Blu-ray
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)
Tchaikovsky: La Reine Morte (The Dead Queen) (Théâtre du Capitole)
Artjom Maksakov (Roi Ferrante); Maria Gutierrez (Dona Ines De Castro); Davit Galstyan (Don Pedro); Juliette Thelin (L'Infante); Takafumi Watanabe (Bouffon); Matthew Astley (Bouffon/Conseiller); Kayo Nakazato (Bouffonne/Mariée défunte); Caroline Betancourt (Bouffonne/Mariée défunte); Demian Vargas (Proche conseiller du roi);
"Set skilfully to various Tchaikovsky extracts, Kader Belarbi's ballet recreates a tragic and even bizarre episode of 14th century Portuguese history. Strikingly set and accessibly choreographed, the ballet offers a succession of striking visual images. The Toulouse company's performance, expertly captured in this recording, could hardly be bettered." (Musicweb International - Critic's choices for Pick of 2016)
Tchaikovsky: Lac after Swan Lake (Les ballets de monte carlo)
Anja Behrend (Le Cynge Blanc); April Ball (Le Cynge Noir); Stephan Bourgond (Le Prince); Alvaro Prieto (The King); Mimoza Koike (The Queen); Jeroen Verbruggen (Le Confident du Prince); Bernice Coppieters (Sa Majesté la Nuit);
"Swan Lake has never cast such a chill" (Suddeutsche Zeitung)
Tchaikovsky: Nutcracker (San Francisco Ballet)
Damian Smith (Drosselmeyer); Elizabeth Powell (Clara Stahlbaum); Davit Karapetyan (Nutcracker); David Arce (King of the Mice); Yuan Yuan Tan (Queen of Snow); Vanessa Zahorian (Sugar Plum Fairy);
"The opulent new version of the seasonal classic, launched spectacularly by the San Francisco Ballet, is every parents dream of a holiday treat. It looks scrumptious, tastes delicious, offers substantial nourishment and wont cause cavities." (San Francisco Examiner)
Tchaikovsky: Pique Dame (The Queen of Spades) (Gran Teatre del Liceu)
Misha Didyk (Hermann); Emily Magee (Liza); Lado Ataneli (Count Tomsky); Ludovic Tézier (Prince Yeletsky); Ewa Podles (Countess);
"It gives us a thoroughly traditional production from the Liceu but it works because it tells the story so compellingly and because the singing and playing is excellent from everyone...Watching this DVD reawakened me to the dramatic and musical treasures of what must surely be Tchaikovskys greatest opera (with apologies to Onegin fans). This is an ideal way to introduce the opera to someone for the first time, and a great way for established Tchaikovskians to remind themselves just how great it is." (Musicweb International)