Customer Reviews

Puccini - Tosca (2000)

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is a lovely film version of Tosca. One should note that it is not a traditional recording of an opera performance. It is essentially a film and should be judged in that context. But do not expect a Zeffirelli-type operatic film either. There is a deliberate intercutting of the operatic sequences with black and white shots of the singers and orchestra in the recording studio. Far from detracting from the experience, this intercutting adds to the vibrancy of the film and shows the timelessness of Puccini's creation. It also shows the very act of creation in progress. The music and dramatic tension are not overtly harmed by this cinematic device. We are reminded throughout that we are watching an opera, that this is a story that despite its realism, is still just a story told on film. That said, when you are transported into this operatic reality, it is done so well that you fully believe in that reality so that cinematic devices like having voiceovers singing the characters' thoughts without the singers themselves visibly singing do not feel out of place. The operatic staging is in the traditonal style and very beautifully done. The performers, particularly Raimondi and Gheorghiu, are superb. However, traditionalists will almost certainly not like this. It received very mixed reviews when it premiered in 2002, its critics very scathing in their attacks, mainly for its cinematic style and what they saw as its deviation from the traditional way of depicting opera onscreen. But judged from a cinematic viewpoint it is a beautiful production, visually sumptuous and dramatically gripping from start to finish. Seldom have I felt so much hatred for Scarpia as I did here. The performances are second to none. Despite the carping from its many critics, they do agree on one point, the singers are outstanding. And it's always a pleasure to be able to watch Angela Gheorghiu, one of the loveliest sopranos to grace the stage. If it can attract a younger audience to the pleasures of opera, so much the better for it.

The present DVD edition is another matter. This film was released on DVD throughout Europe in 2003. The best European version is on the BBC/Opus Arte label. It is a splendid release with the film presented in its original 1.85:1 widescreen with anamorphic enhancement. It comes with the original DTS 5.1 soundtrack as well as a CD-quality PCM Stereo track. It also has separate interviews with Angela Gheorghiu, conducter Antonio Pappano, and director Jacques Benoit. The French edition (TFI) goes one step better in the sound department with both a 6.1 DTS-ES and a 6.1 Dolby Digital Surround Ex soundtrack although it doesn't have the other supplements. Usually BBC/Opus Arte would follow its European edition with a subsequent American release but unfortunately the American distribution rights for this movie fell into the hands of California-based Kultur.

Kultur obviously doesn't think much of this film. It has presented it in the original widescreen but letterboxed into a 4:3 frame (No anamorphic enhancement). As a result you are confined to playing it on a standard TV. On a widescreen display it looks horrible. On a small screen the image is soft but otherwise acceptable. Where the BBC/Opus Arte edition offers optional subtitles with both the original Italian libretto and an English translation available, the Kultur version has the English subtitles burnt permanently onto the print. There is no way to turn them off. Kultur has also done away with the original DTS and Dolby 5.1 Surround tracks. Instead American customers are offered a pathetic 2.0 basic stereo track. (This is not the same as the uncompressed PCM Stereo track offered on the BBC/Opus Arte DVD but a compressed "lossy" version with poorer sound reproduction.) Kultur has also done away with any Extras. No interviews. Nothing whatsoever. A 20-Page Illustrated Booklet? Forget it. Americans only deserve a single-sheet insert with the chapter listings.

The European versions may cost more with freight charges and all, but they are worth every single extra dollar. Do not reward mediocrity by buying this Kultur DVD. If they know they can get away with it, we will be faced with more of this lackadaisical standard in the future. You can get the European editions from any of Amazon's European websites. But be sure your system can play Region 2 discs and is capable of displaying PAL format. (Most European DVDs are in PAL format as opposed to standard American NTSC.)

