Rigoletto

Rigoletto is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi. The Italian libretto was written by Francesco Maria Piave based on the play Le roi s'amuse by Victor Hugo. Despite serious initial problems with the Austrian censors who had control over northern Italian theatres at the time, the opera had a triumphant premiere at La Fenice in Venice on 11 March 1851. This 1994 recording, directed by Riccardo Muti, stars Roberto Alagna, Renato Bruson and Andrea Rost.

Così fan tutte

Who loves whom in Così fan tutte, Mozart’s and Da Ponte’s cruelly comic reflection on desire, fidelity and betrayal? Or have the confusions to which the main characters subject one another ensured that in spite of the heartfelt love duets and superficially fleetfooted comedy nothing will work any longer and that a sense of emotional erosion has replaced true feelings? Così fan tutte is a timeless work full of questions that affect us all. The Academy Award-winning director Michael Haneke once said that he was merely being precise and did not want to distort reality. In only his second opera production after Don Giovanni in 2006, he presents what ARTE described as a “disillusioned vision of love in an ice-cold, realistic interpretation”.

Verdi: Nabucco

The legendary Plácido Domingo brings another new baritone role to the Met under the baton of his longtime collaborator James Levine. Liudmyla Monastyrska is Abigaille, the warrior woman determined to rule empires, and Jamie Barton is the heroic Fenena. Dmitri Belosselskiy is the stentorian voice of the oppressed Hebrew people.

The Marriage of Figaro

This is a good video of "Figaro", but there are a couple of better ones available. The Bohm and the Pappano are better still due to the female members of the casts. The reason for buying this one is the "Figaro", Bryn Terfel. No one can top him today in that role. John Eliot Gardiner also stands out. Many of us have voiced their opinion that If the Metropolitan Opera would release it's 1998 version, that would be the one to get.

Marco Polo (An Opera Within an Opera)

Tan Dun portrays the Venetian explorer's travels to the Far East as a journey of both inner and physical discovery, a voyage depicting spiritual experiences as well as a geographical expedition. Pierre Audi's mythical staging and Jean Kalman's fabulous set design complement the composer's own musical direction, forging the dazzlingly versatile soloists, the Netherlands Chamber Orchestra and Cappella Amsterdam to a stunning symbiosis of elements across time and space, a true testimony to cultures intertwined in globalization.

Arabella

Arabella, Op. 79, is a lyric comedy or opera in three acts by Richard Strauss to a German libretto by Hugo von Hofmannsthal, their sixth and last operatic collaboration.

Rigoletto

In Rigoletto, the deformed figure of the hunchbacked jester at the Mantuan court acts as a foil to his cynical and powerful master, an unscrupulous philanderer contrasted with his cruel and unforgiving fool. Rigoletto encourages and welcomes the Duke's conquests, pitilessly mocking his victims until he discovers that the Duke has abducted the one person he genuinely loves, his own daughter. As a result, the character of the court jester is transformed into a tragic figure who, in spite of his evident immorality and malice, allows us to sense the devotion he feels for his daughter and his horror at being destroyed by the same despotic world as that which he himself has helped to create.

Otello

This was Domingo's last set of performances as Otello in La Scala. In spite of his relatively advanced age, he is still in excellent form, both vocally and in terms of stage presence. Nucci is also his usual self, delivering a performance of very high standard. Barbara Frittoli is an excellent Desdemona, in good voice and gives a very moving performance. Muti conducts with great emotion and tight accuracy, conveying the full orchestral drama of the score.

Rusalka

Amadeus

Disciplined Italian composer Antonio Salieri becomes consumed by jealousy and resentment towards the hedonistic and remarkably talented young Viennese composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

Verdi La Traviata

This DVD of a live 2005 performance from the Zürich Opera under the musical direction of Franz Welser-Möst has many things to recommend it -- the young tenor Piotr Beczala as Alfredo, the marvelous Thomas Hampson as Giorgio Germont, the playing of the Zurich Opera orchestra, the simple but effective sets by by Erich Wonder, the uncluttered stage direction by Jürgen Flimm. It also has some flaws: strangely variable volume level of the recorded sound sometimes coming on so loud as to make one reach for the volume control, and the uneven performance of the Violetta, Eva Mei who, for all her merits, gives a dramatically effective performance marred by occasional difficulties with vocal production. Still, overall I felt this was a moving production, one that I would recommend, although perhaps not as an only DVD of one of Verdi's most popular operas.

The Phantom of the Opera

The deformed Phantom who haunts the Paris Opera House causes murder and mayhem in an attempt to make the woman he loves a star.

1984

Inspired by one of the twentieth century's greatest novels, composer Lorin Maazel evokes Orwell's totalitarian nightmare, where "Big Brother" is always watching, and those guilty of "thoughtcrime" are condemned to face their worst fears in the infamous "Room 101". Filmed during world premiere performances of Robert Lepage's spectacular and psychologically gripping Royal Opera production and conducted by the composer, an international cast brings George Orwell's dark vision to shattering operatic life.

Verdi Otello

Desdemona in Verdi's Otello was a career role for soprano Renata Tebaldi, from her first operatic performance outside of Italy to her final appearance on the opera stage. Between those landmarks she performed the role nearly 100 times all over the world and made studio audio recordings that became reference recordings for the role. This 1962 production with the Deutsche Oper Berlin and Giuseppe Patane was planned as a media event from the outset and blessedly captures a consummate artist in a signature role at the peak of her gifts.

Chabrier: The Star

L’Étoile did much to establish Chabrier as a major force on the Parisian stage and his contemporary Henri Duparc praised him specifically for creating a French comic genre, both funny and musical – described as something of a French Die Meistersinger. The fanciful story is set in an imaginary kingdom and all, naturally, ends well. However, despite the slight plot line L’Étoile is something of a pivotal work, a unique example of French 19th-century light opera, orchestrated with great sophistication and flooded with gossamer wit.

