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See Terms & Conditions for p&p rates. | |  | Metropolitan Opera Gala 199125th Anniversary at Lincoln Center
Mirella Freni, Plácido Domingo, Luciano Pavarotti, Cheryl Studer, Anne Sofie von Otter, Barbara Daniels, Justiano Díaz, Leo Nucci, Hermann Prey, June Anderson, Kathleen Battle, Ferruccio Furlanetto, Nicolai Ghiaurov, Thomas Hampson, Uwe Heilmann, Barbara Kilduff, Aprile Millo, Sherrill Milnes, Paul Plishka, Samuel Ramey, Birgitta Svendén & Frederica von Stade The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, Chorus and Ballet, James Levine The Metropolitan Opera celebrates 25 years at Lincoln Center. The cast-list for the evening reads like a Who's Who of 20th-century opera. Thrill to “hours and hours of glorious opera...A triumphant celebration of virtuosity (Toronto Globe and Mail) as New York’s legendary opera company celebrates its first quarter century at Lincoln Center with “one of the most exquisitely refined and extravagant assemblages of vocal artistry the Met stage has yet hosted” (New York Times). “Not just another night at the opera” (Los Angeles Times), this extraordinary gala features complete acts from three favorite works, starring dozens of the world’s greatest singers, all conducted by Met music director James Levine. | | | In stock - usually despatched within 1 working day. |
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| |  | Plácido Domingo - My Greatest Roles Volume 2 (Verdi)
Verdi: | Ernani recorded in 1982 Plácido Domingo, Mirella Freni, Renato Bruson & Nicolai Ghiaurov La Scala, Milan, Riccardo Muti Otello recorded in 1992 Plácido Domingo, Kiri Te Kanawa & Sergei Leiferkus The Royal Opera, Covent Garden, Sir Georg Solti Il Trovatore filmed in 1978 Raina Kabaivanska, Fiorenza Cossotto, Piero Cappuccilli & Plácido Domingo Vienna State Opera, Herbert von Karajan |
ERNANI – La Scala, Milan This hugely successful production of Verdi’s romantic drama Ernani, recorded in 1982, features four legendary opera stars, all at the height of their powers: Plácido Domingo, who gives a commanding performance as the bandit Ernani, Mirella Freni as the heroine, Renato Bruson as the charming but devious King Charles of Spain, and Nicolai Ghiaurov as a noble Silva. They give an impassioned, electric performance under the conductor Riccardo Muti, an acclaimed Verdi interpreter. The producer, Luca Ronconi, has created a totally convincing production for this drama of jealousy and revenge. OTELLO – The Royal Opera, Covent Garden Plácido Domingo justifiably considers the role of Otello to be one of his finest, and this famous 1992 recording of Otello demonstrates why he has become so idenitified with this pinnacle of the tenor repertoire. His magnificent performance combines all his strengths as a singer and an actor to bring the tragic moor powerfully to life. The role of Desdemona is sung movingly by Kiri Te Kanawa, and Iago is played by Sergei Leiferkus, whose ability to convey both nobility and evil makes him ideal for this role. Elijah Moshinsky’s handsome production is conducted by Sir Georg Solti. IL TROVATORE – Vienna State Opera In this production of Il trovatore, filmed in 1978, Herbert von Karajan not only conducts, but was also the stage director, giving this tale of Spanish nobles and gypsies a dark framework against which Verdi’s music was able to shine all the more brightly. This recording features Raina Kabaivanska as Leonora, the legendary Fiorenza Cossotto as the gypsy Azucena, Piero Cappuccilli as the Count and Plácido Domingo as a truly lyrical troubadour, Manrico.
