Product Details

• Actors: Enrico Caruso, Beniamino Gigli, Belcanto Opera
• Format: Black & White, Classical, Color, DVD, NTSC
• Language: English
• Subtitles: German, Italian, English, French, Spanish
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Euroarts
• DVD Release Date: May 17, 2005
• Run Time: 170 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B0007XHKS0
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #45,586 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Rare Footage and Recollections of Great 78 Era Tenors, May 25, 2005

By 

J Scott Morrison (Middlebury VT, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Belcanto - Tenors of the 78 Era, Part One / Enrico Caruso, Beniamino Gigli, Tito Schipa, Leo Slezak, Joseph Schmidt, Richard Tauber (DVD)

This DVD was released as a VHS tape around ten years or so ago, but I did not see it them. It features separate thirty minute segments, made for European television, on six great tenors of the 78rpm era: Caruso, Gigli, Schipa, Tauber, Leo Slezak and Joseph Schmidt. It has some rare and often delightful footage of each of them and features recordings of some of them which are not otherwise easily available. The film footage often is of the singer noticeably singing something other than the recording being played, but it is actually fairly startling how often the synchronization of the film almost matches the recording. And some of the clips actually do include singing because they are taken from German-language theatrical films from the 1930s.

There is an attempt, via voice over narration and interviews with people who knew the singers (as well as with experts like the insufferably precious, but admittedly knowledgeable, Stefan Zucker). Particularly outstanding in this regard is the German writer on singers, Jürgen Kesting, who also wrote the booklet notes. All the people who knew the singers are, of course, quite old themselves at the time of filming. They share recollections of the singers performances as well as personal tidbits about them. The interviews take place all over the world--including a some done with people associated the Teátro Colón in Buenos Aires and with the Met.

I suspect this DVD is primarily for genuine fanatics for the history of singers and of opera. It is not a performance DVD by any means, so don't go looking for long musical excerpts. Still, it was done with loving care and does not, as so many operatic recollections do, err either in being sycophantic or unduly caustic. That said, I will add that I enjoyed it thoroughly.

TT=170 minutes; Dolby Digital 2.0 sound; subtitles in English, German, French, Italian and Spanish. Booklet notes in English, German and French.

Scott Morrison

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Where else would I find it?, September 13, 2009

By 

The Whole Truth (Central Valley of CA.) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Belcanto - Tenors of the 78 Era, Part One / Enrico Caruso, Beniamino Gigli, Tito Schipa, Leo Slezak, Joseph Schmidt, Richard Tauber (DVD)

I ordered this item with bit of hesitancy after reading some of the other reviews but I am thoroughly delighted with the content and presentation. Some of the interviews include musical references which are beyond my level of prior knowledge but I enjoyed them nonetheless. I am sure that I will learn more just from listening to the discussions. I actually bought the DVD to learn more about Joseph Schmidt and loved that section which included clips from his films and performances, as well as candid cuts in addition to information and interviews. In fact, all of the sections were fascinating to me.my husband ,who rarely watches any TV found it very interesting also. I am sure that I will watch this DVD many times in the future.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars So much to enjoy; so little time allowed, August 22, 2005

By 

Rob Pollock - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Belcanto - Tenors of the 78 Era, Part One / Enrico Caruso, Beniamino Gigli, Tito Schipa, Leo Slezak, Joseph Schmidt, Richard Tauber (DVD)

The really infuriating thing about documentaries of this kind is that it is painfully and frequently obvious that so much material has been left out to allow prattle from commentators on the singers and the singing to intrude. Whoever edits these things seems to be a sadist who enjoys blotting out the subject singer and his art with some fairly inane twaddle. It is like having a beautiful and interesting painting on the wall ready to be admired, only to have some boring child stand in front of it and drivel on without letting the painting show its own value.
Nevertheless, there are so many fascinating glimpses of vocal gold to be caught that it's even worth playing the game "Dodge the little people" to see and hear greatness.

Somehow, there are splendid things that may be heard and seen from Caruso and his colleagues on this mixed blessing.