55 of 55 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Meltingly Lyrical - Beautifully Sung - Brilliantly Staged, January 5, 2002
Charles Gounod is frequently accused by critics of being "too pretty" or "too sentimental", yet his masterpiece, Faust, is one of the most performed operas in history. Romeo is close to Faust insofar as its lyrically melodic score is concerned and when well sung and staged, is a real treat to the eyes and ears. Having seen it onstage twice, I was prepared to be critical, but also to be captured by a good performance. This is a very good performance. Alagna has enough youthfulness at this stage in his career to be a believable Romeo, and he sings the role with magnificent vocal technique as well as near perfect French. (I stopped and replayed the second act aria, "Ah! Leve- toi soleil ..." so that my significant other could enjoy it.) In fact, one of the real pleasures of this disc is the French diction of all the performers. I had never seen or heard Leontina Vaduva (Juliette) before watching this disc, but she does a great job as the teenaged heroine. Vocally, her lyric, coloratura is ideal for the role and her opening aria, "je veux vivre..." is perfectly realized. She can act, too, as evidenced by all her interactions onstage, particularly, and not at all surprising, with Romeo. Particular mention should be made of Anna Maria Panzarella in the " trousers role" of Stephano, Romeo's page. She has a fine voice and great stage presence. Maestro Mackerras coducts with respect for the emotional nature of the score. The tape to disc transfer is near perfect, as is the recorded sound. As I have noted in other reviews, the DVD medium is next best to live theatre, because the viewer sees and hears the performance, and can experience the totality of the operatic experience. So, if you are looking to see what opera is all about, or introduce older children to the genre, this performance is hard to beat, because the music is consistantly lovely, and the onstage action is ongoing. And if you are, like me, a longtime opera fan, just buy this disc, and if you don't find it enjoyable, send me an e-mail challenge to this review. The domestic cultural scene, unfortunately, sees fewer opera performances, except in major cities like New York. The DVD medium, fortunately, lets good operatic performances come to our homes. Enjoy!!
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27 of 27 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
It Doesn't Get Better!, February 12, 2003
I've just ordered this DVD after watching it on PBS. I'm an opera tenor myself and not always enamored with Roberto Alagna. But he does an absolutely superb job here, and Vaduva matches and balances him perfectly. Their acting, right down to their dual deaths at the end, is natural and not contrived as many operas seem. I've heard, seen, and sung in many operas around the world, but it really doesn't get better than this!
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21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
First class all the way!, November 15, 2001
This was a stunner in the vhs format and the dvd version only enhances what is a classic theatrical experience. Alagna and Vaduva sing and act as if they were Romeo et Juliette. The tomb scene is utterly shattering. If this scene doesn't move you, you need a heart transplant. Mackerras brings to life this great Gounod score. Alagna and Vaduva sing with ardent glory and passion, beautiful in timber, strong and yet fragile at the same time. Sets are simple and very effective. Le Reux and Lloyd must be singled out also in what is a handpicked cast. I don't think this performance will ever be surpassed. The magazine "opera Now" considered it a "classic to be" in their very powerful review. Of the top ten dvd operas now available, this is humber 1/2. Beautiful music, superbly sung and acted. This belongs in every collection.
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