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Renato Palumbo, Orquesta Sinfónica de Galicia - Rossini: Bianca e Falliero (2006)

Posted By: Vilboa
Renato Palumbo, Orquesta Sinfónica de Galicia - Rossini: Bianca e Falliero (2006)

Renato Palumbo, Orquesta Sinfónica de Galicia - Rossini: Bianca e Falliero (2006)
NTSC 16:9 (720x480) | Italiano (LinearPCM, 2 ch) | (DTS, 6 ch) | 7.20+5.28 Gb (2xDVD9) | 183 min
Classical | Dynamic | Sub: Italiano, English, Francais, Deutsch, Espanol

Composed for La Scala in Milan in 1819, Bianca e Falliero is an opera of extraordinary dramatic originality, rich in highly spectacular stage solutions, and a fundamental work for our understanding of the full significance of the authentic revolution that the composer from Pesaro brought about in opera; a revolution that was destined to have a decisive influence on the development of Italian opera in the nineteenth century. The singing cast features Maria Bayo, Daniela Barcellona, Francesco Meli and Carlo Lepore, conducted by Renato Palumbo and directed by Jean-Louis Martinoty.

Ivor Bolton, Concerto Köln - Francesco Cavalli: Ercole Amante (2010)

Posted By: Vilboa
Ivor Bolton, Concerto Köln - Francesco Cavalli: Ercole Amante (2010)

Ivor Bolton, Concerto Köln - Francesco Cavalli: Ercole Amante (2010)
NTSC 16:9 (720x480) | Italiano (LinearPCM, 2 ch) | (DTS, 5 ch) | 6.38+7.77 Gb (2xDVD9) | 198 min
Classical | Opus Arte | Sub: English, Francais, Deutsch, Espanol, Italiano, Nederlands

This hilarious contemporary version of Francesco Cavalli's baroque opera Hercules in Love was commissioned on occasion of the marriage of Louis XIV, the Sun King, to Maria Theresa of Spain. The original production took two years to complete and was at the time the greatest show ever performed in Europe. Directed by David Alden, this surreal production is a triumph of commedia buffa resplendent with decorative and symbolic elements, and complemented by Constance Hoffman's exceptional costumes. Led by Ivor Bolton, a master of baroque music, the chorus of De Nederlandse Opera and Concerto Köln give a sublime performance. With Luca Pisaroni's (Ercole) singing being heroic and melodious in turn, and Veronica Cangemi as a splendid Iole, this is an outstanding production by the DNO.

Esa-Pekka Salonen, Orchestre de Paris - Richard Strauss: Elektra [Blu-Ray] (2014)

Posted By: Vilboa
Esa-Pekka Salonen, Orchestre de Paris - Richard Strauss: Elektra [Blu-Ray] (2014)

Esa-Pekka Salonen, Orchestre de Paris - Richard Strauss: Elektra [Blu-Ray] (2014)
BluRay | BDMV | MPEG-4 AVC Video / 26928 kbps / 1080i / 29,970 fps | 110 min | 30,7 Gb
Audio1: Deutsch / LPCM Audio / 2.0 / 24-bit | Audio2: DTS-HD Master Audio / 5.1 / 48 kHz / 4398 kbps / 24-bit
Classical | BelAir | Sub: German, French, English, Italian, Spanish

Last production staged by Patrice Chéreau, this Elektra will remain as the main and most striking lyrical event of these last years in Aix-en-Provence. This production is leaded by three amazing singers: the German soprano Evelyn Herlitzius gave a tremendous, never-to-be-forgotten account of the title role, Waltraud Meier portrays a human and chilling Clytemnestra and Adrianne Pieczonka is a fantastic Chrysothemis. Everyone's loneliness and intimate struggles are Patrice Chéreau's favorites theatrical themes. With Esa-Pekka Salonen conducting the Orchestre de Paris, this production of Elektra becomes an unforgettable experience.

