The Solti 100th birthday celebration, commemorating this outstanding musician, is the ultimate realization of Solti’s widow, Lady Valerie Solti, and the World Orchestra for Peace that the late conductor founded. A truly marvelous program of works that Solti knew well is carried off by top orchestral players and singers to the delight of those fortunate enough to be in attendance.

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An opera virtually unknown to today’s audiences, Das Labyrinth is Peter von Winter’s sequel to Mozart’s popular Magic Flute. The outdoor Salzburg Festival performances features a mostly young cast, some stylish singing, and great stage play with clever sets. A most enjoyable watch with great sights and sounds.

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The Pergolesi revival gives us a rarely staged opera well realized by the forces in the Teatro Valeria Moriconi, Jesi. Stylized ancient costumes on a bare cruciate stage are offset by super vocalism, musical direction and recording properties.

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The Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra and its assembled soloists and choirs gives us an inspired performance, directed by Ivan Fischer. Excellent visual and audio recording makes this a disc worth owning.

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La Forza Del Destino, one of Verdi’s darkest works, receives a decent production from the Florence May Music Festival company. The vocal strengths of the cast compensate for some pretty bare staging and unrelenting darkness of the sets

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The 2011 Rossini Festival gives us a marvelous Blu-ray premiere of a rare masterpiece by one of opera’s greatest composers. Cast, conductor, and director are firing on all cylinders with this one making it an easy recommendation for opera lovers.

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A delightful early Mozart comic opera from start to finish, this 2006 Zurich Opera production receives great leadership from early music specialist Nikolaus Harnoncourt and spirited vocal and dramatic performances from its youthful cast.

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La Salustia, Pergolesi’s first opera receives a strong rendition thanks to a skilled group of singers and baroque music specialists. Opera enthusiasts will get a good glimpse of the musical style that influenced Mozart.

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A delightful early 18th century romp through the worlds of misalliance, secret identity, and young love, Il Flaminio has been successfully resurrected by this recent Italian production.

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Two baroque operas of Pergolesi, Il Prigionier Superbo and La Serva Padrona, are given updated staging but period-appropriate singing and instrumental playing. An excellent introduction to this infrequently performed musical genre.

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