Domingo, Stratas, Pons, Bruson, Obraztsova, Pretre

Starring:Yelena Obraztsova, PlÃ¡cido Domingo, Renato Bruson, Fedora Barbieri, Axelle Gall, Teresa Stratas, Juan Pons, Alberto Rinaldi (III), Florindo Andreolli, Alfredo Pistone, Ivan Del Manto
Director: Franco Zeffirelli
Studio: Deutsche Grammophon
Product Type: DVD

Average customer rating:

Brilliant Performance
Mixed Emotions
two great operas
Pag 5 Cav 1
A strange fateful combination

Leoncavallo - I Pagliacci / Mascagni - Cavalleria Rusticana / Domingo, Stratas, Pons, Bruson, Obraztsova, Pretre
Starring: Yelena Obraztsova , Plácido Domingo , Renato Bruson , Fedora Barbieri , and Axelle Gall
Director: Franco Zeffirelli
Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0007P0LNE
Release Date: 2005-06-14

Customer Reviews:

Brilliant Performance.......2007-06-01

Leoncavallo - I Pagliacci / Mascagni - Cavalleria Rusticana / Domingo, Stratas, Pons, Bruson, Obraztsova, Pretre

The performances are brilliant. Great voices and acting by the principals. Performed within in a wonderful setting under the direction of Franco Zeffirelli. The performance by the La Scalla opera chorus and orchestra is absolutely thrilling.

Mixed Emotions.......2007-05-07

Filming Cavalleria in Sicily where the action is supposed to take place is an asset. I do, however, have complaints about Zeffirelli's direction in the film's opening scene. The length of time devoted to Santuzza's spying on Turiddu as he visited Lola seemed more like stalking, and was unintentionally humorous because it was so ludicrous. The confrontation scene between Santuzza and Turiddu was staged in an uninteresting way.It seemed, to me, very static. Showing Turiddu's death is a plus. I found no fault with any of the singing. I give this presentation 3 stars. Pagliacci is a different story.The opera is staged realistically, making the action believable. Domingo's tormented Canio and Stratas' Nedda, trapped in a loveless marriage, touched me deeply. Pons', Tonio, was malevolent and well sung, as were all the other characters. This is a 4 star production

two great operas.......2007-05-06

I generally prefer opera stage productions to movies of opera. Opera movies typically lack a human connection between the performers and audience that stage productions have. This makes more difficult to enjoy the opera experience. But for this DVD gave me the joy of a live opera. I loved every second of these two works. Both are tragic tales of jealousy. In Pag, Domingo and Stratas portray their respective characters vividly and convincingly. Pag is a better written opera than Cav, but Cav is the one I'd watch repetitively many times with great enjoyment. The duet of Turiddu and Santuzza is so powerful and haunting. Many tenors tend to play Turiddu just angry and nasty when they sing the duet. But here Doming gives a nuance to the role by playing angry, yet exasperated and troubled. Plus, Obraztsova does a great job portraying jealous, miserable, and angry Santuzza. You just can't help but have compassion on her. Despite the fact that the picture is a little grainy, this DVD is great. In short, in both operas, the casting and performances were outstanding.

Pag 5 Cav 1.......2007-03-02

I give this DVD three stars. The Pag is brilliant, the Cav much less so. A big part of the problem with Cav for me is that it is a much inferior opera in my view, but I was not much impressed with this particular production either. On location shots in Sicily are nice, but they actually take me out of the opera. Bruson looks right for the part, but it's a dull part. Domingo looks like a lounge lizard--where were the gold chains (granted Turiddu is a drip)? His ear-biting scene was not dramatically compelling at all, nor was the knife fight. Domingo is far too much the gent, no matter how hard he tries to be sleazy. And poor Santa wandering around in black and falling to the ground gets very tiresome. The grainy film makes it look like it came from the 1920s. This one had me yawning all the way through.

Fortunately PAG makes it all worth it. The staging is wonderful, more realistic looking than many operas, but still not taking us out of the fact that this is the world of an opera. Domingo is alternately saddening and frightening--it's a great performance, particularly in his famous aria. Stratas is unbelievably sexy as well as sympathetic. Pons is very strong too. This one will have you at the edge of your seats. Doesn't hurt that it's a better opera of course! Too bad Pag doesn't get paired up more often with Il Tabarro, a superior opera to Cav.

A strange fateful combination.......2007-01-11

This is a strange combination of short works fated to live together on the operatic stages of the world: one brilliant piece and one hardly above the level of a talented student. Having known these works for better than a half century, I find that "Cav" sounds worse to me as time passes. "Pag" is a brilliant piece of music theater and sounds better all the time. The irony is that neither composer produced anything else of lasting value after these works. Zeffirelli is a great director and film maker and the casts are excellent in all ways. My problem is that I don't like to see films of opera. I like to see the physical effort it takes to sing because that's where you see the real skill of the singers. You can also truly see how the composer, with his sense of musical pacing, understood the theater. The faults of "Cav" can be masked by interesting camera work...in fact the first 15 minutes of this short work has virtually nothing contributing to the drama. And before the final scene the composer throws in a sweet meditation which dilutes whatever tension he created in the previous scene. One wonders if "Cav" would have held the stage as long as it has without "Pag" to lean upon. The second half of the DVD is more impressive since the tension never lets up in Leoncavallo's work. "Pag" also features the ultra charismatic singing actress Stratas and Domingo whose work simply never falls below a level of artistic merit which most singers cannot even approach. Frankly the best "Pag" I ever saw was a live broadcast from the Metropolitan also featuring Stratas and Domingo. During the final scene Domingo took a fall and injured his leg causing cancellation of several subsequent performances. Now that was an electric night! I do not feel that this film, with all its dramatic touches, is up to that broadcast, But it appears to be the best that's currently available. I am aware than many people love "Cav" but I know I will only watch the second half of this DVD.

