Instrumental & Orchestral Performances, Opera Documentaries & Films

For availability, please go to the Bel Canto Society Store

Titles are videos unless identified as DVDs

The Life of Verdi (1983). 10 hours. In English. On the soundtrack: Tebaldi, Del Monaco, Pavarotti, Rinaldi, Cappuccilli, Corelli, Zampieri, Callas, Taddei, Pasero, Tagliabue/Masini, LauriVolpi/Pirazzini, Gencer/Taddei, Ferr. Tagliavini, Penno/Mancini/Taddei, overture to Vespri, finale from Nabucco. R. Pickup, C. Fracci; Castellani, dir. #F1246 Regularly US$79.95, SALE US$71.95 This video set counts as 4 paid titles toward the 5 necessary to receive a free video or CD set from the list of 189 titles.
       “For entertainment or for scholarship, the program should not be missed.”—Booklist

Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. Documentary. Stresses and strains among the administration, the crew and the performers. If you view this, you’ll never look at an opera performance in the same way. Elaborately produced. English. #F1482 Regularly US$79.95, SALE US$71.95  Counts as 4 paid titles toward the total of 5 paid videos, CDs or DVDs necessary to receive a free video or CD from the bonus list.

Leonard Bernstein

Bernstein in Vienna: Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony (1970). Bernstein conducts Vienna Philharmonic and Vienna State Opera Chorus. With G. Jones, Verrett, Domingo, Talvela. #F1343 Regularly US$19.94, SALE US$17.95

Bernstein in Vienna: Beethoven’s First Piano Concerto (1970). While playing the piano, Bernstein conducts the Vienna Philharmonic in celebration of the composer’s 200th birthday. #F1336 Regularly US$19.94, SALE US$17.95

Bernstein in Australia: Tchaikovsky’s Sixth Symphony (“Pathétique”) (1974). Bernstein conducts the New York Philharmonic at the newly opened Sydney Opera House. #F1345 Regularly US$19.94, SALE US$17.95

Bernstein in Paris: Berlioz Requiem (1975). Bernstein conducts the Orchestre National de France, Orchestre Philharmonique de France, and Les Choeurs de Radio France. With S. Burrows. #F1354 Regularly US$19.94, SALE US$17.95

Bernstein in London: Verdi Requiem (1970). Bernstein conducts the London Symphony Chorus & Orchestra. With Arroyo, Veasey, Domingo, R. Raimondi. #F1344 Regularly US$19.95, SALE $17.95

Leonard Bernstein: The Unanswered Question. Six talks at Harvard plus performances. (1973). Musical Phonology, Musical Syntax, Musical Semantics, The Delights and Dangers of Ambiguity, The Twentieth Century.  In English. Available in NSTC VHS or DVD box sets, 25% off price of videotape lectures purchased individually. Page tells how to order individual lecture videos. #F1570 Regularly US $99.95, SALE US$89.95
       DVD: #FD1570  Boxed set. Regularly US$99.95, SALE US$89.95  

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Claudio Arrau: The Emperor (1984). Beethoven’s Emperor Concerto, plus documentary footage. #F1191 Regularly US$19.95, SALE US$17.95

Song of the Birds: A Biography of Pablo Casals (Documentary) (1959-1971). With Casals, Y. Menuhin, Rostropovich, others. #F1342 Regularly US$24.95, SALE US$22.45

Heifetz/Piatigorsky. Performance footage. #F1101 Regularly US$19.95, SALE US$17.95

Artur Rubinstein. Performance footage, some with Heifetz and Piatigorsky. #F1102 Regularly US$19.95, SALE US$17.95

Glenn Gould Plays Beethoven. Emperor Concerto, more. #F1463 Regularly US$19.95, SALE US$17.95

Herbert von Karajan (Documentary). Bumbry/Vickers (Carmen), Anne-Sophie Mutter. In English. #F2092 Regularly US$19.95, SALE US$17.95  

Marian Anderson  Concert excerpts; interviews with Anderson, I. Stern, Norman. #F1851 Regularly US$19.95, SALE US$17.95

Ludwig van Beethoven. Von Karajan, Klemperer, Böhm, other conductors; Berlin Philharmonic, Vienna Symphony, other orchestras. Hans Conrad Fischer, dir. #F1856 Regularly US$29.95, SALE US$26.95
     Fabulous archival footage of performances. Topics include role of improvisation in his compositions. His innovations.—Stefan Zucker

Videos available in both NTSC VHS and PAL VHS: (Same as on the NTSC/PAL listings page)

Jussi Björling's Saga (1977). Documentary in Swedish; occasionally, English. Musical scenes from his two films. Recordings of Jussi and his brothers as boys. Interviews with Barbieri, Merrill, others. No subtitles #578  Originally US$14.95, NOW US$12.95

Callas: A Documentary (1978). Ardoin, writer; Zeffirelli, narrator. Bonus (1978): never seen before—more on Callas from Ardoin, Gobbi, Menotti, Rescigno and Scotto.#194  Regularly US$24.95, SALE US$19.95 | DVD: #D194  US$18.95
         “Not to be missed.”—John Steane, Gramophone

Callas Reveals Herself. The extraordinary, suppressed 1974 interview. #197  Regularly US$19.95, SALE US$12.95

Conversations with Callas with Lord Harewood + bonus: Callas in Paris, 1965: Manon, Sonnambula, Schicchi and interview in French + second bonus: Norma (highlights)  #199  Originally US$19.95, NOW US$12.95  WHILE THEY LAST!