James Levine, The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, Luciano Pavarotti - Verdi: Il Trovatore (2006/1988)

Posted By: Vilboa
James Levine, The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, Luciano Pavarotti - Verdi: Il Trovatore (2006/1988)

James Levine, The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, Luciano Pavarotti - Verdi: Il Trovatore (2006/1988)
NTSC 4:3 (720x480) | Italiano | LinearPCM, 2 ch | Dolby AC3, 6 ch | DTS, 6 ch | 7.11 Gb (DVD9) | 133 min
Classical | Deutsche Grammophon | Sub: Italiano, English, Deutsch, Francais, Espanol, Chinese

Verdi can be a challenge both vocally and in terms of acting, but Pavarotti and Marton are sensational, and Milnes was still excellent although clearly near the end of his career. The lyric beauty is there side by side with the dramatic power. (Tony Adams)

James Levine, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, Paul Plishka, Mirella Freni, Marilyn Horne - Verdi: Falstaff (2009/1992)

Posted By: Vilboa
James Levine, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, Paul Plishka, Mirella Freni, Marilyn Horne - Verdi: Falstaff (2009/1992)

James Levine, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, Paul Plishka, Mirella Freni, Marilyn Horne - Verdi: Falstaff (2009/1992)
NTSC 4:3 (720x480) | Italiano (LinearPCM, 2 ch) | (DTS, 5 ch) | 7.46 Gb (DVD9) | 126 min
Classical | Deutsche Grammophon | Sub: Italiano, English, Deutsch, Francais, Espanol, Chinese

This time-honoured production of Verdi's final opera, one that has seen all the greatest Falstaffs of the last four decades hold court at its convincingly shabby Garter Inn and upset the decent folk of its lovingly recreated Tudor Windsor, marked the first appearance at the Met of producer and designer Franco Zeffirelli in March 1964. The Anglophile Zeffirelli had by then made his Shakespearean reputation with a revelatory Romeo and Juliet in London - his films of this play and of The Taming of the Shrew were shortly to follow - as well as with a similar production of Falstaff at Covent Garden, and the attention to visual and psychological detail displayed in his Met Falstaff won it high praise: “a milestone in the history of operatic production in this city" was the judgement of the New York Herald Tribune.

Georg Solti, Wiener Philharmoniker - Richard Strauss: Arabella (2008/1977)

Posted By: Vilboa
Georg Solti, Wiener Philharmoniker - Richard Strauss: Arabella (2008/1977)

Georg Solti, Wiener Philharmoniker - Richard Strauss: Arabella (2008/1977)
NTSC 4:3 (720x480) | Deutsch (LinearPCM, 2 ch) | (DTS, 6 ch) | 6.86+3.11 Gb (DVD9+DVD5) | 189 min
Classical | DECCA | Sub: English, Francais, Deutsch, Espanol, Chinese

Decca has released an elegant performance of Strauss's Arabella, Sir George Solti's second commercial recording of the work. The first is the 1957 version which is rightfully famous, with a cast headed by Lisa Della Cassa, Hilde Gueden and George London, with the Vienna Philharmonic. There also is a performance from the 1958 Salzburg Festival with Gueden and London, long discontinued. Now we have this magnificent 1977 Unitel film directed with the greatest sensitivity by Otto Schenk who always has the camera in the right place. The performance is superb in every way. Gundula Janowitz specialized in this role, and although she is a bit matronly, vocally she is unmatched.

James Levine, The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, Luciano Pavarotti - Verdi: Un ballo in maschera (2006/1991)

Posted By: Vilboa
James Levine, The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, Luciano Pavarotti - Verdi: Un ballo in maschera (2006/1991)

James Levine, The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, Luciano Pavarotti - Verdi: Un ballo in maschera (2006/1991)
NTSC 4:3 (720x480) | Italiano | LinearPCM, 2 ch | Dolby AC3, 6 ch | DTS, 6 ch | 7.86 Gb (DVD9) | 137 min
Classical | Deutsche Grammophon | Sub: Italiano, English, Deutsch, Francais, Espanol, Chinese

Verdi and his librettist had originally intended that The Masked Ball would be set in the late 18th Century setting of the court of Gustavus III of Sweden. However this was not acceptable to the censor and it was changed to an imagined colonial Boston. In this production the opera has been set in its intended Swedish setting and appropriate changes made to the text. The staging reflects the setting and the scenery has a deliberately heavy feel which accentuates the sombre atmosphere of the opera. Nonetheless, all sets and costumes are lavish – clearly the ‘Met’ does not penny pinch with its productions. In particular the final scene "A large and sumptuously decorated ballroom" accurately reflects the description and the fancy dress costumes are really splendid.

Antonio Florio, I Turchini - Leonardo Vinci: La Partenope (2012)

Posted By: Vilboa
Antonio Florio, I Turchini - Leonardo Vinci: La Partenope (2012)

Antonio Florio, I Turchini - Leonardo Vinci: La Partenope (2012)
NTSC 16:9 (720x480) | Italiano (LinearPCM, 2 ch) | (Dolby AC3, 6 ch) | 3,57+6,60 Gb (DVD5+DVD9) | 168 min
Classical | Dynamic | Sub.: Italiano, English, Francais, Deutsch, Espanol, Korean

La Partenope is a rich and colourful production, superbly performed here by I Turchini Orchestra and conductor Antonio Florio, world-renowned specialists of Baroque repertoire. In this version comic intermezzi have been added, as was customary in the eighteenth century.

