CD-Charts Position 1
Average Rating:

Jules Massenet - Manon / Dessay, Villazon, Ramey, Lanza, Henry, Perez, McVicar (Gran Teatre del Liceu 2007)

starring: Natalie Dessay, Rolando Villazon, Samuel Ramey, Manuel Lanza, Victor Pabro Pérez
directed by: David McVicar, François Roussillon

Release Date January 15, 2008
It is an excellent presentation of Massenet's opera Manon. Of course, the dream cast of Natalie Dessay and Rolando Villazon contributes enormously to the enjoyment of this DVD. The production is first-class and depicts the life of these women, who are paid for by wealthy suiters, more realistically than in any other production.
Highly recommended.

CD-Charts Position 2
Average Rating:

Rossini - Il Barbiere di Siviglia

starring: Vesselina Kasarova, Manuel Lanza, Nicolai Ghiaurov, Reinaldo Macias, Carlos Chausson

Release Date January 30, 2007
It is an excellent presentation of Massenet's opera Manon. Of course, the dream cast of Natalie Dessay and Rolando Villazon contributes enormously to the enjoyment of this DVD. The production is first-class and depicts the life of these women, who are paid for by wealthy suiters, more realistically than in any other production.
Highly recommended.

CD-Charts Position 3
Average Rating:

Rossini - Il Barbiere di Siviglia / Santi, Kasarova, Lanza, Macias, Ghiaurov, Chausson, Zurich Opera

starring: Reinaldo Macias, Vesselina Kasarova, Manuel Lanza

Release Date November 25, 2003
I have seen Rossini's work a dozen times all over the world. This production is a disgrace. The sets and costumes and props have absolutely nothing to do with the opera. Mostly to blame is the production director, who clearly was paying more attention to his ego than Rossini. I pity the poor singers who had to parade around the stage fondling a Rossini bust, playing with test tubes, riding on scooters, and lots of other nonsense which adds nothing to the genuine comedy in the original story as it is traditionally presented. Don't waste your time on this version if you love opera or respect Rossini.

CD-Charts Position 4
Average Rating:

Verdi - Falstaff

starring: Ruggero Raimondi, Barbara Frittoli, Manuel Lanza, Daniil Shtoda, Zubin Mehta
directed by: Luca Ronconi

Release Date February 27, 2007
Musically this 'Falstaff' probably passes muster -- barely. Ruggero Raimondi is frankly a bit long in the tooth for the part, it now being more than twenty-five years since he first sang the part. And he never had the low notes for the part, even back then. Barbara Frittoli is fine as Mistress Ford, and vocally Mariola Cantarero is a an equally fine Nannetta but she is a good deal more matronly than one would hope for a girl in the first bloom of love. Her lover Fenton, sung by Daniil Shtoda, is vocally acceptable but he is wooden as an actor and spends an awful lot of the time looking at the conductor. Laura Polverelli as Mistress Meg Page is OK but nothing special. The Mistress Quickly, Elena Zilio, simply doesn't have the chest voice for the part; ... Read More: