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See Terms & Conditions for p&p rates. | |  | (Baritone version)Libretto by Edouard Blau, Paul Milliet and Georges Hartmann
“Hampson… sings well as Werther and makes a strong visual impression. He is sympathetically partnered by Susan Graham, whose singing of the "larmes" in Act 3 is deeply moving.” Gramophone Magazine, Awards 2006 | | | In stock - usually despatched within 1 working day. |
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“A pretty-picture version of this ingratiating opera, with a strong performance from Francisco Araiza, but Edita Gruberova as Manon looks far too doll-like and sings in piping tones. Just charm, with little pathos.” BBC Music Magazine, April 2007 *** | | | In stock - usually despatched within 1 working day. |
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“David Caviar's production of Massenet's masterpiece is strong on period flavour… It's strong, too, in the delineation and interaction of the two protagonists… Dessay's Manon shines, not only in her prodigious technical skills… but also in a realisation of her conflicted character that shows Manon's desire for love running up against her penchant for the finer things in life.” BBC Music Magazine, March 2008 ***** “David McVicar's production of Manon takes a more than usually harsh view of the story…Here, everything and everybody is for sale… It is thrilling, sometimes even slightly shocking, and throughout the direction of the cast is faultless: every scene bears re-viewing for the amount of detail and dramatic energy that is released. It is unlikely that Natalie Dessay will ever give a greater performance than this. Her singing of each of the great arias is equally fascinating. The scene in which she and Rolando Villazón size each other up before speaking is exquisitely managed... Villazón makes a passionate hero. I cannot imagine that we will see another Manon to equal this for a long time: highly recommended.” Gramophone Magazine, April 2008 “David McVicar's production of Manon takes a more than usually harsh view of the story, too often softened by Rococo prettiness. Here, everything and everybody is for sale, and behind the façade of 18th-century Paris lurks a world of corruption, disease and perversion. It is thrilling, sometimes even slightly shocking, and throughout the direction of the cast is faultless: every scene bears re-viewing for the amount of detail and dramatic energy that is released.
It is unlikely that Natalie Dessay will ever give a greater performance than this. First glimpsed as a gawky schoolgirl, wearing a travelling-coat two sizes too large, she grows into a coquettish lover, then a manipulative, avaricious courtesan before our eyes. Her singing of each of the great arias is equally fascinating, with delicate embellishments at such moments as 'Profitons de la jeunesse', and a really touching 'Adieu, notre petite table', ending up lying in a foetal position on top of the table. The scene in which she and Rolando Villazón size each other up before speaking is exquisitely managed.
Villazón makes a passionate hero. His interpretation is much more extrovert than Dessay's, and there are several moments when one would have wished him to sing yet more softly. This is considerably more subtle, though, than his reading of the same part in the modern-dress production in Berlin last year. Manuel Lanza makes a seductive, sleazy Lescaut, and Francisco Vas is sinister rather than just amusing as the vengeful Guillot.
Although his demeanour is suitably dignified as Des Grieux père, Samuel Ramey's voice now has such a perilous wobble that 'Epouse quelque brave fille' is rather painful, in the wrong way.
