CD Charts
Welcome to The CD Charts, here you will find all the latest and top selling DVD cds available to buy online. You can search and locate the best selling DVD cd's and have them delivered to the door. We have a large selection of DVD all with reviews.
Back to Home Page > Go back a page
DVD : Leoncavallo - I Pagliacci / Mascagni - Cavalleria Rusticana / Domingo, Stratas, Pons, Bruson, Obraztsova, Pretre
1 2 3 4 5
Rating: 
- Pag 5 Cav 1
I give this DVD three stars. The Pag is brilliant, the Cav much less so. A big part of the problem with Cav for me is that it is a much inferior opera in my view, but I was not much impressed with this particular production either. On location shots in Sicily are nice, but they actually take me out of the opera. Bruson looks right for the part, but it's a dull part. Domingo looks like a lounge lizard--where were the gold chains (granted Turiddu is a drip)? His ear-biting scene was not dramatically compelling at all, nor was the knife fight. Domingo is far too much the gent, no matter how hard he tries to be sleazy. And poor Santa wandering around in black and falling to the ground gets very tiresome. The grainy film makes it look like it came from the 1920s. This one had me yawning all the way through.
Fortunately PAG makes it all worth it. The staging is wonderful, more realistic looking than many operas, but still not taking us out of the fact that this is the world of an opera. Domingo is alternately saddening and frightening--it's a great performance, particularly in his famous aria. Stratas is unbelievably sexy as well as sympathetic. Pons is very strong too. This one will have you at the edge of your seats. Doesn't hurt that it's a better opera of course! Too bad Pag doesn't get paired up more often with Il Tabarro, a superior opera to Cav.
Rating:
- A strange fateful combination
This is a strange combination of short works fated to live together on the operatic stages of the world: one brilliant piece and one hardly above the level of a talented student. Having known these works for better than a half century, I find that "Cav" sounds worse to me as time passes. "Pag" is a brilliant piece of music theater and sounds better all the time. The irony is that neither composer produced anything else of lasting value after these works. Zeffirelli is a great director and film maker and the casts are excellent in all ways. My problem is that I don't like to see films of opera. I like to see the physical effort it takes to sing because that's where you see the real skill of the singers. You can also truly see how the composer, with his sense of musical pacing, understood the theater. The faults of "Cav" can be masked by interesting camera work...in fact the first 15 minutes of this short work has virtually nothing contributing to the drama. And before the final scene the composer throws in a sweet meditation which dilutes whatever tension he created in the previous scene. One wonders if "Cav" would have held the stage as long as it has without "Pag" to lean upon. The second half of the DVD is more impressive since the tension never lets up in Leoncavallo's work. "Pag" also features the ultra charismatic singing actress Stratas and Domingo whose work simply never falls below a level of artistic merit which most singers cannot even approach. Frankly the best "Pag" I ever saw was a live broadcast from the Metropolitan also featuring Stratas and Domingo. During the final scene Domingo took a fall and injured his leg causing cancellation of several subsequent performances. Now that was an electric night! I do not feel that this film, with all its dramatic touches, is up to that broadcast, But it appears to be the best that's currently available. I am aware than many people love "Cav" but I know I will only watch the second half of this DVD.
Rating:
- not owning one would be a mistake
Here are two classic operas with the 'bad relationship gone even worse' genre. For those of us who struggle to decide which of the many productions of these well known and well loved operas to own...this one happens to be at the top of the heap. These two operas almost define what opera is, and thus are "required" in any self respecting opera collection.
Add to that, the simple fact that a lot of other reviewers here seem to agree. I personally like the 'filmed on location ' style of opera production. Both Franco Zeferrelli and Jean-Pierre Ponnelle are known for this - Ponnelle seeming to have the edge ; but that may be a toss up, actually.
Each of these combine elements of stage and exterior filming. Each of them feature Placido Domingo, and it becomes readily apparent why he is considered the finest tenor or this generation past, owing to his acting ability and of course his singing.
I think the first opera aria I remember was the well loved "Vesti la Giubba" from Pagliacci. The story, if one did not know, is based upon a real event. Leoncavallo's father was a court judge who had a case brought before him regarding a certain a member of a travelling troubador group... (typically in clownish garb, and who make fun of "uppity folk"). This certain member of the troupe murdered his paramour during a "comedy" performance in a fit of jealous rage...pretty much of a "downer", n'est ce pas?
In the other, Placido plays a good looking fellow in love with another man's wife. He neglects his own wife in order to pursue this ill fated love afair. Naturally the clandestine affair turns "unclandestine", as every single affair ultimately does. Any and everyone who engages in one, without fail, always thinks that it will remain "secret"....it never does. And the rage that follows it's discovery is something we hear about on the news almost every day to this day. Understanding this helps us to understand why these two operas will continue to enjoy being produced over and over.
