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Reviews (40)

Good Intro to Opera
This DVD is my introduction to opera.I was encouraged to try a Mozart opera first because they are the most accessible.This production was well filmed and acted.As I do not speak Italian, I really needed the English subtitles.The only down side to this production was the quality of the voice recording.It often sounded like they were singing into a box, while the orchestra sounded fine.
Good voices and a single decent actor do not a great Giovanni make
I truly wanted to enjoy this Don Giovanni.Unfortunately, not enough advantage is taken of the film medium (for example, the entire "Mille torbidi pensieri" section of "Sola, sola in buio loco" is done in a single shot, with all the actors standing in a line, providing no advantage over a staged production).The sound, as it has been said before, is quite terrible, but what I simply cannot force myself to overlook is the character interpretation.
New to opera?Start here!
I will not pretend to be an expert on opera.I grew up in a blue collar neighborhood in Detroit.I've appreciated classical music for years but opera never appealed to me at all.Still, I was curious to see what all the fuss was about.I figured a movie version with subtitles might be the way to go.Happily, this was an amazing experience!
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Subjects:  1. Classical    2. Opera / Operetta / Oratorio    3. Performing Arts - Opera   

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Reviews (22)

Fantastic Cirque show marred by terrible editing
Anyone familiar with Cirque du Soleil knows that a spectacular performance is in the offing under any one of their tents.I saw Saltimbanco in person years ago, but this recording simply failed to capture the awe and excitement I felt while seeing the live show.
Worth owning for only the most diehard CdS fan....
Nothing can be taken away from the acts in this show.As usual they are superb, though a bit dated when one compares them to a present day "Mystere" or "O".
You can do better!!
My experience with Cirque shows are having seen both "O" and "Mystere" in Vegas.Both are phenomenal shows and I constanlty recommend both to friends and family.Well worth the trip.On DVD I have only viewed "Allegria" and "Satimbanco", although I am awaiting the arrival of "Quidam" from Amazon.My review of Allegria is great, it is a must own.My review of "Saltimbanco" is the 1 star.Halfway through it, I was embarrassed to be watching it.The music was poor, definitely the worst of the shows that I have been to.The costumes and sets rate at the negative level.This appeared to be the most embarrassing of all.Most of the Cirque shows take you to a dream-like, surrealistic place of imagination created by a master artist.This had the imagination of a 1st grader, who is watching "Full House" on TV and designing sets during the commercials.The talent of the cast is still fabulous, but it strongly overshadowed by sub, sub, subpar music and costume.As stated in many other reviews, the camera work was faulty and the poor choice for shots was unexpected. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Movie    2. Music Video - Pop/Rock    3. Musicals & Cast Recordings   

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Reviews (5)

An Amazing Performer!
I recently purchased this WONDERFUL video and after watching it, kicked myself for not having purchased it sooner. McDonald, a now 4-time Tony winner and Julliard grad, shows in this video why she is so celebrated. She has an incredible vocal technique and is a delight in both her meaty and solid lower notes and her jaw-dropping high notes. She is the perfect performer because she not only sings her songs but also acts then, rather inhabits them, letting them seep deep in every part of her to deliever to the audience. You believe that McDonald has a deep connection with these lyrics in her performances. She is able to tackle every style of song in this video. Her performance of Jason Robert Brown's "Stars and the Moon" made me fall in love with it all over again. She delievers "Beat my Dog" with every air of believabilty and sass. I actually began to love "A Sleepin Bee" which, although a great song, has never been one of my personal favorites. Her performance of Sondheim's " So Many People" was wonderful as was "The Man that Got Away", a song that can be difficult to perform considering the performer who made it famous ( Judy Garland for those who don't know)."Some Days" was added to my list of favorite songs due to her powerhouse performance. Treasure in a box
Is there anything Audra McDonald cannot do in the world of musical theater? Four Broadway roles, three Tony awards, two magnificently different solo recordings, and now this video of her in solo concert format would seem to indicate not. OUTSTANDING
I saw parts of this show on the local PBS station during a recent pledge drive.(The video includes songs not shown on PBS.)I also saw Ms. McDonald perform this show here in DC in May.The video capturessplendidly all of Ms. McDonald's myriad charms -- her stunning voice, hermusical and interpretive intelligence, her elegant grace and herunderstated charisma.While Ms. McDonald's show encompassed many songsthat she has performed on her solo CDs and on others, it does include anumber of songs that she has never recorded (or at least released).Theonly "flaw" the video has is that it doesn't include (and perhapsshe didn't perform it then) her show-stopping performance of the"aria" she introduced on Broadway in "Ragtime" --"Your Daddy's Son" -- which was even more powerful in an intimatesetting with only piano accompaniment.(Maybe she did perform it in Londonand it will be on the DVD, if such a thing is ever released.)Read more

Subjects:  1. Music Video    2. Music Videos - Classical    3. Performance    4. Pop    5. Pop Vocals    6. Vocal   

Editorial Review

The first recording of Puccini's Read more

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Reviews (37)

Superb male cast in this heart wrenching Boheme.....
I'm relatively new to opera, but still an ardent Carreras-fan who thinks his singing is heavenly and I think he makes a more than convincing Rodolfo here. And his looks at the time is certainly no drawback for him. His acting skills are in my opinion very good; his facial expressions projecting his feelings perfectly. (I prefer a subtle actor instead of someone overacting to compensate for poor voice.)It's heartbreaking watching and listening to him singing in the final scene where Mimi is dying. I can't help but being almost as crushed as him when he realizes that she's actually dead.
Great cinematography
I remember this production being televised in the mid 1980s and what impressed me was that it was done on a set rather than on a stage. There was no audience, so it was basically a movie of an opera rather than a video of a stage performance. I don't know, if, as in the making of movies, there were multiple takes until the producer (Franco Zeffirelli) and director (James Levine) were satisfied or if it was recorded straight through, as a stage production would be. Regardless, I think the movie style production worked extraordinarily well. Such a production allows for great cinematography, such as closeups of the facial expressions of the singers and switching camera angles, etc.
Almost wonderful
I've listened to this opera for years, but only seen it twice, both this production, first on VHS, now on DVD.Stratas was perfection as always, with her beautiful voice, and her acting, not that it matters that much, was touching too.The first time I saw this I cried.Carreras and Scotto also were wonderful, especially Scotto with her acting (as well as her voice).I felt that the other singers were adequate, they did good jobs, but were not in a class with the three I already mentioned.I do not like James Levine, I wish he'd stick to Wagner, they were meant for each other.The sets were colorful and beautiful.I read somewhere that this is considered the most loveable of all Italian operas.I can well believe it, especially with this production. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Classical    2. Opera / Operetta / Oratorio    3. Performing Arts - Opera    4. Special Interest   

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Reviews (2)

excellent overall intro to John Cage
This 56-minute documentary on America's most controversial and unique composer manages to cover a great many aspects of Cage's work and thought. His love for mushrooms, his Zen beliefs and use of the I Ching, and basicbio details are all explained intelligently and dynamically. BlackMountain, Buckminster Fuller, Rauschenberg, Duchamp are mentioned. YokoOno, John Rockwell, Laurie Anderson, Richard Kostelanetz make appearances.Fascinating performance sequences include Margaret Leng-Tan performing onprepared piano, Merce Cunningham and company, and performances of Credo InUs, Water Music, and Third Construction. Demystifies the man who made musicfrom silence, from all sounds, from life.

john cage-what a interesting guy
This is a interesting movie about a wonderfully strange man (I wish I could have known). It made me look at a lot of things differently. Be open minded if your going to watch it though-he isn't your average entertainer. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Classical Artists    2. Documentary    3. Movie    4. Performing Arts    5. Performing Arts - Concerts   

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Reviews (6)

deeply absorbing, what can be dance?
After all these decades of, books, discussion and vibrant example of the import of the avant-garde, where it has become institutionalized we still find those perplexed and angered by John Cage and Merce Cunningham, their working methods,spirit, artistic affinities, and expanding perceptive means of what can be art. Stars of the Avant Garde
Points in Space is not the most recent of Merce Cunningham's work (for which you should see "A Lifetime of Dance") but it represents another example of how Cunningham and Cage seized upon and experimented with any and every new medium that might bring their respective arts to a wider discerning audience. In this case, television. the emperor's are naked
Merce Cunningham, and particulary John Cage, have nothing to say.This work is an exercize in nihilism; it means nothing.Cage wants his "music" to be uninfluenced by him.Why write then?The "music" is a series of words minus vowels, manipulated by computer to be void of any suggestion of real words or sounds, let alone any musicality.Read more

