"Actor: Reinaldo Macias"

• Rossini - The Barber Of Seville | DVD | (02/01/2007) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £24.99

  Rossini: Il Barbiere Di Siviglia

• Il Turco In Italia - Rossini | DVD | (21/01/2005) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £24.99

  A performance of Rossini's opera performed by the Zurich Opera House Chorus and Orchestra and the Supernumerary Association; conducted by Franz Welser-Most.

• Busoni - Doktor Faust (Jordan, Orch of the Zurich Opera) | Blu Ray | (05/01/2009) from £32.38   |  Saving you £-2.39 (N/A%)   |  RRP £29.99

  oktor Faust remained a fragment at the time of the composer?s death. Busoni died in 1924, unable to complete what he himself described as his 'state masterpiece' - an opera to which he had a deep personal attachment. The missing scenes from the score - the appearance of Helen and Faust?s closing monologue - were completed by his pupil, Philipp Jarnach, whom Busoni had become acquainted with during his period in exile in Z?rich. In this form the opera was given its fi rst performance in Dresden in 1925. Then in the 1980s the conductor Anthony Beaumont came across previously undiscovered sketches by Busoni and produced a new version of Doktor Faust, which was premiered in Bologna in 1985. The current recording uses the Jarnach score.

• Rossini: Il Barbiere di Siviglia (The Barber of Seville) -- Zurich | DVD | (04/02/2002) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £24.99

  The 2001 Zurich production of Il Barbiere di Siviglia has many strengths, but the point of it is ultimately Vesselina Kasarova's vocal gymnastics as Rosina; when you cast a singer with so very steely a voice in the part you expect something special, and we are not disappointed. Her acting is perhaps a little arch--this is a very knowing Rosina, though no more so than such rivals in the part as Baltsa and Bartoli--but she gives a ferocious point and precision to every note and every word. This is a production with touches of luxury casting: Nicolai Ghiaurov is on hand to give Basilio's slander aria an apocalyptic aspect it rarely has; less known singers like Reinaldo Macias as Almaviva and Manuel Lanza as Figaro are entirely in the same league as far as vocal quality goes. Veteran conductor Nello Santi gives the performance real vigour; not a note of this comic standard sounds routine. The production, set in early 20th century Spain, makes imaginative use of a revolving stage and sets whose stylised fan motif give it a toy theatre feel. On the DVD Il Barbiere di Siviglia on disc offers a choice of Dolby Digital, PCM stereo and DTS surround sound and is presented with a widescreen visual aspect of 16:9; the picture quality is unremarkable and the sound wonderfully clear in all formats. --Roz Kaveney

• Busoni - Doktor Faust | DVD | (29/10/2007) from £30.05   |  Saving you £4.94 (16.44%)   |  RRP £34.99

  Ferruccio Busoni - Doktor Faust - Live Recording From The Zurich Opera House 2006.