Customer Reviews

Metropolitan Opera: Centennial Gala

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

3 hours and 49 minutes of excellent and moving performances by present and past opera singers and conductors with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. 23 operatic vocals including arias, duets, trios, a sextet, and a septet. There are two overtures and a ballet. Nota bene that an older DVD player had terrible sound problems with this and other Pioneer Classics like La Boheme. This Centennial Gala and La Boheme sound fabulous on the new DVD player. The lighting, colors, and perspectives are as good as you will see on television and better than VHS. The English subtitles are optional. There is a DVD 58 page history of the Metropolitan Opera. This is a jewel in my operatic collection. Enjoy!

This DVD contains the majority of a two-day celebration of the Metropolitan Opera's first 100 years. While its origin in 1983 prevents it from being sonically 100%, the performances are simply fabulous! You'll see why the "three tenors", Pavarotti, Carrerras and Domingo, deserve the fame that they enjoy. You'll see and hear why Dame Joan Sutherland was called "La Stupenda" by her fans. You will see and hear the most ravishing singing of two scenes from Der Rosenkavalier, which will convert even the most ardent operaphobe. You will marvel, as I did, how sensitive and youthful the late Alfredo Krause sounds in the love duet with the simply splendid Catherine Malfitano) from Romeo et Juliette. With nearly four hours of marvellous singing, with arias, overtures, duets, trios and ensembles, this disc will be replayed over and over at our house -- and yours, too. My usually objective wife was clapping and exclaiming "bravo" as the performances progressed, and properly so. Don't miss this one; and its perfect as a gift for any opera lover or anyone who is curious about what opera is all about.

ADDENDUM: When I initially reviewed this disc, it was a release on Pioneer Classics, not the re-mastered DGG edition featured here. I just added the DGG edition and can update this review accordingly. The picture is cleaner; the colors are more intense. The DTS surround sound is the biggest plus for me because it provides some ambience that suggests a sense of "being there". It is not as dramatic an effect as is the case with the new HD technology, but it is a significant upgrade that amply justified the expenditure for the 2 disc set. My earlier comments on the quality of the performances is unchanged. It's a chance to see some of the Golden Age singers of the second half of the 20th Century.

I could have watched the whole thing, which lasted for six hours, but for some reason the people who put out both the video and the DVD decided to trim it by two hours. Why? Since this was a once-in-a-lifetime celebration, why cut a third of it?
I taped this myself when it was originally broadcast, so I have it all, but my enthusiasm for a couple of the very performeances that were edited out have created some slight damage to those parts of my twenty year-old tape. I hoped I'd find the complete performance when I bought this, and was really disgusted when I realized how much had been cut. Among many others that I have often enjoyed were: the sextet (or is it the septet) from La Italiana in Algeri, with the wonderful Edda Moser doing her high notes, Ara Berberian sounding out like a bass drum; Neil Shicoff and the Met male chorus doing the Kleinzach song from Les Contes d'Hoffmann. this was the first time I ever saw Shicoff and I was a fan of his from that point. If I'd been given the choice of who or what to cut, I could have found some performances I could have lived without, but for this special occasion, I would really have voted to leave them all in. When will we see their like again?

The 1983 Metropolitan Opera Centennial Gala was perhaps the classical concert of the century, with most of the greatest, still-living voices in attendance and participating. But Pioneer Classics DVD recording of this concert is the recording crime of the century. From the opening notes of the Overture to the Bartered Bride to the final "Happy Birthday", the sound is so grossly distorted that it is almost totally unlistenable. When I played the first copy of the disc I bought, I thought that there was something wrong with my speakers or my DVD player, but other DVDs sounded wonderful. I returned the first disc and ordered a second thinking that the first was simply badly copied. But the second disc is just as bad. Pioneer Classics should withdraw this DVD from production until a recording worthy of the event can be produced. Please don't waste your money on this DVD. If you love this music and these performers as I do, you will only be enraged at the injustice which has been done to both.

