Luciano Pavarotti heads an exceptional cast in this spectacular live recording from La Scala, Milan, with Ghena Dimitrova, Maria Chiara, Nicolai Ghiaurov and Juan Pons, all in peak form. Luca Ronconi’s magnificent production of Verdi’s much-loved masterpiece was a triumphant success, with Mauro Pagano’s monumental settings capturing perfectly the imposing grandeur of the land of the Pharaohs and the ochre hues of the desert. Lorin Maazel conducts.
Madama Butterfly
From the Teatro alla Scala, Milan 1986 Japanese producer Keita Asari cast two of the Far East’s leading singers in Puccini’s coveted female roles, and collaborated with Japanese designers to create this exquisitely oriental staging of Puccini’s much-loved opera, which was hailed as a triumph by the Italian press and public alike. (Sung in Italian)
La vida breve
A national monument in Spain, Manuel de Falla’s La vida breve is perhaps the greatest opera ever written in the Spanish language. A kind of “tragic zarzuela”, it unites verismo atmosphere, Andalusian local colour and a score shimmering with reminiscences of French Impressionism. Written in 1905, La vida breve is the story of a poor gypsy and her lover, who is engaged to wed a wealthy girl. “Simply a stroke of genius”, wrote Spain’s Opera Viva about Giancarlo del Monaco’s austere, minimalist staging at Valencia’s Palau
de les Arts Reina Sofía. Maestro Lorin Maazel, whom El País hailed as the “triunfador” of the evening, leads an exquisite array of soloists headed by Chilean soprano Cristina Gallardo-Domâs, Jorge de León and María Luisa Corbacho.
L’ enfant et les sortilèges
Jiri Kylián’s fantasy ballet about a naughty boy is set to an opera by Maurice Ravel, which the composer based on a libretto by Colette. Angry because he does not want to learn his lessons, the boy destroys his books and vandalises the room he is in. But his surroundings come to life, seeking revenge, and he finds himself in some tricky situations before the restoratio of normality. Lorin Maazel conducts the Orchestre National de Paris and a fine cast of young singers, and the enchanting scenery and costumes are by award-winning designer John MacFarlane. A short introduction by Kylián is included in this studio recording.
The Aida File
This film chronicles the life and times of Verdi and the history of one of his best-loved operas. It includes extensive extracts from the triumphant La Scala production starring Pavarotti, archive film of notable Aida productions from the past, and contributions from some of the great singers who have a special affection for this work – Pavarotti, Carlo Bergonzi, Grace Bumbry and Eva Turner among them.
La vida breve
Manuel de Falla’s short opera “La vida breve” is perhaps the greatest opera in the entire Spanish repertoire. Premiered in 1913, it is the tragic story of the poor gypsy Salud, whose lover Paco betrays her and plans to wed a wealthy young woman. In his production at Valencia’s Palau de les Arts “Reina Sofia”, director Giancarlo del Monaco creates a psychological drama in which Salud is on stage at all times, as if witnessing her own living nightmare of blood and shame. Conductor Lorin Maazel, whom national daily El Paìs hails as the “triunfador” of the evening, leads an exquisite band of soloists headed by Chilean soprano Cristina Gallardo- Domâs, Jorge de León Paco and María Luisa Corbacho.
Die heimliche Ehe
Staged by Gustav Rudolf Sellner, conducted by Lorin Maazel, with costumes by Filippo Sanjust and performed by the six soloists with consummate vocal elegance, Cimarosa’s “Die heimliche Ehe” (Il matrimonio segreto / The Secret Marriage) offers unalloyed pleasure, triggering a kind of ecstasy with ist combination of delicacy and opulence and ist refined humour. It brings out Cimarosa’s musical mastery – but also the visual impact of the opera. Sung in German.
Lorin Maazel and Alice Sara Ott: Fauré, Ravel, Stravinsky
Music of the late 19th and early 20th centuries is on the program of this concert given by the Münchner Philharmoniker under its principal conductor Lorin Maazel and with pianist Alice Sara Ott. The young German-Japanese soloist dazzles in the main work of the program, Maurice RAVEL’s Piano Concerto in G major, a sparkling work in the spirit of Mozart and Saint-Saëns. Also on the program is Gabriel FAURÉ’s “Pelléas et Mélisande”, a poetic orchestral suite. Closing the concert is Igor STRAVINSKY’s exuberant “Pétrouchka” for solo piano and orchestra, and, as an encore, RAVEL’s vibrant “La Valse”. —– Program: Gabriel FAURÈ: Pelléas et Mélisande, Op. 80; Maurice RAVEL: Piano Concerto in G major; Igor STRAVINSKY: Petrushka – Burlesque in four scenes (Original Version of 1911), Maurice RAVEL,La Valse