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   

Editorial Review

Long before the media's obsession with celebrity scaled its current heights, MariaCallas commanded headlines and column inches equal to any of the jet-settingelite of her time. In those terms alone, and much as opera purists might flinchat the idea, she was the Madonna of her day. But that is only one reason why herlegend extends well beyond her place in the pantheon of great sopranos and solong after her death in 1977. Read more

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Reviews (5)

Maria Callas - Opera's Greatest Diva!
Opera's greatest diva.What can I say?A friend of mine made a comment to me one day about Maria's nose being "large" and I shot back, "Don't say anything about her nose, she looks like Lou."(Lou was my late wife's name.)My friend took my stinging remark in stride and proceeded to say only nice things about Maria from that point on.When I first saw Maria'spicture it was as if Lou was looking from the "other side" directly into my soul.Lou died over seven years ago.To this day, I literally shudder and weep when I see Maria's picture.While worlds apart in almost everything, Maria and Lou had their beauty in common.Maria was married to a very wealthy man.That allowed her to pursue her career.Still married, she later was the mistress of Aristotle Onassis.She lived for about three years after his death.She died of a heart attack - a depressed and broken woman.It was said by a person on this DVD who knew her, "When a person has a heart attack, the person must be faced with making a decision, even though the time is very short, as to whether to live or not....Maria must have decided not to live."My wife probably had that in common with Maria also.
The Songs of Her Own Fate
If you are mad about Callas, this is something you don't want to miss. Like Busoni or else Heifetz, Callas is too much a legend to compare with: even someone with the stature of Schwarzkopf was obliged to give way. 1 hour 16 minutes
The programme includes interviews with famous people who knew Maria Callas - such as Franco Zeffirelli and Carlo Maria Giulini - and is interspersed with extracts from famous concerts and recordings, including two duets with Giuseppe di Stefano.Read more

Subjects:  1. Classical    2. Documentary    3. Opera / Operetta / Oratorio   

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   

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

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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

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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 Read more

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Reviews (34)

Not perfect, but still a fantastic production
I owned this production on VHS and am glad that DG have re-released this with DTS sound. I have always enjoyed watching this DVD, even though it does have a few shortcomings. The most obvious one is the casting of Cornell McNeil as Scarpia, as vocally he falls short, but he makes up for it with his intense acting. Behrens too falls short, but I enjoyed her vocalism and characterisation. There will be too many comparisons to past interpretators of the role, and her voice may not be Italianate enough, but in my books, it works and she is wonderful as the heroine! Domingo is the star of this show! Zefferelli's set is masterfully done and the production is sumptous for the MET stage.

A Teen's Review
This was the second time I have seen Tosca and, frankly, the staging was so much better than the movie-version with Gheorgiu and Alagna that I could forgive alot.
Scipia! We shall meet before God!
Well executed and worth rewatching. This play has the music that Puccini is note for. Although Hildegard Behrens is no Callas and takes a lot of deep breaths she still makes an excellent Floria Tosca. Wile we ar discussing differences Plácido Domingo is no Luciano Pavarotti. Great scenery and unforgettable singing.
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Reviews (7)

A wonderful "experience"
Today when every advertiser and newscaster is talking about "experiences," I'm reluctant to use the word.Berne wrote of a patient in his group who when she was new in the group went to the hospital to have an "obstetrical experience."The 2nd time, she went to have a baby.But this was a total, whole and glorious experience.It was a class act all the way.It was a quality production from every angle except a somewhat disinterested chorus.I like operas where the chorus is as excited and enthusiastic and involved as the leads.Alas, not in this one. Norma is the role Callas was born to play.That and Medea.Sutherland is too nice.But by god she brings it off!Elkins' voice (and she's no mean coloratura herself) blended so well with Sutherland in their several duets that I never wanted them to stop.I thought the only Bellini opera I liked was I Capuleti.Sigh.Well, after this, I'm going looking for DVDs of Puritani and Somnambula with Sutherland if I can find versions sans Pavarotti.(I'm sorry he's sick, he meant a lot to millions all over the world, but I just can't take that voice.)The sets are simple to the point of simplistic, and the children looked like they were having a great time and their movements were by the numbers which detracted from the "realism" of the play.Pollione had a wonderful voice and his face registered emotion convincingly, as did Norma's maid's.The lyrics were coloquial, and if there were anyone around who could write poetry and music (there isn't), could have been written today.I highly recommend this opera.It is glorious!Beautiful!One note on another reviewer.Bellini, Donizetti and early Verdi (Italian), and Thomas (French)are the greatest writers of bel canto I have ever heard.Also the only.And to belittle Bellini (who died very young) for what he did write, and then compound the maligning by saying that if he had lived he MIGHT have become another Verdi is just dumb.In the first place they aren't a bit alike.And in the 2nd, Bellini was a fully mature spirit, talent, genius before he ever died, which as I said he did pathetically too soon.As for the companion piece released I think the same time as Norma, Lakme, I bought that too (and got them for $10 apiece from an Amazon seller) and am going to throw it away.God it's an awful bore.Except the beautiful female duet (which is badly done in that version - weak, faint) and the Bell Song (which I didn't stay tuned long enough to hear, shut the stupid thing off after an hour, plus I don't like the Bell Song anyway, I think it's weird, though I've heard Sutherland sing it and she does an exquisite job with it), sigh except these 2 pieces, there simply is no music in it.Oh, there are staves and key signatures and clef signs and notes and rests and dynamics, but there's no music.According to Bonynge, it's Delibes only successful opera and it was never very popular.I can well understand why.Oh.Also according to Bonynge (or Sutherland, I forget which), Sutherland studied Norma 10 years before performing it on stage.And her first trial with it had Callas as Norma, my guess is Sutherland played Aldagisa, it had to have been that role, but sigh I don't know.I love this DVD and as another reviewer said, her voice was in perfect shape.The other leads were also excellent.Hell, everyone was excellent!

