Puccini - La Fanciulla del West / Daniels, Domingo, Milnes, Croft, Laciura, Fitch, Slatkin, Metropolitan Opera
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Barbara Daniels, Dwayne Croft, Leonard Slatkin, Placido Domingo, Sherrill MilnesBrand: UNIVERSAL MUSIC VIDEO DIST.
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown); German (Subtitled); English (Subtitled); Italian (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); English (Original Language)
Format: AC-3, Classical, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DTS Surround Sound, DVD, NTSC
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 140 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2005-08-09
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Model: B000449409
Studio: Deutsche Grammophon
Product features:
- LA FANCIULLA DEL WEST (DVD MOVIE)
Movie Reviews of Puccini - La Fanciulla del West / Daniels, Domingo, Milnes, Croft, Laciura, Fitch, Slatkin, Metropolitan Opera
Movie Review: Great DVD, but beware of defective copies
Summary: 5 Stars
I first bought this disc from Amazon, that copy froze at the one hour twenty minute mark, and on more than one DVD player. I then tried purchasing a copy from one of the independent sellers on Amazon, whose policy was to replace the disc one time rather than give an immediate refund, therefore I received two copies from that seller, both defective at the exact same spot. Finally, I tried Barnes & Noble. The first copy had the same defect. I asked the manager to please check to see if any replacement they might send was defective or not, and to try to get it from another source. They did, and guess what, this new copy screwed up at exactly the same place as the others. Frustrated, I contacted Deutsche Grammophon. They offered to send me a German made copy if I sent my defective disc to them. I complied, and they mailed me a replacement(while still not admitting that the American made copy I sent them had any problems) and the German copy works...FINALLY!!!!!!! I had to go through five defective copies and two countries to get a copy that functions, over several months I might add...and you know what, it was actually worth all the headaches! Which is why I am giving you the details of my ordeal, to emphasize what a mandatory experience it is watching this DVD. At no point during all this did I consider giving up and just taking a refund. I had seen enough of the DVD before it malfunctioned to know that this was something I absolutely wanted to own. My advice, if you don't want to take your chances with Amazon or its various sellers...contact Deutsche Grammophon directly and explain the problem and try to get a German-made copy from them, or wait until the American producers figure out there is a problem and produce another run. Because passing this by for another version of La Fanciulla del West is simply not an option.
You have to see the disc to understand why I am so enthusiastic, but I'll do my best to put it into words. This production is classic Met, with singers ideally suited for their parts, marvelous conducting and breathtaking sets that are realistic and consistent with the drama.
Barbara Daniels, a singer whose career I have not followed(unfortunately, at least if her performance here is any indication), comes across as a great interpreter of Puccini, her Minnie is sweet and tender and girlish, a fully realized character who also happens to be terrifically sung. The voice is lovely, powerful, but it is her acting that really bowled me over. For instance, there is one moment in the second act(strangely enough, right before the disc jams up on the defective copies...maybe those DVDs were overcome to the point of speechlessness) where she puts her male houseguest to bed and blows out a candle and the camera closes in on her face and her expression is just priceless, full of the sweetness and girlishness I mentioned above, coy and flirty but also innocent. This is the kind of moment a person sitting in the theater would miss out on, but the camera memorializes it so that the TV viewer can bask in its charm. That, my friends, is acting above and beyond the call of duty, and this moment alone is worth the price of admission. Placido Domingo is the star tenor, singing what is reportedly one of his favorite roles, that of the unfortunately named Dick Johnson(and all you Beavis and Butthead types out there will kindly stop snickering, thank you). Domingo is no spring chicken at this point, there's a certain jowliness to his features starting to override his movie star looks, but his vocal prowess shows no indications of flagging, and the energy and passion he commands onstage are both at a zenith. His high notes are still piercing...does this guy ever have an off night? The always reliable Sherill Milnes is a great choice for the role of Jack Rance, his sinister expressions and deep, seductive baritone voice make him the ideal villain(although Rance is certainly no straight villain role in the mold of Baron Scarpia, even though the characters share certain similarities). Milnes is such a trooper that you almost wish a producer would alter the storyline just once so he could finally get the girl. Leonard Slatkin and his orchestra's interpretation of Puccini's music is breathy and evocative, masterfully capturing every ripple, every lilt, every curve of this supple score, one of the composer's best(I love this music!). Technically, this is a by-the-book presentation in that the conductor doesn't color the music with any personal indulgences(not always a bad thing), still the reading couldn't be any more ardent because, really, how can you improve on what Puccini himself wrote down? The sets are spectacular, combined with the acting they give the impression of watching a Hollywood western. Act two's multifaceted set is especially notable, featuring a two-leveled interior(Minnie's cabin) as well as the great outdoors, complete with a pine tree laden forest and a genuine snowstorm! Brian Large's video direction is top of the line as always...the closeup of Minnie I mentioned above and a long shot of the happy couple embracing in the snow are highlights.
I've never understood the slams directed at this opera. Critics snipe at how unrealistic it seems having American prospectors singing in the language of Puccini. Is that any more unrealistic than ancient Egyptians(Aida) or Japanese peasants(Madama Butterfly) singing in Italian, or Celtic warriors and maidens singing in German(Tristan und Isolde)? This is opera, folks! I remember reading that Puccini considered this his favorite score, and the more I experience it the more I think he might have been right. It's more through-composed but no less melodic than many of his other scores. Dramatically, the story is a little corny and unbelievable, but it is also quite moving. The relationship between Minnie and the miners is endearing, and it leads to a conclusion that is satisfyingly bittersweet, a change of pace for the composer and a mood that is probably more difficult to pull off than a straight sad or happy ending. Besides, the story isn't so far removed from other Puccini operas...it has a strong romantic interest, a villain who tries to strike a deal for the hand of the woman he wants, using the life of her lover as collateral, eventually being outsmarted by the woman(a la Tosca), plus the card scene(three hands) foreshadows the three riddles in Turandot.
I love La Fanciulla del West, and will continue to love it no matter how many critics try to devalue its rapturous beauty. Addio!
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