|
Bellini: I Puritani |  | Artists: Anna Netrebko, Eric Cutler, Franco Vassallo, John Relyea, Patrick Summers
Label: Deutsche Grammophon
Category: DVD
List Price: $39.98
Buy New: $35.99
as of 7/31/2010 04:31 EDT details
You Save: $3.99 (10%)
New (20) Used (12) from $14.84
Seller: Amazon.com
Rating:  28 reviews
Sales Rank: 50979
Format: Classical, NTSC, Color
Languages: English (Unknown), German (Subtitled), English (Subtitled), Italian (Subtitled), French (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled), Italian (Original Language), English (Original Language)
Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Region: 0
Discs: 2
Aspect Ratio: 1.77:1
Running Time: 149 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.1 x 5.4 x 0.6
UPC: 044007344217
EAN: 0044007344217
ASIN: B000Y9M09G
Release Date: December 18, 2007
Shipping: Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
| |
| Similar Items:
| |
| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com
It's hard to imagine a video opera collection without this superbly sung MET production of Bellini's I Puritani. Not that it's perfect by any means, but its excellences--most especially Anna Netrebko's electrifying singing and acting of Elvira--banish carping about other aspects of this memorable night at the opera. Netrebko is fragile from the start, her facial expressions and hand movements immediately conveying the girl's vulnerability. She has a mad scene in each act; the first when she realizes her fiancé has disappeared with another woman, the third, in the final act, a brief relapse when her returned fiancé is taken by the army to be executed. But it's in the second act that the real fireworks occur, with a Mad Scene that rivals Donizetti's Lucia for bel canto primacy. Here, Elvira is first heard off-stage, after the chorus has informed us that she's deranged. She enters wearing her wedding gown and begins Qui la voce in a voice as frail as her psyche. Netrebko is gripping here, wandering up and down the central staircase, a lost, pathetic creature. Later in the scene she delivers a spectacular display of theatrics as well as fearless vocalism by singing a florid coloratura passage while lying on her back, her head dangling into the orchestra pit. Tenor Eric Cutler is her fiancé, Arturo, who helps the Stuart Queen escape from the Puritan stronghold, not a wise move in Cromwell's England, not to mention unhinging Elvira. Bellini gives Arturo one of the most cruelly taxing entrance arias in opera, A te o cara, which Cutler delivers with aplomb. His singing throughout is ardent, well-tinted, and easeful. As Elvira's uncle, bass John Relyea is in excellent voice, his big Act III aria especially well done. Franco Vassallo, as Riccardo, Arturo's rival, is more generic, his baritone lacking the color and shading to bring the character to life. Conductor Patrick Summers leads singers and the superb MET Orchestra in an idiomatic performance, allowing the long lines of Bellinian melody to ripen and expand while also generating excitement in the more dramatic scenes. Visually Sandro Sequi's 30-year-old production with sets by Ming Cho Lee, is showing its age, but the lighting and video direction (by Gary Halvorson) manage to make it look better than it did in the house. Sharon Thomas' stage direction is largely limited to the stand-and-sing variety, the chorus composed into static formations that make for pretty still photos but lack life. Much of the acting is rudimentary, with the singers looking either bored or stiff or engaged in stock generic emoting. Only Netrebko surpasses this with acting that's on par with her singing--consumed by the character, intense and knowing in her subtle movements and reactions, conspiring with Bellini to make this a must-have. --Dan Davis
Description
Live from The Metropolitan Opera, international sensation Anna Netrebko sings Elvira Walton (and her famous mad scene) in I Puritani, a spectacular production revived especially for Ms. Netrebko. The stellar cast includes tenor Eric Cutler as Arturo, Franco Vassallo as Riccardo, and John Relyea as Giorgio. The Music Director of the Houston Grand Opera, Patrick Summers, conducts the magnificent Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Chorus. Included is a bonus DVD containing revealing conversations between Anna Netrebko and Renée Fleming, as well as the late Beverly Sills. The stunning performance on this DVD has been adored by millions of people already through its live transmission in high-definition to movie theatres in the US, Canada and Europe, and broadcasted live on Metropolitan Opera Radio and on Sirius Satellite radio channel 85.
|
| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 28
 Netrebko is a great singer, but not a coloratura! March 18, 2010
OZ (WA)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This is a very decent production, I wish I saw it on stage. I am not sure if it is worth adding to one's collection though, because as great a singer and actress Anna Netrebko may be, she does not have a coloratura voice that is critical for this role. She pulled off a great Violetta in 2005 La Traviata, but in La Traviata less coloratura is required by all means. To sing Bellini though the soprano should ideally be a specialist in bel canto, which Ms. Netrebko is not (and she doesn't have to be! She can be perfect in lyric and even dramatic roles).
In this particular production, Ms. Netrebko's acting is wonderful and her singing is decent, but it cannot be compared to that of Joan Sutherland or even Edita Gruberova. There is no video recording with Dame Sutherland (to my knowledge), but there are at least two with Ms. Gruberova, so I certainly would recommend that rather than this one. The tenor there will be much better, too. Here the tenor has a suitable type of voice, but he is not singing well.
Voice, voice, voice. November 24, 2009
Patrick L. Boyle (Oakland)
Real estate agents like to say "Location, location. location" not knowing that they are parroting what Rossini said about opera "Voice, voice, voice". Now I learn that the original formulation was "Delivery, delivery, delivery". Demosthenes said it about oratory. Let's stick with Rossini's answer here.
How are the voices?
Netrebko has an absolutely gorgeous voice. She is a real pleasure to listen to - as long as the music isn't too fast. She is a lyric not a coloratura. So on the long sinuous phrases she sounds great but on those tricky little notes she just isn't quite agile enough. Her voice sounds rather more slowly than that of a real coloratura. A singer with a voice that sounds rapidly will be able to sing a turn or other ornament in a way that a standard singer just can't. A real coloratura like Diana Damrau would just whip therough all those passages where Nebtrko slows down and articulates each note separately. I've seen Puritani live twice with Sutherland and Sills. Netrebko is a very fine singer whose basic voice is at least as good as their's but its not the kind of voice that usually sings this music.
Cutler has approximately the right kind of voice. This was originally a Rubini part. It was probably done with some kind of falsetto high notes. Rubini interpolated an F above High C when he sang it in Palermo. That note has been called the "Palermo F" ever since. About the same time as Rubini, Donzelli and Duprez had begun to sing the high notes "from the chest". That's the way we are used to hearing opera tenors today. Unfortunately extremely high roles like Arturo are almost impossible to sing from the chest. For example on Sutherland's second recording of Puritani, Luciano Pavarotti sings the High F in a full unmixed falsetto. It is startling. We have the regular lucious full blooded Pavarotti lyric voice until we get to the F where it sounds like they brought in some whimpy countertenor. The young di Stefano has an even more beautiful voice than Pavarotti, but much more trouble with the very top. He doesn't try the F. Most often Arturo is sung by by high note specialists like Gregory Kunde, Pierre Duval, or Juan Suarez. The only major mainstream tenor who regularly did Arturo on stage was Alfredo Kraus. I heard him - alas he was spread on top. Many high note specialists have unattractive voices or limited musicality. Cutler is in a way the worst of both worlds. He has an unattractive voice and he has trouble with the high notes. He doen't even try for the F. He has enough problems with the C.
John Relyea simply doesn't have have a very attractive voice. On the two Sutherland records she has Nicolai Ghauirov and Ezio Flagello both of whom are fabulous. Relyea's voice is kind of rough and gritty when you want sonorous and creamy. Franco Vassalo is better than Relyea but it still isn't particularly competitive. The best baritones in the world have sung this part. That said he does have decent flexibility and excellent high notes. As you might expect the great Riccardo-Giorgio duet isn't very good.
