Andreas Gabalier: MTV Unplugged

In its most ambitious effort yet to bring the joy and artistry of opera to audiences everywhere during the Met’s closure, the company presented an unprecedented virtual At-Home Gala, featuring more than 40 leading artists performing in a live stream from their homes all around the world.

Massenet's opera centres on its charming but contrary heroine, the vivacious young Manon who longs for luxury and excitement. We first encounter her en route to a convent, where her family are sending her to be educated. Along the way, she falls in love with the young student Des Grieux, and, impetuously, runs off with him. She soon leaves him, however, to become the mistress of a rich nobleman. Thus begins her descent into criminality and depravity, all too soon dragging the besotted Des Grieux with her, until she is imprisoned. Despite its tragic story, the opera is full of French charm and vitality – typified by the ambiguous Manon herself. Her plight is touching because of the subtle play of innocence and calculation in her character. The score contains many sparkling arias and ensembles, moving rapidly from moods of exuberance to tenderness, with perfect dramatic timing. Recorded live at the Staatsoper Unter den Linden, Berlin, April/May 2007.

Gaetano Donizetti and his librettist Felice Romani kept the focus of their opera ANNA BOLENA on the personal rather than the political in this fictionalized Tudor tale: Henry VIII of England wants to get rid of his second wife, Anne Boleyn, so that he can marry her lady-in-waiting, Jane Seymour. He brings Lord Richard Percy, Anne's first love, back from exile so that he can find an excuse to accuse her of adultery. With the unwitting aid of Smeaton, a court musician, and Lord Rochefort, Anne's brother, the trap is easily sprung. This 2011 live recording from the Wiener Staatsoper showcases Anna Netrebko as she "scored a personal triumph" in her debut as the hapless Tudor Queen, while her stage partners - notably Elīna Garanča as Jane Seymour and Ildebrando D'Arcangelo as Henry VIII - were likewise showered with critical acclaim.

Daniel Barenboim conducts the Staatskapelle Berlin in this production of Verdi's opera starring Anna Netrebko and Plácido Domingo. The Count Di Luna believes that his younger brother was murdered years before by a vengeful gypsy but still hopes that he may be alive. When he attempts to court the beautiful Leonora, he is enraged to discover that she has a lover – the troubadour, Manrico. Manrico and the Count duel, and afterwards Manrico reveals to Azucena, the woman he believes to be his mother, that when he had the opportunity to kill the Count he felt something holding him back.

Soprano Anna Netrebko appears in her highly anticipated Met role debut as Leonora, the tortured heroine who sacrifices her own life for the love of the Gypsy troubadour. Dmitri Hvorostovsky sings Count di Luna, Yonghoon Lee is Manrico in his Met role debut as the title character, Dolora Zajick sings her signature role of the gypsy Azucena, and Štefan Kocán is Ferrando. Marco Armiliato conducts Sir David McVicar’s Goya-inspired production.

"Giovanna d'Arco; ossia, la pulzella d'Orléans" is an operatic dramma lirico with a prologue and three acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Temistocle Solera. The opera partly reflects the story of Joan of Arc and is based on a play by Friedrich von Schiller, although claimed by the librettist to be "an entirely original Italian drama." If the thought of Anna Netrebko strutting her stuff in a suit of armour and tin hat sets your factor tingling then this is a must. It's an inconsistent opera but has some quite wonderful music along the way. The rest of the cast is good and the production won't offend either. Get it for Ms Netrebko's incredible performance alone.

With its cast of hundreds, thrilling score, and sweeping tale of love and heroics in ancient Egypt, Verdi’s Aida has long been a fixture on the stages of every major opera house in the world. For the 2018 revival of Sonja Frisell’s monumental production of this grand masterpiece, the Met assembled a truly all-star cast. Soprano Anna Netrebko takes on the title role for the first time at the Met, and mezzo-soprano Anita Rachvelishvili plays her rival, the conniving princess Amneris. Tenor Aleksandrs Antonenko is Radamès, the warrior that both women love, and Quinn Kelsey lends his robust baritone to Aida’s father, the fallen king Amonasro. Maestro Nicola Luisotti is on the podium to conduct this epic performance, filmed as part of the Met’s series of Live in HD cinema transmissions.

Live from the Metropolitan Opera 19 December 2009.

Since her thrilling, 1995 debut at the San Francisco Opera, soprano Anna Netrebko has starred with opera companies and orchestras worldwide. This video gathers some of her best moments in excerpts from Giacomo Puccini's "La Boheme"; Charles Francois Gounod's "Faust"; Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's "Don Giovanni"; Vincenzo Bellini's "La Sonnambula"; and Antonin Dvorak's "Rusalka." Also included are interviews with Netrebko and her colleagues.

