Elizabeth, Amadeus, the Office

Edoardo Mueller
Principal guest conductor, San Diego Opera, sdopera.org

Renata Tebaldi: Profonda ed infinita is a collection of the best videos Renata did in her life — her interviews and performances, and footage of all her costumes. Very touching.

The Art of the Piano is an anthology of the great pianists of the past. Being myself a modest pianist, I enjoy watching how the old masters played.

The BBC undertook a project to adapt all 37 of Shakespeare’s plays to the small screen. Their version of Shakespeare’s The Comedy of Errors is very well performed. It is always a great experience to watch this kind of production.

Renata Tebaldi: Profonda ed infinita
(Italy) 2006,Hardy Classics

The Art of Piano - Great Pianists of 20th Century
(USA) 1999, NVC Arts

The Comedy of Errors
(England) 1983, BBC/Time-Life

Angela Gilbert
South African coloratura-soprano, San Diego Opera

The Office: The Complete Series — Ricky Gervais’s BBC version (even though I love the NBC one just as much) includes the Christmas Special, which is the conclusion to the two-season run. My boyfriend and I will start and promise we will only watch one show but then end up spending his entire day off watching all of series one. Then we promptly make a date for series two. It is addictive, cringe-inducing, and a sterling example of how to create a character.

Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings Trilogy — the extended versions — is a holiday season tradition!

And, finally, the cable series The Tudors, to remind myself how relieved I am that as an opera singer I still get to keep my clothes on...well, most of the time.

The Office - The Complete Collection BBC Edition (First And Second Series Plus Special)
(England) 2001–03, BBC/Warner

The Lord of the Rings - The Motion Picture Trilogy (Platinum Series Special Extended Edition)
(New Zealand/USA) 2001–03, New Line

The Tudors - The Complete First Season
(England) 2007, Showtime

Kate Aldrich
American mezzo-soprano, San Diego Opera

Elizabeth (the 1998 one with Cate Blanchett): I am a sucker for big, sweeping lyrical films and beautiful costumes. Despite some inaccuracies, this is my favorite historical drama — even before I knew I would be playing the queen here in San Diego!

The Godfather, Part I or Part II: It’s a toss-up between the original and its sequel. Again, I love big, sweeping lyrical epics, plus these have fantastic acting and directing all around.

Amadeus: I’m sensing a big, sweeping lyrical historical trend here. But how operatic this film is! Imagining the inside life of such a great musician with the backdrop of Vienna (although filmed in Prague) in its heyday, and Mozart’s music as the score makes for a great film. Milos Foreman made a beautiful movie.

Elizabeth (Spotlight Series)
(England) 1998, Universal

The Godfather DVD Collection (The Godfather/ The Godfather - Part II/ The Godfather - Part III)
(USA) 1972-90, Paramount

Amadeus
(USA) 1984, Warner