Opera

• Rossini: La Cenerentola (Cinderella) -- Vienna/Chailly | DVD | (03/09/2001) from £33.73   |  Saving you £-8.74 (N/A%)   |  RRP £24.99

  La Cenerentola is one of the few operas to have an important subtitle, "The Triumph of Virtue". This Salzburg production makes a point of its being a moral tale rather than a mere fairy tale like the version reflexively sung by Angelina in her "Cavatina": the defeat and forgiveness of the stepsisters and their greedy father is a settling of moral accounts. The production is also tremendous fun--partly because of gimmicks like the mechanical coach and horses that arrives on stage in the high wind of the Act Two storm--but mostly because of the endlessly energetic pulse of Riccardo Chailly's conducting of the Vienna Philharmonic. Anne Murray is an ideal Angelina, equally good at the heroine's witty intelligence and at the complexity of her emotional situation--loyal to the family that mistreats her. Francisco Araiza is an attractive Don Ramirez; the byplay between him and his servant Dandini (Gino Quilico)--in the duet "Zitto, zitto. Piano, piano", for example is for once genuinely amusing. Parts like Don Magnifico were the late Walter Berry's stock-in-trade--his occasionally menacing portrayal is far richer and more interesting than a mere buffoon. On the DVD: As usual with Arthaus Musik, an excellent production and performance is left to sink or swim without any detailed production notes either on the disc or in the leaflet. The sound is standard PCM stereo and the picture ratio 4:3. There are instructions in French, German, English and Spanish and subtitles in all of those languages plus Italian. --Roz Kaveney

• Christmas With Jose Carreras | DVD | (02/10/2006) from £12.12   |  Saving you £2.87 (19.10%)   |  RRP £14.99

  Jose Carreras: Christmas With Jose

• Lucia Di Lammermoor | DVD | (20/08/2004) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £24.99

  Gaetano Donizrtti (1797-1848)Lucia Di LammermoorEnrico Robert FrontaliLucia Stefania BonfadelliEdgardo Marcelo AlvarezArturo Cristano OlivieriRainmondo Mirco PalazziAlisa Maria CastelliMnormanno Giovanni MainiRecorded live at the Teatro Carlo Felice Genova June 2003 Directed for TV and Video by Andrea Dorigo

• Verdi - Simon Boccanegra | DVD | (10/09/2007) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £16.99

  Sir Georg Solti - Verdi: Simon Boccanegra

• Mozart: Die Entfuhrung aus dem Serail (Abduction from the Seraglio) -- Mehta | DVD | (03/02/2003) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £24.99

  The story of an escape from a Turkish harem in Mozart's comic opera. Recorded at the Teatro Della Pergola in Florence.

• The Gift Of The Magi - Rautavaara | DVD | (31/10/2005) from £26.98   |  Saving you £-1.99 (-8.00%)   |  RRP £24.99

  Created specially for television and recorded in studio this short opera by one of today's most eminent Finnish composers is based on a Christmas story by the American writer O. Henry. The telling of the story is unsentimental Hannu Heikinheimo's staging exquisitely observed and Rautavaara's music powerfully compelling. The Christmas message finds a truly imaginative and unequivocal expression in 'The Gift Of The Magi'.

• Michel Bras - Inventing Cuisine | DVD | (26/05/2008) from £18.02   |  Saving you £-3.03 (-20.20%)   |  RRP £14.99

  The Inventing Cuisine series proposes documentary portraits films of some uncommon artists: great French chefs whom keep on inventing and re-inventing today''s cuisine. Beyond their style differences this series makes us a privileged witness to their art. An art that does way more than just to look at the world it eats it all up! Michel Bras has brought new meaning to what could be considered regional cooking: a cuisine de terroir which isn''t tied to ritual and tradition but symbolically brings the region itself to the plate. Paul Lacoste''s film offers a tangible look at how the chef''s environment nourishes his creations: the light and solitude of the Aubrac are nearly as important as the ingredients that go into his pots and pans. The images alternate between the two to carry us into a world that''s austere and harsh yet also magical. A world the chef inhabits like a spirit. Michel Bras is a great shaman of cooking.

• Verdi - Nabucco | DVD | (31/12/2007) from £16.18   |  Saving you £-1.19 (-7.90%)   |  RRP £14.99

  Giuseppe Verdi's 'Nabucco' filmed at the State Theatre, Victorian Arts Centre, Melbourne, Australia, May 7, 1996.

• Gotterdammerung - Wagner | DVD | (29/05/2006) from £34.49   |  Saving you £0.50 (1.45%)   |  RRP £34.99

  Wagner: Gotterdammerung (Haenchen Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra Kruse)

• Inside the Actors Studio - Paul Newman | DVD | (26/01/2009) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £7.99

  Inside The Actors Studio: Paul Newman

• Rossini: Il Barbiere di Siviglia (The Barber of Seville) - Netherlands Opera | DVD | (22/12/2003) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £24.99

