As renowned for its harmonious overture as for its romantic storybook characters, this three-act masterwork features some of the composer’s most groundbreaking and unforgettable music, as well as a theme the young Wagner would revisit again and again later in his career—the redemptive and transcendent power of a woman’s love. The enchanting plot harks back to medieval history: Wolfram is a lovesick troubadour who desires the virtuous Elisabeth. She, however, has eyes for another: the rebellious knight Tannhäuser, who in turn cannot get over an overwhelming sensual experience in the realm of the goddess Venus, and is banished for singing her praises at court. Only saintly Elisabeth’s death can atone for his misdeeds.
Although Domingo was younger and Banackova looked more like the sweet and innocent young Madalena than the one played by Tomowa-Sintow in the ROH production, this production was not as good.
Franco Zeffirelli's magnificient staging of Puccini's final opera - a fairy tale set in a mythical China - is one of the most popular in the Met repertory.
Semyon Bychkov conducts a cast of young, up-and-coming talent including American soprano Corinne Winters in a new production of Mozart’s opera on the nature of love.
Beethoven’s only opera is a masterpiece, an uplifting story of risk and triumph. In this new production, conducted by Antonio Pappano, Jonas Kaufmann plays the political prisoner Florestan, and Lise Davidsen his wife Leonore (disguised as ‘Fidelio’) who daringly sets out to rescue him.
The historic Toscanini television concerts with the NBC Symphony Orchestra. This concert, broadcast in two parts, on 26 March and 2 April 1949, from NBC Studio 8H, features the opera "Aida" by Giuseppe Verdi.
The first words uttered by Carmen mark one of the greatest entrances in the history of opera and express all that need be said: “Love is a rebellious bird that no one can tame…” With a devilish sway of the hips and a hint of Andalusian flair, the beautiful cigar-maker sets her sights on a soldier: Don José.
This DVD of a live 2005 performance from the Zürich Opera under the musical direction of Franz Welser-Möst has many things to recommend it -- the young tenor Piotr Beczala as Alfredo, the marvelous Thomas Hampson as Giorgio Germont, the playing of the Zurich Opera orchestra, the simple but effective sets by by Erich Wonder, the uncluttered stage direction by Jürgen Flimm.
The second Charles and Diana movie, with two virtual unknowns in the leads: Christopher Baines had acted on the British stage and on the BBC, but Catherine Oxenberg, a U.
An in-depth look into the making of the film Annie (1982). It covers the adaptation changes from the original Broadway musical, the hiring of director John Huston, the nationwide search to cast the title role, the production process, and the conception of several musical numbers, including a different version of the song "Easy Street" than the one that ended up in the film.
Sally (Sally Yeh) is a club singer, caught in a love rectangle between three men: Stone (Kenny Bee), a bank robber newly released from prison, club owner Paul King (Michael Chan Wai-Man) and Pow (Melvin Wong), a policeman.
A journalist sets out to report on a minor earthquake in the Australian outback, and finds that the tremor was a result of a small nuclear explosion - part of an extortion threat that has the government fearing nuclear blackmail.
Mrs. Garrett and the girls travel to Paris, France. Mrs. Garrett takes a cooking class taught by a famous chef as the girls take classes at the sister school of Eastland.
Little boy learns of his stepmother's infidelity and later witnesses a murder... but the shocks have thrown him into a hysterical paralysis, and it's almost impossible for him to communicate anything to anybody.
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Have you watched The Metropolitan Opera - Wagner: Tannhäuser yet? What did you think about it?
