What opera have you been watching lately?

**Adrian** · January 28th, 2015, 01:43 PM

Verdi: Il Corsaro
Teatro Verdi di Busseto and Verdi Festival Parma, 2008

Bruno Ribeiro (Corrado), Andrea Papi (Giovanni), Irina Lungo (Medora), Luca Salsi (Seid), Silvia dalla Benetta (Gulnara), Gregory Bonfatti (Selimo), Angelo Villari (Un eunoco/Uno schiavo)

Orchestra e Coro del Teatro Regio di Parma, Carlo Montanaro

C Major TUTTO VERDI - 722408

**JohnGerald** · January 28th, 2015, 06:06 PM

Excellent Corsaro! A bit lean in the drama dept., but the music is nonstop intensity, sung very well by performers with whom I was totally unfamiliar.

**Soave_Fanciulla** · January 28th, 2015, 07:16 PM

Verdi: Don Carlo
José Carreras (Don Carlo), Ferruccio Furlanetto (Filippo II), Piero Cappuccilli (Rodrigo), Matti Salminen (Il Grande Inquisitore), Fiamma Izzo d'Amico (Elisabetta di Valois), Agnes Baltsa (Eboli), Antonella Bandelli (Tebaldo/Una voce dal cielo)
Berliner Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan

I don't usually watch the 4 act version, as it often makes the central love story seem detached and a bit creepy without the meeting in Fontainebleau. The first act shows the conditions of Elizabeth's self-sacrifice, to end war and relieve the suffering of her people.

Anyway what happened here is that the jealousy and disappointment of Philip assumed more importance in the plot. It helped that Ferruccio Furlanetto was a young and good-looking Philip, which made his rage more into genuine sexual jealousy than wounded vanity. He was really touching in his big aria. The singing was first class, although with the exception of Furlanetto and Baltsa the acting was pretty much non-existent. Cappuccilli was particularly stodgy.

**Adrian** · January 29th, 2015, 06:21 AM

Originally Posted by Soave_Fanciulla

Verdi: Don Carlo
José Carreras (Don Carlo), Ferruccio Furlanetto (Filippo II), Piero Cappuccilli (Rodrigo), Matti Salminen (Il Grande Inquisitore), Fiamma Izzo d'Amico (Elisabetta di Valois), Agnes Baltsa (Eboli), Antonella Bandelli (Tebaldo/Una voce dal cielo)
Berliner Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan

I don't usually watch the 4 act version, as it often makes the central love story seem detached and a bit creepy without the meeting in Fontainebleau. The first act shows the conditions of Elizabeth's self-sacrifice, to end war and relieve the suffering of her people.

Anyway what happened here is that the jealousy and disappointment of Philip assumed more importance in the plot. It helped that Ferruccio Furlanetto was a young and good-looking Philip, which made his rage more into genuine sexual jealousy than wounded vanity. He was really touching in his big aria. The singing was first class, although with the exception of Furlanetto and Baltsa the acting was pretty much non-existent. Cappuccilli was particularly stodgy.

I found and still do Elizabeth the weakest link, such a shame Freni was not allowed to do that performance for recording on DVD.

**MAuer** · January 29th, 2015, 01:24 PM

Originally Posted by Soave_Fanciulla

Verdi: Don Carlo
José Carreras (Don Carlo), Ferruccio Furlanetto (Filippo II), Piero Cappuccilli (Rodrigo), Matti Salminen (Il Grande Inquisitore), Fiamma Izzo d'Amico (Elisabetta di Valois), Agnes Baltsa (Eboli), Antonella Bandelli (Tebaldo/Una voce dal cielo)
Berliner Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan

I don't usually watch the 4 act version, as it often makes the central love story seem detached and a bit creepy without the meeting in Fontainebleau. The first act shows the conditions of Elizabeth's self-sacrifice, to end war and relieve the suffering of her people.

Anyway what happened here is that the jealousy and disappointment of Philip assumed more importance in the plot. It helped that Ferruccio Furlanetto was a young and good-looking Philip, which made his rage more into genuine sexual jealousy than wounded vanity. He was really touching in his big aria. The singing was first class, although with the exception of Furlanetto and Baltsa the acting was pretty much non-existent. Cappuccilli was particularly stodgy.

I have this video as well, though my preference is also for the five-act version. I love Baltsa and Carreras, but pretty much had Nat's reaction to the other cast members.

**Floria** · January 29th, 2015, 06:07 PM

Originally Posted by Adrian

Verdi: Il Corsaro
Teatro Verdi di Busseto and Verdi Festival Parma, 2008

Bruno Ribeiro (Corrado), Andrea Papi (Giovanni), Irina Lungo (Medora), Luca Salsi (Seid), Silvia dalla Benetta (Gulnara), Gregory Bonfatti (Selimo), Angelo Villari (Un eunoco/Uno schiavo)

Orchestra e Coro del Teatro Regio di Parma, Carlo Montanaro

C Major TUTTO VERDI - 722408

I have this and enjoyed it very much.

**Adrian** · January 30th, 2015, 05:59 AM

Puccini: Tosca.
Gheorghiu/ Kaufmann/ Terfel.
Emi soon to be Warner

I love this stage version, Scarpia is scaring an Jonas is in very fine voice.
After the the Domingo/ Kaibaivnska movie my favourite

**Floria** · January 30th, 2015, 01:02 PM

Originally Posted by Adrian

Puccini: Tosca.
Gheorghiu/ Kaufmann/ Terfel.
Emi soon to be Warner

I love this stage version, Scarpia is scaring an Jonas is in very fine voice.
After the the Domingo/ Kaibaivnska movie my favourite

This is by far, the 'best' Tosca on dvd !

**Soave_Fanciulla** · January 30th, 2015, 10:24 PM

Originally Posted by Floria

This is by far, the 'best' Tosca on dvd !

Best, perhaps; by far, no. I would not agree.

Some contenders:

Best Scarpia, good Cavaradossi, intense Tosca; fascinating on-location real time film.

Best and most gracious Tosca:

**Luiz Gazzola (Almaviva)** · January 31st, 2015, 02:08 AM

Originally Posted by Soave_Fanciulla

Best, perhaps; by far, no. I would not agree.

Some contenders:

Best Scarpia, good Cavaradossi, intense Tosca; fascinating on-location real time film.

Best and most gracious Tosca:

These two are among my favorites.

**Adrian** · January 31st, 2015, 04:56 AM

Originally Posted by Soave_Fanciulla

Best, perhaps; by far, no. I would not agree.

Some contenders:

Best and most gracious Tosca:

I would go for this one, if only one was allowed

**Clayton** · January 31st, 2015, 08:37 AM

Name: andrea andermann Tosca in the settings and at the times.jpg
Views: 145
Size: 14.5 KB

does this mean they used the Tardis to film this?

**Soave_Fanciulla** · January 31st, 2015, 09:02 AM

Originally Posted by Clayton

does this mean they used the Tardis to film this?

Fun thought.

But no, they just filmed it over the time of the action (one day) at the correct times of day, on location, with an orchestra in another part of Rome on a TV relay. Which meant Domingo and Malfitano had to sing the last act at dawn after a late night, quite a tour de force for opera singers! At the time it was broadcast live.

**Clayton** · January 31st, 2015, 10:43 AM

Ah

I think I remember this now. That is a big stage; I want to see it again.

**Adrian** · January 31st, 2015, 02:20 PM

Originally Posted by Soave_Fanciulla

Fun thought.

But no, they just filmed it over the time of the action (one day) at the correct times of day, on location, with an orchestra in another part of Rome on a TV relay. Which meant Domingo and Malfitano had to sing the last act at dawn after a late night, quite a tour de force for opera singers! At the time it was broadcast live.

Did you see the "original " broadcast?
Doming stumbles to open the door and almost fall .
Later restored for this DVD.