Opera on Video

Most tapes are subtitled; many have a printed libretto or synopsis.

The Abduction of Figaro: A Simply Grand Opera in Three Acts. This farce by P.D.Q. Bach (1807-1742?) features the characters Al Donfonso, Pasha Shaboom, Susanna Susannadanna, Donna Donna, Blondie and Donald Giovanni. Actual composer Peter Schickele conducts. 1984. 144 min. VH2/ABDU-0001.

L'Africaine. Vasco da Gama returns to Portugal to reclaim his love and mount a new expedition beyond Africa in this Giacomo Mayerbeer opera. Placido Domingo, Shirley Verrett, Ruth Ann Swenson and Justino Diaz star. 1988. 105 min. VH2/LAFR-0001.

Aida. Warrior Radames (Luciano Pavarotti) secretly loves enslaved Ethiopian princess Aida (Maria Chiara) in Giuseppe Verdi's tale of ancient Egypt. 1986. 160 min. VH2/AIDA-0001.

Aida. Maria Chiara, Nicola Martinucci, Fiorenza Cossotto and Giuseppe Scandola star in this video. 1981. 150 min. VH2/AIDA-0002.

The Aida File: The Story of the Opera by Giuseppe Verdi. This documentary includes performances by Luciano Pavarotti, Maria Chiara, Grace Bumbry and Eva Turner. 1987. 77 min. VH2/AIDA-0003.

Aida's Brothers & Sisters: Black Voices in Opera. Jan Schmidt-Garre and Marieke Schroeder profile Grace Bumbry, Kathleen Battle, Paul Robeson, Marian Anderson, Leontyne Price, Jessye Norman, Robert McFerrin, Shirley Verrett and others. 2000. 85 min. VH2/AIDA-0004.

Amahl and the Night Visitors. Teresa Stratas, Robert Sapolsky, Giorgio Tozzi and Willard White perform in Gian Carlo Menotti's Christmas composition. 1979. 52 min. VH2/AMAH-0001.

Andrea Bocelli: A Night in Tuscany. David Amphlett's concert tape features appearances by Nuccia Focile, Zucchero, Marta Sanchez, and Marcello Rota. 1997. 87 min. VH2/ANDR-0007.

Andrea Chenier by Umberto Giordano. Placido Domingo plays the title role, a poet of the French Revolution. Anna Tomowa-Sintow is Maddalena, the object of his adoration. Giorgio Zancanaro is Gerard, Chenier's political and romantic rival. 1985. 120 min. VH2/ANDR-0006.

Andrea Chenier. This tape stars Jose Carreras as Chenier, Eva Marton as Maddalena and Piero Cappuccilli as Gerard. 1985. 130 min. VH2/ANDR-0002.

Anna Bolena. Henry VIII (James Morris) seeks to replace his second wife, Ann Boleyn (Joan Sutherland) with his new love, Jane Seymour (Judith Forst) in Lotfi Mansouri's staging of the Gaetano Donizetti opera. 1984. 157 min. VH2/ANNA-0003.

Anna Moffo in Opera and Song. The soprano sings arias by Puccini, Gounod and Leoncavallo. Also, Rodgers & Hammerstein songs and an appearance by Robert Merrill. 1958/68. 30 min. VH2/ANNA-0001.

The Art of Singing: Golden Voices of the Century. Performances by Maria Callas, Joan Sutherland, Enrico Caruso, Rise Stevens, Jon Vickers, Ezio Pinza and Leontyne Price. 1996. 116 min. VH2/ARTO-0002 or -0026.

Attila. Courageous maiden Odabella (Cheryl Studer) vows to slay tyrant Atilla the Hun (Samuel Ramey). Riccardo Muti conducts Verdi's opera. 1991. 118 min. VH2/ATTI-0001.

Un Ballo in Maschera (A Masked Ball). Verdi's tale of passion and betrayal is set in Boston on the eve of the American Revolution. With Katia Ricciarelli, Judith Blegen, Bianca Berini and Luciano Pavarotti. 1980. 150 min. VH2/UNBA-0001.

The Barber of Seville by Gioacchino Rossini. Figaro the barber helps Rosina escape the clutches of Dr. Bartolo so that she may marry her lover, Count Almaviva. Director/conductor Sarah Caldwell's production stars Beverly Sills, Alan Titus, Henry Price and Samuel Ramey. 1976. 156 min. VH2/BARB-0002.

The Bell Telephone Hour: Birgit Nilsson. The Swedish soprano performs works by Puccini, Wagner, Handel, Faure, Rossini and Verdi. 1991. 48 min. VH2/BELL-0003.

Bernstein on Beethoven: A Celebration in Vienna includes contributions by Gwyneth Jones, Shirley Verrett, Placido Domingo, Martti Talvela, James King and Lucia Popp. 1970. 90 min. VH2/BERN-0002.

Billy Budd. Thomas Allen, Philip Langridge and Richard Van Allan star in Benjamin Britten's tale of persecution and injustice on a British man o' war. 1988. 157 min. VH2/BILL-0005.

Biography: Wolfgang Mozart. Molly Thompson profiles the composer. 1995. 46 min. VH2/BIOG-0023.

Bizet's Carmen. Francesco Rosi's film adaptation of Georges Bizet's opera stars Julia Migenes-Johnson as the seductress Carmen, Placido Domingo as soldier Don Jose and Ruggero Raimondi as toreador Escamillo. 1984. 151 min. VH2/BIZE-0001.

Bluebeard's Castle. In Bela Bartok's only opera, Judith (Sylvia Sass) opens the seven secret doors in the castle of her husband Bluebeard (Kolos Kovats). 1992. 58 min. VH2/BLUE-0005.

La Boheme. Franco Zeffirelli directs Teresa Stratas, Renata Scotto, Jose Carreras and Richard Stilwell in Giacomo Puccini's look at the squalid life of Parisian artists. James Levine conducts. 1982. 141 min. VH2/LABO-0003.

La Boheme. Gian Carlo Menotti's staging features Fiamma Izzo D'Amico as Mimi, Madelyn Renee as Musetta, Luciano Pavarotti as Rodolfo, and Roberto Servile as Marcello. 1986. 166 min. VH2/LABO-0002.

La Boheme. Mirella Freni, Luciano Pavarotti, Gino Quilico and Nicolai Ghiaurov star in this production. 1989. 111 min. VH2/LABO-0001.

Boris Gudunov. Yevgeni Nesterenko plays the half-crazed czar in this Soviet staging of Modest Mussorgsky's opera. With Vladislav Piavko, Valery Yaroslavtsev and Irina Arkhipova. 1978. 181 min. VH2/BORI-0001.

