Label: NEOS BLU-RAY 51005
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(BLU-RAY)
PREMIERE STAGE PERFORMANCE!
The Passenger: Opera in 2 acts, 8 scenes and an epilogue, Op. 97 (1967-68);
“In der Fremde,” documentary film created by Austrian public broadcasting (ORF); Interviews with creators and cast members

ARTISTS: Michelle Breedt, Elena Kelessidi, Svetlana Doneva, Talia Or, Helen Field, sopranos; Roberto Saccà, David Danholt, tenors; Artur Rucinski, baritone; Angelica Voje, Elzbieta Wróblewska, mezzo-sopranos; Agnieszka Rehlis, Liuba Sokolova, altos; Tobias Hächler, Wilfried Staber, Richard Angas, basses;
Andreas Semlitsch, violin; Prague Philharmonic Choir; Vienna Symphony Orchestra, Teodor Currentzis, conductor; David Pountney, director.

Sound Format: 5.0 DTS-HD Master Audio (opera) and 2.0 Stereo (extras) | Picture Format: 1080i High Definition, 16:9
Booklet Librettos: English, German, French, Polish | Subtitles: Multilingual, German, English, French, Polish, Russian; documentary in German with English subtitles
Running Time: 190 minutes | Recorded: 2010, Bregenz Festival

The Passenger is based on the eponymous novel of the Polish writer and survivor of the Auschwitz concentration camp, Zofia Posmycz, in which Martha (Elena Kelessidi), a one-time Secret Service overseer of the camp, unexpectedly meets Lisa (Michelle Breedt), a former prisoner with whom Martha had contact. In flashbacks we learn about what happened in Auschwitz and about the relationship between the two protagonists. The opera is sung in German, English, French, Russsian and Yiddish, and is being performed throughout Europe and the United States over the coming year. The documentary “In der Fremde” portrays Weinberg’s life, reveals the creation of the novel and the author’s memories of Auschwitz,, and shows the work that led up to the performance at the Bregenz Festival.

Label: NEOS DVD 50802
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CRISTOBAL HALFFTER (*1930): Lázaro, Opera in one act on Texts by Juan Carlos Marset Jörg Sabrowski; Friedemann Kunder; Julia Henning; Claudia Iten; Johannes An; Steffen Doberauer; Matthias Klein; Jooil Choir Philharmonisches Orchester Kiel/Georg Fritzsch Alexander Schulin, stage director; Stefanie Pasterkamp, scenery & costumes; Joscha Schaback, dramaturge NTSC All Region; Dolby Digital 5.1; 6:9; Approx. 111 mins. Subtitled in Spanish, English, German & French The guards of the Sanhedrin are hunting for Lazarus, after Jesus of Nazareth’s arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane. Lazarus flees to his home, where he lives with his sisters Martha and Mary, before finally taking refuge in his tomb. There, in dreams, he relives his own past death and encounters Jesus’ four most trusted disciples (Simon, Andrew, John and Jacob) and Judas. On waking from his sleep, Lazarus returns to his home. A meeting is taking place between the four disciples, his sisters and Judas, who attempts to excuse his treachery and convince the others to follow his plans. Judas fails in his endeavor, and Lazarus decides to give himself up to the guards and die once more, only this time in a fully aware state. The opera house THEATER KIEL recently garnered much praise in German-speaking territories for its performances of Halffter’s opera Don Quijote (following the Madrid premiere in 2003). Cristóbal Halffter entrusted his new opera Lázaro to the same house, which mounted the first performance in May 2008, using much the same cast. The entire production was filmed and edited by NEOS. Reviews of the opera “Lázaro” “On Sunday May 4, we were among the eager public at the Kiel Opera watching the premiere of Cristóbal Halffter’s magnificent opera Lázaro. At the age of 78, the great Spanish composer is in every word, every sound and every gesture, the grand seigneur of the old school, the humanist insightful of human emotions, the aesthete of harmonious proportions, richly inspired.” - (Peter Krause Die Welt, 06.05.2008) “The piece opens space after space of subtle, iridescent orchestral structures that unfold symphonically in four major interludes. In the action scenes, the music follows the reading of the Spanish text, to which the orchestra lends a gentle rhythmic impetus. What impresses us here is the composer’s utter dominance of the whole ensemble, the way the personal tone Halffter uses in his music conveys to us his own religious convictions. With Lázaro he has created an opera worthy to take its place beside the great spiritual works.” - (Christian Wildhagen, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, 06.05.2008)

Label: NEOS DVD 50905/6
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ARTISTS: Various 2 DVDS