Reviews (31)

Mozart miracle!
This is possibly the most beautiful opera video ever produced. It was not filmed on stage, but on location in Vicenza, Italy, with absolutely stunning setting. It features excellent performances, including Ruggero Raimondi (the perfect Don) and Kiri Te Kanawa (the perfect Donna Elvira). Of the 5 or 6 greatest operas ever written (all Mozart's, in my opinion), some say Don Giovanni stands out as the most perfect achievement. Whatever your opinion may be, by getting this video you will be getting the very finest rendition of this masterwork I have ever seen. It is sung in the original Italian, with English subtitles. Incidentally, one reviewer complained of the poor quality of the sound. This is unfortunately true (shame on Kultur Videos!) but don't let this stop you from purchasing this excellent video - you won't regret it.

The perfect opera to be your first!
I got this copy of "Il dissoluto punuto," ossai "Il Don Giovanni" for Christmas. This was my first opera, and I am astounded. I'm hooked on this style of entertainment, now. Kiri Te Kanawa and Ruggero Raimondi are the perfect opera performers to introduce you to opera. They both have wonderful voices and can act like nobody's business. Enough about the main performers. When I got this, I was expecting it to be a film of a stage performance.. and that's not at all what it was. These "opera films" are absolutely wonderful. Kind of unusual and take a bit to get used to, but are very nice. Excellent film. Great performance of the scene that made me want the opera (Don Giovanni, a cena teco). I love the happy, bouncy quality of the marriage party, where we first meet Masetto and his wife. It's so Mozart! I never really understood the purpose of the valet in black. (O.o). Mozart can be so intriguing... he was my favorite composer to begin with, and this only increased it. Great opera to be your first. I strongly recommend it.

SUBLIME film, but the sound is just AWFUL !
Having seen this film years and years ago in the cinema at least twice, I jumped at the chance to get it on DVD when I saw that it was released.

I wasn't disappointed - if you can abstract from, say, Dame Kiri te Kanawa, walking around in a corn field singing in Dolby stereo, you are in for a rare treat !

Aaaah, the settings, the costumes, the singers, the time details are just fantastic ! Especially Dame Kiri is at the height at her vocal powers and possesses enough dramatic flair to act as well as sing but the show stopper MUST be Kenneth Riegel, singing his heart out in "Il Mio Tesoro" - I have rarely heard a more heart-felt and passionate rendition of the aria !

This film would definitely get 5 stars if it hadn't been for the poor sound transfer ! On the back it is marked "digitally mastered audio" and "Dolby Surround" - full of anticipation I switched on my dolby surround system only having to switch it off again and go for "normal stereo". Sometimes during the film it sounded as if the singers were singing inside a tin can so I have to deduct a start for bad sound remastering - otherwise maybe the BEST opera adaptation for the screen EVER !

The Don Giovanni to buy!
There are countless recordings and videos of Mozart's masterpiece but this one surpasses each and every one of them! First of all there is the PERFECT cast: Ruggero Raimondi spoiled me for all other Don Giovannis, including Brownlee, Siepi, Hampson, Allen etc. etc. His seductive bass-baritone not only can sound as smooth as silk (E.G. in the sexy "La ci darem la mano") but also sound furious, excited, noble and incredibly HOT. No wonder Elvira is wax in his hands as he acts as if he were in love with her again. And being very tall and extremely good looking (Not in the boyish way but MASCULINE and SEXY) he fits the bill. At times he looks like a handsome demon. His acting is absolutely incredible, for his facial expressions alone were Oscar-worthy! Two thumbs up! Then there is Edda Moser, the best Donna Anna ever! Not a dumb, neurotic canary but a strikingly passionate and vivid woman who is obviously aroused by the Don (Hey, who wouldn't be?). She acts this conflict to perfection, her voice has the hotness of lava! Glorious, fiery coloratura and a WONDERFUL actress. Kiri te Kanawa gives her best performance as the loving Elvira who's torn between revenge and the love for her treasure. (She calls him that!) Her meltingly beautiful soprano fits Elvira to a T, her noble and heartbreaking acting are even more +++++++++++ for her. Teresa Berganza spoiled me for all those stupid lyric coloratura Zerlinas. Her lyric mezzo is seductive and beautiful, her chemistry with Raimondi is astonishing. The only weak point was the Don Ottavio who lacked a full middle. The Massetto and Commendatore were fabulous. Losey's direction is brilliant, the costumes lavish and gorgeous. Maazel conducts the score to perfection. This is the best DG ever!

