Opera on DVD

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

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yashin

Yes, here is the link.  They have done something new with the site and its a bit mashed up!

http://www.belairclassiques.com/belair.html

I would buy anything they produce because they are always modern productions, great casts, great sound and visuals and a good price.

On the site you might have to scroll down your screen and keep clicking ENTER on the screen or clicking on the main picture sometimes works.

They have made the site a pain in the ass really.  Maybe it is better if you have very fast broadband

Anne

Thanks for the link, yashin.  Much obliged.

marvinbrown



  I just received two opera DVDs that I will be watching next week:

 

and this which I hope sounds just as good as it looks (yes I know, you should never judge a book by its cover but lets face it she is exquisite isn't she? just what Verdi had in mind for his high class "call girl":

 

  marvin

 

 

Lethevich

That Falstaff is a delight, I also like the Gheorghiu Traviata, although it's my only version ATM. It's nowhere near as bad as her deriders say it is :P
Peanut butter, flour and sugar do not make cookies. They make FIRE.

marvinbrown

Quote from: Lethe on September 14, 2007, 08:59:43 AM
That Falstaff is a delight, I also like the Gheorghiu Traviata, although it's my only version ATM. It's nowhere near as bad as her deriders say it is :P

Yes that Falstaff is certainly a delight.  I watched it this morning and loved the setting and costumes most of all.  This is a movie opera, well performed and quite funny at times.  I will watch La Traviata with Gheorghiu tomorrow after work. 

  marvin

Anne

I heard that the Solti Traviata was very good.

marvinbrown

Quote from: Anne on September 16, 2007, 08:26:31 AM
I heard that the Solti Traviata was very good.

  Thanks Anne.  This Gheorghiu Traviata is with Solti at a performance in Covent Garden.  I hope this is the Solti you are refering to. 

Anne

Quote from: marvinbrown on September 16, 2007, 03:04:40 PM
  Thanks Anne.  This Gheorghiu Traviata is with Solti at a performance in Covent Garden.  I hope this is the Solti you are refering to. 

Yes, I think that is the performance I meant.  I have it but haven't watched it yet.

marvinbrown

Quote from: Anne on September 16, 2007, 03:31:15 PM
Yes, I think that is the performance I meant.  I have it but haven't watched it yet.

  Good then how about we watch it at the same time  :)- I am planning on viewing mine tonight after work.

marvin

marvinbrown

Quote from: marvinbrown on September 17, 2007, 04:10:27 AM
  Good then how about we watch it at the same time  :)- I am planning on viewing mine tonight after work.

marvin

Just completed Acts 1 and 2 of La Traviata and time ran out on me.  What can say, a marvelous performance by Angela Gheorghiu so far, singing and acting. She took my breath away (this gentleman does NOT prefer blondes).  She stole the show as they say.  Leo Nucci as Pere Germont was also commendable. Frank Lopardo as Alfredo....hmmm.....I guess I was so used to Pavarotti's (may he rest in peace) voice in that role that Frank Lopardo failed to make an impression on me.......I will complete Act 3 tomorrow.

  marvin 

Anne

marv,

I have been sick today.  Will watch it tomorrow.

marvinbrown

Quote from: Anne on September 17, 2007, 03:53:13 PM
marv,

I have been sick today.  Will watch it tomorrow.

  No worries Anne.  I hope you are feeling better today  :) .  I think you are going to enjoy this opera DVD performance of La Traviata, the sound is crystal clear.

  marvin

knight66

This Traviata recording was achieved by the BBC. The controller of BBC2 attended an early performance in the run and pulled all the stops out to push a later performance into the schedule. That was how impressed he was and the result was highly thought of.

Mike
DavidW: Yeah Mike doesn't get angry, he gets even.
I wasted time: and time wasted me.

Anne

#253
I watched the Solti/Covent Garden DVD of La Traviata today and enjoyed it.  Angela Gheorghiu is a good singing actress.  Her voice is not shrill which I appreciated.  At the end of the opera when she is within 15 minutes of death, I thought her voice was a little too loud and robust. 

I would like to contrast Gheorghiu with Teresa Stratas (Zeffirelli film) in the last scene.
Stratas had me in tears several times when she spoke of some day Lopardo finding someone else to love and there would be an angel looking down on him and caring for him.  She also was a most fragile consumptive - very believable.  People who are at death's door should not run quickly around the room before collapsing.  It stretches credulity a little.

If you get a chance to watch the film of Stratas/Cornell Macneil/Domingo//Levine, I'd love to hear your reactions.  Cornell Macneil makes his music sound wonderful.  I thought Leo Nucci was good as Germont.  He is also very good in Pavarotti's Un Ballo in Maschera DVD

I was not impressed with Frank Lopardo.

