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Two DVD set. In spring 2011, the first-ever performances at New York's Metropolitan Opera of Rossini's Le Comte Ory brought standing ovations and critical-acclaim. The spectacular trio of Juan Diego Florez, Diana Damrau and Joyce DiDonato ignited vocal and theatrical fireworks. Le Comte Ory tells the story of a libidinous and cunning nobleman who disguises himself first as a hermit and then as a nun ("Sister Colette") in order to gain access to the virtuous Countess Adele, whose brother is away at the Crusades. The 2011 Met production was directed by the Tony Award-winning Broadway director Bartlett Sher, who in recent years has also staged Il barbiere di Siviglia and Les Contes d'Hoffman for the Met. Sher presented the action as an opera within an opera, updated the action by a few centuries and giving the costume designer, Catherine Zuber, the opportunity to create some particularly extravagant headgear. Juan Diego Florez starred as the title role while Diana Damrau plays his love interest, Countess Adele, and Joyce DiDonato was in breeches as his pageboy Isolier. The trio had appeared in Sher's production of Rossini's Il barbiere di Siviglia. Conducted with verve and finesse by Rossini specialist Maurizio Benini, the production also features the stylish French baritone Stephane Degout as Ory's bibulous conspirator Raimbaud (quite a change from his previous Met role - Debussy's gentle Pelleas), charismatic Italian bass Michele Pertusi as the Count's long-suffering Tutor, and, formidable as Adele's housekeeper Ragonde, the Swedish dramatic mezzo Susanne Resmark.

Exclusive Bonus Feature: More than 70 minutes of highlights from 26 critically acclaimed Opera, Ballet & Documentary productions in High Definition on Blu-ray disc, and an Arthaus Musik Blu-ray catalog.

Anthony Minghella’s stunning production was seen by thousands of people around the world and was originally broadcast March 7, 2009 as part of the Peabody and Emmy Award®-winning Live in HD transmissions to movie theaters. Patricia Racette is Cio-Cio-San, Marcello Giordani is American Navy lieutenant B. F. Pinkerton, Maria Zifchak is Suzuki and Dwayne Croft is Sharpless. Patrick Summers conducts the Metropolitan Opera and Chorus.

The internationally renowned Mozart interpreter Sir Colin Davis conducts the chorus and orchestra of the Royal Opera House and a glittering cast in David McVicar's 2003 production of the opera Mozart wrote in the final year of his life. Recorded live in High Definition at Covent Garden and starring Simon Keenlyside, Dorothea Roschmann, Will Hartmann, Diana Damrou and Franz-Josef Selig. Stage Director David McVicar

Starring Angela Gheorghiu as the celebrated French actress Adriana Lecouvreur and Jonas Kaufmann as her lover Maurizio, Count of Saxony, Cilea s verismo drama explores celebrity, romance, jealousy, and death. The trio of sublime voices is completed by Russian mezzo-soprano Olga Borodina as Adriana s jealous rival, the Princess de Bouillon. David McVicar s hit production the first performance of the opera at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden for more than a century presents the life of the French actress as a blurring of the distinction between fantasy and reality.
The action revolves around a life-size Baroque Theatre, taking us from the bustle and colour of the first act backstage at the playhouse, to the bare final scenes as the drama reaches its fatal climax. The DVD & Blu-ray contains bonus footage featuring interviews with the principal artists, Director, Set Designer and Conductor.

The inaugural broadcast of the Peabody and Emmy®-award winning series The Met Live in HD.

The Magic Flute has delighted audiences of all ages for centuries. Julie Taymor's dazzling English-language production brings one of Mozart s greatest works to life as never before.

James Levine leads a cast that includes Ying Huang as Pamina in her Met debut, Nathan Gunn, Matthew Polenzani, Erika Miklosa and Rene Papa.

Taken from the December 30, 2006 live performance.

Richard Wagner's epic cycle of four operas--"Das Rheingold," "Die Walkure," "Siegfried" and "Gotterdammerung"--staged to great acclaim by the Metropolitan Opera and conducted by James Levine. Singers include Alan Held, Anthony Raffell, Gary Lakes, Heinz

Fiorenza Cedolins, Marcelo Alvarez, and Ruggero Raimondi star in this Arena di Verona production of the Puccini opera conducted by Daniel Oren and directed by Hugo de Ana. Extras include over 140 minutes of highlights from 47 critically acclaimed opera, b

A red hot ticket at the Metropolitan Opera in 2010/2011 was Donizetti's comic gem, Don Pasquale, with Anna Netrebko reviving Norina, the part that made her a star in New York.

John Del Carlo's impressive singing and acting chops as the Don are given every boost by Otto Schenk's hilarious staging and James Levine's witty conducting. Leading this opera for the first time at the Met, the renowned maestro demonstrates that his gifts suit Donizetti as perfectly as Wagner.