Teresa Stratas Movies

In the late nineteenth century, Inspector Gannon (Robert Ryan) is a member of the Northwest Mounted Police (forerunners of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police) sent to give a message to the leaders of the Sioux Indian nation. Chased by the U.S. cavalry, the Indians have entered Canada in the wake of the Custer massacre at Little Bighorn. Gannon and his crew assure the Indians there will be no trouble as long as they remain peaceful. American ranchers stage a raid across the border under the guise of rescuing a caucasian woman and kill many Indians. This leads to an inevitable uprising that Gannon must control. ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi

Written by Gian-Carlo Menotti in 1951, Amahl and the Night Visitors has the distinction of being the first opera written for television. A Christmas favorite, the story deals with Amahl, a young peasant shepherd boy who can only walk with the aid of a staff. As the opera opens, Amahl is very excited. He has seen a truly strange and wondrous star outside, one with a long tail the likes of which he has never seen. His Mother, knowing that he likes to make things up, grows angry with him and dismisses his news. Soon there is a knock at the door. When the Mother opens it, she is astonished to find three kings. They tell her that they are in search of a very special king and show Amahl and his Mother the gifts they bring. The Mother leaves to alert the neighbors to the king's presence, and they return with gifts for the three sovereigns. Later that night, the Mother gives in to temptation and tries to take some of the kings' gold for her and Amahl. She is frightened when the kings catch her; however, they do not punish her, explaining that the one they are seeking does not need gold, they he will establish a kingdom based upon love. The Mother gives the gold back, and Amahl, moved by what he has heard, asks the kings to take his staff as a gift for the new king. As he does so, Amahl discovers that his selflessness has resulted in a miracle -- he can now walk. As the opera ends, he goes with the kings to give thanks and praise to the one who has brought this miracle about. ~ Craig Butler, Rovi

One of Puccini's most popular works (and the second-most performed opera at New York's Metropolitan Opera), this production by Franco Zeffirelli features Jose Carreras, Teresa Stratas, Renata Scotto,and Richard Stilwell, and boasts an extraordinary visual beauty in its retelling of this tragic story of young bohemians struggling towards success. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

A musical presentation featuring Pretre and the LaScala Orchestra and Chorus with soloists Domingo, Stratas and Pons. Outstanding work by Zeffirelli. ~ Rovi

Cosi fan tutte, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's bawdy 1790 dramma giocoso, recounts the randy tale of Ferrando and Guglielmo, two officers, stationed in Naples, who attempt to exchange fiancées in a wager. Fairly conventional for its time, Cosi failed to raise any eighteenth century eyebrows but (with its lasciviousness) became something of an ire-engendering piece in the more-conservative centuries to come. Jean-Pierre Ponnelle staged a production of Cosi at a Palladian villa in 1988, featuring musical accompaniment by the Nikolaus Harnoncourt-conducted Wiener Philharmoniker and the Wiener Staatsopernchor; a film of that production is now available in the home release, Cosi fan tutte. Luis Lima appears as Ferrando, Ferruccio Furlanetto as Guglielmo, Delores Ziegler as Dorabella and Edita Gruberova as Fiordiligi. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi

Opera by John Corigliano about the ghost of Beaumarchais who tries to change history to save Marie Antionette. ~ Rovi

This Canadian documentary profiles the work of German music-theater icon Kurt Weill, who created such enduring shows as Threepenny Opera. Most of the film offers various performers singing or reciting his songs. Among those appearing are jazz diva Betty Carter, the Brodsky String Quartet, Elvis Costello, Lou Reed, Nick Cave, PJ Harvey, and bassist Charlie Haden. Also seen are dance numbers, and a reading of "What Keeps Mankind Alive?" ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

This video is the second of a two-part series featuring performances by some of the greatest stars of opera in the 20th century. Many operatic moments are recorded on these vintage productions, which broadcast on the Bell Telephone Hour Telecasts from late 1959 to early 1967. The mass television audience was introduced to a milieu of musical society that might otherwise have been unavailable. Presented in this volume are thrilling performances by Eileen Farrell, George London, Robert Merrill, and Franco Corelli.
~ Rose of Sharon Winter, Rovi