.” The Observer, 21st October 2012 “an all-you-can-eat operatic buffet...Daniels's hauteur, Oropesa's sweetness and Pisaroni's loneliness lend this frothy fantasy some fibre, while DiDonato's transformation from dreadlocked hag to anguished parent to triumphant cougar packs a hefy emotional punch.” BBC Music Magazine, Christmas 2012 ****  BBC Music Magazine
DVD Choice |
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Ludovic Tézier (Il Conte di Almaviva), Barbara Frittoli (La Contessa di Almaviva), Ekaterina Siurina (Susanna), Luca Pisaroni (Figaro), Karine Deshayes (Cherubino), Ann Murray (Marcellina), Robert Lloyd (Bartolo), Robin Leggate (Don Basilio), Antoine Normand (Don Curzio), Christian Tréguier (Antonio) & Maria Virginia Savastano (Barbarina) Paris Opera Orchestra & Chorus, Philippe Jordan Stage direction and lighting design: Giorgio Strehler The legendary production by Giorgio Strehler filmed at the Paris Opera with a cast that unites the finest Mozartians of our time. A revival of Strehler's 'Marriage of Figaro' is always an event. In 2010, 37 years after its creation, it rose again in triumph at the Opera Bastille with a new generation of performers: Ludovic Tézier (Count Almaviva), Barbara Frittoli (Countess), Ekaterina Siurina (Susanna), Luca Pisaroni (Figaro) and Karine Deshayes (Cherubino). Conductor, Philippe Jordan directs the Orchestra and Chorus of the Paris Opera. Also in this bonus edition, there is an interview with Humbert Camerlo who has worked extensively with Giorgio Strehler and achieved this staging for the revival, which continues from September 15 to October 25, 2012 at the Opera Bastille for 14 special performances. “This Franco-Italian-Russian-Irish-English combo plays well together … this cast sings well too...Jordan's conducting sound large-scale and Romantic to our period ears...this new set plays as a comfortable, conventional theatrical experience with much art onstage from cast and scenery.” Gramophone Magazine, November 2012 “Unlike many Figaro productions these days, the physicality is never vulgar, and there are constant small touches that add character...[Pisaroni] displays the ideal bass-baritone instrument for this role, and his person is just as alive to every nuance as his singing...[Siurina] is marvellous when angry...no one on DVD has brought greater tonal shine and firmer technique to Susanna's music...[Frittoli] offers an absolutely complete characterization.” International Record Review, October 2012 | | | In stock - usually despatched within 1 working day. |
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| |  | Recorded live at Glyndebourne Opera House, Lewes August 2011
Skin-tight rubber and lacrosse sticks bring contemporary chic to this timeless fantasy of warriors and witches in Robert Carsen's fun-filled transformation of Handel's first London triumph. Conducting from the keyboard just as Handel himself did, Ottavio Dantone leads a youthful cast of today's luminaries in the dramatic art of Baroque opera, the 'affecting' Sonia Prina, the 'unadorned intensity' of Anett Fritsch and 'fire-breathing flair' (The Observer) of Brenda Rae. Glyndebourne continues to celebrate the genius of Handel with its first staging of Rinaldo, the work with which he made his sensational London debut – and the first Italian opera specifically created for the British stage. Rinaldo is given a contemporary new twist through the eyes of Director Robert Carsen, who made his Festival debut with L’incoronazione di Poppea in 2008. Early music specialist Ottavio Dantone, Music Director of the acclaimed Italian period ensemble Accademia Bizantina conducts the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment. The cast is headed by Sonia Prina in the title-role of the heroic crusader, with Anett Fritsch as his beloved Almirena, Brenda Rae as the seductive Saracen sorceress Armida, and Luca Pisaroni (last summer’s Leporello) as her duplicitous ally Argante, the King of Jerusalem. Running time: 190 minutes Subtitles: EN/FR/DE Sound format: 2.0LPCM + 5.1(5.0) DTS “none can top the presence and authority of Luca Pisaroni’s Saracan [sic] king Argante. Directing from his tinkling harpsichord, Ottavio Dantone encourages the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment to be light, bright and Italian. Listen wholeheartedly; watch with caution.” The Times, 3rd August 2012 *** “Despite major reservations about the concept, it's impossible to deny the effectiveness of the staging...All the individual performances are well-acted; the Blu-ray edition providing added detail. Vocally, too, there are some impressive offerings...Dantone conducts a strongly characterised performance founded on the alert playing of the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment.” BBC Music Magazine, November 2012 *** | | | In stock - usually despatched within 1 working day. |
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| |  | Recorded live at Glyndebourne Opera House, Lewes August 2011
