Opera

• Torroba - Luisa Fernanda (Cobos, Madrid So/Chorus, Domingo) | DVD | (26/02/2007) from £22.19   |  Saving you £2.80 (12.62%)   |  RRP £24.99

  Recorded live at the Teatro Real, Madrid in July 2006.Placido Domingo heads an internationally renowned cast in Emilio Sagi's stylish new production for Madrid's Teatro Real of Moreno Torroba's Enduring Zarzuela, whose story itself is set in the Spanish capital. Filmed using High Definition cameras and recorded in true surround sound.

• Elektra | DVD | (05/04/2000) from £26.98   |  Saving you £-1.99 (N/A%)   |  RRP £24.99

• Stravinsky: The Rake's Progress | DVD | (20/11/2001) from £22.39   |  Saving you £2.60 (11.61%)   |  RRP £24.99

  When this Salzburg Festival production of Stravinsky's The Rake's Progress hit the stage in 1996, the reviews in the British press were red hot. Unfortunately Peter Mussbach's staging, though it has moments of theatrical flair, doesn't translate smoothly to the small screen in this live recording: his grand visual metaphors--an aeroplane that never takes off and stage-hands in anti-Enlightenment monkey costumes--look somewhat pinched. But Sylvain Cambreling's pacy conducting and the central performances come across with 1,000-watt energy. Dawn Upshaw is outstanding as Anne Trulove, bringing as much careful detail to her acting as she does brilliance to her vocal technique; and her performance of the Act I aria and cabaletta, "No word from Tom ... I go, I go to him", must rank among the best ever recorded. Jerry Hadley, dressed as a mullet-haired "yoof" in heavy-metal T-shirt and jeans, doesn't quite have the clarity and vocal agility of, say, Philip Langridge as Tom Rakewell, but the amusing yobbishness of his acting suits his louder redder-blooded performance beautifully. Rich-voiced Jane Henschel is hilarious as Baba the Turk, and uses her large frame with dainty, tippy-toe comic effect. On the DVD: the production is judiciously directed by Brian Large: there are plenty of carefully placed reaction shots, unobtrusive camera movements and there's an overall sense of a highly charged live performance. The recording levels, though generally excellent, occasionally offer a muffled phrase or two. There are subtitles in English, German, French and Spanish but no other special features. --Warwick Thompson

• Vincenzo Bellini - Norma | DVD | (28/08/2006) from £32.38   |  Saving you £-2.39 (-8.00%)   |  RRP £29.99

  In Guy Joosten's ingenious production of Bellini's masterpiece, Norma is about more than just beautiful singing. It becomes a layered, timeless drama in which Norma is the archetypal successful woman struggling to retain her dominant but vulnerable position. Hasmik Papian's lyrical and intense interpretation of the title role accentuates the striking similarity between a Druid high priestess and a modern opera diva. Conductor Julian Reynolds guides the brilliant cast, choir and Netherlands Chamber Orchestra to great heights, providing a refreshing new take on the chef d'oeuvre of bel canto.

• Mitridate Re Di Ponto - Mozart | DVD | (31/01/2005) from £7.33   |  Saving you £17.66 (70.70%)   |  RRP £24.99

  A performance of 'Mitridate' composed when Mozart was just fourteen. Theodore Guschlbauer conducts the Lyon Opera Orchestra recorded live at the Lyon National Opera in 1986.

• Roberto Devereux - Donizetti | DVD | (27/07/2001) from £25.65   |  Saving you £-0.66 (-2.60%)   |  RRP £24.99

  In the summer of 1974 The Greater Washington Educational Telecommunications Association began videotaping a number of live operatic and concert performances at the Filene Center in Wolf Trap Farm Park for the Performing Arts in Vienna Virginia for telecast in an innovative new series entitled 'In Performance at Wolf Trap'. The series met with overwhelming success and set the stage for the many live performance telecasts which have since followed.In 1975 'In Performance at Wold Trap' presented Beverly Sills in perhaps her most acclaimed portrayal that of Queen Elizabeth I in the Donizetti rarity Roberto Devereux. When Miss Sills first sang the role at the New York City Opera in 1970 Winthrop Sargeant wrote in the New Yorker She was Elizabeth from the extreme pallor of her makeup to the royal sweep of her train. It was a characterisation that I shall never forget. The combination of skills she brought to her role made this a historic moment. Daniel Webster wrote in the Philadelphia Inquirer Miss Sills sang the towering role with such authority and portrayed Queen Elizabeth with such fervour that the opera unstaged (in New York) for more than 125 years now is one of the theatrical events of the year.

