Product Details

• Actors: Joan Sutherland, Anson Austin, Sergei Baigildin, Stephen Bennett, Jennifer Bermingham
• Directors: Virginia Lumsden
• Writers: Eugène Scribe
• Producers: Virginia Lumsden, Peter Butler
• Format: Classical, Color, DVD, NTSC
• Language: French
• Subtitles: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Kultur Video
• DVD Release Date: March 26, 2002
• Run Time: 200 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B0000640T2
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #65,795 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "Meyerbeer - Les Huguenots / Bonynge, Sutherland, Thane, Australian Opera" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

LES HUGUENOTS/MEYERBEER - DVD Movie

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good enough, September 23, 2002

By 

Stanley Hauer (Hattiesburg, MS USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Meyerbeer - Les Huguenots / Bonynge, Sutherland, Thane, Australian Opera [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Come on, guys. This is just about as good as you're gonna get nowadays. Yes, the ol' girl is past her prime. Yes the tenor is squally. But when will you hear a better cast? Not in our lifetimes, I'll bet! (Though try the Opera D'Oro CD with Corelli and Sutherland.) The production values are pretty good. Orchestra is fine. Most of the cast hit most of the notes. Let's just admit that we don't have singers anymore who can perform "The Night of the Seven Stars." If you want to see this opera, this is it. Okay?

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Way to go, Dame Joan, November 11, 2008

By 

Teacup (Assam, India) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Meyerbeer - Les Huguenots / Bonynge, Sutherland, Thane, Australian Opera (DVD)

Yes, previous reviewers are correct, the great lady is past her prime. IT DOESN'T MATTER. She is still the best singer on the stage and her acting as well as her stage manners are exemplary. She gives some of the best demonstrations of how to acknowledge audience applause without breaking character.

This was a brilliant choice for a farewell performance. It showed off her voice, and though the historic Marguerite de Valois was a bride of 18 at the time of the St. Bartholomew's massacre, Ms Sutherland playing her as an older woman doesn't spoil the opera story-line. The next best singer was the page Urbain, who has lovely arias, which she sang competently and acted well. None of the other singers were upto snuff.

The staging and sets are lovely. The third act ballet (gypsies) was well done, but not well sung. It is a pity that the Australian opera did not, at least for this occasion, import talent to match Ms. Sutherland's. I suppose it made her stand out. Bravissima, La Stupenda, bless you and thank you for sharing your great gift with us all.

I would love to hear the earlier audio version with Ms. Sutherland in the same role and with a cast that can truly be described as the seven stars. The only problem is that you have to pay almost $10 per star! Someday, I shall own it.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Completely enjoyed it, March 30, 2010

By 

A. Pascale (Philadelphia, PA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Meyerbeer - Les Huguenots / Bonynge, Sutherland, Thane, Australian Opera (DVD)

I enjoyed this performance very much. I finally got to see what "Les Huguenots" is all about. Why this opera is not performed regularly is a mystery to me.

It seems to me that you have to listen to it on its own terms. Just like Wagner requires you to accept him on his terms. If you fight Wagner and expect him to be this or that, you will not enjoy him and he will bore you to death (I'm still not able to sit through "Parsifal"). The same is with this opera. If you accept the length and let it unfold, when Act 4 comes you will be gripped in the drama. The beauty of the scene with Raoul and Valentine will amaze you and hold you through the end of the opera.

Instead of another "Lucia di Lammermoor" let's have this performed. However you need a good tenor and the one on this performance is pretty good.

The video is a little dark at times and the homage to Joan Southerland is a bit long (over twenty minutes). I would have preferred more of the music and less homage. But I'm happy to have this video.

Get this video over the one with Richard Leach. That one is in German and the Nazi setting is distracting and gets in the way, especially if you are not familiar with Les Huguenots. If you want to get it as a second then OK as Leach is amazing.