This was my 1st dvd purchase.For this operaphile, this is the Mount Olympus of the arts. The performances were extraordinary.Vocal mastery was in abundance.It's difficult to single out specific exemplary performances.The phenomenal Eva Marton set the mood with her searing version of "In questa Reggia". The collaboration of Battle,Von Stade& Soderstrom for the ethereal final trio from "Der Rosenkavalier".Carreras &Caballe scaling new heights with the finale from "Andrea Chenier".The limpid beauty of Madama Butterfly's Act 1love duet sung to it's zenith by Leona Mitchell & Giuliano Ciannella. The list goes on & on. 4 hours of pure listening pleasure. The fashion police ,however,must have been on stakeout at the other end of town. money well spent!!!

I have the "old" Pioneer Classics DVD version, lasting 231 minutes. The "new" DGG version lasts........231 minutes. So it must be the same coverage. I don't know why DGG went to the trouble of duplicating the existing version. Better picture? Better sound? I don't think I will spend money (although not too much for this DVD) to see whether picture and sound are any better(no complaints on the Pioneer DVD).
I have asked DGG whether they had any intention to issue a DVD-version of the "Metropolitan Opera Gala 1991 - 25th Anniversary at Lincoln Center", of which I have the VHS. That is the one with the 3 excerpts from RIGOLETTO, OTELLO and DIE FLEDERMAUS plus a number of arias. This is often mixed up with the "Metropolitan Opera Gala, celebrating James Levine's 25th Anniversary", which took place in 1996 (2 DGG DVDs). DGG said no intention. Unbelievable!

This is a wonderful DVD for showing family or friends why you like "great singing."

This gala performance celebrates the 100th anniversary of the Metropolitan Opera--and they do it in a way they can be proud of.

There is more talent assembled on this stage than you can imagine!

A quick glimpse:


Roberta Peters stands out in the sextet from Lucia di Lammermoor, as she hits the high notes with grace and ease.

Kiri te Kanawa presents Mozart as only she can do it.

James McCracken brings down the house with his impassioned singing of Otello--it requires a (seemingly interminable) several seconds for him to recompose himself from his anguished aria about Desdemona.

Alfredo Kraus and Catherine Malfitano sing Romeo and Juliet with such passion and love that it is not at all difficult to imagine them as the young star-crossed young lovers.

Nicolai Gedda sings Una Furtiva Lagrima--Donizetti would be applauding!

It's just one memorable aria after another!

Jose Carreras and Montserrat Caballe with POWERFUL singing...

The trio from Gounod's Faust will bring tears to your eyes--how can that melody be repeated so many times and still affect us so?!


This is just one supreme performance after another, and I haven't even mentioned the performances of Pavarotti and Leontyne Price, Birgit Nilsson's Isolde, or the fabulous ballet baccanale from Samson and Delilah.

At the end, all these talented performers appear together on stage, and sing a refrain of "Happy Birthday to You, Metropolitan Opera." It may sound corny, but when you look upon the tremendous appearance of so much talent together at one time on that immense stage, it is moving.

Invite yourself--and some friends who enjoy great music--to this consummate musical feast!

I second all the positive reviews posted here. As for the few who claim this DVD has bad sound...check your DVD player, nothing's wrong with the DVD. Maybe the player just won't play this DVD, I don't know, perhaps you have an old model. I love this DVD, it has most of my favorite singers and they're all wonderful!

I, too, have been crossing my fingers every day since I read "Operaman's" review above. Been waiting for years for a complete version of that Met's fantastic celebration. I check the DG Site daily and today I saw that they added more details...the Track Listings for DVD #1 and DVD #2. So, apparently, there are two DVDs....BUT.....DG simply divided the old Pioneer version into the new DG version. Same selections and timings. I did pre-order it anyway because I'm sure that the Video and Audio will be far better than the old one. I can't imagine that DG will be issuing a more complete version...so this is gonna be it for all of us Met lovers. If anyone finds and my information is wrong, please let me know and correct me. Thanks.

A priceless treasury of some of the greatest voices and conductors of all times all in one place. Excellent sound.
You'll love Leona Mitchell. What happened to her? She is the obvious successor to Leontyne Price, my heroine of opera.