Caruso: A Documentary (As seen on A&E,1998). + Caruso in My Cousin: a 1918 silent feature with an added soundtrack. #186  Regularly US$29.95, SALE US$16.95

Interviews with Corelli (1990-1993 ), by Stefan Zucker, on “Opera Fanatic” radio program and in the theater. Video cassettes with audio tracks only, no picture. Seven different sets—26 hours total—each originally US$16.95 to US$29.95, NOW US$12.95 to US$19.95
    These programs reveal Corelli as intelligent and analytical. They give the lie to the idea that he was a stud with a fabulous larynx but no brains.

Opera Fanatic: Stefan and the Divas (1998). Adami Corradetti, Barbieri, Cerquetti, Cigna, Frazzoni, Gavazzi, Gencer, Olivero, Pobbe, Simionato; Zucker; Schmidt-Garre, dir. In English and in Italian, English subtitles. #700  US$19.95      
          “What are the various aspects of expressive singing?” is one of the questions I put to the divas. They discuss and demonstrate their interpretations, singing brief excerpts from Norma, Butterfly, Trovatore, Traviata, Tosca, Fanciulla and Adriana  (Olivero, age 86, performs the “Monologo”). They take opposing positions about chest voice and the voce infantile.” —Stefan Zucker
            This web site entry includes many pages of essays, biographies—and dish. A PDF file may also be downloaded.

Jan Peerce in If I Were a Rich Man (1990). A Documentary Hosted by Isaac Stern, with Toscanini, Antonioni. Songs & arias. #198  Regularly US$19.95, SALE US$12.95

Great Conductors, Vol. 1. Performances with Walter, Klemperer, Blech, Busch, Keilberth, Elmendorff (Götterdämmerung excerpt with Leider and Lorenz from Bayreuth), Fricsay, Knappertsbusch (w. Berger and Ralf), Schurich, E. Kleiber. #51 Originally US$16.95, NOW US$9.95

Great Conductors of the Third Reich. Blech, Böhm, Furtwängler, Karajan, Knappertsbusch, Krauss, Schillings with Hitler, Goebbels, Berger, Höngen, Ralf, Rode, Rosvaenge and the Berlin Philharmonic. Performance footage plus newsreels: excerpts from Tell, Meistersinger, the Beethoven Ninth and the Schubert “Unfinished” Symphonies. Includes a 16-page booklet with exposés and biographies by Frederic Spotts. #52  Regularly US$24.95,  SALE US$19.95

Feature Films:

Rossini (1943) featuring Pederzini, Pasero, G. Gatti, Stabile, De Muro Lomanto, P. Pauli, De Taranto; Gui. Italian, English subtitles #656 Regularly US$19.95, SALE US$12.95  DVD version forthcoming in December
            Five star review (highest rating) from Classical CD
            “The only footage of some of these artists. An engrossing, accurate dramatization of the composer’s life from Otello to Tell.”—Stefan Zucker

Casta diva. A romanticized biography of Bellini (1954). M. Ronet, A. Lusualdi, N. Gray. Voices of Mancini, G. Poggi, Neri, Matera, Formichi, De Fabritiis; Chor. & Orch. of the Rome Opera; Gallone, dir. Pirata, Sonnambula, Norma, Lucia. In English. Beautiful print. Technicolor #410  Regularly US$19.95, SALE US$16.95  |  DVD: #D410  US$18.95

Life and Loves of Mozart (1955). Oskar Werner, Güden, Köth, Dermota, Kunz, Frick; Swarowsky, cond. Features the renowned Vienna Mozart ensemble of the 50s. In English. #411  Regularly US$19.95, SALE US$16.95  DVD version forthcoming in December

Carnegie Hall (1947). Starring Marsha Hunt with performances by Heifetz, Rubinstein, Pinza, Lily Pons, Risë Stevens, Peerce, Piatigorsky, Stokowski, Bruno Walter, Fritz Reiner, Damrosch, Harry James, Vaughn Monroe, and the New York Philharmonic. English. #791  Regularly US$24.95, SALE US$19.95

Paderewski in Moonlight Sonata (1937). With Tempest, Portman. English. #24 Regularly US$19.95, SALE US$14.95

Macbeth. Shakespeare. (1954, live TV performance of play). Judith Anderson, Maurice Evans. #352 Originally US$16.95, NOW US$12.95

Mayerling (1937). Film with Charles Boyer, Danielle Darrieux. French, English subtitles. #A11 Originally US$14.95, NOW US$12.95
     The film that made Boyer a star.

Phèdre Racine. (1968). Film with Marie Bell. French, English subtitles. #840 Originally US$14.95, NOW US$12.95

CD

Goldberg Variations (2001). John Kamitsuka, piano. #5016  US$9.95    

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