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With her sensational role debut at the Vienna State Opera, superstar diva Anna Netrebko displays a performance of rare vocal and dramatic power. The Russian soprano sings the role of the unjustly accused second wife of British King Henry VIII, ‘veering between indignant fury and tender righteousness’ and demonstrating a new level of confidence in her technique with excellent ‘passagework, particularly in trills, and seamless runs even to the lowest notes’ (Opera News). The performance also stars DG mezzo-soprano Elīna Garanča, in ‘a fantastic display of bel canto’ (Opera News) as Anna's rival Giovanna Seymour. Ildebrando D’Arcangelo brings his beautifully dark tone to the role of Enrico and young Italian tenor Francesco Meli sings the demanding role of Lord Percy with a ‘youthful virility’ (Agence France Press), promising great things for the future. On the podium Evelino Pidò 'drew playing of unusual precision and refinement...making every note matter' (Financial Times). “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 | | | In stock - usually despatched within 1 working day. |
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Lucian Krasznec (Sandor Barinkay), Evelin Novak (Saffi), Harald Serafin (Conte Carnero), Wolfgang Bankl (Kalman Zsupan), Monika Bohinec (Czipra) Festival Orchester Mörbisch, Chor und Ballet der Seefestspiele Mörbisch & Statisterie der Seefestspiele Mörbisch, Manfred Mayrhofer | | | Usually despatched in 2 - 3 working days. |
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Following the success of Fleming’s Der Rosenkavalier DVD, live from the Met comes Fleming’s interpretation of Strauss’s chamber-opera, Capriccio. | | | Usually despatched in 2 - 3 working days. |
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| |  | Recorded live at the Glyndebourne Opera House, 18 & 19 December, 2010
In this celebrated Glyndebourne Festival production, David Hockney’s designs for director John Cox reinterpret the Hogarth etchings that inspired the opera’s libretto, written for Stravinsky by W.H. Auden and Chester Kallman. In 2010, this revival under Glyndebourne’s Music Director, Vladimir Jurowski, captured the opera’s neo-classical spirit and its juxtaposition of whimsy, cynicism and compassion, prompting the Financial Times to call it, ‘‘as enjoyable a performance of Stravinsky’s opera as any that has come along". Extra features: Documentary includes interview with David Hockney Introduction to the Rakes’s Progress Running time 150 mins Region Code All regions Picture format 16:9 Anamorphic Sound format 2.0LPCM + 5.1(5.0) DTS Menu languages EN Subtitles EN/FR/DE/ES “Full of colour and light, and brimming with wit, this is a production that lifts the performers...Lehtipuu conveys [Tom's] fresh-faced innocence, making his gradual demise all the more heart-breaking. Bass Matthew Rose is not the most chilling Nick Shadow, but is all the more believable as an apparently supportive, and likeable, friend to Tom, until the veil drops...[Persson] underpins [Anne's] heartfelt love with a steely determination...An absolute triumph.” BBC Music Magazine, January 2012 ***** “It is hard to imagine a Tom Rakewell who looks the part better than the lanky, almost adolescent Topi Lehtipuu, his wide-eyed innocence an open invitation to corruption, and he sings the role with elegance. Miah Persson is almost his equal...The combination of Vladimir Jurowski and the London Philharmonic Orchestra ensures crisp ensemble of the highest quality.” Gramophone Magazine, March 2012 “Star of the show - as she is so often - is Miah Persson, who turns out to be a radiant and steadfast Anne...[Lehtipuu] manages to give us a Tom whoe fundamentally endearing qualities shine through, even when he's at his most cocky...Matthew Rose's portrayal of Nick Shadow has been criticized in some quarters for its lack of venom, but I find that the mellifluous coating to his malevolence only adds to the effect.” International Record Review, February 2012  BBC Music Magazine
DVD Choice - January 2012 |
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| |  | Pergolesi Spring Festival, Jesi, Ancona
Marina Comparato (Adriano), Lucia Cirillo (Emirena), Annamaria Dell’Oste (Farnaspe), Nicole Heaston (Sabina), Stefano Ferrari (Osroa) & Francesca Lombardi (Aquilio Tribuno) Accademia Bizantina, Ottavio Dantone (conductor) & Ignacio García (director) For the festivities marking the Pergolesi’s tercentenary in his native Jesi, Ignacio García created a new staging of the imperial drama Adriano in Siria. His staging in Jesi’s exquisite 18th-century Teatro Comunale Pergolesi includes the delightful comic intermezzo Livietta e Tracollo, thus following the precedent set at the premiere in 1734. A fine Italian cast and the distinguished Accademia Bizantina are led by the Accademia’s director, Ottavio Dantone. Extra features: Interview with Ottavio Dantone Cast gallery Running time 188 mins Region Code All regions Picture format 16:9 Anamorphic Sound format 2.0LPCM + 5.1(5.0) DTS Menu languages EN Subtitles EN/FR/DE “This is the most impressive and engaging product of Pergolesi's anniversary year I've heard so far...