CD-Charts Position 1
Average Rating:

Eugene Onegin (Wiener Philharmoniker)

starring: Ryland Davies, Ferruccio Furlanetto, Joseph Kaiser, Peter Mattei, Renée Morloc
directed by: Thomas Lang

Release Date August 12, 2008
I bought this review on the basis of my admiration for Peter Mattei whose voice and looks are an asset to any opera. His singing here is indeed beautiful. But the production is so at odds with the spirit of Pushkin and Tchaikovsky that it is hard to stomach.

Onegin is essence of the Russian soul and this production completely negates that. Musically strong, theatrically a disaster.

CD-Charts Position 2
Average Rating:

Mozart - Die Entfuhrung aus dem Serail / Masterson, Watson, Davies, Hoback, White, Kuhn, Glyndebourne Opera

starring: Valerie Masterson, Lillian Watson, Ryland Davies, James Hoback, Gustav Kuhn

Release Date August 16, 2005
As far as I know, this production has not ever been released before in any format, and that's a shame because this is a very nice 'Abduction,' with excellent singing, exceptional orchestral playing, and good visual and dramatic values. It also gives us a chance to see the work of some singers early in their careers. Most important of these, to me, is to see and hear Willard White, that wonderful Jamaican basso, as Osmin. He darn near steals the show with his characterization, immensely likable and funny. The only thing missing from his performance is rock-solid low notes; he really has to reach for those low Cs and Ds. As for the ladies in the cast, they could hardly be bettered. Valerie Masterson is a delicious, if slightly reserved young lady, ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 3
Average Rating:

Janacek - Kat'a Kabanova / Davis, Gustafson, Palmer, Glyndebourne Opera

starring: Barry McCauley, Felicity Palmer, Ryland Davies, Nancy Gustafson, John Graham-Hall
directed by: Derek Bailey

Release Date March 26, 2002
On the DVD the orchestra is really there. I liked the production, and the cast sang and acted well. Perhaps the sound was remixed for the DVD as I could not understand the negative reviews given this production.

CD-Charts Position 4
Average Rating:

Mozart - Cosi fan Tutte (Salzburg Marionette Theater)

starring: Peter Ustinov, Pilar Lorengar, Teresa Berganza, Gabriel Bacquier, Tom Krause
directed by: Georg Solti

Release Date June 26, 2007
This DVD has a recording of a puppet-show version of this. I bought this not knowing that it was not a staged production and was sad to find that it was not. Pilar Lorengar is one of the most over-looked sopranos of all time. This DVD, although it does not have a stage production, has a wonderful musical production of this opera. You can buy just the CD of this performance on Amazon and I highly recommend it.