Tosca

The Marriage of Figaro(it)

Mozart's Marriage of Figaro is a comedy whose dark undertones explore the blurred boundaries between dying feudalism and emerging Enlightenment. Herman Prey's Figaro is admirably sung in a firm baritone and aptly characterized. So too, is his antagonist, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau as the Count perpetually frustrated by the scheming wiles of Figaro and Susanna, here the perky Mirella Freni, who sings and acts like a dream. The Countess is creamy-voiced Kiri Te Kanawa, and the Cherubino, Maria Ewing, looks just like the horny, teenaged page she's supposed to be. The all-star leads are complemented by worthy supporting singers, the Vienna Philharmonic at the top of its form, and the experienced Mozartian, Karl Böhm conducting a stylishly fleet performance.

Król Roger(pl)

The story concerns the enlightenment of the Christian King Roger II by a young shepherd who represents pagan ideals. Kasper Holten’s production (The Royal Opera’s first) of Król Roger (King Roger) brought the opera back to the London stage after an absence of almost 40 years. Karol Szymanowski’s masterpiece powerfully presents the dilemmas of culture versus nature and man versus beast, and movingly depicts King Roger’s inner struggles as he moves from an impossible life of repressed desires to the other extreme, giving in to his own demons. Meanwhile, Roger’s people, seduced by the promises of the mysterious Shepherd, are drawn towards totalitarianism and repression. Antonio Pappano conducts Szymanowksi’s opulent and beautiful score, with a cast including Mariusz Kwiecień as Roger (one of the greatest interpreters of the role today), Saimir Pirgu as the Shepherd, and Georgia Jarman in her Royal Opera debut as Roger’s loving queen Roxana.

Madama Butterfly(it)

Japan, early twentieth century. U.S. Navy Lieutenant B.F. Pinkerton inspects the house he has leased from a marriage broker. The broker, Goro, has procured him three servants and a geisha wife, Cio-Cio-San, known as Madama Butterfly. He is enchanted with the fragile Cio-Cio-San. Cio-Cio-San is heard in the distance joyously singing of her wedding. In a quiet moment, Cio-Cio-San shows her bridegroom her few earthly treasures and tells him of her intention to embrace his Christian faith. The Imperial Commissioner performs the wedding ceremony, and the guests toast the couple. The celebration is interrupted by Cio-Cio-San's uncle, a Buddhist priest, who bursts in, cursing the girl for having renounced her ancestors' religion. Alone with Cio-Cio-San in the moonlit garden, her husband dries her tears, and she joins him in singing of their love.

Le comte Ory(en)

Rossini's "Le Comte Ory" tells the story of a libidinous and cunning nobleman who disguises himself first as a hermit and then as a nun in order to gain access to the virtuous Countess Adele, whose brother is away at the Crusades. The 2011 Met production was directed by Tony Award winner Bartlett Sher, who presented the action as an opera within an opera, updating 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 Countess Adele, and Joyce DiDonato was in breeches as his pageboy Isolier. Conducted with verve and finesse by Maurizio Benini, the production also features the stylish French baritone Stephane Degout as Ory's bibulous conspirator Raimbaud, 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.

Le comte Ory(fr)

Cecilia Bartoli stars in this ebullient Zurich Opera House production of Rossini’s first French-language comedy opera described by the international press as “pure, unadulterated fun” and reminds us of her comic gifts and her naturalness as a stage actor — as well as her total sympathy with the music of Rossini.

Tristan und Isolde(de)

The legendary Patrice Chéreau (Bayreuth Jahrhundertring, Queen Margot, Intimacy) directed this production of Richard Wagner's psychological music drama Tristan und Isolde at the Teatro alla Scala in 2007. It stars Ian Storey, Waltraud Meier, Matti Salminen, Gerd Grochowski and Michelle DeYoung; the Orchestra and Chorus of the Teatro Alla Scala provide musical support, under the baton of Daniel Barenboim.

