Welcome to our DVD review section. DVDs for review should be sent to David Alker, who can be contacted at d.alker@virgin.net.

Recent DVDs

• Puccini's Madama Butterfly by De Nederlandse Opera
• Wagner's Parsifal from the Festspielhaus, Baden-Baden
• Elgar's Enigma Variations - the BBC Symphony Orchestra with Andrew Davis
• Haydn: The Creation - Wiener Folksier with Peter Marschik

Christmas DVD list

• Silent Night, Holy Night from the Berlin Schauspielhaus
  "a pleasant antidote to [seasonal] excess"
• Handel: Der Messias
  "highly enjoyable once one accepts that this is Handel seen through Mozart's eyes"
• Aled Jones - Carols for Christmas
  "In all a very satisfying addition to the Christmas stocking"
• An Edinburgh Christmas with St Mary's Cathedral Choir and guests
  "the combination of fine singing and a well balanced programme makes the whole highly enjoyable"

Pierre Cochereau

• Cochereau - l'organiste de Notre-Dame - a Film by Yvette Carbou
  "the French, so proud of many of their traditions, seem to have captured so much on film and television during his lifetime, adding much more to the insight we get from those interviewed"

William Byrd

• Playing Elizabeth's Tune - The Tallis Scholars sing William Byrd
  "the Tallis Scholars ... bring a divine ambience to the performance in this very atmospheric setting"

Operatic DVDs

• Mozart: Idomeneo by Glyndebourne Festival Opera
  "the strength of John Cox's ... production and the intensity of John Pritchard's conducting [are] both well represented here"
• Gluck: Orfeo ed Euridice by Glyndebourne Festival Opera
  "More than just an historical document - a vivid and living proof of a total art work"

• Zurich Opera House - Monteverdi's Ulysses
• Bavarian State Orchestra - Handel's Rinaldo
• Metropolitan Opera - Wagner's Parsifal
• La Scala - Puccini's Tosca