The Music Pages | October 2006

The Salzburg Festival - often described as the greatest and most important festival in the world - presents performances of opera, plays and concerts of the highest artistic standards. On the occasion of the Mozart Year 2006, all of Mozart's 22 operas, singspiels, and scenic fragments are being staged between July 24 and August 31 In collaboration with Unitel, Deutsche Grammophon and Decca have taken up the challenge of recording all 22 works Mozart composed for the stage, making Mozart 22 a unique brand. Before the end of 2006, the 22 works performed in Salzburg 2006 will appear in a rapid-release scenario on DVD. Almost all works are in new productions, all with strong casts, and many new to the DVD catalogue (i.e. all DG titles except the Figaro) Series Microsite: www.deutschegrammophon.com/mozart22
	Cat. No.: 074 3162 Barcode: 0004407431627 Label: Decca 2DVD Release Date: 11 November			VARIOUS ARTISTS \| MOZART: Don Giovanni ARTISTS Thomas Hampson (Don Giovanni) Ildebrando D'Arcangelo (Leporello) Christine Schäfer (Donna Anna) Melanie Diener (Donna Elvira) Isabel Bayrakdarian (Zerlina) Robert Lloyd (Il Commendatore) Piotr Beczala (Don Ottavio) Luca Pisaroni (Masetto) Wiener Philharmoniker Wiener Staatsopernchor Daniel Harding Conductor Martin Kusej Director 'Fresh, transparent, dashing' Die Presse, Vienna Popular American baritone Thomas Hampson stars as the amoral Don who is dragged to hell at the end of Mozart's great operatic dramma giocoso. In Martin Kusej's production Mozart's darkest opera is presented as a 20th Century morality tale, set in a world where images of female sexuality constantly surround us. A cast of leading interpreters of the major roles includes Ildebrando D'Arcangelo as the Don's servant Leporello and Christine Schäfer and Melanie Diener as the wronged Donna Anna and vengeful Donna Elvira. The Vienna Philharmonic is conducted by Daniel Harding. WIDESCREEN HIGH DEFINITION LPCM STEREO + DTS 5.1 SURROUND SUBTITLES: English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Chinese RETURN TO THE TOP

	Cat. No.: 074 3165 Barcode: 0004407431658 Label: Decca 2DVD Release Date: 11 November			VARIOUS ARTISTS \| MOZART: Cosi fan Tutte ARTISTS Ana María Martínez (Fiordiligi) Sophie Koch (Dorabella) Shawn Mathey (Ferrando) Stéphane Degout (Guglielmo) Sir Thomas Allen (Don Alfonso) Helen Donath (Despina) Konzertvereinigung Wiener Staatsopernchor Wiener Philharmoniker Manfred Honeck (Conductor) *'A musical and vocal pleasure...A major festival event in the anniversary year'* Donaukurier Mozart's ever-popular opera of young love tested in a searching Salzburg production with the Vienna Philharmonic A superb cast of lovers is lead by Ana María Martínez and Sophie Koch as the sisters Fiordiligi and Dorabella, with Shawn Mathey and Stéphane Degout as the suitors who test their devotion. English baritone Sir Thomas Allen and American soprano Helen Donath bring all their experience of Mozart on stage to the roles of the wise Don Alphonso and the all-seeing maid Despina. WIDESCREEN HIGH DEFINITION LPCM STEREO + DTS 5.1 SURROUND SUBTITLES: English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Chinese RETURN TO THE TOP

	Cat. No.: 074 3168 Barcode: 0004407431689 Label: Decca DVD Release Date: 11 November			VARIOUS ARTISTS \| MOZART: Mitridate ARTISTS Richard Croft (Mitridate) Netta Or (Aspasia ) Miah Persson (Sifare) Bejun Mehta (Farnace) Ingela Bohlin (Ismene) Colin Lee (Marzio) Pascal Bertin (Arbate) Les Musiciens du Louvre, Grenoble Marc Minkowski (Conductor) A maximum of furious orchestral power...an opera of shattering emotions and volatile hyper-excitement with exuberant passion Süddeutsche Zeitung Mozart wrote Mitridate for Milan when he was just 14 years old. Based on a play by French dramatist Racine, Mozart's opera is a superb exploration of love, jealousy and politics expressed through some of his most spectacular vocal music. The cast for this Salzburg production, under the baton of Marc Minkowski conducting his Musiciens du Louvre, is lead by American tenor Richard Croft as Mitridate King of Pontus, Swedish soprano Miah Persson and rising-star countertenor Bejun Mehta. Set in a prison-like courtyard beneath a vast mirror and a chorus of Mozarts, Gunter Kramer's upadated production accopanies Mozart's technically demanding and impassioned arias with a mixture of expressionism and modern manners that brings the characters' interactions to life. WIDESCREEN HIGH DEFINITION LPCM STEREO + DTS 5.1 SURROUND SUBTITLES: English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Chinese RETURN TO THE TOP

