Editorial Review

Even by the unreal standards of Gilbert and Sullivan, Read more

Features

• Classical
• Digital Sound
• DTS Surround Sound
• NTSC

Reviews (10)

5 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!
A Fine Iolanthe
The Opera World Gilbert and Sullivan DVD series is a definite mixed bag, but this is one of the strongest entries in it. While not on the level of PATIENCE, THE GONDOLIERS and THE SORCERER, the video is a solid interpretation strongly cast.
The best possible? No.
But, let's be honest it's the only one out there. (Oh, for a sharp focused digital one! Sharp audio would help too.) If nothing else, my buying it might (hopefully) encourage a new one.But, I was impressed by the zeal of the cast, they were very infectious; it was all I could do not to join right in. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Performing Arts - Opera   

Editorial Review

For her farewell operatic performance in 1982, Dame Janet Baker, one of the 20th century's finest operatic performers, bowed out with her signature role in thisclassic production of one of opera's purest masterpieces. The story is archetypal: a love so strong that it conquers death. It is told with a deceptive simplicity that does not deprive it of great depth. It was a wise choice for a momentous occasion, and the resulting video is a classic of the highest quality--noble, superbly controlled, expertly balancing intense passion and deep serenity. It is a superb memento of a great artist. Read more

Features

• Classical
• Color
• NTSC

Reviews (1)

Excellent
It seems to me that the only filmed "Orfeo" anyone ever talks about is the one from Covent Garden with the modern setting, while this one is all but ignored. I don't see why. This is a wonderful performance. Dame Janet Baker's acting is near perfect. The last time I watched this video, I was completely blown away. ... Read more

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

Features

• Classical
• Color
• NTSC

Reviews (5)

Didn't like it
The only French opera I like (and I love it) is Thomas' Mignon.Other than that, I'll stick to the Italians.The duet between Lakme and her servant (I guess that's what she was) was weak and faint, though it was the only tune in the first hour, which is all I watched.I was bored stiff.I was revolted by the cute Britishers invading the sacred temple, but that was the plot.The only other tune in Lakme that I know of is The Bell Song, and I don't like it, too modal or minor or something.Like Ophelia's mad scene in Hamlet.Also French.I love the French.I wish I were French, wish I lived in France.Sigh.But I don't like their operas.Before I forget it, I want to comment on the first review of this opera.The idea of Sutherland singing wagner is obscene.The man was a monster and a hack composer who like sondheim has one tune to his credit and nothing else.(The wedding march, with sondheim it's "Send in the Clowns".)Unlike the the other 3 or 4 rhapsodic reviewers, I can easily see why this opera is neglected.It has no tunes.And this is Delibes' only "successful" opera on top of that.I own the CDs of a couple of his ballets which I heard on the radio and thought I liked and therefore bought, but they're mediocre too.The French are intellectual and intelligent.Music isn't.Well, it takes an intelligent person to write it of course, but it takes more than that.Music is not France's strong suite.Alas for Delibes.

Excellent all round production
The singing is the strongest plus of this production. All of the singers do a splendid job with their respective roles. The acting is undistinguished and the stage settings although adequate to create an appropriately lavish, indian setting smacked of plastic.
Delibes, Sutherland...that's all you need to know
While this production of Lakme is far from perfect, the opportunity to see a rarely performed work of extreme lyrical beauty featuring the great Joan Sutherland in one of her signature roles is more than enough justification for purchasing the DVD.
Read more

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

Features

• Classical
• Color
• NTSC

Reviews (2)

Well worth the time
The first act is excellent! The second a little less so, but still good. I wouldn't necessarily purchase it, but if you can find it at a library definatly watch it!