[Annamaria dell'Oste] is more dramatically aware and dignified than simply dazzling: she never once plays to the gallery, or drops out of character...The orchestral playing is exceptionally fine, with the very tight ensemble vividly captured by the microphones.” International Record Review, January 2012 “Top marks go to conductor and director for giving the music space to breathe. The vocal cast is almost uniformly brilliant. The tension between unbridled feeling and duty's constraints - a tension that obsessed 18th-century audiences - simmers throughout, energising the extemporisation through which the singers develop character. Dell'Oste is in a class of her own: she turns coloratura into eloquent, heart-rending declarations” BBC Music Magazine, February 2012 “The stage action is pleasingly literal, sensible and unpretentious; Garcia allows the performers and audience enough mental space to concentrate fully on the rhetorical power of the soliloquy convention, without any ill-conceived attempt to subvert Metastasio's language and action into something sexy and postmodern...This is an exceptionally fine production that offers a great deal of integrity and fascination.” Gramophone Magazine, February 2012 “Dantone's young soloists, relatively unknown, burn with conviction and sing superbly...In fact, every aspect of this enthralling production is close to exemplary.” Classical Music, 25th February 2012 ***** BBC Music Magazine DVD Choice - February 2012 |
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| |  | Rossini: Il barbiere di Siviglia & L'Equivoco StravaganteLIMITED EDITION – Available while stocks last
Rossini: | Il barbiere di Siviglia Francesco Meli, Bruno de Simone, Rinat Shaham, Roberto Frontali & Giovanni Furlanetto Orchestra & Coro del Teatro La Fenice, Antonio Fogliani (conductor) & Antonio Fogliani (director) L'Equivoco Stravagante World Première on DVD. Sung in Italian. Recorded at the Pesaro Rossini Opera Festival, August 2008 Marina Prudenskja, Bruno De Simone, Marco Vinco, Dmitry Korchak, Amanda Forsythe & Ricardo Mirabelli Coro Da Camera Di Praga, Maestro Del Coro Pavel Vanek & Orchestra Haydn of Bolzano E Trento, Umberto Benedetti Michelangeli (conductor) & Emilio Sagi (direction) |
Box set comprised of the following popular operas already available in the Dynamic catalogue Region Code: 0 Picture format: 16:9 Sound format: LPCM 2.0 / Dolby digital 5.1 Booklet notes: Ita / Eng / Fre / Ger Subtitles: Ita / Eng / Fre / Ger / Spa Running time: 171+142 mins AVAILABLE WORLDWIDE | | | Usually despatched in 2 - 3 working days. |
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| |  | Live Recording from The Zurich Opera House, 1997
Vesselina Kasarova (Helen, Queen of Sparta), Deon van der Walt (Paris, son of King Priam), Carlos Chausson (Calchas, High Priest of Jupiter), Volker Vogel (Menelaus, King of Sparta) & Oliver Widmer (Agamemnon, King of Argos) Zurich Opera House, Nikolaus Harnoncourt (conductor) & Helmut Lohner (stage director) Stage Design by PAOLO PIVA Costum Designe by JEAN-CHARLES DE CASTELBAJAC A superficial view may regard Offenbach’s lightweight masterpiece, La belle Hélène, as „merely“ an opera buffa. But closer scrutiny of this charming, imaginative firework of intrigue makes one thing clear: the story of the Greek queen who started off the Trojan war is, in this version, a humorous and satirical caricature of the vulgar, decadent Parisian upper classes of Offenbach’s own day. Who better suited to produce a modern rendering of this work than the now highly acclaimed Nikolaus Harnoncourt, who also ensured the work’s historical accuracy? Employing a small string section, shining, colourful brass and richly varied percussion, the opera still strikes one as exceptionally modern. This impression is also enhanced by the designers of the production, recorded at the Zurich Opera House: no less a figure than the fashion designer Jean–Charles de Castelbajac was responsible for the humorously expansive costumes; and the highly subtle stage–set was the work of Paolo Pivas. Sound Format: PCM Stereo Picture Format: 16:9 DVD Format: DVD 9, NTSC Subtile Languages: DE (Original Language), GB, NL, GR, JP Running Time: 124 mins FSK: 0 “Lohner's staging creates a delectable absurdist fantasy from Offenbach's opera bouffe, starring Kasarova's knowing Helen and Van der Walt's jaunty Paris. Harnoncourt is irresistable.” BBC Music Magazine, June 2012 ***** | | | Usually despatched in 2 - 3 working days. |
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| |  | Live Recording from The Salzburger Festspiele, 1998
Stage Design by RICHARD PEDUZZI Since Peter Zadek arrived from theatre world to produce his first opera, Mozart’s „Le nozze di Figaro“ („The marriage of Figaro“) in Stuttgart in 1983, he has been in demand as an opera director too – with good reason, as this DVD video makes clear. Zadek’s production of the opera, which combines Brecht’s text with Kurt Weill’s music, was recorded at the 1998 Salzburg festival. The opera was one of the greatest successes of its day when it originally opened in 1931, and ran for over fifty performances. Its songs, most of all „O moon of Alabama“, are still great hits today. In the 1998 Salzburg production they were interpreted by a top–notch ensemble of singers under the direction of Dennis Russell Davies: the title roles were sung by such renowned artists as Catherine Malfitano, Gwyneth Jones and Jerry Hadley. Sound Format: PCM Stereo Picture Format: 16:9 DVD Format: DVD 9, NTSC Subtitle Languages: GB, FR, NL Running Time: 160 mins FSK: 0 | | | Usually despatched in 2 - 3 working days. |
