Cora Burggraaf

The sensational hit of Salzburg's 2008 festival season arrives on DVD! Starring tenor Rolando Villazón in a stunning performance, this was the must have ticket of the season. Soprano Nino Machaidze, only 25 years old, burst upon the Salzburg stage with an emotionally vulnerable and vocally spectacular performance. With movie star good looks and a large, warm voice, Machaidze wowed the press and audiences alike. Tony Award winner (South Pacific) Bartlett Sher directs this production of Gounod's classic opera. With sets by Michael Yeargan and costumes by Catherine Zuber, the visually vibrant production is sure to become the benchmark. Bonus materials includes "Salzburg Impressions--Behind the Scenes of Roméo et Juliette," "Love and Death in Verona" and Villazón giving an introduction to the opera.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Lorenzo da Ponte's renowned opera "Don Giovanni" -- based on the legend of lothario Don Juan -- springs to life in this witty production by De Nederlandse Opera under the baton of maestro Ingo Metzmacher. As Don Giovanni (Pietro Spagnoli) pursues numerous women, a recent conquest tries to thwart his efforts. The outstanding cast also includes soprano Charlotte Margiono, bass Mario Luperi and tenor Marcel Reijans.

Vera Nemirova’s challenging production of Berg’s operatic masterpiece Lulu won critical acclaim when first seen at the Salzburg Festival in 2010. It was successfully repeated in 2011, when the production was filmed for DVD. Supporting Nemirova’s powerful vision of corruption, decadence and death are the highly praised set designs by the young artist Daniel Richter. Musically, the production is led with style and assurance by the brilliant German conductor Marc Albrecht, currently director of the Netherlands Opera. Singing Lulu with allure and passion is the lauded French soprano Patricia Petibon, whose charms grip an outstanding cast of top European singers. Berg’s score is performed in the completed version by the Austrian composer Friedrich Cerha.

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