This film of Tosca has been available in Europe for some time already. And now the Americans can look forward to being able to watch a new and close to perfect film-version of this opera. Tosca is one of the first operas I've ever watched on dvd and it captured me from the very start. This is passionate drama from beginning to end. An incredible adrenaline rush. The music of Giacomo Puccini's play is overwhelming in many senses, it's strong, but also incredibly beautiful and full of emotions. It takes you through your whole register of feelings in about two hours, from fear and jealousy via passion to absolute agony and in the end wild rage and total despair which ends when Tosca is hurling herself from the roof of the castle.

The real stars of this Tosca are Angela Gheorghiu and Ruggero Raimondi. To me, Raimondi is the best Scarpia ever on disc and he surely didn't disappoint me in this film either. His Scarpia is a man you don't mess around with. Raimondi is obviously a man with great authority both on and off stage. While the film is running we are also shown some brief cuts from the recording session in studio and you'll see Raimondi getting up from his chair to sing his part at the same time as you'll see Scarpia enter the church in the first act. He doesn't need costumes or anything else to give you the impression that here comes a really frightening human being. It's also quite obvious that he lusts for Tosca and he is very good in portraying how much strength it takes to refrain himself from just taking her violently.... Raimondi has an absolutely beautiful voice; dark and rich even if he's now becoming an older man and he can sound both nasty as well as strangely attractive. His scenes with Tosca both in the church and in the castle where Cavaradossi is being tortured are outstanding. Watch and listen to him roaring: "Open the doors so she can hear his cries!!!!" Terrifying! And when Tosca begs him to save Cavaradossi he just looks at her, laughing and saying "I..???? You!!!" in the most arrogant manners ever. To me there will never be another Scarpia.

Angela Gheorghiu who's in possession of a wonderful voice is an outstanding Tosca and it's obvious that she loves being in front of the camera. She flirts with both the camera and Cavaradossi. I guess the passionate scenes are easier for Tosca and Cavaradossi in this film, being husband and wife in real life. But here Gheorghiu seduces both Cavaradossi and the viewer. The absolute peak of her performance in this film must be the scenes with Scarpia where she perfectly portrays her despair when Cavaradossi is being tortured. Her voice is capable of doing so without becoming shrill and you won't hear any of the warcries that some other sopranos utter during these scenes. Her facial expressions and other gestures are also very dramatic, but never affected. The scene where she kills Scarpia makes you sit on the edge of your chair. I've seen Gheorghiu in some other operas on dvd, but this is by far her best role ever. Even better than La Traviata.

To me, the disappointment of this film must be Alagna. His acting skills are better than his singing, but even so they can't cover up a voice that in my opinion is too light and I find his constant vibrato somewhat disturbing. His phrasing isn't too good either, which in my opinion ruins his singing. His cries in the torture scene (Ahime!) instantly made me think of those of a whimpering boy. (Listen to Carreras's cries in Karajans recording from 1980. That's how it should be done....)

The sacristan's acting is also better than his singing. Angelottis' singing and acting are adequate, but his role is only a minor role, so it's actually hard to judge how good this singer is. Spoletta's voice I find slightly unpleasant, but I guess that makes him more suitable for this role. He is good in portraying his underlying fear of Scarpia. All in all the supporting cast are doing a good job.

The filming of Benoit Jacquot is a masterpiece; there are so many brilliant effects in this film. You just have to watch for yourself. I also love Antonio Pappanos' conducting which is both energetic and emotive.

If you want an evening of passionate drama, buy this Tosca. I know that I will be watching this again and again in the years to come.

Opera's hottest couple serves a performance of Puccini's hottest opera that rocks with emotion. The husband and wife team of Roberto Alagna and Angela Gheorghiu have infused new life into "The Elixir of Love," "La Rondine," and "La Boheme" but this "Tosca" is their best effort yet. Both are young and physically attractive and do very well in the camera close ups that modern opera on video requires.

