CD-Charts Position 1
Average Rating:

Leoncavallo - I Pagliacci / Mascagni - Cavalleria Rusticana / Domingo, Stratas, Pons, Bruson, Obraztsova, Pretre

starring: Teresa Stratas, Plácido Domingo, Juan Pons, Alberto Rinaldi (III), Florindo Andreolli
directed by: Franco Zeffirelli

Release Date June 14, 2005
Leoncavallo's Pagliacci is one of the verismo cornerstones of the Italian repertory. This performance does justice to the hot-blooded score with magnificent singing by tenor, Placido Domingo and Teresa Stratas. Conductor Georges Pretre, not usually associated with this repertoire, yet, he squeezes every white-hot passion out of this smoldering score. Add the magnificent production by Franco Zeffirelli, and you have all you need for one of the most exciting opera productions committed onto DVD. I saw this production at the Met years ago; I was elated when Deutsche Grammophon issued it.

CD-Charts Position 2
Average Rating:

Donizetti - L'Elisir d'Amore

starring: Luciano Pavarotti, Kathleen Battle, Juan Pons, Enzo Dara, James Levine
directed by: John Copley

Release Date May 10, 2005
Biscuits O'bryan: Texas Storyteller (Texas Heritage)
This opera, like most,has a silly love story, but the music is spectacular, especially Pavarotti's aria, "Una Furtiva Lagrima." That song alone makes this a worthwhile purchase.

CD-Charts Position 3
Average Rating:

Verdi - Nabucco / Ramey, Guleghina, Pons, White, Hughes Jones, Deshorties, Levine, Metropolitan Opera

starring: Samuel Ramey, Maria Guleghina, Juan Pons, Wendy White, Gwyn Hughes Jones
directed by: James Levine

Release Date March 08, 2005
I got this for my husband, to view while he was recovering from surgery. Well, I couldn't have chosen better because he absolutely loves it and I think he's watched it at least 3 times since. He says the voices are splendid, as are the production values. All in all, a bit hit!

CD-Charts Position 4
Average Rating:

Km.0

starring: Carlos Blanes, Jesús Cabrero, Georges Corraface, Carlos Fuentes (II), Miguel García Borda
directed by: García Serrano, Yolanda

Release Date February 17, 2004
Takes awhile to get going, and I had to watch it a 3 times to stay awake through the first half, but it gets really good during the second half if you stick it out. Overall glad I bought it.

CD-Charts Position 5
Average Rating:

Fausto 5.0

starring: Carmen Contreras, Keke Creixems, Juan Fernández (XIII), Eduard Fernández, Raquel González
directed by: Álex Ollé, Carlos Padrisa

Release Date June 01, 2004
Dr. Fausto, a surgeon who deals with terminally ill cases, is on his way to a medical convention where he is due to present a paper. On the way he is accosted by the devilish looking Santos Vela, a man who claims the doctor operated on him years ago. This is not a chance encounter. "Vela" follows the good doctor about, offering him happiness and the fulfillment of all his wishes, good and bad. And in spite of himself, Dr. Fausto succumbs.

Of course, getting your wishes fulfilled isn't always a good thing. Pretty soon, Fausto realizes he is in over his head. Things are getting--to say the least--creepy. How will he ever get out? How will he ever get rid of the Mephistophelean Santos Vela? Or, will he?

Thankfully, redemption is possible, ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 6
Average Rating:

Morir (O No) [To Die (Or Not)]

starring: Carmen Elías, Lluís Homar, Roger Coma, Marc Martínez, Anna Azcona
directed by: Ventura Pons

Release Date June 11, 2002
Worth watching. I loved the transition from the first to the second half of the film. Good acting.

CD-Charts Position 7
Average Rating:

Valentín

starring: Lola Cardona, Mercè Pons, Alberto San Juan, Armando del Rio, David Selvas

Release Date November 04, 2008
Worth watching. I loved the transition from the first to the second half of the film. Good acting.

CD-Charts Position 8
Average Rating:

Verdi - Aida

starring: Maria Chiara, Dolora Zajick, Kristjan Johannsson, Juan Pons, Nicola Ghiuselev

Release Date November 21, 2006
This is visually one of the classiest Aïdas I've ever seen, with sumptuous sets and costumes taken directly from suggestions made by French Egyptologist Auguste Mariette who had (anonymously) suggested the topic to Verdi for an opera set in Egypt. But musically this is strictly a bush-league production. The orchestra sets the tone for what is to come in an out-of-tune prelude. And their playing doesn't get much better. Icelandic tenor Kristján Jóhansson, as Radamès, has a fairly pleasant voice but he resorts to bawling in his upper range, his acting is wooden, and frankly his big aria 'Celeste Aïda' is excruciating. But this is nothing compared to the squawly Aïda of Maria Chiara who was fifty-three and whose voice was worn and wobbly when this Verona Arena ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 9
Average Rating:

Verdi - Aida / Maazel, Chiara, Pavarotti, La Scala

starring: Paata Burchuladze, Luciano Pavarotti, Ghena Dimitrova, Maria Chiara, Nicolai Ghiaurov
directed by: Derek Bailey

Release Date December 14, 1999
CRITICISM:

1. If you know the opera very well and can handle the Italian, tough. There's no way to get Italian subtitles (on either the PAL or the NTSC version).

2. The "grand march" (musically intended to be the most magical moment of this opera) was inanely choreographed. According to the libretto, they're supposed to be bringing in "the spoils of war," as they dance to the music. Instead we have a bunch of guys dragging giant statues around the stage with ropes. The famous "Dance of the Moorish Slaves" was also ineptly done, but that has been adequately discussed by other reviewers.

3. Pavarotti does indeed have weight problems. He's so fat in this performance, it's distracting.

4. The quality of the audio recording, ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 10
Average Rating:

Verdi - Aida

starring: Nina Stemme, Salvatore Licitra, Luciana d'Intino, Gunter Groissbock, Juan Pons
directed by: Nicolas Joel

Release Date August 14, 2007
This Aida features Nina Stemme as Aida and she is very good, and the rest of cast is alright, but not great.

The production, done in 19th century garb, has to be the worst coceptions of Aida ever put on stage. The opera takes place in EGYPT, not Wimpole Street. It canno be changed..the period, the style, costumes etc. Aida can be under done or over the top, but never a 19th century piece.

The singers try with it, but it is so ludicrous and camp, ( see the openeing scenes with Amneris) and then, finally, distracting; you have to black out the picture and just listen.

Rememeber Roger Debris in The Producers, with Zero Mostel. Roger was a director of shows that folded after the first act of the fist rehearsal. The designer of this production and ... Read More: