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Reviews (5)

Superb new work!
I purchased the video on laser disc when it first came out and I have worn it out listening to it.I'd love to have a DVD of the work, and additionally a CD to listen to in the car.Alas neither appear to be available.You'll love the interplay between the modern and opera within the opera, as noted above.I saw the production at both the Met and the Lyric Opera in Chicago.It is a superb new work.

Overblown Uninspired Trash
In 1991, when I heard the Met had commissioned a new opera, my interest was raised.Over the course of rehearsals, I managed to find news of this new project and grew more and more excited.Then the fateful day came for the premiere, and what a premiere it was!
Figaro enters the 2oth Century
This innovative production was created as a special celebration for the Met's anniversary and the attention shows. For traditional opera fans this one should come as a welcome treat because it is based on the final play in Beaumarchais' famous Figaro trilogy. It contains many familar characters out of Rossini and Mozart. For those who have followed the affairs of Figaro, Rosina and Count Almaviva through the earlier plays, itmay come as something of a revelation to find out what's become of them.Susanna is now plump and a bit dowdy. The marriage of Countess Rosina and Count is back on the rocks. Count Almaviva has not forgiven the Countess for her affair with Cherubino.
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Reviews (2)

Perfect!!!
This is the most terrific version of The Fiery Angel!!! The spirits make everyone feel afraid...this 's a triumphant part,and Galina's voice was also good and the maestro conducter....

This is not your father's opera.
Demonic possession, hysterical nuns, Grand Inquisators and not-so-invisible invisible spirits all make this an opera that no one could sleep through.Add a crisp, clear production and some of Prokofiev'swildest and spookiest music and this thing is a hoot. ... Read more

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Reviews (7)

Bought it, hated it
I bought this one thinking it would be great. It is not. Callas is no my type. I don't like her voice or her appearance.

La divina assoluta
As a devout Callasite, I found it my duty to express my true amazement towards this historical treasure.To see Callas perform on this casette is an insight into what Callas the actress must have been on stage.Her voiceis in good form, and she looks like an angel.The "Il Trovatore"excerpts are formidable, and "Una voce" is delightful.This tapeis a must-have for all opera lovers!

Grand Night at the Opera
I bought this video without seeing any reviews.I knew that I wanted to see an actual performance after hearing so many of Maria Callas' wonderful recordings.I choose this video because it was during the period wheneveryone agrees her voice was at it's best.Although the picture qualityvaries, it was broadcast on French T.V. in 1958, the audio quality is muchbetter than I expected, with the overall effect of feeling that you are atthe Paris Opera House!The selection of arias are some of the best Callasever performed, and her performance is perfection itself.One can see howshe became the character for each aria.Finally, the performance of all ofAct II of Tosca is absolutely essential for all opera fans because this isMaria Callas and Tito Gobbi at their absolute best! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Classical    2. Classical Vocals    3. Performing Arts - Opera   

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Reviews (6)

Ultimate Lucia On Film
Anna Moffo in Lucia. You can't get any better than that !! The 60's opera sensation Anna Moffo has a great following and her voice is perfect for the tragic heroine Lucia. Donizetti's opera about thwarted love, forbidden romance, madness and murder in bleak Scotland is his best and most acclaimed. Anna Moffo's beauty and voice, neither which had faded at the time of this film, 1971, is enchanting. On film, this is as great opera to watch. Starring as her lover Edgardo is Lajos Kozma, a little known European tenor. Anna Moffo was American-bred but she has Italian background. If I'm not mistaken she could speak Italian fluently and at one time also had her own show on Italian television. Many will flock to the DVD of Joan Sutherland's Met performance as Lucia, long regarded as the best. But eventhough I'm a Moffo fan, here's why I think Moffo is better as Lucia. lovely Moffo memento
As far as opera movie goes this one is fairly good. Granted
Moffo Momento
I was really disappointed in the casting of this video.Moffo sings beautifully in dubbing but the balance of the cast is inferior to say the least.The costumes are pretty and the castle is grand but found myself totally unmoved.The Met version with Sutherland is better in my opinion, even though I'm a fan of Moffo.Must remember it's done in 1968 style as well, and not as much good acting as some today.Nice to have to remember Moffo, however. ... Read more