Les Brigands. Jacques Offenbach's operetta, originally about Italian mountain bandits, is here set in gangland Chicago. With Michel Trempont, Valerie Chevalier, Colette Alliot-Lugaz and Riccardo Cassinelli. 1989. 122 min. VH2/LESB-0001.

Candide. Leonard Bernstein conducts his adaptation of Voltaire's novel about a naive young man's adventures. With John Hadley, June Anderson, Adolph Green and Christa Ludwig. 1991. 147 min. VH2/CAND-0001.

Carmen. Cecil B. Demille directs opera star Geraldine Farrar in the title role. This silent movie features an orchestral score adapted from Bizet. 1915. 59 min. VH1/CARM-0002.

Carmen. Antonio Gades and Laura Del Sol star in Carlos Saura's flamenco dance variation on the Bizet composition. 1983. 102 min. VH1/CARM-0001.

Carmen Jones. Harry Belafonte, Dorothy Dandridge and Pearl Bailey star in Otto Preminger's all-black updating. Oscar Hammerstein II put new words to Bizet's melodies. 1954. 105 min. VH1/CARM-0003.

Carnegie Hall. Edgar G. Ulmer's movie features performances by Bruno Walter, Lily Pons, Rise Stevens, Jan Peerce, Ezio Pinza, and many others. 1947. 136 min. VH1/CARN-0004.

Carreras, Domingo, Pavarotti, Mehta. This tape, also known as The Three Tenors in Concert, features melodies by Puccini, Lehar, Sorozabal, Giordano and Lara. 1990. 87 min. VH2/CARR-0002.

Cavalleria Rusticana (Rustic Chivalry). Infidelity leads to tragedy in Pietro Mascagni's opera, set in a Sicilian village on Easter Sunday. Franco Zefferelli's film stars Elena Obraztsova, Placido Domingo, Renato Bruson and Fedora Barbieri. 1982. 70 min. VH2/CAVA-0001.

Celestial Clockwork. Venezuelan lass Ariadna Gil flees the altar and hops on a flight to Paris, where she pursues a career as an opera singer. A film by Fina Torres. 1994. 83 min. VH1/CELE-0002.

Christmas with Jose Carreras. The Mozart Boys Choir of Vienna joins the tenor for Adeste Fideles, Caro Mio Ben, Pieta Signore, El Romance de Santa Lucia, Pregaria, Mille Cherubini, Agnus Dei, White Christmas and Silent Night. 1990. 60 min. VH2/CHRI-0006.

Chushingura. Werner Herzog directed this production of Saegusa Shigeaki and Shimada Masahiko's Japanese opera, about masterless samurai who must consider suicide. 1997. 185 min. VH2/CHUS-0001.

A Composer's Notes: Philip Glass and the Making of an Opera. The minimalist composer works on two simultaneous premieres of Akhnaten. 1985. 87 min. VH2/COMP-0002.

Les Contes d'Hoffmann (Tales of Hoffman). A poet (Placido Domingo) remembers three of his lovers (Luciana Serra, Agnes Baltsa and Ilena Cotrubas) in this Offenbach piece. 1981. 149 min. VH2/LESC-0001.

Cosi Fan Tutte (All Women Are Thus) by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Cynical bachelor Don Alfonso (Franz Petri) convinces officers Ferrando (Austin Anson) and Guglielmo (Thomas Allen) to woo each other's fiancees (Helena Dose, Sylvia Lindenstrand). 1975. 150 min. VH2/COSI-0001.

Cosi Fan Tutte. With Edita Gruberova, Delores Ziegler, Luis Lima, Ferruccio Furlanetto, Teresa Stratas and Paolo Montarsolo. 1988. 176 min. VH2/COSI-0003.

Cosi Fan Tutte. With Daniela Dessi, Delores Ziegler, Jozef Kundlak, Alessandro Corbelli, Adelina Scarabelli and Claudio Desdert. Riccardo Muti conducts. 1989. 93 min. VH2/COSI-0002.

Death in Venice. Writer Aschenbach (Robert Tear) becomes obsessed with the beautiful boy Tadzio. Robin Lough taped the Benjamin Britten adaptation of the Thomas Mann book, directed for the stage by Stephen Lawless. 1990. 138 min. VH2/DEAT-0002.

Destination Mozart: A Night at the Opera with Peter Sellars. The avant garde director stages controversial productions of Mozart's Don Giovanni, The Marriage of Figaro and Cosi Fan Tutte. 1990. 60 min. VH2/DEST-0001.

Distant Harmony. Luciano Pavarotti tours China, performing selections from Rigoletto, L'Arlesiana, Pagliacci, La Boheme and Turandot. 1987. 85 min. VH2/DIST-0001.

Diva. Wilhelmenia Fernandez plays a reclusive singer who refuses to be recorded. Jean-Jacques Beineix directed this stylish thriller. 1981. 123 min. VH1/DIVA-0001.

Domingo & Rostropovich. Tenor Placido Domingo and cellist Mstislav Rostropovich take turns conducting the Kirov Theatre Orchestra; Domingo also plays piano and sings works by Tchaikovsky, Bizet and Massenet. 1991. 60 min. VH2/DOMI-0001.

Don Carlo. Verdi chronicles the thwarted romance between Don Carlo, Prince of Spain (Placido Domingo) and Elizabeth of Valois (Mirella Freni). 1983. 214 min. VH2/DONC-0002.

Don Giovanni. Mozart's great lover (Benjamin Luxon) is pursued by all the women he has seduced. This production features Stafford Dean, Rachel Yakar and Leo Goeke. 1977. 173 min. VH2/DONG-0001.

Don Giovanni. Joseph Losey filmed this version in Vincenza, Italy, with Ruggero Raimondi as the amorous nobleman. John Macurdy, Edda Moser and Kiri Te Kanawa co-star. 1979. 117 min. VH2/DONG-0002.

La Donna del Lago (The Lady in the Lake). Werner Herzog directed this Rossini production, based on the Sir Walter Scott poem. June Anderson, Rockwell Blake, Chris Merritt and Martine Dupuy star; Riccardo Muti conducts. 1992. 163 min. VH2/LADO-0001.

Einstein on the Beach: The Changing Face of Opera. Composer Philip Glass and director Robert Wilson restage their groundbreaking opera. 1987. 58 min. VH2/EINS-0001.