Skin-tight rubber and lacrosse sticks bring contemporary chic to this timeless fantasy of warriors and witches in Robert Carsen's fun-filled transformation of Handel's first London triumph. Conducting from the keyboard just as Handel himself did, Ottavio Dantone leads a youthful cast of today's luminaries in the dramatic art of Baroque opera, the 'affecting' Sonia Prina, the 'unadorned intensity' of Anett Fritsch and 'fire-breathing flair' (The Observer) of Brenda Rae. Glyndebourne continues to celebrate the genius of Handel with its first staging of Rinaldo, the work with which he made his sensational London debut – and the first Italian opera specifically created for the British stage. Rinaldo is given a contemporary new twist through the eyes of Director Robert Carsen, who made his Festival debut with L’incoronazione di Poppea in 2008. Early music specialist Ottavio Dantone, Music Director of the acclaimed Italian period ensemble Accademia Bizantina conducts the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment. The cast is headed by Sonia Prina in the title-role of the heroic crusader, with Anett Fritsch as his beloved Almirena, Brenda Rae as the seductive Saracen sorceress Armida, and Luca Pisaroni (last summer’s Leporello) as her duplicitous ally Argante, the King of Jerusalem. Running time: 190 minutes Subtitles: EN/FR/DE Sound format: 2.0LPCM + 5.1(5.0) DTS “Despite major reservations about the concept, it's impossible to deny the effectiveness of the staging...All the individual performances are well-acted...Vocally, too, there are some impressive offerings...Dantone conducts a strongly characterised performance founded on the alert playing of the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment.” BBC Music Magazine, November 2012 *** “it is the sorceress and her lover, the Saracen king Argante, who steal the show. Oozing malign sexuality, the vocally fiery Brenda Rae becomes a movingly vulnerable figure in her anguished aria after she has been rejected...If you suspect that Carsen's wacky take on Handel's heroic magic opera is for you, be assured that the OAE play with style and élan under Ottavio Dantone's energising direction.” Gramophone Magazine, January 2013 “What is here is some exhilarating music-making, both vocal and instrumental. Ottavio Dantone leads an orchestral with a spring in its step and some fine playing...[Argante] is splendidly taken by Luca Pisaroni, one of the best bass-baritones in Baroque opera...[Frisch] brings a touch of determination to overcome the anguish in 'Lascia ch'io pianga' while retaining a lucent tone.” International Record Review, October 2012 “none can top the presence and authority of Luca Pisaroni’s Saracan [sic] king Argante. Directing from his tinkling harpsichord, Ottavio Dantone encourages the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment to be light, bright and Italian. Listen wholeheartedly; watch with caution.” The Times, 3rd August 2012 *** | | | In stock - usually despatched within 1 working day. |
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“Amazing production of Don Giovanni at Glyndebourne, a work of art in itself… Magnificent as the set is, this will also be a Don Giovanni to listen to for the orchestra. The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment are so good that they can generate almost demonic energy from the lighter timbres of period instruments. Vladimir Jurowski has rarely sounded more inspired”. Opera Today “The graceful purity of Kate Royal as Elvira ... gave lustre to Mozart's kaleidoscopic masterpiece”. The Scotsman “Suavely ruthless, Finley was both steely monster and molten charmer, singing with a firmness, clarity and stylistic elegance that I can’t easily imagine surpassed”. The Telegraph For this 2010 production, the first new staging of the opera in 10 years, Glyndebourne welcome back the winning team of director Jonathan Kent and designer Paul Brown with Festival Music Director, Vladimir Jurowski conducting the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment. Set at a time of seismic social and cultural change - in a Fellini-esque vision of post-war life - Jonathan Kent's urgently propulsive production offers a 'white-knuckle rollercoaster ride' through the events of the Don's last day as they unfold in and around Paul Brown's magical 'box of tricks' set. In the title role we also welcome back the great bass-baritone Gerald Finley. He has sung Don Giovanni to worldwide acclaim in New York, London, Paris, Vienna, Rome, Budapest and Prague. Finley is joined by Luca Pisaroni (Guglielmo in the 2006 Festival’s Così fan tutte) as Leporello, Kate Royal (the Governess in Jonathan Kent’s 2006 staging of The Turn of the Screw) as Donna Elvira, and the young Russian soprano Anna Samuil making her UK opera debut as Donna Anna. Bonus features include rehearsal and backstage footage, interviews with the production staff and cast as well as a glimpse into the costume, design and technical departments at Glyndebourne. The DVD will feature English, French and German subtitles. The production will be revived next summer at the 2011 Glyndebourne Festival. Kate Royal is an exclusive EMI Classics artist since 2006. She has made two solo recordings: Kate Royal with the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields/Edward Gardner and Midsummer Night with the Orchestra of English National Opera/Edward Gardner. As a guest artist, she has recorded discs for the label with the Choir of King’s College, Cambridge, Le Concert d’Astrée/Emmanuelle Haïm and Paul McCartney. Kate Royal's new album ‘A Lesson in Love’ (released in 2011), is an intimate recital with pianist Malcolm Martineau charting a young girl’s journey of love and loss through a combination of German lieder, English and American songs and French melodies. Kate Royal returns to Glyndebourne in Summer 2011. Designer Paul Brown “Finley is a Don of remarkable self-assurance and narcissism, his impeccable diction and technically flawless singing an extension of this monstrous character...Pisaroni's great acting occasionally makes his singing imperfect, but the voice is grand and there will be few complaints...