A Masterpiece viewed through a broken window
This cast and production are a once in a century (if that) event; there is no better performance available, period. Raimondi is at the height of his career and the finest Don Juan in anyone's memory, Kanawa is brutally on target as Elvira, Edda Moser has only one better Donna Anna performance (but there is no better person to play her), van Dam is stupendously played (almost too well)... one can go on and on. Losey, and everyone else was involved in this project really know their performance history of Don Giovanni and the Don Juan legacy in general. This literary myth has a life of its own over the past few hundred years and this project created huge ripples throughout the European opera community. Casts like this almost never see the transfer to video. The actual production conditions were authentically grueling and difficult, much like a live stage performance.

This movie suffers from technical flaws in the filming, sound production, DVD transfer, etc. There is even an encoding mistake in the DVD that overlaps for about 5 seconds of audio at one point, though overall the audio and video are cleaned up from the previous VHS/PAL releases.

What I can say without hesitation is that it is akin to viewing Michelangelo's David, through a broken and slightly hazy window. Once you forget about the lens, you will never see anything to compare to what you are seeing. And the clarity of the window does not in any way reflect on the actual miracle. ... Read more

Reviews (58)

fantastic
This in one of the most delightful (in fact the most delightful) opera movies I have ever seen. The first amazing thing is that there are no cuts in the score.

About the cast...well...incredible...
Domingo sings Don Jose incredibly. No contemporary tenor is his equal. Carreras and Lima (the other 2 don jose on DVD) are just not as good as him. Domingo also has a good french accent...which is a must in this opera.

Migenes: well I can't understand some other reviewers who accused her of ruining the performance. I thought she was incredible. She is an amazing actress. Although she never sang carmen on stage, she has however a very deep understanding in the role...perfectly reflected in this movie.

The toreador (raimondi) and micaella are also good. Well..overall the cast is great ...and the decor is AMAZING...the opening scene is a bit brutal...but also...what can i say...the music in the prelude IS brutal and the sets are just following the music..isn't that opera???

I highly recommend this DVD.

I don't get the hype.
I guess all other opera movies are laughably bad, so when this halfway decent production of Carmen comes along it's suddenly a masterpiece. Let's not be too quick to give it a standing ovation. Don Jose is one of Domingo's signature roles and he sings it beautifully, but the horrendous camera work of this film makes him appear too stiff and cold, especially during scenes with Micaela. The beginning is way too gross and way too long, and the big scenes like the "Tor-ee-a-dor" seem sort of worthless after sitting through the slow sections. My big problem with this movie is Migenes. She can't do anything except dance and wiggle in a sexy manner which seems to fulfill the role at first but, by the end, makes her effort less satisfying because it's really all she knows how to do. She just couldn't sing it and she needs to shave under her arms. A really over-rated film. Yes, it's hard not to enjoy Carmen, but in my opinion even the beautifully lavish scenery couldn't save this. An average attempt at best.

