Notable CD and DVD Releases for the Month of October

The Month of October sees the releases of classic gems and new CDs from two of the best in tenors of today. 

Kasper Holten's production of Eugene Onegin may have been received with bad criticism, but Opus Arte will release the new production. The Royal Opera House has lined up an incredible cast that includes Simon Keenlyside, Krassimira Stoyanova, and Pavol Breslik.  

Phelim Mcdermott directs an outstanding production of Phillip Glass's The Perfect American. The cast includes Christopher Purvues and David Pittsinger. Dennis Russell Davies conducts from the Teatro Real de Madrid 

Hui He and Marco Berti lead the cast of Aida from the Arena de Verona. Daniel Oren conducts Verdi's masterpiece which also stars  Andrea Ulbrich and Ambrogio Maestri. Gianfranco de Bosio staged the production for the outdoor theater.  

 

Euroarts will release San Francisco Opera's first two releases from their famous HD series. The first release is Moby Dick which stars the incredible Jay Hunter Morris and rising star tenor Stephen Costello. Patrick Summers conducts the new production. The second  DVD is Donizetti's Lucrezia Borgia which stars Renee Fleming, and Michael Fabiano. Ricardo Frizza conducts the production.  

For Verdi's 200th anniversary Decca is releasing a new CD of Simon Boccanegra. The CD was recorded in Vienna during a series of concerts. The all star cast includes Thomas Hampson, Kristine Opolais, Joseph Calleja, Carlo Colombara, and Luca Pisaroni. This is one of the must buys of the month.

 

Janacek's most inventive opera gets a release that was recorded at the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino. Arthaus releases the DVD in a production of Laurent Pelly which stars Quinn Kelsey, Isabel Bayrakdarian and Dennis Petersen. Legendary conductor Seji Ozawa conducts the DVD. 

The Bregenzer Festspiele's acclaimed production of Die Zauberflaute will get released under C Major. Patrick Summers conducts David Poutney's imaginative production.   

Sony Classical releases Vittorio Grigolo's third solo album. The album includes sacred works including Verdi's Ingemisco and Schubert and Catena's Ave Marias.

Joseph Calleja latest album released on Decca features the in traditional Italian songs including O Sole Mio and Non Ti Scordar di Me. It also features music by Tchaikovsky and Sorozabal. Steven Mercutio conducts the album