Cheap Cilea - Adriana Lecouvreur / Dessi, Larin, Borodina, Guelfi, Brignoli, La Scala (DVD) (Olga Borodina) Price

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Customer Reviews of Cilea - Adriana Lecouvreur / Dessi, Larin, Borodina, Guelfi, Brignoli, La Scala

Outstanding production and very effective singing
The La Scala production is gorgeous and effectively captured on this DVD. The singing is always good and sometimes very sensitive and gripping; the conducting is superb, vigorous and also nuanced and delicate. The video filming is especially effective in giving enough cut away shots so that you can really appreciate the beauty of the sets (shades of Fragonard, etc. very appropriate--although why the mosque at Cordoba shows up in one backgound painting is hard to say). All the singers except for Carlo Guelfi, who is very assured throughout, seem to be warming up during their first appearances but overall their committment and acting is effective and moving. The subtitles are amazingly literal so that at times they are very silly, but at least it teaches you just how basic opera librettos often are. Color gorgeous, sound excellent. Highly recommended for any fan of this beautiful and tuneful opera.

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DULL
Many years ago, I owned a recording of Adriana Lecouvreur and I think I enjoyed it enough to purchase this new DVD of it. Boy, was I wrong or awfully forgetful. This truly has to be the dullest opera that I have ever witnessed or have ever heard. It truly is a "one tune" score with no exciting arias, ensembles or choruses.
The signers come-off as interesting as dish-water--not even Olga Borodina seemed to be too inspired. Dessi has always bored me to tears and in this opera, I almost broke down in hysterical sobs. Larin appears and sounds like he just wondered in off the streets.
The production, I guess was nice being what the producer had to work with.
Buy this DVD only if you absolutely ADORE Verismo operas.