Georg Friedrich Händel: Agrippina auf 2 DVDs

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Live Recording of the spectacular new production of this baroque masterpiece at the Saarbrücken State Theater from 2008."How to enrich a gloomy plot full of intrigues, cabal and rancor to an adorable comedic insight into the inner life of the Royals, how to perform a baroque opera into an incredibly exciting affair with no second of boredom, in which the wealth of variants of baroque music becomes accessible to the listener - this all shows Peter Lund by his celebrated production of Agrippina. In love with detail, focused on directing the characters, with exuberant fantasy and creativity the Berlin director sparks a brilliant Handel fireworks. He succeeds in unleashing an effervescent joy of playing, which puts an irresistible spell on the viewer." This is what Frank Herkommer said on "opernnetz. de"

Premium cast by renowned baroque specialists under the direction of Konrad Junghaenel, one of the leading conductors in the array of early music. Konrad Junghaenel is rating among the most knowledgeable and profiled interpreters of vocal baroque music. His vocal ensemble Cantus Cölln, founded in 1987, belongs today to the most respected formations of this kind in the international music scene. The implementation of his intense engagement with baroque performing sound led the professor at the famous Cologne conservatory directly into the inner circle of the most coveted guest conductors for baroque and early classical opera. Even working with modern orchestras like in our case the Saarland Staatsorchester his interpretations always refer to baroque playing technique: strained in tempo, expressive in sound colours but at the same time lean and never overloaded. Susanne Geb lends Agrippina her expressive Belcanto soprano. Following her musical studies at the Nuernberg Meistersinger conservatory as well as with Josef Metternich in Munich and Rotraud Hansmann in Vienna she guested in Leipzig, Trier, Linz and at the Handel Festival in Handel's birth place Halle. Starting with the season 2008 she became steady member of the ensemble of the Mainz State Theater. In 2008 she received the Bavarian Theater Award for her interpretation of Magda in Puccini's "La Rondine"Hiroshi Matsui sings Claudio. The native Japanese is the first bass in the ensemble of the Saarbruecken State Theater since 1996. Engagements as guest singer led him to the New National Theater Tokyo and to Salzburg where he performed in his famed role as King Marke in Wagner's Tristand and Isolde. In 2012 he was appointed professor for voice at the College of Music in Osaka. Elizabeth Wiles sings Poppea. The Texan had her debut as Micaela in Bizet's Carmen at the San Francisco Opera. From the season 2003 she has a firm engagement at the Saarbruecken State Theater. Her lyric soprano makes herself a sought after Interpreter for concerts and recitals, the measure of al things in vocal culture. Judith Braun gives her warm alto voice to Nerone. The first award winner of the German competition "Youth makes music" in 1993 started her career at the prestigious opera workshop at Wiesbaden. After engagements at the Pfalz Theater Kaiserslautern and the Baden State Theater Karlsruhe she joined to the ensemble of the Saarbruecken State Theater in 2007.David Cordier sings Ottone. The Britsh Counter Tenor belongs to the most sought singers in this special tessitura. In particular Handel operas such as Giulio Cesare, Ottone and Radamisto are custom tailored titel roles in his vocal discipline. He performed at the opera houses in Stuttgart, Munich, Dusseldorf and Hamburg, at the Semper Opera in Dresden, the Music Theater Amsterdam, the Bastille Opera in Paris and the Royal Opera House Kopenhagen. Steve Waechter sings Narciso. Also a Counter Tenor he is specialized in barock opera and oratorio as well as contemporary operas that contain roles for his discipline. He was guest singer at the Frankfurt opera, the Prague State opera and at the Bach Festival in Leipzig Guido Baehr sings Lesbo. After guest performances in Hannover, Karlsruhe, Cologne, Munich, Vevey-Montreux, Bern and Zurich the baritone is a steady member of the ensemble of the Saarbruecken State Theater since 1997.