| Donizetti: Roberto Devereux | 
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| List Price: $32.98
Buy New: $21.96
You Save: $11.02 (33%)
Buy New/Used from $21.25
Avg. Customer Rating:   (based on 2 reviews)
Sales Rank: 55360
Category: DVD
Actors: Theodossiou, Schroeder, Bragaglia
Director: Donizetti
Publisher: Naxos DVD
Studio: Naxos DVD
Manufacturer: Naxos DVD
Label: Naxos DVD
Format: Classical, Color, Dvd-video, Ntsc
Language: English (Original Language)
Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Media: DVD
Running Time: 94 minutes
Number Of Items: 1
Discs: 1
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.1 x 5.4 x 0.6
UPC: 747313523252
EAN: 0747313523252
ASIN: B001716J38
Release Date: May 27, 2008
Theatrical Release Date: 2006
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Similar Items:
| • | Gaetano Donizetti - La Fille du regiment / Dessay, Florez, Palmer, Corbelli, French, Campanella, Pelly (Royal Opera House 2007) | | • | Verdi: La Traviata [DVD Video] | | • | Stefano Landi - Il Sant'Alessio / Jaroussky, Cencic, Guillon, Bertin, Les Arts Florissants, Christie, Lazar (Theatre de Caen 2007) | | • | Leos Janacek - From the House of Dead / MCO, ASC, Boulez, Chereau (Festival Aix-en-Provence 2007) | | • | Giacomo Puccini - Turandot / Dimitrova, Martinucci, Gasdia, Arena, Montaldo (Arena di Verona 1984) |
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| Customer Reviews:
Gorgeous...just breath taking August 5, 2008
5 out of 13 found this review helpful
How many of us at the standard social gathering, when the subject of art comes up, we hear names like Rembrandt, Picasso, Warhol...when really these are the Honda, Kia, and Chevrolet Biscayne ( the stripped down model of the 60's )...it just betrays a mere pedestrian knowledge, if it can be called that, of art history. It has been said that we only remember 5% of what we learned in university-prompting the comic of the 60's, fr. Guido Sarducci, to quip that all that is really needed is a two week education in what exactly this 5% knowledge contains....Vadda Bing Vadda boom; we're educated!
You know there are other tenors besides "the three"; and other sopranos besides Sills and Sutherland-and certainly other stars than the few teenyboppers forcefully pushed on us as the next great opera stars. weak shouldered, ribs showing, Kens and Barbies just can't hack it, let's be real. That's just more fashion model, lives of the rich and famous, soon to be 'exclusive interviewees' by Babawa Wawtahs. Yawn. Babawah...does the word 'retire' mean anything to you? Quit while you're ahead, dear. What are you trying to do...have a statue made of yourself where pigeons thrive?
Who has heard of the magnificent painting masters, Honthorst, Gentelischi, Pontormo, or Ghirlandaio? Artists fetching a million for paintings today, that took less than four hours to paint, are featured in 6 million dollar buildings that are supposed to impress us..get a clue, hoighty toighties ...they don't!
So it is with far too many stupendous opera singers. Here in this obscure production,this "Roberto Devereux", I absolutely assure you, that you will hear some of the most beautiful music ever composed by mere mortal man.
Some of us are aware of Donizetti's masterpiece of opera buffa, "L'Elisir d'Amore", particularly the production with Roberto Alagna and his stunning wife Angela Gheorgiu. And we are also aware that Donizetti lost all three of his children to death, and his wife, and he himself died a slow and terrible death. Do you think Donizetti could write an opera seria with unimaginable pathos and eloquence? I think so, don't you?
Moreover, who among us has heard of Dimitria Theodossiou? Typing her name in the Amazon search yields nothing! Yet this performance of hers in this production cannot possibly be surpassed by anyone past or present or future. If I were a soprano, and was assigned this role of Queen Elizabeth, I'd wake up in a cold sweat of fear, and dread of the demand that was about to be placed upon me in order to successfully sing this role...and oh brother does she sing. It is slack jaw, heaving breast astonishment to behold. A skinny kid could not possibly accomplish this. In the final scenes where her gown and queen wig is removed, revealing her maturity, her lovely silver hair...then you understand how such a tour de force like this is accomplished. She simply has the range and power, and deepness to do this. I am now looking for more works with Dimitria in them. I have one...an old Mascagni production,( Mascagni of "Cavaleria Rusticana" fame). But in this Mascagni, she co stars with Jose Bros. I really like Jose Bros-tremendous voice!...but he is not much of an actor-either that, or he has never had much in the way of a great director. I have this certain audacity of straining at the bit to take over as art director of every opera i see...and this old one I have with Jose and Dimitria is one I wish I could completely re-do....I hardly noticed Dimitria in that production. Not because she failed to deliver...No, dear souls; it was the stupid directing, and artistic direction that failed.
In this Donizetti production, however, the set and direction allowed Dimitria to display her resplendent talents to the absolute stellar maximum.
I'm running out of space here, so i must close with the highest accolade and approbation of the romantic lead, Massimiliano Pisapia. Words are stupid things, one wag said once, and now I must borrow the phrase in my attempt to describe the perfection of this man's voice. I honestly have not heard a more perfect tenor anywhere, in any production! If you are not moved to tears by his great cry of love for the duchess, in act three, scene 20, "Come un spirito angelico"...you need to be slapped awake with a bucket of cold water dashed against your numb face, for you are probably near dead. This is a great tenor... he has a great barrel chest, which provides the power, the sustain, the resonance, and the melifluous tonality, and breathtaking sensitivity, the soto voce, oh, that this man possesses in spades...and I bet almost no one has ever heard of him. That is , well, @ ** # !!..criminal! Someone should be arrested, and assigned street sweeping duties side by side with Boy George, for overlooking talent like Massimilaiano's....it's all because one guy becomes "famous", ( whoopie doo) and gets to be the 'expert' to choose the cast...a few of these tired old experts need to be retired...a brief ceremony, a gold watch, and then.."Now go on...get outta here!"
Absolutely recommended ! July 23, 2008
6 out of 8 found this review helpful
If you want to see a beautiful production which also treats Donizetti's magnificent score wth reverence, buy this one.
Dimitra Thoedossiou's singing and acting are stupendous. She is supported by the beautiful voices of tenor and baritone.
Vastly superior to the abominable Euro trash production with Edita Groberova in Munich.
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