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)
Stravinsky: The Rake's Progress (La Monnaie)
Laura Claycomb (Anne Trulove); Andrew Kennedy (Tom Rakewell); William Shimell (Nick Shadow); Julianne Young (Mother Goose); Dagmar Peckova (Baba the Turk);
"Lepage has forged a reputation as one of the mostvisionary theatre directors of our age...The Rakes Progress is heading our way, and it promises to be ahighlight of the 2007/8 season." (The Sunday Times)
Szymanowski: Król Roger (The Royal Opera)
Mariusz Kwiecień (Roger II); Saimir Pirgu (Shepherd); Georgia Jarman (Roxana); Kim Begley (Edrisi); Alan Ewing (Archbishop); Agnes Zwierko (Deaconess);
"... directed with flair, clarity and intelligence by Kasper Holten. Steffen Aarfing’s setting of a tiered arena dominated by a massive sculpted head is enormously impressive..." (The Daily Telegraph ★★★★★)
Tan Dun: Marco Polo (De Nederlandse Opera)
Charles Workman (Polo); Sarah Castle (Marco); Stephen Richardson (Kublai Khan); Nancy Allen Lundy (Water); Zhang Jun (Shadow 1 / Rustichello / Li Po); Tania Kross (Shadow 2 / Sheherazada / Mahler / Queen);
"Tan Duns Marco Polo was, for me, a multi-dimensional experience which went beyond my expectations and indeed overwhelmed my senses...Here was an opera of our generation: a fusion of elements across time and space, a true testimony to the way our worlds have become intertwined in the globalisation process." (Bonjournal.com)
Tchaikovsky: Eugene Onegin (De Nederlandse Opera)
Bo Skovhus (Eugene Onegin); Krassimira Stoyanova (Tatjana); Andrej Dunaev (Vladimir Ljenski); Mikhail Petrenko (Vorst Gremin);
"Put too much steam into Tchaikovskys score and it wilts. Be too shy and retiring, on the other hand, and the tragic momentum evaporates. Jansons sets us on a simmer and gradually turns the heat to boiling. It is magisterially paced, stunningly played and, seemingly effortlessly, Jansons captures every aching nuance. [ ] Herheimsinnovations are often throbbingly acute (and sometimes wickedly funny)." (The Times)
Tchaikovsky: Eugene Onegin (The Royal Opera)
Simon Keenlyside (Eugene Onegin); Krassimira Stoyanova (Tatyana); Elena Maximova (Olga); Pavol Breslik (Lensky); Diana Montague (Madame Larina); Peter Rose (Prince Gremin);
"Simon Keenlyside in the title role brings virility to the unpleasant, usually buttoned-up hero. You can see why the teenaged Tatyana might fall for him, even if he is on the mature side. This Onegin delights in being louche, playful, arms folded, casual rather than stiff. He sings with flexibility, expression and, most of the time, a golden tone, suggesting more capacity for emotion than is usually evident: even brutes have their decent qualities." (The Observer)