CD-Charts Position 1
Average Rating:

Natalie Dessay - Greatest Moments on Stage

starring: Natalie Dessay, Laurent Naouri, Marc Minkowski, William Christie, Michel Plasson

Release Date January 16, 2007
It is so easy to fall in love with Natalie Dessay's voice, looks, and animation. She is easily in command of the
performed piece. This DVD contains quite a number of different segments taken from operas in which she has
sung. The most memorable is the "Voice of Spring" by Strauss within the opera "Der Fleidermaus" where Natalie
literally electrifies the audience and this viewer with her rendition. She also hits high F's in the "Magic Flute" number. Her comments are very interesting and greatly add to her performances. Wish there were more DVD's like this one. She truly is a "Miracle Voice".

CD-Charts Position 2
Average Rating:

Jules Massenet - Werther (concert version) / Hampson, Graham, Piau, Degout, Schirrer, Piolino, Alvaro, Capitole de Toulouse, Plasson (Theate du Chatelet 2004, Live)

starring: Michel Plasson, Thomas Hampson, Susan Graham, Sandrine Piau, Stéphane Degout
directed by: Olivier Simmonet

Release Date July 18, 2006
Although this is a concert performance rather than a fully staged one, there is no lack of drama. Everyone sings as though he or she WERE the actual character. Sets, costumes and movement are completely unnecessary when every emotion is displayed in the singers' faces and voices. Although the title role is typically taken by a tenor, Thomas Hampson is so invested in his performance and sings with such gorgeous tone that you can forget you ever heard a tenor in this part. Susan Graham is for me the DEFINITIVE Charlotte. She has just the right weight and tone in her voice (although others who have recorded the part on CD have been wonderful -- most notably, Tatiana Troyanos and Frederica von Stade -- their voices have been either too dark or ... Read More: