"Director: Yves André Hubert"

• Verdi: Don Carlos | DVD | (20/11/2000) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  This is a 1996 all-star-cast version from Paris of the original French version of Verdi's epic five-act opera, Don Carlos. First produced in 1867, only Wagner would write musical drama on a grander scale, and due to the three-and-a-half-hour running time most subsequent productions have made substantial cuts. This is therefore a rare opportunity to witness Verdi's tragedy in its entirety.Set in the 16th century in the aftermath of war between Spain and France, Don Carlo (Roberto Alagna), the heir to the Spanish throne comes to France to meet with his beloved Elizabeth de Valois (Karita Mattila). Inevitably politics divide the lovers, and while Rodrigue (Thomas Hampson) falls in with Flemish rebels, the Inquisition is determined to be the power behind the peace. This is certainly not Verdi's greatest work, but it contains great music and the stars are allowed to shine with strong characterisations in an elegantly designed production. There are no gimmicks or attempts at spurious contemporary relevance here, simply singers of the calibre of Alagna, Mattila, Hampson, plus the outstanding Eric Halfvarson as the Grand Inquisitor. This is a production that continues in the 19th-century tradition, and in the process delivers the frisson of world-class opera. --Gary S. DalkinOn the DVD: While the running time precludes much in the way of special features, via DVD-ROM the libretto can be printed in French, together with an article and biographies. The picture is presented at approximately 1.7:1 and while far superior to video could still benefit from anamorphic enhancement. The sound is stereo or excellent Dolby Digital 5.0. The booklet offers a detailed synopsis in English, French, German, Italian and Spanish and there are subtitles in the same languages. The disc is encoded for regions two to six. --Gary S. Dalkin

• Rostropovich - Life And Art | DVD | (05/11/2007) from £15.04   |  Saving you £-1.05 (-7.50%)   |  RRP £13.99

  Mstislav Rostropovich (1927-2007) one of the 20th century's greatest musicians is captured here on film with the two most famous conductors of his generation - Karajan and Bernstein - in Schumann's Cello Concerto Strauss's Don Quixote and Bloch's Schelomo. The Portrait produced by Arte features the manifold talents of this truly charismatic artist: Rostropovich as a conductor teacher and cellist with interview footage and comments about the great musician by Vengerov and others combined with fantastic historic black & white footage Tracklisting: 1. Nicht zu schnell 2. Langsam 3. Sehr lebhaft Rostropovich / Bloch 4. Lento moderato - Andante moderato - Allegro moderato - Allegro - Andante moderato Rostropovich / Strauss 1. Introduktion (Miges Zeitma) 2. Don Quixote der Ritter von der traurigen Gestalt 3. Sancho Panza 4. Variation 1 (Gemchlich) 5. Variation 2 (Kriegerisch) 6. Variation 3 (Miges Zeitma) 7. Variation 4 (Etwas breiter) 8. Variation 5 (Sehr langsam) 9. Variation 6 (Schnell) 10. Variation 7 (Ein wenig ruhiger als vorher) 11. Variation 8 12. Variation 9 (Schnell und strmisch) 13. Variation 10 (Viel breiter) 14. Finale (Sehr ruhig)