The ROH Live: Rigoletto

La Traviata’s sumptuous melodies and timeless depiction of doomed love have made the work a favorite of generations of operagoers. In his approach to this classic drama, director Willy Decker sets the action on a nearly bare stage, focusing the audience’s full attention on the three main characters. As Violetta, the ailing courtesan desperate to escape her past, soprano Sonya Yoncheva offers a fearless and sympathetic performance from beginning to end. American tenor Michael Fabiano sings with ardent longing as her devoted lover Alfredo, delivering emotionally wrought phrases and ringing top notes. Thomas Hampson brings a burnished baritone to Germont, Alfredo’s protective father whose stern demands spell disaster for the young couple. On the podium, maestro Nicola Luisotti leads an electric performance of Verdi’s unforgettable score.

As comparably short operas, Cavalleria Rusticana and Pagliacci are often billed together, but seldom is the lead tenor making his double role debut as Turiddu and Canio on the same evening. At the 2015 Salzburg Easter Festival, Jonas Kaufmann did just that to rapturous praise. Universally hailed as a coup for Kaufmann, the plaudits were also showered on Philipp Stölzl for his innovative staging which includes live video projections while referencing the era of black-and-white movies.

Rediscover a monumental moment in Verdi's oeuvre: the immortal Rigoletto! In this eye-catching production staged by Claus Guth at Paris's Opéra Bastille, soloists Quinn Kelsey (Rigoletto), Olga Peretyatko (Gilda), Michael Fabiano (the Duke of Mantua), and Rafal Siwek (Sparafucile) put their incredible talents to captivating use. To revisit this well-known opera, Guth recounts the story from the point of view of an aged Rigoletto, a clown past his prime, who watches his memories pass before his eyes as he looks back on his life. The set design by Christian Schmidt and Olaf Winter's careful lighting create an imposing, chilly, and implacable ambiance, perfect for the melodrama unfolding onstage. The Choir and Orchestra of the Paris Opera, under the baton of Nicola Luisotti, offer up a powerful interpretation of this timeless work.

With this DVD and Blu-ray of Rodelinda, one of Handel’s most emotionally complex operas, conductor Emmanuelle Haïm adds to her impressive Erato catalogue of the composer’s works. The imaginative production, by Jean Bellorini, was seen at the Opéra de Lille in Autumn 2018, and the cast features soprano Jeanine De Bique in the title role, countertenor Tim Mead as her husband Bertarido and another countertenor, Erato’s rising star Jakub Józef Orliński as Unulfo. Reviewing the production, Le Monde noted Emmanuelle Haïm’s “intimate connection with this music, which she knows how to unleash in all its violence, passion and heart-wrenching expressivity.”

One of opera’s grimmest tragedies received a powerful new production during the 2021–22 season when director Bartlett Sher unveiled his Weimar-era staging of Verdi’s Rigoletto. In this performance, recorded as part of the company’s Live in HD series of cinema transmissions, commanding American baritone Quinn Kelsey gives a searing portrayal of the title character, a deformed court jester determined to protect the virtue of his daughter, Gilda, sung by radiant soprano Rosa Feola. His debauched employer, the Duke of Mantua, is tenor Piotr Beczała, with dynamic young maestro Daniele Rustioni on the podium to lead a cast that also features bass Andrea Mastroni as the assassin Sparafucile and mezzo-soprano Varduhi Abrahamyan as Maddalena.

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.

Recorded at Bayerische Staatsoper on March 3-9, 2016.

One of his most sublime compositions, Verdi’s ode to love and sacrifice is adored the world over. Cutting-edge director and designer Dmitri Tcherniakov’s captivating production is set in the present day. German soprano Diana Damrau is matchless in the role of the tragic Violetta Valéry. Alongside her, the tenor Piotr Beczala as Alfredo and Željko Lučić as Germont, his valiant father, beg for her pardon. Daniele Gatti conducts.