Tanya McCallin's set – a steep amphitheatre from which extras watch the action played out centre-stage – complements her costumes, inspired by the paintings of Chardin rather than the usual sugary Fragonard. The choreography of Michael Keegan-Dolan reaches its height in the elaborate hunting ballet in the Cours-La- Reine scene, one of Massenet's happiest bits of Baroque pastiche. It is hard to imagine that we will see another Manon to equal this for a long time: highly recommended.” Gramophone Classical Music Guide, 2010  BBC Music Magazine
DVD Choice - March 2008 |
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Following the artistic and commercial success of their last DVD project, La Traviata from the 2005 Salzburg Festival, opera superstars Anna Netrebko and Rolando Villazón bring their combined talents to Jules Massenet’s Manon. Netrebko was born to play the title role: her voice and body language capturing the fluctuating personality of the complex Manon, one minute girlish, the next introspective. “She is a real stage animal, constantly reacting to what is happening around her”, wrote Opera of her performance. Villazón is compelling as Des Grieux, expressing all the burning passion of the doomed lover in his burnished, supple tenor. This is a production with a distinct Hollywood touch: first-time opera director Vincent Paterson has previously worked with Madonna, Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney and staged several Broadway musicals. He has already enjoyed great success with his first classical DVD project for DG: The Woman – The Voice featuring Anna Netrebko. Given his show-business background, Paterson interprets Manon as a Hollywood cinematic tale for the opera stage with Massenet’s colourful music as a kind of soundtrack. The press raved about the opera event of the year in Berlin, while the live public screening of one of the performances in the square in front of the opera house attracted an audience of more than 20,000 people. Musically, the production is equally accomplished. This is a Manon that will appeal across the spectrum: to lovers of opera, movies and Hollywood. A glittering production filled with beautiful people with gorgeous voices! Additional features: Produced in HD, length 170 min., to be released in NTSC 16:9 widescreen; audio is in 5.1 DTS surround sound & PCM stereo. Bonus: “The Making of Manon” (20 min., in stereo sound only). “[Netrebko] is a real stage animal, constantly reacting to what is happening around her” Opera “Villazon (at his finest)...sing[s] gloriously on DG, in a passionate liaison that proves most moving of all...Throughout, Barenboim, (who stepped in at the last moment to conduct) achieves first-class orchestral playing and keeps the tension high, and overall the performance is quite unforgettable.” Penguin Guide, 2011 edition | | | In stock - usually despatched within 1 working day. |
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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 “Renée Fleming is vocally splendid, positively caressing Massenet's ornate vocal line with luscious ease...Thomas Hampson is an appropriately grim Athanaël, boiling with sublimated lust.” BBC Music Magazine, May 2010 **** “Do you like fragrant kitsch? Then roll up for this enjoyable DVD of Massenet’s cocktail of sex and piety...Fleming’s creamy trills as the Egyptian courtesan who finds God are almost as luscious as her costumes, designed by the French fashion god Christian Lacroix.” The Times, 20th February 2010 **** | | | In stock - usually despatched within 1 working day. |
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Hard on the heels of a triumphant Lohengrin, Decca follows up with an equally astonishing debut performance from Jonas Kaufmann: Goethe’s love-lorn hero Werther, in Massenet’s romantic opera. His premiere appearance in the role, in Paris in January 2010, took the French operatic world by storm, his performance being hailed by Le Monde: “Werther is portrayed by the tenor of the moment, the German Jonas Kaufmann. He brings to the part a sublime timbre (warm, at times “baritonal” and musky), exceptional musicality, a very wide palette of tonal shadings and immaculate diction. Add to that his histrionic gifts and matinée-idol appeal and you’ve got a cocktail of qualities that rarely all come together at the opera.” He was supported by a superb French cast, including Sophie Koch as Charlotte and Ludovic Tézier as Albert, with the venerable Michel Plasson giving an expansive, lyrical interpretation from the pit. Film director Benoît Jacquot’s attractive, straight-forward production, first seen at the Royal Opera House in London, focuses successfully on the various personal dramas of the opera. Filmed in high definition widescreen by Idéale Audience, this new Werther is Jonas Kaufmann’s third Decca DVD, and follows the extraordinary success of his Royal Opera Carmen and the recently-released Lohengrin from Munich. Classification: Exempt Region: 0 “Kaufmann's singing...is rich and often extremely beautiful...