Tuxes and gowns, a marathon of trotting on and offstage by renowned singers, a ritzy audience abusing their palms with ritual clappingóyes, EuroArts has another opera gala event available on DVD in this two-disc Vienna State Opera Gala concert.
Category: Reviews
RACHMANINOV: Piano concerti nos. 1 and 2
This is a wonderful, recent recording of these popular piano concertos by Rachmaninov. The Piano concerto no. 1 is a studio recording, while the Piano concerto no. 2 is a live version.
STRAUSS: Daphne
New recordings of complete operas lumber into view these days as the dinosaurs trod painfully into a dying sun in an animated depiction of their extinction.
OFFENBACH: La Grande-Duchesse de Gerolstein
Los Angeles Opera opened the 2005-6 season with a staging of Offenbachís La Grande-Duchesse de Gerolstein, directed by Hollywoodís Garry Marshall.
Jumalaa kiitt‰‰ sielunióHymns in Finnish
In 2001, Finland observed the 300th anniversary of the Finnish Hymnal. As a part of the celebration, YLE (the Finnish public broadcasting company) launched a project to record a substantial portion of the hymnal in performance by soloists or ensembles.
Darkling by American Opera Projects
The East Thirteenth Street Theatre is so unprepossessing that it would be easy to miss it altogether. From the street the entrance looks like an ice cream shop more so than a theatre. The crowded foyer has chairs around little tables and a food service counter.
Franz Schubert: The Trout ï The Greatest Love and The Greatest Sorrow
In this compelling documentary, Christopher Nupen has captured rare and wondrous collaborations by some of the greatest twentieth century performers as they pay tribute to an early nineteenth century musical treasure, Franz Schubert.
The Jessye Norman Collection from Philips
Jessye Normanís long-time label, Philips, celebrates the artistís sizeable recorded heritage with an expansive series of double CDs of re-releases, under the sobriquet The Jessye Norman Collection.
Hit and miss in Amsterdamís Cavalleria and Pagliacci
Guy Joosten, who recently directed the Metís new RomÈo et Juliette, reworked an attempt of Cav and Pag presented at the Essen Opera for the Nederlandse Opera in Amsterdam. I cannot say he succeeded or to put it more plainly: Cav was bad and Pagliacci suffered too.
“Lysistrata, Or the Nude Goddess” at NYC Opera
Having missed the first 10 minutes of Lysistrata, Or the Nude Goddess, I foolishly crept into my seat where I saw what appeared to be four raging Lainie Kazanís protesting war by Athenian ruins.