I Vespri Siciliani

I Vespri Siciliani must me Verdi's most underrated masterpiece. Most people are put off by the fact that it has 5 acts, therefore they conclude that it must be incredibly long. It is long but not as long as some people may fear as most of the acts are under half an hour each. The total length of the DVD in question is 171 minutes, just under 3 hours, including titles at the beginning, applauses and curtain calls between the acts and at the end. The opera contains Verdi's most powerful overture and a number of very elegant arias, duets and ensembles for the principals.

Puccini: Gianni Schicchi

Opera in one act, libretto by G. Forzano based on Dante's Divine Comedy. Third part of his opera Triptych. The plot is based on canto XXX of "Inferno" from "The Divine Comedy", which are dedicated to the rogue and deceiver Gianni Schicchi, who was punished for his sins: he impersonated a dying rich man in order to make a forged will on his behalf. Gianni Schicchi is Puccini's only comic opera, a brilliant example of a modern opera buffa based on the tradition of Verdi's Falstaff. The most expressive recitative, bubbling melody, sharp character, impetuous tempo distinguish her music. Recorded live at Glyndebourne Opera House, Sussex, UK on 11 July 2004.

The Newspaper

The writer Dario Fo applies his inventive genius to Rossini's comic opera in its premiere DVD release. Recorded in 2005 under the musical direction of Maurizio Barbacini, Fo's production brings fresh vitality and colour to the story of Lisetta, and of her father Don Pomponio's increasingly ridiculous attempts to find a husband for her through an advertisement in the newspaper LA GAZZETTA. Filmed using high definition cameras with multitrack sound.

Phantom

Takarazuka Revue's Phantom based on the play by Maury Yeston and Arthur Kopit.

Rudi Stephan: Die ersten Menschen

The 2021 production by the Dutch National Opera of the work by German composer Rudi Stephan (1887–1915) "Die ersten Menschen" ("The First Humans"), completed in 1914 to a libretto by Otto Borngräber interpreting the Biblical story of the Garden of Eden through symbolism and the then nascent science of psychoanalysis. This production was part of the Holland Festival of Amsterdam.

Mitridate Re Di Ponto

The definitive version of this rare opera by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The costume and set design is truly visionary and other worldly and gives a convincing insight into what staged operas must have looked like during the Baroque and Rococo period. Singers are all excellent and well cast in their respective roles. One of the most thrilling things I have seen, just wish I could see this live.

Prodaná nevěsta

Set in a South Bohemian village, this faithful film version of Smetana’s opera follows farmer Krušina’s plan to marry his daughter Mařenka to wealthy Vašek. Mařenka loves Jeník, a stranger. Through matchmaking schemer Kecal’s plots and revealed identities, true love triumphs in a festive village wedding.

Handel: Admeto

Axel Kohler, the internationally renowned countertenor has brought Admeto into the modern era in timeless style by the skillful application of imaginative theatrical digressions. Köhler's production at the Halle Opernhaus revisits a work that encompasses comedy, tragedy and almost absurd grotesqueness, couching it in the convincing metaphor of a modern hospital.

Fierrabras

Fierrabras of 1823 is the last of Franz Schubert’s stage works. Rarely performed to this day, this heroic-romantic opera has now been staged for the first time ever at the Salzburg Festival by famous director Peter Stein. Based on an old French 12th-century epic, the plot depicts the military conflict between Christians and Moors at the time of Charlemagne – as a backdrop to stories of love and friendship that prove to be stronger than war and hatred of otherness. The strong cast includes the “marvellously expressive miracle Dorothea Röschmann” (Die Zeit) and “Michael Schade, who exudes his exceptional tenor in Fierrabras’s heroic arias” (Der neue Merker). Under the energetic baton of lngo Metzmacher, the Vienna Philharmonic unfold “the melos, the poetry, the sweetness and the dramatic force of Schubert’s highly refined and atmospheric sound worlds” (Kleine Zeitung) in highly romantic fashion.

Saariaho: L'Amour de Loin

This is the 2004 version of Kaija Saariaho's opera performed by the Finnish National Opera and conducted by Esa-Pekka Salonen.

Aida - Arena di Verona

The grand scale and magnificent acoustics of the Roman arena in Verona are ideally suited to the pageantry of Verdi's Egyptian opera, presented here in a staging that is true to the original 1913 production, framed by obelisks and sphinxes and filled with chorus and dancers. Chinese soprano Hui He has won international acclaim for her portrayal of the eponymous slave girl whose forbidden love for the war hero Radamés (Marco Berti, the experienced Verdi tenor) brings death to them both.

