'Vivaldi's Ercole: At War in the Name of Masculine Aggression'

'DVD of The Year' December 2007

'The production of the year – one that will serve to fix the Spoleto Festival in Italy in the public's collective memory'

'The 2006 Spoleto Festival in Italy presented Vivaldi's opera Ercole su'l Termodonte in a production designed and directed eloquently by John Pascoe.'

'Pascoe's set is all shiny surfaces, with side mirrors reflecting a set of stairs graced with real olive trees.'

'The production by John Pascoe was attended by much commotion ... partly because of his unusually original staging, immersed in symbolism yet faithful to extant representations of Greek mythology.'

'It is a real war of mass destruction – truly a preventive strike – that the hero of Vivaldi's Ercole launches against the reign of the Amazons.'

'Zachary Stains' performance as Ercole admirably unites movement, drama, delivery of recitatives and virtuoso singing.'

'We must give tenor Zachary Stains credit for a performance as natural as it can be under the circumstances. Pascoe's idea of nudity works! '

'The great public success of the Spoleto Festival 2006 is Ercole sul Termodonte – a eulogy to love and beauty.'

'The fascinating staging of John Pascoe communicates a unique vision – that love has the power to conquer violence. '

'John Pascoe, the British director who the festival commissioned to give rebirth to this opera, has successfully transformed it into a violent "J'accuse" against militarism.'

'The women's costumes blend Star Trek with Wonder Woman, where power is conveyed by corsets, garters and thigh-high silver platform boots ...'

'Marina Bartoli shows herself nicely in the role of Ippolita, and she makes the most of the lovely aria Amato ben'

'Pascoe is nothing if not an actors' director. The characters are always reacting to the moment, to each other, to their own thoughts, in as fluid and natural a style as possible.'

'Pascoe's direction makes for excellent and well-integrated movement.'

'Whether the appeal of this DVD is universal will likely hinge on whether or not opera-goers find that the nudity and the staging distracts them from Vivaldi's beautiful music. But one thing is certain: opera Vivaldi is in vogue. BUY IT NOW!!'

'The look of John Pascoe's production is to say the least arresting. He clothes the demigod Ercole just as all those paintings do, in nothing save a lion's skin draped over his manly shoulders.'

'Zachary Stains is a fine tenor and a terrific, fearless actor as well. His Hercules comes across as three-dimensional.'

'Tenor Zachary Stains plays the role nude, with only a lion-skin cape billowing dramatically behind him and commands the stage like a gorgeous classical statue come to life. Rather than coming off as a cheap stunt, the effect of his nudity comes off brilliantly.'

'The directing is very intense: no one is allowed to come onto the stage and just sing!'

'Balancing Stains in impressive presence is the excellent mezzo-soprano Mary-Ellen Nesi as the Amazon leader Antiope.'

'Antiope the Amazon queen appears in thigh-length boots and a close-fitting costume in boudoir red, every inch the dominatrix.'

'Mary-Ellen Nesi is totally convincing dramatically, and her arias – standard Baroque items of rage, attempted suicide and grief – seem never generalised, always deeply motivated, excellently sung and musically direct.'

'Sex and power are definitely on the agenda here!'

Mary Ellen Nesi camps it up superbly as Antiope, and with the flashiest music in the score stops the show a few times ... she's very exciting.

'Pascoe's production is witty and effective.'

'Sara Erde, the brilliant choreographer who was also my Assistant Director, was introduced to me by the great Plàcido Domingo. Her presence in Spoleto for Ercole enabled me to further explore the physical side of this war of the sexes.'