4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
THE definitive Pagliacci!, October 3, 2004
This review is from: Gobbi: I Pagliacci [VHS] (VHS Tape)
Okay, it's not the perfect video; despite my 5-star rating, I want to make that clear. It's black and white; the voice dubbing is often out of synch; the English subtitles disappear altogether for long stretches. I can see how these and other issues related to the film's age could mar the experience for some viewers.
Not for me, though! The performances on here are SO FABULOUS that they make the technical problems pale into insignificance. I believed in the love, the lust, the bitterness, the searing anguish, and the unbearable pain of these characters, and I will always think of this cast and this performance whenever I hear this music again. I watched the Placido Domingo video the day after seeing this one, and despite the wonderful Teresa Stratas, it does NOT measure up to this one (except technically, of course).
I would like to thank the reviewer of the Placido Domingo "Pagliacci" DVD who made a point to recommend this video over that one. I would never have considered it on my own, since it never occurs to me to look for operas on video any more, now that DVDs exist. But now I hope others will discover this one and will be enthralled from start to finish the way I was. You won't soon forget Tito Gobbi in his stunningly different dual roles of Tonio and Silvio, or the ravishing beauty of Gina Lollobrigida. The sudden, raging thunderstorm that crashes down at the end is beautifully done and is the perfect coda to a master work, as your hair stands on end as if from the lightning on screen ...
Oh, and the clips from "William Tell" are very enjoyable, too. :-)
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