Rossini's "Le Comte Ory" tells the story of a libidinous and cunning nobleman who disguises himself first as a hermit and then as a nun in order to gain access to the virtuous Countess Adele, whose brother is away at the Crusades. The 2011 Met production was directed by Tony Award winner Bartlett Sher, who presented the action as an opera within an opera, updating the action by a few centuries and giving the costume designer, Catherine Zuber, the opportunity to create some particularly extravagant headgear. Juan Diego Florez starred as the title role while Diana Damrau plays Countess Adele, and Joyce DiDonato was in breeches as his pageboy Isolier. Conducted with verve and finesse by Maurizio Benini, the production also features the stylish French baritone Stephane Degout as Ory's bibulous conspirator Raimbaud, charismatic Italian bass Michele Pertusi as the Count's long-suffering Tutor, and, formidable as Adele's housekeeper Ragonde, the Swedish dramatic mezzo Susanne Resmark.

David McVicar's exhilarating new production, with Anne Sofie von Otter in the title role, restores t...

Takarazuka Revue's Phantom based on the play by Maury Yeston and Arthur Kopit.

Recorded at the Glyndebourne Festival Opera in 1995, this acclaimed presentation of composer Gioachi...

Jean-Marie Villegier's modern interpretation of Handel's "Rodelinda" – filmed live at the world-reno...

The Royal Ballet and the Royal Opera collaborate in Wayne McGregor's production of Handel and Gay's ...

A musical drama based on Giuseppe Verdi's opera Rigoletto.

Set in a South Bohemian village, this faithful film version of Smetana’s opera follows farmer Krušin...
A look at the entire process of creating and developing Patrice Chéreau’s third staging of "In the S...

A film version of the famous Bizet opera, where a soldier (Don Jose) falls in love with a beautiful ...

Cio-Cio-San, a young Japanese geisha, seeks to fulfill her dreams through marriage to an American na...

The young soldier Don José intends to marry Micaëla, a girl from his home village. But when he meets...

Lucia’s brother Enrico is horrified to learn she has fallen in love with his sworn enemy Edgardo. He...

Figaro uses every trick he can muster to outwit Dr Bartolo and ensure his master wins his chosen bri...

Nabucco, King of Babylon, takes Jerusalem in his war with the Israelites – but his daughter Fenena l...

Axel Köhler’s production of Der Freischütz at the Dresden State Opera was described by Die Presse as...

Cio-Cio-San, the young Japanese bride of dashing American officer Lieutenant Pinkerton, finds her ro...

"Orango" - prologue to an unfinished opera by Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975), conducted by Esa-Pekk...

Live performance from Zürich Opera House, 2001. “Vesselina Kasarova’s Rosina turned this Barber int...