Donizetti: Lucia di Lammermoor(it)

Lucia di Lammermoor, dramma tragico in three acts by Gaetano Donizetti (1797 - 1848). Libretto by Salvadore Cammarano, after Walter Scott's 'The Bride of Lammermoor'. First performance in Naples, Teatro San Carlo, 26 September 1835 Recording: December 23 2015 - Gran Teatre del Liceu | Barcelona Director: Fabrice Castanier Conductor: Marco Armiliato Orchestra & Chorus of the Gran Teatre del Liceu

Mea Culpa – A ReadyMadeOpera(de)

In Mea Culpa, Christoph Schlingensief blurs a delicate line: he ignores the threshold that separates the healthy from the sick. By making his cancer the subject of an opera, premiering on the largest German-speaking theater, he is putting the art district under pressure: a wonderful institution like the Burgtheater must use its artistic resources lavishly to reveal the entire "truth" about us humans. At the end of the day, when the scenery on Janina Audick's revolving stage has finally come to rest, when Isolde's last Liebestad has been sung enchantingly beautifully by Elfriede Rezabek and indescribable jubilation breaks out, then Schlingensief is completely alone with his illness.

Naši furianti(cs)

Sevil(az)

The film takes place in Baku in 1918-19 and then several years later. The film is based on the opera of the same name by Fikret Amirov. Sevil became the first film opera in the history of Azerbaijani cinema.

Janacek: Jenufa(cs)

"Yenufa" is an outstanding phenomenon in the music of the 20th century. Drawing on Moravian folklore, Janáček faithfully and deeply conveyed the drama of a peasant girl. The composer followed the path of Mussorgsky, revealing the spiritual life of people through the recreation of intonations of living speech. The libretto is based on a drama written in a naturalistic manner. Free from naturalism, Janáček's music has powerful emotional strength and psychological truth. It was written during a difficult period in the composer's life (illness and death of his daughter).

Kui saabub õhtu(et)

Amadeus(en)

Disciplined Italian composer Antonio Salieri becomes consumed by jealousy and resentment towards the hedonistic and remarkably talented young Salzburger composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

Lucia(en)

Members of an opera company performing Donizetti's "Lucia di Lammermoor" find their lives parallel those of the characters.

Rigoletto(en)

Rigoletto is a jester in the court of the Duke of Mantua. He has a hunch-back and he's rather unattractive, but he's good at his job of humiliating the courtiers for the amusement of the Duke. The courtiers, of course, are not amused. The Duke is a ladies man who feels his life would be meaningless if he couldn't chase every skirt he sees. In fact, we learn as the opera begins that he's recently been noticing a young lady every Sunday on her way to church, and he's vowed to have his way with her. What nobody realizes is that the girl is the jester's beloved daughter, Gilda, and that Gilda has seen the Duke every Sunday and is smitten with him. Suddenly Count Monterone appears at court, furious that the Duke has seduced his daughter. Rigoletto ridicules Monterone, the Duke laughs, and Monterone casts an awful curse on both of them. Later, the courtiers discover that Rigoletto is secretly living with Gilda...

The Devils of Loudun(de)

This opera revolves around the demonic collective possession suffered by the Ursuline nuns in the convent of Loudun in 1634. The story concentrates on the handsome but doomed Urbain Grandier who fights against fanaticism and evil.

Lisa Limone and Maroc Orange: A Rapid Love Story(et)

Love blossoms between Maroc, a singing boat refugee, and Lisa, a collector of singing seashells who dreams about love.

La forza del destino(it)

Film version of the Verdi opera about lovers on the run after the accidental death of the girl's father.

