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Gaetano Donizetti - La Fille du regiment / Dessay, Florez, Palmer, Corbelli, French, Campanella, Pelly (Royal Opera House 2007)

Actors: Natalie Dessay, Juan Diego Florez, Felicity Palmer, Alessandro Corbelli, Dawn French
ASIN : B0013V33DG
Sales Rank : 3102
Director : Laurent Pelly
Studio : Virgin Classics
Region Code : 1
Format : Color, NTSC
Binding : DVD
EAN : 5099951900298
Number Of Discs : 1
Release Date : December 15, 2008
Publisher : Virgin Classics
Manufacturer : Virgin Classics
Availability : Usually ships in 24 hours
Label : Virgin Classics
Running Time : 132

Description

In January 2007, superstar soprano Natalie Dessay, joined on stage by acclaimed tenor Juan Diego Florez dazzled British audiences in Laurent Pelly's new production of Donizetti's "LA FILLE DU REGIMENT". The perfectly staged & cast production became the operatic event of the year, receiving rave press reviews & rapturous audience ovations.

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This DVD version of Donizetti’s comic opera zooms right to the top of any list of essential videos for opera fans. It may not be the composer’s best work, but given a top-notch production with world class singing actors, it brings vocal thrills and an abundance of laughs, a combination that’s hard to beat. The stars are Juan Diego Flórez and Natalie Dessay, both unbeatable in bel canto roles, and both in top form here. Flórez’s mellifluous tenor is flexible enough to make child's play of the terrifying (to other tenors) nine high C’s in Ah! mes amis," and supple enough to make his tender love arias moving. Dessay is equally comfortable in the stratospheric coloratura passages and poignant in such heart-tugging set-pieces as her farewell to her regimental "fathers" and her misery as the victim of the Marquise’s well-meaning attempts to teach her to be an aristocratic lady. She’s also a terrific comic actress. In her first appearance she’s doing the regiment’s laundry, and her antics with the iron and the ironing board while singing elaborately difficult coloratura passages induce belly laughs. But then, so do her comic acting in many other scenes, such as her Act II entry in a silk dress and full petticoat, her walk a wonderful parody of a "lady’s" heel-to-toe gait. That moment alone is worth the price of admission. Lesser roles too, are done to perfection. Felicity Palmer, a long-time Covent Garden favorite, is a delicious Marquise de Berkenfield, and Donald Maxwell, is her apt partner as Hortensius, her servant. Sergeant Sulpice, the heroine’s protector, is well-sung and acted by Alessandro Corbelli, and Dawn French almost steals the show as the overbearing Duchess. Conductor Bruno Campanella leads a spirited performance, enhanced by the fine playing by the Orchestra and Chorus of the Royal Opera House. Laurent Pelly’s stage direction is wonderful for its comic touches and Chantal Thomas’ simple but effective sets add to the delights. The video direction efficiently serves the staging, focusing on the action and the singers without adding extraneous shots that detract from the musical flow. All of which makes this DVD a can't-miss for opera fans. --Dan Davis La Fille du regiment is in 16:9 ratio. Sound options include PCM Stereo, Dolby 5.1 Surround and DTS 5.1 Surround. Subtitles include English, French, German, Spanish, and Italian.

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Bizet - Carmen

Actors: Anna Caterina Antonacci, Jonas Kaufmann, Ildebrando D'Arcangelo, Norah Amsellem, Antonio Pappano
ASIN : B001BWQVW2
Sales Rank : 10763
Director : Francesca Zambello
Studio : Decca
Region Code : 0
Format : AC-3, Classical, Color, Dolby, DTS Surround Sound, DVD-Video, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
Binding : DVD
EAN : 0044007433126
UPC : 044007433126
Number Of Discs : 1
Release Date : December 28, 2008
Publisher : Decca
Manufacturer : Decca
Availability : Usually ships in 2 to 4 weeks
Label : Decca

Description

Jonas Kaufmann and Anna Caterina Antonacci bring rare erotic intensity to the drama of Don José and Carmen in this darkly passionate reading of one of the most popular operas. Kaufmann uses his burnished tenor and smouldering good looks to portray the man undone by Carmen's love. As the object of his desire, Antonacci gives a physical and compelling performance.

