Customer Reviews

Le Nozze di Figaro

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I had great expectations for this Nozze di Figaro, and after my first viewing, my high expectations have all been exceeded. This is a Nozze to treasure, as it is a magnificent performance from start to finish. Giovanni Furlanetto's singing and acting are superb as Figaro--yet I have nothing but admiration and praise for everyone in the cast. The singers have a real understanding of Mozart's characters, and they truly bring them to life in a way that I have rarely seen. There are absolutely no weak links in the cast despite many names that may be unfamiliar to most viewers. This DVD is truly a jewel, and its visual and sound quality are excellent. It preserves a beautiful and very special performance of one of the greatest operas ever written. I cannot imagine any fan of Mozart or opera not being greatly pleased with this DVD, and without reservation I rank it among the best I have ever seen.

This is a very fine Figaro, and probably the best version currently available on DVD. Technically, the DVD is very good, with a clear sharp picture and good sound (it was recorded in 1994). The sets are also very nice - vibrant and colorful, suggesting a sunny mediterranian setting.

The performance is excellent both in terms of singing and orchestral playing. The Lyon Opera Orchestra is a technically suberb ensemble with convincing leadership in conductor Paolo Olmi. His interpretation is full of spirit, and he seems to find an ideal middle road in terms of performance style - tempos are lively, but never pushed to uncomfortable speeds, and slower arias are geven their full breadth without ever becoming heavy, slow or marmoreal. Clarity between strings and woodwinds is exemplary.

The youthful, attractive cast is just as good. While none of them were previously known to me, they all turned out to be secure singers and very good actors who become convincingly involved in their roles. I found the roles of the Count and Figaro to be especially well done. I was a little less enamoured of the Susanna and Contessa both of whom are very good, while not being excellent. Cherubino is also top-notch - the singer portraying the role sings and acts wonderfully, and looks more convincingly like a teenage boy than any other production I have ever seen.

Truth be told, I did not expect to enjoy this Figaro as much as I did given my unfamiliarity with the cast and conductor. But now having seen it I'm VERY glad I decided to take a chance and buy it. Unfortunately, this is not always the case, but those looking for a good Figaro on DVD can buy this one with confidence - It really is superb... Enjoy!!

Singing and acting are without fault, often exciting, right for Mozart's grand music and for da Ponte's score. The orchestra also excels, playing the glorious music while leaving the lead to the singers when it should. As an earlier reviewer noted, the casting with young singers/actors makes the proceedings seem credible and logical - the cast truly brings music and plot to life! The viewer needs not look at obese aging stars cast in young roles: there is no need to be "sophisticated" and look beyond that kind of directorial transgression if not travesty. Unfortunately, the staging - scenery and costumes - is spartan and, with few exceptions, neither true to the 18th century nor, to my taste, pleasing to the eye. Also to my taste, it is perilously close to a hypermodern approach that may fit some situations but, please, not Mozart and not Figaro! In sum, this Figaro is delightful to the ear but a mixed experience for the eye. I rate it A- overall, with an A+ in all areas except staging - which rates a D+

The Marriage of Figaro on this DVD is a good one, boasting fine acting and splendid voices.

The production is done at the Opera National de Lyon with its small and intimate stage and is performed before a live audience. Paolo Olmi conducts the orchestra. The sets have an attractive pastel quality without being overdone and the costumes fit the period for which the work was written. Also, the camera angles and video switching is well done.

This opera was one of three where Mozart used Lorenzo Da Ponte for the libretto and with the same results: a plot full of twists, suspense and surprises. Add to the words, the great music of Mozart, and you have a winning combination.

Stellar performances by Giovanni Furlanetto as Figaro, Elzbeta Szymtka as Suzanne, Ludovic Tezier as the count, Janice Watson as the Countessa and Francesca Provvisionato as Cheribino highlight the opera.

Although this cast does not have the blockbuster stars to sing the leading roles, it does have actors and actresses that seem to have a special sexy chemistry with each other that makes for a wonderful presentation. They are young, vibrant, enthusiastic and committed to the roles they are portraying onstage and yet at the same time seem to be having a great deal of fun.

