Customer Reviews

Moreno Torroba: Luisa Fernanda - Teatro Real Madrid

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have been a fan of musical theater and operetta for a long time, so when I was in Spain, I was determined to see a "zarzuela", Spain's own particular light opera form. That performance of "Luisa Fernanda" was extremely thread-bare, yet still enjoyable. How thrilling was it to see this production in full blossom at the Madrid Opera house (and be able read the English subtitles.) And to have Placido Domingo head the cast, well that was just icing on the cake. I highly recommend this DVD for fans of operetta and light opera. If you've never seen a zarzuela, then you owe yourself this. In addition, as of this writing I was also able to purchase through Amazon.com the CD of this performance.Moreno Torroba: Luisa Fernanda [Spain]

I was thrilled to have a DVD of Luisa Fernanda. I saw it on the stage for the first time when I was 17 and since I have seen it a few times, in New York and Miami.
The singers and orchestra are all great. Purist may not like this rather minimalistic staging, but it was very handsome, all in black and white.
The DVD have subtitles in many languages including English and Spanish, and although since my young days I have known almost all the lyrics by heart (I have several recordings, LPs and CDs of it) in the second viewing I displayed the Spanish subtitles and had a great time singing along!
If you like zarzuela, you will enjoy this DVD.

I love zarzuela and this is one of my favourites and although everyone is in place (well, Domingo could have played the tenor role, only Kraus sang it better), the setting is very simple and the costumes don't represent the real clothes Spanish people used to wear during those days. I must also point out that a lot of dialogue's been cut.
But all these things don't matter; the music is simply GREAT. The "Mazurka de las Sombrillas" is one of the best things ever written and most of the arias could rival with the ones written by Puccini or Verdi.
I totally recommend this DVD and I really hope that in the future some other zarzuelas sang by people like these can be released on this format.

I loved this production, including the minimalist set featuring black and white costumes and props. The model of Madrid with buildings and the prominent letters spelling out MADRID set to the lower right of the stage revealed the setting. At the start of Act III, the choristers came on stage and removed the letters for Madrid and covered the buildings with an earth-colored cloth and poked little trees into the hills. This was a clever way to announce the change of setting to the countryside. Strange to mention this detail at the beginning of a review? Perhaps, but there seem to be many objections to the staging and I found it pretty and delightful.

Also, there are extras on this DVD, including a synposis and interviews with the director, conductor and Placido Domingo. The interviews added to my appreciation of the zarzuela form, particularly this production of Luisa Fernanda. The director and Domingo both have close ties with this zarzuela, but Domingo's are especially poignant. His father sang the role of Vidal Hernando and his mother sang Luisa Fernanda over a thousand times! Domingo has conducted and played both Javier Moreno and Vidal Hernando. His parents toured with this production, visiting Mexico and eventually settling there. I did not see the interviews until after I watched the production, but they underscore Domingo's passionate portrayal.

All the principal players in this production were excellent. I've seen Jose Bros in other operas, but he was in great form for this production, playing Javier Moreno, the ambitious "good-for-nothing" to the hilt. Domingo was fabulous! Nancy Herrara as Luisa Fernanda captured her conflicted emotions beautifully. Mariola Canterero was provocative and playful as Duchess Carolina.

This production was great on all levels and I recommend it!

Based on other reviews I had high expectations for this but the production was spoiled for me by the use of a bright, white screen as a background for almost the entire production! Visually, I couldn't get past the glaring white set! The cast, singing, dance, and costumes were excellent. But I couldn't get past the background!

I recall a certain image from back in the Siskel and Ebert days of movie reviews. They showed themselves leaving the theatre in an elevator, with the obligatory thousand mile stare, as we all do in the awkwardly intimate space of that strictly linear, austere metal cocoon. The object being, in part, to not gush with compliments or sneer with disdain, but to go home and be scientifically objective with their reviews.

I just finished watching this DVD, and I confess, I am gushing. The odd thing is, I thought I would never like a minimalist set. I and many others are most often sorely disappointed by them. More than one reviewer of opera stagings has used terms like "felt shortchanged".