All that ugliness now understood, what about the music?...Ah! Here too, one will soon realize why these are timeless operas with no danger of ever being neglected.
It begs the question, however...."Are there no librettists and composers today who can write a musical that even comes close? Are there no more Donizettis? Bellinis, Rossinis, or Bizet and his incomparable "Carmen"?
Placido also does a gorgeous piece of work in the 80's version of Carmen, and another must have on the opera DVD shelf. But one of the beautiful things about Carmen is that rather than driving us all batty with long recitatives...some parts of the story line are spoken ( French )...saving the songs, melodies, arias back for full effect..and man, what glorious melodies. Is there really no one today who can compose music with voice and chorus? Well...perhaps we should look at the hundreds of miles of townhouses, condos, and homes along the interstate, which all look identical, and are painted the same non descript grey....then it begins to sink in....this generation will be known as the lackluster, follow along with the swine as they head for the cliff by the sea at Geneseret.
This entire generation is good for little more than the fire...the flood, and the winds to carry away.....hmmm...sounds like a good theme for an opera.
Rating: - Double Delight--Scary, yet Beautiful
Rarely is it more appropriate to put two works on the same DVD.
Pagliacci and Cavalleria Rusticana are two tales of the deadly results of jealousy. In both of these, one spouse is manipulated into murdering the other spouse.
Both are not stage productions but instead are filmed by Franco Zeffirelli, in the incomparable style you would expect of him. The "Tuscan sunset glow" and Italian countryside make this teatro verissmo even more real for us.
Placido Domingo (Canio) and Teresa Stratas (Nedda) give us an unforgettable pair of star-crossed lovers. Their singing and acting are spectacular. Besides what you would expect--that Placido's "Vesti la giubba" is gut-wrenchingly tearful, Zeffirelli has enhanced the production with insightful close-ups such as when Nedda is putting on her make-up, because "the show must go on." It's a ghostly parallel to "Vesti la giubba" as she looks into her mirror, and sees a ghostly white reflection.
Please see this film. Your spine will tingle even more than you already felt when you first heard Enrico Caruso sing "Vesti la giubba." It's a scary yet beautiful, non-stop runaway ride towards disaster.
Rating: - Domingo is superb!
Sometimes an opera on film can be ho-hum, but this Pagliacci is amazing. Zeffirelli brings his usual genius and flamboyance to the screen, adding another gem to his already impressive oeuvre. Domingo, however, is the real treat. Not only is he one of the best tenors alive, he can ACT! I actually felt Canio's pain during "Vesti la giubba." Right after viewing this movie, I watched Pavarotti and some other tenors sing the same aria, and there is no comparison. Domingo IS Canio. This is a must-buy, IMHO.
- Pag 5 Cav 1I give this DVD three stars. The Pag is brilliant, the Cav much less so. A big part of the problem with Cav for me is that it is a much inferior opera in my view, but I was not much impressed with this particular production either. On location shots in Sicily are nice, but they actually take me out of the opera. Bruson looks right for the part, but it's a dull part. Domingo looks like a lounge lizard--where were the gold chains (granted Turiddu is a drip)? His ear-biting scene was not dramatically compelling at all, nor was the knife fight. Domingo is far too much the gent, no matter how hard he tries to be sleazy. And poor Santa wandering around in black and falling to the ground gets very tiresome. The grainy film makes it look like it came from the 1920s. This one had me yawning all the way through.
Fortunately PAG makes it all worth it. The staging is wonderful, more realistic looking than many operas, but still not taking us out of the fact that this is the world of an opera. Domingo is alternately saddening and frightening--it's a great performance, particularly in his famous aria. Stratas is unbelievably sexy as well as sympathetic. Pons is very strong too. This one will have you at the edge of your seats. Doesn't hurt that it's a better opera of course! Too bad Pag doesn't get paired up more often with Il Tabarro, a superior opera to Cav.
Rating:
- A strange fateful combinationThis is a strange combination of short works fated to live together on the operatic stages of the world: one brilliant piece and one hardly above the level of a talented student. Having known these works for better than a half century, I find that "Cav" sounds worse to me as time passes. "Pag" is a brilliant piece of music theater and sounds better all the time. The irony is that neither composer produced anything else of lasting value after these works. Zeffirelli is a great director and film maker and the casts are excellent in all ways. My problem is that I don't like to see films of opera. I like to see the physical effort it takes to sing because that's where you see the real skill of the singers. You can also truly see how the composer, with his sense of musical pacing, understood the theater. The faults of "Cav" can be masked by interesting camera work...in fact the first 15 minutes of this short work has virtually nothing contributing to the drama. And before the final scene the composer throws in a sweet meditation which dilutes whatever tension he created in the previous scene. One wonders if "Cav" would have held the stage as long as it has without "Pag" to lean upon. The second half of the DVD is more impressive since the tension never lets up in Leoncavallo's work. "Pag" also features the ultra charismatic singing actress Stratas and Domingo whose work simply never falls below a level of artistic merit which most singers cannot even approach. Frankly the best "Pag" I ever saw was a live broadcast from the Metropolitan also featuring Stratas and Domingo. During the final scene Domingo took a fall and injured his leg causing cancellation of several subsequent performances. Now that was an electric night! I do not feel that this film, with all its dramatic touches, is up to that broadcast, But it appears to be the best that's currently available. I am aware than many people love "Cav" but I know I will only watch the second half of this DVD.
