CD-Charts Position 1
Average Rating:

Mozart - Die Zauberflote [Blu-ray]

starring: Simon Keenlyside, Dorothea Röschmann, Will Hartmann, Diana Damrau, Franz-Josef Selig

Release Date April 29, 2008
There is a clever juxtaposition of avant garde staging/theatrical setting with period subject material. The Queen of the Night is downright hot, not to mention the 3 maids. Pappageno stole the ovation! Although a small part, Pappagena is delightful. Regrettably, I don't know what to say about Tamino and Pamina but I'm sure they were great.

The singing is superbly articulate and the acting is second to none. Not just standing there singing with cheap backdrops! The orchestra is strong and the chorus powerful. The sets are meticulously done, eye catching but not distracting. The fire and water sequence is very creative. Its quite a production. Be sure to watch the ovations after it ends. The accolades are appropriately ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 2
Average Rating:

Mozart - Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute) / Keenlyside, Roschmann, Hartmann, Damrau, Selig, Allen, Sir Colin Davis, Covent Garden

starring: Mozart, Simon Keenlyside, Dorothea Roschmann, Diana Damrau, Thomas Allen
directed by: Sir Colin Davis, David McVicar

Release Date September 23, 2003
Sir Colin Davis has done it again! The genius has made another beautiful interpretation of the one of Mozart's final pieces. I may be biased since Die Zauberflote is my favorite opera, but this is a fantastic performance! The cast is magnificent, especially Diana Damaru as the Queen of the Night (my reason for the purchase). However Tamino and Pamina both give memorable performances. Papageno, however sticks out as one of the most memorable performances. He gives both humor and drama where needed, and has perfect control over all of his movements and voice.

Both the set and lighting design are stunning. The cinematography is tasteful, in that you see the production as both a movie and a staged opera (or Singspiel). I have no complaints ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 3
Average Rating:

O Thou Transcendent: The Life of Ralph Vaughan Williams

starring: Thomas Allen, Jill Balcon, Barbara Dickson, English Chamber Orchestra, Brian Kay

Release Date February 26, 2008
A great fan of RVW's music, and excitedly looked forward to viewing this piece......sadly disappointed in the result.

Tony Palmer does an interesting take on RVW's creative motivation....namely that it was to express in his music the various sufferings and tragedies of his own life and of his times. That may be so, it may not be. After all it was RVW himself who responded (I paraphrase): "....a man wants to write a piece of music for the sake of the music itself" when critics and reviewers wanted to interpret first his 4th, then his 6th symphony as about WWII and the turmoils of that era. Undoubtedly every artist in any media is of his times and influenced by the pleasures and pains of his own experience, but that does not necessarily mean ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 4
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 5
Average Rating:

Mozart - Die Zauberflote (The Magic Flute) [HD DVD]

starring: Simon Keenlyside, Dorothea Roschmann, Diana Damrau, Thomas Allen, Franz-Josef Selig
directed by: Sir Colin Davis, David McVicar

Release Date October 30, 2007
Sir Colin Davis has done it again! The genius has made another beautiful interpretation of the one of Mozart's final pieces. The cast is magnificent, especially Diana Damaru as the Queen of the Night (my reason for the purchase). Both the set and lighting design are stunning. The cinematography is tasteful, in that you see the production as both a movie and a staged opera (or Singspiel). I have no complaints at all about this dvd!

Excellent work!!!

CD-Charts Position 6
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 7
Average Rating:

Mozart - Don Giovanni

starring: Simon Keenlyside, Malin Hartelius, Eva Mei, Anton Scharinger, Piotr Beczala
directed by: Sven-Eric Bechtolf

Release Date November 06, 2007
Like a previous reviewer, I bought this simply to see Simon Keenlyside as the Don. I have no quibbles with any of the singers (although Donna Anna is a bit plastic), nor with the New Look costumes, or even with the set. At least you can see what is going on. However, as another reviewer said, this production lacks dramatic tension. And some of the action is just silly. Why, when Don Ottavio sings the wonderfully beautiful Dalla sua pace, about his love of and concern for Donna Anna, is he surrounded by disrobing women? And why does he sing Il me tesoro as if it is Donna Elvira he commending to Masetto's and Zerlina's care? And the Catalogue Aria is just tedious. Never mind, it's all right to watch from another room.

CD-Charts Position 8
Average Rating:

Monteverdi - L'Orfeo

starring: Simon Keenlyside, Rene Jacobs, Juanita Lascarro, Graciela Oddone, Martina Dike
directed by: Trisha Brown

Release Date January 16, 2007
What a wonderful performance...quality is great and keenlyside is wonderful...I am new to classical...and just adore his voice...you won't regret this purchase....

CD-Charts Position 9
Average Rating:

The Magic Flute

starring: Willi Hartmann, Dorothea Röschmann, Diana Damrau, Franz-Josef Selig, Simon Keenlyside
directed by: Sue Judd

Release Date
What a wonderful performance...quality is great and keenlyside is wonderful...I am new to classical...and just adore his voice...you won't regret this purchase....

CD-Charts Position 10
Average Rating:

Mozart:Don Giovanni

starring: Simon Keenlyside

Release Date November 06, 2007
What a wonderful performance...quality is great and keenlyside is wonderful...I am new to classical...and just adore his voice...you won't regret this purchase....