• 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

• Classics On A Summer's Evening - A Gala Concert From Dresden | DVD | (16/04/2001) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £15.99

  Classics on a Summer's Evening is an outdoor concert for an enormous audience which was staged in an architecturally striking public square in Dresden in July 1999. It features the most glamorous young husband and wife currently active on the international operatic scene, soprano Angela Gheorghiu and tenor Roberto Alagna. Along with these fine performances comes Giuseppe Sinopoli--before his untimely death at age 54--who was considered one of Europe's finest opera conductors, and, in the Dresden orchestra and chorus, performers who match his creative energy. The programme seems to have been selected, quite successfully, with two criteria in mind: mass popularity and opportunities to display technical brilliance. Gheorghiu and Alagna join their voices in love duets from Verdi's Otello and Puccini's Madama Butterfly that will appeal especially to the many fans who have been attracted to them as a couple. But each also sings impressive solos in some of opera's Top 40 numbers, notably the "Flower Song" from Carmen and "Elucevan le stelle" from Tosca for Alagna, and "Un bel di" from Madama Butterfly and "Pace, pace, mio Dio" from La forza del Destino for Gheorghiu. The chorus and orchestra take the spotlight powerfully in showpieces from La Traviata, Il Trovatore, Carmen and Aida, among other selections. The only problem with the show is the self-consciously chic dance numbers to themes from Carmen and Aida. --Joe McLellan, Amazon.com

• Puccini: Turandot -- San Francisco | DVD | (18/07/2000) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £24.99

  Not only is Puccini's final opera Turandot among the composer's most popular works, but following The Three Tenors and a certain football contest, it has in "Nessun dorma!" what is almost certainly the best-loved aria in all opera. Written 20 years after Madame Butterfly (1904), Puccini's version of an 800-year-old fairy-tale is set in a legendary Peking and scored on a grand scale, incorporating not only Chinese musical techniques but a vast range of oriental percussion. Puccini draws heavily on the chorus, and as ever makes intense demands on his heroine, to which Eva Marton rises powerfully, very well complemented by the tenor Michael Sylvester as Calaf. However, what makes this 1994 San Francisco Opera version so enchanting as a visual experience is the realisation by David Hockney, who not only designed the sets and costumes but also directed the production. His vision is highly stylised, richly imagined, atmospheric and very beautiful, and it is a testament to how well this version is directed that much of the original magic is communicated through the confines of a TV screen. --Gary S. DalkinOn the DVD: Other than a well-appointed booklet, and the option to watch with or without subtitles, there are no special features. The 4:3 picture is a major improvement on video, though no doubt due to the original source materials, not as detailed as the best DVDs. The sound is powerful PCM stereo, with a slight tendency to become strident at especially dramatic moments. The layer change is particularly badly done, interrupting the choir in full flow, rather than being placed between tracks.

• Mozart - Le nozze di Figaro / Jean-Pierre Vincent, Paolo Olmi, Opéra de Lyon | DVD | (23/05/2003) from £9.97   |  Saving you £15.02 (60.10%)   |  RRP £24.99

  Popular performance of Mozart's famous Opera recorded at the Mozart Festival of the German State Opera conducted by Paolo Olmi.

• Dinosaur Hunter | DVD | (05/05/2008) from £6.54   |  Saving you £1.45 (18.10%)   |  RRP £7.99

  Dinosaur hunting has become the great craze across America, and the Creath family have got the bone hunting fever. Lured by both the reward money and the excitement of finding a real dinosaur skeleton, they join in the rush for dinosaur fossils.Dinosaur expert Jack McCabe suspects that there are rare and valuable dinosaur bones in the area and he is willing to pay handsomely for any information. However, no-one is expecting Hump Hinton, McCabe's greatest rival, who, seeking fame and fortune, is willing to do just about anything to get his hands on the valuable old bones.An adventurous tale of love and treachery, 'The Dinosaur Hunter' discovers the importance of honesty, trust, and above all, family.

• Jessye Norman - A Portrait | DVD | (11/02/2008) from £13.05   |  Saving you £3.94 (30.19%)   |  RRP £16.99

  In this unique film portrait, the tropical gardens of Marrakech provide a lush backdrop for a rare series of intimate interviews in which the great soprano talks openly about her life, fears and inspirations. The interviews frame specially filmed performances of highlights from her best-loved repertoire - from Mozart and Schubert to Wagner and Richard Strauss - in fantastical studio settings specially designed for this film by artists including Arnulf Rainer, Peter Kogler and Brian Eno.

