Costumes Movie Reviews

This is a very lonnnngggg opera and Joan should have passed on Anna as she didn't have the stamina nor the voice to pull it off. Having heard her in the earlier years, this is almost embarrassing to witness her decline vocally. I bought it based on the customer reviews of the supporting cast and production. Found the customer reviews very accurate in my opinion. I loved the costumes and the sets were just perfect as well. Joan's hubby did a commendable job in the pit with a responsive orchestra. The star turn was James Morris' Henry the VIII! Wow! Forst was fine and Heppner, though a tiny role, demonstrated that this was a voice with immense promise. Don't believe there is another video available to rival this one. The only other recommendation is Beverly Sills' CD for this opera. Somehow, I had a difficult time avoiding boredom with this performance except for Morris. Maybe repeated viewings will improve my opinion. Ok if you can forgive Joan for growing old, losing her support and along with it her middle and low voice. Her high notes pinched with a very wide vibrato. I just felt sorry for her - she was exhausted and it showed!

I think this a very authentic production of the opera, from staging to customes. A delight for opera purists.

For the casting, Joan is still amazing at her age. It is true that she does not possess the stamina at the end of the opera (listen to her last note and compare with her Decca CD recording), but in average, this is still Joan's typical great performance. James Morris handles his role brilliantly, and acts as if he were a king ^_^. I think the tenor Michael Myers' timbre is a bit too dark for my taste, but his overall vocal and acting skills are still admirable nonetheless. Other smaller roles are mostly very capable, including Ben Heppner taking up Hervey.

A minor criticism is that, in the year 1984, they are still recoring in mono! I do not understand this, and this may scare away some audiophiles. By setting up my surround sound system, I manage to get a more spatial sound stage. And after about 3 minutes after the overture, I totally forget about this audio deficiency since it is really an enjoyable opera performance.

Opera is the most satisfying of all the arts. It brings the best of all worlds together- acting, drama, singing, orchestral music and even dance in the case of some operas, Gaetano Donizetti's operas were very popular and have become established bel canto traditions in many theateres all around the world. Bel canto operas flourished in the early 19th century, most significantly in Italy but they soon made their way to France and Germany and even Russia (Wagner himself was influenced by some bel canto opera techniques and even Tchaikovsky's highly romantic tragic opera "Eunege Onegin" shows bel canto influence. Donizetti was the most gifted of the bel canto composers, able to write arias and ensembles of powerful dramatic context as well as emotionally touching and beautiful to hear. For bel canto operas only the best singers must take part. Casting the perfect bel canto heroine is trying sometimes, since very few sopranos of the 20th century exercized a skilled combination of beautiful vocals and dramatic acting. Only Maria Callas and later Beverly Sills would be the best bel canto heroines.

Joan Sutherland- This is Australian soprano, who was married to conductor Richard Bonynge, has been hailed for her beautiful voice. It is beautiful. It is smooth, gracefull, rich, full and very round and heavy. Her voice is always at home in bel canto operas. It is non wonder then that she is most recognized for her performances in Lucrezia Borgia, Lucia Di Lammermoor and in this DVD, the role of Anne Boylen. As the tragic queen, she manages to portray a vast range of emotions and visually the whole production is impressive. Joan Sutherland is older in this video, which was filmed in the 80's but her dramatic persona is quite convincing. Her facial contortions, her cries and her grace make her very believable as the historic Anne Boylen. This opera was Donizetti's first big hit, earning him prestige in the Italian theater of San Carlo. He would produce and deliver operas to a favorable public for years to come.

The story of Henry 8th's merciless and cruel treatment of Anne is performed well. Henry 8th is sung by a bass-baritone (the archetypical opera villain voice) and strides with regial tyranny as the real king would have done. He has no actual arias but his talents are showcased in various recitatives with Jane Seymour (a mezzo soprano with some dramatic textures) and in the ensembles. Jane Seymour in this opera is a performance delivered rather well, despite some strains now and then, especiallly in the duet with Anne. Highlights in this opera include the quintet and sextets of Act 1 and 2, the romantic duet between Percy and Anne and of courses Anne's final scenes- the Mad Scene and her execution. It was Anne's Mad Scene that preceeded and echoed the later and more famous Mad Scene of Lucia Di Lammermoor, Donizettis most popular masterpiece. Both Ann and Lucia hallucinate of marriage, speak of lost love and are completely overwhelmed by melancholia, arias and roulades accompanied by the sounds of flutes. Although Lucia's Mad Scene is better musicallly and dramaticallly, Annes Mad Scene is quite dramatic as well. Her most challenging aria comes in the end in "Coppia Iniquia" in which she awaits her execution and plunges into roulades and exclamations against the terrible crime of her death.