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Puccini: La Boheme (Live from the Met)

Actors: Angela Gheorghiu, Ainhoa Arteta, Ramon Vargas, Ludovic Tezier, Quinn Kelsey
ASIN : B001DHE9KG
Sales Rank : 4188
Studio : EMI Classics
Region Code : 0
Format : Classical, Color, DVD-Video, NTSC
Binding : DVD
EAN : 5099921741791
Number Of Discs : 1
Release Date : December 16, 2008
Publisher : EMI Classics
Manufacturer : EMI Classics
Availability : Usually ships in 24 hours
Label : EMI Classics
Running Time : 120

Product Description

The Metropolitan Opera's acclaimed Live in High-Definition series, which projects live performances into theaters across the globe, has met with unprecedented critical and commercial success and has made opera convenient and affordable to millions of viewers worldwide. Now, EMI Classics is proud to collaborate with The Met to release 6 new DVDs made from these broadcast performances.

Puccini's immortal classic of love and loss, with Franco Zeffirelli's sumptuous, iconic production and Nicola Luisotti's expressive conducting. Angela Gheorghiu, the leading Puccini soprano of our time, reprises the role of Mimì, while tenor Ramón Vargas gives a sensitive reading of Rodolfo. All these forces combine for a truly definitive performance of this beloved opera!

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Gilbert & Sullivan - The Pirates of Penzance / Kline, Ronstadt, Smith, Routledge, Delacorte Theater (Broadway Theatre Archive)

Actors: Kevin Kline, George Rose, Linda Ronstadt, Rex Smith, Patricia Routledge
ASIN : B00006RCMW
Sales Rank : 4239
Director : Joshua White (II), Wilford Leach
Studio : Kultur Video
Region Code : 1
Format : Color, DVD-Video, Full Screen, NTSC
Binding : DVD
EAN : 9780769796420
ISBN : 0769796427
UPC : 032031264298
Release Date : December 22, 2002
Publisher : Kultur Video
Manufacturer : Kultur Video
Availability : Usually ships in 24 hours
Label : Kultur Video
Running Time : 120

Description

Gilbert and Sullivan's raucous operatic tale is captured in all its fun and glory in this production, recorded live at Central Park's Delacorte Theater. Kevin Kline sparkles as the swashbuckling and libidinous Pirate King while Linda Ronstadt makes her theatrical debut as the lovely and virginal Mabel. When Mabel and Frederic, a young pirate bound to serve the Pirate King, fall in love, complications arise and high spirited antics ensue. The incomparable cast offers the best in this boisterous romp. END

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This Pirates of Penzance is primarily a historical document, part of the Broadway Theater Archive television series. It presents, with some inevitable, tiny technical shortcomings, a live 1980 performance in Central Park, not the 1983 movie of the same name that also starred Linda Ronstadt and Kevin Kline. Those who remember that film, which had the benefit of retakes and editing, a lavish production budget, and the spaciousness of a Hollywood studio, may find this video less polished. On its own terms, it is nonetheless thoroughly enjoyable.

Advantages of this live performance include a sense of spontaneity, and the feeling of being part of a theatrical audience that is visibly and audibly having a very good time. The (reduced and partly electronic) orchestra is also visible; scenery is minimal; the onstage pirate boat, excellent for a live production, is no match for what a movie can offer. The voices are uneven, and some of them evoke Broadway more than London. But the performance is well styled, lively, and energetic. Gilbert and Sullivan's witty sparkle comes through clearly. --Joe McLellan

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Verdi - Rigoletto / Luciano Pavarotti, Ingvar Wixell, Edita Gruberova, Victoria Vergara, Ferruccio Furlanetto, Riccardo Chailly

