L'elisir D'amore

Starring:Donizetti
Studio: Video Artists Intern
Product Type: DVD

Average customer rating:

laughter in country love
Anna, call me? haha blushes......
ANOTHER STUNNING L'ELISIR
a sparkling gem
An fun and enjoyable performance

Donizetti - L'Elisir d'Amore / Eschwe, Netrebko, Villazon, Wiener Staatsoper
Starring: Rolando Villazon , Anna Netrebko , Ildebrando d'Arcangelo , Leo Nucci , and Alfred Eschwe
Director: Otto Schenk
Manufacturer: Virgin Classics
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Music Video & Concerts | Genres | DVD | Video

( D ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Verdi - La Traviata
The Berlin Concert - Live from Waldbuhne
Donizetti - La Fille du Regiment / Frizza, Florez, Ciofi, Teatro Carlo Felice
Russian Album
Gitano

ASIN: B000F3T3CS
Release Date: 2007-01-16

Amazon.com

Donizetti's L'Elisir d'Amore is one of the staples of the comic opera repertory. The plot hinges on whether earnest but dim-witted Nemorino will snag Adina, the flirtatious heroine. She's a tease who takes up with Belcore, an army sergeant, to make Nemorino jealous. After numerous (and humorous) plot twists that include a phony love potion, it all ends happily. Adina and Nemorino declare their love for each other, Belcore is dumped, and the fraudulent Dulcamara does a landslide business in love potions. It's all a fast-moving bundle of fun, especially with the star-filled cast of this 2005 Vienna State Opera performance.

The leads are magnificent. Rolando Villazón as Nemorino exhibits a real gift for comic acting, manipulating his rubber face into dozens of hilarious poses, flawlessly turning stock comic gestures into laugh-out-loud moments, and even juggling apples with the panache of a circus performer. More important, he uses his lyric tenor to sing the part with impressive subtlety, suggesting Nemorino's desperation while singing of his love for Adina. His big show-stopper, "Una furtuva lagrima," features melting pianissimos and a breathtaking decrescendo in its final phrase. It literally stops the show, the audience forcing a welcome encore. Netrebko's Adina is every bit as good, with deft acting and a lovely lyric soprano voice that makes you understand why she's the only girl for Nemorino. Dulcamara is Ildebrando D'Arcangelo, whose ample bass joins a stage presence that puts him at the center of his scenes. His famous duet, "Venti scudi," with Villazón, is the highlight it should be. Veteran baritone Leo Nucci is Sergeant Belcore and while his singing tends to the dry and effortful, he's convincingly sleazy, adding to the laughs. Smaller parts and the chorus are fine and conductor Alfred Eschwé efficiently keeps the music bubbling along.

Otto Schenk's production, with sets and costumes by Jürgen Rose, dates from 1980 but still looks fresh with a village square dominating the picture-postcard view of a provincial Italian village. The costumes are realistic, with predominantly pastel colors for the villagers, bright colors for Belcore and his soldiers, and relatively nondescript outfits for the others, though Netrebko can't help exuding glamour no matter what she wears. The video direction smoothly focuses on singers and the stage action, but the sound recording is overly resonant, with inconsistent dynamics and the chorus' words obscured. Still, this is the preferred L'Elisir d'Amore. --Dan Davis

Customer Reviews:

laughter in country love.......2007-06-17

Yes the acting of Rolando was out there but in opera if you are to see the smallest nuances you need to act big .TV and DVD home in on these parts which do look hammed up close but from the back of the theatre I am sure they are just right.I truely loved this opera it was so much a bright up beat production.There is little enough in opera repetoire for the singers to have fun and this is one where the lighter side and sillier side has its day.The addition of the live donkey reminded me of a programme with Birgit Nielsen doing the Ring cycle and lustily singing for her horse ,the look on her face when the stage hands brought in a real horse was worth its wieght in gold.(needless to say she didn't stop until the horse returned that was it she gave up !!)So who cares if caterpillar eyes are over the top I personnaly found this whole production to be a brilliant piece of musical entertainment with a wonderful cast and some really funny moments

Anna, call me? haha blushes.............2007-06-15

The major culprit here is Villazon, who never stops moving and mugging for a single moment. With his Harpo Marx hair and caterpillar eyebrows, he's a walking cartoon, and he plays the character less as an open, uncomplicated bumpkin and more like the village idiot. One longs to tie his hands behind his back and yell "Don't just do something, stand there!"

what?! haha oh man that's HILARIOUS! I nearly soiled myself haha yea that's entertainment for ya, its vison oriented, sometimes way out funny, but pick one music genre that isn't vision oriented? Country, rock, etc etc, we like to see as well as listen, or buy the cd. People do not support, mostly they don't, fat and or ugly performers, but people like good looks and or characters.

And the bottom line, in life is, Villazon has got more money than any of us or most people, and gets more chicks than us, and most people, so who is having the last laugh huh? That is the bottom line in life eh? Look at history, so that's not my opinion

Now Anna, what it must be like to be her, think there is a man around that is man enough for her? Not me that's for sure, and I can't think of many either. What a stunning woman. Is she married? Nothing on her Wikipedia spot

No I couldn't give her even half of what she deserves. How many can?

What man in the entire world wouldn't mind hearing her as his wife listening to her sing while she is moving about the house while he reads and smokes a pipe in his den? Sigh

ANOTHER STUNNING L'ELISIR.......2007-06-07

Some operas live charmed lives both on DVD and CD. This is one of them. We have the Met/Pavarotti-Battle DVD and the Scotto-Bergonzi DVD. We also have several great casts on just CD and almost everyone of them presents an accurate presentation of what the composer asks for. This is not as easy as it sounds. Many Traviatas fall short of our expectations; just to name one opera that gets over recorded and not always well. Now let me be honest and say I don't always enjoy or get into much comic opera; Don Giovanni being an exception. It's really a comedy, tragedy and old fashioned morality play all rolled into one. Absurd plots and many farces just don't cut it with me. I took a risk on this DVD just to see and hear Netrebko and Villazon. I am not disappointed! This entire cast and production do Donizetti and this opera full justice. Netrebko is enchanting. Villazon is unique and special. He's almost Groucho Marx with a great voice. His entire face and body is an actor's dream come true and he can sing while being so physically flexible. His voice strikes my ear as having a little bit of Domingo and DiStefano in it. The aria "Una Furtiva Lagrima" has to be encored and is even slightly better the second time. After all his comic posturing his straight forward singing here is just a perfect contrast to all that came before. This DVD should be added to the Battle/Pavarotti and Scotto/Bergonzi if you already own them. Like I said I'm not the biggest fan of comic opera; yet, this production completely won me over. This is an enchanting evening for eye and ear with some glorious melodies by Donizetti. ENJOY!!!

a sparkling gem.......2007-06-02

This performance is a gem, fun to watch and beautifully sung. Rolando Villazon is an irresistible puppy, and Anna Netrebko is stunning visually and vocally. I've enjoyed an earlier Met video with Kathleen Battle and Luciano Pavarotti, but it was a "performance:" big stage, big cast, big stars. This one is intimate, frisky, nimble and light-hearted. Villazon and Netrebko have wonderful chemistry together, and the other principals inhabit their roles with similar gusto and enthusiasm. It's a happy, involving, and touching performance. The camera work is excellent, even showing us the glances between Villazon and the conductor before they repeat "una furtiva lagrima." The sound is a little distant and seems to depend on which way the singers are facing, but it's adequate. All in all, the performance is a sparkling gem, guaranteed to generate smiles.

An fun and enjoyable performance.......2007-05-07

This opera is light and entertaining to watch, I enjoyed it for its fun quality and the performances of the lead singers, chorus, set and music. Villazon has a beautiful expressive voice and he can ACT, dance and juggle too; he 'is' the lovelorn swain. He also looks the part which adds to the performance. There is a rapport between Villazon and Netrebko which comes through in their scenes together. For a complete contrast and my 5* rating see their DVD of La Traviata with Hampson.

Donizetti - L'Elisir d'Amore / Pavarotti, Battle, Pons, Dara, Upshaw, Levine, Metropolitan Opera

Average customer rating:

I never thought opera would be so entertaining
Great performance
The Music is the Thing
Best Opera DVD ever!
Excellente

Donizetti - L'Elisir d'Amore / Pavarotti, Battle, Pons, Dara, Upshaw, Levine, Metropolitan Opera
Starring: Luciano Pavarotti , Kathleen Battle , Juan Pons , Enzo Dara , and James Levine
Director: Dawn Upshaw
Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

All Classical Music Blowout | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music

Opera & Vocal | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music

General | Music Video & Concerts | Genres | DVD | Video

Classical Music DVD Deals | Stores | DVD | Video

( D ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Puccini - La Boheme / Pavarotti, Scotto, Niska, Wixell, Plishka, Levine, Metropolitan Opera
Puccini - Turandot / Franco Zeffirelli - Marton, Domingo, Mitchell, Plishka, Cuenod - James Levine, MET (1988)
Verdi - Rigoletto / Domingo, MacNeil, Cotrubas, Diaz, Levine, Metropolitan Opera
Leoncavallo - I Pagliacci / Mascagni - Cavalleria Rusticana / Domingo, Stratas, Pons, Bruson, Obraztsova, Pretre
Puccini - Il Tabarro / Leoncavallo - I Pagliacci / Stratas, Domingo, Pavarotti, Pons, Quivar, Croft, Levine, Metropolitan Opera

ASIN: B000787WZQ
Release Date: 2005-05-10

Amazon.com

It would be hard to imagine a better performance of Donizetti's comic masterpiece. If there was one role that ideally suited Luciano Pavarotti's voice and stage personality, it was Nemorino, the impoverished and not-very-bright peasant who worships the village's prettiest and richest young woman from a distance, is swindled by a traveling vendor of "miracle" medicines, but wins her hand by dumb luck. The story has comedy, pathos, and a put-down of Wagner's Tristan und Isolde (or at least the Tristan story) written long before Wagner composed it.

Kathleen Battle is not only a wonderful singer and convincing actress; as Adina, she is pretty enough to make Nemorino's infatuation totally credible. Juan Pons struts convincingly as Belcore, Nemorino's self-important rival, and Enzo Dara is properly spectacular as Dr. Dulcamara, who sells Nemorino the magic potion guaranteed to improve his love life, or at least to get him drunk. The melodies in this opera include some of the best ever written, and James Levine, his extraordinary orchestra, and his wonderful chorus know exactly what to do with them. Everything comes together in this production to make it one of the best opera DVDs available. --Joe McLellan

Customer Reviews:

I never thought opera would be so entertaining.......2006-12-03

This is the first opera I watched because its music has been used in the movie "Match Point" by Woody Allen which I find beautiful. I always thought opera to be some kind of classy and boring stuff. I was totally blown away by the powerful voice of the actors and the everybody's enthusiasm that can be felt also from the applauses and cheers from the audience after each scene. Human voice, it is obvious from this performance, is the most beautiful musical instrument.
Despite the primitive stage and costume, this opera seems to have everything that can be found in a great movie, or in life: love, luck, and humor. It is like a no-frill bare-bone style movie, without any sound or visual effects except human voice, facial expression and body movement, but moving and entertaining none the less.

Great performance.......2006-11-02

Yes...this version of L'Elisir d'Amore is one of the most nice presentation I have ever seen of this opera.
Pavarotti and Battle are unforgetable, in their best moment of their carrear. And Levine.....always the great Levine.....don't let to have this DVD on your collection.

The Music is the Thing.......2006-06-26

Pavarotti voice flows through this great music. The kudos for both incredible voice AND saucy acting goes to the lovely Kathleen Battle, ever so spoiled in her role and generous with her upper register. Most funny was Dara as the doctor, I never doubted him for a moment. Luciano, for me, sometimes seems to be winking at us self-consciously, like this is not really me, see me act like a country peasant. Then his great and extended voice grabs me and I feel honored to be in the presence of his singing and Donizetti's music. Afterwards, I felt what a great night at the opera! I'm going back again.

Best Opera DVD ever!.......2006-05-05

This DVD is a must-have for every opera lover. Shows Pavarotti and Battle at their best on a Donizetti masterpiece. Music is wonderful and delightful to our senses, leting us enjoy every second of the show. Extraordinary!!

Excellente.......2005-11-24

This is probably the greatest opera production I have ever seen. The singing is first rate quality. Everyone is in fine voice and with this being an opera buffa the singers are throughly enjoying themselves. I would recommend this as an introduction to opera for anyone and for opera fans alike get this one. Mind you there are some flaws with the overall productions like Italians flags waving around when in truth Donizetti never was around for the establishing of an Italian country so that was totally out of place. (I have noticed that the Met has this annoying habit of throwing in flags of today in opera setting of centuries ago)Also there is Pavarotti wearing a green hospital band on his hand. However, this is opera and opera is about singing and I assure you that great singing is what you get in this production. Buy it!!!! WONDERFUL!!! Bravissimo!!!!

Donizetti - L'Elisir d'Amore (The Elixir of Love) / Pido, Alagna, Gheorghiu, Opera National de Lyon

Average customer rating:

Delightful Elixir!
This elixir works
Not the best vehicle for this superstar couple
You can't help but falling in love with Nemorino
I want those men fired!!!

Donizetti - L'Elisir d'Amore (The Elixir of Love) / Pido, Alagna, Gheorghiu, Opera National de Lyon
Starring: Angela Gheorghiu , Roberto Alagna , Roberto Scaltriti , Simone Alaimo , and Elena Dan
Director: Brian Large
Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

All Classical Music Blowout | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music

Opera & Vocal | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music

Deals Over $10 | DVD Blowouts | Stores | DVD | Video

All Blowouts | DVD Blowouts | Stores | DVD | Video

Classical Music DVD Deals | Stores | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $14.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( D ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Puccini - Tosca / Angela Gheorghiu, Roberto Alagna, Ruggero Raimondi, David Cangelosi, Antonio Pappano, Royal Opera
Verdi - La Traviata / Gheorghiu, Lopardo, Nucci, Solti, Covent Garden (Special Edition with Highlights CD)
Angela Gheorghiu - Live from Covent Garden
Classics on a Summer's Evening / Sinopoli, Gheorghiu, Alagna
Massenet - Manon / Fleming, Alvarez, Vernhes, Chaignaud, Lopez-Cobos, Paris Opera

ASIN: B00005V15Q
Release Date: 2002-04-09

Amazon.com

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 L'Elisir d'amore ("The Elixir of Love") is a must for any opera fan. Their many detractors seem merely jealous of their stupendous success, because--at least on the evidence of this performance--Gheorghiu and Alagna have the voices, the acting skill, and (last but not least) the looks to sustain their international superstardom. Ably supporting the star couple are Roberto Scaltriti, Simone Alaimo, and Elena Dan; Frank Dunlop's clever production overcomes its needless updating to the 1920s with colorful sets and costumes. In the pit and giving Donizetti's score an agile reading are conductor Evelino Pido and the Lyon National Opera Orchestra and Chorus.

A especially welcome DVD bonus treat is the 52-minute film "Love Potion," which goes behind the scenes of the production. Fans of Gheorghiu and Alagna will particularly relish their favorites as they engagingly talk about their parts in the opera... in English, French, and Italian. --Kevin Filipski

Customer Reviews:

Delightful Elixir!.......2007-04-09

Although the superstar couple Alagna and Gheorghiu are the leads in this opera, it is Alagna who really is the star in this live opera. Alagna displays his fabulous voice and comedic ability. He really makes his lovesick character to be believable and funny. Gheorghiu is in fine voice here too, but somehow her acting ability seems to be more strongly suited to drama (she was superb in "La Traviata"). Her performance seems forced. She's still a fantastic beauty with a voice like an angel. I think her overbite is just cute. The performance was well filmed as visual and sound are excellent. The rest of the cast are in spectacular form.

This elixir works.......2007-01-10

I have two other Elixir DVDs (Pavrotti twice, paired once with Kathleen Battle and once with Judith Blegen). They're all good, but this is my favorite. Alagna and Gheorghiu can both act as well as sing, and they work well together (they are, after all, married). When Angela tells Dr. Dulcamara that she doesn't need his elixir, the close camera work makes the reason as clear as her complexion. Dark eyes, long dark hair, and a voice that never fails-- this Romanian beauty is another reason to cheer the collapse of communism.