I personally prefer Beverly Sills in the role of Anne Boylen, but there exists only a recording of it on cd and in the box set of the Three Tudor Queens. Beverlys live performance of Anne Boylen was never filmed but it must have been a sensation and the best interpretation. Joan Sutherland is a good singer but she falls short on acting credibility.

I think "deangold" (see his review) obviously knows nothing about Stephen Sondheim or his music, since he doesn't even know that the title of the the song is "Getting Married Today". Also, I think for him to bash the late GREAT Madeline Kahn for her INCREDIBLE performance is a little sad....Did you notice that she is on stage...and you are not!!! Jealous are we?

The beauty of Mr. Sondheim's music is that you can take it out of it's setting and original staging and still enjoy it and be moved by it. Granted that most of the hair-do's and clothing are a little outdated on this DVD....but that is just fun.

There are many marvelous performances on this DVD....from Bernadette Peters' stirring rendition of "Not A Day Goes By", to Daisy Egan's very cute "Broadway Baby".

Furthermore, "deangolds" review of "Putting it Together": He thinks that it is fantastic. Has he actually watched it. There are some very great performances in it...but I would have to say that his "idea" of what performing is....well, I don't think he has ever been on stage in his life...and if he has....it wasn't good. BUY THIS DVD!

On June 10, 1992, I had the good fortune to be in the audience for "Sondheim - A Celebration At Carnegie Hall." As someone who has seen the original Broadway casts of every Sondheim show since (and including) "Company," I can only say that this was a THRILLING concert. And though some numbers have been omitted, this DVD captures the excitement of that memorable evening.

Bill Irwin's hilarious opening monologue apologized for Angela Lansbury not being on hand to host the celebration. This of course alluded to Ms. Lansbury's great success presiding over the Tony Award telecasts, and how she'd become everyone's first choice to host ALL theatrical events. The audience got the joke and thoroughly enjoyed Mr. Irwin's routine. From all indications even Ms. Lansbury was amused; she happily narrated the "Anyone Can Whistle" concert at Carnegie Hall three years later.

Madeline Kahn delighted the crowd with her rendition of "Getting Married Today" and, based on the strength of her performance that night, was also invited to participate in the "Anyone Can Whistle" concert.

Other rousing highlights included (and this is just a partial list) Liza Minnelli's "Back In Business," Dorothy Loudon's "Losing My Mind"/"You Could Drive A Person Crazy," Patti LuPone's "Being Alive," Karen Ziemba & Bill Irwin's "Sooner Or Later," Patrick Cassidy & Victor Garber's "Ballad Of Booth," Bernadette Peters' "Not A Day Goes By," Harolyn Blackwell's "Green Finch & Linnet Bird," the New York City Opera's "Weekend In The Country," and Glenn Close's "Send In The Clowns." Paul Gemignani (Sondheim's conductor of choice) performed his usual magic with the orchestra, and - if that wasn't enough - a proud Stephen Sondheim appeared at the end to set up the evening's moving finale, "Sunday."

As you can imagine, this was a night of old-fashioned, full-throttle Broadway charisma. Truly an evening to remember!

Sondheim is unique. Here are a galaxy of stars to prove it!
If you only wanted to hear his songs in the original context then they do not truly understand the nature of music, So the reviewer wanting to give negative stars has TOTALLY missed the point. This is ENTERTAINMENT - not just a straight run through of the shows. To change the songs points up there brilliance - as for the recording - the one I have is perfectly clear.

In short - you will find this an excellent entertainment.

One caveat - it's 30 minutes shorter than to CD's and you miss a lot of great music.

Othewise buy it and have a great time!

This live performance from the venerable Covent Garden features wonderful dancing by the principals Sibley & Dowell, a little less coldness and stiffness by the latter would have been very welcome. Sibley delivers; she is a spectacular Cinderella. So why avoid this performance? The answer is that Prokofiev's magical classical ballet is ruined by the excessively self-indulgent circus-clown contributions of the step-sisters (very big-time ballet guys in drag who should have known better). I doubt if Prokofiev would have recognized his ballet, the flow of the piece is stopped dead in its tracks on several occaisions by the step-sisters' circus-clowning,(sorry, but I thought they were more strange than funny), they try to steal the show but ruin it instead. To make time for this
nonsense the piece has been cut, a bad idea. For a version of Cinderella where ballet is the main focus, not slap-stick, try the Bolshoi production. A not-yet-famous Maximova appears in the four seasons scene. Dancing and musical performance are on a consistently high and very inspired level, and the humorous scenes flow along naturally in the context of the greater work. The Bolshoi gets 5 stars.

