CD-Charts Position 1
Average Rating:

Gaetano Donizetti - La Fille du regiment / Dessay, Florez, Palmer, Corbelli, French, Campanella, Pelly (Royal Opera House 2007)

starring: Natalie Dessay, Juan Diego Florez, Felicity Palmer, Alessandro Corbelli, Dawn French
directed by: Laurent Pelly

Release Date April 15, 2008
As another reviewer has noted, this Covent Garden production was recently (spring 2008) performed at the Met in New York. I had the pleasure of seeing that production via the Met's closed circuit HD broadcasts.

While I am on that subject, I congratulate and thank the Met for those broadcasts. While not quite the same as being in Lincoln Center for the live performance, it is the next best thing. Those of you who are opera lovers and have not yet discovered or attended those broadcasts should buy your tickets for the 2008-09 season.

Natalie Dessay is a petit French soprano whose acting ability, especially in this comic opera, and whose energy level, matches her excellent musicianship and beautiful voice. Juan ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 2
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
One can always look forward to the music of a Massenet opera, but when you add the voices and acting abilities of Dessay and Villazon you are in for a real treat. Dessay can demonstrate such a range of emotion from naivete to femme fatale. Villazon has performed many times with Dessay and their comfort with each other is apparent. I remember many operas where the soprano and the tenor sang directly to the audience; today great acting is also a part of the opera. The stage directing is the only thing that could use some improvement. The placement of the chorus often seems confusing and of no particular value to the story.

CD-Charts Position 3
Average Rating:

Natalie Dessay - Greatest Moments on Stage

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

Release Date January 16, 2007
What more can I say about this wonderful singer ?
Cristaline voice , effortless performances ........
Really divine !!!

CD-Charts Position 4
Average Rating:

Richard Strauss - Arabella / Thielemann, Te Kanawa, Brendel, Metropolitan Opera

starring: Kiri Te Kanawa, Wolfgang Brendel, Marie McLaughlin (II), David Kuebler, Helga Dernesch
directed by: Brian Large

Release Date June 19, 2001
i've never seen so many big names in one opera before ; also, nathalie dessay has a little role in act II, but that's not really highlighted ; it's definitely a must-have for anyone who wants 2 hours of not stop beautiful music

CD-Charts Position 5
Average Rating:

Igor Stravinsky - Le Rossignol (The Nightingale)/ Dessay, McLaughlin, Urmana, Grivnov, Schagidullin, Naouri, Mikhailov, Conlon

starring: Natalie Dessay, Hugo Simcic, Marie McLaughlin, Violeta Urmana, Vsevolod Grivnov
directed by: Christian Chaudet

Release Date November 08, 2005
The music is great and the visuals are fantastic. They blend human shots with imaginative animation well matched to the music. This is my favorite DVD.

CD-Charts Position 6
Average Rating:

Ambroise Thomas - Hamlet - Barcelona Opera

starring: Simon Keenlyside, Natalie Dessay, Béatrice Uria-Monzon, Alain Vernhes, Daniil Shtoda
directed by: Toni Bargalló

Release Date October 05, 2004
Great work by miss Dessay who set the bar for Ophelia quite high, perhaps a new standard for this role.

CD-Charts Position 7
Average Rating:

Offenbach - Des contes d'Hoffmann (Some Tales of Hoffmann) / Nagano, Galvez-Vallejo, Dessay, Lyon Opera

starring: Daniel Galvez-Vallejo, José van Dam, Natalie Dessay, Barbara Hendricks, Isabelle Vernet
directed by: Pierre Cavassilas

Release Date October 26, 1999
There are several reason you may want to own that DVD.
First of all: Natalie Dessay. She is incredible. So much nuances and clear control of the voice! Not to mention she is adding two high G (same in the CD version) and one high high A flat (not in the CD version)without any strain.
Second, the marvelous Barbara Hendricks, loveliest Antonia with a vibrato more controled than usually. Beside her high C sharp at the end of the trio which seems a bit thight to my ears, the colour of the voice is opulent.
Third, the Van Dam-Bacquier duo with perfect style, "intelligence de la scène".
Galvez-Vallejo is an adequate Hoffmann but not a revelation. However you have to think that it was a non stop evening which is quite a marathon for the tenor, Hoffmann ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 8
Average Rating:

Orphée aux enfers

starring: Natalie Dessay, Yann Beuron, Jean-Paul Fouchécourt, Laurent Naouri, Martine Olméda
directed by: Yves-André Hubert, Ariane Adriani

Release Date
Natalie is the ultimate Euridice with marvelous acting and incredible singing. She generously sprinkles sparkling high G's throughout the show. If she couldn't sing she would have been a famous comedienne. The rest of the cast is delightful. Bethone's Cupid, Naouri's Jupiter, Beuron's Orphee, Olmeda'a Public Opinion, all singing the wonderful Offenbach music. The Fly Song, The Kissing Song...

I could do without the trasvestite dancers (maybe fast forward was invented for that)......but after all, its a French production.

I've converted Offenbach haters to Offenbach lovers with this video!!

CD-Charts Position 9
Average Rating:

Massenet:Manon

starring: Natalie Dessay

Release Date January 15, 2008
Natalie is the ultimate Euridice with marvelous acting and incredible singing. She generously sprinkles sparkling high G's throughout the show. If she couldn't sing she would have been a famous comedienne. The rest of the cast is delightful. Bethone's Cupid, Naouri's Jupiter, Beuron's Orphee, Olmeda'a Public Opinion, all singing the wonderful Offenbach music. The Fly Song, The Kissing Song...

I could do without the trasvestite dancers (maybe fast forward was invented for that)......but after all, its a French production.

I've converted Offenbach haters to Offenbach lovers with this video!!

CD-Charts Position 10
Average Rating:

Some Tales of Hoffmann [Region 2]

starring: Daniel Galvez-Vallejo, José van Dam, Natalie Dessay, Barbara Hendricks, Isabelle Vernet
directed by: Pierre Cavassilas

Release Date
There are several reason you may want to own that DVD.
First of all: Natalie Dessay. She is incredible. So much nuances and clear control of the voice! Not to mention she is adding two high G (same in the CD version) and one high high A flat (not in the CD version)without any strain.
Second, the marvelous Barbara Hendricks, loveliest Antonia with a vibrato more controled than usually. Beside her high C sharp at the end of the trio which seems a bit thight to my ears, the colour of the voice is opulent.
Third, the Van Dam-Bacquier duo with perfect style, "intelligence de la scène".
Galvez-Vallejo is an adequate Hoffmann but not a revelation. However you have to think that it was a non stop evening which is quite a marathon for the tenor, Hoffmann being one of the heaviest ... Read More: