Viva Max

This live 3 CD set dramatically brings this rare opera to life, set in the 5th Century A.D, shortly before the fall of the West Roman Empire and certainly contains plenty of intrigue and drama. Although not as successful as Orfeo it contains many fine moments and this recording, in which Andreas Stoehr conducts a first rate cast, should introduce more opera listeners to this fine work.

Def Leppard dove into the classic-albums-in-their-entirety trend via an 11-date residency at the Hard Rock in Las Vegas, performing 1987's Hysteria from start to finish, adding other classic hits to round out the set. More interestingly, taking a tip from Joe Elliott's Mott the Hoople tribute side project the Down 'n' Outz, Def Leppard opened for themselves, performing as Ded Flatbird and running through rarities and early hits that they have rarely played live in the years since becoming superstars. These Vegas gigs were filmed for a limited-edition theatrical release called Viva Hysteria, which quickly appeared on Blu-ray and DVD, along with a double-CD soundtrack capturing the highlights…