Subjects:  1. Classical Video    2. Movie    3. Performing Arts    4. Performing Arts - Ballet/Dance    5. V/a Compilations   

Editorial Review

With dazzling star turns by the real-life husband-and-wife team of soprano Angela Gheorghiu and tenor Roberto Alagna, this 1996 production of Donizetti's frothy romantic comedy Read more

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Reviews (17)

You can't help but falling in love with Nemorino
Roberto Alagna's acting in this l'elisir is just wonderful. You can very easily see that he's heartbroken because his love for the rich girl Adina isn't reciprocated and you really feel sorry for him. He's also funny in the scene where he buys the magic liquor from Dulcamara and gets drunk on it. I just wish that his singing skills matched his acting skills. I'm not saying that his singing is awful; it's just that he doesn't move me with his singing. And I'm not too keen on his vibrato. But still, you just have to love his version of Nemorino.
I want those men fired!!!
I was looking forward to watching this DVD, but thanks to incomptent authoring by Miles Tudor and Philip Rowlands, who botched the 16x9 enhancement so that it doesn't work on all players, including mine, producing a painful image that ought to require these men be subjected to Argento Opera meets Space Warriors 2000, for all two of you who get my joke, as the two similarly screwed up The Death of Klinghoffer.Please make sure this disc is compatible with your player before you buy it.

You'll fall in love with this Elixir!
Elisir d'amore is one of Donizetti's most popular operas, and it's easy to see why: it's bubbly, funny, romantic, and Nemorino remains one of opera's best tenor roles. The story of the country bumpkin drinking a "love elixir" to win the heart of the town flirt contains some of Donizetti's best music, and the famous aria "Una furtiva lagrima." Nemorino was a favorite role legendary tenors such as Caruso, Gigli and di Stefano. It's been lucky on video too. There is a wonderful B&W film from 1968 with Carlo Bergonzi, Renata Scotto, and Giuseppe Taddei as Belcore. But that's a film from a live performance, and the picture quality is not very high, although the performance is of course extremely charming. For a modern video, I heartily recommend this staged performance from Lyon of Elisir with Roberto Alagna and Angela Gheorghiu.
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Subjects:  1. Classical    2. Opera / Operetta / Oratorio    3. Performing Arts - Opera   

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Reviews (1)

Borge for the (not so) Serious Collector
Lost Episodes of Victor Borge: Vol. 1
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Subjects:  1. Television   

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Reviews (1)

Thank you, thank you, GOODNIGHT!
Victor Borge brings comedy to the piano!For the pianist and non-pianist alike, a very entertaining show definetly worth the purchase. The parodies on Liszt's Hungarian Rhaposdy and Tchaikovsky's Concerto are not to be missed! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Classical    2. Classical Video    3. Music Video    4. Performance    5. Performing Arts - Concerts    6. Spoken / Comedy / Radio Shows   

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Reviews (5)

Not long enough, but good stuff
For those who want to remember when Zakk Wylde looked like a pretty boy, this video is for you. Throw in Geezer Butler of Black Sabbath fame, and Randy Castillo (RIP) and you got some great footage.
WICKED
OZZY IS AWLSUM HE`S THE GREATEST ROCK STAR OF ALL TIME. THE OZZY RULES!
Ozzy is captured here at the height of his mettalic powers - and he's preaching to the faithful with these wild videos from his 'No Rest For The Wicked' album. The first video is 'MIRACLE MAN' (uncensored), the secondvideo is 'CRAZY BABIES,' and the third is 'CRAZY TRAIN' from the RandyRhodes Tribute album. There is also about 10 minutes of behind-the-scenesfootage of Ozzy and the band during the making of 'Miracle Man' and 'CrazyBabies' videos. The tape is too short - only 18 minutes long. But worth itif you're a true fan. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. British Metal    2. Hard Rock    3. Heavy Metal    4. Music Video    5. Music Video - Pop/Rock    6. Neo-Classical Metal    7. Performance    8. Pop    9. Rock   

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Reviews (7)

