Posts tagged ‘catalogue’
This week on medici.tv, Roberto Alagna shines in two French operas: Georges Bizet’s The Pearl Fishers and Charles Gounod’s Romeo and Juliet.
These two operas were both premiered at the Théâtre-Lyrique in Paris, which produced the first performances of the major French operas in the late 19th century. It is in this theater that Gounod presented successful operas such as Faust (1859) and Mireille (1864). Bizet’s The Fair Maid of Perth was also performed there for the first time in 1866.
The opera The Pearl Fishers was premiered in 1863 where as Bizet was only 25, and reflects the fashionable orientalism which inspired many 19th century artists. Nadir is the young enlightened fisher who falls in love with the priestess Leïla, in spite of the promise he made to his friend Zurga that no woman could win over their friendship.
Premiered five years later, Gounod’s Romeo and Juliet is a musical adaptation of William Shakespeare’s legendary tragedy, which also inspired numerous composers such as Hector Berlioz, Leonard Bernstein.
Roberto Alagna started his career singing popular songs in the Parisian cabarets, while practicing opera on his own. He met his idol Luciano Pavarotti and won the Pavarotti Competition in Philadelphia in 1988 and thus was invited to perform in prestigious opera houses. The French tenor reached the forefront of the international operatic scene in 1994, with Nicolas Joel’s staging of Gounod’s Romeo and Juliet, available now on medici.tv*.
The concert version of The Pearl Fishers, recorded at the Salle Pleyel on February, 17 2013 is also available for free during 2 months. It is an opportunity to hear the tenor in another characterization of the romantic man, who gives up his duty to serve his love passionately. He shares the stage with Bulgarian soprano Nino Machaidze, who gained recognition in her interpretation of Romeo and Juliet at the Salzburg Festival in 2008, opposite Rolando Villazón.
- Watch The Pearl Fishers with Roberto Alagna, Nino Machaidze and the Orchestre de Chambre de Paris conducted by Giorgio Croci from the Salle Pleyel
- Watch Gounod’s Romeo and Juliet, directed for stage by Nicolas Joel in Covent Garden in 1994, with Leontina Vaduva
- Follow Roberto Alagna from Buenos Aires to Versailles for his last show “Pasión” in 24 hours with Roberto Alagna
*Available in VOD or by subscription
Don Carlo directed for stage by Nicholas Hytner – Tonight at the Metropolitan Opera in New York!
Don Carlo by Verdi is once again in the spotlight as Nicholas Hytner’s staging of the opera will open tonight at the Metropolitan Opera.
It is with Verdi‘s Don Carlo that Hytner made his debut at the Met in 2011, he presents it again this season for a series of 7 performances (until March 17), conducted by Lorin Maazel and starring Ramón Vargas in the title role, Barbara Frittoli, Anna Smirnova, Dmitri Hvorostovsky, Ferruccio Furlanetto, and Eric Halfvarson.
The dark and profound opera pictures the personal and political dramas of the Royal Spanish family at the peak of the Inquisition. It has been reworked several times and has a complex history. For this production at the Met, Hytner chose the original five acts version sung in Italian.
We encourage all New Yorkers to attend this spectacular show! If you were not lucky enough to get tickets, you can still wait until the production is taken back to Covent Garden in May, starring Jonas Kaufmann!
But the simplest way to have your share of Don Carlo is to watch it on medici.tv, with Rolando Villazón as Don Carlo and Marina Poplavskaya as Elisabeth de Valois!
Verdi’s Don Carlo in four acts is now available on medici.tv. An occasion to go back on the piece’s complex history.
The adaptation of Friedrich Schiller’s play by librettists Camille du Locle and Francois Joseph Méry, Don Carlo was premiered on March, 11, 1867 in Paris, in its five acts version and in French. Although the opera was conceived in French by Verdi, it is the Italian version which was successful and recognized. The Italian score was translated by Achille de Lauzières and published in 1869.
Very soon, the composer goes back to Don Carlo in order to work on the length of this “Grand opera”. In the 1867 Parisian version, Verdi adds the ballet “La Peregrina” to act III and compensates these additional 15 minutes of music by cutting out sections form act I.