Solti began the introduction of the opera when the strings are very pp a little louder than Levine but other than that all was ok by me.  I liked Solti's right arm movements when he was trying to get the orchestra to put a lilt in the music in the introduction.

All in all it was a good performance.  Just make sure you see the Stratas performance also.

marvinbrown

Quote from: Anne on September 18, 2007, 04:33:51 PM
I watched the Solti/Covent Garden DVD of La Traviata today and enjoyed it.  Angela Gheorghiu is a good singing actress.  Her voice is not shrill which I appreciated.  At the end of the opera when she is within 15 minutes of death, I thought her voice was a little too loud and robust. 

I would like to contrast Gheorghiu with Teresa Stratas (Zeffirelli film) in the last scene.
Stratas had me in tears several times when she spoke of some day Lopardo finding someone else to love and there would be an angel looking down on him and caring for him.  She also was a most fragile consumptive - very believable.  People who are at death's door should not run quickly around the room before collapsing.  It stretches credulity a little.

If you get a chance to watch the film of Stratas/Cornell Macneil/Domingo//Levine, I'd love to hear your reactions.  Cornell Macneil makes his music sound wonderful.  I thought Leo Nucci was good as Germont.  He is also very good in Pavarotti's Un Ballo in Maschera DVD

I was not impressed with Frank Lopardo.

Solti began the introduction of the opera when the strings are very pp a little louder than Levine but other than that all was ok by me.  I liked Solti's right arm movements when he was trying to get the orchestra to put a lilt in the music in the introduction.

All in all it was a good performance.  Just make sure you see the Stratas performance also.

  Thanks Anne for posting your review.  I just completed Act 3 last night and you are right, Gheorghiu running around the stage when she is supposed to be at death's door did strike me as a little strange, she did collapse lifeless shortly thereafter though which makes me wonder what they had in mind when they staged this scene- perhaps Solti had something to do with it??.  Regrettably I am not familiar with the Stratas performance and will check it out. 

  marvin

yashin

I had never seen this DVD till the last few weeks.  I had avoided it because i am not a big fan of the singers or the conductor.  I was suprised that i enjoyed it. However, i found Lopardo's voice odd and i also did not like Gheorghiu running around at the end.

These days there are 5 or 6 versions of this opera on DVD.  I have looked at quite a few.  By far the best is the one from Belair classiques from Aix en Provence with Mirelle Delunsche.  Not note perfect but a superb performance and a superb production.  I cannot recommend this La Traviata enough.  It is a very modern production, very sparse stage, Violetta stays on stage throughout but for sheer drama and passion nothing can beat it.  The principles are all excellent as it the orchestra and conducting.

Don't bother with the terrible Netrebko La Traviata-where she looks better at the end than at the beginning unless you want shallow performances.

Wendell_E

Quote from: yashin on September 19, 2007, 06:10:21 AM
These days there are 5 or 6 versions of this opera on DVD. 

archivmusic.com currently lists 11!  Actually they list 13, but three of those are various releases of the Gheorgiu/Covent Garden one.  I've got one of those releases, and love it.  The Glyndebourne with Marie McLaughlin isn't bad.  Can't stand the Ziforole* version with Stratas, but I'm not fan of filmed versions of operas in any case.  I'd rather see a video of a live performance. 

* I may have slightly changed the spelling of the director's name, but I'm sure he'll understand my "artistic vision".  It's nothing worse than what he did to Traviata and Otello >:D
"Never argue with an idiot. They will drag you down to their level and beat you with experience." ― Mark Twain

Drasko



Just noticed this one :o I'm most certainly buying it.

Lethevich

Quote from: Drasko on September 21, 2007, 03:11:16 PM


Just noticed this one :o I'm most certainly buying it.

I wonder how it compares to the other TWO Wozzeck's on the same label... I have the Abaddo/VSO one, which is good enough for me not to have sought another yet.
Peanut butter, flour and sugar do not make cookies. They make FIRE.

Drasko

Quote from: Lethe on September 22, 2007, 06:55:27 AM
I wonder how it compares to the other TWO Wozzeck's on the same label... I have the Abaddo/VSO one, which is good enough for me not to have sought another yet.

It's probably sufficiently different since this one is film, not stage. I have Abbado on CD and it's excellent indeed, haven't seen it on DVD. Guy from classicstoday seems to quite like the Maderna.

http://www.classicstoday.com/review.asp?ReviewNum=11165