Classics on a Summer's Evening / Sinopoli, Gheorghiu, Alagna

Starring:Angela Gheorghiu, Roberto Alagna, Giuseppe Sinopoli
Studio: Angel Records
Product Type: DVD

Editorial Review:
Amazon.com
This is an outdoor concert for an enormous audience, staged in a large, architecturally striking public square in Dresden in July 1999, and featuring the most glamorous, young husband and wife currently active on the international operatic scene, soprano Angela Gheorghiu and tenor Roberto Alagna. Before his untimely death at age 54, Giuseppe Sinopoli was considered one of Europe's finest opera conductors, and in the Dresden orchestra and chorus he has performers who match his creative energy.

Amazon.com

This is an outdoor concert for an enormous audience, staged in a large, architecturally striking public square in Dresden in July 1999, and featuring the most glamorous, young husband and wife currently active on the international operatic scene, soprano Angela Gheorghiu and tenor Roberto Alagna. Before his untimely death at age 54, Giuseppe Sinopoli was considered one of Europe's finest opera conductors, and in the Dresden orchestra and chorus he has performers who match his creative energy.

Customer Reviews:

Just plain gorgeous.......2007-04-06

It's unlikely a browser found this DVD by typing 'classics on a summer evening' , but rather having typed in Roberto Alagna and/or Angela Gheorghiu for the simple reason we have become so fond of this pair. So much so, that many of us have to restrain ourselves to keep from positively gushing about them. Here are two gorgeous people sumptuously gifted in the art of Bel Canto. Who could forget them, ever, in Donizetti's L'Elisir d'Amore? That is if you like seeing two people actually in love, exuding passion, skill, poise, and grace.
All of us have come to adore our beloved Placido Domingo-the "Iron Man of opera, as he is fondly known. He is that because of his astounding voice, acting ability, and striking good looks- which is everything we all love about opera. Yet Placido remains humble and affable in spite of his enormous fame. Let us pray that these two can maintain something like Placido's genuinely likeable personality. Fame and fortune can have a pejorative effect all too often, sadly. For now...it is just plain thrilling to see these two ply their skin tingling magic.
Yes, it is important to keep one's hands still and by one's sides when performing such difficult and beloved arias...but you can easily see that each of them can barely hold still. You can see them reflect on the aria in its context; and thus the emotions they feel and that exude from each of them so easily as they soar, and soar, and soar. Roberto- like the majestic hawk circling, and Angela -the lark darting all about in graceful swoops, saoring so low, and then disappearing into the pale prussion blue sky high above.
I'm tempted to say that from now on, we must prohibit the audience from bringing in baloons to the concert...Angela voice would shatter them.

A word about this orchestra. The musicians are often overlooked. Not this time. We get lots of breaks between arias, and opportunity for the individual musicians to perform and get some nicely framed shots. They deserve it. For the entire evening is just flawlessly done. There isn't time to wax poetic about the great camera work and the opulent staging, outdoors at dusk...the word 'pearlescent' comes to mind.

If it is a choice between this DVD and another?.....he, he...believe me now or believe me later....When is the last time you experienced pure joy?

Beautiful concert showcasing 2 great stars!.......2007-03-27

This is a beautifully filmed outdoor live concert from Dresden featuring 2 terrific opera singers - Roberto Alagna and Angela Gheorghiu. Although my favorite soprano of all time is Anna Moffo, I have come to greatly appreciate Gheorghiu's musicianship and spectacular voice. She was magnificent in "La Traviata". I'm amazed at her breath control and how easily she sings. Alagna has an incredibly beautiful lyric tenor which I prefer over most of the current tenors excluding my wonderful Placido Domingo. The standout songs are "Voggatemi bene", "E lucevan de stelle", "The Flower Song", etc. Both singers are in excellent voice and so handsome together on stage. Gheorghiu looks smashing in a light blue gown with that ravishing black hair. Greatly enjoyable for all ages.

a summer evening to remember, and to enjoy again.......2006-06-24

As other reviews have mentioned, this is a performance by beautiful people, of beautiful music, in a beautiful setting.

In addition to the flawless singing of Gheorghiu and Alagna, there are wonderful opportunities for the chorus, including Verdi's "Anvil Chorus" from Il trovatore, and the Triumphal Chorus from Aida.

Sinopoli varies the program interspersing several overtures with the singing:
La Traviata
Nabucco
Carmen
Luisa Miller
Aida

As if this weren't enough to insure the freshness of each number, they have included two ballet selections that complement the program--dances from Carmen and Aida.

The program closes with a peaceful "Va pensiero" from Nabucco.

What a wonderful way--in sounds and sights--to enjoy a summer evening!

An exquisitely beautiful summer evening!.......2005-03-11

I just want to add my voice of assent to the able comments of other reviewers, and make the five-star appraisal even more statistically relevant! This is an exceptional DVD in its perfect harmony of technical and artistic competence. Visually, it is exciting and beautifully put together, whether in the scenes of Dresden's regal architecture, or the orchestra and chorus, or in the close-ups of instrumental soloists and the singers themselves. Soundwise, it strikes a perfect balance, at least on my theatre surround. The orchestral playing is superb, the chorus inspiring, and Mr Sinopoli achieves a synergy between instruments and singers the like of which I have rarely heard. His performance here is made all the more poignant by knowledge of his untimely death. As for Gheorghiu and Alagna, I have to confess to personal bias. They are my very favourite singers, and I'd cross the world to hear them. I doubt we'll ever hear a more stunningly beautiful "Vogliatemi bene"! This is musical champagne and balmy summer evening delight at their very best!

Thoroughly Enjoyable !.......2004-09-11

I agree entirely with the reviewer from Chile and would like to expand a little bit. Alagna is great and as he enjoys an excellent control of his breath, he never shouts. He also enjoys a huge voice well beyond his physical size and Gheorgchiu is wonderful too. Her singing has a beauty and charm of her own and I wouldn't compare her with either Callas or Caballe.

The photography is most excellent: Dresden, one of the fewest well preserved city, is well captured from views taken obviously from a chopper, along and above the river covering both the city and it's beautiful architectures before and after dusk. Needless to say, the photography of the performers and the recorded sound are equally excellent and one just can't expect more.

The director is successful in his arrangement. Unlike most other concerts featuring a single or a couple of superstars with the camera glued to close-ups of the superstars so that often the audience is just having too much of them. Here after their individual solos and a duet, we have either some music in the in between or else we have some ballet dancers in the intervals so that the audience won't get bored.

The conductor was obviuosly at his heyday, for he sadly passed away just 2 or 3 years later. The orchestra is great: in terms of the violins ( particularly the concert master) or the solo cello, or the clarinetist ( who was absolutely fantastic) or even the solo flute... I simply prefer this orchestra to the present Berlin Philharmonic. Nonetheless, (somewhat like Furtwrangler conducting Strauss is not quite the same thing as Strauss himself conducting,) one wonders if a German orchestra is the most ideal orchestra for the essentially Mediterranean music: the Italian operas/arias despite the fact that the conductor is Italian himself ?

As a whole, the concert is somewhat like a New Year Concert in the sense that the two soloists would never overtip the balance of the whole repertoire ( the two simple added some extra flavour & embellishment to the concert) but neither is there too much of a climax or focus. But that would cater well for the new comers to opera, one would suppose.

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