The Life of Verdi
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Movie Reviews of The Life of Verdi
Movie Review: Apparently quite shortened. There is a better transfer.
Summary: 1 Stars
People should be aware that the original Italian run for 14 hours. Considering that any buyers of this item are surely an opera and Verdi entusiast seaking real information, will be shortchanged with this set. The version once presented by PBS few years back, was 10 hours.
First, the movie is from 1984 for those inquiring. And YES it is posible to have a superb transfer to DVD. With 11 hours (still shortened), no Burt Lancaster and excellent video and sound (Dolby Digital 2.0). Just secure the transfer from Euromedia Vision (c/ Diputacion 288 bajos, 08009 Barcelona. www.euromediavision.com). English (BBC/male) and spanish. Seven DVD. One problem for most of you which do not have an all-regions/all-systems DVD player, is that the set is Region 2 and PAL. There is only one thing wrong with this set. At the completion of episodes 2 to 6, they actually use only the credits of the 7th episode only, thus depriving us of the information of who sings what. Not nice.
There are three episode in Verdi's life that I regret were not presented. 1] The pre-premier delivery of all the music parts (including the tenor) of La donna e mobile, to prevent the leaking of such contagious tune by musicians and workers. I can only imagine the stress. 2] The missed early oportunity of even a glance betwen Verdi and Toscanini, in the second chair of the cellos at La Scala orchestra during rehersals and premier of Otello. He eventually saw him conducting, recommending him to the baritone Maurel, who recomended to Leoncavallo, eventually resulting in Toscanini conducting the premier of Pagliacci. 3] His role in 1899 as arbitrer betwen tenor Tamagno (original Otello), in favor of Toscanini, about tempis. Well, I suppose you can't include everything, but we can hope for a "director's cut"......of the italian original.
Movie Review: A Celebration of a Musical Genius!!!
Summary: 5 Stars
+++++
This mini-series dubbed in English on DVD is a dramatized biography of one of the great opera composers, Giuseppe Verdi (1813 to 1901). The narrated biographical events are played out against the background of Italy's struggle for unity and independence, a cause to which Verdi (Ron Pickup) dedicated his art.
There is also romance in this movie as Verdi meets the significant women in his life: Margheritta (Daria Nicolodi), Giuseppina (Italian ballerina Carla Fracci), and Teresa (Eva Christian). All three along with an older Verdi are shown on the DVD's container cover.
The music in this movie is fantastic. It has recordings of leading operatic voices such as Luciano Pavarotti, Maria Callas, and Renata Tebaldi. The movie is stunningly photographed and includes actual highlights of many of Verdi's operas such as Nabucco (Nebuchadneezzar, King of Babylon, 1842), I Lombardi, Ernani, Rigoletto, La Traviata (The Lost One), Un Ballo in Maschera (A Masked Ball), Aida, Otello (his greatest lyric tragedy) and Falstaff (1893, his last opera).
Each part of this movie has a brief introduction given by a female host. Here is her introduction for the entire series:
"This is a seven-part dramatization of the life of the world's most important and beloved operatic composers. For the opera fans in the audience, we hope it will enhance your enjoyment...but you don't have to be a devoted opera buff to enjoy this exceptional docudrama. Some seven million dollars and two years time went into the making of [this mini-series]. It was filmed on location in Italy, France, England, and the Soviet Union. Great care was taken to ensure the accuracy of historical events, settings, and costuming as you will see. The result is an intriguing portrait of a man, a country, and the events that shaped their destinies. The series is a compelling human drama and a tribute to a man that gave us more than twenty-five operas."
Ron Pickup as Verdi gives, I feel, an exceptional performance. As well, I feel that the male English narrator (who is not given credit) also does a good job. (Note that in this version, Burt Lancaster is not the narrator.)
The sound quality of this DVD is very good. However, occasionally there are split second disturbances in picture quality. Because I was so absorbed in the story, I did not find these distracting. I think its better to own this DVD than to own the video cassette of this mini-series.
Finally, this mini-series focuses on Verdi's operas giving the impression he composed only operas. However, this is not true! He also composed beautiful vocal and chamber music.
