Paolo Malatesta
Eva-Maria Westbroek stars in the title role of Zandonai’s sensuous drama, opposite Marcello Giordani as Paolo. Piero Faggioni’s lush production provides the perfect setting for one of the all-time great tales of tragic passion, adapted from an episode in Dante’s Inferno. Mark Delavan co-stars as Giovanni, the husband and brother of the star-crossed lovers, whose jealousy leads him to kill them both. Robert Brubaker is Malatestino and Marco Armiliato conducts.
Ernani
Rising Met star Angela Meade is Elvira, the young woman caught between three men: her lover, the nobleman-turned-outlaw Ernani (Marcello Giordani); her guardian, the rich, elderly de Silva, who wants her for himself (Ferruccio Furlanetto); and Don Carlo, the King of Spain, who also desires Elvira (Dmitri Hvorostovsky). Verdi’s early drama is full of sweeping melody and rousing rhythms, delivered masterfully by the Met Orchestra and Chorus conducted by Marco Armiliato.
Dick Johnson (Ramirrez)
This excellent Deutsche Grammophon Blu-ray DVD was made during a Metropolitan Opera company performance of “La Fanciulla del West” in December 2010. The performance marked the centenary of the world premiere of the opera at the old Metropolitan Opera in 1910 with Caruso as Ramirrez or Dick Johnson, Emmy Destinn as Minnie, Pasquale Amato as Jack Rance and Arturo Toscanini as the conductor. Puccini helped in the production of the opera and was present in the audience on the night of the premiere.
Calàf
La magnífica puesta en escena de Franco Zeffirelli de la última ópera de Puccini (un cuento de hadas ambientado en una China mítica) es una de las más populares del repertorio del Metropolitan. En esta producción en vivo y en alta resolución María Guleghina se hace cargo del papel que le da título y Marcello Giordani es Calaf, el príncipe desconocido. Marina Poplavskaya y Samuel Ramey coprotagonizan la ópera y Andris Nelsons la dirige en su debut en el Metropolitan.
Faust
Radiant mezzo-soprano Susan Graham and dashing Italian tenor Marcello Giordani are unlucky lovers in La Damnation de Faust, Hector Berlioz’s classic take on dancing with the devil.
Des Grieux
One of today’s most compelling singing actresses, Karita Mattila takes on the irresistible role of Manon Lescaut, the headstrong young woman torn between a life of luxury and the call of her true love: the Chevalier des Grieux, played by Marcello Giordani. The young Puccini lavished some of his most sensual music on this early hit, conducted here by the Met’s beloved James Levine.
Don Alvaro
Don Alvaro
“La forza del destino”, estrenada en San Petersburgo en 1862, es una de las composiciones operísticas más importantes de Verdi. Su trama es complicada y combina una secuencia de trazos del destino desafortunados entrelazados. Donna Leonora es el centro de los acontecimientos, junto con su hermano Don Carlo di Vargas y su amante Don Alvaro. La historia se ambienta originalmente en la España del siglo XVIII, sin embargo el director francés Nicolas Joël sitúa la acción en un periodo un poco posterior, en la época del Imperio, a principios del siglo XIX. La función de 2007 en el hermoso teatro Maggio Musicale de Florencia, dirigida por Zubin Mehta, quien es un artista invitado frecuente allí, está protagonizada por Violeta Urmana como Donna Leonora con Carlo Guelfi y Marcello Giordani como Don Carlo y Don Alvaro.
Lucia Mazzaria and Metropolitan Opera star Marcello Giordani lead the cast in this live 2006 performance. Also featured are Alberto Mastromarino & Julia Gertseva. The orchestra and chorus of the Teatro Massimo "V. Bellini" di Catania are conducted by Donato Renzetti.
B. F. Pinkerton, Lieutenant in the United States Navy
Japan, early twentieth century. U.S. Navy Lieutenant B.F. Pinkerton inspects the house he has leased from a marriage broker. The broker, Goro, has procured him three servants and a geisha wife, Cio-Cio-San, known as Madama Butterfly. He is enchanted with the fragile Cio-Cio-San. Cio-Cio-San is heard in the distance joyously singing of her wedding. In a quiet moment, Cio-Cio-San shows her bridegroom her few earthly treasures and tells him of her intention to embrace his Christian faith. The Imperial Commissioner performs the wedding ceremony, and the guests toast the couple. The celebration is interrupted by Cio-Cio-San's uncle, a Buddhist priest, who bursts in, cursing the girl for having renounced her ancestors' religion. Alone with Cio-Cio-San in the moonlit garden, her husband dries her tears, and she joins him in singing of their love.