Search - Giordano - Andrea Chenier / Jose Carreras, Eva Marton, Piero Cappuccilli, Silvana Mazzieri, Riccardo Chailly, La Scala Opera on DVD

Sacrilege (Mea culpa, Placido)

David Cady | Jersey City, NJ USA | 03/22/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I'm a huge Domingo fan, and own both his "Chenier" DVDs: the Covent Garden production with Tomowa-Sintov and the Vienna Opera production with Benackova. Neither is ideal, with Domingo not at his best in one and the soprano a bust in the other. I was beginning to think that a truly great "Chenier" might not exist -- until now. This LaScala performance is nothing short of electryifying. Most of the credit has to go to Carreras, who gives one of the finest performances I have ever seen, either in or out of an opera house. Carreras' work has never really been on my radar (I know him mostly from The Three Tenors and his later career), so this interpretation was a surprise -- and a revelation. Not only is the sound incredible, but his passion and commitment to every moment are simply extraordinary. For his performance alone you should snatch up this DVD. Luckily, there are other major compensations. Marton, although a bit more Amazon than delicate young French girl, sings with equal passion and beauty, and her acting is superb. (When was the last time you saw an opera singer shed actual tears?) Cappuccilli, who gives a stunning performance on the Vienna DVD, is not quite as wonderful here. This was a few years later, and the sound was a little drier, a little more patchy. But he warms up considerably in Act 3, giving a solid, old-fashioned, powerhouse performance. The crowd goes wild, with good reason. (I do abhor his tendency, however, prevalent in the Vienna DVD as well, to milk the applause, smile at the audience and wink at the conductor. Talk about old school!) The production itself is lavish and very attractive, and it's all masterfully conducted by Riccardo Chailly. Bottom line: If you can only afford one "Chenier" on DVD, this is the one to get, no ifs, ands or buts. Sorry, Placido."

Awesome

Michael F. Burdick | Chino Valley, AZ, United States | 01/20/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This performance is absolutely wonderful, although I confess that I prefer to LISTEN to it without WATCHING it. The singers are top-notch, as is the orchestra. But, it is something of a distraction to see Eva Marton cast as Maddalena, and Jose Carreras as her "leading man." I don't mean to be cruel by this, but Jose is a little on the short side and Eva a little too large. Plus, the stage props are somewhat distracting at times. Thus, I just LISTEN to the wonderful music and performances on this DVD. I should mention that Piero Cappuccilli is also great in this performance--his 2-minute audience ovation in Act III is evidence of this."