Most Helpful Customer Reviews
|
|
46 of 47 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Beautiful and impressive production, August 24, 2005
The producer and director of this show is Giancarlo del Monaco, the son of the great tenor Mario del Monaco. The production is conservative and stunning Leonard Slatkin conducts the Met orchestra. He is very successful in producing big drama and drive, but he pays much attention to the many fine details in Puccini's expert and advanced orchestration. The Met male chorus is excellent and gives some magical moments, like their humming in the final duet of the first act.
The title role is sung by American soprano Barbara Daniels. She has a huge and beautiful voice, without any sign of shrillness or stridency. She is a terrific Minnie both in singing and acting. Placido Domingo gives a master performance of the bandit Dick Johnson. He recorded the role four times. From the musical point of view, his best recording is the studio DG recording from 1978. But Domingo is a great stage performer and actor. He is especially convincing in the portrayal of the vulnerable side of this figure. Baritone Sherril Milnes sings the villain, sheriff Jack Rance. In the seventies and early eighties he was one of the leading baritones in the world. In the early nineties his voice lost something of its power, but is still impressive in comparison to many of his younger colleagues. Like Domingo he is using his long stage experience and is an especially mean and cynical villain.
Met singers do beautifully the many minor roles. Kim Josephson is an excellent Sonora. Dwayne Croft, one of the leading Met baritones today, sings Larkens, which is a very small role.
There are three DVD versions of this opera. All feature Placido Domingo. The La scala 1991 production that is conducted by Lorin Maazel is very good, but the timbre of Mara Zampieri in the title role will not be to everyone's taste, and Juan Pons as the sheriff is not as cruel and nasty like Sherril Milnes. The 1983 Covent Garden production that is conducted by Nello Santi is wonderful too. But Carol Neblett, another impressive American soprano, sings well, but hers acting is a little wooden in comparison to Barbara Daniels.
So the new DG DVD is currently my first choice for this opera on DVD. I highly recommend it even to those who are not especially Puccini's fans. There is little of the sentimentality that dominates works like La Boheme or Madama Butterfly. Nobody dies in this opera; actually, there is a happy ending... And this opera really must be seen, not just heard: it is an impressive and effective stage experience and music drama
|
|
|
36 of 36 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
By far the best of Fanciulla Del West, September 25, 2005
This production, which for a long time has not been released on DVD, finally introduced a definiative production of this opera. Fanciulla del West, often maligned by critics, is a truly magical work when performed in the right idiom. there is nothing subtle here, this is Spaghetti Western Opera, and has a similar effect, it is moving, simple and Compelling to the the part of all of us that enjoyed reading comics and watching Clint Eastwood. in addition Puccini obviously lavished real care on the score, which comes at the audience in waves. Emotion erupts in the orchestra, starting with general sentiment and bursting forth in melodramatic swings. This is best evidenced in Rance's "Minne Dalla mia Casa" which starts with the Brass, playing simple open chords, the very heart of Rance's melancholy, growing to passionate ardor, and then sinking right back again, representing Rances unfufilled passion.
The singers here are near perfect, (the cast recorded the Opera in 1978 wonderfully)
Milnes is a menacing rance, he is brooding, and oozes Machismo and roughness. He looks just as you would imagine Jack Rance. Although this production takes place after his vocal surgery, which began a long decline in his singing, he sounds perfect here. The bit of extra strain and darker tone adds to the charachter and is not bothersome enough to ruin the line of the music.
Domingo, sings the same Ramirez which is recorded 3 times on DVD. It is a subtle, well acted and vocally declamatory. The role suits his ringing, baritonal voice well. Watch him dance with Minnie, he is truly in love. He steals the shows in the final act, where his aria brings down the house.
Barbara Daniels, real completes the show. She can truly handle the heft of Minnie, her voice is the complete ideal. Her top is blooming and glorious. As if this werent satisfying enough, she also looks a hot minnie. Her portrayal is concentrated and, occasionaly, frighteningly intense.
Special mention should be made for Anthony Laciura who portrays Nick. Laciura has been the met's premiere Comprimaro for many years, and this shows why. Not only does his voice have bloom and projection, but he creates a character, (something that almost no charachter-tenors can do) From his hillarious hygene issues to his honest care of minnie, he adds credibility to the drama.
|
|
|
15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The best Fanciulla on dvd., September 10, 2005
What a wonderful production. Finally available on dvd. It surpasses both the Covent Garden and the La Scala productions. Barbara Daniels is wonderful as Minni, expressing an innocence and a vulnerability that makes her performance believable. Domingo is great as always. (What an actor) And Milnes portrayal is dark and menacing and sexy! The best production out there!!!
|
|
|
Most Recent Customer Reviews
|
Interact With Your Music: Discover, listen to, and buy new music, all from the pages of SPIN's digital edition, free to Amazon customers.
DVD ~ Eva Marton
DVD ~ Placido Domingo
DVD ~ Natalie Dessay