This is a typical product of the forties, conservative, elegant and with a reserved sense of humour. Ashton's choreography is very classical in the sense that it's more respectful to tradition than innovative. Antoinette Sibley is a gracious dancer with a limpid technique, but I found Anthony Dowell's dancing rather cold. Frederick Ashton and Robert Helpmann are absolutely hilarious as the jealous sisters. The second act ballroom scene - where Ashton dances with a rather diminutive partner - is a jewell of integrated dance and pantomime.

The recording seems to be dated, though. The colors look faded and the sound has been poorly recorded. Also, the story has been shortened. After the ballroom scene the prince - in the original third act - travels to foreign ountries (Arabia and Spain)to find Cinderella. This act has been ommited, which is a pity for it gives an excellent opportunity for character dances.

There are four other versions of the ballet. The one choreographed by Maguy marin for the Lyon Opera Ballet is a claustrophobic and anguished piece, recommended to those who are interested in psychoanalysis and the avant-garde. Nureyev's version for the Paris Opéra Ballet has Sylvie Guillem as its main point of interest. Her partner Charles Jude has few chances to dance and Mr. Nureyev doesn't even have a dancing part. The action has been brought to the Hollywood of the twenties.
The Bolshoi version is the closest to the original. Raissa Struchkova gives a rather naive interpretation but her dancing is vigorous yet refined. This version was filmed as a feature film, not in a theater. The sense of humour is rather heavy sometimes. Sound and color are passable. The last version on video I know is of the Sevchenko Ballet from the Ukraine. In my opinion it's the most interesting. Sound and image are finely recorded and the cast, although little known - whoever heard of Alexey Ratmansky? - dances beautifully. It's quite difficult to get, as it was recorded on laser disc.

The first time I wieved this video I was greatly dissapointed and I absolutly hated the music. I couldn't figure out why as it had never bothered me before when seeing the ballet live. I soon came to realize that what bothered me wasn't the ballet or the music but the recording! The sound balance is horrible and does no justice to Prokofiev's vibrant music or the Royal Opera House Orchestra. Some of the filming is rather poor too, at one point during the ball scene the conductors arm gets in the way of the camera ( if only for a second or two).
Tudor's choreography is inventive and challenging to the dancers - the speed and surprising use of familiar vocabulary makes one think of Balanchine, though the style is very different. Anthony Dowell is elegance personified. His dancing is brilliantly smooth and efortless. Antoinette Sibly is gracefull and has a lovely expression but is perhaps at times hindered by the speed to reach her full jump. The four fairies are beautifully perfomed. I highly reccomend this video to any ballet enthusiast for the value of the ballet itself but close your ears partially while viewing it. I most certainly hope they remastered the music for the new DVD releas.

This to me at least can't compare to Richard Pryor live. It's funny...Richard Pryor is a comic genius...but, the jokes didn't keep me rolling as much as Live in Concert.

I first saw this film with a friend and we were both laughing so hard we constantly had to stop the film just to recover. Richard Pryor is absolutely one of the funniest and most honest human beings who ever lived. As far as I'm concerned the only comedian who has even come close is Bernie Mac. But Bernie is tame compared to the full throttle antics of Pryor.

Pryor approaches the show knowing the audience has read a lot about his troubled personal life so he comes out and point blank explains everything. From how he ran down the block after setting himself on fire accidentally, to his troubled marriage, to his trip to Africa and how it changed him.

There's a lot of F-bombs (surprise) so you probably don't want to watch this movie in mixed company. If you're sensitive to "white people are so funny" routines then you should probably get a life. But if you wanna hear about how even the African hares intimidated Pryor ("I ain't never seen a rabbit look at me like that before") or how the lions wanted to eat him and his camera, then this is a movie that will have you laughing so hysterically you'll probably pee in your pants.