Rating:
- not owning one would be a mistakeHere are two classic operas with the 'bad relationship gone even worse' genre. For those of us who struggle to decide which of the many productions of these well known and well loved operas to own...this one happens to be at the top of the heap. These two operas almost define what opera is, and thus are "required" in any self respecting opera collection.
Add to that, the simple fact that a lot of other reviewers here seem to agree. I personally like the 'filmed on location ' style of opera production. Both Franco Zeferrelli and Jean-Pierre Ponnelle are known for this - Ponnelle seeming to have the edge ; but that may be a toss up, actually.
Each of these combine elements of stage and exterior filming. Each of them feature Placido Domingo, and it becomes readily apparent why he is considered the finest tenor or this generation past, owing to his acting ability and of course his singing.
I think the first opera aria I remember was the well loved "Vesti la Giubba" from Pagliacci. The story, if one did not know, is based upon a real event. Leoncavallo's father was a court judge who had a case brought before him regarding a certain a member of a travelling troubador group... (typically in clownish garb, and who make fun of "uppity folk"). This certain member of the troupe murdered his paramour during a "comedy" performance in a fit of jealous rage...pretty much of a "downer", n'est ce pas?
In the other, Placido plays a good looking fellow in love with another man's wife. He neglects his own wife in order to pursue this ill fated love afair. Naturally the clandestine affair turns "unclandestine", as every single affair ultimately does. Any and everyone who engages in one, without fail, always thinks that it will remain "secret"....it never does. And the rage that follows it's discovery is something we hear about on the news almost every day to this day. Understanding this helps us to understand why these two operas will continue to enjoy being produced over and over.
All that ugliness now understood, what about the music?...Ah! Here too, one will soon realize why these are timeless operas with no danger of ever being neglected.
It begs the question, however...."Are there no librettists and composers today who can write a musical that even comes close? Are there no more Donizettis? Bellinis, Rossinis, or Bizet and his incomparable "Carmen"?
Placido also does a gorgeous piece of work in the 80's version of Carmen, and another must have on the opera DVD shelf. But one of the beautiful things about Carmen is that rather than driving us all batty with long recitatives...some parts of the story line are spoken ( French )...saving the songs, melodies, arias back for full effect..and man, what glorious melodies. Is there really no one today who can compose music with voice and chorus? Well...perhaps we should look at the hundreds of miles of townhouses, condos, and homes along the interstate, which all look identical, and are painted the same non descript grey....then it begins to sink in....this generation will be known as the lackluster, follow along with the swine as they head for the cliff by the sea at Geneseret.
This entire generation is good for little more than the fire...the flood, and the winds to carry away.....hmmm...sounds like a good theme for an opera.
Rating:
- Double Delight--Scary, yet Beautiful Rarely is it more appropriate to put two works on the same DVD.
Pagliacci and Cavalleria Rusticana are two tales of the deadly results of jealousy. In both of these, one spouse is manipulated into murdering the other spouse.
Both are not stage productions but instead are filmed by Franco Zeffirelli, in the incomparable style you would expect of him. The "Tuscan sunset glow" and Italian countryside make this teatro verissmo even more real for us.
Placido Domingo (Canio) and Teresa Stratas (Nedda) give us an unforgettable pair of star-crossed lovers. Their singing and acting are spectacular. Besides what you would expect--that Placido's "Vesti la giubba" is gut-wrenchingly tearful, Zeffirelli has enhanced the production with insightful close-ups such as when Nedda is putting on her make-up, because "the show must go on." It's a ghostly parallel to "Vesti la giubba" as she looks into her mirror, and sees a ghostly white reflection.
Please see this film. Your spine will tingle even more than you already felt when you first heard Enrico Caruso sing "Vesti la giubba." It's a scary yet beautiful, non-stop runaway ride towards disaster.
Rating:
- Domingo is superb!Sometimes an opera on film can be ho-hum, but this Pagliacci is amazing. Zeffirelli brings his usual genius and flamboyance to the screen, adding another gem to his already impressive oeuvre. Domingo, however, is the real treat. Not only is he one of the best tenors alive, he can ACT! I actually felt Canio's pain during "Vesti la giubba." Right after viewing this movie, I watched Pavarotti and some other tenors sing the same aria, and there is no comparison. Domingo IS Canio. This is a must-buy, IMHO.