[Samuil's] singing is big-boned, fearless and has a nice unpredictability to it...The [OAE] plays with fire and passion...[Jurowski's] reading keeps the listeners on the edge of their seats.” International Record Review, July 2011 “this Don, played by Gerald Finley, is a master of self-control: hands in tailored pockets and operating with a steely indifference to all...And Finley give this vision vocal assurance matching the clarity of Jurowski's conducting and the momentum generated by Kent within the ever-shifting Pandora's box of a design...Kate Royal is a deeply serious, thrillingly sung Donna Elvira, Anna Samuil an equally classy, flaring soprano of a Donna Anna.” BBC Music Magazine, July 2011 **** “[Finley's] assumption is completely convincing...his fear before the confrontation with the Commendatore in the supper scene is palpable. Finley sings as well as he acts, apart from an oddly unhoneyed serenade...The singing is fine and the OAE play like angels.” Gramophone Magazine, August 2011 “Gerald Finley is vocally and theatrically mesmerising as a dashing Giovanni, and he's matched by Kate Royal on splendid form as the abandoned Elvira and Anna Virovlansky a charming and fresh-voiced Zerlina. Vladimir Jurowski takes the orchestra at quite a lick, adding energy and fizz to proceedings.” Classic FM Magazine, August 2011 *** | | | In stock - usually despatched within 1 working day. |
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Continuing the Handel series from Le Concert d’Astrée and Emmanuelle Haïm is La resurrezione, composed during the young Handel’s period in Rome and first performed there in 1708. The work recounts the events of Easter and the solo singers portray Lucifer, Mary Magdalene, an Angel, St John the Evangelist, and St Mary Cleophas. It calls upon a large orchestra, led and directed at the first performance by the master violinist Arcangelo Corelli. The role of Mary Magdalene, here performed by the lush-voiced young British soprano (and EMI Classics artist) Kate Royal, was sung at the first performance by the celebrated Margherita Durastanti, even though the Pope had forbidden female singers to perform in public. In April 2009, Emmanuelle Haïm led a performance of La resurrezione at London’s Barbican Centre, part of a tour which also covered Paris, Dijon, Aix-en-Provence, Lille, Pamplona, Valladolid and Salzburg. The Guardian reported that: “Emmanuelle Haïm's understanding of the relationship between sense and sensuality in Handel has marked her out as one of his finest interpreters, and her performance with her own Concert d'Astrée was notable for its immediacy and expression. The playing had touches of magic as recorders and flutes comforted the uncomprehending saints, and flaring brass heralded the arrival of a new dawn … Camilla Tilling's joyous Angel let fly volleys of flamboyant coloratura … while the great Sonia Prina was vocally spectacular and immensely moving as Mary Cleophas.” The Salzburg performance led the Salzburger Nachrichten to describe the “springy mastery” of the ensemble, “with sparkling accents from the trumpets, lute and gamba … A Baroque highpoint in an Easter Festival dominated by Romanticism.” Drehpunkt Kultur described Luca Pisaroni’s Lucifer as “dangerously honed” and Toby Spence as “a master of subtle ornamentation”. Overall, the ensemble of singers was “technically and stylistically at the peak of today’s Handel interpretation”, while Haïm herself “knows how to ignite her ensemble to such powerful effect and then to restrain the emotion once more, so that the force of expression never runs wild.” This complements the judgement of Forum Opéra on Haïm's Virgin Classics recording of another Italian work by Handel, Il trionfo del tempo e del disinganno: “Emmanuelle Haïm favours the chamber dimension of the work in an interpretation that is balanced, vivid, refined – but not precious – lively, but never aggressive. She prefers the power of suggestion and this puts the music at an advantage: she breathes and lets things run their natural course. Isn’t that the apogee of art? This Trionfo could become a classic.” “…a performance of breath-taking clarity. …Haïm maintains the warmth and delicacy of the chamber sensibility for which this work was conceived.” BBC Music Magazine, Christmas 2009 ***** “Handel's early Resurrection oratorio… is characterised by a freshness and vitality that he seldom matched in more mature works. That spirit shines through in Emmanuelle Haïm's excellent new recording with her Concert d'Astrée, played with all the expressive flair one has come to expect of her. Luca Pisaroni makes a suitably villainous Lucifer and his virile bass-baritone is well up to the wide tessitura of the part... Sonia Prina's contralto is heard to lovely effect in Mary Cleophas's pastoral music. The work's striking opening aria belongs to the Angel, taken here with plenty of presence by Swedish soprano Camilla Tilling. Two British singers complete... both give of their very best. Toby Spence is elegant in St John the Evangelist's music, and Kate Royal find sumptuous beauty and emotional depth in the part of Mary Magdalene.” Gramophone Magazine, February 2010 | | | In stock - usually despatched within 1 working day. |
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| |  | Stage Director: Nicholas Hytner
Recorded live at the Glyndebourne Festival Opera in June & July 2006.
