Product Details

• Actors: Ileana Cotrubas, David Kuebler, Alberto Rinaldi, Elena Zilio, Nucci Condò
• Directors: José Montes-Baquer
• Writers: Giovanni Gherardini
• Format: Classical, Color, NTSC
• Subtitles: English
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Kultur Video
• VHS Release Date: September 9, 1997
• Run Time: 173 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 1561270512
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #331,572 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Little-known Rossini, February 25, 2003

By 

wvmcl "wvmcl" (Washington, D.C.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Rossini - La Gazza Ladra / Bartoletti, Cotrubas, Condo, Cologne Opera (DVD)

This opera is known as 'The Thieving Magpie' in English, and they probably should have used that title for this edition, since 'La Gazza Ladra' sounds to English speakers like a stomach ailment. The brilliant, rousing overture is well-known; Kubrick used it to great effect in one of the fight scenes in 'A Clockwork Orange.' The opera itself, however, is little-known and rarely-performed, which is why this German television production from the eighties may be the only chance you'll get to see it in full staging. It's a picaresque tale of village life, not unlike Massenet's 'Werther' or Verdi's 'Luisa Miller.' The plot concerns a young woman accused of capital theft by a Scarpio-like villain, her situation complicated by the fact that she is hiding her father, a deserter from Napoleon's army. Despite this dark plotline, the opera has many comic moments and is described as an opera "semiseria."

The production is at a level one would expect from a provincial German opera company - quite good, in other words. The main negative is that the video transfer leaves a lot to be desired. The picture quality is OK, but the soundtrack has background noise and hiss which Kultur either couldn't, or didn't bother to, clean up. It will sound OK on a good stereo system, but don't expect that clean DVD sound, and don't try to listen to this one with headphones. Also, the English subtitles are not switchable.

Nevertheless, this disk makes for an entertaining three hours and will be worth its modest price to those who like to delve into the farther corners of the operatic repertoire.

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Best Cotrubas singing actress video document, November 13, 2002

By 

simon (Montreal , Quebec) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Rossini - La Gazza Ladra / Bartoletti, Cotrubas, Condo, Cologne Opera (DVD)

I am a Cotrubas fan and I have seen all her commercially available videos. This one is the best example of how good a singing actress she has been. Two years before retiring her voice is still beautiful with a large but controlled vibrato. However, I cannot put more than 3 stars on this DVD because, from a technical point of view, the singing of Cotrubas, Ellis and Kubler is too uniform to be Rossinian (lack of dynamic range and nuances). Rinaldi is more Rossinian but has an unstable vibrato. This is a very plesant production to look at. All singers are good actors and the set is bright and colorful. Overall the comic/dramatic aspect of this opera can easily be felt. In my heart this production has 5 stars.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Bel Canto Fan, June 14, 2011

By 

P. J. Sole "Bel Canto Fan" (New Zealand) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Rossini - La Gazza Ladra / Bartoletti, Cotrubas, Condo, Cologne Opera (DVD)

I like the traditional performances of most operas, but after reading the other reviews was hesitant in purchasing this one. However I have been pleasantly surprised. I think some of the other reviewers have been over-critical. Yes the sound is not modern HD but it is OK overall. Good in some passages and not quite there in others. But the performance and the voices were fine.
I am glad that I bought it.