Manon Lescaut

The sets and costumes by Ponnelle are truly reflective of the 'grand style'. Plus the fact that the two lead characters are portrayed by top singers in their absolute prime - both Gruberova and Araiza weren't even 35 years old at the time of this performance, makes this production the most convincing both dramatically and musically. The conducting of Fischer is good - he makes the music come alive, much more so than the MET version.

Ciro in Babilonia

The Biblical story of Belshazzar's hubristic arrogance, set against the valour of the young warrrior-leader Cyrus, provided the 20-year-old Rossini with a dramatic story enriched by West-Eastern implications which still speak to us today. For the title role of Cyrus, Rossini wrote what would be his longest-ever contralto role, to which the great Rossini singer Ewa Podles´ is both naturally attracted and ideally suited. She is partnered by two young stars of Rossini singing, Jessica Pratt and Michael Spyres, and a conductor-scholar, Will Crutchfield, of great experience and sympathy. Filmed in High Definition and recorded in true Surround Sound.

The Phantom of the Opera

The deformed Phantom who haunts the Paris Opera House causes murder and mayhem in an attempt to make the woman he loves a star.

Freydís and Gudrid

A group of merchants and vikings navigate dramatic events both within and without in this epic musical based on the Icelandic Vinland sagas. As secrets are exposed, two women (Freydís and Gudrid) have a reckoning.

Samson Et Dalila

Pious restraint comes face to face with sensuous hedonism in Camille Saint-Saëns’s grand-opera retelling of the Bible story of Samson and Delilah. Multi-Olivier Award winning director Richard Jones returns to The Royal Opera to stage this spectacular fin-de-siècle masterpiece, not performed at Covent Garden since 2004. Elina Garanca stars as the Philistine Dalila, SeokJong Baek as the inspiring Jewish hero Samson and Antonio Pappano conducts the full forces of the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House. With superb singing in solos and duets of great intimacy and fervour, gorgeous music with thrilling orchestral interludes, and splendid choral numbers for the Royal Opera Chorus – this is a performance to remember.

Werther

The production was the Vienna State Opera debut for the young Swiss conductor Philippe Jordan – the Argentinian tenor Marcelo Álvarez, took the title role. His Charlotte on this occasion was the young Latvian mezzo-soprano Elīna Garanča. Her performances have been enthusiastically received and she has already been labelled as the new mezzo wonder. Staged by internationally sought-after Rumanian director, Andrei Serban, the apparently sentimental love story – normally presented in 18th century period costumes - reveals a study of personal relationships and a close observation of a woman, who comes of age too late. Serban’s aim was to rid the opera of the unjustified reputation of banality that clings to it despite its underlying tragic mood. By setting the production in the stiff, claustrophobic atmosphere of a small town in the 1950s, he aimed to make the audience more aware of its deeper levels of self-denial.

Rameau Hippolyte et Aricie

Emmanuelle Haïm has established herself as one of the world’s leading performers, conductors and interpreters of Baroque repertoire, not only with Le Concert d’Astrée, the ensemble she founded in 2000, but with several of the world’s greatest orchestras. Known for her fresh and expressive approach to Baroque music, she has garnered critical acclaim and several international awards with her own ensemble, including Victoires de la Musique Classique, ECHOs, Gramophone Awards, and Grammy nominations.

Don Quichotte

This May 2010 production of Massenet's 1910 opera "Don Quichotte" marked the opera's centenary and also Jose Van Dam's operatic farewell at the Theatre de la Monnaie, Brussels. It is beautiful in every way--vocally, scenically, sonically, and visually--and a worthy record of Van Dam's farewell. Van Dam is just shy of 70 in this production, but you would never guess it from his singing or stage movements--a consummate artist. His is a noble portrayal and deeply moving. The Act V death scene is a model of beautiful singing and acting.

Verdi La Traviata

This set has Edita Gruberova singing in top form, all her scooping cast aside, which one finds in abundance in her Lucia under Richard Bonynge. Here, however, she makes ravishing use of those bits of tone that only she can produce: those instances of coloratura and dramatic legato with little asides and small florishes of style that suggest her intelligent approach and her high degree of musical involvement in this role. She does this in her I Puritani and her Anna Bolena, less so in Roberto Deveraux and Maria Stuarda(both sets). Listen to Addio del passato and the Sempre Libra...ravishing, yes, but there are again those nuances learned from Callas that she makes her own. A very singualr perform,ance, and extremely moving with its detail and cry for pity throughout..from the start even. Neil Schicoff is excellent, not an unworthy Alfredo at all! His is a great lyric tenor voice that should have been in the top line.

Fall Out Boy: The Boys of Zummer Tour Live in Chicago

Join multi-platinum band Fall Out Boy as they travel back to their hometown of Chicago for a mind-blowing audio-visual extravaganza. Featuring their newest hits Centuries, Irresistible, and Uma Thurman, this 17 song concert also includes the band's best loved songs from across their whole career. This special performance is one of the most memorable Fall Out Boy concerts ever, filmed during the Boys of Zummer tour that hit 39 North American cities throughout 2015. Great musicianship, powerful songs and stunning visuals all make for an exceptional concert experience!

