Classics on a Summer's Evening / Sinopoli, Gheorghiu, Alagna
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Features
• Classical
• Color
• DVD-Video
• NTSC
In Theaters : 1999
DVD Release : 03 July, 2001 |
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Classics on a Summer's Evening / Sinopoli, Gheorghiu, Alagna description
This is an outdoor concert for an enormous audience, staged in a large, architecturally striking public square in Dresden in July 1999, and featuring the most glamorous, young husband and wife currently active on the international operatic scene, soprano Angela Gheorghiu and tenor Roberto Alagna. Before his untimely death at age 54, Giuseppe Sinopoli was considered one of Europe's finest opera conductors, and in the Dresden orchestra and chorus he has performers who match his creative energy. The program seems to have been selected, quite successfully, with two criteria in mind: mass popularity and opportunities to display technical brilliance. Gheorghiu and Alagna join their voices in love duets from Verdi's Otello and Puccini's Madame Butterfly that will appeal especially to the many fans who have been attracted to them as a couple. But each also sings impressive solos in some of opera's top-40 numbers, notably the "Flower Song" from Carmen and "E lucevan le stelle" from Tosca for Alagna, and "Un bel di" from Madame Butterfly and "Pace, pace, mio Dio" from La forza del Destino for Gheorghiu. The chorus and orchestra take the spotlight powerfully in showpieces from La traviata, Il trovatore, Carmen, and Aida, among other selections. The only problem, a small one, is the self-consciously chic dance numbers to selections from Carmen and Aida. --Joe McLellan |
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Classics on a Summer's Evening / Sinopoli, Gheorghiu, Alagna Customer Reviews
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♥♥♥♥♥
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Just plain gorgeous
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It's unlikely a browser found this DVD by typing 'classics on a summer evening' , but rather having typed in Roberto Alagna and/or Angela Gheorghiu for the simple reason we have become so fond of this pair. So much so, that many of us have to restrain ourselves to keep from positively gushing about them. Here are two gorgeous people sumptuously gifted in the art of Bel Canto. Who could forget them, ever, in Donizetti's L'Elisir d'Amore? That is if you like seeing two people actually in love, exuding passion, skill, poise, and grace.
All of us have come to adore our beloved Placido Domingo-the "Iron Man of opera, as he is fondly known. He is that because of his astounding voice, acting ability, and striking good looks- which is everything we all love about opera. Yet Placido remains humble and affable in spite of his enormous fame. Let us pray that these two can maintain something like Placido's genuinely likeable personality. Fame and fortune can have a pejorative effect all too often, sadly. For now...it is just plain thrilling to see these two ply their skin tingling magic.
Yes, it is important to keep one's hands still and by one's sides when performing such difficult and beloved arias...but you can easily see that each of them can barely hold still. You can see them reflect on the aria in its context; and thus the emotions they feel and that exude from each of them so easily as they soar, and soar, and soar. Roberto- like the majestic hawk circling, and Angela -the lark darting all about in graceful swoops, saoring so low, and then disappearing into the pale prussion blue sky high above.
I'm tempted to say that from now on, we must prohibit the audience from bringing in baloons to the concert...Angela voice would shatter them.
A word about this orchestra. The musicians are often overlooked. Not this time. We get lots of breaks between arias, and opportunity for the individual musicians to perform and get some nicely framed shots. They deserve it. For the entire evening is just flawlessly done. There isn't time to wax poetic about the great camera work and the opulent staging, outdoors at dusk...the word 'pearlescent' comes to mind.
If it is a choice between this DVD and another?.....he, he...believe me now or believe me later....When is the last time you experienced pure joy?
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Classics on a Summer's Evening / Sinopoli, Gheorghiu, Alagna dvd movie.