Giacomo Puccini - La Bohème / Francesca Zambello · Tiziano Severini - M. Freni · L. Pavarotti · San Francisco Opera
by Brian Large
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Gino Quilico, Luciano Pavarotti, Mirella Freni, Nicolai Ghiaurov, Stephen DicksonDirector: Brian Large
Writer: Giuseppe Giacosa
Writer: Luigi Illica
DVD: Region Code 0
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Subtitled); Italian (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo
Format: Classical, Color, DVD, NTSC
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 116 minutes
DVD Release Date: 1999-11-30
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Kultur Video
Movie Reviews of Giacomo Puccini - La Bohème / Francesca Zambello · Tiziano Severini - M. Freni · L. Pavarotti · San Francisco Opera
Movie Review: Heartbreaking!
Summary: 5 Stars
Anyone who has read my reviews knows that I am the biggest Freni fan imaginable. She does not disappoint me here. Yes, at this stage, her voice is a size too large for Mimi, more suitable for heavy verismo such as Tosca, Fedora and Manon Lescaut. The voice is far heavier than in her two previous studio recordings from the 60's and 70's. The vibrato is also a trifle wider than it was but all this is amply excused by her warmth and mature insight into the role. The tragedy of Mimi has never before been so heartfully portrayed. The emotions are stronger than before and by the end of the opera she totally hits her stride and a quarter of a century melts away. This is a must for all Freni fans.Pavarotti, unfortunately, does not begin to match Freni's contribution. As many singers, such as Freni, experience a lowering of voice and a widening of vibrato, they become greater interpereters, greater artists. For Pavarotti, you don't find this. As his vocal resources diminish, so does his artistry. he sings faster than before, without as much inspiration. Still, he musters up some of the old magic and, in the end, provides a decent, if not splendid partner to Freni.
The rest of the cast is pretty darn good. The voice of Musetta may not be the most beautiful, but she provides much pleasure for this viewer. Quilico is a great Marcello! So is Ghiaurov as Colline, the one bass that can dominate an ensemble. The conducting doesn't set me on fire, but it's not bad.....serviceable. I love the staging and the sets.
More Giacomo Puccini - La Bohème / Francesca Zambello · Tiziano Severini - M. Freni · L. Pavarotti · San Francisco Opera reviews:
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Summary of Giacomo Puccini - La Bohème / Francesca Zambello · Tiziano Severini - M. Freni · L. Pavarotti · San Francisco Opera
Puccinis most popular opera is given a memorable performance featuring superstars luciano pavarotti and mirella freni as rudolfo and mimi in this brilliant production from the stage of the san francisco opera. Studio: Kultur Release Date: 11/30/1999 Run time: 115 minutes Rating: NrIn 1989 when this production was taped, Luciano Pavarotti and Mirella Freni had already enjoyed long, distinguished careers. In other words, they were considerably older than La Bohème's romantic young couple, Mimi and Rodolfo. If you find this consideration important, it might be wise to skip this Bohème and invest instead in the bright, youthful, and energetic Sydney Opera production or the visually striking 1998 Metropolitan Opera production. So far, La Bohème has fared better on DVD than any other opera, and the San Francisco Bohème faces serious competition.
But this is a vintage production deserving attention on its own merits. As a matter of survival, veteran singers learn how to make experience compensate for the loss of youth, and Freni and Pavarotti are outstanding examples of how this can be done. They are aided by a sensitive stage director, a visual treatment responsive to the opera's changing moods, and an expert supporting cast deeply involved with the story and the music. They fit convincingly in roles with which they have been living for decades; both are still in good vocal condition, and the emotions are convincingly conveyed. In the supporting cast, note the excellent performances of Gino Quilico and Nicolai Ghiaurov. --Joe McLellan
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