What about the orchestra? Who cares. Puritani is famous for its bel canto singers. The originators of the four major roles came to be called the "Puritani Quartet" - Grisi, Rubini, Taburini, and Lablache. We remember their names almost two centuries later. I'm trying right now to forget Cutler and Relyea.
 Adorable, breath-taking and tenderly performed. November 1, 2009
PETER VADASZ (Flagstaff, AZ, USA)
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
This MET production is an adorable performance of Bellini's I Puritani. Anna Netrebko plays Elvira in the most tender fashion possible. Her mad scene in Act 2 is breath-taking and outstanding. Her performance of the aria "Ah vieni al tempio, fidele Arturo" towards the end of Act 1 is so tenderly performed, its articulations so moving that it impresses me each time I listen to it again. I rated this DVD FIVE STARS because the MET with Anna Netrebko truly outperformed this time. Even if one has other performances of this opera the present one is a valuable addition to the collection of any opera lover. As to the criticism of others on this item, it may very well that Anna Netrebko lacks a good coloratura but (mainly because I am not a PRO) I fail to see where in this opera is coloratura so much required. Elvira is not Mozart's Queen of the Night and it would be useful when the PRO's are commenting about the coloratura to indicate which parts in this opera require the latter so one may compare with other performances and get a more balanced conclusion. Based on my amateurish view I could not identify any less than perfect performance because of lack of coloratura.
 i puritani August 31, 2009
Roberto Fonseca (MIAMI, FLORIDA United States)
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
Bellini: I Puritani
Compré el DVD 4400 073 4421 I PURITANI y estoy totalmente decepcionado con esa compra, pues el sonido es una catástrofe.
Paso a explicar lo refererente al estereo : La orquesta está en el foso como es lo normal, pero el sonido no sale del mismo y para colmo de males el coro la acompaña. El sonido es reverberante y no permite apreciar si los cantante son buenos o no. No es posible que esta grabación produzca una fatiga auditiva muy grande en pocos minutos. El sistema para estereo debe ser de lo mejor pues los amantes de esta clase de música así es como la disfrutan.
Voy a conservar esta grabación para mostrarla a mis amigos para que no la compren, así como también las de esta serie del MET en alta definición. Este sonido es un retroceso para la DGG.
Roberto Fonseca Ugalde
Costa Rica
Anna Netrebko - I Puritani de Bellini. July 30, 2009
Ali Hassan AYACHE (São Paulo, Brasil.)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
The Metropolitan Opera in New York shows on DVD's last opera Bellini. The differential of this recording is the soprano known for his performance. Not imagine Anna Netrebko as a coloratura soprano, singing operas Belcanto. I already admired her Manon, has praised his Traviata and has put her on the shelf The Woman, the Voice. I Puritani was a surprise.
Anna Netrebko is in tune with what's most modern opera. This assumes a beautiful voice, his is lyrical, sweet, enters the ears with pleasure. Performance scenic impeccable, it incorporates the persongem, his youth and vigor to run that risk. The last attribute is physical: the opera singers do not accept more plump and static on stage. Netrebko radiates a beauty that enchants the big guys and let the ladies dying of envy. But not a soprano who specializes in belcanto can make a good Elvira?
Who hears the coloraturas of Joan Sutherland, Edita Gruberova's or Beverly Sills will balk with Netrebko. His are all there, not with the agility that the three ladies mentioned above printed to Elvira, but the rewards are greater than the losses. His aria of madness is madness even. Hit the stage and throws her hair in the pit, all singing in a thankless position and still manages to keep the voice. Her Elvira is virginal fragility, either in voice or expression. Steal the scene and makes the other characters look small on size talent.
The other singers are not the same level soprano. Franco Vassalo is weak as Ricardo. His voice vibrates too much, it strives to achieve the other notas.Thomas Hampson and Sherrill Milnes are infinitely superior in that role. Eric Cutler is a Arturo median nasal voice and an interpretation without charisma.
