Now
here’s a nice little DVD. However, at 58 minutes duration, it
probably is too little for the opera purist. On the other hand,
you can look at it as an appetiser – an hors d’oeuvres
of scenes from the operatic world that the distributors have
released to entice you into buying the complete operatic DVDs.
Each
scene is introduced by New Zealand soprano Kiri Te Kanawa and
although this was originally recorded in 1991 one presumes that
the complete recordings are still available. In fact, it is
very obvious by the relative youth of the performers that the
scenes (all filmed on stage) are at least a decade old. Placido
Domingo, marvellously young-looking as Hoffman and Ernani (and
later as conductor of Strauss’s ‘Die Fledermaus’) leads the
cavalcade of singers in their prime. Well some are in their
prime, others leave you wondering. Robert Lloyd, for example,
despite his make-up to look like a decrepit Philip II and lamenting
missed opportunities in the aria from ‘Don Carlo’ Ella giammai
m’amo! sounds a bit too mushy in his diction - even though
he was then only fiftyish. But Lloyd has great presence.
The
septet from Rossini’s ‘La Cenerentola’ is wonderfully conceived
on stage with the soloist emerging from a simple maze to regale
us with Rossini’s sense of fun. The love duet from Verdi’s ‘Otello’
Gia nella notte densa was a trifle too stage-managed
and both Te Kanawa (Desdemona) and Atlantov (Otello) wooden.
To be fair the performance came from the Verona amphitheatre
and perhaps the goings-on and noisy celebrations filtering from
the surrounding streets as Italy celebrated a World Cup football
victory may have been off-putting. Te Kanawa looked tentative
while Atlantov looked as if he couldn’t wait to get off stage
and watch the replay on TV. Janet Baker did us proud with her
rendition of Che faro senza Euridice? from Gluck’s ‘Orfeo
ed Euridice’ but then it is a rendition that she has made famous
throughout the world. It is, nevertheless, nice finally to see
it visually.
Other
fleeting performances that stand out are José Carreras as Andrea
Chenier although one would have thought it would have been more
appropriate if something a bit more popular than Si fu soldato
had been chosen. However, it was thrilling to hear and
see a very young Thomas Allen as Marcello in the Café scene
from Puccini’s ‘La Bohème’. Heavens he looked young - and his
clear baritone sounded so good too.
Despite
the shortcomings (and I’m really scraping the bottom of a bottomless
pit here) there surely can’t be very much wrong with a DVD that
starts with a superb rendition of Richard Strauss’s Trio from
‘Der Rosenkavalier’. Kiri Te Kanawa, Barbara Bonney and Anne
Howells are riveting both visually and audibly. And to be conducted
by Georg Solti is more than just a bonus.
Randolph
Magri-Overend
[58:00]