James Levine, The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, Luciano Pavarotti - Verdi: Ernani (2006/1983)

Posted By: Vilboa
James Levine, The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, Luciano Pavarotti - Verdi: Ernani (2006/1983)

James Levine, The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, Luciano Pavarotti - Verdi: Ernani (2006/1983)
NTSC 4:3 (720x480) | Italiano | LinearPCM, 2 ch | Dolby AC3, 6 ch | DTS, 6 ch | 7.15 Gb (DVD9) | 140 min
Classical | DECCA | Sub: Italiano, English, Deutsch, Francais, Espanol, Chinese

While all four solo performances are superb, one has only to sample the finale to Act I to discover what an electrifying team they make…If Pavarotti dominates by the sheer ardour of his singing, overall this is a totally gripping performance, unlikely to be surpassed on DVD. (The Penguin Guide)

Franz Welser-Most, Orchester des Opernhauses Zurich, Eva Mei, Piotr Beczala, Thomas Hampson - Verdi: La Traviata (2006)

Posted By: Vilboa
Franz Welser-Most, Orchester des Opernhauses Zurich, Eva Mei, Piotr Beczala, Thomas Hampson - Verdi: La Traviata (2006)

Franz Welser-Möst, Orchester des Opernhauses Zürich, Eva Mei, Piotr Beczala, Thomas Hampson - Verdi: La Traviata (2006)
NTSC 16:9 (720x480) | Italiano (LinearPCM, 2 ch) | (Dolby AC3, 6 ch) | (DTS, 5 ch) | 7.41 Gb (DVD9) | 128 min
Classical | Arthaus Musik | Sub: Italiano, English, Deutsch, Francais, Espanol, Japanese

La Traviata, Giuseppe Verdi very personal opera, was premiered in 1853 at the Teatro La Fenice in Venice. The first night was a fiasco, but after a few revisions the opera set out to conquer the world. La Traviata offers no scope for grandiose crowd scenes or historical pomp. In keeping with the intimate nature of the action, Verdi’s music reflects the inner feelings of the protagonists. The heroine, whose emotional state is determined by external circumstances, is in the centre of the story of emotional upheavals. Jürgen Flimm haunting staging stays close to Verdi’s intent. He focuses on the protagonists, showing their shakiness, emotions, despair, love, sacrifice and tragedy rather than concentrating on the abysses of the Parisian demi-monde. Eva Mei and Piotr Beczala are a perfectly matched couple. Her soft and flexible soprano and his lyrical tenor, marked by excellent diction, work very well together, joined by the “golden” voice of outstanding Thomas Hampson.

John Eliot Gardiner, Orchestre Revolutionnaire et Romantique - Berlioz: Les Troyens (2003)

Posted By: Vilboa
John Eliot Gardiner, Orchestre Revolutionnaire et Romantique - Berlioz: Les Troyens (2003)

John Eliot Gardiner, Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique - Berlioz: Les Troyens (2003)
NTSC 16:9 (720x480) | Français (LinearPCM, 2 ch) | (DTS, 5 ch) | 6.06 Gb+6.33 Gb+6.99 Gb (3xDVD9) | 312 min
Classical | Opus Arte | Sub: Deutsch, English, Espanol, Francais

Sir John Eliot Gardiner conducts the Monteverdi Choir, Choeur du Théâtre du Châtelet and Orchestre Revolutionnaire et Romantique in a landmark recording of Berlioz's towering opera. A tragic tale of love and fate, war and peace and the intertwined destinies of two cities, the opera is based on Virgil's imperial vision of the founding myth of Rome. The American tenor Gregory Kunde as Aeneas and the Italian soprano Anna Caterina Antonacci lead an international cast in this stunning production.