The production of Met is classic, sets and costumes of the time, all correct and in place. The interviews are interesting and captions. The direction of innovative video offers angles, sometimes interesting, sometimes esquisitos.A conducted by Patrick Summers is conservative, bureaucratic, although correct. The chorus of the Met has a standard of excellence and this presentation was no different.
I Puritani has a name in this recording: Anna Netrebko. It loads the opera on the back, beyond the limits and the only difference in a recording that without it would be like okra aged, dull. Why it is worth having this DVD in the collection.
Anna Netrebko carrega nas costas I Puritani de Bellini.
O Metropolitan Opera de New York apresenta em DVD a última ópera de Bellini. O diferencial dessa gravação é o soprano chamado para a récita. Não imaginava Anna Netrebko como um soprano coloratura, cantando óperas do Belcanto. Já admirei sua Manon, já elogiei sua Traviata e já coloquei na prateleira sua The Woman, the Voice. I Puritani foi uma surpresa.
Anna Netrebko está sintonizada com o que há de mais moderno em ópera. Isso pressupõe uma bela voz: a sua é lírica, adoçicada, entra nos ouvidos com prazer. Atuação cênica impecável, ela incorpora o persongem, sua juventude e seu vigor permite que corra riscos. O último atributo é físico: a ópera não aceita mais cantoras gordinhas e estáticas no palco. Netrebko irradia uma beleza que encanta os marmanjos e deixa as senhoras morrendo de inveja. Mas um soprano que não é especialista em belcanto consegue fazer uma boa Elvira?
Quem ouve as coloraturas de Joan Sutherland, de Edita Gruberova ou da Beverly Sills vai torcer o nariz com a Netrebko. As suas estão todas lá, não com a agilidade que as três senhoras acima citadas imprimiram a Elvira, mas as compensações são maiores que as perdas. Sua ária da loucura é uma loucura mesmo. Deita no palco e joga os cabelos no fosso da orquestra, tudo isso cantando numa posição ingrata e ainda consegue manter a voz. Sua Elvira tem a fragilidade virginal, seja na voz ou na expressão. Rouba a cena e faz os outros personagens parecerem pequenos diante de tamanho talento.
Os outros cantores não estão no mesmo nível do soprano. Franco Vassalo é fraco como Ricardo. Sua voz vibra em excesso, esforça-se demais para atingir as notas.Thomas Hampson e Sherrill Milnes são infinitamente superiores nesse papel. Eric Cutler faz um Arturo mediano, voz anasalada e uma interpretação sem carisma.
A produção do Met é clássica, cenários e figurinos de época, tudo correto e no devido lugar. As entrevistas são interessantes e legendadas. A direção de vídeo propõe ângulos inovadores, às vezes interessantes, às vezes esquisitos.A regência de Patrick Summers é conservadora, burocrática , embora correta. O coro do Met tem um padrão de excelência e nessa apresentação não foi diferente.
I Puritani tem um nome nessa gravação: Anna Netrebko. Ela carrega a ópera nas costas, extrapola os limites e é o único diferencial em uma gravação que, sem ela, ficaria como quiabo envelhecido, sem graça. Por ela vale a pena ter esse DVD no acervo.
Ali Hassan Ayache
Showing reviews 1-5 of 28
|
|
|
CERTAIN CONTENT THAT APPEARS ON THIS SITE COMES FROM AMAZON SERVICES LLC. THIS CONTENT IS PROVIDED ‘AS IS’ AND IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE OR REMOVAL AT ANY TIME. Copyright 2006 - CD Shopper | |
![Tchaikovsky - Eugene Onegin / Fleming, Vargas, Hvorostovsky, Gergiev, Carsen [Metropolitan Opera 2007]](http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B000YCLRBA.01._AA75_PU_PU-5_.jpg)