One of the Best Ever Electric Guitar Experiences !!!
this is one of the finest electric guitar experiences one can enjoy in this world... parts of "Electric Ladyland" by Hendrix, parts of "Images & Words" by Dream Theater & parts of "Live in Leningrad are, by far, the most power-fully inspiring electric guitar recordings for my heart 'n' mind... Malmsteen is on fire in this concert & this era of his compostions is my favorite... & this live recording takes most of my favorite Malmsteen compositions to another level of intensity of feeling- especially in his solos... i feel this is the best he ever sounded & is still the standard for this style of classical / metal fusion !!! i wish Malmsteen would release this VHS on DVD !!! this video as well as his instruction DVD [which uses parts of this concert as examples of his playing] are amazing as well as inspiring... i give this video my highest praise !!! Malmsteen is a virtuoso of the electric guitar & has a truly original approach to his playing.

Ultimate Yngwie!
This is the quintessential Yngwie J. Malmsteen video. An amazing live performance! He is one hell of a player. The stage show, his live persona, everything rocks! BUY THIS VIDEO!!!

Virtuoso? YES!
As a "freak guitarisst" I really LOVE Yngwie J Malmsteen, and i belive that NO ONE ever will play like this guitar GOD (exepct me ;). On this movie he is in relly GOD SHAPE!!! I have 5 Live Videos with Malmsteen, and i blevie this one is "THE BEST ONE", he is so cool! Look when he plays "Riot In The Dungeons", when he have played the intro , he swing the guitar around NICE..If you wanna be impressed SEE THIS MOVIE DUDE!!!!Read more

Subjects:  1. Hard Rock    2. Heavy Metal    3. Music Video    4. Music Video - Pop/Rock    5. Neo-Classical Metal    6. Performance    7. Pop    8. Rock   

Editorial Review

Superstar crossover vocalist Sarah Brightman greets the newmillennium with a bold sense of her unique musical niche in this liveconcert, Read more

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Reviews (109)

great vocal great DVD
Nothing to say but terrific !!!!!!!!!!!! one little bit drawback is the cover is not as same quality.

Entertaining, beautiful voice, but..
I've been a fan of Sarah Brightman since I went through my "Phantom of the Opera phase" as a 19-year-old.(I had listened nonstop to the Original London Cast Recording and had read the book by Gaston Leroux b/f attending a performance of "The Phantom" in Toronto).
Five Star Paerformance
The otherworldy scenario and a flawless Sarah Brightman takes one on a surreal journey. Few concerts can offer the escapism a Sarah Brightman concert does.This is a must have for those get away moments. There is great bonus footage and I recommend this disc to fans and those that might want to find out what a great performer Ms. Brightman is. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Classical Vocal Crossover    2. Music Videos - Classical    3. Pop    4. Pop Vocals   

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Subjects:  1. Classical    2. Classical Video    3. How To - Musical Instruction    4. Performing Arts   

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• Compilation
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Subjects:  1. Christmas    2. Christmas / Chanukkah    3. Classical    4. V/a Compilations    5. Xmas Video   

Editorial Review

In 1989 when this production was taped, Luciano Pavarotti and MirellaFreni had already enjoyed long, distinguished careers. In other words, they wereconsiderably older than Read more

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Reviews (9)

Happy Birthday MIMI
Today I received this in the mail. It arrived on Mirella Freni's 71st birthday. So I did watch it and really enjoyed it. I'm a really big Freni fan and enjoy her in this role. I like the Karajan one from the 60's better,but this one has better sound. I own the Pavarotti with Scotto one, which is also excellent and the one from Austrailia, both fine additions to any collection. However, Karajan was right when he told Mirella Freni that she was Mimi. So Happy Birthday Mirella Freni. You have been a great gift to the opera world. You are Mimi.

Heartbreaking!
Anyone who has read my reviews knows that I am the biggest Freni fan imaginable.She does not disappoint me here.Yes, at this stage, her voice is a size too large for Mimi, more suitable for heavy verismo such as Tosca, Fedora and Manon Lescaut.The voice is far heavier than in her two previous studio recordings from the 60's and 70's.The vibrato is also a trifle wider than it was but all this is amply excused by her warmth and mature insight into the role.The tragedy of Mimi has never before been so heartfully portrayed.The emotions are stronger than before and by the end of the opera she totally hits her stride and a quarter of a century melts away.This is a must for all Freni fans. Pavarotti and Freni pretending to be bohemians
One thing I find dissapointing in many Pavarotti opera productions is that everything seems to be adapted for Pavarotti instead of Pavarotti being adapted for the plot (or the music). Everyone knows who is the star, there is no Rodolfo in Paris having a romance with a ill-fated girl; it's just Pavarotti with a wig pretending he is still able to sing a good Rodolfo and some other singers trying not to distract us. Excellent Freni does awful singing in this production and her overacting ruins her singing many times. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Classical    2. Opera / Operetta / Oratorio    3. Opera/Operetta    4. Performing Arts    5. Performing Arts - Opera   

