CD-Charts Position 1
Average Rating:

Berg - Lulu / Davis, Schafer, Bailey, Kuebler, Harries, Schone, Bardon, Glyndebourne

starring: Christine Schäfer, Kathryn Harries, Neil Jenkins, Donald Maxwell, Jonathan Veira
directed by: Graham Vick (II), Humphrey Burton

Release Date January 13, 2004
Just a word for other folks who watch opera as they do operetta or Broadway musicals, for the gratification of the thing in itself. Deeper meanings, musical technicalities, the place of this opera in the history of opera, are all significant attributes...but not for us.
Having just finished watching this version of Lulu, I would say that the story is hackneyed, the setting design at best doesn't help the production, there was some weakness in the initial singing of the lead, but, when all is said and done, it was a gripping production marked by excellent performances which, as I suggested, seemed to suffer little from the ambiance of the set.
I would not argue for or against the musical commitments of Berg, by now you will know whether ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 2
Average Rating:

Rossini: Il Barbiere di Siviglia (The Barber of Seville)/ Bartoli, G. Quilico, Kuebler, Feller, R. Lloyd; Ferro/Schwetzingen Festival

starring: Cecilia Bartoli, Carlos Feller, David Kuebler, Gino Quilco, Robert Lloyd
directed by: Michael Hampe, Claus Viller

Release Date July 15, 2003
This Barber stars Cecilia Bartoli as Rosina, Robert Lloyd as Basilio, Carlos Feller as Bartolo, David Kuebler as Almaviva, with Gabriele Ferro conducting. I really enjoyed it, but would caution some of the purists that it contains some minor cuts, such as at the end of the opera, they've dropped the scene where Bartolo wishes Rosia and the Count happiness, and also, Fiorello's recitativo prior to "Una Voce Poco Fa" is dropped. I really like s Carlos Feller as Bartolo; he reminds me a bit of Fernando Corena on the RCA CD set from 1958 conducted by Leinsdorf. In this DVD, Feller's character is funny and clueless, especially in the scene where Figaro shaves him and he catches on to the trick being played on him. Gabriele Ferro did nery wellwith this one; I've ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 3
Average Rating:

Richard Strauss - Arabella / Thielemann, Te Kanawa, Brendel, Metropolitan Opera

starring: Kiri Te Kanawa, Wolfgang Brendel, Marie McLaughlin (II), David Kuebler, Helga Dernesch
directed by: Brian Large

Release Date June 19, 2001
i've never seen so many big names in one opera before ; also, nathalie dessay has a little role in act II, but that's not really highlighted ; it's definitely a must-have for anyone who wants 2 hours of not stop beautiful music

CD-Charts Position 4
Average Rating:

Richard Strauss - Capriccio / Runnicles, Te Kanawa, Hagegard, Troyanos, San Francisco Opera

starring: Kiri Te Kanawa, Håkan Hagegård, Tatiana Troyanos, Victor Braun, David Kuebler
directed by: Peter Maniura

Release Date June 10, 2003
I didn't know this existed until a little while ago. Dame Kiri is in fabulous voice here, and Tatiana Troyanos shows no sign of her illness. I believe this was Ms. Troyanos' final opera before her death. The whole opera is very, very well done here.

CD-Charts Position 5
Average Rating:

Rossini - La Cambiale di Matrimonio / The Bill of Marriage

starring: Carlos Feller, Amelia Felle, David Kuebler, John del Carlo
directed by: Michael Hampe

Release Date April 18, 2006
It is a typical Rossini opera buffa, light, funny and frosty. Not grand, but fun. It is well recorded and sung.

CD-Charts Position 6
Average Rating:

Handel - Agrippina / Daniels, Kuebler, Hall, von Kannen, Ostman, Schwetzingen Opera Festival

starring: Barbara Daniels, David Kuebler, Arnold Ostman, Janice Hall

Release Date October 18, 2005
While this 1985 performance by the Koln Opera at the Schwetzingen Opera Festival shares a few of the faults of its only other DVD competition, most notably in the transposition of roles, the direction by Michael Hampe is unobtrusively enjoyable and, as usual with his productions, boasts breathtakingly beautiful sets and costumes by Maruo Pagano. The orchestra and conductor are exemplary period performers and are a delight to listen to and while none of the rest of the cast can match Barbara Daniels' high level of dramatic and vocal delivery it is, by and large, a most enjoyable experience. I'd have been quite happy to sit through this performance in the theatre and, until a better recording comes along, will be content revisiting this DVD.

