Search - Leoncavallo - Pagliacci on DVD

What a performance !!!!

T. S. Terblanche | South Africa | 03/28/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Black & white, recorded 47 years ago in a country flattened by the war, and we are blessed to be able to SEE the great Mario del Monaco in action !! My deepest thanks the the Japanese nation for having done the almost impossible and make our dreams come true to see and hear our heroes of old showing how it should be done !!!"

Super Mario!

P. Sutherland | Berea, Ohio, USA | 05/03/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This 1961 b&w production of Pagliacci was filmed live in Japan with Japanese choristers and the NHK Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Giuseppe Morelli. The camera work is good quality and the subtitles are clear and well done.

The performances are superb. In order of my admiration: Mario Del Monaco is a powerful singer (like Placido Domingo) and as Canio he brings emotional intensity to the role--the kind that sends a chill up your spine! The audience loved him.

Aldo Protti, who appeared first as the Prologue, also portrayed Tonio, the deformed, half-wit in love with Nedda whose revenge for her scorn fuels the action. He is a convincing actor as well as a dramatic baritone. He actually did a gymnastic flip at the beginning of the opera. (I rarely see anyone--except Juan Diego Florez--do anything athletic in opera!) I was impressed!

Gabriella Tucci as Nedda gives a splendid performance, too. She plays the pivotal part against the four major roles, Canio, Tonio, Silvio and Beppe, with the widest emotional range of expression.

Attilio D'Orazi as Silvio and Antonio Pirino as Beppe were great, too.

If you like Pagliacci, this is worth a viewing.

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