A Superb Rendition of the Masterpiece
A clean and tight production, this stirring performance of the great master's only opera should be in every serious music lover's collection.The singing is fine, the orchestra excellent, and the music is, well, words fail to express the sublimity.Why we don't see this grand work of art produced more often remains an enigma of modern times. ... Read more

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

Features

• Classical
• NTSC

Subjects:  1. Classical    2. Music Videos - Classical    3. Opera / Operetta / Oratorio    4. Opera/Operetta   

Features

• Classical
• Color
• NTSC

Reviews (3)

Eugene Onegin The Movie
Although this opera plays like a movie all of the opera excitement is still present.The movie is lipsynced where they have different actors and different voices for each actors but this doesn't really pose a problem and the piece moves well. The music is beautiful along with the russian landscapes and ballroom scenes. Much better than the opera we just saw which had just a couch and two chairs for one act. This was a really enjoyable opera to watch so I suggest you just sit back with a bag of popcorn and enjoy the movie.

A One-of-a-Kind film
This gorgeous production of Eugene Onegin was absolutely thrilling to a devotee of this opera such as myself. The cuts here and there did not particularly bother me, as they were tastefully done from a musicalstandpoint. Occaisionally, the splicing between scenes and tableaux waspoorly done, but again, that is only the blink of an eye. I particularlyenjoyed Lenski's singing, it was light and and absolutely effortless. Theinterpreations were wonderful, the scenery (the open Russian countryside)was unmatched. I very much enjoyed the production, although it must be saidthat anything Onegin I have a real partiality to.

Lip-Synched but Beautiful
This 1959 (or 1958, depending on your source) production of Tchaikovsky's opera based on Pushkin's novel in verse stars the famous Russian soprano Galina Vishnevskaya as Tatyana.But you won't see her because, with theexception of Prince Gremin, all of the principal characters are depicted onscreen by non-singing actors.The synchronization of the actors andsingers is very well done, and the actors are very good, and easy on theeye.It is a beautiful production, with breathtaking locations in St.Petersburg and the Russian countryside and excellent attention to perioddetail.The soloists, chorus, orchestra and corps de ballet are from theBolshoi Theatre.Read more

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

Editorial Review

Read more

Features

• Classical
• Color
• NTSC

Reviews (14)

Around 3 1/2 hours long
Whew!I watched it standing up, sitting down, piecemeal, while making decaf and just glancing at the subtitles (which were sparse anyway).This thing was interminable!But it was also absolutely beautiful.I've never heard anything like it.I've got Sutherland on CD, so already knew I liked it.But this was beyond all expectations.When the 3 principles got together for trios (or duets or solos), they blew me away.I liked the plot which even the idiotic Amazon staff reviewer was glad to tell you all about in case you hadn't seen it before and don't like surprises.What a dunderhead!This is in my opinion the jewel of Rossini's career (and the only opera by him that I've heard that I like, I greatly dislike the little artificial vibrato he invented and used incessantly), just as Una voce... is the jewel of Barber.This opera was pure bel canto, a coloratura's dream, and Horne and Anderson milked it for all it was worth.Incidentally, only once, at the end of a choral piece, did Anderson end up, with a Sutherland up to the balcony leap.It was a great disappointment to me, with that music and that voice that she didn't do it more often.I might as well have been listening to Caballe.If you've got the stamina for a 3 and 1/2 hour opera however glorious, I overwhelmingly recommend this opera and this production of it.Also, for what it's worth, the costumes and colors were beautiful too.The scenery was as spare as the subtitles.I wish people would stop giving away plots, fortunately I watched the show before I read the reviews.It's such a jerky thing to do.

One of my favorite opera recordings ever
First off, if you like opera for the drama, you might want to consider skipping any of Rossini's serious works.The stories are interesting enough but I find the dramas seriously lacking.In this video, there is very little action and often the singers are simply standing like cardboard characters as they sing, although occasionally they do liven up and show a smattering of emotion.BUT, BUT, BUT, the singing in this video is absolutely top-rate, all the principal singers being some of the best ever in their roles.At first, I didn't quite feel that way about Anderson, because perhaps she is not quite as exciting as Sutherland or Caballe as Semiramide, but she certainly does a more than acceptable job of the role with her pretty voice and smooth fioratura, and what's more, she looks just lovely.The sets and costumes are wonderful.If you are the kind of person who really loves fancy, yet tasteful coloratura - the kind where the notes are like strands of pearls, with a bare minimum of scoops and slides, you are definitely going to appreciate the singing in this video.Also, if you have never heard this opera, but you like tunes - the toe-tapping, get-in-your-head-and-can't-get-out kind of tunes, you will love this wonderful music.I listened to other recordings of this opera alot before I ever got this video and it was so nice to finally learn what is going on in the opera, AND get a superb audio recording of the opera at the same time.The English subtitles are there, although I had to learn how to make my cheapy dvd player find them.

