
27 Jan 2024

The Metropolitan Opera: Carmen
Director Carrie Cracknell makes her Met debut, reinvigorating the classic story with a staging that moves the action to the modern day, in a contemporary American industrial town.
This opera was filmed live at La Scala in 1992. The all-star cast includes Luciano Pavarotti, Samuel Ramey, aolo Coni, Daniela Dessi, Luciana d'Intio, and Alexander Anismov. Riccardo Muti conducts.
Don Carlo
Filippo II
Elisabetta di Valois
Rodrigo, Marchese di Posa
Il Grande Inquisitore
Un frate
La Principessa Eboli
Tebaldo
Voce dal cielo
27 Jan 2024
Director Carrie Cracknell makes her Met debut, reinvigorating the classic story with a staging that moves the action to the modern day, in a contemporary American industrial town.
27 Aug 1987
Live from Glyndebourne 1987.
16 Feb 2013
Michael Mayer’s acclaimed production, first seen in the 2012–13 season, sets the action of Verdi’s masterpiece in 1960 Las Vegas—a neon-lit world ruled by money and ruthless, powerful men. Piotr Beczała is the Duke, a popular entertainer and casino owner who will stop at nothing to get what he wants. Željko Lučić sings Rigoletto, his sidekick and comedian, and Diana Damrau is Rigoletto’s innocent daughter, Gilda. When she is seduced by the Duke, Rigoletto sets out on a tragic course of murderous revenge. Štefan Kocán is the assassin Sparafucile and Michele Mariotti conducts.
01 Aug 1985
tt0253843. Il Trovatore (1985) Verona. Verdi / Italian. Reynald Giovaninetti conducts the Orchestra of the Arena di Verona in a performance of Verdi's 'Il Trovatore'. The international cast includes Giorgio Zancanaro and Rosalind Plowright. The Count Di Luna believes that his younger brother was murdered years before by a vengeful gypsy, but still hopes that he may be alive. When he attempts to court the beautiful Leonora, he is enraged to discover that she has a lover - the troubadour, Manrico. Manrico and the Count duel, and afterwards Manrico reveals to Azucena, the woman he believes to be his mother, that when he had the opportunity to kill the Count he felt something holding him back.
09 Oct 2010
This recording of "Il Trovatore" was held in Parma in 2010. The production is minimalistic. The scenario reminds, vaguely, the lunar surface. In the background, in several scenes, there is a huge full moon, sometimes white, sometimes red - the effect is beautiful and suitable for the nocturnal atmosphere of this opera. Few objects in the scene, including a big horse and giant candles. The costume indicates, directly, who is who: soldiers, nuns, gypsies. Regarding the musical aspects: excellent participation of choir and orchestra. The conductor is the seasoned Yuri Temirkanov. He keeps the orchestra under control (though there is one or two moments of disagreement with the singers), with some pleasant surprises.
01 Aug 2013
Daniel Barenboim conducts the Staatskapelle Berlin in this production of Verdi's opera starring Anna Netrebko and Plácido Domingo. The Count Di Luna believes that his younger brother was murdered years before by a vengeful gypsy but still hopes that he may be alive. When he attempts to court the beautiful Leonora, he is enraged to discover that she has a lover – the troubadour, Manrico. Manrico and the Count duel, and afterwards Manrico reveals to Azucena, the woman he believes to be his mother, that when he had the opportunity to kill the Count he felt something holding him back.
01 Jun 2004
Live performance at Teatro Carlo Felice di Genova, June 2004. Original stage production by Operhaus Zurich. DVD: Dynamic, live recording Cat: 33465. Nabucco (short for Nabucodonosor, English Nebuchadnezzar) is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Temistocle Solera, based on the Biblical story and the 1836 play by Auguste Anicet-Bourgeois and Francis Cornue. It is VerdiÕs third opera and the one which is considered to have permanently established his reputation as a composer. Nabucco follows the plight of the Jews as they are assaulted, conquered, and subsequently exiled from their homeland by the Babylonian King Nabucco (in English, Nebuchadnezzar). The historical events are used as background for a romantic and political plot.
08 Aug 1981
Verdi's most famous opera is performed at the Arena of Verona in Italy. Egypt and Ethiopia are at war. Radames is appointed commander of the Egyptian forces by the King, whose daughter, Amneris, loves Radames. It is in fact Amneris' Ethiopian slave Aida whom Radames loves. Ramades wins the war against the Ethiopians, capturing Aida's father Amonasro in the process. On his return to Egypt he faces a choice between marrying Amneris or betraying his country through his love for Aida. This production is conducted by Anton Guadagno and features performances by Maria Chiara, Fiorenza Cossotto and Nicola Martinucci.