Had the producers of this filmed version trusted Puccini and given us a traditional performance this would be perfect. The innovations add nothing and are distracting. Switching back and forth from a black and white rehearsal to a color set left me wondering whether we were in Kansas or Oz. For some reason Tosca did not place candles next to Scarpia after she fillets him. But the biggest disappointment of all was the end of Act I where Scarpia is alone on stage instead of in front of a cathedral filled with a crowd celebrating an apparent military victory which ruins the contrast between the religious service and the personification of evil embodied by the military governor of Rome posturing as a human being. It may be old fashioned but my preference is always to see and hear what the audience saw on opening night. And if changes are to be made they should be made by the composer and not a guy with a bag full of gadgets.

Please don't let my carping dissuade you from buying this disk. This is marvelous entertainment dominated by the performance of Angela who does more dramatically with this role than anyone since Maria Callas. My favorite voce di Tosca is Monserrat Caballe. But the diva with the golden throat simply isn't physically credible as an object of desire whereas the stunning Romanian knockout, Ms. Gheorghiu, definitely crosses my lust threshold.

Add to the blend a superb depiction of Baron Scarpia by Ruggero Raimondi as the vile menacing sinister force whose goal is to destroy Mario and degrade Tosca. But, he was a tad too grabby in Act II. The exquisite nature of Scarpia's sexual harassment of Tosca is that it is neither rape nor attempted rape. Simply a quid pro quo: your body for your boyfriend's life. He makes it perfectly clear that she may leave at any time and he won't attempt to stop her. In a traditional performance Scarpia never touches Tosca; she touches him. The only other flaw in his performance is he blinked several times and reptiles don't blink. Even Scarpia's myrmidons were outstanding--particularly Spoletta's simpering sneer at Tosca after Mario's actual rather than simulated execution.

Ask any opera buff what's the best opera ever and you'll get a debate from the devotees of Wagner, Mozart, Verdi, et al. But ask which opera has the best plot and the list narrows with "Tosca" near or at the top. There are no women who have lost their shadow, bird catchers for the Queen of the Night, or sea captains who get to come ashore ever 7 years to try to find a date. "Tosca" rivets you with unbridled passion, political intrigue, and the most loathsome and believable villain imaginable. This opera, and this performance of it, are as good as opera gets. But it would have been even better as a traditional performance.

I have to agree in many ways with past reviewers: I find Gheorghiu mesmerizing here, a perfect Tosca. Passion, vanity, pride, jealousy, foolishness, anger -- it's all there. Not to mention a voice that has only gotten richer with time. This is really a performance to treasure. Raimondi's Scarpia is not quite her equal, but he comes close. Personally I wish they had found a less mature singer for the role; there's too little nuanced singing, a little too much bellowing. That said, it's a masterful, sometimes frightening interpretation. Alagna is...well, Alagna. Pitchy at times, not particularly exciting. Too bad, given the fire and energy of his co-stars. And I agree that the director's interpretations add nothing to our understanding or enjoyment of the opera. Particularly when he has the singers TALK the libretto as their singing continues in the background. Huh?

My main objection to this film -- and I seem to be the only one -- is to the horrendous sound balance. The orchestra pretty much overpowers the singers at all times, and the echo is unbelievable. It's as if the singers are at one end of a wind tunnel, and we're at the other, with the orchestra somewhere in the middle. In Act Two, shortly after Alagna's first entrance, when everyone is singing at once (including Gheorghiu outside) the result is mere cacophony. Perhaps it's my copy or my television -- but I don't have this problem with other opera DVDs. All in all, it's wonderful to have a visual record of Gheorhgiu's Tosca. But I can't recommend this as the perfect opportunity to HEAR the piece as I'm sure Puccini would have wanted us to.

Why do we on this side of the atlantic have to pay for those incompetents at Kultur. In England, this DVD was made by Opus Arte, in France it was F1 and in Germany it was Arthaus. All of their DVDs of this opera have removable subtitles in several languages, interviews with Alagna, Pappano and Gheorghiu and most important, PCM and DTS sound.

What do we get here? No interviews, fixed english subtitles and incredibly, Dolby 2.0 sound!!! It reminds me of the very first opera DVDs 6 years ago!