Elektra. Eva Marton (Elektra), Brigitte Fassbaender (Klytemnestra) and Cheryl Studer (Chrysothemis) perform Richard Strauss' interpretation of Sophocles' tragedy. Claudio Abbado conducts. 1989. 108 min. VH2/ELEK-0001.

L'Elisir d'Amore (The Elixir of Love) by Gaetano Donizetti. When beautiful Adina (Kathleen Battle) falls for Sergeant Belcore (Juan Pons), lovesick farmer Nemorino (Luciano Pavarotti) seeks a potion to win her heart. 1992. 129 min. VH2/LELI-0001.

Die Entfuhrung aus dem Serail (The Abduction from the Seraglio). In this Mozart video, Belmonte (Francisco Araiza) sets out to save Constanze (Edita Gruberova) and her maid Blonde (Reri Grist), sold by pirates to Pasha Selim (Thomas Holtzmann). 1980. 146 min. VH2/DIEE-0001.

Ernani. Verdi's revision of a Victor Hugo play stars Placido Domingo as the bandit Ernani, Renato Bruson as the scheming King Charles of Spain, Nicolai Ghiaurov as the proud Spanish Grandee, and Mirella Freni as the woman they all love. Riccardo Muti conducts. 1982. 135 min. VH2/ERNA-0001.

Eugene Onegin. This Soviet production of Piotr Ilich Tchaikovsky's opera, about a casual flirtation that leads to love and death, stars Sergei Leyferkus as Onegin, Yuri Marusin as the doomed Lensky, and Tatiana Novikova as Tatiana. 1989. 155 min. VH2/EUGE-0001.

Falstaff. Franco Zeffirelli's staging of Verdi's Shakespeare adaptation stars Paul Plishka as the rascal Falstaff, and Mirella Freni and Marilyn Horne as Mistresses Ford and Quickly. James Levine conducts. 1993. 126 min. VH2/FALS-0001.

La Fanciulla del West (The Girl of the Golden West). The bandit Ramirez (Placido Domingo) and Sheriff Jack Rance (Silvano Carroli) both love saloon keeper Mimi (Carol Neblett) in Puccini's evocation of the American gold rush. 1983. 139 min. VH2/LAFA-0002.

Farinelli: Il Castrato. Director Gerard Corbiau envisions the secret life of of the famous 18th century castrato Carlo Broschi (Stefano Dionisi), known as Farinelli. 1994. 110 min. VH1/FARI-0001.

La Favorita (The Favorite). Soldier Fernando (Gino Sinimberghi) asks King Alphonse (Paolo Silveri) for the hand of Eleonora (Sofia Lazarro), unaware that she is the king's mistress. Sofia Lazarro later won fame as Sophia Loren! A Donizetti opera. 1952. 89 min. VH2/LAFA-0001.

Fidelio (Wedded Love). Marzelline (Elizabeth Gale), daughter of jailor Rocco (Curt Appelgren), loves the lad Fidelio, who is actually Lenore (Elisabeth Soderstrom), in disguise to free husband Florestan (Anton de Ridder) from prison. This was Ludwig von Beethoven's only opera. 1979. 130 min. VH2/FIDE-0001.

First Ladies of Opera. Arias by Wagner, Puccini, Gilea, Verdi, Delibes, Ricci, Mascagni and Ponchielli, sung by Birgit Nilsson, Leontyne Price, Joan Sutherland and Renata Tebaldi. 1967. 53 min. VH2/FIRS-0001.

Die Fledermaus (The Bat). Richard Bonynge conducts Johann Strauss' parody of the aristocracy. With Nancy Gustafson, Judith Howarth and Louis Oley; Luciano Pavarotti, Joan Sutherland and Marilyn Horne make guest appearances. 1990. 200 min. VH2/DIEF-0001.

La Forza del Destino (The Force of Destiny). Verdi's characters are swept up by the powers of destiny, honor and vengeance in 18th century Spain and Italy. With Leontyne Price, Giuseppe Giacomini, Leo Nucci and Bonaldo Giaiotti. 1984. 179 min. VH2/LAFO-0001.

A Gala Evening for Placido Domingo (a.k.a. Placido Domingo: His 25th Anniversary Concert at Arena di Verona). Daniela Dessi, Leo Nucco and Cecilia Gasdia join the tenor for selections from Otello, Aida and La Boheme. 1994. 100 min. VH2/GALA-0002.

Gala Recital for Kiri Te Kanawa (a.k.a. Kiri Te Kanawa: Royal Gala Concert). The New Zealand-born soprano sings Schubert, Schumann, Strauss, Wolf, Faure, Duparc, Walton/Sitwell and Dvorak. 1978. 60 min. VH2/GALA-0001.

The Ghosts of Versailles. The specters of Marie Antoinette and the Court of Louis XVI assemble to view Beaumarchais' new opera. John Corigliano's "grand opera buffa" features Teresa Stratas, Marilyn Horne, Graham Clark and Gino Quilco. 1992. 177 min. VH2/GHOS-0001.

Gilbert and Sullivan: Their Greatest Hits. Vivian Tierney, Patricia Leonard, Geoffrey Shovelton and Peter Pratt sing selections from The Pirates of Penzance, H.M.S. Pinafore, Iolanthe, The Gondoliers, and The Mikado. 1993. 54 min. VH2/GILB-0001.

La Gioconda (The Joyful Girl). In Amilcare Ponchielli's interpretation of a Victor Hugo story, La Gioconda loves banished nobleman Enzo, who loves Laura, wife of Councillor Alvise Badoero. Placido Domingo, Eva Marton, Matteo Manuguerra and Ludmila Semtschuk star . 1986. 169 min. VH2/LAGI-0001.

The Gondoliers, or The King of Barataria. Keith Michell, Eric Schilling, Francis Egerton and Tom McDonnell sing in this Gilbert & Sullivan operetta about two gondoliers who must choose between 22 prospective brides. 1982. 117 min. VH2/GOND-0001.

The Great Caruso. Mario Lanza, as Enrico Caruso, sings 27 arias in Richard Thorpe's biographical drama. 1951. 109 min. VH1/GREA-0015.

Great Moments in Opera. Andrew Solt collects performances from The Ed Sullivan Show, with Leontyne Price, Roberta Peters, Robert Merrill, Beverly Sills, Anna Moffo, Birgit Nilsson, Jan Peerce, Maria Callas, Joan Sutherland, Marilyn Horne, Lily Pons, and others. 1991-1995. 117 min. VH2/GREA-0024.

