Mozart Torrent

[ljo]

The Metropolitan Opera Company emailed me with the startling news that for
only $549.98 (plus taxes and shipping, one supposes) I could become the
proud owner of all the below stuff. My only question is whether I should do
it. If I ever needed good advice from the RMO Braintrust this is the time.
Yes or no?

=========================

This Special Edition box set of 33 DVDs includes all 22 of Mozart's operas
as performed at the 2006 Salzburg Festival. From the obscure to the
perennially popular, this set is a true compendium of everything Mozart
wrote for the stage. The casts and productions are all of the highest level,
and each opera makes a unique statement about Mozart the composer. Each
selection is in high definition and 5.1 Dolby Surround Sound and contains
bonus materials such as behind-the-scenes features, artist interviews and
rehearsal excerpts.

With performances by Anna Netrebko, Christine Schäfer, Diana Damrau,
Dorothea Röschmann, Laura Aikin, Ana María Martínez, Melanie Diener, Miah
Persson, Isabel Bayrakdarian, Helen Donath, Magdalena Kozená, Sophie Koch,
Véronique Gens, Marijana Mijanovic, Bejun Mehta, Paul Groves, Ramón Vargas,
Roberto Sacca, John Mark Ainsley, Richard Croft, Thomas Hampson, Stéphane
Degout, Bo Skovhus, Thomas Allen, Ildebrando D'Arcangelo, Franz Hawlata,
René Pape and many others. The set features such conductors as Riccardo
Muti, Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Daniel Harding, Roger Norrington, Manfred
Honeck, Ivor Bolton and others.

Zauberflöte, Die

Zaide

Finta Giardiniera, La

Finta Semplice, La

Ascanio in Alba

Lucio Silla

Re Pastore, Il

Sposo Deluso, Lo

oca del Cairo, L'

Bastien und Bastienne

Schauspieldierektor, Der

Apollo et Hyacinthus

Sogno di Scipione, Il

Betulia

Schuldigkeit des Ersten Gebots, Die

Clemenza di Tito, La

Così Fan Tutte

Don Giovanni

Entführung aus dem Serail, Die

Idomeneo

Mitridate, rè di Ponto

Nozze di Figaro, Le

Artists:

Aikin, Ainsley, Allen, Bayrakdarian, Bolton, Croft, Damrau, D'Arcangelo,
Degout, Diener, Donath, Gens, Groves, Hampson, Harding, Harnoncourt,
Hawlata, Honeck, Koch, Kozená, Martinez, Mehta, Mijanovic, Muti, Netrebko,
Norrington, Pape, Persson, Röschmann, Saccá, Schäfer, Skovhus, Vargas

[alanwa...@aol.com]

I think you should shop around - seems substantially cheaper here:

http://www.hbdirect.com/album_detail.php?pid=3001853

Some people find some of the early works less attractive than those
better known - I don't personally but I suppose it is a question of
how often you are going to look at them and (perhaps) what the
productions are like.

Kind regards,
Alan M. Watkins