Customer Reviews

Donizetti - Lucia di Lammermoor / Devia, La Scola, Bruson, Colombara, Berti, Ranzani, La Scala Opera

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This DVD, in a series of old La Scala brodcasts, is from the 1992 season. Mariella Devia (Lucia) is in stellar vioce and gives a first rate performance. Hers is not the grand Lucia of Sutherland ('82 Met broadcast), nor the earthy Lucie of Ciofi (02 Lyon broadcast)... rather hers is a more bland, nuetrual Lucia. Thats not to say that her singing is bland, it is pitch perfect and has some unique dramatic shading. Vincenzo La Scola (Edgardo) doesn't erase memories of Bergonzi or Kraus, but he sings with a nice and bright tone even in the higher registers. Renato Bruson (Enrico) is as always a pure pleasure. He makes the most of the nasty villian he is. The rest of the cast is first class also, as one would expect from the "worlds best opera house".
The biggest fault is in the video direction, as with many of these early '90s broadcasts, they are dark and not many close up shots, and recorded in stereo. But that aside this is a very enjoyable DVD, if you are a fan of the belcanto composers, or if you have been waiting for a good and solid UNCUT Lucia then there is no reason not to make this a part of your collection. Enjoy.

This Lucia comes straight out of a dark 19th century oil-painting in a museum. Because of this, don't expect to find it lovely or romantic. Awe-inspiring is the word that comes to my mind and if you pay attention you can almost feel the chilly halls of Lammermoor Castle.

La Scola was a great surprise as Edgardo. A VERY fine Italian tenor with good squillo and well balanced acting. His top notes are particularly impressive. Bruson's lyric baritone has lost some of its opulence but it's still a great voice for this role. Colombara in one of his many Raimondos is noble but determined and his firm top notes come in handy.

Devia was in her 40s but she sounds as fresh as any soprano who had just made her debut. Her petite figure also ensures she looks the part. She was at the peak of her powers in 1992 and offers some of the finest singing on video of any vocal era. The mad scene, a scene I usually can't stand because of its lenght, is the highlight of the entire performance and both vocally and dramatically she took my breath away. Her perfect high notes and especially the staccati become expressive, natural sounds unlike any I've heard before and I'm aware of the stiff competition. All this spectacular singing is complimented with a balanced stage presence that is graceful overall and haunting in the mad scene.

Especially effective is the team work of the entire cast who bring the beauty of Donizetti's music forward. At any price, this is a performance that will honour your music library.

I can only second earlier comments about this splendid 1992 La Scala production: traditional settings, glorious costumes and spectacular singing. Devia is note-perfect throughout - a lovely instrument. Tenor La Scola partners with her effortlessly, with a great italianate "squilo" sound. Conductor Ranzani leads the Scala forces in a competent, if not entirely thrilling reading of the score.

This is an outstanding performance of a divine opera. The coloratur performance of Mariella Devia (Lucia) in the third act (mad scene) is standing out as subleme, at some stage actually echoing the instruments sound. Truely unbelievable. I can point out minor glitches but the essential point is that this is a 5 stars performance.

Excellently staged in an "orthodox" manner and superbly sung. This is one of the 10 operas in the "La Scalla" DVD collection - each a bargain if bought individually but if bought as a collection they are a "STEAL". I have 5 and all are excellent. A great way to begin a DVD opera collection and a wonderful gift for a friend who doesn't have most of the operas included in the set.

Donizetti and Bellini's, uncut, operas run about as long as Wagner's - and approximate the same heft. If you love this opera, get this dvd; study it, live with it. If you're into singers showing off, then get one of the others - you'll save a lot of time but of course you'll be missing the Donizetti boat.

I already revered La Scala but this production really blew me away - and I could compare the feeling of being in the tradition only by remembering performances of Swan Lake at the Maryinski. Even the productions featuring Mme (...)(at whose shrine I daily bow) seem a bit silly in relation to this one, full blooded and complete.

This is a visually beautiful production with a classic Lucia from Devia, and a very good supporting cast, including Vincenzo La Scola, a tenor who should be better known. The only flaw is some serious distortion on high notes. Engineers never did learn to record Devia's voice very well.

This is a really great traditional production of Lucia di Lammermoor, with beautiful sets and lavish costumes and the music and singing is superb! I've seen this opera before, but this production of it made the deepest impression on me.

The entire cast is good but Mariella Devia as Lucia and Vincenzo La Scola as Edgardo were simply outstanding! Why both of them are not better known or more often seen and heard is beyond me. Mariella Devia's voice is perfection. She sang the mad scene without blood or histrionics, just simple, straight from the heart-wrenching beauty. La Scola's condemnation of Lucia sent a chill up my spine and his Act III arias brought tears.

This is definitely worth seeing and I recommend it highly!

I've owned this performance now for several years and am only now writing my review.

I first discovered Lucia as a music student in college and found the music of the love duet at the end of the first act to be so hauntingly beautiful that I never forgot it. Years went by without hearing this music again but it was never far from my mind.

I found this recording on Amazon and decided to buy it and hope for the best. I must confess that I do not watch the entire opera all that often, but generally skip to the love duet at the close of Act 1 and enjoy that beautiful music all over again. I may have watched the entire opera two or three times but have watched the love duet more times than I can remember; and I'm happy to report that I'm still charmed by this beautiful music.

In operatic literature I am particularly fond of three love duets, this one at the end of Act 1, the love duet from the first act of La Boheme, and the love duet from Il Pagliacci. I admit I have not heard all of the other recordings of Lucia and cannot compare them to this one; but even without that advantage I have found this recording to be a joy. I have found the performances by Mariella Devia and Vincenzo La Scola to be delightful and have enjoyed this scene many times.

I would have paid the price of the DVD for this scene alone but have also fully enjoyed Davia's impressive performance of the mad scene. Her performance leaves me feeling rewarded with artistry that fully satisfies all my expectations.

I have found this recording to be a welcome adddition to my collection.

The lighting ruined this beautiful opera! Throughout the whole performance, the scenes were immersed in hellish darkness. The net results are disgustingly unfair to the singers and choreographers. How can La Scala permit this unprofessional shortcoming to happen?

I love Devia's performance, as well as her earlier dvd. La Scola was in too much of a hurry to finish the final scene, losing critical impact provided by Donizetti. He could learn from Carreras.