Busty, Lusty and Dusty
One of the best Opera Movies.
Oh sure Opera purists will quibble with the choice of Julia Migenes Johnson because she is not a "classic" Carmen.
But believe me, when she seduces Don Jose while she is being detained, I too was seduced. In some other operatic productions on film the only way you could tell the leading lady was beautiful or seductive was because the characters told you, despite the obvious proof to the contrary.
In this beautifully shot film Carmen is not a ravishing beauty, if anything Micaela (Faith Esham, who is, by contrast, lovely and whose voice in both the duet with Don Jose and her solo later on, soars as high as the mountains in the background) is a doll. She's a good girl and his mama's choice for his future.
Don Jose's career path is also set. He's a good soldier and due for promotion. Yet he'll throw it all away on a promise of Manzanilla and some hot lovin' and we believe it because Julia Johnson sells it.
The film portrays Carmen as a 21st Century woman stuck in a dusty backwater world, where strict formalities are mocked by the common folk (witness the children mocking the soldiers in the beginning). She's not a slut, she's a playful flirt who doesn't recognize Jose's seriousness.
I can quibble with some things myself, for example the aforementioned duet between Jose and Micaela is shown in a long shot that feels like it goes on forever. Give me a couple of close ups, please. I understand their wanting to show the stiffness and formality (and distance?) between the two, but there's no need to bore us; and there maybe too much dust swirling about as the peasants dance about, but you do get a sense of reality often missing in operas (or even movie musicals when shot on location, like West Side Story, though shot in Manhattan, where was the garbage?)
This movie works on the two levels it strives for. The opera is wonderfully performed by both singers and orchestra. The story is timeless and the plot easy to swallow. Cinematography is top notch, and though the direction could have been more imaginative
this is more than a good opera movie, this is a good movie.

The best of Domingo's !
It is wonderfully singed, gloriously staged and unbelievably truthful opera. One may dislike the film -like settings but they do work as intended. It is dynamic, south -France flavored, sunny and tragic Carmen. I know only another Domingo's DVD that may pair with this one, the "Cavaleria rusticana".

Carmen singing not too good
The visuals of the film is very good and atmospheric, except for the bullfighting scenes which are too gory. As for the singings, Placido Domingo does an excellent job, but not so Julia Migenes. Sometimes I can't tell whether it is just her singing style or she is out of breath. She may not ruin the film but she is not very pleasant to hear. Having a sexing acting Carmen may appeal to a lot of people, but this is not the reason I listen to opera. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Domingo and Raimondi on fire, Malfitano rather wet.
Buy this video for Domingo and Raimondi. They are fabulous! Catherine Malfitano, I thought, wasn't so great. She sang pretty well, but I've heard better Tosca's than she. My biggest complaint with her is her extremely exaggerated facial expressions. She seems to be going cross-eyed in "vissi d'arte". They are frequent, annoying and just serve to ruin the wonderful atmosphere that Domingo and Raimondi have created.
Aside from her, there is some very strange blue lighting at the end of act 2 that is supposed to be darkness, but only covers half the room, leaving the bottom half dark and blue and the upper half bright and sunny. But Domingo and Raimondi are very good.

If only this performance was available on DVD!
I love this performance of Tosca, one of my favorite operas. Outside of the odd material between acts (already noted in another review), this is an excellent presentation.

Alas, it's on VHS tape. If it was on DVD, it would be perfect. As it is, the tape quality isn't bad, but I'm spoiled by how much better DVDs look. Perhaps someday this performance will be licensed for DVD and I can buy it again!

Greatest opera in greatest scenery
I love this opera no matter what. It's probably the best thing after LISTENING to Callas,Bergonzi and - the Greatest of them all Tito Gobbi! - with the Academia di Santa Cecilia. But there's fenomenal advantage here - the authetic scenery of Rome, of places where the actual opera action TOOK PLACE! Fantastic! And the finale of the First Act ("Te Deum") is breathtaking. One little thing - Tosca might as well be a little bit younger and a litlle bit more beautiful, but - let's give a girl a credit: she can sing. Once Anton Chekhov cited an anecdote about the opera singers: "Listen, Nemov - you're a complete idiot!" "Yeah, but I got VOICE!"

Superb Version of Tosca
I saw this "live" when it was telivised around the world. I was living in Australia then and had to wake up at 4AM to watch the second act. Domingo was brilliant as well as Catherine Malifitano, but the real clincher was Ruggero Raimondi playing Scarpia, is there anyone more evil?

The scenary was majestic being in the actual places the Puccini wanted it, and at the correct time of day for each of the acts.

If you are an old fan of Opera or just starting to explore it, you cannot go wrong with this version, it is pure magic!

The Ultimate Tosca
This is the most perfect performance of Tosca I have ever seen. And it really is basically a live performance, as opposed to an opera movie. The scenery consists of the real locations where the opera took place, and the costumes are authentic and beautiful. But the best part of all is the performers. Catherine Malfitano, Placido Domingo, and Ruggero Raimondi are all not only wonderful singers but extremely good-looking people. As for their acting skills, Domingo is more than adequate, and Malfitano and Raimondi are outstanding. The only part of the film I didn't like was the helicopter noises between acts. The director apparently felt it was necessary to remind us of the present; I didn't agree with him. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Early Verdi at its best!
George Bernard Shaw described Ernani as Verdi's most intense opera, and in this rendition, all of the musical and visual elements of the work that so pleased the irascible Shaw come together marvelously. Who better to conduct it than James Levine, today's best interpreter of Verdi, and considered by many to be the heir to Toscanini. Young and still vocally secure, Pavarotti sings with boldness and color, with few of the extra syllables which mar so much of his middle years. Milnes, in the manner of Leonard Warren, is perfect in the role of Carlo and Leona Mitchell, while not quite the Verdian as Leontyne Price, fully realizes her part. Considering that this is a 1983 recording, this DVD shows how well the medium captures both the visual and musical elements of opera in general and Ernani in particular. A standing ovation for such a grand performance of a grand opera! And by the way, for folks who think that Verdi didn't hit his stride until Rigoletto, here is the proof of how truly great his earlier works are.

GREAT MUSIC, GREAT VOICES, GREAT VIDEO!
Even though it is not much performed nowadays, Ernani has got some of Verdi's finest music. The libretto is quite dreadful, but if you ignore its weaknesses you are most likely to fall for this opera. Since it is very hard to sing, almost as difficult as Trovatore, it demands top class singers. This video brings what is perhaps the best performance ever of this Verdi early masterpiece. The whole cast is just great! Pavarotti is a stunning Ernani and Ruggero Raimondi, perhaps the most beautiful bass voice of our days, sings a Duke that can not be matched. Sherril Milnes, Leona Mitchel and Maestro Levine are superb. If you are an opera lover, you can not miss this one. Buy it now. It is worth every single penny you pay for it.

pretty close to top notch
what more could anyone ask for? Pavarotti is brilliant as Ernani, no doubt this is one of his best roles. But he stares mostly at the prompter, and remains pretty much glued to this one spot on the stage. It would have been great if he had acted some more. oh well.

Raimondi is one of the best singers I've ever heard - his Act One aria and cabaletta are one of the highlights of this performance. His acting is fine also.

Levine and the orchestra once again prove that they're the best in the U.S.

Mitchell is completely miscast here. this role is not for her. she gasps for breath like a fish out of water. when she does this (quite often), her breasts puff up and down in such a distracting way that ruins her performance. try not to look when this happens.

Milnes has his vocal problems much in evident here, but he still brings down the house, esp. in Act Three during his aria, where he finally hits his stride.

Production, supporting roles, chorus are all very good.

so except for Mitchell, this is highly reccomended. I hope someday modern technology can provide Mirella Freni's Elvira from the La Scala version. that would definately be the cherry on the sundae! buy this for sure, though. this one's as best as they come.

Sorry to disagree
I wonder if those who are enthusiastic about this performance have seen the Muti/La Scala performance with Domingo, Freni, Bruson, and Ghiarov? That one is fiery and exciting. I found this production plodding. Of course, Pavarotti sings well, but Leona Mitchell does not have the flexibility in her voice to sing the role well. I recommend waiting for the La Scala production - with all 4 singers and Muti in superb form, though the sets are sometimes ludicrous.

Must to have performance.
This is majestic performance. Everyone here on his or her best. Pavarotti is glorious and really tragic as Ernani. I know, I'm not original here: I like Pavarotti. Milnes makes unforgettable Carlo. Silva presented by Raimondi is fabulous. Mitchell makes outstanding Leonora. Honestly, this production is something of opera's best life recorded performances that I ever saw. Levine direction is perfect. He gives the voices pop up and sound on their best. This one is whole pleasure to listen.
One more word to say about the chorus: it is one of the unforgettable. I really think that this production is one to the treasure. ... Read more