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Reviews (3)

This is the Best Rigoletto on Film!
Gobbi acts up a storm and is in great vocal shape. It's not even Gobbi on screen!
Much to my delight, I managed to find a copy of this video in the used section of a local video/CD store. When I got home and watched the video, I was disgusted. Not only is some other actor playing the title role (while Gobbi just provides the occasional voice dubbing), but several critical cuts have been made to the score - most notably, there is NO PARI SIAMO aria!! Even after only paying [the money] for this film, I felt ripped-off.

burla al comprador
el cantante mencionado no es el correcto; quien canta, las pocas veces que lo hace e incompletamente, es Mario del Monaco. Esta es una pel�cula sobre la �pera de p�sima calidad; las arias est�n cortadas, nada es completo y para colmo, est� doblada al ingl�s de manera p�sima. Le di una estrella porque no hay menos. Por favo no la compren, yo comet� el error de hacerlo hace tiempo en New York y todav�a estoy decepcionado. Recomiendo grandemente la versi�n de Pavarotti o la pel�cula en ingl�s de Miller, vista por m� hace mucho tiempo y pedida hoy con gran espectativa. ... Read more

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Interesting but not for first-time viewers
Don Giovanni is a gangleader in New York who shoots Anna's father, seduces women as in the original (though no doubt is left about Anna's rape) and is also a junkie.The version is interesting and the updating is wellsustained, but Sellars could have gone further.The relationships betweenthe Don and the three main women, and also Leporello (here the Don andLeporello are played by twins) ought to have been more subtly explored. The acting is decent, but some of the singers leave something to bedesired.Sung in Italian with considerable artistic license in the Englishsubtitles. ... Read more

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Reviews (8)

A blow for art
In act 1, I was hoping for Marcel and his priggish little puritanical protestantism to get their comeuppance.By the 4th act I was so horrified by the catholics (I should have guessed) that though I still detested Marcel and his good little coven of huguenots (French protestants, calvinists), I didn't know what to think.Then came the last scene.Valentine changes faiths.When she's dead, her father starts to cross himself, then just in despair and defeat, stops in the middle of it and drops his arm.I hope this was in Meyerbeer's libretto.What a perfect case for tolerance.I am an Atheist.Sutherland was wonderful, I applauded with the audience, what a marvelous farewell from a marvelous talent and apparently a marvelous person.All the singers were excellent.In particular the page, whose coloratura was thrilling in the first 2 acts.The chorus alas was wooden and moth-eaten.And such a big one in as I recall every act.I enjoyed this very much although as a rule I dislike and avoid discussions about religion (either pro or con) unless I can do all the talking.And I usually don't say much.It's all nonsense.Gruesome, horrific nonsense as this opera, which is based on history, demonstrates.And this is only one example that happened 500 years ago.Look as this morning's newspaper.Sutherland shone, as did the page.Everyone was excellent.The music was glorious.Oddly only Sutherland and the page had coloratura parts, but they ran with them.I've disclosed a lot about the plot (including the ending).I hate people who do that.Only I didn't do it to prove I watched the thing (or whyever people do that), I did it to support my case.That someone (Meyerbeer and his librettist?) was through art striking a blow for tolerance.