Casta diva
First off, regarding the other reviewer's questions, no, his copy was not an anomaly, the sound quality is very inconsistent on this release, requiring the viewer to constantly fiddle with the volume, a major annoyance to be sure. But this is not the first time I have encountered this problem with productions from the '70's, and it in no way justifies a one star rating. Do I wish the sound quality were better? Absolutely. But am I glad I purchased the DVD despite its shortcomings? You bet. The performances are more than enough to counterbalance this flaw, particularly the performance of Joan Sutherland, the star of this(and any) show.
Caveat Emptor (Or Is My Copy An Atypical, Individually Defective DVD?
Although the title role of "Norma" was the greatest one in Dame Joan's repertoire, few even of her most ardent fans (and I'm one) would maintain she gave her greatest performances in it.That honor is usually reserved for her roles in "Lucia," "Semiramide," or "Lucrezia Borgia." Nevertheless, hers was a supremely listenable, often beautifully sung Norma, and therefore, when she was in good voice, a memorable one.
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Reviews (1)

Worthwhile, but not Overwhelming
This biodrama on Puccini's life focuses heavily on an episode in which his wife suspected an affair with a household servant (later proven to have been a virgin in her postmortem) and persecuted her to the point of suicide.This, presumably combined with a mid-life crisis caused the composer excruciating psychological agonies.In an attempt at redemption, the screenwriter and director suggest, Puccini created the self-sacrificial role of Liu in juxtaposition to the heartless Princess Turandot (Signora Puccini), but was unable to complete the work, presumably because of his own lack of closure.The tie in is accomplished in part with documentary footage of a Scottish National Opera production of his final opera as an autobiographical work (which introduces some loose threads into the narrative).The performances are generally good, with the exception of that by Robert Stephens in the title role, which is excellent.The musical score, as might be expected, is wonderful and generally does a fine job of associating with the pace and subject of the action.Overall, this is a worthwhile purchase for anyone seriously interested in Puccini and many who have only a passing interest. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Classical Video    2. Documentary    3. Movie    4. Performing Arts    5. Performing Arts - Opera   

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Reviews (5)

Dialogues des Carmelites
Joan is breathtaking.This opera is a beautiful and tragic story and it is wonderful to have a resource available in English.
Filme Version of Dialogues
Hi there I am Adriano the Swiss conductor. I have a copy of this classical movie of 1960. NO LIBRETTO OR SUB-TITLES - PITY
It would have been 5 Stars if a Libretto was supplied with the DVD or if it had optional sub-titles. ... Read more

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

Editorial Review

Of all Puccini's major operas, the intimate tragedy of Read more

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Reviews (25)

Butterfly dies...but NOT soon enough...
I have a large collection of opera dvds.Many people only prefer to purchase staged versions, but I don't mind movie versions as well.They give you an entirely new prospective to the story...if its done well.This production of Butterfly is one of the worst productions of ANYTHING that I have ever seen.Once you see the opening scene, when Domingo begins running through a random field, you should brace yourself, because it only goes downhill from there. The singing is quite good, but the cinematography and the staging is absolutely attrocious.The camera angles are just bad and the sequence from Act 2 to Act 3 (which is all done as one act in this production) looks very, very, STUPID.The best part of this production is Butterfly's death, which leaves Pinkerton in a state of...well, you just have to see it.That is the only promising piece of staging in the whole production.If you want to save some money, I would not suggest buying this production unless you want to get a couple of opera friends together, and have a nice laugh...

