DVD: Paolo Montarsolo

DVD: Paolo Montarsolo

DVD:

Paolo Montarsolo

Edita Gruberova, Delores Ziegler

Deutsche Grammophon, 2006

Ponnelle's final filmed opera is beautiful, bittersweet Mozart
Jean-Pierre Ponnelle specialized in filming opera: lip synching the singing while recording recitatives live. He intended to film all of Mozart's operas but passed away (in August 1988), scant weeks after the completion of this film. He filmed only 4 Mozart operas: le ...

Puccini - Manon Lescaut

Adina Nitescu, Patrick Denniston

Kultur Video, 2007

Patrick Denniston shines as Chevalier des Grieux
This Glyndebourne production of Manon Lescaut is satisfactory in all respects, but I couldn't relate to Adina Nitescu as Manon. Maybe it was her acting; I don't know, she didn't fit the part for me. Although she sang well enough, she kept not looking at des Grieux ...

Rossini - La Cenerentola / Frederica von Stade, Francisco Araiza, Paolo Montarsolo, Claudio Desderi, Laura ...

Frederica von Stade, Paolo Montarsolo

Deutsche Grammophon, 2006

Fun for all ages
Despite the fairy tale title, this particular opera is fun for all ages. We think it is the best Rossini opera, and Von Stade is the perfect Cinderella. Our only objection is that the the voices are synched to the singers, but this is a necessay thing for 'movie' ...

Rossini - Il Barbiere di Siviglia

Hermann Prey, Teresa Berganza

Deutsche Grammophon, 2005

Figaro, Figaro, Figaro...
Okay, I am biased. I adore this opera, and it this production is my second favorite ever. That may sound like a backhanded compliment since I refer, of course, to the marvelous RCA recording made in the late 1950's with Fernando Corelli as the definative Bartolo and ...

Rossini - L'Italiana in Algeri

Marilyn Horne, Paolo Montarsolo

Deutsche Grammophon, 2007

"Din-din, bum-bum, cra-cra..." bling-bling!
Rossini was only twenty-one years old when he composed "L'Italiana in Algeri," and this production captures all of his youthful exuberance. Marilyn Horne is a brilliant Isabella (a role she first sang in 1964), who livens up the ensembles with her own comic touches ...

Rossini - II Barbiere di Siviglia (The Barber of Seville) / Abbado, Prey, Berganza, Alva [Region 2]

Hermann Prey, Teresa Berganza

Umvd Labels, 2002

Figaro, Figaro, Figaro...
Okay, I am biased. I adore this opera, and it this production is my second favorite ever. That may sound like a backhanded compliment since I refer, of course, to the marvelous RCA recording made in the late 1950's with Fernando Corelli as the definative Bartolo and ...

Mozart - Le Nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro)

Hermann Prey, Mirella Freni

Deutsche Grammophon, 2005

better than I could ever have hoped
I am not a great opera fan, but I love Mozart and really wanted to hear the whole Marriage of Figaro beyond the too-familiar overture. I read the reviews on this one and it seemed more like a movie than a Brunhilda endurathon. BOY DID I FIND A GOOD ONE! If ratings ...