Italka v Alžíru

Beethoven · Fidelio

A tribute to marriage coming from a bachelor is a tad suspicious. But for Beethoven the idealization of the woman-bride was heartfelt and sincere. It has always been a unique opera starring a courageous wife who wows audiences. Fidelio is a moral title, associated with the ideals of liberty of the French Enlightenment. Nobility and commoners are united in their thirst for justice against the oppression of power. For once the faithful consort of a desaparecido wins her battle against a treacherous tyrant, and the collective joy truly is “nameless”, as is sung on the stage. Especially because the “our heroes to the rescue” finale is recounted by the triumphant symphonic flair of the quintessential musician. Beethoven really does bring the world to collapse at the conclusion of this opera, which begins like a delightful little comedy, but which scales and transcends all the summits of the dramatic-musical art.

Boris Godunov [Salzburger Festpielhaus]

Now and Then - The Last Beatles Song

The story of The Beatles' last song featuring exclusive footage and commentary.

Madame Butterfly

Cio-Cio-San, a young Japanese geisha, seeks to fulfill her dreams through marriage to an American naval officer. Her faith in their future is shattered by his empty vows and the loss she endures touches something deep within us all.

Il trovatore - Liceu

The Good Witch's Gift

Almost as soon as Jake and Cassie decide to get married on Christmas Eve, complications arise.

Opium War

Two American soldiers crash their helicopter in the Afghan desert and find themselves at the mercy of the natural elements and an eclectic family of Afghan opium farmers.

The Good Witch's Destiny

As Cassie's birthday approaches, Lori discovers disturbing parallels between Cassie and her great aunt, who disappeared years before on her birthday. When signs of a curse appear, Cassie conjures up a little magic to make things right again.

The Flying Dutchman

When Sean's macabre work begins selling from her art gallery walls, Lacy decides to meet this new up and coming artist in his small Montana town . While there, Lacy discovers the horrible answer to a town mystery and the true inspiration of Sean's work.

Way Back Home

Jeong-won, who forgot the past and lives a peaceful marriage, receives a phone call from the police one day. The man who sexually assaulted her has been caught and the news shakes up the couple’s life and breaks down their daily lives.

Everest - Mito e Realtà

Cityscape: Impressions of a City

In this experimental animated short, Ryan Larkin (Walking) creates a series of figures who move across the screen and disappear into a hole. Eventually, the hole metamorphoses into a bridge, on top of which stands the young man from whom the others figures originated.

Die Ironie des Lebens

The 67-year-old Edgar is the most successful elderly comedian in Germany. Every evening on stage, he makes fun of everything that concerns older people: failed relationships, ungrateful children, a declining libido, rapidly deteriorating health, general uselessness and imminent death. But as soon as the show is over, what's left is a man who is really lonely and tries to fill his empty evenings with groupies and alcohol. When, after 25 years, he meets his ex-wife Eva again, who is terminally ill with cancer, the two begin to fall in love again against all odds and Eva decides to accompany Edgar on his comedy tour through Germany and Austria...

Dixie Dynamite

When their moonshiner father is killed by a corrupt deputy, two young girls decide to take over his business and get revenge on the men who had him killed

The Dragon Dentist

A girl comes there to become a dentist of dragon. She is with other new freshman applicants, but there is no announcement from a senior as a guidance. They are confused and taken along with the senior. The only way is just to walk through freshman's path, which is dark and strange. They do not know where they are. Not knowing what to do, she is approaching to the secret of dragon, but she does not realize yet. The adventure has already begun.

Paranuss

Married for years, Sven has recently become distant in his relationship. Thomas knows the reason: his husband is having an affair. After all the recent sacrifices he has made for him, the betrayal is too great for Thomas. He wants to punish Sven as much as he cheats him, and he has a terrible weapon for that: the Brazil nut

Patience (After Sebald)

A richly textured essay film on landscape, art, history, life and loss, Patience (After Sebald) offers a unique exploration of the work of internationally acclaimed writer W.G. Max Sebald (1944 - 2001) via a walk through East Anglia tracking his most influential book, The Rings of Saturn. The much anticipated new feature by the Grierson Award-winning director of Joy Division, Patience is the first film about Sebald internationally, marking ten years since the writer's untimely death, and with contributions from major writers, artists and film-makers.

Bajrangbali

Bhagwan Shri Bajrangbali has had super-natural powers at a very young age which includes swallowing the sun, lifting mountains, just to name a few. Bajrangbali has always regarded the skies and universe as his playground and could leap and fly around at will. Bajrangbali makes it his duty to serve Bhagwan Shri Ram all days in his life. He will make this comes to light when Ram's wife, Devi Maa Sita, has been kidnapped by Shivbakht Ravan, and is being held captive in far off Lanka.

Devilish Luck 2

Markéta and Honza are a loving and beloved royal couple. The cunning princess Eufrozína beguiles Lucifer with her charm and, with the help of seven-league boots, flees from hell with her father to reunite with King Brambas and deprive Honza of his throne. Honza's evil sister Dora also takes advantage of his absence on a campaign against the enemy and sneaks into the castle, where she almost kills Markýta and her newborn son, just so she can win Honza for herself. This time, however, the lovers are supported by Kujbaba, Hnipírka, Valihrach, the wise godmother, a pair of devils, Lucifer himself, a three-headed dragon with a little dragon, and other characters.

Bruised

A young girl who is abused at home is afraid to participate in class because of her bruise. Her teacher embraces her to provide her with much needed love and support.