Herbert von Karajan, Orchestra del Teatro alla Scala - Mascagni: Cavalleria Rusticana; Leoncavallo: Pagliacci (2008/1968)

Posted By: Vilboa
Herbert von Karajan, Orchestra del Teatro alla Scala - Mascagni: Cavalleria Rusticana; Leoncavallo: Pagliacci (2008/1968)

Herbert von Karajan, Orchestra e Coro del Teatro alla Scala, Fiorenza Cossotto, Jon Vickers, Raina Kabaivanska - Mascagni: Cavalleria Rusticana; Leoncavallo: Pagliacci (2008/1968)
NTSC 4:3 (720x480) | Italiano (LinearPCM, 2 ch) | (DTS, 6 ch) | 7.74 Gb (DVD9) | 148 min
Classical | Deutsche Grammophon | Sub: Italiano, English, Deutsch, Francais, Espanol, Chinese

Cavalleria Rusticana: Magnificently sung, subtly played and dramatically acted… The passion of Sicily, fanned into a bonfire by one of the world's most brilliant conductors and great cast (New York Post).
Pagliacci: An interpretation of exceptionally strong emotions and artistic quality (Il Giorno). Vickers is outstanding, delivering 'Vesti la giubba' with unusual sensitivity and admirable restraint. Kabaivanska and Glossop are also impressive (New York Times).

Arturo Toscanini - The Television Concerts 1948-52 Vol.3: Verdi - Aida (2005/1949)

Posted By: Vilboa
Arturo Toscanini  - The Television Concerts 1948-52 Vol.3: Verdi - Aida (2005/1949)

Arturo Toscanini - The Television Concerts 1948-52 Vol.3: Verdi - Aida (2005/1949)
NTSC 4:3 (720x480) | Italiano (LinearPCM, 2 ch) | 7.65 Gb (DVD9) | 150 min
Classical | Testament

One of the most acclaimed musicians of his era, Toscanini was a conductor of the "old school" - aristocratic, perfectionistic and something of an autocrat on the podium. After a brief flurry of interest in Fascism in the 1910s, he rapidly became disillusioned with the movement and indeed became a personal rival of Mussolini, repeatedly antagonising him through acts of artistic defiance such as refusals to open concerts with the Fascist anthem Giovinezza.

Zubin Mehta, Orquestra de la Comunitat Valenciana - Wagner: Siegfried (2009) [Blu-Ray]

Posted By: Vilboa
Zubin Mehta, Orquestra de la Comunitat Valenciana - Wagner: Siegfried (2009) [Blu-Ray]

Zubin Mehta, Orquestra de la Comunitat Valenciana - Wagner: Siegfried (2009) [Blu-Ray]
BluRay | BDMV | MPEG-4 AVC Video / 12979 kbps / 1080i / 29,970 fps | 256 min | 42,9 Gb
Audio1: Deutsch / LPCM Audio / 2.0 / 24-bit | Audio2: DTS-HD Master Audio / 7.1 / 48 kHz / 5454 kbps / 24-bit
Classical | C Major | Sub: Deutsch, English, Francais, Espanol

La Fura del Baus, famous for their opening ceremony of the Olympic games in Barcelona and opera stagings in Salzburg, Ruhrtriennale, etc., use in their groundbreaking Ring 3D computer projections that evoke computer games, organic structures built of athletic performers that recall the "Cirque du soleil". “…excellent orchestral playing and decent sound to match…a striking and often absorbing experiment” (Gramophone).

Zubin Mehta, Orquestra de la Comunitat Valenciana - Wagner: Die Walküre (2009) [Blu-Ray]

Posted By: Vilboa
Zubin Mehta, Orquestra de la Comunitat Valenciana - Wagner: Die Walküre (2009) [Blu-Ray]

Zubin Mehta, Orquestra de la Comunitat Valenciana - Wagner: Die Walküre (2009) [Blu-Ray]
BluRay | BDMV | MPEG-4 AVC Video / 13976 kbps / 1080i / 29,970 fps | 244 min | 43,6 Gb
Audio1: Deutsch / LPCM Audio / 2.0 / 24-bit | Audio2: DTS-HD Master Audio / 7.1 / 48 kHz / 5543 kbps / 24-bit
Classical | C Major | Sub: Deutsch, English, Français, Español

La Fura dels Baus, famous for their opening ceremony of the Olympic games in Barcelona and opera stagings in Salzburg, Ruhrtriennale, etc., use in Rheingold 3D computer projections that evoke computer games, organic structures built of athletic performers that recall the "Cirque du soleil". “Uusitalo is a commanding, mellifluous Wotan and although Jennifer Wilson's Brünnhilde is relatively unnuanced dramatically, she sings strongly and sensitively…The youthful Orquestra de la Comunitat Valenciana obediently and expertly delivers the plushy textures and stagey rhetoric Mehta requires” (Gramophone).