"The Helene Fischer Show" on Christmas Day with Germany's most popular entertainer and a varied program. Helene Fischer has put together a mixture of lots of music, spectacular artistry, surprising duets and great musical productions for her audience. For the first time, the show will be broadcast from the exhibition hall in Düsseldorf. The popular entertainer has invited a whole host of national and international musical guests to perform unprecedented duets with her and provide plenty of emotion and goosebump moments.

This concert is a wish come true for Helene Fischer: the singer presents her personal selection of German and international Christmas songs in the atmospheric ballroom of the Vienna Hofburg. Her guests and partners are the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra from London, one of the world's most renowned symphony orchestras, and the Vienna Boys' Choir, among others. It took two years to prepare this concert. The program includes classics such as "Merry Christmas Everywhere", "Ave Maria", "Es ist ein Ros entsprungen" and "Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht". There are also contemporary songs such as "In der Weihnachtsbäckerei", "Last Christmas" and "The Power Of Love".

A new open-air spectacle under the stars brings Schlager queen Andrea Berg home to Aspach, where 35,000 fans transform her village into a music metropolis. Host Florian Silbereisen goes behind the scenes, at rehearsals, in wardrobe, and at Berg’s family home, to capture her pre-show jitters, wardrobe changes, and rituals (“Uncle Piti” on hand, her lucky charm, and mother by her side). On “Sternennacht,” Andrea and guests like DJ Ötzi and Xavier Naidoo perform her biggest hits in an intimate celebration of life, love, and music.

Eugen and Roger Cicero were father and son, but above all they were extraordinary artists. While Eugen achieved fame as a piano virtuoso in the 1960s and performed with star singers such as Ella Fitzgerald and Shirley Bassey, Roger filled huge concert halls years later as one of Germany's most gifted singers. Their life stories are inextricably interwoven and show fascinating parallels - genius paired with an unparalleled passion, the overcoming of boundaries, the balancing act between commercial success and artistic integrity and ultimately the tragic outcome that still shakes the music world today.

4.5 million records sold, founding member of Söhne Mannheims and five-time Echo winner: Xavier Naidoo is one of Germany's most successful musicians. Filmmaker Harold Woetzel - himself from Mannheim - accompanied him. He has known Xavier Naidoo for many years and is therefore closer to the artist than almost any other journalist. It is a portrait of a great star, of his incredible love of his homeland and his roots in Baden-Württemberg's second largest city. The film shows how a song lyric is created from a small sound idea, shows Xavier Naidoo's collaboration with his closest friend Michael Herberger in the Mannheim studio. And it shows what an incredible success the idea of turning a group of friends of young multicultural Mannheim musicians into the Sons of Mannheim has become.

Mia Thermopolis is now a college graduate and on her way to Genovia to take up her duties as princess. Accompanied by her friend Lilly, Mia continues her 'princess lessons', like riding horses side-saddle and archery. But her already complicated life is turned upside down once again when she learns that she is to take the crown as queen earlier than expected, all while she meets a mysteriously charming young man.

The stories about the little dragon Tabaluga have enchanted generations. To mark its 40th birthday, Thore Schölermann presents a spectacular gala from Berlin. Together with the creators Peter Maffay, Rolf Zuckowski and Gregor Rottschalk, SAT.1 is celebrating the cult character's anniversary and inviting numerous companions and fans to a show full of surprises. Among the well-wishers are Wincent Weiss, Maite Kelly, Johannes Oerding and Beatrice Egli.

What do the Pope, a suitcase full of baking powder, four naive friends and the organ mafia have to do with each other? They are all part of a macabre and grotesque story with a lot of heart and a good dose of black humor. Sandpit friends Rico, Sigi, Dave and Glotze dream of cashing in big time. However, they hadn't planned on falling into the clutches of a drug baron and shady organ dealer. Their only chance is to play along with their adversaries - at least until they realize which heart really matters...

A documentary of the German national soccer team’s 2006 World Cup experience that changed the face of modern Germany.

Schlager is the stalwart of German pop culture and emerges stronger from every modernization crisis. But what are the stories behind the flawless backdrop of the German Schlager world? What makes Schlager stars true artists and German songs a perennial commercial success? The 90-minute documentary "Deutschland Schlagerland" goes in search of the personal stories behind the music, travels to provincial stages and big cities, talks to producers and performers. The aim is no less than to explain and understand the social and cultural phenomenon of "Schlager" in its entirety.