Musically and visually gorgeous, but a dramatic flop
The sets and backdrops are up to Met standards, i.e., gorgeous and sumptuous. I have no reason to complain about the music and singing. Horne's deep voice is stunning in its power--more on the other aspects later. I haven't heard Anderson before, but her singing here gives me no reason to doubt promo claims that she IS Semiramide.Read more

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

Editorial Review

Filmed in 1951, this must be one of the oldest opera videos in existence. Makingallowances for the limited technical resources of that era, it is still one of the best. Composer-librettist Gian Carlo Menotti was also a great operatic stage director, and he commits his work to film with finely detailed, deeply understanding attention. He should have directed more films. The soundtrack, pre-stereo and barely hi-fi, is nonetheless adequate. And the black-and-white cinematography may actually be more suited than color to the dark moods of this spooky verismo masterpiece. Read more

Features

• Classical
• NTSC

Reviews (4)

The Medium - the "Composer's Cut"??
This is a fascinating piece of film - but it differs SO radically from the opera we know as "The Medium" that it's practically a different piece! update
I talked to the president of VAI and he said Menotti described their efforts as "a miracle"--there's no way this DVD will look much better given the available materials, and it was not mastered from VHS, and the previous VHS release apparently was virtually unwatchable--this looks like an old SP VHS tape of a good print.The soundtrack had to be remarried to a better print of the film than has ever been seen, though he didn't explain the horizontal ghosting.I'm definitely going to buy a copy, even if it's not entirely satisfying. Cinematic Masterpiece on mediocre DVD
Gian-Carlo Menotti (yes, he's billed with a hyphen in the film) proved his cinematic mettle with this screen adaptation of his opera, _The Medium_, but unfortunately, has not made another film, and may be too old to make one now (he's in his nineties).The opera tells the story of a fake medium who uses her daughter, Monica, and adopted gypsy son, Toby, whom she found with his tongue cut out, to fake seances for people who insist upon believing even when she tries to reveal their fakery.More significantly, it is about Madame Flora's relationship to her family.She raises the now-teenage Toby (Leo Coleman aka Leopoldo Savona) as a savage half-wit and provides him only with rags to wear, and no shoes or socks, even though she recognizes that he is intelligent depsite being mute.She cannot handle this and becomes quite paranoid about him.At one point she gets up in the night and starts dripping candle wax on his chest, then tries to seal his eyes shut with the wax.Monica (the adorable Anna Maria Alberghetti) loves Toby and is always quick to come to his defense.Madame Flora claims she was having trouble sleeping and not thinking clearly.Ultimately, she throws Toby out of the house, despite Monica's wishes, which leads to tragic consequences as her paranoia escalates.Read more

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

Features

• Black & White
• Classical
• HiFi Sound
• NTSC

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

Features

• Classical
• NTSC

Reviews (1)

Spendid performance
This version of "Eugene Oneghin" is one of the best; sung on stage, in Russian by Russians with extraordinary voices (all of them), filled with emotion, this interpretation displays all the beauty and sensibility of Ceaikovski's most popular opera. ... Read more

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

Features

• Black & White
• Classical
• Subtitled
• NTSC

Reviews (1)

Odd in the best sense of the word
"The Dybbuk" is a 1937 Polish film by Michael Waszynski, more or less loosely based on the eponymous play by S. Ansky. Inspired by apocryphal Jewish myth, it tells the story of a spurned lover who comes back from the dead as a spirit (a dybbuk) to possess the girl he loved. Tremendously stylized acting (that some might see as bad), camp in spite of itself, and very very odd, in the best sense of the word. It speaks volumes about gender. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Classical    2. Musicals    3. Opera / Operetta / Oratorio    4. Opera/Operetta   

Features

• Black & White
• Classical
• NTSC

Subjects:  1. Opera/Operetta    2. Performing Arts - Opera   

Editorial Review

While not everyone's idea of a proper opera singer, there's no denyingsoprano Maria Ewing's artistry as a performer, which is why her portrayal ofStrauss's (and, from the original play, Oscar Wilde's) heroine in this 1992staging is so riveting to watch. Her intensity, often misdirected in otherportrayals, is focused on the teenage temptress she's playing, and she evenperforms a credibly sexy dance of the seven veils. Her then-husband, directorSir Peter Hall, makes sure that the audience sees his wife in the altogether atits conclusion (admittedly something not too many opera singers could pull off).Read more

Features

• Classical
• Color
• Original recording reissued
• NTSC

Reviews (19)

Bravo to all, especially Ewing
Oh my God! I just finished watching this. Maria Ewing is amazing. Her intense focus is wonderful. I saw a live performance of Salome a few years ago in the midwest and wished the Salome and the whole production had been more intense and a little crazy. The whole thing was just too tame. I came away wondering if Salome could be done convincingly. I wonder no longer. This is a stellar performance. It's true that Ewing doesn't always sing the notes but who cares! She gets across the meaning beautifully. Keneth Riegel is also a standout. Kudos to the whole cast. Highly recommended!!!

Don't know much about Strauss operas..
As an opera-loving friend of mine and I were discussing John the Baptist, he suggested that I watch "Salome" if I wanted a gruesome "take" on the story. And gruesome it is. I'm not an opera or a Strauss fan, so much of the opera seemed like 90 minutes of screaming over the orchestra. But this version did help me at least to understand Strauss's depiction of the Salome story, and to get a feel for the elements that were permissible in his day.
salome with rough edges
The production concentrates on the opera as it was written, that is without glossing over the difficulties (for instance, it is nearly impossible to sing Salome's part without doing what Maria Ewing does - crying and shrieking at certain points is almost certainly what Strauss intended). And, while it is surely not on the cards that there will evr be a child soprano who can sing the part, Maria Ewing is at least credible as a petulant young woman who will literally stop at nothing to get her way. ... Read more

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

Editorial Review

The Vienna State Opera's 1986 production of Read more

Features

• Classical
• Color
• NTSC

Reviews (7)

Very nice performance -so was this really neccessary?
This is a solid performance with a very good cast and orchestra throughout. But there is one curiosity: At the very end of Enzo's aria in the 2d act ("Cielo e mar") the music and the video do not fit together - in the video Domingo's phrasing is different from what you hear, the last note is also shorter than he actually seems to be singing it on stage. When I saw it the DVD the first time I was surprised by the seemingly delayed applause of the audience but it seems that the end of the aria was edited for the DVD, it is even possible to hear where the editing starts (a little clicking sound). I can only assume that the artist was not satisfied. But was editing really necessary, especially if it is so obvious? It seems somehow not honest on a DVD, showing a "live" opera performance. It would be interesting to hear the "original version"... But this should not keep you from choosing this recording which is otherwise very convincing.

Great singing, big production
The painted illusionistic sets are evocative, grand and (appropriately) a bit unreal.The singing is unformly good, if not in many cases great (especially Marton); conducting fine and lively.The costumes are an odd mixture of 16th and 19th century, again adding a rather surreal operatic touch.Altogether a grand performance of one of the most extreme grand operas.