Bratr Žak(cs)

Trpělivý Sokrates(cs)

Semele(en)

Opera superstar Cecilia Bartoli offers her first operatic release on DVD in 12 years, and also her first opera in English. Bartoli stars as Semele (a role usually taken by a soprano) in Handel s late opera, which features such well-known arias as Endless pleasure, endless love, Myself I shall adore, and Oh sleep, why dost though leave me? Robert Carsen s stylish modern dress production hints at parallels with the problematic relationship between the late Princess Diana and the British Royal Family. Recorded live at the Zurich Opera House in January, 2007.

The Mine(pl)

A film dedicated to miners, showing the hardship and risk of working in a mine. Devoid of verbal commentary, it draws its impact from the form: suggestive cinematography close to the pre-war avant-garde, dynamic editing closely linked to music. Brzozowska was accused of formalism at the 1949 Congress of Filmmakers in Wisła, where socialist realism was proclaimed.

Sanremo 2023. Tra Palco e realtà(it)

Gianni Morandi tells the story behind the scenes of the Ariston Theater, revealing the great work and the most secret and unpublished emotions of the Sanremo Festival.

Med rett til å kapre(en)

Dramatized documentary about the days of Norwegian pirates starting around the year 1807 when Norway went into extreme poverty.

Black Birds(sh)

WW2 story about group of prisoners who are trying to escape the death camp, run by local pro-Nazi militia.

Incarnation(ko)

Sister Talia, about to take her perpetual vows, learns of her friend Thuy's death and discovers that another friend, Trang, is possessed by a demon. Using her ability as a medium, Talia exorcises the demon and helps Detective Oh investigate a series of chain suicides. They uncover that Thuy's mother, Chao, a shaman from Vietnam, uses a curse called "Go" to drive people to suicide. When Talia learns Chao plans to pass the curse onto Thuy's daughter Jin, she decides to sacrifice herself by taking the curse into her own body. As she prepares for her fate, Talia is confronted with an unexpected truth.

Incident(en)

Incident, the debut short film of British exploitation director Norman J. Warren, is an enigmatic story about a girl who meets a boy at a fairground and how their relationship develops. Filmed in 1959 at Battersea Pleasure Gardens, the film remained unfinished until 2007 when Warren and cinematographer Brian Tufano reunited to finish the editing.

Adam and Eve(da)

It's all about an anonymous little gray book originating from sexually advanced Paris. The book doesn't look like much, but shouldn't be judged by its cover. Wherever this book goes, something will happen. And for sure, this book goes around.

August Sky(pt)

In a world on fire, a seven-month-old pregnant nurse deals with growing anxiety while gradually finding herself attracted to a member of the Pentecostal church and her community.

Break Down(en)

Charlie had hoped to have a completely honest break up. Unfortunately, David is being a real shit about it.

Between the Shadows(pt)

Natália, trapped in a tedious routine, leaves in search of a stolen heart. In a surreal world where hearts are the common currency, she endures several perils, in order to decide if she wants to give her heart up or keep it for herself.

The Hireling(en)

Based on the novel by L. P. Hartley, The Hireling is a dissection of antiquated but hardly dormant British class distinctions as a lonely socialite and her chauffeur become more than friends.

A Day in Paradise(es)

A cartoonist and painter who can not stand out and make a living, among other things, as a photographer of news magazines and a beautiful young woman who comes to Buenos Aires from inside the country to try to make it as a model and actress, living a love as passionate as fraught with disagreements.

Reruns(nl)

Everything is different but nothing has changed. A trip through a sunken maze of memories and dreams.

Pitolo, el guajolote de oro(en)

Mexican feature film

Tempus de baristas(en)

This documentary focuses on the vanishing lifestyle of a family of rural residents of the island of Sardinia. For many generations, they have been goatherds in the mountains, and it was a respected and acceptable occupation. Now tourism and the lure of other occupations deeply affects the younger generation, and soon there may be no goatherds left.

Langston Kerman: Bad Poetry(en)

Comedian Langston Kerman talks parenting a top-tier baby, teaching mean teens and managing his mother-in-law's dating apps in this hilarious special.