Actors: G. Verdi, Wiener Opera Philharmoniker, Jean-Pierre Ponnelle
ASIN : B000EQHHJW
Sales Rank : 4367
Studio : Deutsche Grammophon
Region Code : 1
Format : AC-3, Classical, Color, Dolby, DTS Surround Sound, DVD-Video, Subtitled, NTSC
Binding : DVD
EAN : 0044007341667
UPC : 044007341667
Number Of Discs : 1
Release Date : December 04, 2006
Publisher : Deutsche Grammophon
Manufacturer : Deutsche Grammophon
Availability : Usually ships in 24 hours
Label : Deutsche Grammophon
Running Time : 116

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This extraordinarily powerful 1983 production may be the best-sung performance by Luciano Pavarotti on DVD, but when acting values are counted in, Ingvar Wixell manages to outshine the tenor star. Verdi gave the Duke two of Italian opera's most brilliant arias ("Questa o quella" and "La donna e mobile"), but he gave the deformed jester Rigoletto a depth and complexity of character that is reflected in music of great variety and enormous emotional impact: the cruel mockery of the opening scene, the self-doubts inspired by his dialogue with Sparafucile, the paternal anxieties and final despair at his daughter's sad fate, and the burning, self-destructive thirst for revenge. All these motives work their way into music of great dramatic richness, variety, and intensity. Wixell rises to its challenges, not only in the title role but in a cameo appearance as Rigoletto's nemesis Monterone. Location filming provides an atmosphere unavailable in staged productions. --Joe McLellan

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Verdi: Aida [Blu-ray]

Actors: Ildiko Komlosi, Violeta Urmana, Roberto Alagna, Carlo Guelfi, Corps de Ballet of the Teatro alla Scala
ASIN : B001CZVVWS
Sales Rank : 5122
Director : Patrizia Carmine
Studio : Decca
Format : Classical, Color
Binding : Blu-ray
EAN : 0044007433003
UPC : 044007433003
Number Of Discs : 1
Release Date : December 18, 2008
Publisher : Decca
Manufacturer : Decca
Availability : Usually ships in 24 hours
Label : Decca

Description

The luxurious Franco Zeffirelli production, live from La Scala, which marked his return to the house after more than 20 years! With an image up to six times sharper than conventional DVD and superior high-definition sound, Blu-Ray lets you watch opera and ballet performances from the front row of the theater. Experience every detail, no matter how small, in the highest quality possible. With five times the memory of standard DVDs, Blu-Ray is a completely new way to experience the theater at home.

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Bizet: Carmen [Blu-ray]

Actors: Ildiko Komlosi, Violeta Urmana, Roberto Alagna, Carlo Guelfi, Corps de Ballet of the Teatro alla Scala
ASIN : B001CZVVXW
Sales Rank : 6808
Studio : Decca
Format : AC-3, Classical, Color, Dolby, DTS Surround Sound, Subtitled, Widescreen
Binding : Blu-ray
EAN : 0044007433133
UPC : 044007433133
Release Date : December 18, 2008
Publisher : Decca
Manufacturer : Decca
Availability : Usually ships in 7 to 13 days
Label : Decca
Running Time : 152

Description

Jonas Kaufmann and Anna Caterina Antonacci bring rare erotic intensity to the drama of Don José and Carmen in this darkly passionate reading of one of the most popular operas. With an image up to six times sharper than conventional DVD and superior high-definition sound, Blu-Ray lets you watch opera and ballet performances from the front row of the theater. Experience every detail, no matter how small, in the highest quality possible. With five times the memory of standard DVDs, Blu-Ray is a completely new way to experience the theater at home.

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Price: $19.97
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Verdi - La Traviata

Actors: Renee Fleming, Rolando Villazon, Renato Bruson, James Conlon, Ania Alkimova
ASIN : B000W7Y6BA
Sales Rank : 3543
Director : Marta Domingo
Studio : Decca
Region Code : 0
Format : Digital Sound, DTS Surround Sound, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Binding : DVD
EAN : 0044007432150
UPC : 044007432150
Number Of Discs : 1
Release Date : December 30, 2007
Publisher : Decca
Manufacturer : Decca
Availability : Usually ships in 24 hours
Label : Decca
Running Time : 141

Description

Opera superstars Renée Fleming and Rolando Villazón star in the sumptuous 2006 Los Angeles production of Verdi's tragic masterpiece, La Traviata. This performance was the highlight of James Conlon's much-anticipated inaugural season as the music director of Los Angeles Opera, a post that followed his impressive tenure at the Paris National Opera. The lavish production was filmed in Hi-Definition Widescreen to capture all of the excitement and drama on stage. Veteran Verdi baritone Renato Bruson rounds out this dynamic ensemble. Renée Fleming's heart-breaking portrayal of Violetta, as captured on this extraordinary DVD, has earned her rave reviews from press and Rolando Villazón returns to the role that made him an international powerhouse after his critically-acclaimed, soldout performances at the 2005 Salzburg Festival.

