CD-Charts Position 1
Average Rating:

Rossini - Il Barbiere Di Siviglia (The Barber of Seville)

starring: Juan Diego Florez, Ruggero Raimondi, Maria Bayo, Pietro Spagnoli, Bruno Pratico
directed by: Emilio Sagi

Release Date November 15, 2005
A very imaginative version of the opera. It is well done and the contrast between the black and white scenes and the use of color towards the end were remarkable. It holds the viewers attention with singers who can also act. I viewed it with my 11 year old granddaughter and she was never bored and asked questions which made it evident she was captivated by the story. I recommend it for all ages.

CD-Charts Position 2
Average Rating:

Rossini - Torvaldo e Dorliska

starring: Michele Pertusi, Darina Takova, Francesco Meli, Bruno Pratico, Jeannette Fischer
directed by: Mario Martone

Release Date October 30, 2007
The tiny jewel-box opera house of Pesaro, Rossini's hometown, holds only a few hundred people. A proscenium walkway surrounds the orchestra pit, and characters often wander onto it to sing their arias. There are two ornate boxes exactly adjacent to the main stage, in effect behind the orchestra, where patrons sit within arm-length of the divas. Look carefully at the boxes on the left side of the stage and you'll catch a few glimpses of me, enjoying the musical intimacy by chance on the evening of this filming. Characters also wander down into the aisles around the audience, so many of the film-nighters have the trophy remembrance of seeing themselves when they play this disk. The intimacy is not insignificant; director Mario Martone has taken ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 3
Average Rating:

La Fille du régiment

starring: Ewa Podles, Bruno Praticò, Paul Austin Kelly, Mariella Devia, Edoardo Borioli

Release Date
The tiny jewel-box opera house of Pesaro, Rossini's hometown, holds only a few hundred people. A proscenium walkway surrounds the orchestra pit, and characters often wander onto it to sing their arias. There are two ornate boxes exactly adjacent to the main stage, in effect behind the orchestra, where patrons sit within arm-length of the divas. Look carefully at the boxes on the left side of the stage and you'll catch a few glimpses of me, enjoying the musical intimacy by chance on the evening of this filming. Characters also wander down into the aisles around the audience, so many of the film-nighters have the trophy remembrance of seeing themselves when they play this disk. The intimacy is not insignificant; director Mario Martone has taken ... Read More: