CD-Charts Position 1
Average Rating:

Puccini - Madama Butterfly

starring: Mirella Freni, Plácido Domingo, Christa Ludwig, Robert Kerns, Michel Sénéchal
directed by: Jean-Pierre Ponnelle

Release Date June 14, 2005
From the David Belasco play to Puccini's opera to Schonberg's Miss Saigon, there are many faces of Madame Butterfly. But none is any more exquisite than that of Mirella Freni-- especially as she sings the near-perfect aria, "Un bel di" and the Flower Song duet with Suzuki. However, Ponnelle, who staged and directed the film version, made Placido Domingo as Lt. Pinkerton a little too caddish for my taste. This version seems to resemble a faded memory that speaks not to the intellect but to the heart. It certainly deserves a place in any opera collection.

CD-Charts Position 2
Average Rating:

Dvorak - Rusalka / Robert Carsen, James Conlon - Fleming, Urbanova, Diadkova, Larin, Opéra de Paris

starring: Franz Hawalata, Renée Fleming, Sergei Larin, James Conlon, Eva Urbanova

Release Date February 17, 2004
Thanks to movies and TV there are thousands of people who know the soprano's aris from the first act. I wonder how many people who have bought a CD of the complete opera were able to keep at the entire score. Certainly it pays off with repeated listenings but Dvorak's own assessment of this gifts for the stage were probably correct: he was not a natural born opera composer.

I had a CD of the opera but truth to tell I was rarely inspired to take it down and listen to it. With the death of Larin I thought perhaps I have unfairly ignored the work, afteall even the Met has seen fit to mount it--probably because of Fleming. The Carsen production doesn't do the work any favors, but is not offputting to me, and I find it more acceptable than ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 3
Average Rating:

Massenet - Manon / Fleming, Alvarez, Vernhes, Chaignaud, Lopez-Cobos, Paris Opera

starring: Renée Fleming, Marcelo Alvarez, Jean-Luc Chaignaud, Michel Sénéchal, Alain Vernhes

Release Date October 21, 2003
And a very satisfying one too!

Massenet's music is sublime; the satin-voiced Renee Fleming portrays a charming Manon and Marcelo Alvarez, a convincing Des Grieux (although no one can live up to my childhood memories of seeing the great Brazilian soprano Bidu Sayao and Giuseppe Di Stefano in the leading roles at the Metropolitan Opera). The highlight for me was Alvarez's heart-breaking rendition of "Ah, fuyez, douce image!" as Des Grieux waits to take his vows at Saint Sulpice. The red-haired Fleming is stunning in the title role, but she presents such a picture of health that I had to suspend my disbelief when she is supposed to be dying on the rode to Le Havre. This is partly the fault of the costumer, who dressed her in shiny peacock blue satin ... Read More:

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:

Verdi - Otello / Vickers, Freni, Glossop, van Dam, Senechal, Bottion, Malagu, Macchi, von Karajan

starring: Jon Vickers, Mirella Freni, Peter Glossop, Stefania Malagu, Aldo Bottion
directed by: Roger Benamou

Release Date June 14, 2005
This film version of Verdi's Othello -- directed and conducted by Herbert Von Karajan, a man of many talents -- is excellent in many respects, and more than adequate in most. The occasional variation in decibel level is perhaps the only flaw. Buckets of water (intended to serve as the spray of breakers) aside, the 'special affects' are pretty good. The film is nicely filmed; there were times I was convinced they'd found some Maltese castle, but apparently it was done in a Berlin studio. The camera moves subtly and slowly, with none of the frenetic movement (let alone car chases, etc.) that would probably characterize a film version today.

Desdemona would ideally be played by a younger woman than Mirella Freni, but her voice is fine, and her acting gives us a convincing ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 6
Average Rating:

Offenbach - La Belle Helene / Minkowski, Lott, Beuron, Senechal, Naouri, Le Roux, Torodovitch, Chatelet Opera

starring: Felicity Lott, Yann Beuron, Michel Sénéchal, François Le Roux, Laurent Naouri

Release Date June 29, 2004
Some reviewers are fixated on the fact that Dame Feliciy Lott is too old and not beautiful enough to be Helen. But how many Brunnhildes could mount a horse without breaking its back? She makes good choices about how to present the role. What got lost here is how well everyone else fits their part. Especially, Marie-Ange Torodovitch is magnificent as Orestes. If you are going to quibble about beauty, Yann Beuron isn't handsome enough to be Paris, but he does a remarkably good job of being the sort of confident young punk that Paris should be, and his voice is great for his part. Michel Senechal is perfect for Menelaus as depicted here. Francois le Roux (Calchas) and Laurent Naouri (Agamemnon) are also good.

The staging is good, and the various time-warps involved fit with ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 7
Average Rating:

Puccini - Madama Butterfly / Karajan, Freni, Domingo, Ludwig [Region 2]

starring: Mirella Freni, Plácido Domingo, Christa Ludwig, Robert Kerns, Michel Sénéchal
directed by: Jean-Pierre Ponnelle

Release Date November 20, 2001
From the David Belasco play to Puccini's opera to Schonberg's Miss Saigon, there are many faces of Madame Butterfly. But none is any more exquisite than that of Mirella Freni-- especially as she sings the near-perfect aria, "Un bel di" and the Flower Song duet with Suzuki. However, Ponnelle, who staged and directed the film version, made Placido Domingo as Lt. Pinkerton a little too caddish for my taste. This version seems to resemble a faded memory that speaks not to the intellect but to the heart. It certainly deserves a place in any opera collection.

CD-Charts Position 8
Average Rating:

Manon

starring: Renée Fleming, Marcelo Álvarez, Jean-Luc Chaignaud, Michel Sénéchal, Alain Vernhes
directed by: François Roussillon

Release Date
From the David Belasco play to Puccini's opera to Schonberg's Miss Saigon, there are many faces of Madame Butterfly. But none is any more exquisite than that of Mirella Freni-- especially as she sings the near-perfect aria, "Un bel di" and the Flower Song duet with Suzuki. However, Ponnelle, who staged and directed the film version, made Placido Domingo as Lt. Pinkerton a little too caddish for my taste. This version seems to resemble a faded memory that speaks not to the intellect but to the heart. It certainly deserves a place in any opera collection.

CD-Charts Position 9
Average Rating:

Offenbach - Les Contes d'Hoffmann / Shicoff, Swenson, Terfel, Rancatore, Mentzer, Uria-Monzon, Senechal, Gubisch, Lopez Cobos, Paris Opera

starring: Ruth Ann Swenson, Neil Shicoff, Susanne Mentzer, Bryn Terfel, Beatrice Uria-Monzon

Release Date August 17, 2004
First of all please don't listen to traditionalists who cannot tolerate changes. Yes, this is a different take on Hoffman, but a very interesting one and also very beautiful. As other reviewers have pointed out, the action takes place in different parts of the theater where Stella is singing Don Giovanni. At least I, who have seen the opera live on several ocassions in the usual scenery, find it a welcome change.

Second, there is NO nudity, it's a plastic outfit representing a doll, so please do not over-exaggerate.

The singing and acting is great by all of the principals. Schicoff may be a bit too old, but he can still sing with great passion. He's definitely the best Hoffmann to come along in a long time.

The only reservation I have is the sound which lacks a bit ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 10
Average Rating:

La Belle Hélène [Region 2]

starring: Felicity Lott, Yann Beuron, Michel Sénéchal, Laurent Naouri, François Le Roux
directed by: Ross MacGibbon

Release Date
This is a wonderful production. Please note this is available as a Region-1 DVD Offenbach - La Belle Helene / Minkowski, Lott, Beuron, Senechal, Naouri, Le Roux, Torodovitch, Chatelet Opera for a lot less money. I Sure wish that Orphee aux Enfers was available as well!