Conductor René Jacobs, highly-acclaimed specialist in the music of the 18th century, conducts this production of Mozart’s ‘Così fan tutte’ from the famous Aix-en-Provence Festival performed by the Concerto Köln, which has established a solid place amongst the highest-ranking orchestras for historical performance in the world.
Les Contes d’Hoffmann
This production from the Chorégies d’Orange Festival, one of the festivals with the longest and richest traditions in France, is directed by the French conductor Michel Plasson, whose interpretation of the operatic works by Offenbach, Gounod and Massenet were considered to be the most excellent of our time. Performing is baritone José van Dam, one of today’s most famous and sought after interpreters of the bass-baritone repertoire.
Les Troyens
Berlioz’ ‘Les Troyens’ from the Salzburg Festival 2000 belongs is one of the most acclaimed productions by legendary director Herbert Wernicke. The cast is also second to none: in the role of Cassandre and Didon is American singer Deborah Polaski, who is renowned as one of the greatest dramatic Mezzo-Sopranos of our century.
Tosca – 2nd act
Maria Callas & Tosca features the famous 1964 performance of Puccini’s Tosca at London’s Royal Opera House whose 2nd act marks one of the very rare video documents of Maria Callas’ stage performances.
Le nozze di Figaro (from NCPA Beijing)
“Le nozze di Figaro” shines a new light on Mozart’s famous opera in Beijing: The NCPA production combines traditional Western elements with an outstanding Chinese cast. Stage director José Luis Castro from Seville – where the story takes place – embeds the performance in the traditional setting of his hometown. With their fresh interpretation the NCPA Orchestra and Chorus, under musical director Lu Jia, lay the foundation for the leading soloists in the Middle Kingdom: Li Ao, Huang Ying, Zhou Zhengzhong, Yu Guanqun and Xu Lei testify that the NCPA has become a venue of choice for opera lovers in China and beyond.
Il Postino
Based on the popular 1994 Italian film, Il Postino by Daniel Catán stars Plácido Domingo as the poet Pablo Neruda for this exciting world premiere. In a tiny Italian fishing village, a shy young postman finds the inspiration to live out his dreams during his daily deliveries to his only customer, a famous poet.
Werther
Goethe’s Sturm und Drang drama is echoed in Massenet’s score by emotionally wide-ranging vocal parts written on a grand scale. The world star Juan Diego Flórez, who “iscurrently the best representative of his rare field” (NZZ), sings one of the most poetic and expressive tenor roles of the French repertoire. At his side, Anna Stéphany sang her critically acclaimed role début as Charlotte. Tatjana Gürbaca, known for her great narrative imagination, directed Zurich’s new production of Massenet’s drame lyrique: the one-room staging cleverly renders the social stranglehold of oppression. “This is how musical theater should be (..).” Neue Zürcher Zeitung
Das Land des Lächelns
Franz Lehár’s “Das Land des Lächelns” is one of the best-known operettas of all time. For this new production Piotr Beczala, a world star who cultivates the tradition of the famous Tauber style like no other, returned to the Opernhaus Zürich as Sou-Chong. He has an equal partner in Julia Kleiter, who played the role of Lisa. Fabio Luisi and Andreas Homoki also know that the genre of operetta requires particular care – which is why they have assumed personal responsibility for this production. Homoki lets the plot take place in a Paris Variététheater from the 1920s, complete with show staircase and heavy curtains. To emphasize the operatic elements, he purged the piece, cutting several secondary roles and shortening dialogues. “Julia Kleiter as Lisa and Piotr Beczala as Sou-Chong – unhappy lovers, but vocally a dream couple!” SRF
Puccini: Il tabarro (Kerstmatinee 1998)
From the main hall of the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam: Riccardo Chailly and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra perfoming Puccini’s opera in one act, ‘Il tabarro’. Joining them is a great cast of high-class singers. Amongst them star tenor José Cura.
Puccini: Suor Angelica (Kerstmatinee 1999)
Riccardo Chailly and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra with a highly acclaimed perfomance of Puccini’s opera in one act, ‘Suor Angelica’, at the legendary AVRO Kerstmatinee in 1999.