Sometimes we would like to listen to some opera but the theatre is far from home, and the night is cold or.. anything. Then an excellent audio device could poorly imitate the sound, and with much imagination, we could enjoy some good moments. For those ocassions, I would recommend something beyond audio: there are some excellent videos recorded at live performances, but there are two which I really enjoy:

1) Georges Bizet's CARMEN, with Julia Migenes-Johnson (Carmen), Plácido Domingo (Don José) and Ruggiero Ricci (Escamillo) filmed not in a theatre but in natural and historic scenarios in Sevilla, Spain, by the master cinematographist FRANCESCO ROSSI. The images compete in beauty with the music. See the cavalry entering the place among a choir of children, see the sweet song of Micaela, and the tremendous Aria of the Cards of Carmen, the Flower Song, the glory of Escamillo, and the final drama, all in the most fantastic images I've ever seen in this genre.

2) Giuseppe Verdi's OTHELLO, with Plácido again as Othello and..(sorry..don't remember the others, all of first category) filmed in natural places by FRANCO ZEFIRELLI, one of the geniuses of cinema.

Look at some hidden shelf at Blockbuster or some specialized video store. I'm sure you will repeat the experience many times. These videos have done a great job for the opera, because while we are deprived of the natural sound, as a compensation we can see the action in natural scenarios and not the restricted scope of a theatre stage. Note: these versions are complete, absolutely loyal to the original score.

Un abrazo,
Andrés (le toreró de Buenos Aires)