Michael Schade

World Premiere Recording.

Live Recording from The Residenzhof, Salzburg Festival, 2012

We are all familiar with Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute) to the libretto by Emanuel Schikaneder (1751–1812). It is not widely known however that Schikaneder wrote a sequel to The Magic Flute, which his friend Peter von Winter (1754–1825) set to music.

2012 the Salzburg Festival presented this operatic rarity in the form of a glittering fairy-tale opera full of magical events.

The happy couple Pamina and Tamino have to master trials and tribulations, like the separation by Sarastro in order to wander through an underground labyrinth and the continuing machinations of the Queen of the Night. Well-loved Papageno – who reunites with his parents and finally marries his Papagena – helps Tamino and Pamina in their efforts to reach a happy ending.

The Salzburg production by young director Alexandra Liedtke features a number of star soloists with Christof Fischesser as Sarastro and Malin Hartelius and Michael Schade as the lovers Pamina and Tamino. Newcomer Thomas Tatzl gives a charming Papageno, who leads us through the story and is always good for an adventure.

Ivor Bolton conducts his Salzburg Mozarteum Orchestra energetically, smoothly and elegantly, bringing out the best in Peter von Winter’s charming score with its cleverly interwoven allusions to Mozart. His compositions partly marked the transition between Mozart and Carl Maria von Weber in the development in German opera.

Sound Format: PCM Stereo, DD 5.1, dts-HD Master Audio 5.1

Picture Format: 16:9, 1080i FULL HD

Subtitle Languages: DE (Original Language), GB, FR, ES, IT, JP, Korean

Running Time: 158 mins

Blu-ray Disc: 25 GB (Single Layer)

FSK: 0

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

A star-studded benefit concert to celebrate Ioan Holender’s farewell after 19 years as the director of one of the world’s leading and most famous opera houses. The highly acclaimed cast was headed by brilliant singers such as Diana Damrau, Natalie Dessay, Angelika Kirchschlager, Waltraud Meier, Anna Netrebko, Pjotr Beczala, Plácido Domingo, Thomas Hampson, Leo Nucci, Thomas Quasthoff, Ramon Vargas and many others. No fewer than twelve conductors including Marco Armiliato, Bertrand de Billy, Fabio Luisi, Zubin Mehta, Antonio Pappano and Franz Welser-Möst led the way through a program lasting over four hours at the fully-packed Wiener Staastoper.

Subtitles: English, German, French, Spanish, Chinese

Set in Egypt, Massenet's drama 'Thais' (1894) traces the ill-fated attempt of the monk, Athanaël, to rescue the soul of the celebrated Alexandrian courtesan, Thaïs. Though she is presently living with his wealthy friend Nicias, Athanaël persuades her to renounce her way of life and riches, but as she dies in the desert in a state of grace, he realises he has succumbed to her worldly charms and begs God for mercy.

Renée Fleming triumphs as the glamorous courtesan Thaïs in Massenet’s romantic tragedy set in fourth century Alexandria and the Egyptian desert. The timeless struggle between earthly desire and spiritual redemption finally destroys the resolve of the monk Athanaël (Thomas Hampson), just as the newly penitent Thaïs ascends heavenward. Jesús López-Cobos gives a masterly performance of Massenet’s sensuous score, with concert master David Chan contributing a ravishing ‘Méditation’.

The first Met staging in over 30 years of Massenet’s Thaïs is released on a starry DVD sure to win this beguiling French opera many new fans.

Renée Fleming is Thaïs to the life. She sings Massenet’s taxing role with the utmost ease and beauty of tone while looking as glamorous as her famous predecessors.

Fleming’s co-star is the great American baritone Thomas Hampson in the role of Athanaël, a part he sings and acts with mastery.

Renée Fleming’s best-selling audio set of Thaïs was greeted by the Associated Press: “Fleming was in glorious voice, floating high pianissimos with ease, pouring out melting, creamy tone.” If anything, Renée Fleming’s DVD assumption is deeper, subtler, more touching

The New York Times lauded Renée Fleming as a “vocally sumptuous and unabashedly show-stealing Thaïs”. If this is crime, opera needs more of it!

Short bonus feature: “Backstage at the Met” with Plácido Domingo (7’52”).

Filmed in High Definition.

Renée Fleming’s costumes for this production were made by French designer Christian Lacroix.

There is virtually no DVD competition on Thaïs.

DURATION:

146 mins (opera)

SUBTITLES:

English, French (sung language), German, Spanish, Chinese

PICTURE FORMAT:

16:9 (anamorphic widescreen), Colour, NTSC, Region code 0 (worldwide)

SOUND FORMAT:

LPCM Stereo & DTS 5.1 Surround (DVD)

LPCM Stereo & DTS Master Audio Surround (Blu-ray)

BONUS FEATURE:

'Backstage at the MET', presented by Plácido Domingo, featuring interviews with Fleming and Hampson

Directed by Brian Large.

The highly acclaimed gala concert celebrating the 2006 Mozart anniversary from the Salzburg Festival featuring some of the world´s top singers, including exclusive DG artists Anna Netrebko, Magdalena Kozena, Patricia Petibon and Rene Pape with the Wiener Philharmoniker under Daniel Hardingat last on DVD!

Held in the Felsenreitschule on 30 July 2006 at the start of the Salzburg Festival, the gala performance represents the full spectrum of the Mozart festivities through a selection of arias and orchestral works

Celebrated soprano Anna Netrebko lives up to her reputation as a fiery dramatic diva with her passionate rendition of Elettra's aria D'Oreste, d¡'Aiace from Idomeneo, while Magdalena Kozena, who was acclaimed for her performance as Idamante in the festival's production of the opera, sings the duet S'io non moro a questi accenti with Ekaterina Siurina as Ilia

Other highlights include renowned baritone Thomas Hampson Rivolgete a lui lo sguardo from Cosi fan tutte and Rene Pape's spirited rendition of Leporello's famous catalogue aria from Don Giovanni

As well as providing superb accompaniments, the Wiener Philharmoniker makes a contribution of its own to the programme with the overtures to Don Giovanni and Idomeneo, and concluding the performance with the Prague Symphony, K. 504

Filmed in HD, released in 16:9 widescreen; audio in PCM and 5.1 DTS Surround Sound

First DVD release