“He was out to create something ‘unheard-of’,” observed conductor Nikolaus Harnoncourt beforehand. And true to form: What the conductor had to offer as he commenced his Mozart/Da Ponte cycle in the Theater an der Wien was something we “had never before heard like this” (Kurier). Nikolaus Harnoncourt, “master” of period performance practice, realized a project that had long been one of his dearest wishes: for the first time, he and his “original-sound orchestra” Concentus Musicus and his personal choice of singers were presenting the complete Mozart/Da Ponte cycle and harvesting the fruits of his Mozart research – an “enthusiastically acclaimed cycle!” (news.at). During an intensive phase of rehearsal and preparation, he was in search of a Mozart hermeneutic resting on historical sources and yet anchored in our own time, in order to stage the whole Da Ponte “trilogy” – Le nozze di Figaro, Don Giovanni and Così fan tutte – in a matter of a mere six weeks. Harnoncourt has once again lived up to his name as a “Mozart rebel”: “True to his reputation as a provocateur, Harnoncourt takes at a fast speed what we are accustomed to hear slow, while reining in what we expected to be lively” (Forum Opera).
Don Giovanni
“He was out to to create something ‘unheard-of’,” observed conductor Nikolaus Harnoncourt beforehand. And true to form: What the conductor had offer as he commenced his Mozart/Da Ponte cycle in the Theater an der Wien was something we “had never before heard like this” (Kurier). Nikolaus Harnoncourt, “master” of period performance practice, realized a project that had long been one of his dearest wishes: for the first time, he and his “original-sound orchestra” Concentus Musicus and his personal choice of singers were presenting the complete Mozart/Da Ponte cycle and harvesting the fruits of his Mozart research – an “enthusiastically acclaimed cycle!” (news.at). During an intensive phase of rehearsal and preparation, he was in search of a Mozart hermeneutic resting on historical sources and yet anchored in our own time, in order to stage the whole Da Ponte “trilogy” – Le nozze di Figaro, Don Giovanni and Così fan tutte – in a matter of a mere six weeks. “The culmination of Harnoncourt’s involvement with [Mozart’s Da Ponte operas] – „A Mozart drawn from historical sources and yet anchored in our own time.” (Die Presse)
Le nozze di Figaro
Barrie Kosky, one of the most innovative opera directors of our time, creates a new interpretation of Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro at the Vienna State Opera with a very young ensemble: Andrè Schuen and Hanna-Elisabeth Müller in the roles of Count and Countess Almaviva, Peter Kellner as Figaro, Patricia Nolz as Cherubino. Susanna’s role is interpreted by both Ying Fang (acting) and Maria Nazarova (singing), as Ying Fang could not sing due to a vocal cord illness. Philippe Jordan conducts the Orchestra of the Wiener Staatsoper and together they “deliver an ideal mixture of elegant lyricism and concentrated expression – each and every one” (Wiener Zeitung) // “Beauty and pointedness are combined in the noblest way.” (Der Standard) // “A triumph of Barrie Kosky’s directorial brilliance – hilarious yet deeply engaging and thought-provoking.” (klassik-begeistert.de)
Mitridate, re di Ponto
The Staatsoper Berlin presents a new production of Mozart’s early masterpiece Mitridate, re di Ponto. This captivating tale of love, power and betrayal revolves around a king and his two sons who vie for the love of the same woman. Under the baton of Marc Minkowski, Les Musiciens du Louvre bring fresh energy and nuance to Mozart’s intricate opera seria, while the all-star cast shines with an impressive vocal range. In a staging where different worlds converge, director Satoshi Miyagi and his Japanese production team have created an atmosphere that is nothing short of magical. “Marc Minkowski and his brilliant orchestra Les Musiciens du Louvre […] a real coup.” (Tagesspiegel) “Singing feats of brilliance!” (Berliner Zeitung)
Hélène Grimaud at Elbphilharmonie Hamburg
Hélène Grimaud headlines a spectacular evening with the illustrious Camerata Salzburg, directed from the front desk by concertmaster Giovanni Guzzo, at the famed Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg. She selected pieces that are all in minor keys yet composed during intensely creative periods in both Mozart’s and Schumann’s careers. Mozart did not write many works in minor tonalities but Grimaud chose it, because it “provides a glimpse behind the mask of jollity that surrounds many of his famous works.“ As an encore: a work by another composer to have accompanied Grimaud through much of her career, Valentin Silvestrov. “Hélène Grimaud and the Salzburg Camerata hypnotise the audience in Hamburg’s Elbphilharmonie on this unforgettable evening with piano concertos of the early romantic era of Mozart and Schumann that are unique in terms of sound.“ (operaversum.de). PROGRAM Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 20 & Symphony No. 40; Schumann: Piano Concerto Op. 54; Silvestrov: The Messenger.
Horowitz in Moscow
In 1986, the legendary pianist Vladimir Horowitz, who left his homeland 61 years ago, announced that he would return to the Soviet Union for the first time since 1925 to give recitals in Moscow and Leningrad. This sensational historic recital from Moscow includes works by Sergei Rachmaninoff and Alexander Scriabin, whom Horowitz knew both, Domenico Scarlatti, W.A. Mozart, Franz Liszt, Frédéric Chopin, Robert Schumann and Moritz Moszkowski. The disc too contains additional documentary footage with Horowitz. “Horowitz, playing with a clarity and dynamic range that friends said he had not matched in many years“ (New York Times) made an outstanding performance of musical, as well as political, significance.
Arena di Verona Box
Three great performances from Arena di Verona! Il Trovatore: „Zeffirelli gives to the arena what it merits: a colourful, multifaceted staging in which impressive mass scenes alternate with intimate moments […]“ (Der Neue Merker) Don Giovanni: Carlos Álvarez is “of beautiful voice” (GP Opera) and “presumably todays best Don Giovanni”. (L’ape musicale) Plácido Domingo Opera Gala: 12 times Grammy winner Plácido Domingo in the title roles as Nabucco, Macbeth and Simon Boccanegra with “top phrasing and articulation, his baritone with full and sonorous intonation and a unique timbre.” (Das Opernglas).
Don Giovanni
When Herbert von Karajan conducted Mozart’s opera Don Giovanni at the Salzburg Festival in 1987 featuring an outstanding cast of singers, the fantastic Wiener Philharmoniker and staged by Michael Hampe, it became a legendary performance of the highest artistic level. This dream of artistic collaboration made it one of the best opera performances, which now is available for the first time on Blu-ray.
Idomeneo
Idomeneo is considered as the first of the seven uncontested masterworks of Mozart’s dramatic oeuvre and it is perhaps even the most revolutionary and forward-looking of his work. In “Kasper Holten’s coherent production” (Die Presse) Bernard Richter was “a cultivated bright tenor with beautiful expressive moments” (Kronen Zeitung). “Valentina Nafornit¸a performed the role of Ilia with passion and reached every height with ease and Irina Lungu portrayed Elettra as a great tragic figure and unfolded her soprano with verve in the final aria” (Kurier). Conductor Tomáš Netopil provided with the orchestra “gripping moments from the virtuoso overture onwards” (Kronen Zeitung)
Teatro alla Scala Opera Box
FIVE OUTSTANDING OPERAS FROM THE LEGENDARY TEATRO ALLA SCALA: AIDA: “A perfect coup de théâtre” (Giornale della musica). A “stellar cast” (La Stampa) I DUE FOSCARI: The Financial Times was deeply moved by Domingo’s performance, calling his interpretation of the role “sublime” DIE ZAUBERFLÖTE: Ádám Fischer “gets the best out of the Academy Orchestra with delicate execution and humane phrasing” (Die Presse) LE NOZZE DI FIGARO: “… when Diana Damrau enters as the Countess, we get a performance of special gravitas. Even the orchestra, under Franz Welser-Möst’s baton, melts to such grace.” (Financial Times) DIE ENTFÜHRUNG AUS DEM SERAIL: A „masterful use of light and silhouettes“ by Giorgio Strehler. (Milano Post) „Extraordinary, a wonder …“ (Corriere Della Sera)