H.M.S. Pinafore, or The Lass That Loved a Sailor. Peter Marshall, Frankie Howerd, Meryl Drower and Michael Bulman perform in Gilbert & Sullivan's comic operetta. 1982. 115 min. VH2/HMSP-0001.

Highlights from Der Ring des Nibelungen (a.k.a. Great Scenes from Der Ring des Nibelungen). This condensation of Richard Wagner's mythological epic features Manfred Jung as Siegfried, Gwyneth Jones as Brunnhilde, and Donald McIntire as Wotan. Pierre Boulez conducts. 1988. 115 min. VH2/HIGH-0003.

How to Listen to and Understand Opera. This Teaching Company video lecture by Professor Robert Greenberg covers works by Monteverdi, Mozart, Rosini, Verdi, Wagner, Puccini and much more. 1997. 24 ½ hr. VH2/HOWT-0004 through -0007.

I Live for Art - Tosca. Grace Bumbry, Montserrat Caballe, Birgit Nilsson, Renata Tebaldi, Kiri Te Kanawa and other prima donnas discuss the rigors of their art. 1983. 91 min. VH2/ILIV-0001.

In the Shadow of the Stars: The Lives of Singers. Go backstage at the San Francisco Opera to meet choristers and aspiring soloists. 1990. 92 min. VH2/INTH-0003.

Iolanthe. Brian MacDonald's staging of the Gilbert & Sullivan fantasy, about a fairy and her half-human son, features Maureen Forrester, Eric Donkin, Marie Baron, and Paul Massel, and Katharina Megli in the title role. 1985. 138 min. VH2/IOLA-0002.

Iolanthe, or The Peer and the Peri. Beverley Mills, Derek Hammond-Stroud, Alexander Oliver and Kate Flowers sing in this Gilbert & Sullivan fantasy about a fairy and her half-human son. 1982. 115 min. VH2/IOLA-0001.

Jan Peerce: If I Were a Rich Man. Isaac Stern hosts this journey through the tenor's life. 1990. 59 min. VH2/JANP-0002.

Jan Peerce in Opera and Song. The singer performs melodies by Herbert, Leoncavallo, Rodgers & Hammserstein, Tchaikovsky and Rossini. 1950. 25 min. VH2/JANP-0003.

Jan Peerce, Marian Anderson and Andres Segovia. This compilation of three short films includes Peerce and Nadine Conner singing arias from L'Africaine, Don Pasquale and Lucia di Lammermoor. 1954. 60 min. VH2/JANP-0001.

Janet Baker Full Circle: Her Last Year in Opera. The diva rehearses Gluck's Alceste and Orfeo, and Donizetti's Mary Stuart. 1982. 75 min. VH2/JANE-0001.

Jessye Norman, Singer. The soprano reviews her career and performs with the London Opera and the Dance Theater of Harlem. 1986. 74 min. VH2/JESS-0001.

Joan Sutherland in Concert. "La Stupenda" interprets Handel, Verdi, Donizetti, Rossini, Meyerbeer, Rimsky-Korsakov and Dvorak. 1982. 49 min. VH2/JOAN-0001.

Jose Carreras in Concert. The tenor performs arias by Tosti, Bellini, Denza, Respighi, Leoncavallo, Puccini and Bernstein. 1987. 90 min. VH2/JOSE-0001.

Jose Carreras in Vienna. In his "Miracle Concert," the singer celebrates his recovery from leukemia with performances of Massenet, Faure, Turina, Puccini, Liszt and Tosti. 1988. 140 min. VH2/JOSE-0002.

Julius Caesar. Janet Baker, Valerie Masterson, Sarah Walker and Della Jones sing in George Frideric Handel's Shakespearean opera, originally written for castrati. 1984. 179 min. VH2/JULI-0001.

Jussi Bjoerling in Opera and Song, Vol. 2. The tenor sings works by Schubert, Bizet, Leoncavallo, and Herbert. A Video Artists International tape. 1950. 26 min. VH2/JUSS-0001.

Karajan in Salzburg. Jessye Norman, Kathleen Battle and Cecelia Bartoli collaborate with 80-year-old maestro Herbert von Karajan. 1988. 83 min. VH2/KARA-0001.

Kathleen Battle and Jessye Norman Sing Spirituals at Carnegie Hall (a.k.a. Spirituals in Concert). The two sopranos sing 22 spirituals, under the baton of James Levine. 1991. 91 min. VH2/KATH-0001.

Khovanschina by Modest Mussorgsky. Yevgeni Nesterenko, Irina Arkhipova, Alexander Verdernikov and Evgenu Raikou enact power struggles during the reign of Peter the Great. 1979. 172 min. VH2/KHOV-0001.

Kiri!: 50th Birthday Concert (a.k.a. Kiri!: Her Greatest Hits Live). Works by Korngold, Verdi, Mozart, Strauss, Puccini, Gershwin, Weill, Lloyd Webber, Bernstein, etc. 1994. 106 min. VH2/KIRI-0002.

Kiri Te Kanawa. The soprano discusses her career, prepares to sing the lead in Strauss' Capriccio, and performs arias by Cilea, Puccini, Handel and Mozart. 1991. 106 min. VH2/KIRI-0003.

Lakme. Leo Delibes depicts the tragic love between an Indian priestess (Joan Sutherland) and a British officer (Henri Wilden). Richard Bonynge conducts. 1976. 154 min. VH2/LAKM-0001.

Leonard Bernstein Conducts West Side Story: The Making of a Recording. The composer works with Kiri Te Kanawa (Maria), Jose Carreras (Tony), Tatiana Troyanos (Anita) and Kurt Ollmann (Riff). 1985. 89 min. VH2/LEON-0003.

Leontyne Price sings Noel. The diva performs Christmas carols. 1987. 58 min. VH2/LEON-0001.

Lucia di Lammermoor. Donizetti traces the doomed romance between Lucia Ashton (Joan Sutherland) and Edgardo of Ravenswood (Alfredo Kraus), whose families have long feuded. Richard Bonynge conducts. 1982. 128 min. VH2/LUCI-0001.

Luciano Pavarotti: The Event. The tenor honors the World Cup heroes with arias by Donizetti, Mozart, Verdi, Massenet, Puccini, Leoncavallo and Rossini. 1990. 88 min. VH2/LUCI-0002.

Luciano Pavarotti: Live from the Piazza Grande, Modena (a.k.a. Pavarotti: My Heart's Delight). Soprano Nuccia Focile joins the tenor for pieces by Verdi, Puccini, Mascagni, Bizet and Gershwin. 1993. 87 min. VH2/LUCI-0003.