Not the best vehicle for this superstar couple.......2006-10-24

I was so looking forward to this production of L'Elisir d'Amore, partly because Angela Gheorghiu and Roberto Alagna are superb in La Traviata (she) and Lucie de Lammermoor (he). In addition, I thought it would be fun to see the real-life newlyweds onstage together. The sets and costumes look good, the orchestra and supporting cast sound good, but the leads are a disappointment. Gheorghiu's singing is, as usual, steely and pure, but she just doesn't seem to have a feel for comedy. By contrast, Alagna is having a lot of fun onstage, but his voice is grating much of the time. Both of their performances feel forced. Donizetti's sparkling melodious score is not well-served. Compare this to the delightful Met production of 1991 starring Luciano Pavarotti and Kathleen Battle (also on DVD). Pavarotti and Battle are so at ease on stage and their singing is spectacular. I also recommend the DVD of the Macerata Opera production from 2002; it features less well-known performers but is a joyful experience from beginning to end.

I've read that Angela Gheorghiu and Roberto Alagna aren't onstage together as often because he's more comfortable performing in French. That sounds like a good choice to me because he's outstanding in the French versions of Donizetti's Lucie de Lammermoor and Verdi's Don Carlos. By contrast, here and in Il Trovatore, his voice often sounds forced and sometimes even shrill.

You can't help but falling in love with Nemorino.......2005-09-18

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.

Anghela Gheorghiu plays the rich girl Adina and is doing an adequate job. I was expecting her to sail through this opera with flying colours, but I felt there was something lacking in her performance. Or perhaps I was expecting too much, having recently watched her performance in Tosca which was absolutely brilliant. Maybe she's just more dramatic than funny? Even though her voice is beautiful she doesn't impress me as much here as she did in the aforementioned Tosca.

Belcore is played by Roberto Scaltriti and the only one I truly didn't enjoy. I can't explain why, but it really disturbed me that when singing, his mouth was constantly drawn to the left side of his face. (After writing this review I discovered that other Amazon reviewers also have commented on this. So obviously this was disturbing for more people than just me....) His voice also has a slightly nasal tone that I don't like too much.

Simone Alaimo is playing Dulcamare and he looks as if he's enjoying himself in the role. His singing is good and there are some really funny moments when he's approached by Nemorino who wants to buy the magic liquor.

I have to say I didn't pay too much attention on the supporting cast, but at least there's no one I remember for doing an awful job.

Even though this performance has some flaws I still think it's worth 4 stars and well worth having in an opera collection. If you think of it as an ordinary movie and not an opera, it's even worth 5 stars.

I want those men fired!!!.......2005-04-05

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.

New Year's Concert 2006 - La Fenice / Fiorenza Cedolins, Joseph Calleja, Roberto Scandiuzzi, Kurt Masur

Average customer rating:

New Year's Concert 2006 - La Fenice / Fiorenza Cedolins, Joseph Calleja, Roberto Scandiuzzi, Kurt Masur
Starring: Roberto Bolle , Eleonora Abbagnato , Verdi Mozart Donizetti Puccini , Nabucco Traviata Tosca , and Lombardi Don Pasquale Giovanni
Manufacturer: Tdk DVD Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Musicals & Performing Arts | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Music Video & Concerts | Genres | DVD | Video

( N ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Vienna State Opera Gala Concert / Domingo, Terfel, Gruberova, Urmana, Hampson, Baltsa, Kirchschlager, Polaski, Struckmann, Schade, Furlanetto
Montserrat Cabale & Marilyn Horne Concert / Philharmonie Hall, Munich
The Berlin Concert - Live from Waldbuhne
Donizetti - La Fille du Regiment / Frizza, Florez, Ciofi, Teatro Carlo Felice
New Year's Concert 2006 / Mariss Jansons, Wiener Philharmoniker, Wiener Staatsopern Ballet

ASIN: B000EQ4G6E
Release Date: 2006-04-18

Opera Highlights, Vol. 1 - Norma, La Gioconda, Il Trovatore, Lucia di Lammermoor, La Forza del Destino, La Cenerentola, L'Elisir d'Amore, Orlando Furioso

Average customer rating:

Special selection
Famous Arias, Famous Singers Ultimately Disappoint

Opera Highlights, Vol. 1 - Norma, La Gioconda, Il Trovatore, Lucia di Lammermoor, La Forza del Destino, La Cenerentola, L'Elisir d'Amore, Orlando Furioso
Starring: Marilyn Horne , Roberto Alagna , Angela Gheorghiu , Joan Sutherland , and Galina Gorchakova
Manufacturer: Arthaus Musik
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Musicals & Performing Arts | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Music Video & Concerts | Genres | DVD | Video

The Berlin Concert - Live from Waldbuhne
Opera Concert Ballet 07 [DVD Video]
Torroba - Luisa Fernanda

ASIN: B000OCZ7ZC
Release Date: 2007-05-29

Customer Reviews:

Special selection.......2007-06-27

Perfect combination of styles and voices within a high quality level ,taken from live performances of Operas in key theatres all over the world

Famous Arias, Famous Singers Ultimately Disappoint.......2007-05-27

This DVD is a repackaging of famous scenes and arias from full-length DVDs of the Italian operas represented. The productions mostly date from the 1980s and 1990s. I suppose they were chosen at least partly because of the names and fame of the singers contained herein. But even with the spoken introductions for each selection by the singers involved -- and it appears that the introductions were filmed recently -- few of the excerpts excited me too much. I am willing to concede that dedicated fans of these individual artists might have a different reaction.