Come on, people...it isn't that bad
I can't understand all this carping about how rotten Jean-Pierre Ponnelle's film is. Okay, this isn't Orson Welles. The film is certainly flawed, with a few cheesy moments, most of which have been mentioned in other reviews(the opening, with Domingo in a T-shirt comically running through a paper wall, the bizarre dream sequence, Goro as a bucktoothed stereotype). These flaws are what prevent me from giving the film a five star rating. But there are also some very beautiful moments, and besides, from an aural standpoint, you aren't going to find a better performance of Madama Butterfly ANYWHERE. Get a grip, folks. To hear Freni and Domingo at their prime singing what is arguably Puccini's greatest score(it is certainly his most beautiful) conducted by Herbert von Karajan, and for under twenty dollars, I would be willing to put up with the singers running around in clown makeup for two-and-a-half hours. The music making on this disc is simply too good not to be recommended just because the filmmaker's ambitions occasionally tax his reach.
Shame,Shame,Shame!!!
How can a respected company like DG can issue a DVD with such a poor film quality? ... Read more

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Editorial Review

From a 1984 performance (live, but with many voices dubbed) at Canada's Stratford Festival comes this version of Read more

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Reviews (9)

Excellent production, but why make changes to the libretto.
The production, quality of acting and singing, and presentation of this show is truely excellent.
Five Stars For "The Real" Gilbert and Sullivan
This review is mostly written for people who don't know "Iolanthe" because over here in America the musical isn't very famous and is seldom put on.I only learned about it myself by accident several years ago when it was produced by a local college in my area.I went to see it without knowing anything about it nor even having heard anything about it.I was bowled over by the genius of the music, comedy, story, humor and everything about this masterpiece as portrayed by the college music and drama students!
Life's a pudding full of plums / Here's a production that benumbs
Every Stratford production of Gilbert and Sullivan appeared to be in a race to hit rock bottom with a thud.They all succeeded."Oh, horror!" cries the British House of Peers in this comic opera and, for once, with good reason.
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Editorial Review

This Read more

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Reviews (4)

Soulful Mozart
I have a version of this opera on VHS with Gosta Winbergh that blew me away when I saw it.I have been waiting hopefully for its appearance on DVD...but, I gave in and bought this one while I'm waiting.Absolutely excellent. Young Mozart was a soulful 14-year old to be sure.Much of his early-mid music strikes me as a mathematical exercise, with just about that much resonance...but this music is full of honest emotion without excess.Shades of the mature Mozart with no need to give ground for his extreme youth.
Good performance, but ridiculous costumes
The singers are great, especially Bruce Ford and Ann Murray.Unfortunaly, the director has made bad choices regarding the sets ... and the costumes.They are so exaggerately wide that the characters seem to be sitting on the border of their bed!And what about the make-up?All characters have white faces.You could believe they are dead. All this deconcentrates the viewer.I was so frustrated that I stopped looking at it and did something else while listening.I would recommend to buy the CD version with Cecilia Bartoli instead.If you buy this one, listen to it, but turn your TV off!

How about Those Costumes
First, the music was written by the 14 year old Mozart and it is pretty good with some neat twists but nothing like what you expect in the more mature works.Vocally, particularly, the arias are very like instrumental concertos with space for a short unaccompanied cadenza.This means they are very difficult.This cast, particularly Aspasia(Organasova), Ismene (Lillian Watson), and Farnace (Jochen Kowalski) execute these with a lot of finesse.Sifare (Anne Murray) and Mitridate (Bruce Ford) are not so agile and tend to become very strident and wobbly in places, especially in loud or high passages.Still, the music is there and well performed.The worst feature of the staging is the costumes which I don't normally notice.All characters have huge wide skirts and the principles usually have wide (2-3') ledges out from their hips.This means the acting is stiff or non-existent and characters essentially must keep separate to prevent collisions.The colors are garish, Glaring reflections are common and Ismene's print is truly hideous.I'm normally tolerant of this sort of thing but even I thought this a serious defect in this production. ... Read more

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

Features

• Classical
• Color
• HiFi Sound
• NTSC

Reviews (1)

Verdi's Night with the Boys
Simon Boccanegra is an oddity in opera. It is one of a very few operas that belongs to the male leads! It is dark, angry and doesn't sport any of those hummable Verdi tunes like we hear in Trovatore, but there issomething compelling here. Part of it is the physical presence of SherrillMilnes. Like his voice or not (and I do - especially the young Milnes!) heis an impressive doge. It's worth seeing simply for the death scene. Hehits the stage like a redwood slamming into the earth. The thing to listenfor here is the dark voices. The tenor is okay and not my favorite, but thedeep voices are wonderful. Simply wonderful. ... Read more</