Luciano Pavarotti: 30th Debut Concert (a.k.a. Pavarotti 30th Anniversary Gala Concert). June Anderson, Shirley Verrett and others join the tenor for selections from Tosca, Don Giovanni, La Boheme and La Traviata. 1992. 104 min. VH2/LUCI-0004.

Lucrezia Borgia. Joan Sutherland stars in Donizetti's interpretation of Victor Hugo's theatrical tale of treachery. With Margareta Elkins, Ronald Stevens and Graeme Ewer; Richard Bonynge conducts. 1977. 138 min. VH2/LUCR-0001.

Luisa Miller. Verdi tells the love story between Luisa, a commoner, and Rodolfo, a ruler's son. June Anderson, Taro Ichihara, Edward Tumagian and Paul Plishka star; Maurizio Arena conducts. 1988. 150 min. VH2/LUIS-0001.

Macbeth. Kostas Paskalis is driven to murder his superiors by scheming wife Josephine Barstow in Dave Heather's taping of the Giuseppe Verdi opera. 1972. 148 min. VH2/MACB-0011.

Macbeth. Renato Bruson and Mara Zampieri star in this Verdi production. 1987. 150 min. VH2/MACB-0005.

Madama Butterfly. Puccini depicts the love between geisha Butterfly (Raina Kabaivanska) and American naval officer Pinkerton (Nazzareno Antinori). Maurizio Arena conducts. 1983. 150 min. VH2/MADA-0001.

Madame Butterfly. Ying Huang is Butterfly and Richard Troxell is Pinkerton in this filmed version. Liang Ning, Richard Cohen and Yoshi Oida co-star. 1995. 129 min. VH2/MADA-0002.

The Magic Flute. In Ingmar Bergman's colorful filming of the Mozart opera, the Queen of the Night (Birgit Nordin) sends knight Tamino (Josef Kostlinger) to rescue princess Pamina (Irma Urrila) from the sorcerer Sarastro, her father (Ulric Cold). 1974. 135 min. VH1/MAGI-0003.

Making Opera: The Creation of Giuseppe Verdi's La Forza del Destino. A cast and crew of 500 labors to stage a production. Stefka Evstatieva, Allan Monk, Judith Forst and Ernesto Veronelli star; Maurizio Arena conducts. 1988. 88 min. VH2/MAKI-0012.

Manon. Beverly Sills, Henry Price, Richard Fredricks and Robert Hale perform in Jules Massenet's opera, set in 18th century France, about student Des Grieux's affair with convent-bound, pleasure-loving Manon. 1977. 152 min. VH2/MANO-0003.

Manon Lescaut. Kiri Te Kanawa is Manon and Placido Domingo is Des Grieux in this Puccini production. 1983. 130 min. VH2/MANO-0002.

Maria. This documentary, also known as Maria Callas, chronicles the soprano's brilliant career and troubled life. 1987. 92 min. VH2/MARI-0008.

Maria Callas: Hamburg Concert 1959. Selections by Spontini, Verdi, Rossini and Bellini. 68 min. VH2/MARI-0003.

Maria Callas: Hamburg Concert 1962. Selections by Berlioz, Massenet, Verdi and Rossini. 66 min. VH2/MARI-0001.

Maria Callas: Life and Art. This profile of the diva features arias from Tosca, Norma, The Barber of Seville and Carmen, and duets with Giuseppe di Stephano. 1987. 77 min. VH2/MARI-0004.

The Marriage of Figaro. Ileana Cotrubas, Frederica von Stade, Kiri Te Kanawa and Benjamin Luxon romp through Mozart's masterpiece. 1973. 168 min. VH2/MARR-0001.

Mary Stuart. Donizetti recounts the clash between Mary, Queen of Scots (Janet Baker) and Queen Elizabeth I (Rosalind Plowright). 1982. 138 min. VH2/MARY-0001.

The Medium. Composer Gian-Carlo Menotti also directed this filmed production of his opera about a spiritualist (Marie Powers) and her daughter (Anna Maria Alberghetti). In English. 1950. 80 min. VH2/MEDI-0003.

Meeting Venus. Swedish diva Glenn Close (singing voice by Kiri Te Kanawa) falls in love with married Hungarian conductor Niels Arestrup. Istvan Szabo directed. 1991. 120 min. VH1/MEET-0003.

The Merry Widow. Franz Lehar composed this light-hearted tale of political and amorous intrigue in turn-of-the-century Paris. Joan Sutherland, Ronald Stevens, Anne-Maree McDonald and Anson Austin perform; Richard Bonynge conducts. VH2/MERR-0003.

Metropolitan Opera Centennial Gala features Kathleen Battle, Kiri Te Kanawa, Placido Domingo, Luciano Pavarotti, Leonard Bernstein, Grace Bumbry, Leontyne Price, Jose Carreras, Joan Sutherland and many more. 1983. 231 min. VH2/METR-0002.

Metropolitan Opera: Scenes and Arias (a.k.a. Meet the Met: Favorite Opera Scenes). Kathleen Battle, Placido Domingo, Jessye Norman and Luciano Pavarotti play scenes from Die Zauberflote, Il Trovatore, Otello, Aida, Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Turandot and Die Fledermaus. 1994. 101 min. VH2/METR-0001.

A Midsummer Night's Dream. Britten's Shakespearean fantasy stars Ileana Cotrubas as Tytania, James Bowman as Oberon, Ryland Davies as Lysander, and Dale Duesing as Demetrius. 1986. 155 min. VH2/MIDS-0004.

The Mikado. Norman Campbell's taping of the Stratford Festival production of Gilbert & Sullivan's opera features Marie Baron as Yum-Yum, Eric Donkin as Ko-Ko, Henry Ingram as Nanki-Poo, and Gidon Saks in the title role. 1982. 150 min. VH2/MIKA-0002.

The Mikado, or The Town of Titipu. William Conrad, John Stewart, Clive Revill and Kate Flowers star in this production. 1982. 117 min. VH2/MIKA-0001.

Monkey King Looks West. Chinese Opera performers struggle to survive and find artistic expression in New York City. 1989. 42 min. VH2/MONK-0001.

Montserrat Caballe and Jose Carreras in Moscow. Works by Bellini, Vivaldi, Verdi, Tosti, Puccini, Scarlatti, Rossini and Granados. 1989. 120 min. VH2/MONT-0019.

Montserrat Caballe: The Woman, the Diva. This profile includes performances from Julius Caesar, Adriana Lecouvreur, Don Carlo, La Forza del Destino and Mefistofele. 1983. 67 min. VH2/MONT-0001.