The excerpts (not yet listed here at Amazon) are:

Marilyn Horne: 'Sorge l'irato nembo' from Vivaldi's Orlando Furioso
Ann Murray: 'Nacqui all'affanno' from Rossini's La Cenerentola
Joan Sutherland: The Mad Scene from Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor
Joan Sutherland: 'Casta Diva' from Bellini's Norma
Joan Sutherland: 'D'amor sull'ali rosee' from Verdi's Il Trovatore
Roberto Alagna: 'Quanto è bella, quanto è cara' & 'Una furtiva lagrima' from Donizetti's L'Elisir d'Amore
Angela Gheorghiu: 'Prendi, prendi' from L'Elisir d'Amore
Galina Gorchakova: 'Sono giunta!' from Verdi's La forza del destino
Gegam Grigorian: 'La vita è inferno all'infelice' from Forza del destino
Nikolai Putilin: 'Morir! Tremenda cosa -- Urna fatale!' from Forza
Eva Marton: 'Suicidio!' from Ponchielli's La gioconda

As far as singing goes, praise must go to Horne, Murray, Gorchakova, Gheorghiu and Alagna. The stagings are all traditional and often quite gorgeous, although the productions from the Australian Opera look to have been done on the cheap. Marton sings reasonably well -- this was recorded before her voice took a turn for the worse -- but the scene is underlit and so is her acting. Joan Sutherland is her usual mush-mouthed and non-dramatic self. Her voice has never been particularly attractive to me, so you can judge for yourself the accuracy of my comments about her here. I will say that her trills in 'D'amor sull'ali rosee' are spectacular. The interviews are mostly done in English or in the singer's native language but with subtitles; Gorchakova would have done better to speak in Russian with subtitles rather than in her almost unintelligible English. Grigorian looks so depressed that one wonders if he shouldn't be singing 'Suicidio' rather than Marton. The Forza del destino excerpts, by the way, are from a production at the Mariinsky of the original 1862 St. Petersburg premiere; Grigorian's 'La vita è inferno all'infelice' in particular differs considerably from the version we are most familiar with.

Sound -- PCM Stereo is the only option -- is variable as is the videography; they are mostly quite acceptable, however. Subtitles in English, German, French, Spanish, Italian. Menu language, though, is only English. Picture format: 16:9/4:3. Region code: 0 (worldwide). TT=107mins.

Scott Morrison

Donizetti - L'Elisir d'Amore / Esposito, Machado, Marrucci, Canzian, Schrott, Muus, Macerata Opera

Average customer rating:

An L'Elisir as sparkling and bubbly as a glass of champagne
Unsurpassed & unsurpassable
Great singing
Magnificent interpretation of Donizetti
Avoid This Second-Rate Production

Donizetti - L'Elisir d'Amore / Esposito, Machado, Marrucci, Canzian, Schrott, Muus, Macerata Opera
Starring: Amedeo Nazzari , Mariella Lotti , Mario Ferrari , Dina Sassoli , and Giulio Tomasini
Director: Camillo Mastrocinque
Manufacturer: Tdk DVD Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Music Video & Concerts | Genres | DVD | Video

( D ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
ASIN: B0000C7PRD
Release Date: 2003-09-23

Description

Slowly the camera roams through the narrow streets of Macerata, past the cathedral, the monuments, the library and the university, until it reaches the Arena Sferisterio. In the 1820s this was a competition venue for handball. At the beginning of the twentieth century the `neo-classical monster', as the stadium is disrespectfully called, was also discovered as an opera venue and a dazzling backdrop for the Macerata Opera Festival. In July 2002, An audience of 5000 had gathered to listen to the new production of Elixir of love under the direction Saverio Marconi, conducted by Niels Muus. Using a trick the director succeeded in preserving the open-air atmosphere while at the same time eliminating the echo of the voices and instruments. Donizetti's operas had for a long time been dismissed as frivolities, as repertoire works, "which can be staged anywhere", as W.H.L Riehl sarcastically remarked in his `Musikalische Charakterbilder' (Musical Character Studies), "whether in Paris or Butzbach, with a good or a bad cast, complete or in part, rehearsed as a showpiece or as a stopgap, not too long and not too short, not too difficult and not too easy,comprehensible to all and stimulating the senses of many". This prejudice is perhaps due to the fact that composing came easily to Donizetti; he even boasted that he could compose a symphony within one and a quarter hour. The comedy The Elixir of Love is said to have taken him all of a fortnight to write. The premiere in the Teatro della Canobbiana in Milan in 1832, was an unqualified success; it resulted in a series of 32 sold-out houses for the composer and even inspired Richard Wagner in 1840 to produce a piano score of the work. Donizetti based his work on a French fable by Eugene Scribe, which Felice Romani turned into a multifaceted libretto of two acts.

Customer Reviews:

An L'Elisir as sparkling and bubbly as a glass of champagne.......2007-01-23

There is no shortage on DVD of famous opera performers pairing up to play Adina and Nemorino in L'Elisir d'Amore: Kathleen Battle and Luciano Pavarotti; the Alagnas (Angela Gheorghiu and Roberto), Anna Netrebko and her favorite onstage partner, Rolando Villazon). All of these productions have much to commend them, but my favorite is this one from the Arena Sferisterio in Macerata with not a single famous performer in it!

The production is brilliantly staged in a huge (5,000 seat) arena that is made intimate by putting the players and the orchestra onstage together in three-sided box that serves as a stage-within-a-stage. This also allows the performers to interact with the conductor and the orchestra, a comic device used (but not overused) to great effect throughout.

Soprano Valeria Esposito has the brightest and sweetest upper register I've ever heard. She creates a flesh and blood, strong-minded Adina. Donizetti left his soprano room to show off her coloratura skills and Esposito relishes the opportunity. In her final duet with Nemorino, she just takes off, singing "a capella" at times. She throws in several false endings, only to start singing again when Nemorino (thinking she's finished) moves in for a kiss. It's beautiful to listen to, funny to watch, and brings the house down.

