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Year: 2007
The Jussi Björling Series: rare opera recordings from Stockholm
“We’ll discuss the greatest tenor in history, Jussi Björling, and his astounding voice.”
RUBINSTEIN: Il Demone
I was never much impressed by the Russian performances of this most famous of Rubinstein’s
many operas.
“La Traviata” from the Volksoper Wien
In Verdi’s beloved opera, love does not conquer all but the sweet-taste of what “might have been” lingers on our lips forever when we think of the beautiful Violetta.
Arizona Opera’s Susannah ó A Naive Story Dilutes an Impressive Production
Arizona Opera ended its 2006/07 season with a tightly-knit, well-tuned presentation of Carlisle Floyd’s Susannah, his best known opera that has enjoyed numerous productions since its New York City Opera debut in 1956.
THOMSON: The Plow that Broke the Plains; The River
Naxos’s DVD venture has produced a fascinating document, the original documentary shorts The Plow that Broke the Plains and The River, filmed by Pare Lorentz, with the Virgil Thomson scores re-recorded by the post-Classical Ensemble, led by Angel Gil-Ordóñez.
MAHLER: Symphony no. 2
Given the fine recent recordings of Mahler’s Second Symphony on both CD and DVD, the release of Pierre Boulez’s performances from 26 and 27 March 2005 at the Philharmonie, Berlin, is a further contribution to the interpretations of this important work.
Death in Venice at ENO
Deborah Warner’s new production of Death in Venice is ravishingly beautiful, with stunning lighting designs by Jean Kalman who manages to capture the spirit of every facet of Venice and of the drama’s more general themes, from the misty eeriness of Aschenbach’s first gondola ride through to ominous darkening skies and blazing sunsets.