Wonderful opera, passable production.
I will tell you from the start, I know a good amount of things about the great masterpieces of opera: I have heard Wagner's Lohengrin, Tristan und Isolde, Der Ring des Nibelungen and Parsifal, Verdi's La Traviata and his four last works, Richard Strauss' Salome, Elektra and Rosenkavalier, Berg's Wozzek, as well as a bunch of other things. I can therefore say that I know what "Grand" opera is. And "Les Huguenots" is. The Grand Opera Masterpiece On DVD
Joan Sutherland is a popular soprano with a following of many admirers. She has appeared in various operas now available on DVD, among them Lucrezia Borgia and La Fille Du Regiment. In the 60's and 70's Joan Sutherland grace the opera stage with her numerous sold out performances and her winning "big" voice. She was motivated to sing opera in an effort to rival Maria Callas or to follow in her footsteps. Here, she plays the role of Marguerite De Valois, the warm-hearted and freethinking French princess. Giacomo Meyebeer's operas were the trend at the time in Paris. His style "grand opera" is rarely performed today. It features lavish scenery, special effects and spectacle, crowd scenes, great singers and dramatic orchestral music. Much of these operas "L'Africaine", "La Prophete", "Robert Le Diable" were very big productions that cost a lot to produce- tales of intense drama, romance, tragedy, history, religion, etc. These operas were ancestors to Wagner operas. In fact, Meyerbeer was himself a French Wagner of his day.Read more

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Reviews (1)

A singer with a soul
In this magnificent documentary, Canadian-born soprano Teresa Stratas tells the story of her life, from her humble beginnings in a Greek family in Toronto to her triumphs on the greatest operatic stages of the world, to her conflictual relationship with her voice, fame, life and obsession with death, to her soul-searching trips to India and year devoted to helping Mother Teresa at the hospital for the dying children in Calcutta. She demonstrates the many meanings one can give to a simple musical sentence (from Kurt Weill's "Mahagonny"), and we see her rehearsing with Franco Zeffirelli in the privacy of her Manhattan apartment the final scene of Puccini's "Boheme", in which she acts, or rather is Mimi with an intensity that is reminiscent of this other demented Greek soprano, Callas. No ordinary Prima Donna (is there such a thing ?), Stratas is a multi-faceted character, and if I bought this tape because I had so loved her Violetta in Zeffirelli's "Traviata" (the movie, opp. Placido Domingo), I now watch it again because of the intelligence, sensitivity, talent, commitment and courage of this exceptional Artist. ... Read more

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Reviews (2)

Luciano Rules!
The Maestro, the best there is and ever will be, at His glorious best!Live in the middle of Central Park - no studio "fixes" here.Superb mix of arias and Italian folk songs (as only He can do them).Only thing missing is something from Boheme, but if you love the Pav, you already have Boheme.The song "Rondine al Nido" is a heart-wringer.Please find the English translation -- and prepare to weep.In this selection, Himself goes where tenors fear to tread -- He matches flute!You'll see.This is more than a "Concert in the Park" -- this is Pavarotti in all his magnificence. Wonderful!!
1. Overture - Luisa Miller - VerdiRead more

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Reviews (2)

EXCELLENT PERFORMANCE
The video show an excellent performance by all the singers who joined Pavarotti.Bryan Adams & Pavarotti made a perfect duet in 'O Sole Mio.As in all "Pavarotti & Friends" videos you will alsocontribute for the children of the war.Highly recommended.

Fantastic array of fabulous talent.
Enjoying much of the talents of those performing on this video, I wish all people of all ages would just listen and watch and I believe that they couldn't help but to love the music as I do. ... Read more

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Editorial Review

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Reviews (11)

Verdi as it should be performed
Firstly, to the reviewers who don't get Verdi singing, perhaps a brush up-course may be in order. Lauren Flanigan, as Abigaille, gives the best vocal performance available on dvd or video. Only the divine Maria Callas does it better(and that is only available on a fair sounding cd). Madame Flanigan respects every note and marking Giuseppe Verdi indicates in the score.Her voice is in superb shape here, and her legato, coloratura, and all the other extremely difficult things that a true Verdi soprano must execute are present. Neither Dimitrova, Neves, nor the outlandish performance of Guleghina come close to this.
Patience
The people reviewing this version of Nabucco need to see the whole thing. The first act does have some sound muffling but acts 2,3,4 for some reason do have DVD quality sound. After seeing this I am reminded of Verdi's Macbeth which premiered six years after Nabucco. If you like Nabucco, see Macbeth, (the Sinopoli version available here on Amazon). There are a number of performances of Nabucco in the Teatro de San Carlo, one of which is with Maria Callas from 1949, a monural recording but spectacular performance.

