Product Details

• Actors: Anna Caterina Antonacci, Mariella Devia, Paola Gardina, Francesco Meli, Simone Alberghino
• Directors: Carlo Tagliabue
• Format: Classical, Color, DVD, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
• Language: Norwegian (PCM)
• Subtitles: German, English, Italian, French, Spanish
• Region: All Regions
• Aspect Ratio: 1.77:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Arthaus Musik
• DVD Release Date: February 24, 2009
• Run Time: 151 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B001OBT3DY
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #131,496 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

ClassicsToday.com, Robert Levine, April 2009

Composed five years after his Anna Bolena, Donizetti's Maria Stuarda does not quite reach the level of through-composed sophistication or pathos as the earlier opera; but it is a great work nonetheless. Within the conventions of aria-cabaletta Donizetti still manages to vary mood thoroughly, with Maria's final scene a masterpiece of changing form and expression. And he has, at the end of the second act, one of his greatest trump cards: the invented-by-Schiller, hair-raising (and hair-pulling) confrontation between the lovely Mary and the harridan-like Elizabeth I in Fotheringay Park. I have always wanted to believe that if the two had met, it would have turned out precisely the way Schiller envisioned it--and the way Donizetti composed it.

The opera had a stormy birth, with many revisions required to satisfy the censors, and even the "final" premiere, on December 30, 1835, starring Maria Malibran, was troubled: the singer was indisposed. And then, after a few successful performances, the censors again dropped by and stopped the show, and the opera was not heard again until 1958. It was soon championed by Leyla Gencer, Montserrat Caballé, Janet Baker, and Beverly Sills in the sympathetic title role, with an equally impressive collection of singers as Elisabetta. This DVD, recorded at La Scala in January, 2008, and directed, designed, and costumed by Pier Luigi Pizzi, stars two of today's bel canto specialists, Mariella Devia and Anna Caterina Antonacci.

Antonacci, whom I had just seen on a DVD starring as Carmen, seems able to sing anything, and she handles Elisabetta's somewhat angular but highly decorated music handsomely. An attractive woman and formidable stage presence, she is costumed alternately in ghastly orange drapery and ghastly white and black riding gear, with severe white make-up. While looking nothing like any portrait of Elisabeth I've ever seen (unlike Beverly Sills as Elisabetta in her video of Roberto Devereux, which is frighteningly imitative), she certainly could scare the animals. She is not the cleanest of bel cantists, occasionally smudging runs and making some nasty sounds, but hers is a thoroughly satisfying, vicious, vindictive portrayal.

As her opposite, the supposedly beautiful (hence the jealousy of Elisabeth) Maria, Mariella Devia is vocally ideal, but the close-ups do not altogether help: she is, um.... mousy. That aside, and although she is also dressed unflatteringly in a gray that could make a sidewalk look colorful, from the moment she begins to sing her first aria we know we are in the presence of the lovelier of the two women. Donizetti's writing for Maria is sympathetic and melodic, unlike Elisabetta's, and Devia spins out the graceful tunes with ease and poise, adding spectacular--and secure--high notes to her lines and, of course, final cadences.

The confrontation itself, in which Mary calls Elizabeth a "vile bastard", is as stunning as it ought to be, with the women sparring and matching each other, venomous outburst for venomous outburst. On CD, only Caballé and Verrett (on various "private" labels) and Sills and Farrell (on Decca) outdo these two--quite a compliment. (Sutherland sounds a bit tame and Huguette Tourangeau, though dramatically viable, sounds as if her voice is coming through a cavity other than her mouth; they also provide the soundtrack for an abridged, bizarre DVD version on Image Entertainment that stars some Czech actors mouthing the words.) Devia's lengthy final scenes are exquisite; she sings gloriously and acts with dignity, with lovely pianissimos and powerful eruptions. Her ready-for-execution red dress is very impressive.

The tenor role, Roberto, Conte di Leicester, is somewhat unsympathetic, and the vocal line sits right in the tenor's passaggio--E, F, G, A-flat--with only occasional flights to B-natural. Francseco Meli cuts a dashing figure, sings directly on the text, and handles the awkward transitions very well. As Maria's confessor, Giorgio Talbot, bass-baritone Simone Alberghini's dry tone does not help, but he is a compassionate figure nonetheless. Piero Terranova's Lord Cecil helps to inflame Elisabetta. All the men are in black, sometimes frilled, sometimes leathered, always formal.

