Delibes, Léo

The Opera Gala: Live from Baden-Baden

The Festival Theatre at the German spa town of Baden-Baden is a spanking modern concert hall behind the façade of a handsome 19th-century railroad station. In July 2007, it hosted an evening of wonderful singing by a quartet of leading operatic stars in a program that could have been titled "Opera's Greatest Hits." After a brief orchestral piece from Bellini's Norma the fireworks begin with the duet Mira, o Norma featuring soprano Anna Netrebko and mezzo Elina Garanca, their voices blending beautifully. From then on, it's one familiar, well-loved operatic chestnut after another, all done with spirited fervor and admirable vocalism. Tenor Ramón Vargas is a positive presence, giving us the bel canto gem Una furtive lagrima from Donizetti's L'elisir d'amore in a flawlessly idiomatic interpretation that includes stunning diminuendos and a melting mezza-voce. Ludovic Tézier's rich baritone scores with a subtle rendition of Riccardo's death scene from Verdi's Don Carlo and, in yet another highlight in an evening full of them, joins Vargas in the great duet Dio, che nell'alma infondere from that opera.

Garanca's Mon coeur s'ouvre à ta voix from Saint-Saën's Samson et Dalila is undersung but her showpiece aria from Rossini's La Cenerentola sparkles, with impressive coloratura fireworks. Netrebko is among the most brilliant stars of today's operatic firmament and while overparted in Norma's Casta Diva, she's effective elsewhere. She brings the house down with the first of the concert's many encores, a performance of Lehar's Meine Lippen from the operetta, Giuditta, that includes seductive singing and acting, sexual flirtations, and energetic dancing. Her enthusiasm is infectious, sparking her colleagues as well as the audience. All four singers join in the quartet from Rigoletto that ends the formal portion of the concert, and in the final encore, they trade verses in an arrangement of the Drinking Song from La Traviata. Conductor Marco Armiliato, whose supportive accompaniments help make the concert a rousing success, directs the capable orchestra.

So this two-hour singfest provides joys for vocal buffs despite the hectic video direction that keeps the cameras moving endlessly, unnecessarily swooping around the auditorium, zooming from balconies to the stage and back, and otherwise distracting from the main event. --Dan Davis

Deutsche Grammophon proudly presents the new faces of the opera world in a glamorous new live concert DVD: Anna Netrebko, Elı - na Garancˇa, Ramón Vargas and the highly acclaimed young French baritone Ludovic Tézier sing a wide range of Italian and French opera favorites. This recording features highlights from concerts at Baden- Baden's Festspielhaus, where tickets to this extraordinary event sold out in record time. The DVD features the four young stars performing duets and the popular quartet "Bella figlia dell'amore" from Rigoletto. Other highlights include Delibes' famous flower duet from Lakmé performed sumptuously by Anna and Elı-na. Total Playing Time: 139 min.

Delibes: Sylvia

Coppelia

Coppelia, a mechanical doll made by the toy-maker Dr. Coppelius, is so life-like that some believe she is his daughter. The mistake leads to intrigue and jealousy in love. This 19th century classic, in an enchanting production by Royal Ballet choreographer Dame Ninette de Valoise, with original designs by Sir Osbert Lancaster, was broadcast live by BBC television in February 2000. With Leanne Benjamin, Carlos Acosta, Luke Heydon, and Nicolae Moldaveano.

Debussy - Pelléas et Mélisande

Valery Gergiev - In Rehearsal & Performance (Stravinksy, Prokofiev, Debussy)

One of our most dynamic conductors, Valery Gergiev has single-handedly lifted the Kirov Opera and Orchestra into an elite status among the world's musical institutions. As shown by this compelling DVD of the conductor at work with the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, Gergiev is a firebrand but also an intelligent musician whose interpretations burn with intensity. The performances of all four works on the disc--Stravinsky's Fireworks and Piano Concerto (the latter has as soloist Alexander Toradze), Prokofiev's Scythian Suite and the suite from Debussy's Le Martyre de Saint Sebastian--are stamped with originality, although Gergiev saves his best for his countrymen, particularly Prokofiev, whose Scythian Suite is thrillingly rendered. The noteworthy rehearsal footage documents Gergiev and the Rotterdam musicians as they dive into the nuts and bolts of the Prokofiev work; as an added bonus, the composer's son, Oleg Prokofiev, gives some insight into his father's and the conductor's fearless artistry. --Kevin Filipski

Valery Gergiev is the Principal Conductor of the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra and has almost single-handedly made St. Petersburg's Kirov Opera a household name. In this thrilling performance, The Rotterdam Philharmonic showcases four stirring works: Stravinsky's "Fireworks" and "Piano Concerto," Debussy's "Le Martyre De Saint Sebastien" and Prokofiev's "Scythian Suite." This special release also features the intimately filmed documentary "Valery Gergiev: In Rehearsal," which captures the fascinating dynamics between the galvanic conductor and his orchestra as they rehearse "The Scythian Suite." 116 minutes.

Sergiu Celibidache Conducts Ravel and Debussy

Holst/Debussy: The Planets & La Mer

Delibes - Sylvia / Aurelie Dupont, Manuel Legris, Nicolas Le Riche, Marie-Agnes Gillot, Jose Martinez, Paris Opera Ballet

Debussy - Pelleas et Melisande / Croft, Oelze, Tomlinson, Howell, Rigby, Arditti, Davis, Glyndebourne Opera

Debussy's masterpiece, Pelléas et Mélisande, is based on Maurice Maeterlinck's symbolist play - a tragic fairytale, which recounts the ill-fated love of half-brothers Golaud and Pelléas for the same woman, the enigmatic Mélisande. Haunting and intensely atmospheric, Debussy's score continues where language ends, articulating the dream-like inner worlds of the doomed lovers. Melodic vocal lines and motifs resurface throughout the opera like snatched memories. A lyric drama in five acts with the Glyndebourne Festival Opera, conducted by Andrew Davis, with Christiane Oelze as Melisande and Richard Croft singing Pelleas. With the London Philharmonic Orchestra and the Glyndebourne Chorus."…I have rarely heard Debussy sound richer, or the dying fall of the last act fade more poignantly into infinite darkness." THE DAILY TELEGRAPH "…the cast is on top form. John Tomlinson's Golaud is superb…Christiane Oelze is a mix of elusive glamour and vulnerability." TIME OUT

Delibes - Coppelia / Kirov, Vinogradov, Tarasova

Coppélia is a classical ballet in the true sense, and with its touch of East European folklore, continues to enjoy worldwide popularity. It combines the romance between Swanilda and Franz with the story of the doll-maker Coppelius, whose greatest desire is to create a doll with a soul. Franz immediately falls in love with Coppélia, who he thinks is real, but eventually recognizes is just a doll. He returns to Swanilda, after which the final grand divertissement sees everyone reconciled.

Music: Leo Delibes. New Version Choreographed And Staged By Oleg Vinogradov. Original Libretto: Charles Nuitter & Arthur Saint-Léon After A Story by E.T.A. Hoffmann. Swanilda: Irina Shapchits. Franz: Mikhail Zavialov. Coppelius: Petr Rusanov. Coppélia: Elvira Tarasova. Swanilda's Friends:Tatiana Salnikova, Marina Tchirkova, Anastasia Dunets, Tatiana Rusanova. Set Design: Vyacheslav Okunov. Costume Design: Irina Press.