NVC Arts/Warner Classics is delighted to announce the release of the second volume of DVD boxed sets that showcase some of the greatest recordings of Plácido Domingo’s career on stage. This volume features full length performances of operas by Verdi, including Ernani from La Scala, Domingo’s famous performance as Otello from The Royal Opera, Covent Garden, and Il trovatore from Vienna State Opera. Bonus: This volume is complemented by a 1-hour bonus DVD in which Plácido Domingo speaks at length, with passion and fervour, about each of the roles he sings in these three operas. Colour Region Code: 2-5 OTELLO: Picture format: NTSC 4:3 FF Audio: Dolby 2.0 Duration: 145 mins Subtitles: Eng / Fr / Ger / It / Sp ERNANI: Picture format: NTSC 4:3 F Audio: L-PCM Stereo Duration: 137 mins Subtitles: Eng / Fr / Ger / Sp / Jp IL TROVATORE: Picture format: NTSC 4:3 FF Audio: Dolby 2.0 & Dolby 5.1 Surround Duration: 150 mins Subtitles: Eng / Fr / Ger / It / Sp Bonus interviews: Picture format: NTSC 16:9 Audio: Dolby 2.0 Duration: 66 mins Subtitles: None “Domingo's much-admired Otello is captured here around its peak (1992). The rare La Scala Ernani is a strong souvenir, but the Trovatore under Karajan with a top-notch cast is even more special.” BBC Music Magazine, April 2011 ***** | | | In stock - usually despatched within 1 working day. |
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| |  | The Metropolitan Opera Centennial Gala
Beethoven: | Leonore Overture No. 3, Op. 72b | Debussy: | L'annee en vain...Cependent les soirs (from L'enfant Prodigue) Ileana Cotrubas | Donizetti: | Chi mi frena in tal momento? (from Lucia di Lammermoor) Una furtiva lagrima (from L'elisir d'amore) Nicolai Gedda | Giordano, U: | Vicino a te (from Andrea Chénier) Jose Carreras, Montserrat Caballé | Gounod: | Va! je t'ai pardonné (from Roméo et Juliette) Catherine Malfitano, Alfredo Kraus Alerte, alerte! (from Faust) Katia Ricciarelli, William Lewis, Nicolai Ghiaurov | Mascagni: | Son io! Son io la Vita! (from Iris) | Mozart: | E Susanna non vien! … Dove sono i bei momenti (from Le nozze di Figaro) Kiri Te Kanawa | Puccini: | In questa reggia (from Turandot) Eva Marton Viene la sera (from Madama Butterfly) Giuliano Ciannella, Leona Mitchell | Rossini: | La calunnia è un venticello (from Il barbiere di Siviglia) Ruggero Raimondi Bel raggio lusinghier (from Semiramide) Joan Sutherland Pria di dividerci da voi, signore (from L'italiana in Algeri) | Saint-Saëns: | Bacchanale from Samson et Dalila Linda Gelinas, Ricardo Costa Mon cœur s'ouvre à ta voix (from Samson et Dalila) Marilyn Horne | Smetana: | The Bartered Bride Overture | Strauss, R: | Mir ist die Ehre widerfahren (from Der Rosenkavalier) Marie Theres'! ... Hab mir's gelobt (from Der Rosenkavalier) | trad.: | Fjorton år tror jag visst att jag var Birgit Nilsson | Verdi: | Dio, mi potevi scagliar tutti i mali (from Otello) James McCracken Surta è la notte...Ernani! Ernani, involami (from Ernani) Anna Tomowa-Sintow Giá nella notte densa (from Otello) Plácido Domingo, Mirella Freni Donna chi sei? (from Nabucco) Renato Bruson, Grace Bumbry Teco io sto (from Un ballo in maschera) Luciano Pavarotti, Leontyne Price | Wagner: | Wie lachend sie mir Lieder singen (from Tristan und Isolde) Birgit Nilsson |
Here are the greatest moments from the “ultimate in galas” (Opera), a “roof-rattling vocal display and the kind of cheering and free-flowing, heartfelt emotion on both sides of the footlights that opera evinces more than any other art form” - New York Times The gala celebration immediately catches the attention with spectacular performances by stars such as Dame Joan Sutherland, Anna Tomowa-Sintow, Mirella Freni, Marilyn Horne, Birgit Nilsson, Luciano Pavarotti, José Carreras, Plácido Domingo, Nicolai Gedda, Alfredo Kraus and many others “The world's most famous opera singers [in] a dazzling sequence of performances” - New York Times “It's always a privilege to sing at the Met, but this is something very special. I don't think there's ever been anything this grand in the history of opera” - Luciano Pavarotti This product features an awesome roster of international star conducters: from James Levine, Leonard Bernstein and Thomas Fulton to Jeffrey Tate, Richard Bonynge 2 DVDs LIVE from the Met from October 22, 1983 | | | In stock - usually despatched within 1 working day. |
