It is a big week for CDs and DVD releases in the opera world. As companies get ready for the holiday season, numerous artists have new releases that are must buys. Here are our recommendations.

Myrthen

With “Myrthen,” baritone Christian Gerhaher embarks on the second chapter of his once-in-a-lifetime project: the complete recording of Robert Schumann’s lieder output. Lauded as the greatest lied singer of our time, he launched his complete cycle of Schumann’s lieder with the album “Frage,” for which he was named Opus Klassik’s 2019 Male Singer of the Year.

Now in this second album of the series Gerhaher is accompanied by pianist Gerold Huber and Swedish soprano Camilla Tilling. The album is devoted to the song cycle “Myrthen (Myrtles)” which was composed in 1840, Schumann’s “year of song,” when most of his works for voice and piano originated.

10 Years – The Best Of

Il Volo will release its new album 10 Years – The Best celebrating the trio’s 10-year anniversary. The album will pay homage to the career of three unique voices that have crossed national borders, selling millions of records, and climbed rankings worldwide and will arrive in the wake of Il Volo’s hugely successful summer tour, which took them to the most iconic Italian locations.

The new album will offer all the best of Il Volo’s repertoire, from “O Sole Mio” to “My Way” to “Grande Amore” as well as by songs recorded in the studio and by new live recordings such as the June show in Matera, Italy which was filmed and will be broadcast later this year.

MATERNITY / ULYSSES, HOME

Navona Records’ is set to release Maternity/Ulysses, Home, two highly distinctive works from composer Anthony Brandt. Both pieces were inspired by written works: “Maternity” is based on a 2010 short story, “The Founding Mothers,” and “Ulysses, Home,” which finds its inspiration in Homer’s “Odyssey.” The music on the album is performed by a chamber orchestra and a string quartet which supports the narrative and vocal performances.

Facce d’amore

“Facce d’amore / Faces of love” follows Jakub Józef Orliński’s first solo album, “Anima Sacra.” Spanning some 85 years of the baroque period, the arias on “Facce d’amore” were composed by Handel, Cavalli, Alessandro Scarlatti, Bononcini, Conti, Hasse, Orlandini, Predieri and Matteis.

Orliński once again partners with the instrumentalists of Il Pomo d’Oro and their Principal Conductor Maxim Emelyanychev.

La Traviata

Opus Arte releases the acclaimed “La Traviata” from the Royal Opera in a production starring Ermonela Jaho in the title role, Charles Castronovo, and Plácido Domingo. This is the third time Richard Eyre’s production is released and this time it is conducted with Antonello Manacorda.

Caruso 1873

Roberto Alagna releases his second album for Sony Classical. The album is an homage to Enrico Caruso with arias from Puccini, Verdi, Handel, and Cilea, as well as Neapolitan songs.

Benjamin Bernheim

The rising French tenor releases his debut album with Deutsche Gramophon. Bernheim presents an album of popular tenor arias from Massenet, Donizetti, Puccini, Berlioz, Gounod, Verdi and Tchaikovsky. He is accompanied by Emmanuel Villaume and the Prague Philharmonia.

Hamlet

Naxos releases Thomas’ beloved work from the Opéra-Comique The lead roles of Hamlet and Ophélie are portrayed by acclaim French singers Stéphane Degout and Sabine Devieilhe. They are accompanied by mezzo Sylvie Brunet-Grupposo as Gertrude, bass Laurent Alvaro as Claudius, and the rising tenor Julien Behr as Laërte. Cyril Teste’s production is conducted by Louis Langrée.