Blu-ray
Stravinsky: The Rake's Progress (Glyndebourne)
Topi Lehtipuu (Tom Rakewell); Miah Persson (Anne Trulove); Matthew Rose (Nick Shadow);
"Topi Lehtipuu as Tom is very fine too. He captures very well indeed Toms love for Anne, which is genuine and will be his salvation, but which he abandons by weakness of will. Miah Persson is adorable as Anne. She brings out beautifully the vulnerability of the character, but crucially she has brilliantly understood the steely determination present in Annes music, and acts it out, both physically and vocally, to perfection. The smaller roles are beautifully taken, and the chorus sings and acts splendidly. Time and again I was struck, as never before, by the sheer beauty of the sound of this work, and the orchestra plays magnificently under the inspiring direction of Vladimir Jurowski...Rapturously received in many quarters, you are likely to love it or hate it. Either way, there is no question, this life-enhancing DVD from Glyndebourne is truly special and not to be missed." (Musicweb International)
Verdi: Falstaff (Glyndebourne)
Christopher Purves (Falstaff); Tassis Christoyannis (Ford); Dina Kuznetsova (Mrs Ford); Marie-Nicolre Lemieux (Mistress Quickly); Jennifer Holloway (Mrs Page); Bulent Bezduz (Fenton);
"Some of Glyndebournes more entrenched punters took umbrage at Richard Joness updating of Falstaff to a 1940s Ealing-comedy Windsor. Most, though, as you can hear throughout this film, roared at the gags in a production so sharply coordinated with the music." (BBC Music Magazine)
Verdi: La Traviata (Glyndebourne)
Venera Gimadieva (Violetta Valéry); Michael Fabiano (Alfredo Germont); Tassis Christoyannis (Giorgio Germont); Emanuele D’Aguanno (Gastone, Viscount de Letorières); Magdalena Molendowska (Annina); Hanna Hipp (Flora Bervoix); Eddie Wade (Baron Douphol); Oliver Dunn (Marchese D'Obigny); Graeme Broadbent (Doctor Grenvil);
" a Traviata that glances to the past while stepping resolutely into opera’s emotional and dramatic future." (The Independent ★★★★)
Verdi: The Shakespeare Operas (The Royal Opera/Gran Teatro de Liceu/Glyndebourne)
Simon Keenlyside (Macbeth (Macbeth)); Liudmyla Monastryrska (Lady Macbeth (Macbeth)); Raymond Aceto (Banquo (Macbeth)); José Cura (Otello (Otello)); Krassimira Stoyanova (Desdemona (Otello)); Lado Ataneli (Jago (Otello)); Christopher Purves (Sir John Falstaff (Falstaff)); Tassis Christoyannis (Ford (Falstaff)); Dina Kuznetsova (Alice Ford (Falstaff));
"With strong conducting from Antoni Ros-Marbà, the whole cast collaborate to give us the truth of this desperately upsetting work, as no other DVD and few live performances I've seen of it ever have." (BBC Music Magazine - Otello)
Wagner: Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg (Glyndebourne)
Gerald Finley (Hans Sachs); Marco Jentzsch (Walther von Stolzing); Johannes Martin Kränzle (Sixtus Beckmesser); Anna Gabler (Eva); Alastair Miles (Veit Pogner); Topi Lehtipuu (David);
"McVicar has put on a great show with style, intelligence and insight." (The Daily Telegraph)
Wagner: Tristan und Isolde (Glyndebourne)
Nina Stemme (Isolde); Robert Gambill (Tristan); Katarina Karnéus (Brangäne); Bo Skovhus (Kurwenal); René Papa (King Marke); Stephen Gadd (Melot);
"I dont think that I have ever witnessed a more perfectrealisation of a Wagner opera than this superb Tristanund Isolde...[Ji?í B?lohlávek] is scrupulous with the score, and takes his time over it: the pauses and silences are immense and there is no factitious attempt to whip up excitement by speeding...a great and unforgettableoccasion." (The Daily Telegraph)