Giordano - Andrea Chenier

This live from the Met telecast from October 1996 of Giordano’s infrequently performed verismo gem is an absolute pleasure to watch and listen to and I highly recommend it. Nicholas Joel’s production is extremely elegant while at the same time being simple and uncluttered. Act I, for example, is dominated by an enormous gilt-framed mirror precariously tilted. I assume that it is a metaphor for the imminent downfall of the decadent aristocracy at the party given by the Contessa di Coigny. The costumes designs by Hubert Monloup are terrific. The prerevolutionary costumes in Act I are simply stunning each one individually tailored for the choristers and major performers.The DVD is of excellent quality. The stage lighting is beautifully done and the audio is superb. James Levine is in top form as the conductor.There is not a mediocre performance in the entire production. Juan Pons as Carlo Gerard produces a highly nuanced acting performance. He convincingly portrays a character filled in Act I with hatred for the excesses of the French aristocracy, but later full of regret for the excesses of the Revolution which he himself helped to bring about. His singing is quite beautiful. His rendition of “Son sessant anni” in Act I is full of passion and power. However, it was his “Nemico della patria” in Act III that appropriately brought the house down.Maria Guleghina as Maddalena is convincingly youthful for the role and looks elegant and beautiful in Monloup’s exquisite costumes. Her singing too is quite exquisite and her “La mamma morta” in Act III was rapturously received by the audience. Luciano Pavarotti’s golden lirico-spinto sound makes him ideal for the role of the doomed poet. All his arias including the “Improviso” in Act I, his “Credo a una possanza arcana” in Act II, his “Si, fui soldato” when before the Revolutionary tribunal and his lovely “Come un bel di di Maggio” in Act IV are beautifully sung without apparent effort and his voice sounds full and fresh.The only minor quibble is that while Pavarotti’s acting ability was somewhat better here than usual, the numerous close-ups of him were not at all flattering showing him heavily made up, often covered in facial sweat and wearing an ill-fitting wig. The chemistry between him and Guleghina was, however, very good and the passionate love duet with Guleghina in Act II and the “Vicino a te” duet that closes the opera had sublime moments.A particularly impressive feature of this production is that the lesser roles down to and including the comprimarios are filled by singers who do a better job than singers of major roles in most other opera houses. Judith Christin is delightful as the Contessa di Coigny, Stephanie Blythe gives a wonderful and moving performance as the blind Madelon and Wendy White is a delightful Bersi who manages to convert Act II at the Café Hottot in Paris to an equivalent of the vibrant Café Momus in La Boheme with her singing and acting reminding me of the best Musettas. Richard Vernon is excellent as Schmidt the jailer. Paul Plishka as Mathieu is a convincingly brutal and well-sung sans culotte and Michel Senechal as the spy l’Incredibile is simply wonderful.This Volpe-era production of Andrea Chenier reminds us what opera is and should be about. It’s an old-fashioned production with lovely somewhat modern sets. I hope the production is never abandoned and replaced by an Andrea Chenier set at some different time or in a place other than Paris as seems to be happening more frequently nowadays at the Met in their peculiar quest to make operas more hip so that they’ll attract a younger audience. We can only hope that if the Met can ever again assemble a cast of this quality for a new Chenier that we won’t have to face a production set in Las Vegas or in some time period other than that of the French Revolution!

I'm surprised and very happy for the quality of this 1961 videotape. It's far better than any I've seen of a USA concert of similar vintage. Actually it's a little upsetting because if this quality videotape were available in 1961, why oh why were there not many dozen broadcast recordings done from the Met in New York, or other great venues of the world? Why only in Japan, where the foreign companies had to go on tour to get recorded?Now, don't misunderstand, the video is still black-and-white and nothing like HD. And the sound is not exceptional, it is still average TV mono. But if you grew up with TV in those days, this is much better than average preservation--speaking at least for videotape.Another pleasant surprise is that there are no Japanese subtitles burned in! I assume it either broadcast with no subtitles, or they were added on a subsequent master. This has none as default, although you choose between German, English, Spanish, French, Italian, and Subtitles Off.It need hardly be added, but I shall add, this is a traditional production with traditional costumes and scenery. All in all it is true-theater experience.Other reviewers have waxed eloquently on Del Monaco and Tebaldi, and I agree with them ....

I have been watching the videotape I made from this 1997 Met production broadcast on PBS for 18 years now. I finally decided to purchase the DVD. I also own the Carreras/Marton version, which is also good, but for some inexplicable reason, I prefer this one. Pavarotti does look older, and he moves around with some difficulty, but he still sounds fantastic! What can I say? Nobody sings better than he did. Juan Pons does a very believable job as Gerard, and Maria Guleghina both looks and sounds beautiful in this production in her pretty blond wig. She is also an excellent actress. Addendum 8/28/15. I have finally gotten around to watching this DVD, and I am blown away by the sharpness of the picture. I have watched over 1,000 films on Netflix, and this DVD is sharper than any of them.