I am reminded of a play that I was to be in decades ago, and the doctor's wife was vying for the lead romantic, a young girl in the script, yet the doctor's wife was in her fifties. ( She, wisely, was not cast in the coveted romantic lead. ) These things happen because they have the money to support the "theatah". She also insisted that the set be minimalist. (Thankfully, she failed there as well. ) The word often heard in the same sentence with minimalist, is "daring". Yet there are a large number of opera lovers who feel it is just plain "producing on the cheap". It makes the performers feel more stiff and less real; adding to the failure of expensive performances on cheapskate, bare stages.

Yet here in this production, it works. I was surprised. What makes it work, I think, is that things happen. A square increases, or reduces in size, providing a daylight look, or a night-time, starry look, or bands of black and a band of white, or a band of golden light, or a sunny landscape all aglow with topaz light over a single lush , green tree. After all, Placido refers to his beautiful ranch and it's cool, shady oaks numerous times, while courting Luisa. All these changes in light play over a cast of thousands in all white; with the occasional aristocrat, or soldier.
It then makes for a kind of visual Haiku. I say give this set designer a little more budget. If he can work this magic with so little, I can only imagine what visual lushness he can provide for this timeless libretto.
This could be the most engaging period piece ever. We are, after all, falling in love with Zarzuelas, and are dying of curiosity about this opulent age of music. We want to travel in time, and drink in all these work of art known as the Zarzuela

And work of art this IS. A superlative cast of internationally beloved vocalists - Jose Bros, a huge favorite in Spain, and for good reason. Everything he has been in is top drawer. With a voice like his, you can see why he is so well respected and loved. He has a brief affair with the aristocratic, but scheming, comely beauty, the Duchess Carolina - played by the incomparable Mariola Canterero. It happens these two also make for some glorious fireworks in Il Viaggio A Reims, by Rossini. They are great together! She is so lovely to look at; and her voice?...it makes the finest viol sound like a rusty gate. What a lovely voice. I'm afraid she steals the show.
But in this story, we have a problem. Jose Bros, playing the revolutionary career soldier for hire - Javier - is somehwat betrothed to the title lead Luisa - whom, as it turns out, has ignored Luisa for lo these many years. Meanwhile, Placido, the gentleman and noble farmer, Vidal, is busy making moves on Luisa; and manages to convince her he is the vastly better choice for her. ( Oh don't we all adore this man! )

So this opera has it all - a political upheaval, liberal versus the old guard, country people versus city folk, two women fighting over one man, two men fighting over one woman...and did I mention the music? Oh Lord, how I wish opera had caught on much earlier that THIS is the way to do opera. Instead of the interminable recitative laying out critical plot line...we speak ! We act, we express normal thoughts and emotions. And then we break into song.... sumptuous, soaring, lofty melodies and rythms. This is the kind of opera we all love - the one we play again and again, learning the songs the best we can. For they certainly remain with you. ( Start including some sheet music with the DVD's, people ! Or at the very least, make it possible to order one or more of the arias, and chorus on sheet music. )
One of the reviewers has heard these melodies since childhood, and never tires of them.
The choreography is even terrific. The large chorus consists of so many talented and handsome young people, that one wonders if everyone in Spain is this talented and lovely to look at. The music sung by the chorus is possibly the best music in the show as well. Everyone on stage gives a flawless, sublime performance. Space does not permit naming them all...but what a lovely bunch of coconuts! I hope to see many of them again.

If you love Zarzuela, Luisa Fernanda is a must and you can't ask for better players than in this production. My only disappointment was the scenery which was to sparse for my taste.

I can absolutely recommend this DVD, I have watched this zarzuela over and over again. The very simple staging - everything is black and white - takes a little getting used to, but other than that it's beautiful. Great singers! and if you like Placido Domingo, it's a must - as ever: he's still dashing and charming and makes you suffer, when he doesn't get the girl. I wish there were more zarzuelas with this kind of casting on DVD.

Sets and costumes are a little less than lavish, however they are the same as used in the LA Opera stage production

Great performance. Good video and sound quality. The background scenery sort of unconventional by leaving most of it to the viewer's imagination.