The Milanese version 1884 omits the ballet and the whole first act, the original French libretto is modified and translated to Italian again. In 1886 in Modena, a performance included the original first act and mixed arias from the Parisian version and from the Milanese version. (Version available on medici.tv)
There is no agreement on which is the final score among the different versions and languages. The choice mainly determines how the story is presented. In the first original act, Don Carlo starts with the meeting of Don Carlo and his fiancée Elizabeth of Valois, who immediately fall in love in the Fontainebleau forest. In the version available on medici.tv and directed for stage by Nicholas Hytner, Spanish colors and treasures from the “Siglo de Oro” shine on the stage. The action unfolds during a period of important political unrest during which Carlos V’s empire decay. His son and successor, Filippo II incarnates the tyrannical and lonely king, as it is expressed in the profound “Elle giammai m’amò !…” in the beginning of act IV.
In the 1884 version, recently published on medici.tv, the action starts in the middle of the conflict opposing the infante Don Carlo and his father Filippo II who decided to marry Elizabeth himself. In this production, Willy Decker’s stage direction emphasizes the tragic destiny of all the characters thanks to an impressive crucifix which slowly goes down and overlooks the stage during the whole opera. The marble setting representing the Pantheon of the Kings of the royal palace El Escorial and the music, one of “the darkest ever written” according to Riccardo Chailly, reflect the feelings and dilemmas in which the characters are caught.
Don Carlo an opera by Giuseppe Verdi
Revised version in four acts.
Music director:Riccardo Chailly
Stage direction : Willy Decker
Set designer: Wolfgang Gussmann
Rolando Villazón(Don Carlo)
Robert Lloyd (Filippo II)
Dwayne Croft (Rodrigo)
Jaakko Ryhänen (Il grande inquisitore)
Amanda Roocroft (Elizabeth of Valois)
Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra
It’s your turn to compare!
- Watch the Modena version, performed in Covent Garden and directed for stage by Nicholas Hytner
- Watch the Milanese version performed at the Nederlandse Opera and directed for stage by Willy Decker
- Watch the behind the scenes of the production at the Nederlandse Opera, featuring interviews of Willy Decker, Riccardo Chailly and Rolando Villazón
Offer medici.tv for Valentine’s day
Good reason No. 1: You will improve your musical knowledge with your loved one
With all those archives, documentaries, master classes and works from the repertoire, you will surely be a winning team at your next Trivial Pursuit Party.
Good reason No. 2: 1100 films and concerts represent over three years of sweet evenings spent together
Having plans for all this time spent together is a beautiful proof of your love!
Good reason No. 3: Puccini, Bellini and the greatest Romantics to help you declare your feelings
It is simplistic, but it is a fact: operas mostly deal with love. And the greatest libretists have helped the characters declare their burning passion. Why wouldn’t they help you? For you next love letter, you will be able to copy and paste the most beautiful lyrics by Werther, Isolde, Tosca, Don Carlo, Rodolfo or Desdemona. You can cite your sources or not.
Good reason No. 4: It is more unexpected than a bunch of roses
Yes, flowers smeel nice, make your appartment look even better, and always please the person they are given to. But you wouldn’t want your delicate attention to be interpreted as lack of inspiration, would you? This year, you can choose to be innovative. And if you think there is no Valentine’s Day without a bunch of red roses, you can still attach the medici.tv gift card inside!
Good reason No. 5: It is healthier than a box of chocolate
And your don’t want your loved one to hate his/her hips or belly thinking of your last Valentine’s Day!
Enjoy your stay on medici.tv!
These are the 50 operas, concerts, ballets and documentaries you have watched the most during the year 2012. If you have not seen them all, it is still time! Click on the title to get more information.