  In an audio recording, the distinctive quality of this Netherlands Opera production of The Barber of Seville would go unnoticed, and a lot of people might like it better without pictures. The singing is first-class, with a pert, smart, visually appealing Rosina (Jennifer Larmore), a Count who can spin out bel canto melodies and also do a good drunk scene (Richard Croft), and a Figaro with lots of personality (David Malis). Conductor Alberto Zedda is an expert in the music of Rossini, but video reveals that, for better or for worse, this Barber of Seville differs radically from other treatments of Rossini's comic masterpiece. Usually, The Barber of Seville is an intimate little comedy with a half-dozen solo roles and a small, all-male chorus. Except for a few ensemble numbers, there are only two or three people on stage at any given moment, often conversing in stage whispers. Sometimes, in a plot full of secrets and deceptions, supernumeraries are out of place. Dario Fo's staging ignores this stylistic tradition. He gives the solo singers a crowd of artfully choreographed silent partners (including acrobats, dancers and two men rigged to imitate a donkey), who scamper around the stage carrying ladders and sheets, pushing platforms, waving banners and making sure that there is always something to amuse the eyes as well as the ears. This staging gives a solid visual embodiment to the comic spirit of the words and music, but it wipes out any pretence of dramatic realism. The Barber of Seville does not pretend to be "a slice of life" and many patrons will find that the energy of these added participants is its own justification. But those who treasure traditional staging and the conventions of realism should be ready for a lively but unconventional production. Perhaps they can listen with their eyes closed and enjoy a first-class sound recording. --Joe McLellan

• Raina Kabaivanska - Live in Concert | DVD | (27/09/2019) from £11.75   |  Saving you £2.24 (16.00%)   |  RRP £13.99

  Raina Kabaivanska - Live In Concert [Italian Import]

• 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

• Idomeneo - Mozart | DVD | (02/05/2006) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £24.99

  This revised revival of the acclaimed 1986 Drottningholm production by Michael Hampe conducted by Arnold Ostman was staged during the Mozart Bicentenary year. Combining both tragedy and comedy with drama Idomeneo boasts a series of superbly expressive pieces which Einstein described as one of those works that even a genius of the highest rank like Mozart could write only once in his life.

• Therion - Live Gothis | DVD | (28/07/2008) from £14.21   |  Saving you £4.78 (25.20%)   |  RRP £18.99

  Therion are one of the few bands that have managed to create a unique and special sound. This extraordinary release documents how they created their own special sound an excellent combination of symphonic elements operatic vocals and medieval choirs mixed with classical metal and gothic elements. Tracklist: 1. Der Mitternachtslwe 2. Schwartzalbenheim 3. The Blood Of Kingu 4. The Falling Stone 5. An Arrow From The Sun 6. Deggial 7. Wine Of Aluqah 8. The Perennial Sophia 9. The Son Of The Sun 10. Son Of The Staves Of Time 11. Birth Of Venus Illegitima 12. Tuna 1613 13. Drum Solo 14. Muspelheim 15. Rise Of Sodom And Gomorrah 16. Ginnungagap 17. Grand Finale 18. Lemuria 19. The Wand Of Abaris 20. Nightside Of Eden 21. To Mega Therion 22. Thor (The Powerhead) Bonus Video: Drum Battle In Holland

• Gluck: Iphigenie en Tauride -- Zurich Opera | DVD | (30/06/2003) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £24.99

  A performance of Gluck's 1774 opera which is based on Greek legend. Recorded live at the Zurich Opera House in 2001. William Christie conducts. Also a documentary 'Gluck - The Reformer' by Reiner E. Moritz. The psychological drama in a tense atmosphere of violated blood ties fears and traumas is underlined by Guth's use of huge masks and enclosed spaces.

• Pink Floyd - Comfortably Numb | DVD | (14/07/2008) from £12.11   |  Saving you £0.88 (7.27%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Pink Floyd Comfortably Numb is a documentary film reviewing the music and career of Pink Floyd - a complete case study of the work of Pink Floyd on record film and in performance. Drawing on rare concert films and penetrating interviews with the critics this is the definitive exploration of the Pink Floyd phenomenon. This documentary film will fill in the missing piece for the serious music collectors and at the same time will delight casual music fans exploring Pink Floyd for the first time.

• Tannhauser - Wagner | DVD | (17/01/2005) from £24.28   |  Saving you £-8.29 (-51.80%)   |  RRP £15.99

  This newest release in the EMI Classics Opera on DVD series is a stunning production of Wagner's masterpiece Tannhauser from the Zurich Opera conducted by Franz Welser-Most featuring Peter Sieffert as Tannhauser Solveig Kringelborn as Elisabeth and Thomas Hampson as Von Eschenbach. Initially produced in Dresden in 1845 Tannhauser provoked by a few ardent friends and admirers among them Schumann and Liszt. The history of the Zurich Opera is rich in cultural highlights: in 1913 Wag

• Puccini - Madama Butterfly (Domingo, Citta Lirica) | DVD | (24/09/2003) from £17.11   |  Saving you £2.88 (16.83%)   |  RRP £19.99

  On the anniversary of the first success of Madama Butterfly in Brescia on 28th May 1904 Placido Domingo conducted from the podium of Torre del Lago Daniela Dess Fabio Armilato and Juan Pons in a new production by Stefano Monti with sets designed by Arnaldo Pomodoro and costumes of Maison Gattinoni.

• Songs of Love and Desire / Freni, Schäfer, Alvarez, Keenlyside, Berlin Phil., Abbado - Silvesterkonzert 1998 | DVD | (02/12/2002) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Under the musical direction of Claudio Abbado a cast of singers perform works from Bach to Haydn from Donizetti to Verdi and from Schumann to Schonberg.