Editorial Review

This 1998 television concert, produced in Dublin for U.S.exhibition, suggests a cheerful reversal of the formula behind the epochal ThreeTenors extravaganzas that became classical crossover behemoths during the'90s: instead of operatic superstars pitching a mixture of high art andcrossover fare to the masses, these lesser-known singers dress up venerable Irish parlor and folk melodies with symphonic backing and project them with operatic power and technique.Read more

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Reviews (22)

Wonderful!
Absolutely delightful. Could not find a better concert except in person. It will bless your heart!

Simply Wonderful!Only the Angels Sing Better!
Where do I start?I first watched this on a PBS fundraiser, and I had to have it!With voices from John Mcdermott, Ronan Tynan, and Anthony Kearns you can't go wrong. When John Mcdermott sings "Danny Boy" itbrings goosebumps!You can just see a mother giving her son her blessingsto go to America, yet knowing the next time they meet she will probably bein the grave.When John sings "The Old Man", WOW! The song isabout John missing his own deceased father. After listening to the song, Iimmediately turned around and told my daddy I loved him. It really makesyou appreciate your father even more. Anthony Kearns is schooled in opera,and his voice proves it. His voice is powerful, and beautiful.When hesung "Grace", I was literally brought to tears. "Grace" is about a soldier, who is about to be executed in themorning, saying good-bye to his wife (who he just married). It is powerful!Ronan Tynan has a voice, that I am sure, can shatter glass. His voice isstrong yet beautifully controlled. I encourage viewers to research hisbiography--it is very heart lifting. When he sings "Town I Love SoWell", you can just visualize the land, and fall in love with ityourself! When the trio comes together and sing, it is an experience of alifetime."Danny Boy", when sang by all of them, is heavenly.Arefreshingly fun song, "Spanish Lady", lets the trio have fun,and interact with each other.I highly recommend this video. After goingthru a rollercoaster ride of emotions, I cannot sing enough praises(because I can't carry a tune in a bucket)!It is simply out of thisworld!

Superb Sight and Sound
My first exposure to The Irish Tenors was an 'accidental' clicking of the remote control one night when the local PBS station was conducting a fund-raising drive using the performance in Belfast. I was so moved bytheir performance that I searched the web for more of their work,disappointed that only one video was available. I ordered this video ANDthe CD of both the Belfast performance and the Dublin performance. Thevideo helps me get through my time on the treadmill, and the CDs getregular play on my computer. I'm still not sure which of the Tenors is myfavorite, as they are all so wonderful. The solos by Anthony Kearns, JohnMcDermott, and Ronan Tynan are wonderful, and the selections by the threeof them together are magnificent. The orchestral accompaniment raises theperformance of the old ballads to soaring heights. Kearns' eye contact withthe audience while singing "Mountains of Mourne," "EileenOg," and "Darling Girl from Clare" are priceless, and bringchuckles every time. McDermott's "The Old Man" brings tears to myeyes and a lump in my throat no matter how many times I experience it.Tynan's "The Town I Loved So Well" tugs at the heart, as does thetrio's "Only Our Rivers Run Free." An unexpected bonus on thevideo are the encore numbers that are not included on the CD, as well asthe most moving rendition of "Amazing Grace" that I'veheard.Read more

Subjects:  1. Classical    2. Classical Artists    3. Music Video-middle Of The Road    4. Opera / Operetta / Oratorio   

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Reviews (3)

biased evaluation
from my limited experience i believe that elizabeth schwarzkopf is the finest soprano of the twentieth century.She is a fine actress and has incredible flexibility in her voice giving her the ability to give each phrase a unique expressivness.When one listens to her voice one knows instinctively whether she is asking a question, musing about some thought or making a declamatory statement. All of these atributes are all the more apealing because physically she a very beutiful woman. Thank you.

