Rigoletto

1971, Decca

(Sherrill Milnes, Luciano Pavarotti, Joan Sutherland, Martti Talvela, Huguette Tourangeau, Clifford Grant; Ambrosian Opera Chorus; London Symphony Orchestra, cond. Richard Bonynge)

This eternally popular Rigoletto was my first recording of Verdi’s masterpiece and what an outstanding introduction to the work it was! Few, if any Rigolettos can equal this one in sheer luxury of sound. Richard Bonynge conducts a vigorous, sensitive, theatrical reading of the complete score, and the Read the rest of this entry »

“Why did Liu kill herself?” “Why is the crowd happy that Calaf gets to marry Turandot in the end? – He was ready to let them be killed!” “All those men who fell in love with Turandot needed to learn more about ladies – looks aren’t everything!” Read the rest of this entry »

My memory of the first time I ever saw a live opera is vague in terms of details, but as an experience I remember it very well. It was in 1998, I had just turned eleven, the company was the Los Angeles Opera, and the performance was The Magic Flute. I had first become familiar with Flute several years earlier, through an abridged English version Read the rest of this entry »

Il Barbiere di Siviglia

1988, Schwetzingen Festival

(Gino Quilico, Cecilia Bartoli, David Kuebler, Carlos Feller, Robert Lloyd, Edith Kertész-Gabry; Choir of the Cologne City Opera; Radio Symphony Orchestra Stuttgart, cond. Gabriele Ferro)

(dir. Michael Hampe; video dir. Claus Viller)

What sets this Barbiere apart from all others available is its elegant realism. None of its visuals are the least bit cartoonish or blatantly designed for comedy. Dr. Bartolo’s house is a stark, stern-looking structure of plastered brick with a comfortable yet plain, white-curtained interior, while the costumes are highly realistic 18^th century garb in subdued colors. Yet despite its fairly austere appearance the production is delightful, thanks to its Read the rest of this entry »

Don Giovanni

2001, Zürich Opera House

(Rodney Gilfry, László Polgár, Isabel Rey, Roberto Saccá, Cecilia Bartoli, Liliana Nikiteanu, Oliver Widmer, Matti Salminen; Chor der Oper Zürich; Orchester der Oper Zürich, cond. Nikolaus Harnoncourt)

(dir. Jürgen Flimm; video dir. Brian Large)

With its star-studded cast and renowned conductor, this Giovanni has the makings of a near-definitive performance. Unfortunately the production is a strange, awkward blend of the traditional and the avant-garde. The darkly lit, minimalist set consists of a more-or-less bare stage in Act I and a scaffold-like structure in Act II. The costumes Read the rest of this entry »

Die Zauberflöte

1989, Drottningholm Court Theatre

(Stefan Dahlberg, Ann Christine Biel, Mikael Samuelson, Birgit Louise Frandsen, László Polgár, Magnus Khyle; Drottningholm Court Theatre Chorus; Drottningholm Court Theatre Orchestra, cond. Arnold Östman)

(dir. Göran Järvefelt; video dir. Thomas Olofsson)

This charming small-scale Flute, performed in the same theatre where Ingmar Bergman set his classic film of the opera, is characterized by a thoroughly 18^th century atmosphere. The simple wing-and-drop scenery reflects the Europe of Mozart’s time and the costumes are realistic Enlightenment-era garb, with the royal characters and priests in court dress and everyone else in peasant dress. The eclectic bevy of animals that Tamino enchants Read the rest of this entry »

Carmen

1991, Royal Opera House, Covent Garden

(Maria Ewing, Luis Lima, Gino Quilico, Leontina Vaduva; Chorus of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden; Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, cond. Zubin Mehta)

(dir. Nuria Espert; video dir. Barrie Gavin)

This Carmen may not quite be definitive, but it’s still been very popular over the years and justly so. The rough tan brick sets are handsome and the costumes strike a good balance between appealing color and working-class realism. Apart from some showy flamenco dancing Read the rest of this entry »