This was in another thread but, following a suggestion, most of it is posted here.

I'm heavily into OPERA with a few already on the shelf (not all previewed yet) and another heap on order from Amazon.

One pearl is Gounod - "Romeo et Juliette" Nino Machaidzes/Rolando Villazon/Russell Braun/Mikhail/Petrenko/Falk Struckmann Mozarteum-Orchester/Salzburg Yannick/Nezet-Seguin. Superb singing, exemplary audio & video and a MUST HAVE if you like opera.

A few of us recently viewed Mozart's "Die Zauberflote" and thoroughly enjoyed it. Ex. audio and video + impressive artistry, especially Diana Damrau's interpretation of the Queen of the Night. She sailed through one of opera's most difficult areas with thrilling ease. Recommended.

Disappointing is Mozart: "Die Entfuhrung aus dem Serail" which someone here recently praised. The video is fine & the audio quality is ok BUT the production was recorded poorly in that the individual singers are remote sounding with echo because of the empty theatre (no audience). Absolutely not recommended.

I've only viewed/listened to a part of Rossini's: "La Cenerentola" so have not come to a definitive conclusion yet. The recording and production are fine (to an audience - important IMHO) but I have reservations about the voice of Ruxandra Donose in the role of Cenerentola as, although an obviously competent singer, she is overpowered by the others, something which leads to an imbalance. Nothing to do with the technical side, just the artistic.

If anyone is interested I'll post more on this and the other operas here and on the way as I get around to them. A list is appended. I've doubled up on quite a few titles I already have both on laserdisc and DVD so no doubt not all BD releases will end up the favourite version, despite the excellent technology.

John (having as much fun as a kid in a candy store!)

Bellini: I Puritani (Blu-Ray)
Bizet: Carmen [Blu-ray]
Corbelli, Alessandro Gianni Schicchi [Blu-ray]
Gounod - Romeo et Juliette Nino Machaidzes/Rolando Villazon/Russell Braun/Mikhail/Petrenko/Falk Struckmann Mozarteum-Orchester/Salzburg Yannick/Nezet-Seguin
Handel: Admeto [Blu-ray]
Handel: Semele [Blu-ray]
Massenet "Manon [Blu-ray]" Blu-ray
Mozart - 'Don Giovanni (Weisser/Fink/Freiburger Baronkorchester/Rene Jacobs)
Mozart: Die Entfuhrung aus dem Serail (Blu-Ray) [DVD]
Mozart: Le Nozze di Figaro [Blu-ray]
Prokofiev: The Love for Three Oranges [Blu-ray]
Puccini: La Boheme [Blu-ray]
Rossini: Il Barbiere Di Siviglia [Blu-ray]
Rossini: La Cenerentola [Blu-ray]
Verdi: Aida [Blu-ray]
Verdi: Il Trovatore [Blu-ray] [Blu-ray] (2008) Cura; Hvorostovsky; Naef...
Verdi: Rigoletto [Blu-ray]