In 2012, the Hamburg State Opera presented a new production of Giacomo Puccini’s masterpiece Madama Butterfl y. The internationally renowned director Vincent Boussard stages the opera, collaborating with star fashion designer Christian Lacroix and set designer Vincent Lemaire. Together they succeed in bringing to life the moving tragedy of the young Japanese geisha Cio-Cio San in a stylish and sophisticated production that focuses on the title role, impressively portrayed by Greek soprano Alexia Voulgaridou. Subtly conducted by Alexander Joel, the dynamic cast includes Romanian Tenor Teodor Ilincai as Cio-Cio San’s love interest, B.F. Pinkerton and Estonian baritone Lauri Vasar as Consul Sharpless. Madama Butterfl y contains an enormous wealth of psychological poetry. Through his music, Giacomo Puccini lends his characters extremely rich and complex profi les and created an extraordinary explosive force.

In Verdi’s retelling of Shakespeare’s towering tragedy, Renée Fleming gives a captivating performance as the innocent Desdemona, a role long considered one of her calling cards. Johan Botha as the title hero delivers an imposing portrayal of a proud warrior brought down by jealousy, and Falk Struckmann is thrilling as the villainous Iago. James Morris sings Lodovico. Elijah Moshinsky’s production is conducted by Semyon Bychkov.

Puccini’s timeless love story, which includes some of its composer’s most beloved music, has moved generations of opera lovers since its 1896 world premiere. It has also proved incredibly popular with the Met’s global HD audiences and has been featured in three live high-definition transmissions since 2008. The most recent, presented during the 2017–18 season, includes a cast of celebrated young artists. Soprano Sonya Yoncheva is the fragile seamstress Mimì, who instantly falls in love with the passionate poet Rodolfo, sung by tenor Michael Fabiano. Soprano Susanna Phillips and baritone Lucas Meachem trade both spars and kisses as the on-again-off-again lovers Musetta and Marcello, with bass Matthew Rose and baritone Alexey Lavrov rounding out the rambunctious gang of bohemian friends. Maestro Marco Armiliato takes the podium to lead Franco Zeffirelli’s picturesque staging.

She didn’t know his name. She didn’t know his background. But what Luisa Miller did know was that her heart belonged to the stranger Carlo as soon as she clapped eyes on him. But the secret behind Carlo’s identity is the least of her problems in Giuseppe Verdi’s star-crossed romance Luisa Miller, a tale of class, deception and betrayal set in the Alps.

Disillusioned with life, the aged philosopher Faust calls upon Satan to help him. The devil Méphistophélès appears and strikes a bargain with the philosopher: he will give him youth and the love of the beautiful Marguerite, if Faust hands over his soul. Faust agrees, and Méphistophélès arranges matters so that Marguerite loses interest in her suitor Siébel and becomes infatuated with Faust. Faust initially seems to love Marguerite in return, but soon abandons her. Her brother Valentin returns from the war and is furious to find his sister pregnant. Will Faust repent his destructive actions, and can his soul, and Marguerite's, be saved?

Massenet’s tale of passion, excess, and their consequences stars rising soprano Lisette Oropesa in the effervescent title role. Tenor Michael Fabiano is her ardent admirer, Chevalier des Grieux, with Maurizio Benini conducting Laurent Pelly’s enchanting production.

Meyerbeer is telling at once a small, intimate story – Fidès’s, Jean, and Berthe’s relationship – and an epic drama about tyranny, revolution, and religion; politics, mob violence, and fanaticism.

The young soldier Don José intends to marry Micaëla, a girl from his home village. But when he meets the sensual and high-spirited Carmen, he sacrifices everything to be with her. Carmen grows tired of Don José and falls in love with the toreador Escamillo. Unable to bear her leaving him, Don José tracks Carmen down to a bullring where Escamillo is fighting and murders her.

New production. Recorded live at Royal Opera House, July, 05, 2015.

In March 1282, in Palermo during the Easter celebrations. Duchess Hélène, whose brother has been sentenced to death, is forced by a French soldier to sing. Through her song, she stirs up the Sicilians’ hatred against the French. Montfort, the governor, intervenes and calms everyone down. Henri appears; he has just been pardoned and insults Montfort, unaware that the latter is standing right in front of him... ‘I vespri siciliani’ (The Sicilian Vespers) is a grand opera in five acts by Giuseppe Verdi, with a libretto by Eugène Scribe and Charles Duveyrier. Premiered on 13 June 1855 at the Opéra Le Peletier in Paris. From the box set of 27 Verdi operas, “Tutto Verdi”. Recorded live at the Teatro Regio in Parma on 13 and 17 October 2010.