[Koch] is a touching and dignified Charlotte...the playing is thoughtful and intense, and every care is taken over detail.” Gramophone Magazine, February 2011 “[on DVD] it comes beautifully to life, with Sophie Koch’s Charlotte much more involving in close-up than she was at a distance and Jonas Kaufmann an absolute dream of a Werther. Their scorching Act 3 duet will simply blow your head off.” The Telegraph, 2nd December 2011 | | | In stock - usually despatched within 1 working day. |
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With Joyce DiDonato as Cinderella capturing all hearts – not just Prince Charming’s – Massenet’s enchanting, sophisticated retelling of the classic fairytale makes its debut at Covent Garden in a charming and witty production by Laurent Pelly. The Cinderella story seen through the eyes of the belle époque, Massenet’s Cendrillon was first performed at the Opéra-Comique in Paris in 1899 and its gorgeous score embraces pathos, pastiche, broad humour, subtle eroticism and sheer magic. Neglected for much of the 20th century, this entrancing and often surprising opera has found a firmer place in the repertoire over the past 30 years. In Summer 2011 its debut at London’s Royal Opera House was built around mezzo soprano Joyce DiDonato, who first took on the title role at the Santa Fe festival in 2006; there, as at Covent Garden, the staging was by French director Laurent Pelly, celebrated for his production of Donizetti’s La Fille du regiment with Natalie Dessay and Juan Diego Flórez (Virgin Classics DVD 5099951900298). The décor is inspired by a venerable volume of Charles Perrault’s fairy tales bound in red morocco leather, and the dominant colours are white, black and crimson, though mauve is chosen for the body-hugging gown worn by the voluptuous, capricious Fairy Godmother of Eglise Gutierrez as she scales spellbinding coloratura heights. Joyce DiDonato,“singing the title-role with all the gleaming tone, pellucid projection and smiling warmth for which she is justly celebrated” (Daily Telegraph), brings a touching simplicity and honesty to her portrayal of the downtrodden daughter. The New York Times found her performance “thoroughly enchanting. She won sympathy for the girl’s plight at once, and her exquisite articulation of the repeated phrase “Vous êtes mon Prince Charmant” in the first love duet — surely the opera’s most ravishing moments — was flawless.” Her Prince, whose fin de siècle world-weariness evaporates when he meets his true love, is sung en travesti by another mezzo, Alice Coote, described by the Financial Times as “the most perfectly elegant Prince Charming ... she sings with glorious fullness and confidence”. The only principal role sung by a man is Cendrillon’s good-hearted, but ineffectual father, Pandolfe, portrayed here by bass-baritone Jean-Philippe Lafont, a mainstay of the opera scene in France, but here making his Covent Garden debut. His gentle character hardly stands a chance against his armour-plated wife, the formidable Madame de la Haltière, here embodied in flamboyant vocal and physical style by Polish contralto Ewa Podles: her cavernous lower notes shake the Royal Opera’s foundations, while her opulently padded derrière sweeps all before (and behind) it. “Vocally, Coote and DiDonato have very different mezzo qualities so that they blend well in duet, while retaining their individual timbres...Bertrand de Billy leads a highly sympathetic reading of the score...revelling in the pomposity of the court dances while conjuring magic in the duets.” International Record Review, July/August 2012 “Pelly's production has a style all of its own...DiDonato is winning in Cinderella's smiles and tears, though vocally a little edgy. But she's well ballasted by...Alice Coote, who is intense and incandescent - the star of the performance. Also in a class of her own is Ewa Podles, as a suitably parodic stepmother.” BBC Music Magazine, July 2012 **** “the cast is a strong one. Joyce DiDonato brings star quality to the title-role...Alice Coote [is] in simply stunning form, pouring out a stream of molten mezzo ardour...Ewa Podles brings her ten-ton cannon of a contralto to bear as Madame de la Haltiere...de Billy's sparkling style makes him an ideal conductor for Massenet and he obtains first-rate orchestral playing.” Gramophone Magazine, September 2012 “the strong colour of [DiDonato's] distinctive mezzo comes into its own in this role...her wide-eyed delight at her magical transformation is lovely to see and hear... The chorus are fully signed up to the tongue-in-cheek humour of the piece and de Billy conducts the orchestra with all the lightness of touch that the piece needs.” MusicWeb International, August 2012 | | | In stock - usually despatched within 1 working day. |
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This production of one of the late masterpieces of Massenet, 'Don Quichotte', in May 2010 from La Monnaie, was the last great role performed by the feted Belgian baritone, José van Dam. This very special context generates a real intensity, enhanced by the stage direction of Laurent Pelly and the expertise of Marc Minkowski in French opera repertoire, following numerous productions by Massenet, Debussy, Meyerbeer, Offenbach, Auber, Boieldieu, Gounod… The DVD includes a touching documentary on this production. José van Dam was born in Brussels. As a guest in the world’s leading opera houses, he has sung the title roles of countless operas but has become synonymous with Philip [Don Carlos] and Don Quichotte in particular. He has contributed to the success of many opera productions at La Monnaie, where he has also appeared in concerts and recitals. He also performs a vast concert, oratorio and song repertoire and has made many recordings. His cinema appearances include the title role in Gérard Corbiau’s 'Le Maître de musique' (The Music Teacher) and a brilliant Leporello in Joseph Losey’s 'Don Giovanni'. His interpretations have earned him numerous awards. He holds an honorary doctorate from the University of Montreal; the City of Berlin awarded him the honorary title of ‘Kammersänger’; the French Government has appointed him Commandeur des Arts et Lettres; and he has been ennobled by King Albert II of Belgium. “At almost 70, Van Dam's voice is not what it was, but his artistry is as consummate as ever. His relative vocal frailty only enhances a characerisation that is a masterclass in expressive understatement...this is both a profoundly moving take on Massenet's 'comedie heroique' and a treasurable souvenir of a great performer in his final role.” BBC Music Magazine, October 2012 ***** “This issue deserves particular praise because the central performance, on which so much of the opera hangs, was José van Dam’s farewell to the stage at La Monnaie...Van Dam is on very fine form here, clearly relishing the importance of the occasion. His gift for vocal flair is still there...Silvia tro Santafé is a very successful Dulcinée...Minkowski holds the whole evening together with charm, affection and his famous ear for detail” MusicWeb International, April 2013 BBC Music Magazine DVD Choice - October 2012 |
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Tsveta Sarambelieva, Orlin Anastasov, Venteslav Anastasov, Silvia Teneva, Rositsa Pavlova-Indzheva, Krasimir Dinev, Plamen Papazikov & Alexander Georgiev Orchestra, Chorus and Ballet of the Sofia National Opera, Bulgaria., Francesco Rosa (conductor) & Palmen Kartaloff (stage director) Performed at the Sofia National Opera and Ballet in Bulgaria. This recording highlight’s Massenet’s brilliantly comedic Don Quichotte. This is accentuated by a superb cast and stage director, Palmen Kartaloff. Picture Format: 16:9 Subtitles: Fre, Eng, Ger, Spa, Ita and Bg. Booklet Notes: Ita/Eng Available Worldwide “Anastasov is the undoubted star of Kartaloff's staging, with a decent supporting cast. Hi-tech visuals partly make up for a contrived, modern-dress production.” BBC Music Magazine, June 2013 *** | 
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| |  | Renée Fleming Live at the Opéra National de Paris
Dvorak: | Rusalka, Op. 114 Live Recording from The Opéra National De Paris – Opéra Bastille 2002 Renée Fleming (Rusalka), Larissa Diadkova (Jezibaba), Sergei Larin (Prince), Franz Hawlata (Goblin), Eva Urbanova (Foreign Princess), Michel Sénéchal (Park Ranger), Karine Deshayes (Kitchen Boy) James Conlon (director) & Robert Carsen (director) | Massenet: | Manon Renée Fleming (Manon), Marcelo Alvarez (Le Chevalier Des Grieux), Jean-Luc Chaignaud (Lescaut), Alain Vernhes (Le Comte Des Grieux), Michel Sénéchal (Guillot) Jesus Lopez-Cobos (conductor) & Gilbert Deflo (director) | Strauss, R: | Capriccio Live Recording from The Opéra National de Paris, Palais Garnier, 2004 Renée Fleming (Die Gräfin), Anne Sofie Von Otter (Clairon), Dietrich Henschel (Der Graf), Rainer Trost (Flamand), Gerald Finley (Olivier) & Franz Hawlata (La Roche) Ulf Schirmer (conductor) & Robert Carsen (director) |
Sound Format: PCM Stereo, DD 5.1 (Manon) / PCM Stereo, DD 5.0, DTS 5.0 (Rusalka, Capriccio) Picture Format: 16:9 DVD Format: 3 x DVD 9 & 3 x DVD 5 / NTSC Subtitle Languages: GB, DE, FR, ES, IT (Capriccio) + CN (Manon, Rusalka) Running Time: 164 mins (Manon), 155 mins (Rusalka), 148 mins (Capriccio) FSK: 0 |
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BBC Music Magazine Awards 2013