"Actor: Anne Schwanewilms"

• Die Gezeichneten - Schreker | DVD | (03/07/2006) from £26.98   |  Saving you £-1.99 (-8.00%)   |  RRP £24.99

  Franz Schreker's Die Gezeichneten a performance from the Salzburger Festspiele recorded live at the Felsenreitschule 26 July 2005.

• Strauss: Die Frau Ohne Schatten (Opus Arte: OABD7104D) | Blu Ray | (26/03/2012) from £25.65   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

• Chailly Conducts Mendelssohn | DVD | (30/12/2005) from £13.03   |  Saving you £9.96 (43.30%)   |  RRP £22.99

  A performance of Mendelssohn recorded live at the Gewandhaus in Leipzig in September 2005 Riccardo Chailly's inaugural concert as Kapellmeister of the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra captures the full atmosphere of a unique musical occasion a feast of Mendelssohn from the orchestra the composer founded. Includes an overwhelming performance of Mendelssohn's Second Symphony 'Lobgesang' with its celebratory choral last movement in a new edition as well as the ever-popular overture 'A Mi

• Richard Strauss - Der Rosenkavalier | Blu Ray | (12/01/2009) from £36.43   |  Saving you £-6.44 (N/A%)   |  RRP £29.99

  Strauss: Der Rosenkavalier

• Monteverdi: L'Incoronazione di Poppea | DVD | (04/12/2000) from £2.96   |  Saving you £23.29 (1,370.00%)   |  RRP £24.99

  Monteverdi's L'Incoronazione di Poppea (1642) marks one of the very foundations of opera. Revolving around real historical characters, the Roman emperor Nero, his love for Poppea, the betrayal of the empress Octavia, and death of the philosopher Seneca, Monteverdi pits human love, ambition and intrigue against the fates. The set, a symbolic part-globe, and the costumes drawn from various ages suggest--very much in the way of the surreal film of Shakespeare's Titus (1999)--that the concerns of ancient Rome are timeless. With the emphasis on the text (the music alone does not hold the attention for 150 minutes) conductor Jacobs depends upon an excellent cast to bring the production alive. Patricia Schumann dominates the stage, her Poppea is warm, sensual and likeable, without being entirely trustworthy, an effective counterpart to Richard Croft's Nero. Darla Brooks brings just the right degree of vivacious gullibility to Drusilla, while Curtis Ryam offers eccentric comedy as Arnalta. As Ottone Jeffrey Gall is a man acutely tormented by love. Recorded at the 1993 Schwetzinger Festspiele, there is no sign of an audience, the many close-ups suggesting this performance was specially given for video. On the DVD: There are subtitle options for English, French and German, but no special features. The booklet is well documented but does not contain the libretto. The sound is good PCM stereo while the 4:3 image (not 16:9 as stated on the packaging) is better than video but otherwise unremarkable. --Gary S. Dalkin