- Yuja Wang performs Schubert, Schumann, Scriabin and Prokofiev / Verbier Festival 2010
- Evgeny Kissin plays Chopin / Verbier Festival 2009
- Khatia Buniatishvili plays Rachmaninov, Liszt and Chopin / With Neeme Järvi and the Verbier Festival Orchestra
- Yuja Wang and Claudio Abbado play Prokofiev and Mahler / Lucerne Festival 2009
- Alfred Brendel plays Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 3 / Lucerne Festival Orchestra, Claudio Abbado
- Vladimir Jurowski conducts Don Giovanni in Glyndebourne / Vladimir Jurowski, Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Glyndebourne Chorus
- La Cenerentola / In Glyndebourne. Directed for stage by Peter Hall
- The finest Russian musicians gathered around Yuri Temirkanov and Anna Netrebko / 2003 St. Petersburg Gala, celebrating the 300th anniversary of the city
- Yuri Temirkanov and Yuja Wang in a Russian music programme / Verbier Festival 2011
- La Sonnambula / Opera by Vincenzo Bellini in 2 acts
- Werther / Opera in 4 Acts by Jules Massenet
- Aida / Opera by Verdi, with Daniela Dessì. Directed for stage by José Antonio Gutiérrez. Gran Teatre del Liceu, 2003
- Martha Argerich plays Schumann, Piano Concerto / Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, Riccardo Chailly
- Claudio Abbado performs Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos / Orchestra Mozart
- Martha Argerich plays Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No. 1 / Classic Archive
- Cavalleria Rusticana – I Pagliacci / With Violeta Urmana and María Bayo. Directed for stage by Giancarlo del Monaco
- Lohengrin / With Klaus Florian Vogt and Solveig Kringelborn. Directed for stage Nikolaus Lehnhoff
- Claudio Abbado and Maurizio Pollini perform Beethoven Choral Fantasy / Berliner Philharmoniker
- Les Indes galantes / Les Arts Florissants, dir. William Christie
- Pelléas et Mélisande, at the Opéra national de Paris / With Stéphane Degout (Pelléas) and Elena Tsallagova (Mélisande). Philippe Jordan, Music director
- The Art of Chopin / A tribute to the art of Chopin
- Rossini: Il Barbiere di Siviglia / Zurich Opera, Vesselina Kasarova (mezzo-soprano)
- Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg / Directed for stage by Katharina Wagner. 2008 Bayreuth Festival
- Martha Argerich plays the Prokofiev 3rd Piano Concerto / Classic Archive
- Swan Lake / Choreography by Rudolf Nureev. With José Martinez and Agnès Letestu.
- Richard Wagner: Der Ring des Nibelungen, “The Valkyrie” / Lothar Zagrosek, Staatsorchester Stuttgart
- Cinderella, by Nureyev / A ballet in three acts by Rudolf Nureyev, based on the novel by Charles Perrault. Music by Prokofiev
- Claudio Abbado and Maxim Vengerov, Gypsy / Silvesterkonzert 1996
- Claudio Abbado interprets Mozart Requiem / Berliner Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan Memorial Concert
- Claudio Abbado conducts Mahler: Symphony No. 5 / Lucerne Festival Orchestra
- L’Orfeo / Directed for stage by Robert Wilson. Conducted by Rinaldo Alessandrini
- Claudio Abbado and Renée Fleming interpret Strauss and Wagner / Lucerne Festival Orchestra
- Perlman, Zukerman, Du Pré, Mehta, Barenboim rehearse and play The Trout / A film by Christopher Nupen
- Tristan und Isolde / Directed for stage by Christoph Marthaler. 2009 Bayreuth Festival
- Don Carlo / With Rolando Villazón and Marina Poplavskaya. Music director Antonio Pappano
- Anoushka Shankar: Traveller / Gypsy music from India to Spain
- The Fairy Queen / Semi-opera by Henry Purcell (1692). Directed for stage by Jonathan Kent. Music director: William Christie
- Glenn Gould plays Bach Partita No. 6 / Bruno Monsaingeon, film director
- Madama Butterfly / Japanese tragedy by Giacomo Puccini. Directed for stage by Robert Wilson
- Vladimir Jurowski and Hélène Grimaud perform Strauss and Ravel / Chamber Orchestra of Europe, Gulbenkian Choir
- Verdi: Il Trovatore / Orchestra e coro del Teatro alla Scala, Riccardo Muti
- Jacqueline Du Pré and the Elgar Cello Concerto / A film by Christopher Nupen
- Valery Gergiev conducts Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 6, “Pathetique” / Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra. The complete Tchaikovsky symphonies
- Claudio Abbado conducts Mahler: Symphony No. 2 / Lucerne Festival Orchestra
- Khatia Buniatishvili plays Liszt, Chopin, Prokofiev and Stravinsky / Verbier Festival 2011
- Katia and Marielle Labèque play Bach with Il Giardino Armonico / Musikverein Wien
- La Bohème / Opera in 4 acts, Music by Giacomo Puccini and Libretto by Luigi Illica et Giuseppe Giacosa. With Inva Mula (Mimi)
- Viaggio a Reims / Staged by Alain Maratrat. Conductor: Valery Gergiev
- Daniel Barenboim and Alisa Weilerstein perform Wagner, Elgar and Brahms / Europa Konzert 2010, Oxford
- Martha Argerich and Yuri Temirkanov perform Ravel, Prokofiev, and Shostakovich / Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra
Gérald Caillat followed the members of the Spira mirabilis and reveals the unique methods of this atypical orchestra – New VOD release on medici.tv.