CD-Charts Position 7
Average Rating:

Rossini - La Gazza Ladra / Bartoletti, Cotrubas, Condo, Cologne Opera

starring: Ileana Cotrubas, David Kuebler, Alberto Rinaldi (III), Elena Zilio, Nucci Condò
directed by: José Montes-Baquer

Release Date June 11, 2002
This opera is known as 'The Thieving Magpie' in English, and they probably should have used that title for this edition, since 'La Gazza Ladra' sounds to English speakers like a stomach ailment. The brilliant, rousing overture is well-known; Kubrick used it to great effect in one of the fight scenes in 'A Clockwork Orange.' The opera itself, however, is little-known and rarely-performed, which is why this German television production from the eighties may be the only chance you'll get to see it in full staging. It's a picaresque tale of village life, not unlike Massenet's 'Werther' or Verdi's 'Luisa Miller.' The plot concerns a young woman accused of capital theft by a Scarpio-like villain, her situation complicated by the fact that she is hiding her father, a deserter from Napoleon's ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 8
Average Rating:

Berg - Wozzeck

starring: Franz Hawlata, Angela Denoke, Reiner Goldberg, Hubert Delamboye, David Kuebler
directed by: Calixto Bieito

Release Date November 20, 2007
This production of Wozzeck is in fact recomended. Although production is set in unconvectional setting, it has its qualities. In other words, postinustrial enviroment (with occasional corpses and internal intestans) gives the wiever creeps, and is pretty morbid. The orchestra playing is superb, singing great, and technical aspects (sound and picture) are flawless.

CD-Charts Position 9
Average Rating:

Rossini - La Scala di Seta / Luciana Serra, David Kuebler, Alessandro Corbelli, Alberto Rinaldi, Jane Bunnell, David Griffith, Gianluigi Gelmetti, Schwetzingen Opera

starring: Luciana Serra, David Kuebler, Alessandro Corbelli, Alberto Rinaldi (III), Jane Bunnell
directed by: Claus Viller

Release Date March 21, 2006
The music and singing are for 5 stars, specially Luciana Serra. Her technique is really great. Her coloratura is perfect and reminds Sutherland's because both had a perfect technique, specially coloratura, but not a particularlly pretty voice. As a reviewer said in other review they don't make singers like those now. What bothers me in this DVD is the stage and costumes as in all other DVD recorded at Schwetzingen, always so classical. They need a Dario Fo or similar to create something different, a new atmosphere as it is happening arround the world. Examples are La Gazetta (Barcelona), all the Mozart series and the Netrebko-Villazon Traviata at Salzburg, many others at the Zurich Opera (Cosi fan tutte, Macbeth, etc), Trovatore, Faust (Alagna-Terfel) and others at Covent Garden, to name a few. ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 10
Average Rating:

Mozart - Idomeneo / Kale, Kuebler, Biel, Soldh, Jakobsson, Ostman, Drottningholm Opera

starring: Arnold Ostman, Jan-Erik Jakobsson, Stuart Kale, David Kuebler, Ann Christine Biel
directed by: Anita Soldh

Release Date May 16, 2006
The music and singing are for 5 stars, specially Luciana Serra. Her technique is really great. Her coloratura is perfect and reminds Sutherland's because both had a perfect technique, specially coloratura, but not a particularlly pretty voice. As a reviewer said in other review they don't make singers like those now. What bothers me in this DVD is the stage and costumes as in all other DVD recorded at Schwetzingen, always so classical. They need a Dario Fo or similar to create something different, a new atmosphere as it is happening arround the world. Examples are La Gazetta (Barcelona), all the Mozart series and the Netrebko-Villazon Traviata at Salzburg, many others at the Zurich Opera (Cosi fan tutte, Macbeth, etc), Trovatore, Faust (Alagna-Terfel) and others at Covent Garden, to name a few. ... Read More: