Puccini - Tosca (Remastered)
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Movie Reviews of Puccini - Tosca (Remastered)
Movie Review: A Great "Starter Opera"
Summary: 5 Stars
"Tosca" is a great introduction to opera, and this DVD is a wonderful introduction to "Tosca".
The best features of this particular production are Zeffrelli's staging and camera direction and, of course, the wonderful Cavaradossi that Domingo gives us.
Of course, there are a few problems, too, as has been mentioned by others. Most notable among them, for me, was Hildegard Behrens. Her voice, though not particularly Italianate, was lovely. But a great Tosca needs a great actress and in this role Ms. Behrens' acting was not equal to the task.
Foremost among her problems was that she did not seem to have the slightest bit of chemistry with Domingo. He gave her a passionate, fully committed Mario to play against and yet...she barely looked at him in their scenes. Couldn't someone have reminded her that she is passionately in love with this man? That is essential to the characterization and the plot.
Instead, she played Tosca as somewhat naive, not terribly bright, and lacking in the charisma needed to convey a great star. Naive could have worked, but a great star needs charisma and a great love needs passion. Domingo brings these in spades, but unfortunately got very little from Behrens in response. (On the positive side, at least she doesn't give it the "silent movie melodrama" approach.)
On-stage passion is so easy to fake that I'm surprised she seems to be making no effort at all--pulling away from Mario when she should be leaning into him, rarely looking at her lover. A flaw--but with all the other strengths of this production--fortunately not a fatal one.
So...why 5 stars? Because, although Behrens' acting problem prevents it from being definitive, it is still dramatically, vocally, and filmically a wonderful production.
Movie Review: THANK GOD (AND DG) THAT WE HAVE THIS TOSCA ON DVD !!!
Summary: 5 Stars
I have owned this Version for a few years now and play it quite frequently...this Tosca will NEVER be surpassed! I totally agree with all the praise given it by most of all the other reviewers. You don't need me to now tell you how fantastic it is. But I am adding my two cents (for whatever it's worth) now because of that horrendous NEW production which just opened at the MET. Do modern Directors even bother reading the Composer's Libretto? Now, I have not seen this new production yet. I have read countless reviews of the Opening Night performance, spoken with friends in New York who have seen it and listened to it on the Met Sirius Radio. I was not impressed with the singing at all. Obviously I have to go with what the press and friends said about the physical production...the booing for the director and his "creative" team was loud and sustained. It seems that the Met is doing away with all things Zeffirelli for more "modern" approaches to its productions. What a shame! I'm sure that this new version will eventually come to our PBS stations as a MET HD LIVE performance. You may want to watch it but have THIS marvelous Domingo, Behrens, MacNeil, Zeffirelli production on hand to see what the great Puccini really had in mind. If after I do see it on PBS and have any corrections or new feelings about the new production, I will certainly edit this review. UPDATE ON JANUARY 20, 2010...I have seen the new production on PBS...what an insulting mess!!! But I have some good news...the Met has recently announced that it is thinking about REVIVING the Zeffirelli production (it was never destroyed) for the 2010-2011 Season. It appears that everyone (including the New York Times) is now saying that the new production is a dismal failure.Movie Review: THIS TOSCA TRIUMPHS!
Summary: 5 Stars
Franco Zeffirelli's sumptuous production is all I could wish for from opera on DVD. The camera is always where it needs to be. A variety of well framed angles keeps the pace going strong without jumping around too much. Except for the portrait of the Madonna, which looked like a cartoon, the sets are stunning. (Were those real books in Scarpia's study?) The atmosphere is electric. Behrens is wonderful as Tosca and Domingo brings down the house as Cavaradossi. Cornell Macneil's Scarpia is exquisitely malevolent. There isn't a weak link in the chain here. Sinopoli's conducting is emotional and animated. I listened to it on my Sennheiser 650 headphones and it sounds wonderful. Technically, it's superb. Everythinig comes together for an emotional, involving, and ultimately triumphant TOSCA. Highly recommended.Movie Review: Not perfect, but still a fantastic production
Summary: 5 Stars
I owned this production on VHS and am glad that DG have re-released this with DTS sound. I have always enjoyed watching this DVD, even though it does have a few shortcomings. The most obvious one is the casting of Cornell McNeil as Scarpia, as vocally he falls short, but he makes up for it with his intense acting. Behrens too falls short, but I enjoyed her vocalism and characterisation. There will be too many comparisons to past interpretators of the role, and her voice may not be Italianate enough, but in my books, it works and she is wonderful as the heroine! Domingo is the star of this show! Zefferelli's set is masterfully done and the production is sumptous for the MET stage.Movie Review: splendid!
Summary: 5 Stars
Wonderful! All this talk of bad acting, poor voices, unintelligent casting is some reviewers' attempt to make themselves feel important. It's opera, and it's Puccini, so forgiving larger-than-life gestures, scenery, and emotions is not only easy to do, but necessary. All three leads embody their characters well, and in the opera house, it must have been magnificent. On film, it's a wonderful taste of what some of us never got the chance to see.
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