Dvd
Verdi: Aida (Gran Teatre del Liceu)
Daniela Dessì (Aida); Elisabetta Fiorillo (Amneris); Fabio Armiliato (Radamès); Juan Pons (Amonasro); Roberto Scandiuzzi (Ramfis);
"With stunning costumes, excellent surround sound and a superb cast, this sumptuous production will please any opera fan." (www.new-classics.com)
Verdi: Aida (Le Monnaie/De Munt)
Norma Fantini (Aida); Marco Berti (Radames); Ildiko Komlosi (Amneris); Mark Doss (Amonasro); Ortin Anastassov (Ramfis); Guido Jentjens (Il Re);
"Wilsons production of Aida is one of his truly great creations - highly disciplined and utterly convincing...The Monnaies performance was superb...The outstanding cast had no weak links vocally." (Opera)
Verdi: Attila
Samuel Ramey (Attila); Giorgio Zancanaro (Ezio); Cheryl Studer (Odabella);
"The 1991 production of Attila from La Scala with Riccardo Muti taut and incisive in this strong, compact piece is outstandingly dramatic...The relative brevity of the piece, with one key number following promptly on another, makes a strong impact on DVD, in a production with traditional costumes and using minimal but atmospheric sets. Samuel Ramey in the title-role and Giorgio Zancanaro as the Roman general, Ezio, both at their peak, in their nicely contrasted ways firm and dark, are ideally cast, with Cheryl Studer also outstanding as Odabella." (The Penguin Guide)
Verdi: Don Carlo
Rolando Villazon (Don Carlo); Marina Poplavskaya (Elisabetta di Valois); Simon Keenlyside (Rodrigo); Ferruccio Furlanetto (Philip II); Sonia Ganassi (Princess Eboli); Pumeza Matshikiza (Tebaldo);
"... as fine an example of singing by a tenor in Verdi as we have heard in many a year: elegant in detail, movingly expressive and endowed with that special beauty of tone which was Villazon's distinctive gift...he sustained the demanding role without any sign of tiring, forcing or losing quality towards the end" (Gramophone)
Verdi: Don Carlo (De Nederlandse Opera)
Robert Lloyd (King Philip); Rollando Villazón (Don Carlo); Amanda Roocroft (Elisabeth); Dwayne Croft (Posa); Jaakko Ryhänen (Grand Inquisitor); Giorgio Giuseppi (Monk);
"... a fabulous summation of Chaillys qualities as a Verdi conductor...a wonderful piece of stagecraft..." (The Guardian)
Verdi: Don Carlo (Teatro Regio, Torino)
Ramón Vargas (Don Carlo ); Svetlana Kasyan (Elizabeth); Ildar Abdrazakov (Filippo II ); Ludovic Tézier (Rodrigo); Daniela Barcellona (Princess Eboli); Marco Spotti (Grand Inquisitor);
"Liricamente" (Without doubt, the Argentinian director’s [Hugo de Ana] production is one of the best around…)