Opera
Reviews of full operas as well as collections and recitals of arias
Gluck: Alceste (Pristine Audio)
A fine transfer of Flagstad’s farewell to the Metropolitan in a performance of great dignity [RMo]
Verdi: His Life and Operas (Part 4)
(From the Archive) A conspectus in four parts by Bob Farr
Gomes: Opera Overtures and Preludes (Naxos)
Enjoyably tuneful music, a delight in these attractive accounts [RMay]
Verdi: Falstaff (C Major)
A classic staging and superlative cast return to the catalogue, newly minted on Blu-ray [MP]
Porpora: Carlo il Calvo (Parnassus Arts)
A neglected baroque opera providing a surfeit of beauty, best enjoyed over a couple of days [NF]
Rota: Il cappello di paglia di Firenze (Capriccio)
Probably the most charming comic Italian opera since Falstaff in a fizzing studio performance [GF]
![Puccini Lescaut PACO201 [RMo]](https://0jg558.p3cdn1.secureserver.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Puccini-Lescaut-PACO201.jpg?time=1715848672 "Puccini: Manon Lescaut (Pristine Audio)")
Puccini: Manon Lescaut (Pristine Audio)
A gramophone stereo classic from the 50s is given yet more lustre by this splendid remastering [RMo]
Lully: Psyché (Château de Versailles Spectacles)
Rousset’s lively new version of Psyché offers the listener much pleasure [MP]
Offenbach: Robinson Crusoé (Opera Rara)
A splendid way to explore some of the composer’s lesser-known operettas [MC]
Puccini: Turandot (Warner Classics)
Great sound, conducting, choral singing and orchestral playing, but only one principal singer who really comes up to scratch [RMo]
Decca’s Golden Ring – The 2022 Remaster
An overview by Jack Lawson
Verdi: His Life and Operas (Part 3)
(From the Archive) A conspectus in four parts by Bob Farr
Cavalli: L’Egisto (Château de Versailles Spectacles)
A welcome sound première recording for one of Cavalli’s more dramatically involving operas [PCG]
Cavalieri: Rappresentatione di anima et di corpo (Naxos)
Cavalieri’s pioneering work given a modern interpretation with mixed results [PCG]
Bologne: L’Amant Anonyme (Cedille)
Welcome first appearance on disc of Joseph Bologne’s only surviving opera [CRo]
Puccini: Manon Lescaut (Deutsche Grammophon)
Netrebko’s star shines brightly in the otherwise dull Salzburg night’s sky [LD]
Wagner: Das Rheingold (Oehms Classics)
(Déjà Review) Both performance and engineering are of the highest quality [GD]
Verdi: His Life and Operas (Part 2)
(From the Archive) A conspectus in four parts by Bob Farr
Verdi: Aïda (Pristine Audio)
In vocal terms this is arguably the finest complete recording of Aïda in the catalogue, in a sterling new transfer [MP]
Verdi: Un ballo in maschera (Sony Classical)
(Déjà Review) Verdi singing does not come much better than this [RJF]
Wagner: Der Ring des Nibelungen [Dynamic)
A spectacular staging of a visually impressive and finely performed Ring from Bulgaria [GT]
Puccini: Tosca (Warner Fonit)
(Déjà Review) There are plenty of reasons for having this as well as the Callas/De Sabata [CH]
Verdi: His Life and Operas (Part 1)
(From the Archive) A conspectus in four parts by Bob Farr
Zara Dolukhanova (mezzo-soprano) Collection (Guild)
(Déjà Review) Despite some idiosyncrasies of style in the Mozart, this diverse collection should appeal to all lovers of singing
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Featured Naxos review |
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