PICTURE FORMAT: 16:9
LENGTH: 210 Mins
SOUND: DTS SURROUND / LPCM STEREO
SUBTITLES: EN/FR/DE/ES/IT
“At Glyndebourne, both Despina and Alfonso are played traditionally and with notable brio by Garmendia and Rivenq… the delightful Persson and Vondung make a wholly believable and vocally attractive Fiordiligi and Dorabella, and deliver their music in ideal Mozartian tone and style. ...Fischer conducts with an unassumingly correct sense of timing: brio nicely matched to loving attention to detail.” Gramophone Magazine, June 2007 “When I saw this production at Glyndebourne last May, I thought that it was one of the three perfect operatic performances that I have ever been to. That view is only strengthened by seeing this marvellous DVD, which does the fullest justice to the brilliance of Nicholas Hytner's production, and the glorious orchestral playing and the magnificent singing under Iván Fischer. ..the whole opera is both more funny and more painful, much more painful, than it usually is. We are left at the end bewildered by the treachery of the human heart and delighted by the beauty in the music with which Mozart brings this home to us.” BBC Music Magazine, May 2007 ***** “Dressed in shades of sand and stone by Vicki Mortimer, and bathed in summer light by Paule Constable, Hytner’s period production marries elegance, farce and psychological acuity.” The Independent “Since 1934 when Glyndebourne revived this then-neglected work and began its run of success it has presented a succession of exemplary stagings all within the parameters of da Ponte's libretto. When this, the latest, was produced it was universally hailed: as faithful a representation of the equivocal comedy as one could wish. That's confirmed by this DVD.
Both Despina and Alfonso are played traditionally and with notable brio by Garmendia and Rivenq. The delightful Persson and Vondung make a wholly believable and vocally attractive Fiordiligi and Dorabella, and deliver their music in ideal Mozartian tone and style. Similarly Lehtipuu is a charming and wide-eyed Ferrando and Pisaroni a warm-voiced and personal Guglielmo.
They both woo with seductive charm.