Gee! What a bunch of soreheads making those reviews.
I have watched this opera three times and like it better with each showing. I also have two other VHS recordings of Nabucco and think this one at least holds its own among them. True, the fellow who plays Zachariah isn't Sam Ramey, but he still does a very respectable job. Maybe I am just a hick from the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas, but I liked the opera. The chorus deserves recognition-- it was superior. Maybe those who didn't like it just don't care for Nabucco. ... Read more

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Editorial Review

In this intense, beautifully sung but minimally staged melodrama, Verdiventures into the theme of parent-child relations, a motif that runs through hissubsequent work and provides much of its emotional depth. He still has somegrowing to do, some bel canto clichés that must be rooted out before he canconsistently reach the emotional level of Read more

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Reviews (5)

Rare Verdi rarely done
This is a fairly minimalist production, but it serves the drama decently. Luisa has a lot of scenic changes and it could hold up the drama. I am not too familiar with Luisa. I've only heard it as I made traversals of the entire Verdi canon. And it did not stand out - until now. Maybe its because I haven't heard any Verdi in a while, but I was really struck by the music this time. It is a wonderful piece and I do not entirely agree with some who claim the first two acts are throwbacks and the third forward looking. It does not fall apart but is a united work of art. The singers are dependable. Of course Anderson is outstanding. And Ichihara the tenor is more than adequate. He's no Pavarotti or Domingo but it is also nice to hear someone else in the tenor role. We are not likely to get another Luisa and its good to have such a good one here.

Superb 'Luisa' from Lyon
Kultur's DVD of the Opera de Lyon production of Verdi's 'Luisa Miller' confirms the high opinion I have long held of the work. The locale of Schiller's drama 'Kabale und Liebe' as adapted into Verdi's opera was changed by the censors from a German princely court to a Tyrolean village and the result is an intimate drama in the 'Traviata' mode. An interesting aspect of the opera lies in the comparison of the retired army sergeant Miller and the aristocratic Count Walter. Both love their respective children and want their happiness but Walter equates happiness with wealth and power even though these things havebrought him anything but happiness and both end up equally bereft of children at the tragedy's conclusion. interesting too is the contrasat between Walter and his accomplice Wurm. Walter is capablre of honourable behaviour as where in the second Act duet he assures Wurm they will stand oir fall together. Wurm is presented as a base (as well as bass) villain with no redeeeming traits whatsoever. Musically the performance is all that could be desired. June Anderson presents a sweet Luisa who rises to the dramatic demands of the third act as well asd providing perfect coloratura in 'Lo vidi e'l primo palpito' and 'La tomba e un letto'. Taro Ichihara is a melliflous sounding Rodolfo who delivers the goods in 'Quando le sere al placido and meets the dramatic demands ofhis role. Eduard Tumagian is aq solid Miller. Paul Plishka as Walter shows the more positive side of his character while Romuald Tesarowicz portrays a sardonic villainous Wurm. Susanna Anselmi makes much of little as the near non-entity Federica.Full marks to the Opera de Lyon!

AN OPERA LOVER'S NIGHTMARE COMESTRUE.
THIS RECORDING IS ESSENTIALLY UNWATCHABLE. THE VIDEO QUALITY IS SO POOR THAT I SENT IT BACK TO THE DISTRIBUTOR WITH A BLISTERING CRITIQUE. I NEITHER EXPECTED NOR RECEIVED A REPLY.
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Reviews (8)

Wonderful dvd--just got it from the Met!!
I think this is a wonderful production and was so sad to see the used price of $250.00 or so above. I had given up on owning a copy. Then I went to the Met web site and was thrilled to see it still available for around 30.00.It is a magical performance--well worth hunting down.

