Product Details

• Actors: Eva Marton, Dolora Zajick, Luciano Pavarotti, Sherrill Milnes, Jeffrey Wells
• Directors: Brian Large
• Writers: Salvatore Cammarano
• Format: Classical, Color, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC
• Language: Unknown (Dolby Digital 2.0), English (PCM), Italian (PCM Stereo), French (PCM Stereo)
• Region: All Regions
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Deutsche Grammophon
• DVD Release Date: December 12, 2000
• Run Time: 132 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000050X30
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #34,737 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "Verdi - Il Trovatore / Levine, Milnes, Marton, Pavarotti, Metropolitan Opera" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

38 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars FABULOUS SOUND AND VIDEO QUALITY, December 8, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Verdi - Il Trovatore / Levine, Milnes, Marton, Pavarotti, Metropolitan Opera (DVD)

This Il Trovatore is with Sherril Milnes, Eva Marton, Dolora Zajjick, Luciano Pavarotti, conducted by James Levine at the Met in 1988 on the Deutsche Grammophon label. Dolora Zajjick is riveting as the gypsy mother and Pavarotti's rendition of Di quella Pira blows recent recordings by other current tenors to smithereens.

Deutsche Grammophon's audio and video quality is superb--if only all the opera DVD's were this good I'd be in opera heaven. The DVD releases by DG also come with very good printed documentation.

Highly recommended.

57 of 66 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A poorly served troubador........, February 24, 2001

By 

N. Gallimore (Upminster United Kingdom) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Verdi - Il Trovatore / Levine, Milnes, Marton, Pavarotti, Metropolitan Opera (DVD)

It breaks my heart to admit that I agree with the vast majority of the reviewers. Perfect sound, why wasn't this the case with the recently released Ballo? But not a very well served document of Verdi's wonderful emotive opera.

OK, the production is dreadful - what were the Met thinking of? It's like a production I would expect to see at the ENO in London. Where they short of money that season, or did someone just want to get a kick out of watching perfomers attempt to navigate the set without falling over!! Eva Marton is totally mis-cast as Leonora; it grieves me to say this because I adore her and have screamed myself hoarse at her perfomances of Turandot, Tosca and Elektra at Covent Garden - but here, oh dear.

Pavarotti sings wonderfully, as one would expect, but he seems totally oblivious to anyone else on stage - is it because he's worried that he might fall on those unnecessary stairs? Sherrill Milnes makes a good job as the Count de Luna and Dolora Zajick is just wonderful as Azucena - buy it just to see and hear this exemplary performance. What a superstar she is - even being able to make a moving performance in this shambles of a production.

Well, what else can I say? One fabulously fantastic performance, two reasonable ones and a dreadfully miscast soprano. What a mish mash and shambles of one of Verdi's greatest music dramas. Please someone, find the master tapes of Pavarotti as the Troubador in Florence in 1990 - or in Saltzberg.

I cannot honestly recommend this to you as great music drama - but there are somethings to commend it too - especially Dolora Zajik.

So there, I sit on the fence!! Sorry.

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars moonlight serenade, March 17, 2004

By 

Alejandra Vernon "artist & illustrator" (Long Beach, California) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Verdi - Il Trovatore / James Levine, The Metropolitan Opera [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Though this 1988 Metropolitan Opera performance is far from perfect, it still has a lot to offer the viewer/listener. One of the drawbacks is that Il Trovatore is a "night" opera, where all the drama seems to happen from dusk to dawn; this production takes it literally, and it is very dimly lit. It is saved by its beautiful silvery costumes, which reflect the minimal lighting, so at least you can see where the people are in the midst of the black stage.

The cast:
Luciano Pavarotti is in fine fettle, with a virile, powerful interpretation of the glorious "Ah ! si, ben mio coll'essere", and a bit better than usual acting performances.
Sherrill Milnes is vocally past his prime here, but is a great stage presence, and does an excellent, villainous Conte di Luna; aptly named, because the moonlight becomes him...he looks fabulous.
Eva Marton seems at first uncomfortable in the sweet young maiden part of Leonora, but does get better with every scene; she is really good in the last act, and I always like her singing.
Dolora Zajick's Azucena is superb. A truly magnificent voice, and does well as an actress too.
Jeffrey Wells is wonderful, and makes an effective and attractive Ferrando.
James Levine keeps it all together with enthusiasm, and the sound is terrific.

A lovely touch is the paper raining down on Pavarotti at the final curtain call from an appreciative audience, and there is much to appreciate in this performance of one of Verdi's most melodic, dramatic operas. Total running time is 133 minutes.