As Nemorino, the Venezuelan tenor, Aquiles Machado, sings with a big sound and a big heart. His phrasing and legato in "Una furtiva lagrima" are executed beautifully, and his interpretation of this famous aria is heartbreaking. Lyrical baritone Enrico Marrucci is wonderfully pompous and conceited as Belcore. Erwin Schrott has a big and rich bass voice that contrasts perfectly with the other players. He creates a different Dr. Dulcamara than we're used to - a rather harmless hustler, more like a TV hype guy who trades on our dreams of perfect looks and perfect health. Roberta Canzian, as Giannetta, is wonderful too; perhaps an Adina-in-the-making.

It's an utterly charming and joyful production all around.

Unsurpassed & unsurpassable.......2006-09-04

I am in almost wholehearted agreement with the 2 reviewers who praise this DVD, and in wholehearted DISagreement with Scott Morrison. I've been an avid opera lover for years and think I know my stuff, so have no qualms in saying that this is the only DVD I have of L'elisir d'amore, and probably the only one I ever shall acquire. I've seen a number of video performances - Pavarotti & Blegen, Pav and Battle, Angela & Roberto, Bonney & I forget the tenor - was it Winbergh? - but this one trumps them all - mainly for the singing.
Yes, the tenor is dumpy, but boy, does he have fun! He acts with his face and body, adds a higher note than we are used to hearing at the end of his first aria, a solid high C at the end of his duet with Belcore, and has great interplay with Adina.
Belcore seems very, VERY young, but apart from some slurred coloratura (he aspirates a lot of it) does a commendable job.
It's certainly a change to see a young and sexy-looking Dulcamara in this role, but Erwin Shrott is just great. His voice is rich and resonant, and I feel that those parts where the other reviewer thought he looked disinterested were just his way of acting out that particular scene. Whenever he was on stage I found my attention riveted to him.
Which brings me to the Adina. I simply cannot understand how anyone could call her performance 'dismal'. Here is a gorgeous soprano voice that just gains in strength and lustre as it ascends; moreover her coloratura technique is nothing short of staggering. I don't think she missed a note, a triplet, a flourish or a trill all night. I looked up her name - Valeria Esposito - on the net and found out that she is highly credentialled - something that didn't surprise me in the least. I've since located her in La Fille du Regiment where she is just as brilliant.
Yes, she may look older than the other principals - but the fault is that they're too young, not that she's too old! Yet she has such a gorgeously expressive face, flashing eyes and engagingly crooked teeth (!) that I couldn't have cared less if she were 20 years older. Plus she's tiny, and has a youthfully trim figure.
More music than we are used to hearing is retained in this version (another bonus!), so that we hear more of the Adina/Nemorino duet in act 1 than usual, and a number of other repeats that are generally cut. But the most staggering addition comes in Adina's cabaletta in act 2 - Il mio rigor dimentico. Listen to EVERY other soprano sing it on all other recordings (except Devia on the CD set, and she doesn't add any ornamentation), and you'll barely recognise Esposito's version. She completes one verse of it, twirls round on the spot with Nemorino, hurls out a cadenza rising to high E-flat, then goes on to sing a second, embroidered verse rising to D and a number of C's. As in The Pirates of Penzance, where Mabel's final prolonged cadenza prevents Frederic from kissing her, here Nemorino acts for all he's worth waiting for his soprano to finish - rolling his eyes, throwing up his hands, and even going and sitting down in despair. It's a sign of how brilliant Esposito is that he doesn't upstage her, and at the end she receives a roaring ovation. It really is a brilliant voice in its upper extension - in the previous aria - Prendi! -she alters most of Donizetti's cadenzas so that she can show off her notes above the high C - and I wasn't surprised when I found a download on the net where I heard her singing a live Ah non giunge! from La Sonnambula and ending with a sustained F in alt. More of this soprano, please!
The whole performance can be summed up as a joyous, bubbling experience. I've watched it a number of times, and honestly couldn't tell you what there is and is not in the way of sets and props. The singers are so skilled in their art that I'd enjoy it as a concert performance.
Bravo! Bravissiomo! This is the version to own!

Great singing.......2006-05-04

The singing is superb in this video and I have listened to it numerous times as an audio recording. The Adina has a lovely bell-like tone, secure high notes, and a solid coloratura technique. Machado, as Nemorino, sings beautifully. His high notes are solid and thrilling and, (as one reviewer was comparing him to Pavarotti in the Met L'Elisir with Blegen), well, I must say that Machado is Sir Lawrence Olivier in comparison - he's young, cute, and although a bit chubby, he climbs under the table and piano quite easily, plus his facial expressions are entirely believeable. The Belcore has a beautiful voice and is a good actor and the Dulcamara has a surprisingly beautiful voice. All of the singers have lovely diction, including the chorus. Also, the English subtitles are very good with repetition when called for, and an accurate, almost literal translation.

Here are the negatives: The Adina looks way older than any Adina I have ever seen, although her voice sounds much younger. Her acting is a bit brash. Also, the Dulcamara is a bit young and handsome to pull off a seedy traveling salesman, plus his acting is occasionally good, and occasionally lackluster, as though he doesn't believe a word he is saying.

Then you have the sets, or lack of sets actually. There are really none to speak of - just some props. The singers are outfitted in the traditional costumes and they interact quite a bit with the orchestra. This might work for some, but to me it decreases the reality I want to feel for the story. And lets face it, you can't beat the old Met video with Dulcamara in the balloon.

You also can't beat the Alagna/Gheorghiu version for all the principles looking believeable in their roles, but this is a very nice recording of the opera - one of the best out there as far as the singing goes.

