Opera on Blu-ray

[mattconroy]

Are there any other opera fans out there? I currently have two operas on BD - Carmen and Il Barbiere di Siviglia (both Decca) and am quite pleased with them. I also have a number of others either on order or on my wish list. The Opus Arte releases in particular have caught my eye and I see that they have scheduled a release of John Adams' Doctor Atomic for later this spring, as well as Handel's Giulio Cesare from Glyndebourne.

I notice that Deutsche Grammophon have entered the market as well, heavy on Netrebko, of course (not that I mind).

Anyone have positive or negative experiences with the DG or other opera releases?

[RBFC]

I have a few Opus Arte operas, and they're very good. There is a sampler available from Opus Arte if you want a "taste" first.

Also have a couple Deccas, also excellent. One to watch out for is Don Giovanni on Harmonia Mundi with Rene Jacobs conducting. I believe the SACD won a Grammy, and reportedly the Blu-Ray is even a bit better.

Lee

[mattconroy]

Thanks Lee. Don Giovanni is probably my favorite Mozart opera. I will have to keep an eye out for that one.

[garak]

Originally Posted by mattconroy

I notice that Deutsche Grammophon have entered the market as well, heavy on Netrebko, of course (not that I mind).

Anyone have positive or negative experiences with the DG or other opera releases?

I've got all of the DG opera blu-rays, I Puritani, Figaro and Manon. The sound and picture quality are excellent. Better than the Opus Arte Magic Flute (I found this recording to be a bit harsh) and the Arthaus Musik La Traviata.

[hanser]

La Cenerentala from Opus Arte is excellent in every respect.

[RBFC]

One understanding we must have when viewing those operas that were originally filmed for TV broadcast: the sound was mixed with standard TV presentation in mind. Therefore, when a singer moves across the stage, the voice may remain in the center channel and not "follow" them sonically. For those of us used to opera recordings on LP, CD, etc., this difference in audio mix can be unsettling at first. I've pointed out an example in Die Zauberflote, where Papageno, Tamino, and the three women share the stage. Tamino walks to the far right, and his voice remains in the center channel.

The performances, as well as the video and audio quality, are superb. The mixing has not been completely redone to accommodate playback on multichannel systems. Fortunately, this issue does not prevent one from getting massive enjoyment from these discs!

Lee

[mattconroy]

Have any of you found decent deals on these? In general, Amazon's prices for opera BDs would appear to be quite high. From a quick look around, Tower seems more reasonable.

[MrTaxMan]

I have Wagner's Die Walkure from BelAir Classiques and Bizet's Carmen from Decca. I like them both. For the Wagner, I don't know how they fit the entire 4 hours (plus DTS HD MA audio) on one disc.

Oddly enough, it seems the Wagner was only sold for a few weeks on Amazon; then it became 'unavailable'. Now I feel lucky to have gotten it when when I did. I wish I could get the entire Ring on BD. No such luck, yet.

[Clark Kent]

I have still yet to dip into any operas with video! I am a fan of opera on SACD however. Any Puccini available on Blu-ray?

[mattconroy]

Originally Posted by Clark Kent

I have still yet to dip into any operas with video! I am a fan of opera on SACD however. Any Puccini available on Blu-ray?

Yes! Tosca, La Bohème and Gianni Schicci are all available on Blu-ray/

[Clark Kent]

Originally Posted by mattconroy

Yes! Tosca, La Bohème and Gianni Schicci are all available on Blu-ray/

Thanks, I might look into the La Bohème.

[Yeha-Noha]

Originally Posted by garak

I've got all of the DG opera blu-rays, I Puritani, Figaro and Manon. The sound and picture quality are excellent. Better than the Opus Arte Magic Flute (I found this recording to be a bit harsh) and the Arthaus Musik La Traviata.

Opus Arte's Die Zauberflöte sounds harsh to you? It's one of the best Die Zauberflöte releases out there. I don't know what kind of system you have, but on mine there is no hint of harshness whatsoever. Perhaps you need to calibrate your sound system. It certainly doesn't sound harsh. The sound is warm and delightful. The balance between the orchestra and performers is perfect. The SQ is 10.0/10.0.

I have several Opus Arte releases. They are all top notch performances with unbeatable sound to go with it. The 1080i video looks pretty good upscaled to 1080p too on my LCD TV. None of them disappoint me.

OTOH the Arthaus Musik La Traviata featuring a DTS-HD MA 7.1 soundtrack was a complete flop and the biggest disappointment after preordering it (blind buy from amazon.com). My DTS DVD release with Renee Fleming and Rolando Villazon surpasses it in sound quality hands down. Gheorghiu and Vargas are legendary opera singers but this BD release ruined their performance with the worst balance between performer and orchestra that I have ever heard in my life. I sent that BD back to Amazon for a refund the very next day after receiving it. Furthermore, hardly anything was heard coming from the 4 surround speakers in my 7.1 setup. I gave the SQ a 2.0/10.0 when I rated it.