This is definitely one of the funniest stand up performances I have ever seen.Richard Pryor is one of the greatest comedians of all time.It is so sad that he can't talk anymore.He was definitely the most talented storyteller I have ever seen.His stories are SOO funny.He is also a great imitator.His imitations only make his act funnier.A lot of today's comedians can't compare to Richard.He was one of a kind.His routine about Africa is hilarious.Jamie Foxx's terrible routine about Africa can't compare to Richard's.This is definitely the most vulgar stand up routine I have ever seen.So if you have young children,DO NOT let them come CLOSE to ANY of Richard's movies.Otherwise,sit back and enjoy one of the greatst stand up performances ever recorded!

I didn't find the sound bad on my DVD at all, in fact it was extremely good. Thomas Allen is my Don of choice and I have always loved his voice which was just fine, if not as youthful as the La Scala version which I also have on VHS and Laser Disc. The La Scala version is a must in a collection along with the film with Raimondi, however, this camera work was far superior to the La Scala version and the cast every bit as good, if not better. All the cast members were wonderful. Thomas Allen has the best movement on stage of any opera singer - he moves like a dancer. Vaness, Rost and James are superb as the rest of the cast! I must have 10 different versions of this opera and this is in the top 4 - 5. Highly recommend this version. The death scene was a bit disappointing but there is another 165 minutes of opera (total running time 173 min.) that are moving. The palette of color bothered me to begin with - costumes and sets drab - but by the end, I enjoyed the production because it brought focus to the excellent singers! I originally saw James do this at the Met as cover for Sharon Sweet and was I glad James had to sing! She is superior to Sweet in acting and voice. Buy this, curl up and enjoy one of the best casts of Don Giovanni ever! (Karita Mattila was listed in the booklet as a cast member; James must have been covering for her and the producers neglected to correct the cast notes.) James Conlon was a wonderful conductor and should do more opera. Highly recommend as the singing, acting and pace will propel you through this Mozart masterpiece. I loved it!

Now that I have seen all of the Don Giovannis currently available on DVD in North America (Conlon, Karajan, Losey, Harnoncourt, and Muti) in my opinion this is easily the best of the lot. Its one major flaw is the lame treatment of Don Giovanni's final scene w/ the Commendatore, more of which later. Of the other productions on DVD, principal competition comes from the Karajan version on Sony, which uses the exact same production and staging (by Michael Hampe). I must admit that I was rather disappointed when I realized that this was the case, as I found that staging to be rather cold, dark and uninvolving in the Karajan version. However, this version manages to inject much more life and warmth into the production, and while Hampe's staging will never be my favorite, this production manages to make the best of it.

The principal reason for the extra warmth of this version is the cast, which I find preferable to Karajan's in every instance, especially in acting and stage manner. Thomas Allen's Don Giovanni is superior in every way to Samuel Ramey's w/ Karajan - he is simply much more convincing in the role. Ferruccio Furlanetto plays Leporello quite nicely in both versions, but seems to be having more fun here. Even though Karajan had very strong Donnas in his version, Carolyn James and Carol Vanness are superb in the present version, and offer more sympathic portrayals overall (esp. James' Donna Anna). And Conlon's Zerlina (forget her name) is light years better than Kathleen Battle's undistinguished performance for Karajan. The rest of the case is equally fine - there is no real weak link anywhere.

Conlon's conducting is truly first-rate - everything is well-judged, lively and totally natural, without ever sounding dull or routine. In fact, based on this and on some recent live performances I've heard him conduct with the Boston Symphony, I'd say that among conductors Conlon is one of the best current Mozarteans, and is quite underrated in this regard. I hope he records more Mozart in the future...

As other reviewers have pointed out, this set's achilles heel is the extremely lame Commendatore scene. I don't know whether this is after peformance patch-up job as some seem to think (it seems like part of the original performance to me...) or if it is simply a completely unimaginative directoral concept, but whatever the case, it is a disappointment, especially since the rest of the opera is so solid. And the post-production special effects (worthy of a 1960's B-level sci-fi movie) are supremely cheesy, and totally unneccesary...

Technically, the DVD is pretty good. Picture is clearer and sharper than in the Karajan version, although there seems to have been a problem with one of the cameras, resulting in certain long-distance shots having some major distortion in the top left-hand corner of the screen. I did not find this to be a big deal, however, as it is confined to only a few shots. Sound quality is also pretty good. The orchestra is a little soft sounding at first, but the voices are very clearly recorded. Volume needs to be turned up a little more than normal for best results.

