Verdi: Il Trovatore - La Traviata - Macbeth

Works Verdi: Il trovatore (2002) from OA0849D/OABD7006D José Cura (Manrico); Dmitri Hvorostovsky (Count di Luna); Yvonne Naef (Azucena); Verónica Vilarroel (Leonora); The Orchestra of the Royal Opera House; Carlo Rizzi Verdi: La traviata (2009) from OA1040D/OABD7076D Renée Fleming (Violetta); Joseph Calleja (Alfredo); Thomas Hampson (Germont); The Orchestra of the Royal Opera House; Antonio Pappano Verdi: Macbeth (2011) from OA1063D/OABD7095D Simon Keenlyside (Macbeth); Liudmyla Monastyrska (Lady Macbeth); Raymond Aceto (Banquo); The Orchestra of the Royal Opera House; Antonio Pappano Press Reviews "...an impressive company showcase, full of moments when chorus and orchestra are at full throttle. Whipped up by Antonio Pappano's baton, they sound truly thrilling. " (The Guardian - Macbeth) "Simon Keenlyside and Liudmyla Monastyrska give one of the finest portrayals of the couple that I have come across. In both cases what lifts them into the category of the very special is the way they manage to chart the character's development. Macbeth is a role that Keenlyside has grown into. He has the depth, the charisma and the energy that make the role complex and interesting; more than a great soldier laid low. His baritone is rounded and complex, just right to capture the many facets of the character's journey." (Musicweb International - Macbeth) "the beautiful sounds she [Renée Fleming] makes, especially in the Act One finale and the Act Two party, are well worth hearing, and the high-quality film-work puts us right at the heart of the action." (Financial Times - La Traviata ????) "Antonio Pappano takes charge of this revival, searching out the meaning of Verdi's score in a supple, sentient reading that sweeps you along." (The Guardian - La Traviata) "Elijah Moshinsky's production is surely as lively and moving as Verdi's intricate masterpiece deserves. Jose Cura sizzles. Dimitri Hvorostovsky is everything one could want to see and hear in a Verdi baritone. This new “Trovatore” DVD is a reminder that not every golden age happened long ago." (San Francisco Chronicle - Il Trovatore) "All four are in excellent voice. Cura...supports Naef with beautiful quiet singing...Hvorostovsky is formidable...There are two other filmed Trovatore's available at present, for a combination of musical excellence and intelligent production neither comes close to this one." (International Record Review - Il Trovatore) Cast Renée Fleming (Violetta Valery) Simon Keenlyside (Macbeth)