CD-Charts Position 1
Average Rating:

Verdi - Aida / Levine, Domingo, Millo, Metropolitan Opera

starring: Aprile Millo, Plácido Domingo, Dolora Zajick, Sherrill Milnes, Paata Burchuladze
directed by: Brian Large

Release Date December 12, 2000
Aida is certainly one of my favorite operas. However this is not a great recording.
Domingo has been a truly great tenor, but is not in this recording. He is stiff, as usual, and too old for the character. Millo in blackface is absolutely ridiculous, and while she may be the "best Verdi soprano of the last 25 years" she is no Price or Tebaldi. On the bright side Zajick is VERY good both vocally and in character.
The videography is truly horrendous. Either the characters are so far away that they are indistinguishable or so close and shot from such an odd angle that it looks ludicrous. The sound is simple stereo (an in places in need of serious remastering).
I have shelved this recording after forcing myself all the way through ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 2
Average Rating:

Herbert Von Karajan - His Legacy for Home Video - Mozart - Don Giovanni

starring: Samuel Ramey, Anna Tomowa-Sintow, Gösta Winbergh, Paata Burchuladze, Julia Varady
directed by: Claus Viller

Release Date August 29, 2000
This DVD of Mozart's Don Giovanni is a really good one by my standards. The top-notch cast, brilliant scenery and costumes, and wonderful orchestra make this one of my favorite Don's ever. I personally don't like Herbert von Karajan, but I learned to tolerate him. Samuel Ramey as the vile Don was a great casting decision. He blends vivacity and vileness it one very impressive package. Anna Tomowa-Sintow is a brilliant Donna Anna. Her high notes are absolutely stunning and sings with a firm foundation. The Don Ottavio of Gosta Winbergh is stunning, but he lacked something. Nevertheless he was very pleasing. The Commendatore of Paata Burchuladze is good for all that he's in. Now for the best: Julia Varady as Donna Elvira. I think she was Karajan's substitute ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 3
Average Rating:

Verdi - Nabucco / Muti, Bruson, Dimitrova, Burchuladze, Becaria, Pierotti, La Scala

starring: Renato Bruson, Bruno Beccaria, Paata Burchuladze, Ghena Dimitrova, Raquel Pierotti
directed by: Brian Large

Release Date February 10, 2004
SOURCE: Live performance from La Scala in Milan, produced by National Video Corporation in association with Radiotelevisone Italiana, Milan. Nabucco was the first production of La Scala's 1986-87 season, so this performance can be assumed to have occurred in the autumn of 1986.

SOUND: Generally adequate two-channel stereo. The microphones were apparently set to capture the solo vocalists and the orchestra. The chorus is attended with less care, leading to what strikes me as a seriously underpowered "Va, pensiero" in Act III.

CAST: Nabucco (Nebuchadnezzar), King of Babylon - Renato Bruson (baritone); Abigaile, the elder but adopted daughter of Nabucco (or maybe his daughter by a concubine slave) - Ghena Dimitrova (soprano); Fenena, ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 4
Average Rating:

Mussorgsky - Khovanshchina / Abbado, Ghiaurov, Atlantov, Vienna State Opera

starring: Nicolai Ghiaurov, Vladimir Atlantov, Paata Burchuladze, Heinz Zednik, Joanna Borowska
directed by: Brian Large

Release Date March 27, 2001
While I liked the music from Mussorgsky's second most famous opera, the production was a distraction. After all, if one were only interested in the music a CD would suffice, wouldn't it?

I purchased this DVD before reading former reviewers comments on the bizarre (avante-garde? post-modern?) costumes and staging. It reminded me of the Kirov's production of "Boris Godunov" in the fall of 2006, which was equally disappointing.

My next Khovanshchina DVD will be one with historically appropriate costumes, props, and the like.

CD-Charts Position 5
Average Rating:

Puccini - Turandot / Gergiev, Schnaut, Tear, Vienna State Opera

starring: Gabriele Schnaut, Robert Tear, Paata Burchuladze, Johan Botha, Cristina Gallardo Domas
directed by: Brian Large

Release Date August 19, 2003
Just watched this DVD- fortunately borrowed from my local library free-of-charge.
Love Turandot.
Hated this performance.
Only thing which would have made it worse: All black costumes upon a bare black stage with a total-black background.
And the singers are not that good either.
Dieter strikes again!!!!

CD-Charts Position 6
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 7
Average Rating:

Herbert Von Karajan - His Legacy for Home Video: Don Giovanni

starring: Kathleen Battle, Paata Burchuladze, Ferruccio Furlanetto, Wiener Philharmoniker, Samuel Ramey
directed by: Michael Hampe

Release Date May 27, 2008
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 8
Average Rating:

Aida [Region 2]

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

Release Date
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, if you do yourself ... Read More: