Opera on DVD

Started by uffeviking, April 08, 2007, 12:54:48 AM

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longears

Quote from: Anne on November 11, 2007, 07:05:31 AM
I agree with you so much regarding the conducting and the beautiful singing.  Before, after watching part of a DVD of this work, I had decided this opera was not for me but the Naxos performance is so beautiful that it will be easy to like.  What a difference another performance makes!
Who is the dancer in your new avatar, Anne?

Anne

Quote from: longears on November 11, 2007, 07:24:28 AM
Who is the dancer in your new avatar, Anne?

Her name is Darcey Bussell.

marvinbrown



  I spent the early evening watching this:

 

  A solid cast in a very convincing production of this often neglected Verdi opera.  Most impressive were the singers who were in top form (Domingo who never ceases to impress me, Kiri Te Kanawa and the big surprise Vladimir Chernov  :D)  This is the first DVD that I have seen with Vladimir Chernov who delivers an impressive performance as Simon Boccanegra, at times he overshadowed Domingo  :o with his acting and presence on stage.  The set design (especially the first Scene in Act 1) is as lavish as you would expect from the MET, no modern adaptations here.  Much like Wagner's Rienzi, Simon Boccanegra is a political opera  with a hair-raising plot and has its very dark moments, this Met production succeeds in presenting a gripping performance of this Verdi opera...in brief this one's a keeper!

  marvin

marvinbrown



  Opera fans has anybody seen this recording?

 

  I have no DVD recordings with Pavarotti in them but I am tempted to get this one, any ideas?

  marvin
 

yashin

I would not bother unless it is going cheap/free.  I got it on pirate disc a few weeks back and it is pretty poor.  Pavarotti had no voice for Manrico and he looks like a blimp with a sword.  Marton is in squally voice.
Typical stand and deliver old met stuff.  The staircase set is horrible and the whole thing is just a mess.

I wonder what people think about the other Simon Boccanegra DVDs available.  I used to own the VHS of the Glyndebourne production and i quite liked it. What about the Mattila set or the new one with Hampson as Simon??

Lethevich

Quote from: marvinbrown on November 18, 2007, 02:28:51 AM
I have no DVD recordings with Pavarotti in them but I am tempted to get this one, any ideas? 

I don't own that one, but I have and enjoy the EMI/Don Carlos, despite many not enjoying it. You will be pleased to know that the sets and costumes are rather lavish :)
Peanut butter, flour and sugar do not make cookies. They make FIRE.

marvinbrown

#326
Quote from: yashin on November 18, 2007, 02:54:29 AM
I would not bother unless it is going cheap/free.  I got it on pirate disc a few weeks back and it is pretty poor.  Pavarotti had no voice for Manrico and he looks like a blimp with a sword.  Marton is in squally voice.
Typical stand and deliver old met stuff.  The staircase set is horrible and the whole thing is just a mess.

I wonder what people think about the other Simon Boccanegra DVDs available.  I used to own the VHS of the Glyndebourne production and i quite liked it. What about the Mattila set or the new one with Hampson as Simon??

  Oh dear thanks for the feedback- another must miss then  :-\.  Lethe, which DVD recording of Il Trovatore would you recommend? 

  marvin

  marvin

Lethevich

#327
Quote from: marvinbrown on November 18, 2007, 07:06:23 AM
Lethe, which DVD recording of Il Trovatore would you recommend?

Don't have one yet :( I have been waiting for a promising looking "normal" staging before going for this updated one, but have yet to encounter one with reviews that really grab me. The nearest I have found so far is this one,* but something is holding me back from ordering it.

Edit: * Holy hell, the price of that thing? I suppose it's already out of print.
Peanut butter, flour and sugar do not make cookies. They make FIRE.

T-C

Quote from: marvinbrown on November 18, 2007, 07:06:23 AM
which DVD recording of Il Trovatore would you recommend? 

Definitely not the one with Pavarotti...


The best:




A second choice:



Keemun

I've never been able to get into opera by listening to it, but I saw a televised broadcast of the Metropolitan Opera and liked it a lot.  I would like to get an opera DVD, but don't know where to start.  What is a good DVD to begin with?  I think I'd like to start with Wagner, unless that's a bad place to start.  Here are some thoughts on what I am looking for:

1.  Relatively recent production (nothing "historical").
2.  No movie adaptations, I want to see the actual opera performed.
3.  Sung in the original language.
4.  Subtitled.

Thanks in advance for you help.   :)   
Music is the mediator between the spiritual and the sensual life. - Ludwig van Beethoven

Lethevich

How recent is recent? As there aren't very many video recordings from before the 70s, and they generally became common during the 80s. The picture quality is notably inferior to recent producions (and not widescreen), but I've yet to encounter one that is any less than very servicable... Picture quality made a marked improvement in the 00s, if this is what you mean?

Other than that, I am the last person to begin recommending Wagner DVDs, given how little I own :)
Peanut butter, flour and sugar do not make cookies. They make FIRE.

Keemun

Quote from: Lethe on November 18, 2007, 08:57:58 AM
How recent is recent? As there aren't very many video recordings from before the 70s, and they generally became common during the 80s. The picture quality is notably inferior to recent producions (and not widescreen), but I've yet to encounter one that is any less than very servicable... Picture quality made a marked improvement in the 00s, if this is what you mean?

Other than that, I am the last person to begin recommending Wagner DVDs, given how little I own :)

See, that shows how little I know about opera DVDs, I figured video recordings would have gone back to the 1950s.  :D The 1980s would be fine. 

As for Wagner, I'm really open to any composer, but if I had to choose one blindly, I would begin looking at Wagner.  I've always wanted to experience his operas, but don't really appreciate audio recordings.
Music is the mediator between the spiritual and the sensual life. - Ludwig van Beethoven

Lethevich

I would definitely go with a recent production (at least initially) if you have a widescreen TV, as seeing my first one really blew me away :D and it will be good to see the best your equipment can do for a good introduction. This is a very impressive recent production, both in picture quality, singing and (hugely impressive) set design.

As for Wagner, I assume Uffeviking and T-C will be more helpful, but after looking into visual styles of the productions, I chose the Boulez/DG set and have been satisfied with it. It's not too far gone into post-apocalyptic territory, but is also a refreshing step away from very literal stagings.
Peanut butter, flour and sugar do not make cookies. They make FIRE.

marvinbrown

Quote from: Lethe on November 18, 2007, 07:25:20 AM
Don't have one yet :( I have been waiting for a promising looking "normal" staging before going for this updated one, but have yet to encounter one with reviews that really grab me. The nearest I have found so far is this one,* but something is holding me back from ordering it.

Edit: * Holy hell, the price of that thing? I suppose it's already out of print.

    Yes a GREAT recording of Il Trovatore (I use the word GREAT subjectively) is hard to come by.  I have seen that Karajan one at HMV Oxford Street for £30- wait a while on amazon and perhaps the price would get slashed.  I have one problem with the Karajan though, it looks to be an old recording albeit the quintessential choice in terms of singers (Domingo I read is in his prime here).  I was leaning towards this as a compromise between cast, stage design and picture quality:

   

  I posted a query about this Il Trovatore a long time ago on this thread I believe but got no response.
 
  But now I am intrigued by T.C.'s second choice recommendation with Jose Cura!  Lethe it might be worth checking this one out as well.

   Incidentally that modern adaptation of Il Trovatore that you provided a link for has been reviewed by Lis and I believe she liked it very much! 

  marvin

Anne

#334
I'm a poor one to recommend a Trovatore.  Just as Tsaraslondon likes Callas so much, I am the same way about Pavarotti.  Thus I have the Met performance with Pav and enjoy it.

marvinbrown

Quote from: Keemun on November 18, 2007, 08:52:34 AM
I've never been able to get into opera by listening to it, but I saw a televised broadcast of the Metropolitan Opera and liked it a lot.  I would like to get an opera DVD, but don't know where to start.  What is a good DVD to begin with?  I think I'd like to start with Wagner, unless that's a bad place to start.  Here are some thoughts on what I am looking for:

1.  Relatively recent production (nothing "historical").
2.  No movie adaptations, I want to see the actual opera performed.
3.  Sung in the original language.
4.  Subtitled.

Thanks in advance for you help.   :)   


  If you want to start with Wagner (a composer whose operas are very dear to my heart) I would like to recommend this recording:

 

    Lethe is right however,  Lis and T.C. are out most knowledgeable opera DVD members and I am sure they will be better able to guide you with Wagner's other DVD operas.

  marvin

 

marvinbrown

Quote from: Anne on November 18, 2007, 09:42:06 AM
I.m a poor one to recommend a Trovatore.  Just as Tsarslondon likes Callas so much, I an the same way about Pavarotti.  Thus I have the Met performance with Pav and enjoy it.

  Anne your opinion is always welcome  :)

  marvin

Anne

Quote from: marvinbrown on November 18, 2007, 09:50:55 AM
  Anne your opinion is always welcome  :)

  marvin

Thanks, Marv. 

head-case

Quote from: Keemun on November 18, 2007, 08:52:34 AM
I've never been able to get into opera by listening to it, but I saw a televised broadcast of the Metropolitan Opera and liked it a lot.  I would like to get an opera DVD, but don't know where to start.  What is a good DVD to begin with?  I think I'd like to start with Wagner, unless that's a bad place to start.  Here are some thoughts on what I am looking for:

1.  Relatively recent production (nothing "historical").
2.  No movie adaptations, I want to see the actual opera performed.
3.  Sung in the original language.
4.  Subtitled.

Thanks in advance for you help.   :)   


This one is very good.

Keemun

Thanks for the DVD recommendations.   :)
Music is the mediator between the spiritual and the sensual life. - Ludwig van Beethoven