Johan Falk: De 107 patrioterna

It's a beautiful day in Slottsskogen, Gothenburg idyllic city park, when suddenly the unthinkable happens - gunfire amidst all people. Two gangsters shooting game against each other and a large police operation starts. The conflict grows rapidly to involve several gangs from Gothenburg underworld. GSI switched to try to identify a new thread which proves to be both larger and better armed than any other. The only clue is a tattoo on one of the killed gang members.

Box

A doomsday pepper is surprised to find a mysterious box appear in his living room with no trace as to how it could've gotten there.

Nevada

In this stop-motion animated comedy, a young couple's romantic weekend getaway is interrupted by a birth control mishap.

Michael Jackson: Live in Brunei Royal Concert 1996

Prior to the HISTory World Tour, Jackson performed a free concert at the Jerudong Park Amphitheatre in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei on 16 July 1996, attended by 60,000 throughout the park. The concert was in celebration of the fiftieth birthday of Hassanal Bolkiah, the Sultan of Brunei and was attended by the Brunei royal family. Much of the concert resembled Jackson's Dangerous World Tour, including his outfit, stage, and the setlist, keeping the details of the upcoming HIStory Tour a close secret. This concert was not part of the Dangerous World Tour nor the History World Tour. The concert also marked the debut live performance of "You Are Not Alone" and "Earth Song" as well as the last performances of "Jam", "Human Nature", "I Just Can't Stop Loving You" and "She's Out of My Life" at a Jackson concert. This concert was also among the last performances of "Billie Jean" and "Beat It" being sung fully live; most subsequent performances have been partially lip-synched.

Raising ASD

A short documentary drama exploring motherhood and bringing up children with autism spectrum disorder.

Celtic Thunder: Take Me Home

Celtic Thunder presents Take Me Home, an all new show, as seen on PBS. The DVD with a running time of almost 2 hours long features 13 new Celtic Thunder performances! After the smash success of the first Celtic Thunder production in 2008, producers Sharon Browne and Phil Coulter have developed an all-new Irish-music showcase. The sharply dressed male vocalists who starred in the first show have returned, and each performer gets a chance to show off his pop sensibility. The energetic set includes traditional Celtic tunes as well as rock covers and original compositions by Coulter.

Los Auténticos Decadentes ‎– Hecho En Mexico - En Vivo En El Palacio De Los Deportes - 25 Aniversario

You Can't Fight in Here

Frank and his longtime group of friends traverse a Saturday night of confronting their own fleeting adolescence as the world around them changes and Frank watches his little sister grow up before his eyes at her senior prom.

Anything for a Pop Star 2

Three friends who live in Resende, in the interior of Rio de Janeiro, and plan a trip in Babette's Beetle convertible to celebrate their 15 years of friendship and attend the closing show of the tour of a great pop star, who studied with them as a teenager. and today he is the most famous young singer in Brazil.

The Heathen Chinese and the Sunday School Teachers

A couple of Sunday school teachers invite Chinese laundry workers to their session. In return the Chinese invite them to an opium den, where the devout schoolmarms quickly abandon their morals!

Ghost Rider 5 Back To Basics

The mysterious man in black returns, and this time Ghost Rider is going Back to Basics with some of the most extreme high-speed action ever seen. The latest installment of the adrenaline-packed Ghost Rider series features incredible on-board footage from the highways of Sweden and busy streets of Stockholm. Join Ghost Rider as he weaves through traffic, rides the Nurburgring, "off-roads" in a city center, goes sledging without snow and comes within seconds of disaster during unexpected encounters with a police van and a huge lorry! Ghost Rider swaps two wheels for four as he burns rubber in a high performance Subaru, showing he has skill and style whatever the machine. All the way the Swedish police are on his tail, the pursuits captured from incredible on-board camera angles and shown in split screen - so you can see what's ahead as you leave the pursuers behind. Plus, Ghost Rider finally agrees to take on a street race, with his bike at stake as well as his pride.

Granny's Revenge

Maria murders her husband and then tries to claim the life she hasn't experienced up to this point.

NO STEP

A group of students are preparing works for an art exhibition, they belittle a myth that "Any inanimate object that resembles a living thing, is not just a dead-object"

TEENAGE DREAM

CJ, a closeted teenager, has created a fake 90s reality to escape reality and with the help of his best friend Jen he learns that it isn't always a good thing to live in a dream

The Quiet

Silence is the most beautiful thing that exists in the universe. When an astronaut ponders the quietude of space, he makes a startling self-realisation.