Nabucco. Riccardo Muti conducts Verdi's recreation of the battle between the Assyrians and the Hebrews. With Renato Bruson, Ghena Dimitrova, Paata Burchuladze and Bruno Beccaria. 1987. 140 min. VH2/NABU-0001.

A Night at the Opera. Groucho, Chico and Harpo Marx wreak havoc in Sam Wood's classic comedy. Kitty Carlisle and Allan Jones provide the warbling. 1936. 87 min. VH1/NIGH-0002.

Norma. Joan Sutherland stars in Vincenzo Bellini's opera about a Druid priestess who breaks her vow of chastity with an enemy of her people. Margreta Elkins, Ronald Stevens and Clifford Grant co-star; Richard Bonynge conducts. 1978. 153 min. VH2/NORM-0005.

Oedipus Rex. The Shinyu-Kai Chorus and the Tokyo Opera Singers add a Japanese flavor to Igor Stravinsky and Jean Cocteau's reinterpretation of Sophocles' tragedy. Philip Langridge sings the title role; Seiji Ozawa conducts. 1992. 57 min. VH2/OEDI-0003.

Opera Favorites by Puccini. Arias from Madama Butterfly, Tosca, La Boheme, Manon Lescaut and Turandot, performed by Kiri Te Kanawa, Eva Marton, Ileana Cotrubas and Neil Shicoff. 1988. 59 min. VH2/OPER-0002.

Opera Favorites by Verdi. Arias from Aida, Ernani, Nabucco, I Lombardi, Otello and Falstaff, performed by Kiri Te Kanawa, Jose Carreras, Mirella Freni, Katia Ricciarelli, Renato Bruson and Maria Chiara. 1988. 54 min. VH2/OPER-0001.

Opera Imaginaire. A host of animators bring twelve operatic arias to the screen. Sarah, Sue and Tess Mallinson produced this compilation. 1993. 50 min. VH2/OPER-0006.

Opera Stars in Concert: Volume 2. Katia Ricciarelli, Ruggero Raimondi, Alfredo Kraus, Paolo Coni and Lucia Valentini-Terrani sing arias from Lucrezia Borgia, Elisir d'Amore, Rigoletto, Gianni Schicchi, The Barber of Seville and Carmen. 1991. 60 min. VH2/OPER-0004.

Opera: Two to Six. Joan Sutherland, Phyllis Curtin, Mildred Miller and Nicolai Gedda interpret scenes from Tosca, Faust, Rigoletto, Die Meistersinger and Lucia di Lammermoor. 1968. 52 min. VH2/OPER-0003.

Operavox. Animated half-hour condensations of Mozart's The Magic Flute, Rossini's The Barber of Seville, Bizet's Carmen, Wagner's Das Rheingold, Puccini's Turandot, and Verdi's Rigoletto. 1994. 184 min. VH2/OPER-0007.

L'Orfeo. Orfeo (Philippe Huttenlocher) journeys to the underworld to retrieve Euridice (Dietlinde Turban), his deceased bride. Claudio Monteverdi's 1607 composition is regarded as the first opera ever written. 1978. 102 min. VH2/LORF-0001.

Orfeo ed Euridice. Jochen Kowalski and Gillian Webster play the lovers in this modern-dress version of Christoph Willibald Gluck's opera. 1991. 84 min. VH2/ORFE-0001.

Orlando Furioso. In Antonio Vivaldi's fantasy, fate brings Angelica (Susan Paatterson), Medoro (William Matteuzzi) and Orlando (Marilyn Horne) to the enchanted island of the sorceress Alcina (Kathleen Kuhlmann). Brian Large directed. 1990. 147 min. VH2/ORLA-0001.

Otello. This production of Verdi's Shakespearean opera stars Vladimir Atlantov as the Moor, Kiri Te Kanawa as his bride Desdemona, and Piero Cappuccilli as the wily Iago. 1982. 145 min. VH2/OTEL-0002.

Otello. Placido Domingo, Katia Ricciarelli and Justino Diaz sing in Franco Zeffirelli's opulent film. 1986. 123 min. VH2/OTEL-0001.

Pagliacci. Franco Zeffirelli directs Ruggiero Leoncavallo's tragedy about aging clown Canio (Placido Domingo), murderously jealous of his young wife, Nedda (Teresa Stratas). 1982. 70 min. VH2/PAGL-0001.

Parsifal. Siegfried Jerusalem, Bernd Weikl, Jan-Hendrik Rootering and Kurt Moll perform in Wagner's fable of chivalry, sorcery and seduction, set in the Middle Ages. James Levine conducts. 1992. 226 min. VH2/PARS-0001.

Patience, or Bunthorne's Bride. Derek Hammond-Stroud, Sandra Dugdale, Donald Adams and Roderick Kennedy sing in Gilbert & Sullivan's operetta about lovesick maidens in pursuit of poet Reginald Bunthorne. 1982. 117 min. VH2/PATI-0001.

Pavarotti and Friends 2. Bryan Adams, Giorgia, Andreas Vollenweider, Nancy Gustafson and Andrea Bocelli join the tenor in concert. 1994. 89 min. VH2/PAVA-0002.

Pavarotti and Levine in Recital. Pianist James Levine joins the tenor for selections by Mozart, Rossini, Bellini, Verdi, Massenet, Respighi and Mascagni. 1990. 72 min. VH2/PAVA-0001.

Peking Opera Blues. Assassins, singers and solders clash in Tsui Hark's stunt-filled comedy-drama, set in turn-of-the-century China. 1986. 104 min. VH1/PEKI-0001.

Pelleas et Melisande. In Claude Debussy's only opera, Melisande (Colette Alliot Lugaz) desires Pelleas (Francois Le Roux), the half-brother of Golaud (Jose Van Dam), her husband. 1987. 145 min. VH2/PELL-0001.

The Perfumed Handkerchief: A Chinese Opera. This humorous and romantic fairy tale was performed on location at Peking's Summer Palace. 1981. 70 min. VH2/PERF-0002.

Peter Grimes. Widowed schoolmistress Ellen (Heather Harper) fears that New England fisherman Peter (Jon Vickers) may be a killer. Colin Davis conducts the Britten score. 1981. 155 min. VH2/PETE-0001.

The Pirates of Penzance. Kevin Kline, Linda Rondstadt, Angela Lansbury, George Rose and Rex Smith star in the Gilbert & Sullivan film. 1982. 112 min. VH1/PIRA-0002.

