Constance Hauman - Orlando - BLU-RAY

A vivid Orlando makes history in ViennaInch (New York Times International) Olga Neuwirth's opera Orlando, based on Virginia Woolf's novel of the same name, is the first full-length opera work by a woman celebrating it's premiere at the Vienna State Opera. Olga Neuwirth, for a long time one of the great composers of the present, succeeds with this opera in creating a captivating arc across many musical genres. It's an exciting, socially critical production by Polly Graham who puts a fantastically singing and playing Kate Lindsey in the center of the action. For Orlando Olga Neuwirth won the prestigious Grawemeyer Award, it became Inchworld premiere of the yearInch by Opernwelt magazine and for Die Zeit it was Inchthe premiere of the season.

Antonio Vivaldi's three-act opera Orlando Furioso is set to an Italian libretto by Grazio Braccioli and is based on Ludovico Ariosto's epic poem of the same name. The opera alternates arias with recitative, and is set on an island at an unspecified time. The story line combines several plot lines from Ariosto the exploits of the hero Orlando are detailed, as well as the tale of the sorceress Alcina. Orlando is performed in this production by Sonia Prina, and Alcina by Lucia Cirillo. Recorded at the 43rd Festival della Valle d'Itria, this production is the first video recording of this rare opera. Subtitles are available on this in Italian, German, English, French, Japanese, and Korean.

A critical film in the history of British Cinema, Sally Potter's adaptation of Virginia Woolf's witty modernist novel took eight years to make it to the screen and is a meticulously crafted commentary on all things English as well as being a wonderfully romantic tale. Tilda Swinton stars as the eponymous hero who lives for 500 years and changes S*x halfway. Granted a favour of immortality from Quentin Crisp's archetypal Queen Elizabeth I, Orlando proceeds to spend the next few centuries in search of love, life and adventure.