Grand festivities are held at the court of the Duke of Mantua. But the community which enjoys itself no longer knows values and amuses itself out of deadly boredom. The most cynical of all is court jester Rigoletto. He only wants to protect his daughter Gilda against the depraved world. He prohibits her everything – the young woman, however, goes her own way.

David McVicars Production of Rigoletto at the Royal Opera House 2012, with Dimitri Platanias, Ekaterina Siurina, Vittorio Grigolo and John Elliot Gardiner conducting.

In the last and most dramatic aria in Roberto Devereux , one of the four Tudor period operas composed by Donizetti in 1837 (along with Anna Bolena , Maria Stuarda and Il Castello di Kenilworth), the protagonist, Queen Elizabeth I of England, exclaims: "I do not reign, I do not live". This statement encapsulates great operatic themes, and it is the culmination of an opera that reveals the passions of characters who live among palace intrigues. Written in the mature period of the leader of Italian romanticism, the opera displays a great vocal virtuosity, and is an example of Donizetti prizing the voice above all in the genre. The staging, by South African director Alessandro Talevi, who has been very successful in great opera houses as well as with more experimental theatre, places the play in an undetermined period, focusing on the chiaroscuro. Bruno Campanella conducts.

One of Mozarts most enchanting works, Die Zauberflöte is a fairy tale that uses familiar archetypes to ask provocative and difficult questions about religion, the nature of power, the bonds of family, and of course love. Premiered just months before Mozarts death, Die Zauberflöte in many ways represents a new departure for the composer. Catching the spirit of revolution in the air, Mozart turned his attention for the first time from court opera to popular opera, writing this singspiel (sung-play) for a new and much broader audience. Celebrated Canadian directing duo Barbe & Doucet make both their British and Glyndebourne debuts here with their new Die Zauberflöte, a veritable theatrical feast of eccentricity. (The Guardian). Ryan Wigglesworth conducts an outstanding cast including Russian soprano Sofia Fomina as Pamina, David Portillo as her beloved Tamino, Brindley Sherratt as Sarastro, and the ebullient Björn Bürger as Papageno.

The great storyteller Hoffmann is losing himself to drink. His rival in love, Councillor Lindorf, claims that Hoffmann knows nothing of the heart, and so goads Hoffmann into telling the tales of his three great loves – each destroyed by a villain who bears an uncanny resemblance to Lindorf… First Hoffmann tells of his infatuation for the mechanical doll, Olympia – who is destroyed by the inventor Coppélius. Next comes the courtesan Giulietta, who throws over his adoration in favour of jewels from the magician Dappertutto. Finally, the gentle Antonia is forced to sing to her death by the wicked Doctor Miracle. His stories finished, Hoffmann rouses from his drunken stupor to find Lindorf has made off with Stella, Hoffmann’s latest love – but the Muse compels him to transform his heartache into art.

Puccini’s passionate opera is conducted by Antonio Pappano and stars a superb young cast including Nicole Car, Michael Fabiano and Mariusz Kwiecień, in a new production by Richard Jones.

Damiano Michieletto's production for The Royal Opera updates the works to southern Italy in the late 20th century.

Royal Opera House Live Cinema Season 2016/17: Les Contes d'Hoffmann (2016)

After twenty years of absence, Puccini’s Turandot was revived on the stage of the Teatro Real in a new production by American stage director Robert Wilson. One of the most important theatre and visual artist of our times, the director who gave life to Philip Glass’s Einstein of the Beach and who reinvented Debussy’s Pelléas et Mélisande hadn’t worked on a Puccini opera in twenty-five years, since his ground-breaking Madama Butterfly commissioned by the Paris Opera in 1993. This new encounter between his powerful visual universe and Puccini’s evocative music was bound to be an outstanding event. Carried out by a brilliant cast of singers, dominated by Irene Theorin as Turandot, Gregory Kunde as Calaf and Yolanda Auyanet as Liù, this magnificent production is conducted by the Teatro Real’s associate musical director Nicola Luisotti – and has been met with universal acclaim.