	Cat. No.: 074 3169 Barcode: 0004407431696 Label: Decca 2DVD Release Date: 11 November			VARIOUS ARTISTS \| MOZART: Idomeneo ARTISTS Ramón Vargas (Idomeneo) Magdalena Kozená (Idamante) Ekaterina Siurina (Ilia) Anja Harteros (Elettra) Jeffrey Francis (Arbace) Robin Leggate (Gran Sacerdote) Günther Groissböck (La Voce) Andreas Schlager Neptune Camerata Salzburg Salzburger Bachchor Sir Roger Norrington (Conductor) 'A vocal ensemble of the highest quality...this was scintillating as well as moving Mozart' Salzburger Volkzeitung Magdalena Kozena and Ramon Vargas in Mozart's great opera seria set in ancient Crete Mozart's opera seria tells of the King of Crete who is saved from a terrible storm by promising the gods that he sacrifice the first person he meets when reaching land, only to be greeted by his beloved son Idamante. In this Salzburg staging under Sir Roger Norrington Mexican tenor Ramón Vargas sings the title role, with Czech mezzo Magdalena Kozena giving an acclaimed performance as Idamante. Salzburg favourite Anja Harteros is the jealous Elettra, with Ekaterina Siurina as Idamante's beloved Ilia. WIDESCREEN HIGH DEFINITION LPCM STEREO + DTS 5.1 SURROUND SUBTITLES: English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Chinese RETURN TO THE TOP

	Cat. No.: 073 4249 Barcode: 0044007342497 Label: DG DVD Release Date: 11 November			VARIOUS ARTISTS \| MOZART: Il Sogno di Scipione ARTISTS Scipione BLAGOJ NACOSKI La Constanza LOUISE FRIBO La Fortuna BERNARDA BOBRO Publio IAIN PATON Emilio ROBERT SELLIER La Licenza ANNA KOVALKO Carinthian Symphony Orchestra · Robin Ticciati Staged by Michael Sturminger From the Great Hall of Salzburg University, Salzburg Festival 2006 RETURN TO THE TOP

	Cat. No.: 073 4248 Barcode: 0044007342480 Label: DG 2DVD Release Date: 11 November			VARIOUS ARTISTS \| MOZART: Betulia Liberata ARTISTS Ozia JEREMY OVENDEN Giudutta MARIJANA MIJANOVIC Amital JULIA KLEITER Achior FRANZ-JOSEF SELIG Cabri IRENA BESPALOVAITE Carmi JENNIFER JOHNSTON RETURN TO THE TOP

	Cat. No.: 073 4253 Barcode: 0044007342534 Label: DG 2DVD Release Date: 11 November			VARIOUS ARTISTS MOZART: Apollo et Hyacinthus; Die Schuldigkeit des ersten Gebotes ARTISTS Apollo et HyacinthusOebalus MAXIMILIAN KIENER Melia CHRISTIANE KARG Hyacinthus JEKATERINA TRETJAKOVA Apollo ANJA SCHLOSSER Zephyrus ASTRID MONIKA HOFER Priest NORBERT STEIDL Die Schuldigkeit des ersten GebotsDivine Justice MICHIKO WATANABE Spirit of Christianity BERNHARD BERCHTOLD Divine Mercy CORDULA SCHUSTER A Christian PETER SONN Worldliness CHRISTIANE KARG RETURN TO THE TOP

	Cat. No.: 073 4252 Barcode: 0044007342527 Label: DG 2DVD Release Date: 11 November			VARIOUS ARTISTS \| MOZART: Zaide; CZERNOWIN: Adama ARTISTS Zaide MOJCA ERDMANN Gomatz TOPI LEHTIPUU Allazim JOHAN REUTER Soliman JOHN MARK AINSLEY Osmin RENATO GIROLAMI Woman NOA FRENKEL Man YARON WINDMÜLLER Father ANDREAS FISCHER Dancer PAUL LORENGER Actor BERND GRAWERT Basle Madrigalists Salzburg Mozarteum Orchestra · Ivor Bolton Austrian Ensemble for New Music/Österreichisches Ensemble für Neue Musik (OENM) · Johannes Kalitzke Staged by Claus Guth From the Salzburger Landestheater, Salzburg Festival 2006 RETURN TO THE TOP

	Cat. No.: 073 4250 Barcode: 0044007342503 Label: DG 2DVD Release Date: 11 November			VARIOUS ARTISTS \| MOZART: L'oca del Cairo; Lo sposo deluso CAST LISTS Irrfahrten II: AbendempfindungSinger ANN MURRAY Actress MARIANNE HAMRE Dancer GRAHAM SMITH Irrfahrten III: Lo sposo deluso Bocconio JOSEF WAGNER Eugenia MARISA MARTINS Don Asdrubale JEREMY OVENDEN Pulcherio MATTHIAS KLINK Bettina SILVIA MOI Irrfahrten III: L'oca del Cairo Don Pippo MILJENKO TURK Celidora MALIN HARTELIUS Biondello JEREMY OVENDEN Calandrino MATTHIAS KLINK Lavina MARISA MARTINS Chichibio JOSEF WAGNER Camerata Salzburg · Michael Hofstetter Staged and Conceived by Joachim Schlömer From the Residenzhof, Salzburg Festival 2006 RETURN TO THE TOP