As reviews at the time reported, Fischer conducts with an unassumingly correct sense of timing and has the inestimable advantage of the OAE's period instruments.” Gramophone Classical Music Guide, 2010 “Hytner on Opus Arte succeeded on every front, bringing out the fine qualities of the whole cast, both vocally and dramatically, brilliantly supported by Ivan Fischer...Starriest of all is Miah Persson as Fiordiligi, singing gloriously with pure, even tone...The teamwork as ever at Glyndebourne is superb” Penguin Guide, 2010 **** BBC Music Magazine DVD Choice - May 2007 |
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| |  | A Guided Tour of the Romantic Era, Vol. 3
Roberto Servile (baritone), Ramon Vargas (tenor), Sonia Ganassi (mezzo-soprano), Ingrid Kertesi (soprano), Angelo Romero (bass), Luca Pisaroni (bass-baritone), Jessica Pratt (soprano), Sumi Jo (soprano), Massimiliano Gagliardo (baritone), Damiana Pinti (mezzo-soprano), Elsa Giannoulidou (mezzo-soprano), Lawrence Brownlee (tenor), Marianna Pizzolato (contralto), Ruth Gonzalez (soprano), Lorenzo Regazzo (bass), Giulio Mastrototaro (bass), Luca Salsi (baritone), Linda Gerrard (soprano), Huw Rhys-Evans (tenor), Gloria Montanari (mezzo-soprano), Luisa Islam-Ali-Zade (mezzo-soprano), Wojtek Gierlach (bass), Sofia Soloviy (soprano), Patrizia Pace (soprano), Gloria Scalchi (contralto), Carlo Colombara (bass), Antonino Siragusa (tenor), Alessandro Marangoni (piano), Bettina Ranch (alto), Min Woo Lim (tenor), Trine Wilsberg Lund (soprano), Assaf Levitin (bass), Dominik Koniger (bass), Raimund Minarschik (tenor), Dorothea Craxton (soprano), Cornelia Rosenthal (alto), Jeno Jando (piano), Istvan Toth (double bass), Maria Kliegel (cello), Kristin Merscher (piano) Budapest Failoni Chamber Orchestra, Hungarian Radio Chorus, South West German Radio Symphony Orchestra, Baden-Baden, Virtuosi Brunensis, Zagreb Festival Orchestra, Collegium Instrumentale Brugense, Capella Brugensis, Chieti Marrucino Opera Chorus, Chieti , Will Humburg, Alberto Zedda, Antonino Fogliani, Michael Halasz, Marzio Conti, Claudio Desderi, Brad Cohen, Pier Giorgio Morandi, Tamas Benedek, Alfred Walter, Christian Benda, Morten Schuldt-Jensen | 
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| |  | Teatro Real, Madrid. November 2007
Elena de la Merced (Angelica), Veronique Gens (Madama Lucilla), Cecilia Díaz (Marina), Saimir Pirgu (Giocondo), Juan Francisco Gatell (Valerio), Luca Pisaroni (Dorval), Carlos Chausson (Ferramondo) & Josep Miquel Ramón (Castagna) Orquesta Titular del Teatro Real (Orquesta Sinfónica de Madrid), Christophe Rousset (conductor) & Irina Brook (director) This is the WORLD PREMIÈRE CD RECORDING of Il Burbero di Buon Cuore. The opera is based on one of the most popular and amusing French comedies by Carlo Goldoni, in which the gruff Ferramondo must deal with a nephew who has been ruined by his spendthrift wife and so is planning to get his sister sent to a convent so that he can get is hands on her dowry. His sister of course has other plans. Also Avaliable Il Burbero di Buon Cuore on DVD (33580) |
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Ludovic Tézier (Il Conte di Almaviva), Barbara Frittoli (La Contessa di Almaviva), Ekaterina Siurina (Susanna), Luca Pisaroni (Figaro), Karine Deshayes (Cherubino), Ann Murray (Marcellina), Robert Lloyd (Bartolo), Robin Leggate (Don Basilio), Antoine Normand (Don Curzio), Christian Tréguier (Antonio) & Maria Virginia Savastano (Barbarina) Paris Opera Orchestra & Chorus, Philippe Jordan Stage direction and lighting design: Giorgio Strehler The legendary production by Giorgio Strehler filmed at the Paris Opera with a cast that unites the finest Mozartians of our time. A revival of Strehler's 'Marriage of Figaro' is always an event. In 2010, 37 years after its creation, it rose again in triumph at the Opera Bastille with a new generation of performers: Ludovic Tézier (Count Almaviva), Barbara Frittoli (Countess), Ekaterina Siurina (Susanna), Luca Pisaroni (Figaro) and Karine Deshayes (Cherubino). Conductor, Philippe Jordan directs the Orchestra and Chorus of the Paris Opera. Also in this bonus edition, there is an interview with Humbert Camerlo who has worked extensively with Giorgio Strehler and achieved this staging for the revival, which continues from September 15 to October 25, 2012 at the Opera Bastille for 14 special performances. “This Franco-Italian-Russian-Irish-English combo plays well together … this cast sings well too...Jordan's conducting sound large-scale and Romantic to our period ears...this new set plays as a comfortable, conventional theatrical experience with much art onstage from cast and scenery.” Gramophone Magazine, November 2012 “Unlike many Figaro productions these days, the physicality is never vulgar, and there are constant small touches that add character...[Pisaroni] displays the ideal bass-baritone instrument for this role, and his person is just as alive to every nuance as his singing...[Siurina] is marvellous when angry...no one on DVD has brought greater tonal shine and firmer technique to Susanna's music...[Frittoli] offers an absolutely complete characterization.” International Record Review, October 2012 | | | Usually despatched in 3 - 4 working days. |
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Gramophone Magazine
Gramophone Awards 2007
