Search - Donizetti: Roberto Devereux on DVD

Brava Dimitria!

El Critico | Aventura, Florida | 05/10/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It is hard to decide which is the best one between this DVD and the one with Alexandrina Pendatchanska as Elisabetta. They are both great.
But were are now speaking of the Dimitria Theodossiou's.
I was very impressed by her voice and acting ability, she is good throughout the entire performance.
The final scene is certainly exciting,but Act II is also a great piece of theatre as well as musically; Elisabetta's confrontation with Roberto
in which she tells him "It had been better for you to have descended alive to your grave before crossing the daughter of awesome Henry VIII" is hair raising. In that makeup she reminds me of Bette Davis (Those old enough to remember the film classic "The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex" will know what I mean) unfortunately this Roberto does not look like Errol Flynn, but his tenor certainly have the right stuff for this heroic part.
I found the entire production very satisfying, the sets were sparse,yet tasteful and the costumes were beautiful. Too bad that the Bavarian State opera did not rent or borrowed this production for the Gruberova DVD!!
Now, if you are a fan of Beverly Sills, which I am, you should also get
the DVD of her performance at Wolf Trap,however the sound is far from great and Miss Sills vocal gifts were already on the decline at the time of this performance, but if you are a fan,the DVD is a must."

Very good opera

A. BOSS | Mountainside, NJ United States | 12/05/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"If you like Donizetti operas, you will enjoy this production of Roberto Devereux. (I had previously seen the DG DVD with Gruberova, etc. which I did not enjoy because of the ridiculous staging.) This performance is beautifully staged and costumed and very well sung and conducted Theodossiou pp singing in the last scene is especially well done, although some of her ff singing was a little shrill."