Magnificent interpretation of Donizetti.......2003-12-29

I have seen other versions of L'elisir d'amore performances in DVD and find this particular version the most beautiful, perfect and magnificent performance of Donizetti.
The singers, soprano Esposito as the proud and indifferent but beautiful Adina, with her clear and sweet soprano voice is so enchanting and excellent, that we want to hear more of her. In this performance she is matched by tenor Machado, whose appearance is just the exact Nemorino and with his rich tenor voice make us enjoying more of the performance. There is also a most distinctive beautiful deep nuance baritone voice of Schrott performing perfectly as Doctor Dulcamara, all the combination of voices together adds to the perfection of the opera itself. This performance made Donizetti's beautiful vivacious and melodious music much more significant and enjoyable while the background and costumes represents the natural environment of a village.
I really enjoy this version compared to other versions of performances, eventhough all the performers are less wellknown.

Avoid This Second-Rate Production.......2003-09-27

It pains me to say that this DVD of a recent production of Donizetti's 'L'Elisir d'Amore,' done at the Sfisterio Arena in Macerata, Italy is bush-league. It is amazing that the recording of this open-air production is in as sharp sound and visuals as it is, but unfortunately the performance itself is hardly worth preserving. The orchestra is pretty good - it's the Orchestra Filarmonica Marchigiana - and the Danish conductor, Niels Muus, is quite good, marshalling his forces expertly. But the principal singers, with one possible exception, are not world-class. This is a provincial production and when compared with the DVDs now available with Pavarotti/Blegen/Rescigno (my favorite, by far) from the Met or Alagna/Gheorghiu/Pido from the Opera de Lyon (good but a bit underpowered) it simply comes up short--way short.

The production is also hampered by the visual production. It is fully acted but with minimal sets because it is mounted on an inappropriately arranged stage with the orchestra and conductor arrayed behind the singers. I can only imagine that there must have been a television monitor visible to the singers because they certainly couldn't see the conductor without turning their backs to the audience.

The Venezuelan tenor, Aquiles Machado, has a serviceable tenorino voice and his, erm, generous physique is certainly no less inappropriate than that of Luciano Pavarotti in his Met portrayal. His acting, however, is wooden. The only vocal star here is the Dulcamara of Erwin Schrott. I won't even mention the names of the dismal Adina and Belcore; the less said the better.

It might have been fun to spend a pleasant summer evening in an outdoor arena near the Adriatic Coast and take in a provincial performance of 'L'Elisir,' but I don't think anyone would want to repeat the experience in their living room sans the Italian coast's 'soave zeffiretto.'

In a word, I cannot see why anyone would invest in this DVD unless their sister was in the (very good) chorus.

Amazon.com

Customer Reviews:

Delightful Elixir!.......2007-04-09

This elixir works.......2007-01-10

Not the best vehicle for this superstar couple.......2006-10-24

You can't help but falling in love with Nemorino.......2005-09-18

I want those men fired!!!.......2005-04-05

Donizetti - L'Elisir d'Amore / Rescigno, Pavarotti, Blegen, Metropolitan Opera

Average customer rating:

A heartwarming show!
Good show
Una maravilla y un lujo

Donizetti - L'Elisir d'Amore / Rescigno, Pavarotti, Blegen, Metropolitan Opera
Starring: Judith Blegen , Luciano Pavarotti , Brent Ellis , and Sesto Bruscantini
Director: Kirk Browning
Manufacturer: Geneon [Pioneer]
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

( D ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Verdi - Ernani / James Levine, The Metropolitan Opera
Verdi - Un ballo in maschera / James Levine, The Metropolitan Opera
Donizetti - Lucia di Lammermoor / Joan Sutherland, Alfredo Kraus, Pablo Elvira, Paul Plishka, Richard Bonynge, Metropolitan Opera
Donizetti - L'Elisir d'Amore / Pavarotti, Battle, Pons, Dara, Upshaw, Levine, Metropolitan Opera
Puccini - Manon Lescaut / Renata Scotto, Placido Domingo, Pablo Elvira, Renato Capecchi, Isola Jones, James Levine, Metropolitan Opera

ASIN: B00005YUOG
Release Date: 2002-06-11

Description

The Metropolitan Opera performance of L'Elisir d'Amore is conducted by Nicola Rescigno and features Luciano Pavarotti in the title role. Donizetti's graceful melodies have long endeared his L'Elisir d'Amore to operatic audiences and performers alike. Judith Blegen, Louise Wohlafka, Luciano Pavarotti, Nicola Rescigno, Sesto Bruscantini.

Customer Reviews:

A heartwarming show!.......2004-12-02

If, like me, you love Pavarotti but are used to seeing the older man who can hardly move, you will find it a great pleasure just to see him literally bouncing around the stage here! It's worth the price just for that cheerful sight! He is absolutely perfect as the lovestruck and touchingly gullible country bumpkin, and it's plain to see that he loves playing as well as singing this part. He perfectly portrays the suffering, the strength, and the simple dignity of Nemorino, as well as his humorous and lovable side. And he's in terrific voice here!

The rest of the cast is also excellent and the ensemble singing is absolutely fabulous. For me, there were no weak links in this performance.

The opera is staged in a traditional manner without overly elaborate or overly realistic sets. It won't be everybody's cup of tea, but I find it charming and exactly suitable to Donizetti's style. The sound and the camera work can be uneven (that's why 4 and not 5 stars) but that is, unfortunately, pretty common in these films of staged performances, and it doesn't detract from my enjoyment of the show; I just adjust the volume up and down as needed.

This is the DVD to own for those times when you want to be swept away by the beauty of great opera music, but don't want to end up weeping -- yep, the hero and heroine both live to the end! Like I said at the beginning: it's simply heartwarming!

NOTE ADDED 6/3/06: Don't panic & pay a fortune for a copy of this; it's still available at the Met Opera Shop online for a reasonable price.