Spira mirabilis was founded in Italy by a bunch of young musicians, who play in the best European orchestras.
Those musicians decided to gather, not with the goal of creating an orchestra capable of performing on stage, but in order to make music together. Thus, the instrumentalists study a work and discuss all the possible interpretations, before deciding which way they would like to perform it. No music director, but all of them are music directors.
A unique method, illustrated in this excerpt: watch the musicians rehearsing the Scherzo from Schumann’s First Symphony:
- La Spira, a film by Gérald Caillat, available on medici.tv (with English subtitles/French subtitles),
- Visit the official website of the Spira mirabilis.
Conductor Georg Solti, in conversation with John Culshaw. Video available on medici.tv.
medici.tv celebrates Georg Solti’s centenary (born October 21, 1912), medici.tv broadcasts a programme taken from the BBC archives. It features videos of the Hungarian musician conducting The Flying Dutchman‘s overture by Richard Wagner (one of his favorite composers), rehearsing Richard Strauss’ Don Juan de Richard Strauss, answering John Culshaw in an interview, and conducting the BBC Symphony Orchestra at the Royal Albert Hall in Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony. A “best-of” programme, which David Patmore introduces with those words…
During the autumn of 1958, Solti conducted the Wiener Philharmoniker for a the first ever complete recording of Das Rheingold (Decca Records). It was acclaimed worldwide, and even made the Billboard Top Ten best-selling albums for a short period in the USA. It is with Wagner that Solti established himself as a recording conductor in Europe and America.
In 1959 Solti made his debut at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden with Der Rosenkavalier, and the offer of the musical directorship soon followed, which Solti took up in 1961. The early years at Covent Garden were not easy for Solti, who faced continuing press hostility, with critics disliking his high levels of nervous energy and in particular his fast tempi, extreme dynamics, and demands for precise articulation. It was only after he had been in post for approximately three years that the critical onslaught began to abate. But in Solti’s favour there was his undoubted commitment to raising performance, ans especially orchestral, standards.The Solti of this time is vividly seen in the account of the Overture to Wagner’s Flying Dutchman recorded for television in 193.
At the beginning of 1965 Solti initiated a series of new productions at Covent Garden. Magnificent as Solti was as an interpreter of Wagner, it was as a Strauss conductor that he perhaps achieved some of his finest work. Here the pursuit of technical excellence is balanced by a seemingly new and overt appreciation of the expressive nature of the music.
By 1985, the time of the telerecording of the performance of Beethoven’s Fifth with the BBC Symphony Orchestra at the Royal Albert Hall, Solti had been chief conductor of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra for seventeen years. By now Solti had few rivals as a conductor in concert and on record. Although he was seventy-three of age at the time of this performance, much of the old fire remained, with a continuing emphasis upon rhythmic tautness, strong dynamic contrasts, and a persistent sense of high drama in performance. That this style was highly effective in performance is plain for all to see and hear from this historic video recording, a fitting tribute to a great conductor.
© David Patmore / ICA
- Watch this film on medici.tv
- Read a biography of Georg Solti
- Visit icartists.co.uk
The highly expected production of Rossini’s Touchstone will be released within one day! You know what you will be doing tomorrow night.
Not a single wrinckle for this 200 year-old masterpiece thanks to Pier Luigi Pizzi’s fantastic production at the Teatro Real de Madrid! Soon part of our catalogue (available by subscription/for rent).
A video snapshot of this gem! To be watched until the end (we don’t say why, you will understand)!