The subtitles are absolutely maddening, however. Apart from offering only a "bare bones" translation (just enough info to give you a general idea) their placement is rather erratic - sometimes they appear before a character sings their line, sometimes during, and sometimes they simply drop out all together (for example Zerlina's aria Batti, battti is completely absent of subtitles, as is the final chorus...). Really poorly done...

But aside from that and the Commendatore scene, I'd say this is the one to get if you want a Don Giovanni on DVD. There is another production of Don Giovanni on Arthaus - w/ Harnoncourt conducting. That version offers perhaps the best singer currently doing the role of Don Giovanni (Rodney Gilfry - absolutely riveting) but the Eurotrash staging and Harnoncourt's unbearably ugly and eccentric conducting completely take it out of the running for me. I give Conlon's 5 stars only because it is the best currently available - on an absoute scale it probably is closer to a 4, or 4.5. But I'm still waiting for a true 5 star Don Giovanni to come out on DVD...

Ce DVD est super. Allen est extra, Vaness parfaite. Rost est un joyau. La mise en scène est EPOUSTOUFLANTE. La fin du Don est extraordinaire. Achetez ce DVD, d'autant qu'il est théatral.

On the whole, this was an exceptionally disapointing and in some respects offensive presentation. Not only were the vocalists weak (especially, unfortunately, William Conrad as the Mikado, who was uneven and even squeaky at times), but the scenery was garish and the costumes bordered on cheap. The choreography was also extremely spasmodic, and the work with the fans was flabby and erratic. An absolute low point was reached with Pish Tush, who not only wore the outfit of a Japanese ambassador from the mid 1930s, but also sported a set of genuine buck teeth. What was next on the list, one wonders, perhaps a set of "coke bottle" eyeglasses?

To see a happier performance of this material, in a style that respects the perfectionist production qualities of W.S. Gilbert, I highly recommend the 1966 D'Oyly Carte production instead. The difference between that performance and this abomination is the difference between the stylized elegance of kibuki and the low burlesque of, um, someplace that does really low burlesque.

I just received this video and have to say that on the whole it was very disappointing. The performances are very good, but the shoddy choreography and high shool-esque staging distracted greatly from the performances. Also troublesome are the glaring anachronisms throughout this production. I do particularly enjoy The Mikado, but this tape leaves much to be desired. Your money would be better spent on another production, or on a CD and the score.

This MIKADO video is an excellent production on every level. William Conrad does an excellent job as the eponymous title-role, even going as far as speaking in a so-called Japanese-English accent. Clive Revill, after many many years of playing the role of Ko-Ko, the Lord High Executioner, gives a marvellous and believable portrayal of the role here. The lovers and Katisha are all top-knoth, with Nanki-Poo as sweet and romantic as Yum-Yum, and Katisha fierry and commanding. As for the chorus, they are all supportive, and Alexander Faris's spirited musical direction is a treat as always. As with most of the other Brent-Walker G&S videos, the sound quality seems a little bit poor, but every word is still as crisp and clear as possible. The sets and costumes are all lush and sumptuous. Overall, this is a more traditionsal film compared to the 1987 English National Opera production, that I don't recommend very highly, that can hold its own with the best G&S films in the Brent-Walker series.

The production designer seemed to think the primary focus should be on his talents rather than the actors or composer. Angela Denoke was wonderful, Toesten Kerl efective as the ill fated hero. They had to do battle with the sets and costumes. It was difficult to understand Korngold's opera because of the poor production.

Korngold is an over the top composer, but this production tries to out do him, and as a result, is confusing. Denoke is wonderful, physically beautiful with a matching voice. Kerl is fine and convincing. They have a hard time competing with the "everything but the kitchen sink" production. The designers seem to feel the focus of the opera should be on the sets and peculiar design decisions rather than on the music and Korngold's conception for the opera.

This is a minor opera by a minor composer. It isn't even listed in Kobbe and is rarely performed. But it is filled with exquisite music and vocals and has a macabre fascination. Being a hick from the sticks, my first encounter with it was the movie Aria which uses Marietta's Lied in one of the vignettes as the audio to accompany a video of the city of Bruges and actress and model Elizabeth Hurley disrobing. Hearing the show stopper from Korngold's masterpiece almost made me forget about Liz.