A wonderful production of "Le Nozze": one you will be happy to have in your collection of great opera.

This was great, but judging by other peoples' reviews on other videos that I've seen other viewers might think different. This video has many great qualities, but te best of all is that the two arias "Il capro e la capretta"(sung by Marcellina) & "In quegli anni"(sung by Don Basilio) aren't omitted. Usually they are, & this is the first time I have seen them recorded on tape. Giovanni Furlanetto is a great Figaro mostly because he is kind, sweet, & friendly, but close to the end he looks a little bit like he is drunk. Otherwise he is wonderful. Elzbieta Szmytka was okay as Susanna, exept she seemed kind of unfriendly to most of the other characters at parts. Janice Watson is very good as Countess Almaviva, but when she is seen in act two she seems a little bit plump, otherwise she is really good, especially in the fourth act. Ludovic Tezier was good as Count Almaviva, although he seemed to have a little too much make-up on. He also was in a bath robe when he is first seen in the first act. Francesca Provvisionato is not very convincing as Cherubino, but still has a very beautiful voice that works well with the character. The beautiful lyric soprano voice of Tiziana Tramonti as Marcellina was probably the best soprano voice that you could find, because Marcellina is usually sung as a mezzo-soprano. Marcello Lippi's great bass voice is hard to compete with, even when it comes to the sounds of Paolo Montarsolo & Samuel Ramey. Sergio Bertocchi was perfect for Basilio with his great buffo tenor voice, especially in "In quegli anni", his only aria.

There are subtitles on this video, & they are very easy to see because there is a special region at the bottom of the screen for them. The translation isn't very accurate, but it still is great, & I reccomend this video very much.

This production is a sheer delight. I remember saying "No wonder opera won't go away after 400 years" when experiencing this for the first time. Mozart's penchant for making all the characters, no matter what side of the conflict they are on, completely irresistable. You'll want all these delightful folks to get their way. (except, perhaps, the Count!) Very well photographed, in a simple, yet elegant set. Szymtka, while not a natural beauty, aces the two suductive arias. And, her 'letter duet' with the Contessa will melt you into a puddle. I have seen 3 other versions of her role that don't come close. Furlanetto, as Figaro, is exceptionally fun to watch and hear. The rest of the well-balanced cast fills in nicely, to fill the 3 hours with more comedy, poignant moments, drama, and great music than seems possible. Out of about 80 versions of various operas I have seen so far, this is still my favorite.

I found this performance truly exciting. The singing is great, the acting is superb, the singers are young and sexy, so the whole spirit of this opera is so well conveyed. It is a truly enjoyable performance and I can only wish that modern opera production continue with this degree of professionalism, passion and realism.

This is a quaint performance, the sparse stage does not detract from the nice performances. My only real quibble is the sound quality. For a DVD released in 2001, I was surpised that it only had 2.0 stereo. Add to that the fact that I had to turn the volume way up on the stereo just to get normal output.
Overall good, but could be better sound-wise.

I had only seen one other performance of "Le Nozze" and that was live in San Francisco. That performance was perhaps perfect in every way! Unfortunately for the DVD production, it thus was viewed against rather high expectations.
The other reviewers do not slight the singing and I agree that it is superb. Similarly, the acting is quite good, especially for an opera. In two ways I was a bit disappointed: the sets were somewhat unimaginative and the overall spirit of the performance was slightly lacking -- the San Francisco performance had me smiling broadly throughout the performance and its stunning aliveness is not often found in opera (of course, it featured the incomparable Sylvia McNair, who has it all!)
I can therefore imagine that this may not be the definitive "Le Nozze." But watch it anyway!

No recording of Le Nozze di Figaro would ever get less than 5 stars from me unless the singers were sadly out of tune. This performance certainly has no such flaw; the singers are splendid and vocally suitable to their roles. The sets are charming. The stage action is gracefully theatrical. This is an extremely well-balanced ensemble of music, theater and visual art. Other performances may include more enormous vocal talents, but few could be more enjoyable.