DVD Videos

Live from Volksoper, Vienna

When Johann Nestroy and Carl Binder collaborated on Tannhäuser it was a box office success even before Wagner’s premiere in Vienna in 1859, which led to “a merriment which was hard to contain” sweeping through the entire audience, as the major critic and anti-Wagnerian, Eduard Hanslick, reported.

This new DVD from Phoenix Edition captures the world première recording of the performance live at the Wiener Volksoper. Robert Meyer, the sole performer of all the main roles, shaped the evening in magnificent style. He pulled out all the theatrical stops with technical bravura and instinctive comical timing.

The DVD ensures a humorous evening of opera of a rather different kind.

Recorded at Palermo, Teatro Massimo, January 2008

Boito’s Mefistofele is an opera that focuses on the eternal struggle between Good and Evil, in a path made of temptation, lust and redemption that director Giancarlo Del Monaco sets in contemporary society. At the beginning the location and the costumes recall the German expressionism of the 1930s that are soon abandoned to become a glittering Vegas-like location.

The once popular opera is nowadays rarely performed. It was thus unusual that this opera was chosen to be broadcast as part of the DDCinema project in cinemas throughout Europe. Dynamic are now proud to present this acclaimed production on DVD which includes special features including interviews with the cast (Furlanetto, Theodossiou, Filianoti and Del Monaco).

This production which was performed at the Teatro Massimo features artists of the highest standing: the bass Ferruccio Furlanetto is one of the most celebrated and critically acclaimed singers of the last thirty years and appears in the greatest theatres and festivals all over the world. Alongside him we find a young but already well-known tenor Giuseppe Filianoti, and the Greek soprano Dimitra Theodossiou an artist of international calibre with great vocal and performance talents.

The performance was well received. Italian critics gave only the highest praise to the cast: “[Furlanetto] brought real conviction to Boito's occasionally surreal libretto, and his oaken voice truly filled the theatre (which has ideal acoustics).” “Giuseppe Filianoti sang with ideal smoothness of line and ingratiating tone.” “All the singers were well supported by conductor Stefano Ranzani, who paced the work well… [and the choral singers and dancers] conveyed genuine relish in bringing life to what on this occasion proved to be a totally absorbing theatrical experience.”

Jules Massenet turned Goethe’s famous tale of the tragic love of Werther and Charlotte into one of the most richly melodic and moving of all French operas. It is generally regarded as the composer’s masterpiece.

Set Design By Christian Floeren

Costumes Ute Frühling

Praised by Bloomberg for having “mastered the role” and “acting her socks off,” Angela Gheorghiu leads an all-star cast which includes Ramón Vargas and Roberto Frontali, with the brilliant conductor Lorin Maazel on the podium. Angela Gheorghiu is the definitive Violetta of her generation, the standard-setter against whom all other exponents of this role must be judged for the foreseeable future. Her affinity for Verdi‘s fragile, gentle-hearted courtesan is rooted in a fine balance of acting and singing skills. Giuseppe Verdi´s immortal opera in a sumptuous production by Liliana Cavani, with world famous singers – a treat for viewers everywhere!

“Talented, glamorous and every bit the diva, Romanian soprano Angela Gheorghiu is a star.“ Billboard

