Monteverdi Box Set- L'Orfeo - L'incoronazione di Poppea -Blu-ray-

Monteverdi s seminal first opera L Orfeo, tells the dramatic story from Ovid s Metamorphoses of the descent of Orfeo (Georg Nigl) into the underworld to recover his beloved wife Euridice (Roberta Invernizzi), seen here in a production for La Scala, based on a painting by Titian and directed by Robert Wilson. David Alden s visually sumptuous production of L incoronazione di Poppea, with its suggestions of a giant game of chess, puts the opera s potent blend of sex and politics in a context that sets ancient against modern just as the action juxtaposes scurrilous comedy and stark drama. Both are filmed in High Definition and recorded in true surround sound. "Robert Wilson meets Monteverdi with successful results." (The Opera Critic) "Beautifully flimed in Milan, this DVD shows how well Wilson's minimalist productions can take to the small screen." (Gramophone) "The drama comes from Alessandrini's edition and the bite and brilliance of the La Scala orchestra, and Concerto Italiano's inventive continuo section" (International Record Review) "Persson is a superb Poppea who can really act with her voice" (BBC Music Magazine) "The whole is acutely paced and supported by Harry Bicket's orchestra...The hand-picked European cast is in fine fettle, Connolly's Nero outstanding." (Gramophone) "It is difficult to imagine a more credible and convincing Poppea than the Swedish soprano Miah Persson. Her beauty, outstanding figure, her acting abilities and her beautiful voice, together with her great expressiveness, make her the Poppea of one s dreams." (Musicweb International) Marketing / Sales Points Mid-price release of two Monteverdi operas celebrating the 250th anniversary of the composer s birth Spectacularly inventive productions by Robert Wilson and David Alden supported by stellar casts including Miah Persson as Poppea and Sarah Connolly as Nero