The Pirates of Penzance. Norman Campbell and Brian MacDonald's version features Brent Carver as the Pirate King, Jeff Hyslop as Frederic, Caralyn Tomlin as Mabel, and Stephen Beamish as the Chief of Police. 1985. 124 min. VH2/PIRA-0002.

Pirates of Penzance, or The Slave of Duty. Peter Allen, Keith Michell, Alexander Oliver and Janis Kelly sing in this Gilbert & Sullivan tale of pirates, police and bathing beauties. 1982. 117 min. VH2/PIRA-0001.

Placido: A Year in the Life of Placido Domingo includes excerpts from Manon Lescaut, La Fanciulla del West, La Traviata, The Tales of Hoffmann, Otello, Carmen and Ernani. 1984. 105 min. VH2/PLAC-0001.

Porgy and Bess. Willard White and Cynthia Haymon play the lovers in Trevor Nunn's production of George Gershwin's all-black opera. 1993. 184 min. VH2/PORG-0001.

Presenting Joan Sutherland. The soprano performs works by Arne, Rossini, Donizetti, Puccini, and Meyerbeer. 1963. 28 min. VH2/PRES-0001.

Puccini. This biographical drama recreates the scandalous life of composer Giacomo Puccini (Robert Stephens). 1984. 113 min. VH1/PUCC-0001.

The Queen of Spades. Vladimir Atlantov, Tamara Malashkina, Elena Obratsova and Yuri Mazurok present Tchaikovsky's story of obsession, gambling, hallucinations and madness. 1987. 174 min. VH2/QUEE-0001.

The Return of Ulysses to His Homeland. Monteverdi illustrates the love between wandering Ulysses (Benjamin Luxon) and faithful Penelope (Janet Baker). 1973. 152 min. VH2/RETU-0001.

Richard Tucker in Opera and Song. The tenor performs works by Verdi, Herbert, Luters, Romberg, Bizet, Young, Leoncavallo, and Verdi. 1957-1963. 38 min. VH2/RICH-0012.

Rigoletto. The lecherous Duke of Mantua (Luciano Pavarotti) determines to seduce Gilda (Edita Gruberova), the daughter of Rigoletto (Ingvar Wixell), his deformed, acid-tongued court jester. Verdi drew his inspiration from a Victor Hugo play. 1983. 116 min. VH2/RIGO-0001.

Roberta Peters in Opera and Song. Selections by Mozart, Donizetti, Frilml, Balfe, Verdi, Borodin, Rimsky-Korsakov and Delibes. 1952-57. 50 min. VH2/ROBE-0003.

Romeo et Juliette. Roberto Alagna and Leontina Vaduva play the star-crossed lovers in Charles-Francois Gounod's Shakespeare adaptation. 1994. 171 min. VH2/ROME-0010.

Der Rosenkavalier (The Knight of the Rose) by Richard Strauss. Gwyneth Jones, Brigitte Fassbaender, Lucia Popp and Carlos Kleiber frolic in 1740s Vienna. 1979. 186 min. VH2/DERR-0001.

Ruggero Raimondi. The singer's career includes successes in Don Quichotte, Moses in Egypt, Boris Godunov and Don Giovanni. 1991. 50 min. VH2/RUGG-0001.

Salome. Teresa Stratas is the title temptress, Hans Beirer is King Herodes, Astrid Varnay is Queen Herodias and Bernd Weikl is the doomed baptist, Jochanaan. Karl Bohm conducts Richard Strauss' score. 1974. 102 min. VH2/SALO-0001.

Samson et Dalila. Jon Vickers is the Biblical strongman, felled by deceitful beauty Shirley Verrett, in the Camille Saint-Saens opera. 1981. 140 min. VH2/SAMS-0001.

La Scala: The World's Greatest Grand Opera House. This salute includes music by Verdi, Bizet, Salieri, Rossini, Donizetti, Verdi and Puccini. 1970. 60 min. VH2/LASC-0001 or -0002.

Semiramide. The Queen of Babylon (June Anderson) kills her husband with the help of her lover, Assur (Samuel Ramey). She then falls in love with warrior Arsace (Marilyn Horne), unaware that he is her son. An opera by Rossini. 1991. 220 min. VH2/SEMI-0001.

Shirley Verrett. The diva reviews her life and career and sings arias from Samson and Delilah, Tosca, Iphigenie en Tauride and Carmen. Claudio Abbado, Placido Domingo, Ruggero Raimondi and Jon Vickers also appear. 1985. 60 min. VH2/SHIR-0001.

Silent Night with Jose Carreras. The tenor celebrates Christmas in Austria. 1985. 40 min. VH2/SILE-0001.

La Sonnambula (The Sleepwalker). Bride-to-be Amina (Anna Moffo) sleepwalks into the bed chamber of dashing stranger Rodolfo (Plinio Clabassi) in this Bellini film. 1956. 123 min. VH2/LASO-0001.

South Pacific: The London Sessions. Jose Carreras and Kiri Te Kanawa join Mandy Patinkin and Sarah Vaughan to perform the Rodgers & Hammerstein score. 1986. 60 min. VH2/SOUT-0002.

Stiffelio. A minister finds that his wife has become involved with a young adventurer. Verdi's opera stars Jose Carreras, Catherine Malfitano, Gregory Yurisich and Gwynne Howell. 1993. 123 min. VH2/STIF-0001.

StrataSphere. This tribute to soprano Teresa Stratas includes interviews, performance clips and commentary from director Franco Zeffirelli. 1983. 87 min. VH2/STRA-0003.

Tannhauser. In this Wagner presentation, minstrel Tannhauser (Richard Cassilly) vies with the knight Wolfram (Bernd Weikl) for the love of Elisabeth (Eva Marton). 1982. 185 min. VH2/TANN-0001.

The Toast of New Orleans. Cajun fisherman Mario Lanza falls in love with diva Kathryn Grayson in Norman Taurog's operatic musical. Hear arias from Mignon, Carmen, La Traviata, Martha, and Madama Butterfly. 1950. 98 min. VH1/TOAS-0001.

Three Mo' Tenors. Victor Trent Cook, Rodrick Dixon and Thomas Young perform opera, show tunes, jazz, soul, spirituals, and gospel music. Bill Cosel and Marion J. Caffey directed this concert tape. 2001. 81 min. VH2/THRE-0053.

The Three Sopranos. Renata Scotto, Ileana Cotrubas and Elena Obraztsova perform arias by Leoncavallo, Puccini, Saint-Saens, Verdi, Offenbach, Gustaldon, Tosti, Bizet and Strauss. 1991. 67 min. VH2/THRE-0001.