21 Feb 1980
Don Carlo (1980) Metropolitan Opera. Verdi / italian. King Philip's court is plagued by rebels, family squabbles and intrigue. The Spanish Inquisition tries to exert its influence. The tension finally ignites at the King's coronation, where heretics are to be burned at the stake
21 Oct 2012
C Majors Tutto Verdi project comes to one of Verdis most popular operas: Don Carlo. Based on Schiller's play of the same name, Don Carlos was written for the Paris Opéra in 1865-66 in the tradition of a French grand opera. Repeatedly revised and performed in Italian as Don Carlo, the opera is seen here in the version that Verdi prepared for Modena in 1886. In many respects, this is Verdi's most ambitious and most forward-looking work.
31 Aug 2013
Verdi wrote this five act opera with a French Libretto for the Paris opera. Premiere 1867. Then there are three versions of this opera, the French 1867 version, the revised Italian four Act Don Carlo 1884, plus the Modena version 1886. This version is the 1884 version with Act One reinstated, as well as the original beginning of Act 2. To complicate matters the French opera was simply translated into Italian, and then the changes were made. There is an even newer edition completed in 1980 by Ricordi, and others floating around as well.
21 May 2009
Live from Glyndebourne 2009
03 Jan 1985
This was one of the most emotional evenings in Met history—the night Leontyne Price bid farewell to opera. Aida is the role that inspired audiences around the world to acclaim her as the greatest Verdi soprano of her time. And this telecast shows why: the famous soaring phrases that seemed to never end, the shimmering top to her lustrous voice, undimmed by the years. But most of all, there is the ennobling heart and soul Price lavished on every performance—captured here forever. With James Levine conducting the Met orchestra, chorus, and ballet.
21 Jul 2003
tt2266516. Aida (2003) Gran Teatre del Liceu. Verdi / Italian. Filmed at the Gran Teatre del Liceu, Barcelona, Daniela Dessì, Elisabetta Fiorillo, Fabio Armiliato, Juan Pons and Roberto Scandiuzzi lead the cast in the renowned period production filmed in 2003 against the historic paper trompe-l'œil sets painted between 1936-45 by Josep Mestres Cabanes, the last representative of the old Catalan school of scenography. Mestres Cabanes worked on his Aida vision for eight years. The opulent staging he created in 1945 is here in every detail. The seven magnificent sets he painted for Aida in 1945 have been subtly and painstakingly restored by Jordi Castells and his team – revealing the palaces, temples and surroundings of Memphis and Thebes which the set designer had wanted to evoke in his historical yet also fantasy-like vision.
28 Feb 2012
Very nice set and costumes by Mauro Carosi. The procuction is well staged in the relatively small scene at Parma by Joseph Franconi Lee. Here's a performance that really works.Everything seems just right, but if you MUST have the top soloists (Pavarotti, Domingo...), look elsewhere. However, I think that the ones here (Susanna Branchini (Aida), Mariana Pentcheva (Amneris), Walter Fraccaro (Radames), Alberto Gazale (Amonasro), Carlo Malinverno (Il Re di Egitto) do a fantastic job. Also pluses for the ballet and the video production.
24 Oct 2009
Aida (2009) Metropolitan Opera. Verdi / Italian. Live from the Met 2009.
17 Dec 1958
Paying a rare visit to her estate, a countess clashes with the man she hired to manage it.
14 Dec 2006
Early recordings of Franco Zeffirelli's 2006 production of Verdi's opera which saw Roberto Alagna's high-profile exit during the second performance. Egypt and Ethiopia are at war. Radames is appointed commander of the Egyptian forces by the King, whose daughter, Amneris, loves Radames. It is in fact Amneris' Ethiopian slave Aida whom Radames loves. Ramades wins the war against the Ethiopians, capturing Aida's father Amonasro in the process. On his return to Egypt he faces a choice between marrying Amneris or betraying his country through his love for Aida.
01 Dec 2006
Live performance at Opernhaus Zürich in 2006. Nello Santi conducting Orchester der Oper Zürich and Chor der Oper Zürich. Directed for the stage by Gilbert Deflo.
06 Oct 2008
Live recording at Parma Verdi Festival 6 October, 2008. Massimo Zanetti conducting Orchestra e Coro del Teatro Regio di Parma. Stage director Stefano Vizioli.