Welcome back for this week’s look at the latest CD and DVD releases in the opera world.

This week, two albums celebrating Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau will be released. There is also a legendary recording from teh Wiener Staatsoper which will be released. Audiences can also check out several recordings featuring unknown composers.

Chant in a Wail

Navona releases composer and tenor Gregory Zavracky’s four song cycles for voice and piano. He is joined by mezzo-soprano Paula Murrihy, baritone Jesse Blumberg, soprano Deborah Selig, and pianist Tanya Blaich for this new album.

For Dieter: The Past and The Future

Baritone Benjamin Appl dedicates an album to his mentor, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, whose centenary is celebrated in 2025.

In a statement, Appl noted, “The first time I heard his voice was at school when I was twelve years old. In 2009, I applied for his master class at the Schubertiade in Schwarzenberg which was the start of a long and transformative relationship. I was fortunate to work with him on my entire repertoire over countless hours in his homes in Berlin and Berg.”

The CD is accompanied by a 140-page book written by Appl, which features personal stories, historical insights, and previously unpublished information about the legendary baritone whose centenary is celebrated in 2025.

The repertoire in this touching recording is structured to reflect the major stages of his life and includes compositions by family members Albert and Klaus Fischer-Dieskau, repertoire he sang as a soldier during World War II and as a Prisoner of War in Italy, commissions composed especially for him through to favourite Lieder by Schubert. Appl is joined by pianist James Baillieu. Alpha Classics releases.

Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau: A Centenary Tribute

SOMM Recordings celebrates the centenary of the legendary German baritone Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau by adding to his canonical discography with live recital and concert recordings from the Music Preserved archive. Fischer-Dieskau was at the very height of his powers from 1960–75, and the performances on this album date from that period. A bonus CD contains two interviews conducted by Jon Tolansky— appearing here in their entirety for the first time.

Across the Open Spaces 

An American Soldier

The American Composers Orchestra will release the world premiere recording of composer Huang Ruo and librettist David Henry Hwang’s opera “An American Soldier” digitally via Platoon.

The recording from the 2024 PAC NYC production includes tenor Brian Vu as Danny Chen, mezzo-soprano Nina Yoshida Nelsen as his mother, soprano Hannah Cho as his school friend Josephine Young, and baritone Alex DeSocio as Sgt. Aaron Marcum.

TAPESTRY OF VOICES VOL. 2

Navona releases the album that unites the music of several contemporary composers in a journey through history, poetry, and human emotion. From the playful yet enigmatic settings of Jabberwocky to the poignant reflection on life and loss in Requiem for the Ancestors—Día de los Muertos and Songs of the Night Wind, each piece resonates with deep meaning. The album includes music by Carla Lucero, George Brandon, Anne Kilstofte, Ferdinando DeSena, Bill Whitley, Sheli Nan, and Paul Osterfield.

Life Returns

Matthew Evan Taylor’s “Life Returns” weaves together African-American, South Asian, and Western European musical traditions. Performed by the chamber orchestra Metropolis Ensemble alongside the South Asian jazz collective RAJAS, the piece unfolds as a series of intimate musical exchanges, blending composition with improvisation in a fluid and organic dialogue.

Longing – A Love Across The Ages

Emmy-nominated composer Craig Brandwein releases his latest classical work, an opera in one act.

Set in New York City in the late 192os, the opera tells the story of Dr. Curtis and his daughter, Elise, who are preparing a new Egyptian exhibit of their recent excavation. There, the Forgotten Prince, who was cursed in life, lies in his sarcophagus. The curse destroyed his entire family, ending a dynasty, but leaving the prince alive and trapped in his tomb for thousands of years. Since his discovery, he has watched in secret, learned the new language that he hears, and fallen in love with Elise. Guided by the ghost of his mother, he will reveal himself to Elise. So begins their love story, but the curse isn’t yet finished with the ancient prince.

Lully: Atys

Chateau de Versailles will release Lully’s work with Matthew Newlin, Ana Quintans, Andreas Wolf, and Giuseppina Bridelli. The Cappella Mediterranea and Choeur de chambre de Namur are conducted by Leonardo Garcià-Alarcòn.

Rameau: Platée

Chateau de Versailles releases Rameau’s comic work with a cast that includes Mathias Vidal, Marie Lys, Zachary Wilder, Alexandre Duhamel, Juliette Mey, David Witczak, Cécile Achille, and Cyril Costanzo. Valentin Tournet conducts La Chapelle Harmonique.

Florian Leopold Gassmann: Gli Uccellatori

Dynamic releases the rarely performed opera by Glassmann featuring a cast that includes Bryndis Gudjónsdóttir, Massimo Frigato, Justina Vaitkute, Elia Colombotto, Angelica Disanto, Huigang Liu, and Joan Folqué. The Orchestra ICO della Magna Grecia will be conducted by Enrico Pagano.

Leoncavallo: Pagliacci

Orfeo releases a live recording of Leoncavallo’s masterwork from the Wiener Staatsoper. The 1985 live performance features Plácido Domingo, Ileana Cotruba, Matteo Manuguerra, Heinz Zednik, Wolfgang Schöne, Josef Pogatschnig, and Wolfgang Witte. The Orchester der Wiener Staatsoper is conducted by Adam Fischer.

Adolphe Adam: Griseldis

The Ballet-Pantomime in three acts and five tableaux features soprano Marija Jelić in this recording. The Sofia Philharmonic Chorus and Orchestra are conducted by Dario Salvi. Naxos releases.

Georg Schumann: Ruth

CPO releases Georg Schumann’s major featuring Marcelina Román, Julie-Marie Sundal, Hanno Müller-Brachmann, and Jonas Böhm. Jörg-Peter Weigle conducts the production by Philharmonischer Chor Berlin and Brandenburgisches Staatsorchester Frankfurt.

Georg Schumann was a composer, pianist, ensemble player, conductor, director of a master class for composi­tion, music manager, and Artistic and Executive Direc­tor of Berlin’s Sing-Akademie. During his lifetime, Schumann was considered a representative of the New Romantics of the 1860s generation and is gradually being rediscovered as a late Romantic.

Brahms: Ein deutsches Requiem

Miku Yasukawa and Jochen Kupfer join the Bach Collegium Japan choir and orchestra for Brahms’ masterwork. Masaaki Suzuki conducts. BIS releases.

Mieczyslaw Weinberg: Songs

Brilliant Classics releases an album dedicated to Weinberg. Joanna Klisowska and Katarzyna Neugebauer are the soloists on the album.

Erik Højsgaard: Please accept a Sunset

Frederikke Kampmann and Athelas Sinfonietta join Robert Houssart and  Danish Chamber Playersfor music by Erik Højsgaard.