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“a milestone in the history of operatic production in this city” was the judgement of the New York Herald Tribune. Production & Set Designer: Franco Zeffirelli Lighting Designer: Gil Wechsler Stage Director: Paul Mills Choreographer: William Burdick Musical Preparation: John Keenan, Craig Rutenberg, Jane Klaviter, Franz Vote Assistant Stage Director: Sharon Thomas Prompter: Jane Klaviter Produced at the Metropolitan Opera House, October 1992 “A traditional but glamorous staging by Franco Zeffirelli, with a virtually all-star cast and a highly skilled conductor, represents the Met near its best.” BBC Music Magazine, Christmas 2009 **** | | | In stock - usually despatched within 1 working day. |
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| |  | Popular Puccini
Puccini: | Tosca dir. Franco Zeffirelli Raina Kabaivanska (Tosca), Plácido Domingo (Cavaradossi), Sherrill Milnes (Scarpia) Philharmonia Orchestra & The Ambrosian Singers, Bruno Bartoletti La Bohème dir. Franco Zeffirelli Mirella Freni (Mimi), Gianni Raimondi (Rodolfo), Hilde Güden (Musetta), Rolando Panerai (Marcello), Gianni Maffeo (Schaunard), Ivo Vinco (Colline), Carlo Badioli (Benoit/Alcindoro) Orchestra del Teatro alla Scala di Milano, Herbert von Karajan Madama Butterfly dir. Jean-Pierre Ponnelle Mirella Freni (Butterfly), Plácido Domingo (Pinkerton), Robert Kerns (Sharpless), Christa Ludwig (Suzuki), Michel Sénéchal (Goro) Wiener Philharmoniker & Konzertvereinigung Wiener Staatsopernchor, Herbert von Karajan |
Subtitle Languages: Italian (original language), English, German, French, Spanish, Chinese “Exceptional value in one box, if you like the lip-synced cinematic approach - and these are excellent examples, including the first Tosca shot in Roman locations, superlatively cast...One of the finest Butterflys in any medium.” BBC Music Magazine, June 2008 **** “As near an ideal Bohème as you could hope to find” Gramophone Magazine “The film drives its sad tale home with devastating force” New York Times “A milestone in the history of La Bohème” Opera “These three splendidly traditionally filmed productions with starry casts are very highly recommendable...altogether they make a wonderful mid-priced package. This is what filmed opera should be about.” Penguin Guide, 2010 edition ***/**** “The finest opera production I have ever seen on TV” Washington Post | | | In stock - usually despatched within 1 working day. |
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| |  | Stage Director: Lamberto Puggelli
Teatro alla Scala, Milan 1993 “This Viennese performance, with two great singing actors, both in their late prime, is a flawlessly realised account of a rather fragile work. Gavazzeni conducts superbly.” BBC Music Magazine, April 2007 ***** | | | In stock - usually despatched within 1 working day. |
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| |  | Directed by: Franco Zeffirelli
Filmed in Teatro alla Scala, Milano in April/May 1965 “A milestone in the history of La Bohème” (Opera) “Zeffirelli's is an old-fashioned Bohème populated by short fat Peter Pans - except for the young Mirella Freni, delectable and deeply touching, and Adriana Martino's up-front Musetta. But the voices are splendid. Atmospheric.” BBC Music Magazine, August 2006 ***** | | | In stock - usually despatched within 1 working day. |
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| |  | Production by John Dexter
(filmed in 1983) | | | In stock - usually despatched within 1 working day. |
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SUBTITLES: Italian, English, German, French, Spanish, Chinese “magical in its evocation of Puccini's most atmospheric score...Freni [is] as tenderly appealing to see as to hear...[Domingo sings] with similar fervour, responding to the inspired stage direction of Jean-Pierre Ponnelle to make this cad of a hero more complex than usual...The sound is full and atmospheric.” Penguin Guide, 2010 edition **/*** | | | In stock - usually despatched within 1 working day. |
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“Vickers sings gloriously in the title-role, a heroic tenor who sings cleanly and accurately and with great passion, totally unstrained. Though Mirella Freni's soprano might seem a little lightweight for Desdemona, it is sweetly beautiful...Glossop [is] at his peak as the most sinister Iago” Penguin Guide, 2010 edition **** | | | In stock - usually despatched within 1 working day. |
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Building a Library