Product Details

• Actors: Puccini, Freni, Dvorsky, Varviso
• Format: Classical, Color, NTSC
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Bel Canto Society
• VHS Release Date: August 26, 1997
• Run Time: 160 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
• ASIN: 630459352X
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #101,052 in Video (See Bestsellers in Video)

Editorial Reviews

Stephanie von Buchau, The Oakland Tribune
"Freni doesn't look a day over 25 ... her voice has overwhelming reserves of pathos, sweetness and power."

Product Description
Freni, Dvorsky, E. Serra; Varviso. (1990). 134m. Color

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Freni and brush up on your Spanish, March 28, 2000

By	F. Behrens "Frank Behrens" (Keene, NH USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This is a very decent production of the Puccini masterpiece, marred only (for some) by the Spanish subtitles--since this was obviously taken off the air from some Spanish telecast. The packaging informs us that the production is from 1990, the title role is sung by Mirella Freni and Des Grieux by Petr Dvorsky, and Silvio Varviso conducts. [Amazon.com lists the latter as Director.] Even the tape itself does not tell us the rest of the cast or even the house in which the opera is presented. Now, Bel Canto, this is not very user friendly. In fact, when I phoned for information, I got was the warehouse that told me the video was no longer available!

Now Freni is of course no longer in her vocal bloom, but what she had in 1990 is formidable and deserving of the long Bravas her two arias receive from a very enthusiastic audience. The notes on the slipcase state that Dvorsky "More artist than vocalist" (what in heaven is that supposed to mean?) "sometimes sounds taxed above the staff." Add to that some fairly wooden acting, please.

And yet I thoroughly enjoyed this production. The use of a Comedia dell' Arte troupe to comment in mime on the action in the first act is not too intrusive...and it is interesting to see one of them among the woman prisoners in the Le Harvre scene. The scenery is not elaborate but functional and only now and then does the picture get a little fuzzy. On the other hand, it did not have the video problems the more elaborate Metropolitan Opera version has.

I liked the baritone playing Lescaut and the Geronte for once was not a total clown. And I did appreciate being able to hear the give and take of these two in the first scene over the chorus that usually drowns them out in live productions. The prompter, unfortunately, is also audible fairly consistently.

So if you can read Spanish, I would certainly recommend this video. If not, well the performances are strong enough to overcome that feature.