Good show.......2004-11-02

Although tempted to give this one five stars, I will say that although Pavarotti is definitely in better shape than we see him in later videos, some might still find him too chubby for the role and also his acting still leaves some to be desired. That aside, his singing is superb, and his acting is the best you generally get from him. I personally find him enjoyable enough for the role visually, and well, downright endearing. All the other cast members are a delight. My favorite is the late great buffo, Sesto Bruscantini - very famous in earlier decades - a once practicing lawyer, who knew over 100 opera roles. His comic timing is absolutely perfect as Dulcamara, and the Metropolitan Opera sets for this production are very engaging with Dr. Dulcamara coming down in a hot-air balloon. It's a terrific show all-around. As long as you are not a Pavarotti-hater, you will be very pleased with this DVD.

Una maravilla y un lujo .......2004-10-05

Antes que todo, debo declarar mi gusto por Pavarotti y mi afán por adquirir cuanto Cd o DVD aparezca de él.
Dicho lo anterior, puedo afirmar, con conocimiento de causa, que de todos los DVD de ópera en que participa ese tenor, este de "El Elíxir del Amor" es, como lo dice el título de esta revisión, una maravilla y un lujo.
Alguna vez le escuché decir a Pavarotti que Donizetti le agradaba mucho, pues su voz se adaptaba perfectamente a los requerimiento musicales de ese autor. Pues bien, eso es patente en esta ópera, en que la perfección y gracia de su canto y su presencia en el papel de Nemorino, son verdaderamente increíbles: Logra todos los tonos naturalmente, se desenvuelve en el personaje como si no lo estuviera representando sino que fuera él mismo, y ejecuta y enfrenta arias y duetos en forma magistral (de hecho, se escucha mejor que en grabaciones de estudio, pues los temas llevan impresa la emoción de estar viviendo la historia en el escenario).
Mas no sólo Pavarotti deslumbra en esta ópera: La interpretación de Adina es muy buena, con una soprano que da, además, con la figura de la mujer: Estilizada, fina, atrayente, y con la mirada que tienen las féminas que se saben cortejadas y que creen poder manejar a su amaño a los varones.
Para qué decir del Dr. Dulcamara, y del enamorado Sargento.
En fin, por todo ello (y no quiero agregar más para dejar algo de sorpresa a quien vea u oiga este DVD) recomiendo abiertamente esta ópera. Y conste que la recomiendo no sólo para los amantes del canto lírico, sino también y especialmente para aquellos que tienen curiosidad por ver una ópera completa: Esta es una buena opción, pues es fácil de escuchar y tiene ritmos que, por italianos, se quedan grabados de inmediato en la mente (... dando ganas de tararearlos después).
Cinco estrellas... Sin ninguna duda.

Average customer rating:

A little gem; not the first rendition to own
Clunker

Donizetti - L'elisir d'amore / RAI
Starring: Cesare Valletti , Alda Noni , Renato Capecchi , Giuseppe Taddei , and Mario Rossi
Director: Alessandro Brissoni
Manufacturer: Bel Canto Society
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

DVDs Under $14.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( D ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Beniamino Gigli - Ridi Pagliaccio

ASIN: B0006419TG
Release Date: 2004-12-07

Description

Alan Blyth, reviewing in Gramophone:

"The advantage of an all-Italian cast is self-evident. And what a splendid cast it is, each member adept and experienced in her or his role. Valletti makes an ideal Nemorino as actor and singer. His refined voice and technique, his pointed diction are seconded by his portrait of the awkward, infatuated village lad. Noni looks a shade mature for Adina, but sings with idiomatic tone and offers well-routined acting. Incidentally the pair here repeat a partnership heard on a roughly contemporaneous audio-only version.

"Taddei, who took the part on an EMI set under Serafin a couple of years later, is a vivid Dulcamara, acting amusingly with body and voice but never overdoing the buffo elements of the role. His is a rounded portrayal, alone worth the price of the video. Capecchi, yet another experienced performer, gives a properly preening, fatuous cut to Sergeant Belcore. Rossi conducts with spirit. The staging looks dated, but seldom gets in the way of the lively, idiomatic singing."

Customer Reviews:

A little gem; not the first rendition to own.......2007-04-22

It is easy to understand how someone can get frustrated by this recording. Opera is supposed to be the highest form of arts, right? So, what do we have here: B&W murky picture, no subtitles, muffled voices with occasional drop-offs of the sound... What can possibly compensate for that? Let's see. Firstly, this is one of the (two) earliest available videos of this opera. It has all the charm and innocence of the golden age of RAI opera films. Valetti's (Nemorino) deeply felt and understated singing and acting makes it easy for us to empathize with this poor fellow. A convincing acting of Alda Noni deserves a praise: she is no Onegin's Tatiana with her famous "No one understands me here!", unlike in some other versions of the opera. Yes, unlike other villagers she knows how to read and enjoys it, but at the same time she fully shares the mentality and the spirit of her village. That explains her otherwise irrational affection for a simpleton. And how about the vocal cannonade of Capecchi (Belcore)? Brilliant Taddei (Dulcamara) dominates the physical and vocal space, and his duets with Valetti (Nemorino) are sublime and engaging! Not a dull moment in this performance of one of the essential bel canto comic operas sung by an impressive all-Italian cast!

Clunker.......2005-09-04

This is a grainy reproduction of a 1953 Italian movie with awful sound quality and no subtitles. It stinks!

DVD:

DVD

Beat the Devil [1953] (REGION 1) (NTSC)

DVD: Force of Evil

Bad Boys 2 / Terminator 3 - Rise Of The Machines / Charlie's