Pizzi's sets consist of black bars, horizontal and vertical, and long staircases that meet at center stage, with a slate gray bench or two thrown in for, well, sitting (or standing on, as Maria does at one point). This prison-like motif is broken only at the start of the Fotheringay scene, when the bars are replaced for a few moments by trees that disappear as soon as Elisabetta enters. The effect actually works. Pizzi's direction, particularly of the two women in their knock-down scene, is telling and true. Conductor Antonino Fogliani leads a taut, exciting performance that holds together even in rambunctious moments, with Maria's tenderness underscored nicely in her solo scenes.

The only video competition (besides the Czech production mentioned above) is on Dynamic, with Carmela Remigio and Sonia Ganassi (from Bergamo) as under-par protagonists in an ugly production. I wonder what happened to the VHS version from the English National Opera with Dame Janet Baker and Rosalind Plowright--it was splendid. Arthaus' picture and sound are first rate and subtitles are available in all major European languages. The direction for small screen is excellent; we see reactions for every action. This is highly recommended

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Ageless Devia at her best, March 1, 2009

By 

Niel Rishoi (Livonia, MI USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Donizetti: Maria Stuarda - Orchestra & Chorus of the Teatro Alla Scalla (DVD)

The particulars:

Maria: Mariella Devia
Elisabetta: Anna Caterina Antonacci
Anna: Paola Gardina
Leicester: Francesco Meli
Talbot: Simone Alberghini
Cecil: Piero Terranova

Conductor: Antonino Fogliani
Director, set, costumes: Pier Luigi Pizzi
La Scala, 2008
Arthaus Musik 138 mins plus bonus


I love MARIA STUARDA. Of his Tudor operas, I rate it second after ROBERTO DEVEREUX as a music drama. Anna Bolena, in spite of its sublime music for the title role, as whole I find not as musically compelling than Donizetti's later works; it is less original and cohesive as whole.

While the music of Elisabetta and the other characters is not as memorable, the music for Maria herself is magnificent, finely characterized, and reaches heights of greatness. There is the nostalgic, wistful "O nube che lieve per l'aria," with its ascending-descending melody; the peerless last act, where Maria has a succession of one stunning number after another. The meditative, deeply felt larghetto of "Quando di luce rosea," the urgent duet with Talbot; the gorgeous, rapt "Deh, di un umile preghiera," which has a true religious fervor; the penitent "D'un cor che muore," and lastly, the *maestoso* "Ah se un giorno da questo ritorte," which burns with inner fire and a great nobility.

Not least, STUARDA has one of the most brilliantly dramatic confrontations between the the two queens, in a highly explosive encounter: the "Figlia impura di Bolena" sequence is a thoroughly febrile, hair-raising moment of drama.

Maria is the most lyrical of the 3 queens and the least adorned by decorative writing. It has served as a showcase for many excellent sopranos: Leyla Gencer (one Dina Soresi was the first Maria in the 20th century), Montserrat Caballé, Belle Silverman, Joan Bonynge, Edita Gruberova, and now, Mariella Devia.

The lost autograph was found in of all places, Stockholm, a number of years ago, and the performance reflects this. There are indeed numerous differences in several places throughout the score, in a departure from the by-now familiar version (derived from several, and supposedly "corrupt" sources) which has been used throughout the years in performance and recordings. I do not have the resources to compare the two scores side-by-side, and since different versions seem to be used for every performance available in any format, would be a major undertaking; but a Donizettian, familiar with the music, can discern the diffrences easily on his own. The most notable examples are that of Maria's cabaletta, "Nella pace del mesto riposo," and the final "Ah! se un giorno da queste ritorte;" both melodically take different courses from the versions we're used to hearing. They're not necessarily better; just different. I find myself preferring the final aria in its commonly heard incarnation, though; it strikes a more fatalistic and higher pitch of tragedy. However, the most striking variant is the finale to Act Two, after Maria has denounced Elisabetta as a "vil bastarda." In many ways the passages are similar, but unlike the wide intervals of high emotions of the usual one we're used to hearing, this one appears to seethe on a much more restrained level. It makes for a very interesting comparison, one which will depend on the taste of the listener.