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| |  | Live Recording from The Oper Graz, 2011
Marlis Petersen (Violetta Valéry), Kristina Antonie Fehrs (Flora Bervoix), Fran Lubahn (Annina), Giuseppe Varano (Alfredo Germont) & James Rutherford (Giorgio Germont) Oper Graz, Tecwyn Evans (conductor) & Peter Konwitschny (stage director) Set & Costumes by JOHANNES LEIACKER With this production of La Traviata, director Peter Konwitschny achieved a resounding success and Marlis Petersen made a sensational debut in the title role. The first ever production of La Traviata by Peter Konwitschny of Graz Opera is a highly-focused, intelligent reading of the music that was widely acclaimed by audiences. With a reduced stage set and daring cuts in the score, the production concentrates on the tragic story of the courtesan Violetta. Soprano Marlis Petersen (2010 „Singer of the Year“ in Germany) is superb in the title role. BONUS: “La Traviata” in Graz – An introduction by Ioan Holender. Including interviews with Peter Konwitschny and Marlis Petersen as well as backstage and rehearsal footage. Sound Format: PCM Stereo, DD 5.0 Picture Format: 16:9 DVD Format: DVD 9, NTSC Subtile Languages: IT (Original Language), GB, DE, FR, ES, JP, Korean Running Time: 110 mins + 20 mins (Bonus) FSK: 6 “Konwitschny's early training in Brechtian theatre is apparent in his fierce observations on sexual hypocrisy, and in the unnerving way he confronts his audience's prurient fascination with the subject matter. The performance he gets from Petersen is little short of extraordinary in its veracity and beauty...the score has been more heavily cut than many will like. It's not for purists, though it won't leave you indifferent.” The Guardian, 8th December 2011 **** “Konwitschny is radical enough to introduce a character - silent, of course - whom Verdi and his librettist left out. That is Germont's daughter...Now to the musica performance: it is heavily cut, with the second verse of arias omitted, and also some very poignant music...Petersen is wonderful, and I think she would be in a more conventional production. She has a phenomenal vocal range, and she acts electrifyingly.” BBC Music Magazine, March 2012 **** “[Konwitschny] concentrates on the often very cruel emotional journey of the three principal characters...[Petersen, Varano and Rutherford] are intensely involved and in good vocal shape. Tecwyn Evans conducts with great rhythmic acuity and finds pace and tension without rushing or becoming unduly loud...An outstanding issue and a quite draining experience.” Gramophone Magazine, April 2012 “'Lulu sings Verdi' might well be the motto of Peter Konwitschny's stark, contemporary and highly contentious staging...The main reason for acquiring this set, however, is Petersen's thoroughly modern Violetta, despite her Louise- Brookes-as-Lulu wig and edgy, harrowing characterization...I suspect this is an issue that will appeal to fans of Konwitschny, rather than Verdians, but Petersen almost wins me over to the director's fresh, quirky ideas.” International Record Review, March 2012 | | | Usually despatched in 2 - 3 working days. |
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| |  | Live Recording from The Salzburg Festival 1966
Set and Costume Design by LUDWIG HEINRICH No other work written for the music theatre has been performed at the Salzburg Festival as often as Le Nozze di Figaro. Mozart’s opera buffa, this work of genius, was included in the programme of forty-six out of more than eighty festival summers; the more than 200 performances included at least twelve different Figaro productions, and on every occasion only the best Mozart singers of the time were engaged for Salzburg. Mozart’s Figaro performances in Salzburg were above all a task for great conductors, from Franz Schalk and Bruno Walter, Josef Krigs, Herbert von Karajan and Wilhelm Furtwängler to Lorin Maazel, Riccardo Muti and Nikolaus Harnoncourt. It is, however, Karl Böhm above all others who deserves to be singled out, who over many years has had a formative influence on the musical image of this opera from Vienna and Salzburg to Munich and New York. To this day Karl Böhm’s performances of Figaro and Cosi fan tutte remain a vivid memory, and his recordings have set a standard. Sound Format: PCM Mono Picture Format: 4:3 DVD Format: 2 x DVD 9, NTSC Menu Language: GB Subtitle Languages: IT, GB, DE, FR, ES, Chinese Running Time: 180 mins FSK: 0 “Mathis acts well and phrases Voi che sapete to perfection” Gramophone Magazine, Awards Issue 2011 | | | Usually despatched in 2 - 3 working days. |
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Gramophone Magazine