a sad edition of a classic film
I was lucky to have seen this magnificent film in the early 1970's.I and the entire audience were swept away by the beauty and elegance of this Salzburg stage production which was somehow transmuted into compelling cinema by the great Paul Czinner. Better late than never
I have never been a Schwarzkopf fan and for the past 18 years preferred R�gine Crespin's Marschallin (on Decca), even in the complete Solti recording, where her voice allegedly was in decline (critics are alwayshappy to point out these imperfections). I also never warmed up to OttoEdelmann's Baron Ochs, and felt his timbre gives the role a cunning/eviltwist rather than a comic one (I prefer Manfred Jungwirth). My firstreaction to this tape was that the production is conservative andunimaginative, compared for example with the newer Covent Garden productionwith Solti and Te Kanawa. However, on repeat viewing I finally gave in - Ifeel the critics were right all these years and Schwarzkopf IS the greatestMarschallin ever. I still am not a fan of hers as a voice - Crespin'svoluptuous voice and seductive yet motherly characterization are a raregem. Yet Schwarzkopf's interpretation is highly intelligent and very subtle(it took me 18 years to appreciate it). It is a very unusual role of alover who displays rare wisdom and maturity in her love and understandswhen to let her lover go as an act of love. Schwarzkopf displays a deepunderstanding of the Marschallin's dilemma and choice with very finenuances of singing and acting. I felt that watching her acting added depthto just listening to her on discs. In that sense the very restrainedproduction serves to highlight Schwarzkopf's nuances. Even Otto Edelmann'sBaron Ochs is more complete when viewed on stage. His baron Ochs is astupid, crude and conniving character, rather than funny, and as a resultit is more difficult to forgive him (he's never really silly). Herepresents the complete antithesis to the Marschallin's truly noblehandling of her love object - he wants to grab, hold on to, use and therebydemean his chosen one. Their conception of these roles is highly idiomaticand no singer who wasn't raised on the German language can quite matchthat. They project a degree of self confidence in these roles that comeswith the experience of many live performances together - they rarely lookin the direction of the conductor to get their cues. This film is aclassic. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Classical    2. Opera / Operetta / Oratorio    3. Performing Arts - Opera   

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Reviews (3)

Excellent!! Please make a DVD!!!
I have been watching Jonathan Miller's Rigoletto / English National Opera since I was little and it is the most inspiring and beautiful opera/movie I've ever seen, even for people who don't appreciate classical music. I was wondering if anyone knows when they will make a DVD or if anyone has one. My email address is mitzybayou@hotmail.com Thanks.

MASTERPIECE !
This production, by director Elijah Moshinsky for English National Opera, cries out for issue on DVD. It is, quite simply, the best updating and most relevant story-telling one can ever envisage this opera receiving. The entire opera is reset in Mafia-ridden Little Italy in New York, and the consistency and truthfulness to the original intent of the opera is astonishing. This is no updating for updating's sake. It is the work of a master director totally attuned to Verdi's drama. I've played this video often to my children, from about the age of 10 and up, and it is just a riveting introduction to great music and drama. The video is wearing out though -- SO PLEASE, NOW REMASTER FOR DVD! Joseph Losey's feature film presentation of Don Giovanni is also crying out for issue on DVD -- filmed treatment of operas at this quality are rare.

Truly phenomenal production
This ENO production, directed by Jonathan Miller, is updated and set in New York's Little Italy.The singing is of uniformly high quality but John Rawnsley's performance in the title role is one of the best performances ofanyone on film in opera.His rendition of Rigoletto's big aria isabsolutely riveting.The English translation works well despite theproblem of repeated text common to opera of this period.No detail isoverlooked in the updating of the story--that's why the update works sowell.I cannot praise this performance enough. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Performing Arts - Opera   

Editorial Review

This is the best of Placido Domingo's several video performances as the painter Cavaradossi, lover of the prima donna Floria Tosca and enthusiast of revolutionary ideals in the repressive atmosphere of Napoleonic-era Rome. His colleagues, Cornell MacNeil and Hildegard Behrens, are both seasoned and highly capable performers who make the deadly confrontation between Tosca and the corrupt police chief Scarpia intense and believable. Guiseppe Sinopoli conducts with style and dramatic power. But in many ways the primary reason for wanting