• Cosi Fan Tutte | DVD | (14/06/2004) from £12.65   |  Saving you £2.34 (15.60%)   |  RRP £14.99

  Opera in two acts from the Glyndebourne Festival Opera 1975. Sung in Italian.

• Tosca - Puccini/Terfel/Malfitano/Chailly | DVD | (16/07/2007) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £16.99

  Riccardo Chailly conducts the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra and an outstanding cast in Nikolaus Lehnhoff's sensational staging of Puccini's great operatic thriller. Stars Catherine Malfitano as Tosca Bryn Terfel as Scarpia and Richard Margison as Cavaradossi. Bryn Terfel plays the 'tough guy' in contrast to many of his other stage characters which makes this Tosca immediately stand out as unusual from others. Outstanding orchestral performance with Riccardo Chailly conducting the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra Amsterdam.

• Vecchi - L'amfiparnaso (Callow) | DVD | (23/01/2006) from £17.81   |  Saving you £-4.82 (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  L'Amfiparnaso is surely the most important piece of Renaissance music theatre still in existence. Through a virtuosic score for vocal ensemble Vecchi brings alive the commedia dell'arte characters of late sixteenth-century Venice: mean-hearted merchant Pantalone the verbose bogus doctor Gratiano the braggart and over amorous Spanish Captain and a host of down-at-heel servants the zanni. But alongside this slapstick Vecchi writes bittersweet music for the lovers akin to the finest poluyphony of Gesualdo and Monteverdi. The balance this provides has made L'Amfiparnaso the classic of its time and this is the first production of it (or of any work of its kind) for DVD.

• Linda Di Chamounix - Donizetti | DVD | (29/05/2006) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £24.99

  From the Zurich Opera House September 1996 with the Chor des Opernhauses Zurich and Orchester der Oper Zurich conducted by Adam Fischer.

• Debussy: Pelleas et Melisande | DVD | (09/10/2000) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £24.99

  Debussy's great literary opera, Pelléas et Mélisande, based on Maeterlinck's dramatic reading of the classic tale of sibling rivalry, was first performed in 1902. This 1988 production was recorded at the Opéra National de Lyon, swapping a traditional medieval forest setting for a fin de siècle Castle Allemonde in which the characters wander through vast, shadowy and empty halls. The cast features Colette Alliott-Lugaz as a mercurial Mélisande and Francois le Roux as a Byronic Pelléas, with José van Dam as his brother Golaud, the austere fly in the ointment. Little actually happens on stage. The characters circle each other, describing events and emotions which they only half understand. Often, their recitative is introspective rather than a means of external communication. The drama is played out in the landscape of the mind, punctuated and emphasised by Debussy's remarkable, brooding and atmospheric score. At times, it becomes the swirling stuff of nightmare, an aspect to which John Eliot Gardiner's assured conducting pays close attention. The opera might come to its inevitable end, but there is a strong sense that these ghost-like figures are doomed to repeat their tragic tale endlessly. Uncomfortably haunting stuff, with moments of breathtaking beauty. --Piers Ford

• Manon - Massenet | DVD | (03/04/2006) from £4.95   |  Saving you £10.04 (202.83%)   |  RRP £14.99

  This highly-rated production of Manon by The Australian Ballet was recorded live at the Adelaide Festival Centre in 1995 and features premier dancers Justine Summers Steven Heathcote Nigel Burley Jonathan Kelly Lynette Wills and Paul De Masson. In 18th century Paris Manon a captivating young woman falls passionately in love with a penniless student des Grieux. Manipulated by her avaricious brother she makes a fatal decision to shun her true love and exploit the pleasures of w

• Donizetti: La Fille du Regiment (Daughter of the Regiment) | DVD | (24/09/2007) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £24.99

  The Daughter Of The Regiment - Opera in Two Acts by Gaetano Donizetti.Recorded at the Wolf Trap Festival 1974.

• Merlin | DVD | (19/03/2004) from £21.21   |  Saving you £8.78 (29.30%)   |  RRP £29.99

  An opera in three acts from the Teatro Real Madrid. Enjoy the world premiere of the full and original version of Merlin by Isaac Albniz over a century after he completed the work. Albniz composed this 'Wagnerian' opera to an English libretto by his patron Francis Burdett Money-Coutts between 1898 and 1902. Many believed the score was lost until the conductor Jos De Eusebio reconstructed it from various manuscript sources and publishers' proofs. For this stunning production dire