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Rameau - Les Boréades / Robert Carsen, La La La Human Steps, Les Arts Florissants, William Christie, Opéra National de Paris [2003]

starring: Barbara Bonney, Anna Maria Panzarella, Jaël Azzaretti, Paul Agnew, Toby Spence
directed by: Thomas Grimm

May 03, 2004
We've been treated to some stupendous productions on DVD of Rameau opéras-ballets in recent years, not least by William Christie and his Arts Florissants (Les Indes Gallantes, Les Paladins). This version of Les Boréades looked too good to miss, with old favourites in this repertoire like Agnew and Naouri performing alongside well-known names like Bonney and Spence. I found much to admire in the rather dark staging and the effective use of 1940's costumes (though that won't be to everyone's taste) but I was disappointed by two things. First, Bonney's French diction simply didn't sound French (maybe that's just my ignorance of the language). Second, much more importantly, the La La La Human Steps choreography was hopelessly distracting. The ... Read More:

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Brahms - Ein deutsches Requiem, Op 45

from: Naive

March 29, 2004
Brahms's 'Deutsches Requiem' ('German Requiem') is surely one of the most-performed large-scale sacred choral works, beloved by professional choruses and orchestras as well as by amateur groups. Audiences never seem to get enough of it, either. This CD contains a slightly different version of the Requiem which is recommendable for two reasons. First, it is, as far as I know, the only modern recording that uses two pianos as accompaniment. Brahms made a four-hand piano arrangement (as he did for almost all his major works) and in this performance that arrangement has been slightly altered to accommodate two pianos, played superlatively by two virtuosi, Brigitte Angerer and Boris Berezovsky. This version is sometimes called the 'London' Requiem, ... Read More:

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Puccini: La Bohème

by: Anna Netrebko Rolando Villazon Boaz Daniel Nicole Cabell Stéphane Degout Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks Bertrand De Billy Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks Kinderchor des Stadttheaters am Gärtnerplatz

October 13, 2008
Brahms's 'Deutsches Requiem' ('German Requiem') is surely one of the most-performed large-scale sacred choral works, beloved by professional choruses and orchestras as well as by amateur groups. Audiences never seem to get enough of it, either. This CD contains a slightly different version of the Requiem which is recommendable for two reasons. First, it is, as far as I know, the only modern recording that uses two pianos as accompaniment. Brahms made a four-hand piano arrangement (as he did for almost all his major works) and in this performance that arrangement has been slightly altered to accommodate two pianos, played superlatively by two virtuosi, Brigitte Angerer and Boris Berezovsky. This version is sometimes called the 'London' Requiem, ... Read More: