Search - Donizetti - L'Elisir d'Amore / Bergonzi, Scotto, Taddei, Gavazzeni, Florence Opera on DVD

Magical Performance!

Thomas Gerald Pohnke | Ft Lauderdale | 12/10/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I was fortunate to see these two great singers in this opera at the Met about the time of this performance. I was apprehensive about Bergonzi in this role as I was used to seeing him as Rhadames,Ricardo in Ballo, Chenier, and other spinto roles he excelled in. At this performance I was amazed at his ability to sing so gloriously in such a bel canto lyric role. His Una Furtiva Lagrima, though gloriously sung, was almost anti climatic due to so much beautiful singing which had come before this great aria. Along with his glorious singing, he acted the role to perfection. I had seen Scotto in Lucia so was not surprised that she would excell in this role. This dvd is, for me, a wonderful remberance of one of my most memorable nights at the Met!"

One word: Incredible

Erik Aleksander Moe | Oslo, Norway | 06/29/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This performance has gone to my heart. It is so wonderful, so heartfelt and so beautiful that it makes every other performance of this opera on DVD superficial and fake. Everything about this performance is perfection itself. I love both Renata Scotto and Carlo Bergonzi in the main parts of Adina and Nemorino. Both are wonderful singing actors. Bergonzi's acting is so wonderful and natural when he is the lovestruck Nemorino, trying to win his love Adina.
Giuseppe Taddei and Carlo Cava are also so wonderful. Taddei has just the right amount of pompousness without being too much of a buffoon and Cava also is also just about perfect as the scheming ham doctor Dulcamara without being too silly. He understates the comedy and let the music speak for itself.
This is also thanks to the conductor Gavazzeni who keeps everything alive.
The two stars (or is it four stars? Taddei and Cava being so wonderful) are so good together and they interact so wonderfully that we believe the comedic drama that is being presented.

The picture on this DVD is a really good B/W picture with fine contrasts. The sound is even better and the DTS track is really great. The sound has enough separated stereo tracks that the dynamics are better than any other live performance recorded on video in this era.

This is highly recommended to all who likes opera."