The 3 Tenors: Carreras Domingo Pavarotti with Mehta: In Concert 1994. This Dodger Stadium concert includes pieces by Verdi, Puccini, Leoncavallo, Schubert and Massenet. 1994. 112 min. VH2/THRE-0004.

Topsy-Turvy. Gilbert & Sullivan (Jim Broadbent & Allan Corduner) clash over the creation of The Mikado. A Mike Leigh film. 1999. 161 min. VH1/TOPS-0001 or -0002.

Tosca. In 19th century Rome, prison escapee Caesar Angelotti, painter Mario Cavaradossi and singer Floria Tosca are trapped in the machinations of Baron Scarpia. Puccini's opera stars Eva Marton, Giacomo Aragall, Ingvar Wixell, and Alfredo Giacomotti. 1984. 125 min. VH2/TOSC-0001.

Tosca. This video stars Eva Marton (Tosca), Lamberto Furlan (Cavaradossi), Pieter van der Stolk (Angelotti), and John Shaw (Scarpia). 1986. 123 min. VH2/TOSC-0002.

Tosca. Placido Domingo, Catherine Malfitano and Ruggero Raimondi star in this production, conducted by Zubin Mehta. 1993. 115 min. VH2/TOSC-0005.

Tosca's Kiss. Visit opera singers and musicians living in Milan's Casa Verdi, a retirement home founded by Verdi. 1985. 87 min. VH2/TOSC-0003.

La Tragedie de Carmen. Helene Delavault, Howard Hensel, Agnes Host and Jake Gardner sing in Peter Brook's adaptation of Bizet. 1983. 82 min. VH2/LATR-0002.

La Traviata (The Strayed One). Courtesan Violetta (Teresa Stratas) sacrifices all for the good name of her lover, Alfredo (Placido Domingo). Franco Zeffirelli filmed Verdi's interpretation of Alexandre Dumas' La Dame aux Camelias, later dramatised as Camille. James Levine conducts. 1982. 105 min. VH2/LATR-0001.

Treemonisha. A black teenager (Carmen Balthrop) leads her neighbors out of ignorance and supersitition. Scott Joplin's ragtime opera co-stars Obba Babatunde, Dolores Ivory and Curtis Rayam. 1982. 86 min. VH2/TREE-0001.

A Tribute to Tchaikovsky. Performances by Placido Domingo, Kiri Te Kanawa and artists of the Royal Ballet and the Royal Opera Chorus. 1993. 135 min. VH2/TRIB-0003.

Tristan und Isolde. In Wagner's romance, Tristan (Rene Kollo) must deliver his beloved Isolde (Johanna Meier) to the castle of his uncle, King Marke (Matti Salminen). 1983. 240 min. VH2/TRIS-0001.

Il Trittico. Three one-act operas by Giacomo Puccini: "Il Tabarro" (The Cloak), "Suor Angelica" and "Gianni Schicchi." Brian Large's production stars Piero Cappuccilli, Sylvia Sass, Nicola Martinucci and Rosalind Plowright. 1983. 160 min. VH2/ILTR-0001.

Turandot. In Peking, Princess Turandot will wed the first suitor who can solve three riddles. Harold Prince's Puccini production stars Eva Marton, Jose Carreras and Katia Ricciarelli. 1983. 138 min. VH2/TURA-0001.

The Turn of the Screw. Britten adapted Henry James' novel about a repressed governess (Magdalena Vasaryova, voiced by Helen Donath) and her two diabolical charges. 1982. 106 min. VH2/TURN-0002.

Verdi: Requiem. Margaret Price, Jessye Norman, Jose Carreras and Ruggero Raimondi join the Edinburgh Festival Chorus, under the baton of Claudio Abbado. 1982. 97 min. VH2/VERD-0001.

I Vespri Siciliani (The Sicilian Vespers). Sicilian rebels revolt against their French oppressors. Chris Merritt, Cheryl Studer, Ferruccio Furlanetto and Giorgio Zancaro star in Verdi's opera, which includes the rarely seen third-act Ballet of the Four Seasons. Riccardo Muti conducts. 1990. 204 min. VH2/IVES-0001.

La Vie Parisienne (The Parisian Life). Servants dress as their masters and trollops masquerade as society ladies in Offenbach's ode to the carefree spirit of 1860s Paris. Helene Delavault, Claire Wauthion, Isabelle Mazin and Jean-Yves Chatelais star. 1991. 159 min. VH2/LAVI-0001.

A Village Romeo and Juliet. Frederick Delius's tragic love story is set in the Swiss Alps. Helen Field sings for actress Dana Moravkova as Vreli, and Arthur Davies sings for Michal Dlouhy as Sali. 1989. 113 min. VH2/VILL-0001.

With a Song in My Heart. This tape, which is also known as Jose Carreras: A Tribute to Mario Lanza, features L'Ultima Canzone, Pour un Baiser, Mario Lanza Medley, Serenade, Beloved, Be My Love, Ave Maria and more. 1994. 84 min. VH2/WITH-0001.

Wozzeck. Franz Grundheber, Hildegard Behrens and Philip Langridge star in Alban Berg's Expressionistic opera about an impoverished soldier driven mad by his superiors and by his mistress' infidelity. Claudio Abbado conducts. 1987. 91 min. VH2/WOZZ-0001.

Xerxes. The love between Xerxes (Ann Murray) and Romilda (Valerie Masterson) sets off a series of romantic intrigues in Nicholas Hytner's staging of the George Frideric Handel opus, videotaped by John Michael Philips. 1988. 187 min. VH2/XERX-0001.

Die Zauberflote (The Magic Flute). Harry Peeters, Cyndia Sieden, Christiane Oelze and Michael Schade perform Mozart's fantasy, accompanied by the Monteverdi Choir and Pilobolus Dance Theatre. 1995. 160 min. VH2/DIEZ-0001.

Zubin Mehta, Leontyne Price. The conductor and the soprano perform selections by Mozart, Verdi and Strauss. 1982. 152 min. VH2/ZUBI-0001.

Opera on CD & the Printed Page

The library offers some 250 compact discs of complete operas and compilations of arias. Our computerized a/v catalog allows you to search for them by composer, performer or title. You'll find dozens of books about opera under the call number 782; most librettos can be found under 782.12. More books about specific composers and singers are under the number 780.92, while other biographies are filed under the artists' last names in the biography section. Be sure to look on the oversized books shelves and in the Reference Room. Keep abreast of the field with Opera News magazine.

List compiled by Jonathan Guildroy, October 2002