CD-Charts Position 1
Average Rating:

Verdi - La Traviata

starring: Renee Fleming, Rolando Villazon, Renato Bruson, James Conlon, Ania Alkimova
directed by: Marta Domingo

Release Date October 30, 2007
I will admit to having some doubts about this performance before viewing it. First, several years ago, I gave a glowing review to the DVD and CD of the performance under Solti, finding Angela Gheorghiu to be the definitive Violetta. Second, I have been less than satisfied with some of Renee Fleming's recent performances on CD, finding them to be mannered and self-indulgent. Well, all my misgivings were rendered unwarranted. This performance is a knockout.

Admittedly, Renee Fleming has become "larger than life," to the point that it is not always possible for her to disappear inside her roles; you always know that you are watching the great Renee. BUt that fact did not diminish her performance, at least after getting past the ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 2
Average Rating:

Leoncavallo - I Pagliacci / Mascagni - Cavalleria Rusticana / Domingo, Stratas, Pons, Bruson, Obraztsova, Pretre

starring: Teresa Stratas, Plácido Domingo, Juan Pons, Alberto Rinaldi (III), Florindo Andreolli
directed by: Franco Zeffirelli

Release Date June 14, 2005
Leoncavallo's Pagliacci is one of the verismo cornerstones of the Italian repertory. This performance does justice to the hot-blooded score with magnificent singing by tenor, Placido Domingo and Teresa Stratas. Conductor Georges Pretre, not usually associated with this repertoire, yet, he squeezes every white-hot passion out of this smoldering score. Add the magnificent production by Franco Zeffirelli, and you have all you need for one of the most exciting opera productions committed onto DVD. I saw this production at the Met years ago; I was elated when Deutsche Grammophon issued it.

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); ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 4
Average Rating:

Verdi - Ernani / Domingo, Freni, Bruson, Ghiaurov, Muti, La Scala Opera

starring: Plácido Domingo, Renato Bruson, Nicolai Ghiaurov, Mirella Freni, Joranda Michieli
directed by: Preben Montel

Release Date August 31, 2004
Ernani is a contender for silliest opera ever, and damned if I don't love every minute of it! Okay, okay, I know all the knocks against early Verdi put forth by the highminded intellectuals of academia who want everything to be Wagner, it's crude, it's empty, yada yada yada. Crude in comparison to what? Aida? Well, duh! Crude in comparison to Bellini or Donizetti? Hardly. Early Verdi is bel canto but amped up with a heavy metal attitude, overflowing with melodiousness but with enough youthful energy to make the Sex Pistols envious. It may not be profound, but the music is so infectious it's hard to even care. No music, any time, anywhere, by any other composer, sounds like this. In short, early Verdi rules!

Even by the standards of mid-nineteenth ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 5
Average Rating:

Opera Stories: An In-Depth Look at Ten of the World's Favorite Operas / Charlton Heston

starring: Kiri Te Kanawa; Ileana Cotrubas; PLacido Domingo; Renato Bruson
directed by: Charlton Heston

Release Date September 25, 2007
Ernani is a contender for silliest opera ever, and damned if I don't love every minute of it! Okay, okay, I know all the knocks against early Verdi put forth by the highminded intellectuals of academia who want everything to be Wagner, it's crude, it's empty, yada yada yada. Crude in comparison to what? Aida? Well, duh! Crude in comparison to Bellini or Donizetti? Hardly. Early Verdi is bel canto but amped up with a heavy metal attitude, overflowing with melodiousness but with enough youthful energy to make the Sex Pistols envious. It may not be profound, but the music is so infectious it's hard to even care. No music, any time, anywhere, by any other composer, sounds like this. In short, early Verdi rules!

