DVD Videos

“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 ***

“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, 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

“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

“The long rehearsal period, the expertise of everyone involved and the authority of the solo singers: all this quickly becomes evident...All the soloists embody their roles to an engrossing degree of identification...this is a defiantly modern performance, one that exults in disturbance and the irony that arises from a deeply intimate staging within the round of the Berlin Philharmonie: appropriate in terms of architectural politics but jarringly opulent and public.” Gramophone Magazine, July 2012

“Some of Sellars's gestures...are searing, and the rapt attention of the audience leaps out of the screen...Padmore is a great Evangelist and this must be his greatest performance of the role...while the symbiosis entwining vocal and instrumental soloists leavens Simon Rattle's compelling musical direction. Ultimately, a St Matthew Passion even greater than the sum of its parts - and they were already pretty awesome to being with!” BBC Music Magazine, September 2012 *****

“It sounded like a risky undertaking...but the resulting “ritualization” of Bach’s oratorio, captured on DVD, is most riveting and moving. Mr. Sellars has the choirs and orchestras facing each other in the round, turning the Passion into a soul-searching dialogue between individual and society, man and God. Instrumentalists and singers, too, enter into communion with one another” New York Times, 23rd November 2012

“Pappano's mastery of Puccinian pace and phrasing intensifies this turbulent score's onward surge, but he's also noticeable attentive to his singers...[Kaufmann's] cries of 'Vittoria!' are thrilling...and his acting never slackens...Tosca's mercurial character seems to resonate with [Gheorghiu] naturally...There are some decent Toscas on DVD already, but I'd start here.” BBC Music Magazine, February 2013 *****

“Gheorghiu makes a credible character out of Tosca...her voice keeps its beauty at all but the most high-pressure moments...Kaufmann scores a complete success as Cavaradossi...What he lacks in Italianate open tone, he makes up in brooding, dark colours...Neither of them would be likely to get the better of Bryn Terfel's bully of a Scarpia...The other dominant personality is Antonio Pappano, whose Puccini has never sounded better” Gramophone Magazine, January 2013

“Fischer's playing is stylish and technically strong... with some gorgeously sonorous passage-work. The Academy's accompaniments are mint-condition.” Classic FM Magazine

“It's no surprise that Julia Fischer, with her looks of classic beauty, has been treated to a video debut... This recording...is clear and refreshing in a traditional way, with immaculate intonation from the soloist” Gramophone Magazine

“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

“Between 1971 and 1976 Humphrey Burton directed filmed concerts of Bernstein conducting the nine Mahler symphonies, along with DasLied von der Erde and the Adagio from the unfinished Tenth. Previous VHS and laserdisc incarnations suffered from uneven sound and occasional discrepancies of synchronisation between screen image and audio. Happily, DG's new DVD edition not only corrects these problems but also refurbishes the soundtracks in vibrant 5.1 surround sound.
Little can be added to the many words written about Bernstein's intense affinity for and ardent advocacy of Mahler. Indeed, the musicality and specificity of Bernstein's body language often seems to create parallel universes to each score's emotional peaks and dynamic valleys. One doesn't have to turn up the volume to sense the exultation and drive with which Bernstein inspires the huge forces in the Eighth's first part or the Second's final pages, gauging the protracted climaxes as he clenches his baton with both hands in long, agonising downward strokes. Watch, too, how Bernstein's eagle eyes and decisive hands anticipate tricky entries and tempo changes in the Fifth's second movement and the Seventh's first with unshakeable authority, or how he instantaneously adjusts dynamics and aligns rhythmic vagaries (the Fourth's opening bars, the Third's percussion).
Yet for all of Bernstein's podium choreography, he also knows when to stand back and simply let the musicians play, casually passing the baton back and forth between his hands, as in stretches of the Third's and Ninth's final movements and the Tenth's Adagio. And, like a benign sovereign, he frequently shoots his players and singers encouraging glances, with plenty of smiles to reward the Vienna Philharmonic's first-desk soloists, as well as their counterparts in the LSO (No 2) and the Israel Philharmonic (Das Lied).
Burton's visual style works hand-in-glove with Mahler's orchestration and dynamic game plans, saving close-ups for quiet passages and quick inserts that underline instrumental entrances.
In general, Bernstein's filmed Mahler interpretations represent a centre-point between the raw excitement characterising much of his pioneering 1960s CBS/Sony cycle and his riper, often more expansive late-1980s remakes. On balance, the video Fourth, Fifth and Ninth are Bernstein's finest performances of these works. The Fifth is faster and more incisively shaped than his 1987 traversal and the Vienna players get better as the performance progresses. Edith Mathis looks as radiant as she sings in the Fourth's finale. The Vienna Ninth is notable for the other-worldly stillness and delicacy of the final pages while the central movements bring the sort of abandon he shows in his 1960s Ninth.
A bonus disc provides additional and valuable context. 'Four Ways to Say Farewell' combines rehearsal and performance footage of the Ninth as a backdrop to Bernstein's narration, where he fancifully if plausibly likens the first movement's long-short rhythmic motive to Mahler's irregular heartbeat. Rehearsals of the Fifth reveal an even more balletic, gesticulative conductor than the public usually saw, along with important insights into the music's character (at one point Bernstein cajoles the brass to play 'like in Italian opera', pinpointing the influence of Verdi on Mahler that most critics gloss over).
A Das Lied rehearsal shows Christa Ludwig haggling over the breakneck tempo Bernstein sets in the 'Von der Schönheit' central section.
Then there is Bernstein at the piano, chainsmoking, giving an informal discourse on the work's symbolism and chamber-like orchestration ('You have to prepare an entire orchestra as if it was a string quartet').
In an age when Mahler's symphonies are ubiquitous, it's fascinating to witness the missionary zeal of Bernstein more than three decades ago, claiming how his 'acting out' the music rather than merely beating time helps him to convince his orchestras of the its greatness. With Bernstein at the helm, one doesn't take Mahler's greatness for granted.” Gramophone Classical Music Guide, 2010

“Arguably this midway view on video is the finest of the three [of Bernstein's Mahler Cycles], and certainly the addition of video to the formula adds another layer of intensity, when here is a conductor who, almost Christ-like, physically seemed to suffer as he conducted, so dedicated was he.” Penguin Guide, 2010 **/*

“Little can be added to the many words written about Bernstein's intense affinity for and ardent advocacy of Mahler. One doesn't have to turn up the volume to sense the exultation and drive with which Bernstein inspired the huge forces in the Eighth's first part or the Second's final pages, gauging the protracted climaxes as he clenches his baton with both hands in long, agonising downward strokes. In general, Bernstein's filmed Mahler interpretations represent a centre-point between the raw excitement characterising much of his pioneering 1960s cycle and his riper, often more expansive late-1980s remakes. On balance, the video Fourth, Fifth, and Ninth are Bernstein's finest performances of these works. A bonus disc provides additional and valuable context. 'Four Ways to Say Farewell' combines rehearsal and performance footage of the Ninth as a backdrop to Bernstein's narration, where he fancifully if plausibly likens the first movement's long-short rhythmic motive to Mahler's irregular heartbeat.” Gramophone Magazine, February 2006

“Director Mary Zimmerman's… offers a Victorian gloss on the drama… which adds a fresh and fascinating resonance. This is reinforced by the filming, often steeply angled from front stage, and enjoys uncommonly strong choral and orchestral support.” BBC Music Magazine, January 2010 ***

“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