Search - Classics on a Summer's Evening / Sinopoli, Gheorghiu, Alagna on DVD

A very pleasing summer evening

Jorge A. Pinilla Suarez | Santiago of Chile | 09/15/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"A wonderful recital: Perfect Chorus, Staatcapelle Dresde orchestra, a good-looking and efficient singer couple, magnificent views of Dresde (river, city, buildings in a sunny day and serene night), bright sound, beautiful dance, and a biggest conductor of our time. What more can you request? Pop-classical pieces: Carmen, Tosca, Madama Butterfly, Aida, Nabucco, Otello, Traviata, Trovador, etc. I only miss La Boheme... The orden is curious (airs and chorus of Carmen is separated by other pieces, as prelude and final chorus of Nabucco), but very efficient.Gherghiu and Alagna are magnificent. Sinopoli looks happy and enjoys with his boys (one of the most important orchestra of the Europe, i.e. the world).The public appears a little cold, save in the applauses and in the sympathetic and final expression with stars to the musical stars."

Thoroughly Enjoyable !

BLee | HK | 09/11/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I agree entirely with the reviewer from Chile and would like to expand a little bit. Alagna is great and as he enjoys an excellent control of his breath, he never shouts. He also enjoys a huge voice well beyond his physical size and Gheorgchiu is wonderful too. Her singing has a beauty and charm of her own and I wouldn't compare her with either Callas or Caballe.


The photography is most excellent: Dresden, one of the fewest well preserved city, is well captured from views taken obviously from a chopper, along and above the river covering both the city and it's beautiful architectures before and after dusk. Needless to say, the photography of the performers and the recorded sound are equally excellent and one just can't expect more.

The director is successful in his arrangement. Unlike most other concerts featuring a single or a couple of superstars with the camera glued to close-ups of the superstars so that often the audience is just having too much of them. Here after their individual solos and a duet, we have either some music in the in between or else we have some ballet dancers in the intervals so that the audience won't get bored.

The conductor was obviuosly at his heyday, for he sadly passed away just 2 or 3 years later. The orchestra is great: in terms of the violins ( particularly the concert master) or the solo cello, or the clarinetist ( who was absolutely fantastic) or even the solo flute... I simply prefer this orchestra to the present Berlin Philharmonic. Nonetheless, (somewhat like Furtwrangler conducting Strauss is not quite the same thing as Strauss himself conducting,) one wonders if a German orchestra is the most ideal orchestra for the essentially Mediterranean music: the Italian operas/arias despite the fact that the conductor is Italian himself ?

As a whole, the concert is somewhat like a New Year Concert in the sense that the two soloists would never overtip the balance of the whole repertoire ( the two simple added some extra flavour & embellishment to the concert) but neither is there too much of a climax or focus. But that would cater well for the new comers to opera, one would suppose.



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Fabulous !!!!!!

BLee | 09/17/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I can describe this DVD in one word "Fabulous".....Angelo and Roberto are both wonderful as is Maestro Sinopoli....the duet from Madam Butterfly is simply breathtaking and 'goosebumping...I would so love to meet this beautiful couple and thank them personally for giving me so much pleasure....
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to air my views on this outstanding performance."

A summer evening to remember, and to enjoy again

Mr John Haueisen | WORTHINGTON, OHIO United States | 06/23/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"As other reviews have mentioned, this is a performance by beautiful people, of beautiful music, in a beautiful setting.

In addition to the flawless singing of Gheorghiu and Alagna, there are wonderful opportunities for the chorus, including Verdi's "Anvil Chorus" from Il trovatore, and the Triumphal Chorus from Aida.

Sinopoli varies the program interspersing several overtures with the singing:
La Traviata
Nabucco
Carmen
Luisa Miller
Aida

As if this weren't enough to insure the freshness of each number, they have included two ballet selections that complement the program--dances from Carmen and Aida.

The program closes with a peaceful "Va pensiero" from Nabucco.

What a wonderful way--in sounds and sights--to enjoy a summer evening!"