Teresa Ofavila

In 1994, the same Metropolitan Opera put two contrasting pieces of the verismo puzzle side by side—the belated verismo of Puccini’s Il Tabarro and the classic verismo of Leoncavallo’s I Pagliacci, which had reached the stage some twenty-six years earlier.

Deutsche Grammophon is proud to present Franco Zeffirelli's iconic staging of La Bohème as recorded liveat the Metropolitan Opera on January 16, 1982, available once again on DVD. This timeless production continues to thrill audiences almost every season since it was first introduced in 1981, and this performance captures the production at the very beginning with the original cast. Teresa Stratas, renowned for her acting abilities, captures the essence of Mimì–her fragility, her resolve, her passion. Stratas is partnered by José Carreras as Rodolfo, the poet and love of her dreams. The cast is rounded out with a lively Renata Scotto (who was filmed as Mimì in an earlier MET production, also available on DVD from Deutsche Grammophon) and sonorous Richard Stilwell.

Teresa James shares this musical treasure that began, simply, as a pandemic project to occupy creative minds. With her husband, Terry Wilson, and Kevin McKendree co-producing and arranging, respect for the spirit of the original music was skillfully intertwined with the soulful blend of Texas, Memphis and Muscle Shoals sounds James is known for. Warmly familiar yet distinctively fresh, these ten Beatles tracks will satisfy your spirit and soothe your soul.

Revealing an affinity for Weill, Teresa Stratas fulfills her promise to Lotte Lenya on her deathbed to "carry on the torch for Kurt Weill's music." Stratas's glorious soprano has never sounded better as she applies her operatic expertise to deliciously caress this music without losing any of the underlying subtext. Lacking the grittiness of other interpreters, she captures the emotional angles by letting her beautiful voice express the tortured heart beneath it; where others shout at you, Stratas sings at you. She casually bounces off the cheerier selections from One Touch of Venus and Happy End, letting Gerard Schwarz's brilliantly conducted orchestra display their wit. Program notes include a fascinating interview with Stratas.

Teresa Berganza Vargas is a Spanish mezzo-soprano. She is most closely associated with the roles of Rossini, Mozart, and Bizet. She is admired for her technical virtuosity, musical intelligence, and beguiling stage presence.

The mezzo-soprano Elena De Simone and the Ensemble Il Mosaico are the interpreters of this production that continues the journey of Tactus in the precious rediscovery of various female characters forgotten by history, that played a fundamental role in the cultural and musical panorama of their time. One of these cases concerns the Milanese Maria Teresa Agnesi, a precocious musician and composer - she starts writing music and performing in the academies of her city already at an early age - who dedicated her works to the major political authorities of her world.