CD-Charts Position 1
Average Rating:

Verdi - Rigoletto

starring: Marcelo Alvarez, Carlos Alvarez, Inva Mula, Julian Konstantinov, Jesus Lopez Cobos
directed by: Graham Vick

Release Date October 31, 2006
This could have been a great "Rigoletto". The orchestra, the singing, and the acting are all first rate. Why "they" had to put Carlos Alvarez [Rigoletto] in that hideous rubber body suit that sporadically poured water/sweat like it was coming out of a faucet detracted, however, from the emotional power of a few of his important scenes. I'm not exaggerating here; to the extent that any good performance requires that we suspend our disbelief in the theatricality of the production with which we've become engaged, that body suit, which must have used water [like in a water balloon] to support his deformities, literally spurted its liquid contents out of the back of his head as if a spigot were turned on and off every now and then. Too bad, ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 2
Average Rating:

Puccini - La Boheme

starring: Aquiles Machado, Inva Mula, Fabio Maria Capitanucci, Laura Giordano, Del Monaco
directed by: Giancarlo del Monaco

Release Date November 21, 2006
Great performance, great singing and great staging; you even get to accept a slightly overweight Rodolphe (but why didn't they make the DVDs dolby digital, too?

CD-Charts Position 3
Average Rating:

La Boheme [HD DVD]

starring: Alfredo Mariotti, Inva Mula, Laura Giordano, Fabio Maria Capitanucci, Aquiles Machado
directed by: Robin Lough, Jesus Lopez Cobos, Robin Luch

Release Date April 29, 2008
Great performance, great singing and great staging; you even get to accept a slightly overweight Rodolphe (but why didn't they make the DVDs dolby digital, too?

CD-Charts Position 4
Average Rating:

Verdi - Rigoletto / Viotti, Machado, Nucci, Mula, Luperi, Verona Opera

starring: Verdi, Aquiles Machado, Leo Nucci, Inva Mula, Mario Luperi

Release Date July 16, 2002
Having studied opera with the great Tina Piazza--a student of Melochi and friend of Del Monaco--I cannot disagree more heartily with David from Iceland. This is one of the most joyous performances I have ever experienced of opera on DVD. What is missing from all the rather staid Met performances is the presence of an essential element of live opera--the audience.

I received this DVD by mistake and wouldn't part with it for the world. Machado is absolutely one of the best tenor I've heard since Pavorotti and Del Monaco. I don't know why he isn't world-famous. It is indeed a less complex staging than those of the Met, which in my opinion can be over-produced. But the TV direction of this "Rigoletto" is superb in its all-encompassing view of all the fun ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 5
Average Rating:

Rigoletto

starring: Aquiles Machado, Leo Nucci, Inva Mula, Mario Luperi, Sarah M'Punga
directed by: Pierre Cavassilas

Release Date
Having studied opera with the great Tina Piazza--a student of Melochi and friend of Del Monaco--I cannot disagree more heartily with David from Iceland. This is one of the most joyous performances I have ever experienced of opera on DVD. What is missing from all the rather staid Met performances is the presence of an essential element of live opera--the audience.

I received this DVD by mistake and wouldn't part with it for the world. Machado is absolutely one of the best tenor I've heard since Pavorotti and Del Monaco. I don't know why he isn't world-famous. It is indeed a less complex staging than those of the Met, which in my opinion can be over-produced. But the TV direction of this "Rigoletto" is superb in its all-encompassing view of all the fun ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 6
Average Rating:

Falstaff

starring: Ambrosio Maestri, Roberto Frontali, Juan Diego Flórez, Barbara Frittoli, Inva Mula
directed by: Pierre Cavassilas

Release Date
Having studied opera with the great Tina Piazza--a student of Melochi and friend of Del Monaco--I cannot disagree more heartily with David from Iceland. This is one of the most joyous performances I have ever experienced of opera on DVD. What is missing from all the rather staid Met performances is the presence of an essential element of live opera--the audience.

I received this DVD by mistake and wouldn't part with it for the world. Machado is absolutely one of the best tenor I've heard since Pavorotti and Del Monaco. I don't know why he isn't world-famous. It is indeed a less complex staging than those of the Met, which in my opinion can be over-produced. But the TV direction of this "Rigoletto" is superb in its all-encompassing view of all the fun ... Read More: