About this product: You can tell here that Giordano was still stuck in the old way of making opera, thank God. This is Mirella's feast and she makes the most of it. But Placy does upstage her. He's got the better aria - and the crowd goes on and on and on. Traditional MET production, but it looks pretty expensive - no cheap job. I wouldn't say that Fedora will ever replace Andrea Chenier - but it is worth a look from time to time - now with such a good production. The only studio CD was a squaller with Magda Olivera and Mario del Monaco. His shouting was just too much to take. And while she isn't usually a shouter I think she felt she better belt it out to keep up with him. None of that here - just two great singers having it out.
About this product: Spain released, PAL/Region 0 DVD:it WILL NOT play on standard US DVD player. You need multi-region PAL/NTSC DVD player to view it in USA/Canada: LANGUAGES: English ( Dolby Digital 2.0 ),Spanish ( Dolby Digital 2.0 ),Spanish ( Subtitles ),SPECIAL FEATURES: Filmographies, Interactive Menu, Scene Access, Trailer(s),SYNOPSIS: In Fedora, Billy Wilder approaches Hollywood stardom in the same fashion as he did in Sunset Boulevard--with cynicism, regret, understanding, and awe. Fedora (Marthe Keller) is film's most intriguing movie queen. Rumored to be well into her sixties, the actress has remained a starlet for over four decades--retaining youth and radiance despite her advancing years. The mystery behind her numinous persona has never ceased to captivate audiences. Even now, as she lives in seclusion on the beautiful Greek island of Corfu, the public buzzes for her to return to the screen. When producer Barry Detweiler (William Holden) travels to Corfu, staking his faltering career on Fedora's return, he discovers the actress's tragic secret. Fedora's eternal loveliness may not be the result of defying her age, but of concealing her youth.
About this product: Musically, I would give this DVD 5 stars, but a few problems detract from the musical excellence. First, the applause after the major arias goes on much too long. Such applause may be acceptable in the theater, but on a DVD should have been edited so it was shorter. Second, I am given the impression that the director didn't bother to read the libretto, since Benackova (Maddalene de Coigny in the opera) had dark brown hair even though the libretto described her as a blond. I have to wonder how Gerard's spy was able to find her since he was told to look for a "blue eyed blond." It is minor details like this that can make what could have been an excellent performance into one that is just very good.
About this product: There is another DVD of 'Fedora' starring Mirella Freni and Plácido Domingo and I think it was made within a year or two -- in the mid-1990s -- of this one; that one was at the Met and was conducted by Roberto Abbado. This one is a live performance at La Scala Milan and is conducted by the 82-year-old Gianandrea Gavazzeni, an acknowledged master in this repertoire. I've not seen the Met DVD and cannot make a direct comparison of the two versions. But I can say that I watched this one with great interest and found myself drawn into the highly melodramatic goings-on of Fedora and her lover Loris Ipanov, which requires a fair suspension of disbelief. Freni plays the haunted Fedora with passion and verisimilitude. It is unfortunate that there is no great soprano aria in the opera, or at least nothing to compare with Loris's 'Amor ti vieta' in Act II. Domingo gets a huge ovation at the end of the aria, enough that the stage action simply can't go on for quite a long time. And for good reason -- it's a spectacular performance.
Still, the show is Freni's. She is very much the passionate verismo heroine and she brings out every nuance of the part. Her voice is in fairly good estate; her high notes are intact, and thrilling, but the low voice has become just a bit thready.
One novelty in this opera is the Chopinesque étude Giordano wrote for the 'nephew of Chopin' to play in Act II. It does indeed sound like Chopin and is played well by Arnold Bosman as 'Boleslao Lazinski'. But in the Met DVD Lazinski is played by Jean-Yves Thibaudet! (I wonder if he wore his trademark red socks?)
The stage decor is beautiful and traditional. The designer, Luisa Spinatelli, clearly had great fun designing three completely different scenes. Act I takes place in a Russian salon, Act II in a Paris salon, and Act II at a mountain-side villa in Switzerland. In each case the scene begins with a back-projection of architectural scenes that tell us the setting (e.g., buildings along the banks of the Neva in St. Petersburg in Act I). Stage direction is also traditional; no Konzept issues here!
Alessandro Corbelli is very good as De Siriex, Adelina Scarabelli a bit less so as Olga. The other minor characters are unexceptionable. Orchestral accompaniment is excellent. (I was particularly struck by the fine horn section, especially in the alpine scene.)
'Fedora' is not a great opera musically, even though Giordano is a talented scene painter, but it is dramatically effective one that deserves reviving from time to time, particularly for a dramatically compelling singing actress of the quality of Mirella Freni.
About this product: The Mermaids of Tiburon: This film was produced and directed in 1962 as a fantasy-adventure by noted underwater cinematographer, John Lamb. Two years later, he chopped out 10 minutes, re-shot the close-ups and medium shots of the mermaids; revealing the enchantresses in the nude (with emphasis on actress Gaby Martone), and released it as "The Aqua Sex ". Twenty-three years later, Lamb took the time to re-edit his epic like he really wanted and, just to make sure, added additional nude footage using glamour model Diane Webber! The result is a beautifully photographed fantasy about mermaids who assist...and distract...a young scientist in his quest for sunken treasure, complete with Timothy Carey at his menacing best. Filmed in the pearl garden of Mexico's La Pez, and the kelp forest along the coast of Santa Catalina. Cry of the Bewitched: Sultry, cat-like, dancer-turned-actress Ninón Sevilla plays "Yambaó" in this classic Mexican psychological thriller. She arrives at a Cuban sugar plantation in 1850, at the same time the nearby village is hit with a plague! Guess who the villagers blame for the pestilence? Of course, it could just have been a misunderstanding, or just bad timing. But, the plot definitely thickens when it is revealed that her departed grandmother was a sorceress! Product Specs: DVD9; Dolby Digital; 156 minutes; Color; 1.85:1 Aspect Ratio; MPAA - R, NR; Year - 1962, 1957; SRP - $19.99 Bonus Features: Scene Selection| Commentary by Romero Carey, son of Timothy Carey, with Elijah Drenner| Original Theatrical Trailers for all three versions of "Mermaids of Tiburon"| Original English and Spanish Trailers
About this product: I just finished watching a video of Trovatore from 1957 that has me
wondering why it's been so long since I've watched it. I believe this is a
television production using the RAI Milan forces (there are almost no
production notes whatsoever). Despite the grainy black and white picture,
boxy audio (which peaks out at crescendos, varies wildly at times and can
really become constricted during large ensembles), painted clouds, sets that
range from starkly stagey yet realistic to "huh?", lip-synching that for
most of the film is so good it looks as though the singers are really
singing then degenerates into hit 'n miss, and some nasty cuts, the
performances are simply astonishing. I hadn't planned on watching the
entire thing, but once in the video machine I was along for the ride.
Leyla Gencer absolutely amazes me. If this woman were singing today she
would be having productions of whatever she wanted, wherever she wanted and
cast with whomever she wanted. Verdian style, ease of vocal production, ear
ravishing mezzo voces and spot on high notes attacked with precision and
clarity that had me doing something I hate to do - rewind whole sections and
play them over and over again - so much so that the 2 hour video took me
closer to 3 hours to watch. In "Tacea la notte .." she throws in this soft,
high Db that may be one of the most beautifully produced single notes I've
ever heard.
(Note: I have to say, right here, that listening to Gencer today I was
struck for the very first time at how similar a sound she shares with (drum
roll, please) Renee Fleming. I'd never noticed before, but the weights of
both of their voices are very similar, they have similar sounding "chest"
(Gencer seemed to sing almost all of "Tu vedrai" in chest voice - which blew
my mind!) - and just the sheer sound of their voices has an uncanny
similarity. I'd never once thought of Fleming as a Leonore, but now I'm
wondering ... )
Mario Del Monaco is thrilling both in sound and looks, his acting right on
the mark for Manrico. His high note (C?) at the end of "Di Geloso amor" is
not nice and sounds like it's tagged on, and maybe not even his (though I
doubt that). All of his other high notes are definitely THERE and I was
particularly affected by his ensemble work (who said he always had to show
off? He's definitely a team player in this show). The "Pira" (down a tone)
has all the ping one could want. He's just terrific. (Okay, admittedly, in
Act IV Mario definitely goes over the top, all flashing dramatic eyes and
Bela Lugosi poses, but I don't think these are out of place because they
seem to come genuinely from him.)
Although not one of my absolute favorite singers, Ettore Bastianini is
commanding, and in excellent voice as DiLuna and a great foil to Del
Monaco's Manrico.
Plinio Clabassi opens the film with a fairly rousing "Abbietta zingara" and
the men's chorus act and sing nobly.
There are touches of humour in the direction (notably in the Anvil Chorus)
both intentional and seemingly unintentional (a gypsy who's mock anvil
striking can't help but provoke a grin).
Fedora Barbieri (the most unfortunate victim of the wardrobe mistress),
despite her protestations in a recent Opera News article, uses chest voice
and does so splendidly (I think she likes to call it something else, but
it's chest to me). But her Azucena has so much beauty throughout. One of
her most beautiful moments comes in that little trio toward the end: Gencer
sustaining a lower note, Del Monaco "buffing" the middle and Barbieri enters
ravishingly, on a higher sustained note returning to her "Ai nostri monti."
It is the magic of Verdi right there and it is the magic of singers who know
what to do with this ravishing stuff.
Any director worth his salt should look at this and realize that "concept"
is irrelevant, unnecessary and can stand directly in the way of telling a
story. The power of the music and singers who know how to react to it and
eachother, are more than enough. The drama came through in spades here,
despite the deficiencies of great visuals or expertly engineered sound.
Many moments I jumped up to my feet, cheering at the screen. The ending,
for once, felt as brutal and stomach churning as Verdi must have intended it
to. Oh, to experience a Trovatore like this in a house just once!
About this product: Now, for the first time on DVD, two award-winning films by writer/director Kenny Kemp: FEDORA: No man is alone who has friends. When Julio Esperanza is diagnozed with cancer, he must face his own mortality for the first time. Chemotherapy and radiation treatments leave him sickly, thin, and bald. When his own daughter doesn't recognize him, Julio is overcome with grief and despair. But faith and hope light the way as Julio's family and friends discover a remarkable and unique way to share his burden. Their creativity and humor are a living example of the transcendent power of love. No man is alone who has such friends, and Julio Esperanza was blessed with dozens of them. This award-winning film is based on a true story. WILDEST DREAMS: And you thought your day was bad! Randy Sloan is afraid to go to sleep. When he does, he is plagued by nightmares where a man in black tries to kill him. A gifted by blocked composer, Randy is struggling to write a song for his idol, rock star Russ Calvin. When Randy's girlfriend Sara gets him a meeting with Calvin, Randy arrives unprepared, botching his one chance for success. And then the real nightmares begin. The man in black haunts Randy's dreams, doggedly determined and focused. When Randy finally confronts his nemesis, he gets the surprise of his life. This message is one of believing in one's self and struggling agianst the odds --- even those we ourselves create.
About this product: Those who enjoyed the Salzburg's 1982 production conducted by Karajan, will be delighted with this Falstaff from Radiotelevisione italiana (RAI). This is a studio production which in spite of being filmed in black and white in 1956, is far superior to most of the more recent versions now available in DVD, both from a visual and a musical point of view. The list of reasons why a Falstaff lover should buy this DVD is endless. Just to begin we have the presence of the legendary Tulio Seraffin conducting the RAI orchestra, in his usual brilliant style. You will also appreciate a young and fresh Giuseppe Taddei at the prime of his career, singing in a way that can only be compared with Tito Gobbi. Opposite to most modern productions where Falstaff is portrayed as the caricature of a dissolute man, here you can see a human person who morally is neither inferior nor superior to most of us, extraordinarily played by Taddei. Additionally, Rosanna Carteri and Anna Moffo in the roles of Alice Ford and Nanetta, respectively, are a real pleasure not only for the ears but for the eyes. It is hard to see pair of gorgeous women playing those roles and singing like only angels can do. Another attraction is the Peruvian tenor Luigi (Luis) Alva at the very beginning of his career, playing Fenton as nobody else has done until present, not even the also Peruvian Juan Diego Florez. If you compare this DVD with the 2001 Mutti's version you will see the differences between Alva and Florez both in singing and acting. It is worth to remind that Alva, as well as Moffo, also sung in the legendary 1957version conducted by Karajan, beside Tito Gobbi, Elizabeth Schwarzkopf and Rolando Panerai. Scipione Colombo and Fedora Barbieri are also great in the roles of Ford and Mrs Quickly.
About this product: Jacques Doillon, director of the widely loved 'Ponette', has crafted a wonderful follow-up, the gritty and authentic, yet also unexpectedly lyrical and buoyant PETITS FRERES.
Talia, a 13-year old girl who is already battle weary from fighting with her mean stepfather, runs away from home with her beloved pit-bull Kim. She meets up with a group of four boys her own age who take a grudging liking to her - which doesn't stop them from secretly stealing and selling Kim.
Talia, distraught over the disappearance of her pet, strikes an uneasy friendship with the boys in an attempt to rescue Kim. Soon Talia and her gang of "petits freres" (little fellas) find real friendship and humanity in their harsh surroundings.
About this product: There are some people who won't even give Cav a chance (the second opera on the dvd), but I watched it. Now I don't blame anyone for not watching it. Now I only watch the second part of the dvd with I Pagliacci, because it is PHENOMENAL. I wish the staging would have been a little better (more believable when they are at their camp) but that blanches in comparison to the acting. Domingo is a little past his prime here, but his voice does not suffer. He plays this character with a brutal realism that makes you fear him but pity him at the same time. Of course, the famous aria "Laugh, Clown" is absolutely heart-wrenching and beautifully sung. I found myself just going back to listen/watch the aria for the emotions on Domingo's face. It's always nice to find great opera singers also be amazing actors and actresses, and Domingo does not disappoint. Get this for the amazing Pagliacci (it's not even that long, so thoroughly enjoyable for opera fanatics and those who are just getting into it) and have a dvd that you will enjoy in your library for years and years.
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