This week’s CD releases feature a new album from a famed Hungarian artist alongside a number of releases from Naxos for your viewing pleasure.

Giants, tragedians, comedians, heroes

Levente Molnar releases his first solo album on Universal. The CD entitled “Giants, tragedians, comedians, heroes”  includes 13 arias from “Bank Ban,” “Pagliacci,” “Le Nozze di Figaro,” “Rigoletto,” “Falstaff,” “Andrea Chénier,”  and “Don Carlo,” among others.

According to a press release this is a portrait album, representing the chosen future of his career. The CD also includes the grand duet from “Bank Ban” with mezzo-soprano Viktória Mester

L’Etoile

Naxos releases Chabrier’s rarely performed opera with a cast that includes Stéphanie d’Oustrac and Christophe Mortagne. Laurent Pelly directs the work with Patrick Fournillier conducting. 

Le Comte Ory

Philippe Talbot, Julie Fuchs, and Gaëlle Arquez star in a new release of Rossini’s hilarious comedy. The new release, from C Major Entertainment, comes from the Opera Comique. Denis Podalydes directs the production with costumes by Christina Lacroix and Lois Langree conducts. 

I Puritani

Ana Durlovski sings the lead role in Bellini’s final work in a production from the Oper Stuttgart. Manlio Benzi conducts the new release by Naxos and also stars Rene Barbera, Adam Palka, and Roland Bracht.