[Onegin]

My current BD collection -

Norma - Opus Arte
I Puritani - DG
Carmen - Decca
Dr Faust - ArtHaus
Manon - DG
Figaro - DG
Don Giovanni - Harmonia Mundi
Tosca - TDK
Cenerentola - Opus Arte
Fledermaus - Opus Arte
Rosenkavalier - Medici Arts
Eugene Onegin - Decca
Rigoletto - ArtHaus
Aida - Decca
Walkure - BelAir

All the above are highly recommended for both picture and sound quality. The only issue I might have is staging, which is a matter of taste.

Have the following on order -

Die Entfuhrung Aus Dem Serail - in the mail!
Die Zauberflote
Cavalleria Rusticana / Pagliacci
Semele - Mar 10
Romeo and Juliette - Mar 10
Admeto - Mar 31
Adventures of Pinocchio - Mar 31
Doctor Atomic - Mar 31

Am still undecided on the Fleming / Villazon Traviata out on mar 17. Shall wait for the reviews.

Nothing beats opera on BD and a good surround system with my 51" HD TV!!

[Yeha-Noha]

Originally Posted by Onegin

Die Zauberflote

Am still undecided on the Fleming / Villazon Traviata out on mar 17. Shall wait for the reviews.

If you're getting the Opus Arte Die Zauberflöte, you are in for a real treat. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

I have LA0's La Traviata with Renee Fleming and Rolando Villazon on DVD. Even with lossy audio DTS soundtrack, it is a splendid recording with lavish stage setups, period costumes, and dazzling performances by Fleming and Villazon. Am I going to double dip and buy the BD? You bet! In fact, I have it on pre-order. I expect that it will have DTS-HD MA 5.1 but I am not certain about that. Amazon.com hasn't specified the BD audio format yet.

Nothing beats opera on BD and a good surround system with my 51" HD TV!!

+1

[mattconroy]

Originally Posted by Onegin

My current BD collection -

Norma - Opus Arte
I Puritani - DG
Carmen - Decca
Dr Faust - ArtHaus
Manon - DG
Figaro - DG
Don Giovanni - Harmonia Mundi
Tosca - TDK
Cenerentola - Opus Arte
Fledermaus - Opus Arte
Rosenkavalier - Medici Arts
Eugene Onegin - Decca
Rigoletto - ArtHaus
Aida - Decca
Walkure - BelAir

All the above are highly recommended for both picture and sound quality. The only issue I might have is staging, which is a matter of taste.

Have the following on order -

Die Entfuhrung Aus Dem Serail - in the mail!
Die Zauberflote
Cavalleria Rusticana / Pagliacci
Semele - Mar 10
Romeo and Juliette - Mar 10
Admeto - Mar 31
Adventures of Pinocchio - Mar 31
Doctor Atomic - Mar 31

Am still undecided on the Fleming / Villazon Traviata out on mar 17. Shall wait for the reviews.

Nothing beats opera on BD and a good surround system with my 51" HD TV!!

Wow, that's quite a collection. Rameau's Zoroastre looks interesting as well.

You'd think a Ring Cycle on Blu-ray would happen sometime soon. I'd spring for it.

[Suntory_Times]

hhmmm, I think live beats it. But yes, opera is absolutly brilliant on Blu.

[mattconroy]

Originally Posted by Suntory_Times

hhmmm, I think live beats it. But yes, opera is absolutly brilliant on Blu.

My wife and I used to have a subscription at the Met - then we had kids. So this is the next best thing, though I have yet to attend one of the live screenings.

[garak]

Originally Posted by rwojtalewicz

Opus Arte's Die Zauberflöte sounds harsh to you? It's one of the best Die Zauberflöte releases out there. I don't know what kind of system you have, but on mine there is no hint of harshness whatsoever. Perhaps you need to calibrate your sound system. It certainly doesn't sound harsh. The sound is warm and delightful. The balance between the orchestra and performers is perfect. The SQ is 10.0/10.0.

I just popped in Opus Arte's Die Zauberflöte and I stand by my initial assessment, with a slight qualification. It is harsh at times. It seems to be confined primarily to when the louder passages, and only certain instruments/voices.

For example, during the overture, during the full orchestral tuttis when the orchestra is playing forte or fortissimo, the violins sound harsh. The woodwinds and brass sound fine. The lower strings also sound fine. It's only the violins. I'm not an audio engineer, so I don't know the proper term, but it's that sound which is produced when a sound is too loud for the microphone. There is a slight hiss and loss of detail from the violins.

The sound of some of the voices is also a bit brighter than is natural. This is most apparent in the vocals of the 3 ladies, and to a lesser degree the queen of the night.

Overall it wasn't bad though, but I would have given SQ a 7.5/10.

[mattconroy]

Good list of what's available here. Hopefully he will keep this updated:

Opera on Blu-ray

[Onegin]

Originally Posted by rwojtalewicz

If you're getting the Opus Arte Die Zauberflöte, you are in for a real treat. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Yes, I'm replacing the HD-DVd version, so I know what I'm getting.

Originally Posted by Suntory_Times

hhmmm, I think live beats it. But yes, opera is absolutly brilliant on Blu.

Well, live is a whole different experience. My row 20 orchestra seats don't compare to the up-close-and-personal of Blu-Ray. I love both, but they're not the same animal.