Mascagni - Cavalleria Rusticana / Leoncavallo - Pagliacci / Pretre, Domingo, Teatro Alla Scala [Region 2]

Average customer rating:

Two Tales of Jealousy
The "GREAT EXPERTS" may differ, but I like both operas.
Not quite my Pagliacci
Caveat Emptor
One of the best!

Mascagni - Cavalleria Rusticana / Leoncavallo - Pagliacci / Pretre, Domingo, Teatro Alla Scala [Region 2]
Starring: Yelena Obraztsova , Plácido Domingo , Renato Bruson , Fedora Barbieri , and Axelle Gall
Director: Franco Zeffirelli
Manufacturer: Umvd Labels
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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

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ASIN: B00005RTFM
Release Date: 2002-01-29

Description

Award-winning director Franco Zeffirelli's now-classic productions are available for the first time ever on DVD. Placido Domingo leads an all-star cast in two of the most popular operas of all time. Cavalleria Rusticana and Pagliacci have remained the inseparable twins of opera since their first performances at the end of the 19th century. Featuring outstanding performances by Teresa Stratas, Elena Obraztsova, and Juan Pons in supporting roles, and Georges Pretre conducting the Orchestra e coro del Teatro alla Scala, Milano.

Cavalleria Rusticana
Elena Obraztsova: Santuzza
Placido Domingo: Turiddu
Fedora Barbieri: Mamma Lucia
Renato Bruson: Alfio
Axelle Gall: Lola

Pagliacci
Teresa Stratas: Nedda
Placido Domingo: Canio
Juan Pons: Tonio
Alberto Rinaldi: Silvio
Florindo Andreolli: Beppe
Alfredo Pistone: First Peasant
Ivan del Manto: Second Peasant

Customer Reviews:

Two Tales of Jealousy.......2006-10-14

As you have probably noticed, Pagliacci is paired on this DVD with Cavalleria Rusticana. This is very appropriate because they are both short operas, by contemporary composers, both here directed for film by Franco Zeffirelli, and both dealing with the deadly results of jealousy.

In Pagliacci, Placido Domingo, as Canio, is caught up in the inexorable action to kill his wife Nedda (Teresa Stratas) for her infidelity. Both singers show off their refined and superlative singing and acting abilities. Juan Pons equals them in voice as he sets the machine in motion to kill the woman who has rejected him.

In Pagliacci, it's the jealous husband. In Cavalleria Rusticana, it's the female lead, Santuzza (Elena Obraztsova) who sets the wheels of death into motion. Cavalleria is known for the beautiful strings of the Intermezzo, that produce the musical warmth for which this work is chiefly known.

Renato Bruson portrays Alfio, the wronged husband with an Arnold Schwarzenegger "Terminator-like" attitude that makes him merely a puppet of the laws of cavalleria rusticana, a sort of country justice. Both short operas end in a non-stop, wild, downhill sled-ride to an inevitable crash that will leave you breathless!

Beautiful Italian countryside complements the consummate staging and costumes. Time will stand still as you watch Placido's rendition of "Vesti la giubba." I can't imagine a better Pagliacci--share it with friends!

The "GREAT EXPERTS" may differ, but I like both operas. .......2005-07-16

As an old country boy from the south end of Texas I sometimes fear that grand opera may not survive as an art form. Productions like this one encourage me to believe that it will. I would beg to differ with any of the GREAT EXPERTS who might consider the performance of Juan Pons in Pagliacci to be anything less than magnificent.

Not quite my Pagliacci.......2004-03-02

I am also disappointed in this rendition, technically speaking. Much different from Zefirelli's Traviata, which was, to me, quite satisfying. For a definitive traditional PAGLIACCI, find the VHS version (not yet on DVD) where Tito Gobbi and Afro Poli render an unforgettable performance (B&W, of course, 1948 vintage). A plus: Gina Lollobrigida plays Nedda/Colombina although, of course, she does not actually sing.

Caveat Emptor.......2003-10-07

This product is represented as a list price of $29.98 but is offered at a low price of $89!! Maybe this is some sort of reverse logic. Secondly, the product is defective -- at least mine was. The picture constantly breaks up into digitized squares, particularl;y when the camera pans. Very amateurish. Makes you wonder about the source of the product.

And for those opera buffs who like traditional opera (i.e., a staged production -- not a film) please be aware that these two operas are FILMS. Therefore, they give you no idea how the composers intended for the operas to be presented on stage. I also expected a live performance at La Scala and would have liked to see the orchestra play, as well as audience reaction. It's non-existent because these are films.

One of the best!.......2003-09-25

I took an opera class recently and we saw so many operas. These two among all of them are my favorite. We first saw it on dvd, then we went to see a rehearsal at the San Francisco Opera house, then saw it again about a week later! I never get tired of these two operas. There is such passion and emotion in the music. It gives me goosebumps every time i see it or hear itand i cannot contain my own emotions. The translation is great, they really help you understand what is going on in case you dont speak the language. These operas are absolutely amazing. They changes you. This is what opera is all about. I highly highly reccommend this. If you like music, you'll love this!!

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