Set Design By Dante Ferretti

Costumes Gabriella Pescucci

Choreography Micha Van Hoecke

The member's bar of a golf club somewhere near Windsor. Big John Falstaff is a permanently 'resting' actor whose one claim to fame is his role as "The Protectionist", a television series which was mercifully cancelled after the first season. Falstaff is holding court to his two taxi driver cronies, Bardolph and Pistol, who have just played a round. Falstaff doesn't actually play golf because a) he is too fat and lazy and b) he considers the green fees better spent on gin. Given that he always seems to end up picking up Bardolph and Pistol's tab and his only source of income is the odd Croatian TV repeat fee, the big man is in a bit of a bind. In bursts the rather bizarre psychiatrist Dr Cajus, who accuses Falstaff of bashing into his car the previous night and destroying the rear bumper. Further more, he is certain that Bardolph and Pistol spiked his drink and stole all his money. Amidst much derision Cajus is frightened off and Falstaff is left to scrutinise his bar bill, which is several feet long. He decides that his inescapable charms should be brought to bear on a couple of the lady members, not only for the physical gratification he can offer but the financial perks he is likely to receive from women who are married to rich husbands.The two unlucky victims of this deluded nonsense are Alice Ford, whose husband is a wealthy solicitor, and Meg Page whose husband is - just wealthy. Falstaff fails to persuade his henchmen to be his emissaries in this matter and so gives the barmaid notes for the ladies.The scene ends with him arguing with Bardolph and Pistol about the fact that they never stand their round - 'proper' rules in these matters being a moral imperative! The ladies locker room, a taxi, a pub, the golf course. Alice Ford, an attractive 40-something and her daughter Nanette, a pretty, vivacious girl in her early 20s are preparing to play a foursome. Their fellow players are Meg Page, a similar age to Alice, and Mrs Quickly, who is of indeterminate age and indomitable cheeriness. Alice and Meg are by turns intrigued and repelled by the letters that they have received from Falstaff, and decide to take revenge on the would be seducer. Meanwhile Bardolph and Pistol meet with Ford, and fed up with the bullying of their bloated boozing buddy, inform him about Falstaff's intentions towards Mrs Ford. Dr Cajus puts his two pennyworth in, and Fenton, the handsome young pro volunteers his assistance in punishing Falstaff. His reasons for helping are less to do with revenge and more with getting in Ford's good books - he is in love with Nanette, and aware that her father considers golf pro's to be in the same category as second-hand car salesmen. Fenton manages to steal a few moments with Nanette on the 10th green, where his energetically dishonourable intentions become clear.The ladies formulate a plan for Mrs Quickly to inform Falstaff that Alice is eagerly awaiting a clandestine visit from the great lover…. Tony Britten's hilarious take on Verdi's evergreen comedy was first staged by Music Theatre London at the Drill Hall and was subsequently filmed with the original cast.

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).

Recorded at the 2007 Salzburg Festival, this production of Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin features an excellent, young cast and the Wiener Philharmoniker conducted by maestro Daniel Barenboim.

Inspired by the cinematic nature of the opera, director Andrea Breth has created an intimate production that mines the depths of expression and charisma of her singer-actors and integrates silent secondary episodes and miniature dramas to heighten the intensity of the story.

The title role – a tour de force for any baritone – is taken by Peter Mattei, “a gifted actor blessed with debonair self-confidence” (Neue Zürcher Zeitung). He is joined by dazzling young Russian soprano Anna Samuil, a protégée of Daniel Barenboim who has been acclaimed as a vibrant new presence on the opera stage. The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung described her Tatyana as being “ready to start a revolution”.

The performances receive superb support from Daniel Barenboim and the Wiener Philharmoniker who capture the beguilingly dark sonorities of Tchaikovsky’s score and bring out its sudden flashes of brilliance, particularly during the passionate climax of the final act.

The DVD has been filmed in HD, with 5.1 DTS surround sound and PCM stereo.

First DVD release of the first complete film from Bayreuth.

Götz Friedrich’s controversial Tannhäuser production from 1978 scandalized the Bayreuth old guard while revealing Tannhäuser’s revolutionary qualities to a new age of Wagner lovers.This brilliantly iconoclastic production, superbly sung and conducted, ushered in a new age of Wagner interpretation.

Choreography of the ‘Bacchanal’ by John Neumeier and set design and costumes by the international well known stage designer Jürgen Rose.

A superb cast led by Spas Wenkoff as Tannhäuser, Gwyneth Jones as Venus as well as Elisabeth and Bernd Weikl as Wolfram.

In 5.1 DTS Surround Sound.

This production of Parsifal was recorded live at the Zurich Opera House in March 2007. It was hailed by the press as one of the finest Wagner performances in recent years, thanks in part to Bernard Haitink’s gripping presence in the pit.

The production by Hans Hollmann is austere in conception; Hans Hoffer’s understated designs using geometric shapes and blocks of colour to emphasise the juxtapositions at the heart of Wagner’s mystical opera – light versus darkness, good versus evil. The effect is beautiful and simple, focussing attention on the music.

The excellent international cast of leading Wagnerian singers is headed by Christopher Ventris in the title role and also features Yvonne Naef as a sensuous Kundry and Matti Salminen who was highly acclaimed by the press for his powerful, touching portrayal of the ageing Gurnemanz.

Additional features: Produced in HD, to be released in NTSC 16:9; audio will be in 5.1 DTS Surround Sound and PCM stereo.

Subtitles in English, Italian, French, Spanish, Japanese.

108 minutes

Woody Allen used this production in his film Hannah and her Sisters