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

It’s about the holidays so this week there is a new Christmas album as well as a final recording by one of the great mezzos of her time, a re-release of a classic recording, a new recording of Massenet’s work, and many baroque works with great casts.

Crimson Roses: Contemporary American Choral Music

Naxos releases Musica Viva NY’s latest album. Conducted by Alejandro Hernandez-Valdez, the album features a compilation of contemporary American choral music by Joseph Turrin, Richard Einhorn, and Gilda Lyons.

The album also features mezzo-soprano Frederica von Stade, in her final recording and soloist Erinn Sensenig.

Hasse: Serpentes ignei in deserto

Six virtuoso vocal soloists and the instrumentalists of Les Accents perform in “Serpentes ignei in deserto.”

The recording by Erato features Philippe Jaroussky alongside Julia Lezhneva, Bruno de Sá, Jakub Józef Orliński, Carlo Vistoli, and David Hansen.

inVISIBILI

Baroque orchestra Vespres d’Arnadí releases a new album on Musièpoca. The album features countertenor Xavier Sabata and pays tribute to composers who were forgotten or lived in the shadow of more renowned contemporary figures such as Bononcini, Porta, Sarro, Porsile, and Lotti. Dani Espasa conducts the album.

All is Bright

Living Opera releases “All Is Bright,” a new Christmas album featuring internationally acclaimed soprano Soula Parassidis and tenor Norman Reinhardt. Accompanied by the Benevento Orchestra under the baton of conductor Davide Levi and executive producer Dr. Christos A. Makridis, the album brings together timeless holiday favorites.

The album was recorded in Benevento, Italy.

Puccini: Madama Butterfly

Opus Arte releases the Royal Opera’s production of “Madama Butterfly” featuring Asmik Grigorian, Joshua Guerrero, Ya-Chung Huang, Hongni Wu, and Lauri Vasar. Kevin John Edusei conducts Moshe Leiser and Patrice Caurier’s production.

Ferruccio Busoni: Doktor Faust

Naxos releases Buosini’s opera featuring Olga Bezsmertna, Daniel Brenna, Joseph Dahdah, Dietrich Henschel, and Wilhelm Schwinghammer. Cornelius Meister conducts the recording which was made from the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino.

Massenet: Hérodiade

Naxos releases a recording of Massenet’s rarely performed work from the Deutsche Oper Berlin. Nicole Car stars alongside  Clémentine Margaine, Matthew Polenzani, and Etienne Dupuis. Enrique Mazzola conducts the star-studded cast.

Giuseppe Verdi: Don Carlo

Verdi’s masterpiece is re-released from a recording made in 1970 by the Wiener Staatsoper. Nicolai Ghiaurov, Franco Corelli, Eberhard Waechter, Gundula Janowitz, Shirley Verrett, Edita Gruberova, Ewald Aichberger, Martti Talvela, Tugomir Franc, and Judith Blegen star in the work alongside Horst Stein conducting.

The recording is famous Herbert von Karajan did not conduct the new production himself and entrusted it to German conductor Horst Stein. Though Stein was a local favorite, on this occasion he was greeted at the curtain call with boos, completely unrelated to his artistic performance.