Gorgeous Music and a Charming Story
This is the Metropolitan Opera's grand production of Hansel and Gretel, starring Julith Blegen and Frederica von Stade. Magical Production!
It seems like "magical" is a word only used by hack reviewers from suspicious-sounding newspapers.But really, there's no better word for this production.The richly romantic score is wonderfully played by the orchestra, and sensitively conducted by Fulton.The singers are uniformly good.The fantasy elements are spectacular... the house, the forest, the flying of angels and witches add immeasurably to the production.The only thing that I wasn't overly fond of was at certain moments the production was "childrened down," like with the occasional addition of somewhat corny graphics.But much better than some productions that remove anything "dangerous" at all, and have the witch played by a man as a drag queen!All in all this is a wonderful production of a wonderful opera.You'll be whistling the folksy score for days, and that haunting, meltingly beautiful prayer will stick with you for a long time. ... Read more

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Charming in Every Way
This is a small, beautifully designed, lovingly executed production, helmed by two talented young singers.No expense has been spared (particularly with the costumes) and director Michael Hampe obviously has a great affection for and understanding of the material.His command of the stage action is perfectly matched by conductor Ralf Weikert's jaunty conducting.Doris Soffel makes a spirited Isabella, and one can certainly understand why she's pining for Lindoro, as played by the boyish, slightly goofy Robert Gambill.They both sing beautifully, although now and then I did worry that Gambill's delicate voice wouldn't make it through the performance.(Watching young singers such as these struggle a bit really makes you appreciate the power and skills of true opera stars.)Gunther von Kannen is amusing enough as Mustafa, although the voice, unfortunately, is all bellow.You may want to wait to see if a starrier "L'Italiana" comes out in future, but for now this a charming, more than professional example of a small company at its very, very best.

Funny with decent singing
This is a pretty nice video of this opera.There is only one real disappointment:The Mustafa has very little coloratura capabilities.His voice is a pleasant deep bass.The other singers all do fine with the coloratura requirements.The Isabella has a strong edgy mezzo with nicely blended registers.The Lindoro has a nice bright sound with easy high notes.The Taddeo and Haly have pleasant voices.The Elvira has a strong bright edgy soprano.The sets are nice with realistic looking ocean in the background.The costumes are nice.My only qualm about the directing is the little guy dressed in a chimpanzee costume supposedly as a pet of the Mustafa - seemed a little distracting. All in all, this is a good representation of the opera, notwithstanding some of the Mustafa's singing.

Intimate production, very well performed
The smallness of the theater and set accentuate Rossini's delicate music.The singers are all very good, committed and believable in this crazy story.The conducting and orchestral sound are outstanding.A delightful DVD. ... Read more

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An absolute delight
This production of Barber is appropriately over-the-top; the costumes reflect, in a very concrete sense, the occupations of each character (Figaro in barber stripes, "Lindoro" the "student" with books attached all over his coat, Berta wearing various cleaning items in various places on her clothes), Rosina shatters a glass while singing her second-act aria (much to her delight, as she picks up a shard and shows it proudly to Almaviva prior to continuing), et cetera.Seeing as how Barber is over-the-top in the first place, the way the cast and crew play with this production only makes it more delightful--it would be much worse if one were to take it seriously.
Bravo a Figaro!
Terrific cast, with great voices, acting skills and comic timing. I am in love with Alan Titus as Figaro--he is the quintessential Barber of Seville--handsome, a bit cocky, great at scheming and loveable. Beverly Sills is adorable as Rosina. You'll really want her to triumph. Samuel Ramey drips oil as Basilio. Everyone else is great too. Loved It
This is a wonderful version of the Barber of Seville. The casting is superb, with very believable performances from all of the characters. The direction is excellent and Sarah Caldwell draws an inspiring performance from the orchestra. Beverly Sills is lovable as Rosina, Alan Titus is handsome, and Dr. Bartolo is nasty, as he should be. Figaro has to be the archetype of the character. The sole problem with this production is that it is not available on DVD. ... Read more

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