Most operas have simple plots. Girl meets boy, boys, a regiment and romantic polygons are formed. Throw in war, inquisition, sorcery, alchemy, women trying to find their shadow, etc. and you've got your basic opera plot. But this opera, or at least this production of it, left me feeling like ones of the apes in Stanley Kubrick's movie 2001 contemplating the obelisk. Frankly, I have no clue as to what is going on. But the enigma adds to the allure and, besides, if the folks responsible for it wanted me to understand it they would have made it understandable. A minor puzzle is when Marietta begins her big number a teenage boy in semiformal attire emerges from a door in the deserted mausoleum and bachelor pad to accompany her on a piano.

Although I love this opera, this performance of it, and this DVD, my enjoyment would have been enhanced if the necrophilia and fetish aspects had been toned down. In an opera such as Salome it's necessary to have a severed head prominently displayed. But is it really necessary to have as the main stage prop in Die Tote Stadt the desiccated corpse of the departed Marie which looks like Norman Bates' mother from Alfred Hitchcock's movie Psycho? Do we really need to see Paul grabbing dolls and cadavers with the zest of a python latching onto a bunny rabbit? More could and should have been left to the imagination.

If you've only heard of Korngold as the composer of music for some great and not so great Hollywood movies, you need to get this. Your ears are in for a treat. But you may need a blinder and a barf bag for the gruesome parts.

Despite some of the negative connotations suggested by the title of this review, this is still one of my favorite ballets on DVD.

This is the movie of Adolphe Adam's Giselle, performed by the American Ballet Theatre. The choreography is by David Blair (after Perrot and Corelli). The principal dancers are Carla Fracci as Giselle and Erik Bruhn as Albrecht. The sets and costumes are beautiful and fairly portray the era they are meant to represent.

Fracci is a superb dancer, but beyond this, she does a magnificent job in her emotional interpretation of the shy village girl who falls in love with the deceitful Albrecht and then later in Act II, (as a spirit, after her death) where she tries to save her lover from a watery grave at the hands of the vengeful Wili. This ballet has several different mood swings during the performance and Fracci accomplishes them all with surprising ease and elegance.

I think this work has a lasting, timeless appeal because of the way that Adam's beautiful, haunting melodies are able to fit with the choreography that was provided for this ballet; the dance and music so superbly suited that this ballet has become ageless masterpiece.

There is, unfortunately, a negative side to report (thus the loss of one star): as mentioned by almost all reviewers; some of the camera work and editing is hard to believe. Awkward close-ups, bumpy movie scenes taken from the backs of moving horses, highly magnified distorted shots: all detract from an otherwise outstanding performance. I cannot imagine what the producers or editors were thinking when they allowed this product to be the final version for retail distribution. The cast must have been stunned to see this as the final cut.

All in all, I can recommend this work because the music, the dancing and dancers in this ballet are of 5 star quality, however, the entire work is somewhat tarnished and diminished by its less than stellar camera work and editing.

Sadly we won't see great dancing like this again but as usual the idiotic director/editor has ruined what could have been an incredible record of great artists. Where today can you see the drama and charm of a Carla Fracci or the princely elegance of an Eric Brune. Nowhere, that's where. The peasant pas de deux is wonderfully danced by the technical dynamo Eleanor D'Antuono and Ted Kivett. It is such a shame that it is all ruined by a demented director. You will see the same thing happen in the editing of many Broadway shows. Sunday in the Park with George for instance. What a waste!

I think the choregraphy, dancers are great! Unfortunely the camera try to show off.

I will tell you from the start, I know a good amount of things about the great masterpieces of opera: I have heard Wagner's Tristan und Isolde, Der Ring des Nibelungen and Parsifal, Verdi's La Traviata and Falstaff (I will also have Otello soon), Richard Strauss' Salome, Elektra and Rosenkavalier, as well as a bunch of other things. I can therefore say that I know what "Grand" opera is. And "Les Huguenots" is.

Meyerbeer has for long been disregarded as a great composer, and this because many other composers who now have a tremendous success (especially Schumann and Wagner) have made fun of him and ridiculised his musical skills. Today, peoples still find something bad to say of his music. Let me try to pop their balloons.

First, according to Meyerbeer bashers, his "melodic invention" is inferior to Bel-cantists, especially Verdi. His arias are, apparently, too short. I beg to differ. The only mistake Meyerbeer ever made in his arias was not to repeat himself. The arias in "Les huguenots" are, if you repeat their melodies like Verdi does in "Rigoletto", "La traviata" or "Il trovatore", we can see both are pretty much of similar length. As an example, if you take, say, Raoul(the tenor)'s romance "Plus blanche que la blanche ermine" and make him repeat it completely, with other lyrics, we obtain an aria as long as "La donna e mobile", except with better orchestration. It is, however, comprehensible they may SEEM shorter, but their musical value is in no way inferior. If you want a longer aria, just play it's part of the dvd again; it'll do just like Verdi in his middle-period arias. And for those who say this composer couldn't create complex melodic episodes, just take the 16 minutes long love-duet that ends the fourth act of this opera!

