Customer Reviews

South Pacific: The London Sessions [VHS]

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4 star:		(2)
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Unlike many "how they were done" videos, "South Pacific, the London Sessions" actually gives one an opportunity to hear the singers perform their numbers with a minimum of narration. TeKanawa and Carreras are in beautiful voice and Mandy Patinkin is incredibly good. Worth every bit of the money.

This video documentary adds so much to the CD. It really gets under the skin of the recording process, giving a fascinating insight into the artists and their styles. Sarah Vaughan is just magical; as she comes to the end of "Bali H'ai" you find yourself holding your breath. Mandy Patinkin's true colours show through: he's either a passionate perfectionist or an insufferable prima donna, depending on your point of view. Kiri Te Kanawa and Jose Carreras show their mastery of their profession. I'm writing this review from memory, having last seen the video about three years ago: it makes a strong impression. Normally I would not be interested in operas or musicals, but this documentary grabs and keeps your attention by showing gifted people working at the height of their powers. Highly recommended.

After 21 years I've returned to this VHS cassette of South Pacific that unfortunately is not yet on DVD, at least in Europe.

This recording is one of the most attractive moments of any singer, considering the Jose Carreras contribution. It is impossible to sing better and as he says: "It happened in one century". Unfortunately we can not say the same with one of my favorite sopranos of all time, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa. She is lovely but nobody ever told her that she was many times out of tune? In the most part of midlle register phrases the central section is not well supported by the diaphragma, I think so. The idea is do not sing like an operatic soprano? But in other recordings of this kind of music she have done it marvellously without any problems. Carreras use the mezzavoce many times in falsetto but with a rare accuracy. And is important to consider that this role is not for a tenor but for a bass or baritone. I know that in certain moments exists changes of the original keys to put is singing more confortable, but what it matters if the final result is pure gold ?

Sarah Vaughn is always plesant but the voice is no fresh anymore and sometimes she has doubts where to put it - belt voice or head voice in the same notes.

Mandy Pantinkin is pathetically. What has an artist so strongly important to offer after the fight with himself and with the conductor, in order to surpass is hysterical personality. Is really the final result important? With Callas yes, with him I don't think so. And "Carefully Taught" with that speed, looses all the message of the lyrics and is the better way to kill a masterpiece.

Jonathan Tunick is correct but no more than that. He is the kind of conductor not preocupied to obtain all the colours of the score with the necessary rubbatos and traditions of the work obtained during the first almost 40 years of live, in the date of the recording sessions, and today with more that 60 years of experiments.

Long life to SOUTH PACIFIC and what an example of one of the greatest singers of all time.

Joćo Pereira Bastos , Lisboa Portugal