This is, I think, the 3rd commercial video release of STUARDA. The first 2 can be handily discarded. The film by Petr Weigl is a bizarre experiment that fails utterly: it takes both Schiller's play (in German) and Donizetti's opera, and incorporates both into the same performance, intercutting them abruptly into one another: it's a disaster. The Dynamic DVD has two very notable artists: Sonia Ganassi as Elisabetta and Joseph Calleja as Leicester. But a gaping hole is left by the Maria of Carmela Remigio, she of the one octave-attractive voice and personality. She isn't horrible by any means (appealing voice and presence): just a bona fide amateur.

The void in the catalogue has now been filled and then some by this new release.

Production by Pizzi: minimalist. Barring the astro-turfed, plastic tree-ed opening scene for Maria, we have your generic grates, grilles, and stairs. Gorgeous costumes, of the period. Lots of leather-clad courtiers (Castro District residents take note) and Catholic Ladies Dressed in Black. Reasonable attempt at staging.

From the bottom: Workaday Cecil. A young, baritonish, average Talbot. The Leicester, Francesco Meli - the Elvino on the Dessay SONNAMBULA. Nice voice, a bit tight on top, fine presence ("Keeping Up Appearances" ' Rose would describe him as "dishy"). None of these men would be described as exceptional singers (Meli a notch above), but they are competent enough.

Antonacci, an excellent, elegant Elisabetta, is a great foil for for Devia's more humble Maria. She takes care not to be the beastie baddie bitch, and looks agonized at having to sentence her sistah girl to the chopper. Antonacci has a more character-type voice than one of true technical precision. The voice has a bit of a flutter, but is not unsteady, and she is an expressive artist. It's too bad Elisabetta's music is so conventional: her music doesn't linger in the memory (and isn't "excerptable").

This release's principal distinction is brought about by the (largely) ageless Mariella Devia. I would say that this release, (meaning on video) does the greatest justice to her art (the LUCIA from Scala, 1991 is a fine document, but Devia, while splendid vocally, is, histronically a bit on the low-temperature side).

To put on a point on it, Devia, at 60, is just fricking unbelievable. There is scarcely a soprano 10, 20, 30 years younger who is singing as well as she does still. From the moment of her entrance, an aura-glow of a Special Occasion takes place. She is one of Italy's glories.

For those of us who have followed Devia's career for a long time, we will note what a *shrewd* self-judge she is, in the same way Dorothy Kirsten was - in knowing precisely how the voice will best function.

I say this as a fact, not criticism: Devia's middle-lower range, within the context of a line, has lost some of its sonority and strength (from natural consequences of age, not faulty vocal production). Some of the individual phrases that occur on low are just fine, but wending down in a line that has begun on a higher tessitura, the body of the tone tends to disappear; "dal tuo pie," sung *come scritto* (instead of the octave up), loses impact (she might have best elected for the octave up tranposition). But elsewhere, to solve low-lying considerations: Devia simply raises the line, the phrase, the note: her upper register is mainly undiminished, in fact, it peals out with amazing freedom and power. And she often adds interesting bits of crowning notes to heighten the expression and edge. Her judicious, aware knowledge of where and how she has made these textual decisions is a sign of her absolute self-discernment. These are the kind of adjustments that Donizetti would have understood, as, after all, most composers wrote to the strengths and weaknesses of any given singer.

The role is a near perfect fit for Devia. Her voice finds its best repose in the gilding of a line, and here, she exemplifies the sympathetic mien of the character. The limning of "O nube che lieve per l'aria" is expert, suave and buoyant; she captures the joy of her recall. "Da tutti abbandonata" has her showing that fine, plushy tone you know in her "Verranno a te." For the "Figlia impura di Bolena," her denunciation begins well enough, with brisk, biting sarcasm; but at "Profanato, e il soglio inglese" to the end of the section, the tone loses focus, so that some of the impetus is lost.

Act 3 though has her going prodigiously from one scene to another. Devia invests deeply in the line of "Quando di luce rosea," creating a poignant sense of regret. The Preghiera is just gorgeous, pristine: the high A is held crescendoed, and goes upward without a break in breath. She successfully creates some variants to detract from the low-lying "D'un che muore," while keeping the sense of the piece's mood.

