Product Details

• Actors: Renata Scotto, Carlo Bergonzi, Mario Zanasi, Bruno Bartoletti, Plinio Clabassi
• Format: Classical, Color, DVD, Subtitled, NTSC
• Language: Italian
• Subtitles: English, French, German, Italian, Spanish
• Region: All Regions
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Video Artists Int'l
• DVD Release Date: May 29, 2007
• Run Time: 130 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000QJLW52
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #180,115 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

35 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Bel Canto Treasure, July 7, 2007

By 

Wyoming - See all my reviews

This review is from: Donizetti - Lucia di Lammermoor (DVD)

The two reviews posted as of this writing are on the mark with their five-star ratings. Scotto's Lucia and Bergonzi's Edgardo present a level of bel canto singing that would be almost impossible to surpass in any era. This televised Tokyo performance has been available on pirate VHS and DVD for a long time. The present VAI commercial issue provides a better video image -- you can even see the scenery, which is not particularly important but makes it clear that this release is taken from a different source than the pirate version, perhaps the original source. It also replaces the Japanese subtitles with a choice of English and other languages, edits out the spoken Japanese plot summaries between acts, and restores the truncated curtain calls after the Ravenswood Tombs scene which closes the opera with two great arias by Edgardo. This restoration reveals that Carlo Bergonzi's performance of this scene was rewarded with six and a half minutes of applause in the course of no fewer than eleven curtain calls -- in four of these calls Bergonzi is joined by Plinio Clabassi (Raimondo) and Bruno Bartoletti (conductor); in one he is joined only by Bartoletti; and the remaining six calls are Bergonzi's alone, the last one in front of the main curtain. If you want to see why the audience was so enraptured with Bergonzi's performance, this DVD will show you. Scotto also provides a beautiful performance which was also very well received. Any one of three numbers may increase your heartbeat, bring tears to your eyes, and/or excite your soul, and would alone justify the purchase of this DVD: the aforementioned Ravenwoods scene; Lucia's mad scene; and the Lucia-Edgardo duet in the Lammermoor castle fountain scene. Thank you, VAI. I hope it will not be long before you give us a similar restoration of the performance of Verdi's Un Ballo in Maschera from the same "Lirica Italiana" forces -- also a 1967 telecast from Tokyo, in which Bergonzi's Riccardo is joined by Antonietta Stella's Amelia. Who knows what else may be revealed by that restoration, but the performance also finds Bergonzi in magnificent voice in one of his best roles. While we wait, we still have our cherished pirates of that performance (again with Japanese subtitles only), but it would be wonderful to have a restoration like the present issue if VAI has access to the NHK or other superior sources.

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars GREAT MOMENTO OF SCOTTO IN HER PRIME, June 22, 2007

By 

OperaLover "eastsunrise" (Fort Lauderdale, FL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Donizetti - Lucia di Lammermoor (DVD)

For those that are not familiar with Renata Scotto in her prime, this DVD should be a revelation. Not only is the voice beautiful but her technique is brilliant. The mad scene is a highlight. If she is not quite as showy with pyrotechnics as Sutherland and Sills, she is still spectacular. The pathos and word pointing she brings to every scene is unique. It confirms why many see her as the rightful successor to Maria Callas. Her Edgardo is Carlo Bergonzi, another paragon of operatic style, who matches her note for note with elegance and beauty of tone. The charisma of Scotto is lacking in Bergonzi, but is more than made up for in his total stylistic commitment. The two of them have made several important recordings together and the matching of these great voices is always a treat. Mario Zanasi was one of the best baritones of the '60s. Although he never achieved true stardom, his contribution here is a major plus. Scotto did record Lucia very early in her career with Di Stefano and Bastianni, but this was before her vast stage experience. Every lover of bel canto will want this DVD even if you already own Sutherland's, Moffo's, etc.

18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great!...if you can endure Scotto's high notes, July 10, 2007

By 

Armindo (Greece) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Donizetti - Lucia di Lammermoor (DVD)

Good to see these once private tapes circulating commercially on dvd.

Dramatically Renata Scotto makes a very interesting and balanced character on stage. Neither overdone, nor boring and especially her acting in the mad scene is spot on. Her peculiar childish facial features and petite figure make her a convincing Lucia too. On the other hand I've never seen a soprano milk an applause as much as Scotto does in this performance, not only does it spoil the drama, it makes her look silly too. Vocally her performance suffers from her harsh forte notes above the staff. The middle and lower notes on the other hand are good and her smooth legato brings much to her phrasing but too often has she got to sing a high note and the result is painful. Softly, the results are much more pleasant and the mad scene has some really nice ones until we get to the louder ones.

The leading male cast however compensates for any Scotto shortcomings. Mario Zanasi appears first and his bronze, powerful Italian baritone rings splendidly. Not the most subtle singing for sure but I couldn't stop admiring the powerful core of this voice. He's very keen to show his long breath off but his milking has got no chance against Scotto's! He too is convincing as the evil brother but the voice simply overshadows all other aspects of his character. He'd be a leading recording and performing baritone today.

Edgardo is one of Bergonzi's finest roles and this live performance is a splendid proof. The scene totally changes the moment he enters and pours his first phrase. If Lucia was delighted to see him, I was thrilled to hear him, especially after her top note in Quanto rapito. On stage Bergonzi does his standard acting tricks but I found him surprisingly intense in the sextet outburst. But even his standard tricks work fine and he seemed more involved than most tenors I've seen in this role. Vocally there isn't a phrase he doesn't care for, a note that isn't beautifully sung. It's said that Maria Callas during their MET Lucias would sit behind the curtains after her mad scene and wait to listen to Bergonzi do justice to Donizetti's finale because according to her there was no tenor around who could sing it like Bergonzi. Bergonzi has said that this was one of the greatest compliments he ever received.

Raimondo's lovely duet with Lucia is sadly cut here which makes Clabassi's task pretty thankless but at least the Japanese audience appreciates the scene before Lucia's madness. Angelo Marciandi is Arturo and I fully sypmathise Lucia. You have to see this man to get my point..I burst out laughing! His singing is terrible and the only positive thing I can say is that he seems to understand what he's singing.

Bartoletti gives his singers a lot of freedom and the sound quality is good enough to enjoy the performance. Can't give it 5 stars because of Scotto's high notes but Bergonzi and Zanasi easily raise 4 stars. Everyone's got their favourite Lucia and mine is Mariella Devia who's got a lot of Scotto's good qualities plus limpid top notes. Favourite recording, her 1990 Rome performance in the original keys with all the ornaments and top notes (F).