I bought it decades ago, hated it, and discarded it. Based on some well-written review by someone that sounded like an "expert", I decided to buy it again and give it another look. I still hate it passionately! It is no match to the first-rate ROH production, which was tastefully done, true to the characters and the time period, with the right stage set, costume, direction, lighting, acoustic recording, and camara work all perfect. With Domingo, the passionate singer, playing the title role of a poet, nothing could go wrong. The only thing I wasn't happy about this production was the soprano Anna Tomowa-Sintow, whose voice and looks were not suitable for the young, innocent, aristocratic Maddalena. This Met production is bad in every sense, stage direction, setting, costume, acoustic recording, and camara. It shows the director (Brian Large) had no grasp of the era, the culture, and the characters of the times. It is an absurd, shallow, stereotypical misinterpretation of the aristocratic class. Yes. They were decadent, but not unrefined. With deep roots in Europe, Juan Pons is about the only one that came up with a dignified portrayal of Gerold. Gulighena's Madalena ran around and screamed like a maid. Pavarotti at times looked like a silly goose rather than a poet well-known at the time and had to read in order to sing the lines.

Pavarotti - mehr braucht man nicht zu schreiben!

Very satrisfactory

Acquistato per parenti, rimasti molto soddisfatti.Ottimo sia come video che come riproduzione del suono.Seguiranno sicuramente altri acquisti simili.

1996年のMETの映像だが、このDVDが出たのはパヴァロッティが2007年に亡くなった後の2011年で国内盤は結局出なかった。リージョンフリーなので再生は問題ないが日本語字幕はない。DGが出しているMETの94年の道化師や1996年のドミンゴとフレー二のフェドーラのDVDもそうだが、この時期ならHD収録でも良さそうなのに残念ながら標準画質だ。画質はDVDとしては良好で暗めの舞台も良く見えるが、舞台を映すというよりは歌手のアップ中心のカメラ割りで、80年代風の撮り方だ。　METはゲルプ総監督になった2006-7年のシーズンからライブビューイングでHD映像を世界に配信しているが、それまでのMETの映像収録は米国内向けのテレビ放送が主な目的だったのでHD化は日本や欧州より遅れていた。フレー二や３大テノールの舞台映像がHD映像でほとんど残っていないようなのは残念だ。ドミンゴとショルティの1989年のザルツブルグでの仮面舞踏会はオリジナルはNHKのハイビジョン収録だが、DVDで出ているのはハイビジョンのソースを元にブライアン・ラージが標準画質で編集し直したソースだ。ドミンゴは2000年代後半にテノールを引退しバリトンに転向しており、テノールのドミンゴのHD映像は今のところムーティとの2001年のスカラ座のオテロのブルーレイだけと思われる。　さてこの演奏は、晩年少し声が重たくなったパヴァロッティが（確か）舞台で初めて歌ったアンドレア・シェニエだ。1984年のスタジオ録音は名盤として早くから知られていたので、声の成熟を待って満を持した舞台と言えるだろう。晩年だいぶ太ったパヴァロッティだが、十分凛々しい。マイク付きのコンサートの映像は歌い流している感じが強いが、本気を出すとやはり素晴らしい。「最近の歌手とは格が違う」などと言ったら「年寄りじみている」と言われるのだろうか。グレギーナも適役。ポンスも素晴らしく大喝采を浴びている。それでもジェラールは私はカプッチルリかバスティアニーニで聴きたいが。全体としてドミンゴとカプッチルリのウィーンの公演やデルモナコとテバルディの来日公演のDVDと並んでこの作品の代表的な演奏だと言える。ただレヴァインがポンスの１幕冒頭のモノローグの後で棒を止めて拍手を浴びせているのはMETらしいが、催促しているみたいで止めるのは私はあまり好きではない。ジェラールは３幕アリアの時ぐらいにしてほしい。　80年代後半以降のパヴァロッティは東京ドームや横浜アリーナなどスタジアムでのマイク付きコンサートが多くなり、オペラの舞台に立つ機会は少なくなった。しかしMETには愛の妙薬、トゥーランドット、仮面舞踏会、アイーダ、トスカと2004年までコンスタントに出演した。日本での最後のオペラ舞台も私が観た1993年のMETの愛の妙薬だったし、2004年3月のオペラの引退舞台もMETのトスカだった。恐らくこの1997年のアンドレア・シェニエの映像はパヴァロッティの残されている最後の舞台映像だと思われる。パヴァロッティの映像は他にMETの1978年のトスカと1981年のリゴレットの映像も没後にDVD化された。この３枚のDVDを2020年に生誕85周年記念で国内発売できないものだろうか。パヴァロッティのオペラデビューであるボエームの正規映像がないのも残念だ。1979年のスカラ座の映像（クライバー指揮）をDVD化してほしい。

Lovely to have these relatively unknown operas.