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This superb 2006 production of the Los Angeles Opera's La Traviata stars Renée Fleming, who joins the ranks of the elite handful of sopranos whose vocal and acting talents make their portrayals memorable. Her Violetta Valéry is a vulnerable figure torn between self-indulgence and love, sacrificing personal happiness to become a victim of the social mores of mid-19th-century bourgeois France. Fleming's acting captures the complexity of the character and her vocalism is flawless. She negotiates the wild coloratura of Act One with aplomb, and is stunning in the lyric passages that pervade the opera, and touching in her scenes with her lover, Alfredo, and his father. Her singing is free of the mannerisms that have sometimes crept into her work and at the same time she brings countless personal touches to the role, phrasing and verbal emphases that shed fresh light on the character. Fleming is a great Violetta, and this DVD proves it.

She's blessed with Rolando Villazón as Alfredo. He brings fiery passion to the role of the impetuous lover, convincing in his anger at what he thinks is her betrayal, and in his regrets in their last-act deathbed reconciliation. His singing is on par with his acting, the voice ringing in climaxes, scaled down to sweet lyricism in the love scenes, husky, almost baritone-like in the more overtly dramatic scenes. As his father, Giorgio Germont, the veteran baritone Renato Bruson tends to mistake stiffness for authority and he's on the dry side vocally, lacking the colors that can make Germont's four-square arias interesting. The smaller parts are capably done and conductor James Conlon leads a thrilling, performance, shaping phrases idiomatically.

Stage director Marta Domingo's direction is firmly traditional, with sets and costumes by Giovanni Agostinucci that reflect the period. The first-act party scene in which we are introduced to the characters is imaginatively moved to the terrace of Violetta's house where the greenery, tables, and openness lend a fresh perspective to an opera that grows increasingly darker. By contrast, Flora's party, where Alfredo denounces the hapless Violetta, is draped in the red of demi-monde Paris. The big stage, so useful in the rest of the opera, tends to be too big for the intimate last act. Surely Violetta, down to her last 10 sous, should be in a more humble abode. The opening of this act also finds the only trace of directorial heavy-handedness. We all know the consumptive Violetta dies at the end, but Domingo places Fleming on a bier-like bed during the prelude and introduces a black-clad figure of Death who swoops into the scene. Fortunately, the rest of the act is free of such meaningless indulgences. Bryan Large's video direction is excellent too, always focused where it should be and without the excessive tight close-ups that distract from the singers by showing their tonsils. --Dan Davis

Browse By Composer Online

Gaetano Donizetti - La Fille du regiment / Dessay, Florez, Palmer, Corbelli, French, Campanella, Pelly (Royal Opera House 2007)

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Bizet - Carmen

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Puccini: La Boheme (Live from the Met)

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Gilbert & Sullivan - The Pirates of Penzance / Kline, Ronstadt, Smith, Routledge, Delacorte Theater (Broadway Theatre Archive)

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Puccini - La Boheme / Pavarotti, Scotto, Niska, Wixell, Plishka, Levine, Metropolitan Opera

Verdi - Rigoletto / Luciano Pavarotti, Ingvar Wixell, Edita Gruberova, Victoria Vergara, Ferruccio Furlanetto, Riccardo Chailly

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Puccini - Turandot / Franco Zeffirelli - Marton, Domingo, Mitchell, Plishka, Cuenod - James Levine, MET (1988)

Verdi: Aida [Blu-ray]

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Bizet: Carmen [Blu-ray]

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Verdi - La Traviata

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