It's a real shame since the singing and acting is excellent, as is the music direction by Pappano. But all we're left with is an excellent production with a mediocre sound and no usual DVD options.

Shame on Kultur...!!!

Greetings, opera lovers. I am director of sales at Kultur International, which released this DVD, and appreciate your interest in the title.

Please let me address a misapprehension on the part of two Amazon reviewers; who complain that the European version of this title contained more extras and better quality video/audio. Their disappointment certainly seems justified.

However let me assure you that Kultur was in no way involved in any diminishing of the performance; we had no hand in any iconoclasm. We released the disc exactly as received from the original rights holder, and were granted no authority (or materials) to enhance it in any way, or replace what may have been removed.

It really isn't logical to believe that Kultur would deliberately down grade a performance; what advantage could that possibly deliver? Any potential savings of time or money would be infinitesimal.

Kultur has been supplying Performing Arts titles for over 25 years and customer comments are important to us. We understand the disappointment of those who may have experienced the European version, but be assured that we had no hand in it and will try to pressure the rights holder where future releases are concerned.

That said, I personally greatly enjoy this DVD, whose terrific performances have been effectively described by other Amazon reviewers. If you can view it on its own merits, you will be delighted.

Thanks again.

I was surprised how much I loved this DVD, I usually find that the filmed operas tend to fall flat, but this one is excellent! I like the way certain vocal passages are done as internal monologue, the sets are great, and the views and overhead shots add something unique. The costumes are magnificent, too.
The two main stars, Angela Gheorghiu and Roberto Alagna are giving great vocal and acting performances. Gheorghiu is even better here than in the famous Traviata from Covent Garden.
However, the real tour de force performance here is delivered by Ruggero Raimondi as Scarpia. All other roles are well sung and acted, these are no weak elements in this production.
This Tosca really works as a great movie, not just opera on film, and can be enjoyed over and over again.

Although I gave this 5 stars, I am disappointed that the interviews with Gheorghiu, Pappano and Jacquot were not ported over from the
European PAL Dvd version released by Opus Arte. Also, it has non-
removable subtitles. It is not full frame as indicated in the back
of the Dvd but 16X9. It is unfortunate that KULTUR is the one to released this in the US. Nonetheless, this is a fantastic film version of the Opera. Gheorghiu couldn't be better, you just can't
keep your eyes off her. She is entirely believable as Tosca. Supporting roles are also fine particularly Raimondi as Scarpia.

Although Anna Moffo is still my all-time favorite soprano, I greatly enjoy Angela Gheorghiu's performances. She is becoming quite a favorite of mine for an angelic voice and dramatic ability. Again, she is able to display wonderful dramatic instincts as Tosca. Her Tosca is vulnerable to love, jealous, defiant and self-sacrificing. Her voice is spectacular and is really able to transmit along with her body language all the above. And she's gorgeous here - just like in "La Traviata". Alagna has a charismatic presence and handsome voice. Phooey on the loggonisti at La Scala for booing him. By the way, he was outstanding in "Lucia di Lammermoor". Gheorghiu and Alagna are a truly terrific stage couple. Their chemistry is electric and lights up the screen. Raimondi was terrifyingly evil as Scarpia. He was mercilessly hateful towards his goal of possessing Tosca. One actually applauds when Tosca kills him while screaming "Die, Die!" The few b&w shots of the singers at the microphone and orchestra playing intermingled with the film which gave it an interesting look. This technique in no way detracted from the film. I found nothing wrong with the picture or sound quality from Kultur. I do wish they had added bonus features to the disc like previews of other operas or maybe interviews with the cast.

Love is in the heart of this story. This presentation is like no other in that it seems to draw you so much closer into the lives of three incredible people. Gheorghiu is stunning as Tosca. Alagna is magnificent as Mario, and Raimondi could not be more sinister. I loved it all, and wept at it's passion. I've purchased several copies and given them as gifts.