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139 of 141 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Stunning and Spellbinding Performance!, November 18, 2000
In 1961, when The Met still made road tours, a friend and I stood to hear a young Joan Sutherland sing Lucia, so it was with high hopes that this DVD went into the player. In 1982, at the height of her talent, Dame Joan did not disappoint. Teamed with a cast that includued the sumptuous voice of Pablo Elvira as Enrico, and the elegant, poised tenor of the late Alfredo Krause as Edgardo, this Lucia overwhelms the viewer, both visually and acoustically. The conductor is Dame Joan's husband and coach, Richard Bonynge, arguably the finest conductor of bel canto opera. But the performance all comes down to Sutherland, and, for those who were not fortunate to have heard her before her retirement, this disc is overwhelming evidence of why she was referred to as "La Stupenda"! Vocally spectacular, with a range, fluidity and temperment that makes this as close to a perfect performance as one is likely to see, Dame Joan literally brings the house down at the end of the "mad scene". Pioneer, once more, has demonstrated how well opera and DVD technology work together. Don't miss this disc!!
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80 of 80 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
My favorite opera video of all time, January 23, 2001
This review is from: Donizetti - Lucia di Lammermoor / Joan Sutherland, The Australian Opera / Richard Bonynge conducting [VHS] (VHS Tape)
But then, Sutherland is probably my all-time favorite soprano. I had the great good fortune to see a performance of this production at the Met when I lived in Manhattan at that time. Because the Met is such a big house (I sat in the orchestra section), the sound on the video is much better than at the live performance. Krause, in particular was difficult to hear, and Elvira's deeper voice often almost impossible to hear, even in the orchestra seats. Dame Joan is of course much older than the heroine, but her difficulties both in voice and physical movement make her seem that much more touching and vulnerable in the role, to me. The fact that her voice is not the pristine, perfect instrument is was in the 60s and 70s, also, for me, adds emotion and expressiveness to this particular production. I will always be able to enjoy this performance, and as a lover of vocal and musical beauty, that is quite a comfort to me. I highly recommend this particular version to anyone who loves the opera, and especially who love Sutherland's voice. BTW, this is NOT a review of the Australian Opera performance, but the Met Performance of 1982, which I saw live at the Met.
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58 of 58 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Better Late Than Never, April 8, 2001
We should be thankful that the Met finally got around to preserving the greatest Lucia of our time, even if she was in the autumn of her career. Sutherland is faulty here only by comparison with the purity and ease of her more youthful voice, available in memory to operagoers of the 60's and 70's and to owners of recordings. One commentator in these pages wonders why the Sutherland voice is not of its earlier peerless quality after 1977. Surely, anyone who knows operatic voices is aware that the usual prime for such singers in ages 35 to 50. Sutherland's performance here, at age 56, is still amazing. This Lucia is memorable for the diva's remarkable, indeed extraordinary elasticity and power even though she has past her prime. One regrets, however, that the forces at Pioneer didn't see fit to digitally remaster the sound, which is really no improvement over the Videotape or larger disc. Such a grand occasion deserved more audio attention.
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