Also, it would appear that Meyerbeer's operas are too pompous, give an exterior effect, and rely on "effects without causes", to quote Wagner. It supposedly threathens the building of the acts of his operas. Only a misunderstanding of the very essence of the "Historical grand opera" can lead to such beliefs. Meyerbeer's operas are deeply humane, showing how individuals at a given historical moment influence and see their lives be influenced (often tragically) by it. It is normal Meyerbeer includes "pompous" or "cause-less" episodes in his opera, to create a picture of society at that time, and thus put into relief the human drama that later unfolds before our eyes. The perfect example would be the finale of act 3, where women wish happy days to a newly married couple, while the bride must hide her pain about being married to someone else than the one she loves (don't worry, she's more strongly built than Lucia of Lammermoor).

Finally, some say such works could only appeal to the french middle-class bourgeoisie of the time, which had inferior musical tastes, only wanted big spectacles, etc. Well, it would then mean the territory of France extended at that time from Chicago to Moscow!

Having said what I felt necessary about Meyerbeer, I will give a few words about the production of this dvd. All sets are beautiful, but the singing is a mixed bag. John Pringle (Baritone) and Amanda Thane (Dramatic soprano) give very good performances. Anson Austin (Tenor) is a bit squally, but his role is a quite difficult one. Clifford Grant (Bass) barfs his words more than he speaks them, but the singing itself is all right. John Wegner (Bass I think) has a far too light voice, I think, but his role is not that major a role. Joan Sutherland (Coloratura soprano) is hardly ok, but still listenable. All of them (even Joan Sutherland) have very good acting on their side, and only Grant, Sutherland and Thane have troubles with french diction. Subtitles are only in english, and the translating is quite passable. Good stereo sound, good conducting, good acoustics. The first scene of the fourth act was omitted, and what remains was dubbed as part of the fourth act.

To conclude, if you like operas with vivid and energetic orchestration, powerful chorus pieces, both tender and energetic melodies, human drama and grandiose finales, this opera should be your next buy. Meyerbeer was the most successful composer of his time. We must now preserve his works, instead of denigrating them, for they are as important to french opera as Wagner's lyric dramas to germans and Verdi's last four operas to italians, and are as much musical powerhouses as those are.

Joan Sutherland is a popular soprano with a following of many admirers. She has appeared in various operas now available on DVD, among them Lucrezia Borgia and La Fille Du Regiment. In the 60's and 70's Joan Sutherland grace the opera stage with her numerous sold out performances and her winning "big" voice. She was motivated to sing opera in an effort to rival Maria Callas or to follow in her footsteps. Here, she plays the role of Marguerite De Valois, the warm-hearted and freethinking French princess. Giacomo Meyebeer's operas were the trend at the time in Paris. His style "grand opera" is rarely performed today. It features lavish scenery, special effects and spectacle, crowd scenes, great singers and dramatic orchestral music. Much of these operas "L'Africaine", "La Prophete", "Robert Le Diable" were very big productions that cost a lot to produce- tales of intense drama, romance, tragedy, history, religion, etc. These operas were ancestors to Wagner operas. In fact, Meyerbeer was himself a French Wagner of his day.

Les Huguenots (French Protestants) is set in the late 1500's. Queen Elizabeth I was ruling England and the heart of Europe was divided between Protestants and Catholics during the Reformation. In France, there was a bloody massacre that has become known as the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre. Many Protestants or Huguenots were killed in cold blood in the public streets. During these troubling times, Raoul the tenor hero falls in love with Valentine, the soprano heroine. The lovers are doomed from the beginning. They both come from opposing religions and rival families. A marriage would have been inevitable. But the clever Marguerite De Valois (Joan Sutherland) devises a plan to get them married and offers the help of both Protestant and Catholic religious leaders. Joan Sutherland's Marguerite looks a lot like Queen Elizabeth I in case anyone has already figured out. Unfortunately, like in most romantic dramas of this period, the lovers do not have a happy ending. But the story is exceptional, the singing brilliant and the music to die for.

