Search - Mascagni: Cavalleria Rusticana & Leoncavallo: Pagliacci [Blu-ray] on Blu-ray

Disappointing

MusicLover | Florida USA | 03/02/2009

(2 out of 5 stars)

"I adore Cav and Pag and I really wanted to like this Blu-ray disc. Call me old fashioned, traditional or stuck in my ways -- the Prologue to Pagliacci belongs with THAT opera. It is not a quasi overture or introduction to Cavalleria Rusticana. I don't care how "legendary" the conductor's reading is, or, how innovative the director's vision is -- it just doesn't work for me and musically, it feels disjointed. My other issue is with the sound engineer. The chorus and orchestra sound fine. However, the soloists are consistently off-microphone and it's very hard to hear them. At times, you can't hear them at all. I first thought there was something wrong with my surround sound system. That's not the case since every other Blu-ray opera disc I own has balanced audio. Just poor microphone placement. Two stars for the crystal clear video quality."

Save your money, your sight and your nerve endings.....

Robert Vargo | USA | 01/11/2010

(1 out of 5 stars)

"An atrocious, pretentious and highly unsatisfying rendition of two classic operas. The first of these, Cavalleria Rusticana has been given a self-absorbing, witless staging and design. Imagine if you will, a colony of ants roaming aimlessly about a salt mine for an hour. The costuming here, black! Either no budget or a real buy on the black material. The staging, austere, unattractive, heavy handed and stodgy. The most boring rendition of Cavalleria I've ever been subjected to. The voices are fair to good but, the mix is so unbalanced that the orchestra overpowers the soloists. So this version of Cav has nothing to recommend it. If it's your first contact with the opera; avoid this version and search out a proper rendering.
The second one act is the famed Pagliacci. Again the director and designer have created what looks like a rumble in a used car lot. None of the charm, classic beauty or pathos the opera deserves.
This Blu-ray DVD is a travesty. I waited 'til it hit $20.00 to give it a try. Had I paid more I'd be demonstrating in Madrid at the opera house. A real piece of crap with excellent sound and picture; someone knew what they were doing; albeit not the director, costumer and designer."

Interesting but disappointing sound

A. Lupu | Rochester, MN USA | 03/05/2009

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Interesting - del Monaco makes a stronger connection between the two separate operas. In the interview (as part of the extras) he explains at length why he believes they should be looked as one integral presentation. It his point of view, thus my qualification of Interesting. I am sure not everyone will agree with del Monaco, but he is very consistent on his aim.
Cavalleria is one of the first verismo operas. In this production the verismo is the drama of the plot not the staging which is on the abstract side, making the singers/actors task more difficult. Pagliacci staging is more down to earth which makes it easier.
The most disappointing aspect of this Blu-Ray disc is the sound. The orchestra's sound is full and brilliant. The voices are not. At some points you have to make an effort to hear the voice. Galouzine is a very good and passionate Pagliacci, but at the most critical point, his voice is almost covered by the orchestra. What a pity! The standards that we expect from Blu-Ray disc are definitely very high and I am surprised that Opus Arte allowed the sound engineers to ruin it. It is possible that life in the "Teatro" this problem didn't exist.
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