Great opera, great singing
I can't enlarge too much more on what others have said on a postive note. Every singer in this production gives a satisfying performance with Domingo, Marton, Manuguerra, and Rydl, being particularly fine (in that order).It's a great opera video. ... 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)

This Is My Favorite Version
I don't have a cast list with me, but it wouldn't probably wouldn't help anyone but a real opera specialist. The orchestra is quite young and well conducted and the sound is excellent. Each of the singers is really careful and the quality of the singing is superb. The only exception to this is Lescaut who is a little wobbly for my taste. The staging is peculiar, setting the yard of the inn as a small time carnival in Act 1. But, I must say that this works very well and makes sense of some lines that were not clear to me from other versions. There is clutter later in the act but it does not detract from the effect. The chorus is most impressive and the parade of prostitutes in Act III is excellently done. The lead, Manon, acts reasonably well and seems to fit the four phases of Manon's character. Her singing is truly magnificent. DeGrieux is played by a short singer who is not preposessing and is not a very good actor. He always seems to be orientating himself to get the maximum support from the stage and hall which detracts from the visual but produces a clear, accurate and powerful sound. Indeed, he sometimes overbalances Manon. ... Read more

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

Features

• Classical
• Color
• NTSC

Subjects:  1. Classical    2. Music Video    3. Opera / Operetta / Oratorio    4. Opera/Operetta    5. Performance    6. Performing Arts - Opera   

Editorial Review

Benjamin Britten was one of the 20th century's greatest opera composers and one of the most productive, with more than a dozen operas to his credit. Read more

Features

• Classical
• Color
• NTSC

Reviews (2)

Some OK features, but not the best production
I broke down and bought this video because I had seen the original Metropolitan Opera production of this work back in 1974 and was mesmerized by the integral use of stage space, acting, dance and miming that made up the production.I had been warned that this production was on a smaller scale because the Glyndebourne stage is not very large, but I was unprepared for the very amateurish sets, costumes and direction, especially in the opening scenes.
Excellent production but problem with story
Other viewers may respond more positively than me to Britten's "Death in Venice." The searching and inward qualities of the writer Aschenbach are certainly noble, but, while I am far from a prude, there is a repulsive quality here which loses me. Nonetheless, Britten is a terrific opera composer, his last opera has magnificent music and the performance is superb. Robert Tear is very moving as Aschenbach. He is in excellent voice and his superb, plangent tenor is matched by eloquent acting. Alan Opie, too, is quite fine, in very good voice and offering a wide variety of acting skills in his numerous roles. The staging, video and sound are first rate. Read more

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

Editorial Review

Tchaikovsky's opera Read more

Features

• Classical
• Color
• NTSC

Reviews (6)

A great performance
As others have noted Marusin's singing is often a terrifying struggle to get on key--but except in a few instances, it pays off with an incredibly powerful performance.The rest of the cast is outstanding and totally committed.The sets are very effective as is the conducting.You won't forget this opera!

One Very Serious Fault
the tenor, Marusin, is more than enough reason not to bother buying or watching this DVD. He is constantly off key. Herman is the character that carries the opera so, as goes Marusin, so goes this rendition.

Hard to Sit Through
Pique Dame is indeed a great opera, perhaps Tchaikovsky's finest, and this production has it's good points.The acting and staging are often compelling.Nancy Gustafson is a joy to watch and hear as Lisa.Felicity Palmer is wonderful as the old countess, and both Tomsky and Yeletski are well sung.Yuri Marusin's Herman is well acted and the tenor seems thoroughly to understand the psychological nuances of this central character, however, Mr. Marusin's eccentric singing style and horrible intonation completly undermine his performance.No matter how dramatic the interpretation, it is necessary for the tenor to sing at least some of the notes on pitch. One wonders in the duets how Nancy Gustavson coped with him. (He does much better in the Vienna State Opera production of Khovanshchina on DVD which I recommend.) I have no aversion to surrealistic sets, except that these are memorably unattractive as is the lighting.The staging of the musically delightful pastorale in the second act is rendered uncommonly silly by the presence of dancing green sheep!Too much of this production is hard to look at and painful to the ears. ... Read more

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

Editorial Review

Musically, this is a quite satisfactory Read more

Features

• Classical
• Color
• HiFi Sound
• NTSC

Reviews (7)

Awful
I love La Traviata and adore Anna Moffo...but this was an awful "movie" to say the least.I baught this DVD under the impression that it was a live performance; however, it is in movie format with lip-syncing...and even that is horrible.Anna looks as if she is just speaking the words rather than singing them.The sound quality is that similar to a record player (scratchy and unclear at times).I was very much disappointed with the purchase of this DVD.You'd be better off simplying buying a CD recording of Anna Moffo's La Traviata because the acting is not that good either.Her Bel Telephone Hour video is much better...I would recomend that...it has a much better version of her La Traviata

A Classic Traviata Remembered
The film is old, and the cinematography dated; however, we are fortunate to have such a vibrant Violetta. Without such films, we become jaded by the stylized, and often leaden, performances of today. We also need a sense of history. This film gives us a point of departure from which we can understand other interpretations of the opera. Anna Moffo is clearly a more believable Violetta than we are likely to find today. Her looks are distinctive, fitting with the character, not like the emotionally barren performances of most sopranos these days.

Horrible technical quality, OK performance
It is very difficult to enjoy the music and singing with such a low sound quality. ... As for the film itself, it is much inferior to the 1976 Zeferelli/Stratas movie in all the respects: staging, acting, singing, and conducting. Lip-syncing is just awful. Patane's tempi are all too fast, and Verdi's moving masterpiece becomes too hasty. As if he was late for dinner that day, and wanted to finish faster.Moffo's acting is much inferior to Stratas', and voice wise Stratas is also more interesting, at least in this particular role. Of course, this might be just to my taste, but Stratas made me cry because of the sympathy to her heroine. Here, well, nice voice, beautiful woman, but not touching at all, as this opera is supposed to be. In sum, the only reason you may want to buy this DVD is, if you are such a die-hard Moffo fanatic that simply cannot miss any Moffo sighting. Even in this case I would suggest that you consider not endorsing the amateurish level DVD transfer by VAI with your hard earned dollar. ... Read more

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

Features

• Classical
• Color
• NTSC

Reviews (3)

A real tribute to Verdi's greatest opera, 100 years after he composed it.
There are times when one can more than justly claim "I really wish I was there!". This performance is of such an occasion. Placido Domingo offers us a superb interpretation of Otello. He obviously has learned the lesson of the famous exponent of the role "Giovanni Zenatello" who in the opening line of "Esultate" gave all his might, as Verdi expected in this opening, and damaged his voice for the rest of the performance. Domingo takes it rather low key and misses out on the impact that this opening has. One has to watch the old black & white film of the opera with Mario Del Monaco, to see what I mean. From that moment onwards, Domingo gets into his role and delivers the performance of his life. Very sad to compare him with his performance on DVD from the same theatre, with Muti conducting in 2001 when he is aged and only a shadow of himself.
Kleiber, Domingo, Freni - all outstanding!
This is a great production.Domingo sounds devine.Freni is at her very best. The acting is first class as well. But above all it is the direction of C.K. that unmatched.This is probably the best production of Otello I've ever seen.(I was lucky enough to see and hear Kleiber conduct this very opera live, many years ago, in London, but without Domingo.)I wish a DVD of this was available...But the VHS sound is excellent.

An Exemplar Production
In an exemplar production like this is specially easy to say what's wrong... absolutelly nothing. Whe just sense a strong team work felling on wich everyone is comited and giving the best. Placido Domingo makes clear why he has been the most sucessfull Otello of recente years and in the first act duet he seems especially delicated and involved with Freni as much as he seems virily and trully furious in is jeaulousy. Mirella Freni is just impressive in her expressive capacity without compromising the beauty of her voice. A belcanto lesson. Capucilli is just the incarnation of evil, trully terrifying, but somehow gets you thinking of him as someone real how migth be just near you. Kleiber was born for this Otello as much as anything he's ever donne, and he just can put it together in a way that seems that you have never ear it before. And you haven't... At least like this. A dream production of exemplar acting/singing. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Classical    2. Music Videos - Classical    3. Opera / Operetta / Oratorio    4. Opera/Operetta