I'm getting pretty sick of all these people trashing Huguenots. I admit, Les Huguenots isn't Star Wars or even Tristan und Isolde but it is still truly a great undervalued opera. Before Wagner and Verdi transformed and magnified the opera, Meyerbeer, a Jew, was THE big opera composer. Wagner, in fact, was highly jealous of Meyerbeer's success, attacking him savagely in his infamous treatise, "Judaism in Music". Historically, Huguenots is a fascinating and all-to-rarely seen work, somewhere between the glittering bel canto of Rossini, Donizetti and Bellini, the french opera comique of Auber and Boieldieu, and the "Grand Opera" of Verdi, Wagner, and their successors. It is truly a "grand" work, its length being considerable and its subject matter and scope being equally enormous. In fact, it opens with the delightful Roccoco charm of "La Dame blanche", and ends with a French dramatic grandeur that reminds me of "Les Miserables". That said, it also contains some of the most delightful and glittering (not to mention difficult) music ever written. Musically (although perhaps not dramatically) Act II deserves particular attention, with Sutherland's breathtaking coluratura. Les Huguenots will be valued by any fans of Sutherland, French Romantic or Roccoco opera, or anyone intersted witnessing a wonderful but neglected musical (not to mention historical) document.

Totally Objective and Irrefutable Scores: (scale of 1-10)
DVD Video: 3.0 -
dull transfer of shabby 1986 Soviet Production is blurry, grainy, and shoddily directed.

DVD Audio: 2.0 -
has a very annoying tape hiss that can be very distracting during the quieter numbers.

Production: Zero. 0.00. Naught. Niente.
Evidently, this is the unrevised Ivanovich/Petipa choreography. Ideologically this makes sense because Swan Lake was created for the Kirov. Unfortunately, the choreography that most people see nowadays is some stepchild of the Frederick Ashton revision. I can't think of any reason why someone made the decision to go with the old orthodoxy. At best, it's a curiosity. The worst thing about it is the relative aimlessness of the principle male dancer. Again, no excuse for letting sleeping dogs lie - so to speak.

Galina Mezentseva (Odette/Odile): 7.5 -
great technique, emotionally lackluster. Nevertheless, she's the only possible reason why you might want this DVD.

Konstantin Zaklinsky (Prince Siegfried): 4.5 -
he was probably a pretty good dancer in 1986: good looking, nice long legs;the problem is, he doesn't get to do anything with them (he has one bit in Act III where he gets to do a once-around with grand jettes (they're perfect). That's basically the only moment he's allowed to shine. But he's a decent partner. It was pretty obvious that he was bored.

Corps de ballet: 8.0. -
Pretty solid in a late soviet-era sort of way. Lots of technique. Little joy.

Orchestra: 3.0 -
The violin soloist in the grand pas de deux in Act II is stunning. Best I've ever heard on this music. Ditto some of the wind soloists. The rest of the orchestra is passable, but it is conducted with a sluggishness that begs the old cliche about how gloomy it was to live in the Soviet Union, and how nobody really cared about his work. This guy is just wretched.

Content - extra features: none

Single most annoying thing:
This package contains ZERO information (in English), on the case, the insert, or on the DVD itself, apart from the names of the two principles. No mention is made of what the name of the orchestra is, who conducts, what year the production was made. Some of this information is available in the end-credits, but it's in Russian, so... I gathered from my very humble ability to sound out Russian characters that the Academy Orchestra of the Kirov Opera/Ballet was conducted by Yevgeny something-or-other.

There is really no excuse for this DVD with the possible exception of Mezentseva who has great technique but doesn't connect very smoothly with the music.

The review by Aleta M. Daley (dated Jan. 9, 2003) is misplaced.
It is for a different version of Kirov's Swan Lake.

Over the past 40 years, I have seen many live and several taped versions of "Swan Lake". The Kirov production with Yulia Makhalina and Igor Zelensky is magnificent. This is ballet at its consummate best. Having also studied ballet, and danced on point, I can appreciate especially the flawless, expressive and consistently demanding choreography. Makhalina may not convey the emotional depth in the same way as a Fonteyn or a Makarova, but her every movement conveys the sensibility of an Odette and just as effectively an Odile. Ballet is clearly her passion.

I believe that this splendid production on video owes much to its director Colin Nears. With so many elements at work, he has quite successfully maintained a balance that enables us the viewers to enjoy the ballet as if it were a live performance and we were in the orchestra.