However, Devia pulls out all the stops for a splendid "Ah, se un giorno da queste ritorte," where she floods the melody with the most dulcet of tones, conveying a sense of burning urgency; she has a way of shading the tone to impart a tear without sobbing. Most fascinating of all, she alters the second verse's melody with some spectacular variants to capitalize on the undiminished power of her upper register, and it heightens that urgency most persuasively. By the way, Devia ends both acts 2 and 3 with the familiar sopracuti: both are spot-on. I love the staging here: Maria puts her head on the chopping block, and the leather-adorned bald slave-master-executioner lifts up the slicer ~~~ then, darkness.

Histrionically, this is the most involved performance of Devia's that I've seen so far. Maturity seems to have given her a more purposeful reaction to the music, and her physical responses are more free, spontaneous than I've ever seen her. You might wish for a bit of Scotto-Seize-The-Moment grandeur in the "Figlia impura di Bolena," but, for the most part, Devia's unfussy acting is in an honest, direct response to the music.

The 10 minute backstage mini-docu is a tantalizing glimpse of the stars and staging.

Unhesitatingly recommended. You will not hear many singers who sound this good at age 60.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Devia: the greatest belcanto singer of the age, April 26, 2009

By 

J. Luis Juarez Echenique "pepechenique" (Mexico City) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Donizetti: Maria Stuarda - Orchestra & Chorus of the Teatro Alla Scalla (DVD)

This is the real thing: Belcanto in excelsis!
For sheer sense of style, individuality, understanding of what she is singing and technical magnificense, Mariella Devia is without peer. And if you consider that she is past 60, it is obvious she is a living miracle.
It doesn't matter that the staging is rather modest, with Devia and the also stupendous Anna Caterina Antonacci living their roles to the full, this is a must-have DVD. In this age of girls-next-door trying to be prima donnas, here you have the real thing: Great Divas.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent musical values., March 15, 2009

By 

S. Wells (California) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Donizetti: Maria Stuarda - Orchestra & Chorus of the Teatro Alla Scalla (DVD)

This production presents the critical edition of this score in a splendid musical performance.

Mariella Devia may not have the most beautiful of voices for the bel canto repertoire, but she deserves her reputation as one of the leading exponents of Donizetti's lyric coloratura roles. I had the pleasure of seeing her Lucia on stage some years ago, and her voice, at 60, is just as secure and commanding as then. She caps the first act finale with a powerful D in alt. She's an excellent actress, as well, and turns in a committed and moving performance as the queen of the title.

She's equally matched by the Elisabetta of Anna Caterina Antonacci. Ms. Antonacci can be relied upon for her secure vocal technique and her compelling acting. The confrontation scene between the two queens is, as one would expect, the highlight of this performance.

Francesco Meli is an ardent and sweetly sung Leicester. Simone Alberghini and Piero Terranova are adequate as Talbot and Cecil, respectively. Both orchestra and chorus are superb. The picture is sharp and the sound is clean.

The production itself leaves much to be desired, and I've taken off a star accordingly. There's nothing too bad in the staging, it just isn't very interesting. The set is merely a structure of grilles and grids. In the feature interview, Pier Luigi Pizzi states this is meant to represent a prison. This is appropriate enough, I suppose, for those scenes in which Maria appears, but has no bearing on the scenes at Elisabetta's court. I suspected it was just low-budget, but a full forest scene rises from the basement at the beginning of the second scene. Maria wanders amongst the trees whilst singing her entrance cavatina. The forest subsequently sinks back to the basement for her cabaletta. According to Mr Pizzi, this is meant to tell us that she's dreaming of happier times - thanks so much for the clue. The music would never have told me that. The costumes indicate that several herds of cattle must have been slaughtered to provide all the leather. The ladies usually get posh frocks, but even Elisabetta is butched-out in a leather dominatrix outfit, complete with riding crop, for the confrontation scene. These, however, are minor quibbles.

The DVD is accompanied by a booklet with a complete cast list and a brief, and badly written, essay. [...]. If you're familiar with this opera from the Sills or Sutherland recordings (or the bootleg Caballe recordings), you'll notice some differences. The opening chorus is a tune that Donizetti will later recycle in "La Favorite" and Maria's first act cabaletta "Nella pace del mesto riposo" has an variant passage in the later part.

Despite the grilles and grids, there is ample material for enjoyment and I recommend this to lovers of bel canto.