Customer Reviews

An Evening With Joan Sutherland & Luciano Pavarotti

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

 

 

From the Met, broadcast in 1987. Two great singers a little past their prime, but the Rigoletto Quartet alone makes this DVD worth owning.

In the Rigoletto, Dame Joan's voice opens up and is as full, agile, spikey and powerful as it had always been. Her final note in the quartet is vintage Dame Joan.

In the Traviata Dame Joan's voice is somewhat attenuated. I know Violetta is supposed to be at the end but Dame Joan's voice doesn't really warm up and although she is projecting emotion, it doesn't really come through in her vocals.

Some of Dame Joan's Lucia can be passed. Her top notes do not quite work.

And... whoever was responsible for her make up should have been shot. I've never seen her look so bad. I saw her even later in her career and she looked A-OK, make up is so important, particularly for video.

Luciano carries the timbre of the voice he had for years and years, so beautiful. My goodness that man could sing! Not everything worked for him here either. But he was an amazing showman and there were times that one could simply float on the cushion of his voice.

The supporting cast were all highly respected Met regulars, each wonderful singers in their own right. One can't help but be rivited to Isola Jones during the quartet, Luciano certainly was!Sutherland-Pavarotti-Bonynge Gala Concert, Opera Australia;Donizetti - Lucia di Lammermoor / Joan Sutherland, Alfredo Kraus, Pablo Elvira, Paul Plishka, Richard Bonynge, Metropolitan Opera;Cecilia & Bryn at Glyndebourne: Arias & Duets [HD DVD]; Three Tenors: In Concert; Luciano Pavarotti: Christmas at Notre Dame; 30th Anniversary Gala Concert / Pavarotti, Verrett, Sabbatini, Anderson, Cappuccilli, Kabaivanska, Furlanetto, Teatro Valli in Reggio Emilia Opera; Gala Concert at Royal Albert Hall;Sutherland-Horne- Pavarotti "Live From Lincoln Center"

I pleased that Decca have released this on DVD, since this is one of the best galas that the Met have put together.

This gala is recorded on January 11, 1987, and featuring Dame Joan Sutherland and Lucio Pavarotti in fully staged performances of Act 3 of La Traviata, Act 3 of Rigoletto and Act 1, Scene 2 and Act 3, Scene 3 of Lucia Di Lammermoor (Compared this to Dame Joan's 1982 Met performance that out on DVD), with the Met orchestra under the direction (As always with Dame Joan on the stage) of Richard Boynage.

Since it was on VHS for years, Met fans have been cavoring for a DVD release, and now they got their wish.

Nown only if the Met can reissued their 25th Anniversary Lincoln Center Gala on DVD!

You can not ask for more than Joan Sutherland in perfect voice matched with Pavarotti before he got thin! A simply outstanding evening of glorious music with two legendary voices. If you like Italian opera, you will love this DVD.

Exceptional! The one word I'd use to describe this DVD. It far exceeded anything I could have hoped for; however I shouldn't have been shocked since the two stars (Sutherland and Pavarotti) shine so brightly in each of the productions sampled here. It is a welcomed addition to my DVD collection.

. . . but still - Pavarotti and Sutherland are nothing short of fantastic.

The audience at the Met went wild over these performances of four scenes from the classic Italian repertoire. You, too may feel like cheering. To me it was quite a satisfactory evening of viewing but not the best that one could hear today. Nucci and the supporting players did a fine job, so did the principals. However, from Sutherland and Pavarotti one expects top of the line. The night of this filming one did not get that degree of superiority. By all means, if one can get the disc at a suitably discounted price, it is worth having.I am not capable of judging the quality of performance here as opposed to what one heard earlier in their careers. I can readily believe they had lost just enough in 1988 to bring them into line with the average high quality performer.