Even by the standards of mid-nineteenth ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 6
Average Rating:

Verdi - Il Corsaro / Bruson, Michailov, Sburlati, Damato, Palumbo, Parma Opera

starring: Renato Bruson, Zvetan Michailov, Michela Sburlati

Release Date June 28, 2005
PLEASE, HELP ME. HOW CAN I PROCEED - THIS DVD DOESN'T PLAY ON MY DVD PLAYER. PLEASE, SOMEONE FROM AMAZON.COM, CONTACT ME URGENTLY THROUGH MY E-MAIL ADRESS, EXPLAINING TO ME WHAT DO I HAVE TO DO, I'VE PAID A LOT FOR THIS ITEM, SO I DON'T WANNA LOOSE MY MONEY. THANK YOU.

CD-Charts Position 7
Average Rating:

Donizetti - Lucia di Lammermoor / Devia, La Scola, Bruson, Colombara, Berti, Ranzani, La Scala Opera

starring: Renato Bruson, Vincenzo La Scola, Mariella Devia, Marco Berti, Carlo Colombara

Release Date July 20, 2004
Mariella Devia's acting is thoroughly stilted until the Act 3 "Mad Scene." In Acts 1 and 2, she seems almost bored. For example, when Lucia's horrible brother demands that she marries someone other than the man she loves, Devia looks completely nonchalant. However, she's brilliant musically and very convincing dramatically when it comes to her final scene. The DVD is worth buying for the mad scene alone.

On the whole, it's hard to say who is the worst actress, Mariella Devia or Joan Sutherland? Anna Moffo captures the tragedy of the fragile, mentally-unstable Lucia beautifully. So, if you demand drama with your bel canto, I suggest you turn to Moffo for the most complete interpretation currently available on dvd. It's a pity that we have no video recording ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 8
Average Rating:

Verdi - La Traviata / Bonfadelli, Piper, Bruson, Ricci, Peebo, Leveroni, Domingo, Busseto

starring: Renato Bruson, Stefania Bonfadelli, Annely Peebo, Scott Piper, Luca Casalin
directed by: Fausto Dall'Olio

Release Date February 18, 2003
There are only a few DVDs of Traviata and I own this one and Solti/Gheorghiu version at Covent Garden. In short, they are both 'to die for'. In my opinion, DVDs are the next best thing to the San Francisco, or for that matter, any other Opera House. Bonfadelli does not sing as well as Angela but the acting is wonderful and both have their own interesting interpretations of VV. Watching Domingo conduct was also a treat albeit he is no Solti. Zefferelli's set is excellent (as always) as was the set at Covent Garden. These are absolute musts for any opera DVD collection.

CD-Charts Position 9
Average Rating:

Merry Christmas From Milan- Caballe & Bruson / Montserrat Caballe, Renato Bruson, Montserrat Marti, Rossana Potenza

starring: Renato Bruson
directed by: Enrico Castiglione

Release Date October 28, 2008
There are only a few DVDs of Traviata and I own this one and Solti/Gheorghiu version at Covent Garden. In short, they are both 'to die for'. In my opinion, DVDs are the next best thing to the San Francisco, or for that matter, any other Opera House. Bonfadelli does not sing as well as Angela but the acting is wonderful and both have their own interesting interpretations of VV. Watching Domingo conduct was also a treat albeit he is no Solti. Zefferelli's set is excellent (as always) as was the set at Covent Garden. These are absolute musts for any opera DVD collection.

CD-Charts Position 10
Average Rating:

La Traviata

starring: Renato Bruson, Stefania Bonfadelli, Annely Peebo, Scott Piper, Luca Casalin
directed by: Fausto Dall'Olio

Release Date July 29, 2008
There are only a few DVDs of Traviata and I own this one and Solti/Gheorghiu version at Covent Garden. In short, they are both 'to die for'. In my opinion, DVDs are the next best thing to the San Francisco, or for that matter, any other Opera House. Bonfadelli does not sing as well as Angela but the acting is wonderful and both have their own interesting interpretations of VV. Watching Domingo conduct was also a treat albeit he is no Solti. Zefferelli's set is excellent (as always) as was the set at Covent Garden. These are absolute musts for any opera DVD collection.