2013 marks the bicentenary of Giuseppe Verdi’s birthday. On the occasion of this anniversary Arthaus Musik has already released two box sets with outstanding productions of his operas – now look forward to the third! In 1989 Sir Georg Solti took over the finished production of “Un ballo in Maschera” which had actually been conceived by Herbert von Karajan with the great Hollywood director John Schlesinger. Together with the Vienna Philharmonic and outstanding singer-actors such as Plácido Domingo and Sumi Jo Solti completed the creation of the recently deceased Maestro. In his 2007 Florence production of “La Forza del Destino” Nicolas Joël transfers the time of action to around 100 years later and sets the Austrian foreign rule in Italy as its thematic origin. Under the baton of Zubin Mehta the cast of top class singers boasts Violeta Urmana, Carlo Guelfi and Marcello Giordani. In summer 2007 Liliana Cavani’s production of “La Traviata” was revived at the Milan Scala under the musical direction of Lorin Maazel. Romanian star soprano Angela Gheorghiu sings the role of Violetta besides Mexican tenor Ramón Vargas and Italian Roberto Frontali.