Search - Highlights fom the Catalogue 04/05: Opera & Ballet on DVD

An excellent sampler

Alejandra Vernon | Long Beach, California | 03/27/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Samplers are good for finding music and artists one is not familiar with, so educational as well as entertaining, this collection of live performances has some fantastic gems, a few pebbles, and some odd "updates" to favorite operas. Total running time is 98 minutes, and the tracks are:

1: Bellini, "Beatrice di Tenda" ~ "Ah ! Se un'urna e a me concessa" / Edita Gruberova ~ Zurich Opera, Marcello Viotti ~ 2002

This one gets better with each viewing.



2: Cole Porter, "Kiss Me Kate" ~ "So in Love with You" / Brent Barrett ~ Victoria Pallace Theatre, Gemignani ~ 2003

Barrett has a warm, gentle quality in his voice.



3: Massenet, "Manon" ~ "En fermanr les yeux" / Marcelo Alvarez, Renee Fleming ~ Paris National Opera, Lopez-Cobos ~ 2001

Excellent in every way.



4: Dvorak:, "Rusalka" ~ "Song to the Moon" / Renee Fleming ~ Paris National Opera, Conlon ~ 2002

Fleming is fabulous !



5: Marenco, "Excelsior" ~ "Obscurantism" / Marta Romagna, Riccardo Massimi ~ La Scala, Coleman ~ 2002

An interesting ballet piece.



6: Mozart, "Cosi Fan Tutte" ~ "Non siate ritrosi...E voi ridete ?" / Muller-Brachmann, Gura, Trekel ~ Staatskappele Berlin, Barenboim ~ 2003

This "update" doesn't work for me !



7: Prokofiev , "War and Peace" ~ "Kakoye pravo oni imyeyut" / Olga Guryakova ~ Paris National Opera, Bertini ~ 2000

My favorite of the sampler. Guryakova is superb, the sets striking; a soul stirring, gorgeous aria with a fantastic performance !



8: Donizetti, "Don Pasquale ~ "Tornami a dirche m'ami" / Eva Mei, Antonino Siragusa ~ Teatro Lirico di Cagliari, Korsten, 2002

Dimly lit but wonderful.



9: Berg, "Lulu" ~ "Lulu's Song" / Laura Aikin ~ Zurich Opera, Welser-Most ~2002

Aikin is good in this difficult role, dressed in high heels and slit gown...toting a gun.



10: Delibes, "Coppelia" ~ "Mazurka" / Ecole de Danse, Paris National Opera, Coleman ~ 2001

Charming and colorful dance by the Opera Ballet students.



11: Rameau, "Platee" ~ "Formons les plus brilliants concerts" / Mirelle Delunsch ~ Musiciens du Louvre, Minkowski ~ 2002

Interesting, but one of my least liked of the collection.



12: Bizet, "Carmen" ~ "Les voici ! Voici la quadrille !" / Arena di Verona, Lombard ~ 2003

Chorus, dancers, horses !



13: Verdi, "Otello" ~ "Oh! Monstruosa colpa" / Domingo, Nucci ~ La Scala, Mutti ~ 2001

Domingo, Nucci, Mutti...a winning combination.



14: Wagner, "Siegfried" ~ "Was Strahit mir dortentgegen ?" / Jon Frederic West ~ Staatsorchester Stuttgart, Zagrosek ~ 2003

One of the oddest "updates"...the set looks like the bedroom from "2001: A Space Odyssey"...and it is musically superb ! West is excellent.



15: Donizetti, "Lucie de Lammermoor" ~ "Qu'une lettre en ma misere" / Patrizia Ciofi, Roberto Alagna ~ Lyon National Opera, Pido ~ 2002

The French version. Ciofi and Alagna marvelous. Ciofi is impressive and makes a beautiful Lucia.



16: Adam, "Giselle" ~ Pas de deux / Natalia Bessmertnova, Yuri Vasyuchenko ~ Bolshoi Theatre, Zhuraitis ~ 1990

Not filmed to best advantage, but Bessmertnova always a treat to watch.



17: Puccini, "Turandot" ~ "Non piangere, Liu" / Botha, Burchuladze, Gallardo-DomasVienna Philharmonic, Gergiev ~ 2002

A knockout, with great singers and Valery Gergiev keeping things electric. The "update" is interesting, and this is by far the best non-traditional production in the sampler.



18: Minkus, "Paquita" ~ Pas de deux / Agnes Letestu, Jose Martinez ~ Paris National Opera, Coleman ~ 2003

Lovely ballet, with Letestu's beautiful dancing feet !



19: Cilea, "Adriana Lecouvreur" ~ "Io son l'umile ancella" / Daniela Dessi ~ La Scala, Brignoli ~ 2000

Dessi does well in this Cilea aria.



20: Minkus, "Don Quichotte" ~ "Duel" / Didiere, Queval ~ Paris National Opera, Florio ~ 2002

Mime ballet, and one of my least favorite of the sampler.



21: Wagner, "Gotterdammerung" ~ "Ungeheure Macht wird dir" / DeVol, Itturalde, Bracht ~ Staatsorchester Stuttgart, Zagrosek ~ 2003

Great listening, but a simply ghastly "update".



22: Rimsky-Korsakov, "Le Coq d'Or" ~ "otwets mne sorko swetilo" / Olga Trifonova ~ Paris Orchestra, Nagano ~ 2003

marvelous costume and singing.



23: Mozart, "Le Nozze di Figaro" ~ "Gente, gente, all'armi, all'armi !" / Watson, Grist, Wixell, Berry, et al. ~ Vienna Philharmonic, Bohm ~ 1966

Some of the greats are in this one. It's in b&w and grainy, but wonderful.

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