The final opera of the Ring cycle tells the story of how the ring and its curse brings the downfall of the Gods and a tragic and to the love of Siegfried and Brünnhilde. As Brünnhilde's death becomes an act of redemption for the gods and for all…

Das Rheingold is the prologue to Wagner's Ring cycle, and opens up the rich world of gods, dwarves, giants, dragons and humans that the story inhabits. With beautiful orchestration and an unerring sense of the dramatic, the first opera explains how…

The Berlin Philharmonics conducted by Simon Rattle in an unrivaled new Fidelio production, stage directed by Nikolaus Lehnhoff from the Salzburg Easter Festival 2003 with Thomas Quasthoff (Don Fernando), Alan Held (Don Pizarro), Jon Villars…

The impressive and breathtaking scenery of the wild-romantic Roman quarry of St. Margarethen provides the perfect and unique backdrop for these live-recording of a colourful open-air staging of Giuseppe Verdi's Aida. These staging of Verdi's most…

Herbert Blomstedt appears with the Gewandhaus Orchestra for the last time as the Gewandhaus Music Director in this recording. After seven successful years in Leipzig, the maestro performs a work in the Thomas Church that is especially dear to him…

Celebrate a double premier at the Leipzig Opera on November 2005. Riccardo Chailly directs Verdi’s “Un Ballo in Maschera” for the first time in his function as General Music Director of the Leipzig Opera. “Un Ballo in Maschera” is as exciting as a…

Since its founding over 500 years ago the Wiener Sängerknaben, a.k.a. Vienna Boys' Choir, has been a fixed attraction in musical life. A number of important musicians have been connected with the famous choir. Joseph Haydn, and Franz Schubert for…

Bizet’s Carmen is reputed to be the most famous opera in the world. Maestro Daniel Barenboim presents his musical view on this classic opera. Marina Domashenko's rich mezzo-soprano voice makes her ideal for the title role in Carmen. After the…

The composer of Hansel and Gretel, Engelbert Humperdinck, was born in Germany in 1854. In the 1890s, his sister, Adelheid Wette, had written a libretto based on the Grimm fairy tale, and asked her brother to set it to music as a Christmas…

This exciting open-air staging of Nabucco was one of the classical highlights in summer 2007. The vast production of the Verdi masterpiece at St. Margarethen took place amidst the intoxicating scenery of a rustically romantic Roman quarry, which…