In conclusion, this is a spectacular mini-series/movie. Be sure to see it so as to learn more about the man who said, "It is better to invent reality than to copy it."
(1982 or 1983 or 1984; 4 discs; 10 hr, 30 min; 7 parts; first 6 parts about 90 min each, last part 120 min; made for TV; full screen)
+++++
Movie Review: A superb TV series. Unacceptable DVD setup . PIRATED work?
Summary: 5 Stars
Some years ago, I had watched the original TV series that is superb, and left me with vivid memories. This is one of the very best biographies of a great artist that I ever watched on TV. A landmark. Definitely 5-star. I have great admiration and respect for the quality and authenticity of all the works of director Renato Castellani. So I was really happy to find that I could buy this biography of Verdi in DVD's. However, this company KULTUR and its staff deserve to be taken to the woodshed -- maybe to court?
From a user point of view, there are several problems: (1) the quality of the recording is poor, video tracking pops-up from time to time. Images of large scale views such at the stage in La Scala are not sharp. It is readily apparent that this DVD series has not been made from the original tapes from some copy: this is conspicuous at the start of Episode 2 where the introducer's blue dress "bleeds" startingly on the screen. [I have not yet found the time to watch the last three episodes. Maybe there are surprises there too. I hope not.] (2) Switching from one episod to another is a true hassle because the programing is not set up properly. The episodes do not load on their own and start only after repeated clicks. Left unattended, the opening trailers at the start of each episode keep cycling endlessly. (3) There is also no background information about the series on paper: not on the cover box, not in a simple paper flyer inside the CD containers. The cover box only carries a quote from a review in a source named as "Booklist". The only basic information on how the series were made is embedded in the original PBS introductions to each episode.
Disappointedly, but not objectionable there no additional information inside the CDs in the form of video interviews of the director or actors, nor segments deleted from the original movie, which a very common value- added item in DVD movies, particularly expected in a 4-DVD series.
The strength and beauty of the original work is such that once the action gets started we are immediatly absorbed in Verdi's life and music. But not thanks to Kultur.
Commercially, could it be that Amazon.com is selling a pirated product? I am suspicious, but I am not a professional in those matters. Why suspicious? because, I was looking for the release date of the original TV series, but I could not find it anywhere. To my astonishment there is no reference to the date of the movie nor any listing of main actors on the box, or inside. On closer scrutiny, I then noticed also that there is not copyright statement on the cover box. I distincly recall also that such statements -- and the date of production again --are absent from the end trailers of credits at the end of every individual episode I have watched so far.
Is this KULTUR outfit legitimate? or were these DVDs made in some US or Asian garage?
Conclusion: a superb biography of one of the greatest opera composers of all times that is worth being part of a permanent DVD collection. But, a flawed and suspicious DVD transfer by KULTUR.
Movie Review: fine accomplishment but poor transfer
Summary: 4 Stars
On all counts the original presentation of "Life of Verdi" was a well-conceived and well-executed treat on all counts. What fails us now is Kultur's amateurish transfer. First of all, viewers can't skip past Robert Peter's introductions (which could easily have been omitted but at least she, unlike Burt Lancaster on PBS, could pronounce "Verdi"). Second, the transfer is from a flawed video tape. Tracking problems occur occasionally which they wouldn't had Kultur bothered to go back to the originals. How cheap!! Now watch them remaster it and us who have it forced to decide whether to get a whole new set of something that should have been done RIGHT THE FIRST TIME!!Movie Review: Even with all the flaws, it is worth it.
Summary: 5 Stars
One can easily see that this film was made for Americans. Strange since they probably appreciate Verdi the least. It should have been Italian all the way, with appropiate subtitles for other languages. Likewise, the mispronunciation of proper names by Burt Lancaster as narrator is deplorable. Especially noticable is his pronunciation of 'verdi' to sound like 'birdie'. Also no dirty linen was brought out, especially about Strepponi and her abandoning her children at birth as unknowns, and never making any effort to ever see or contact them at anytime afterwards. The film also never raises the question as to why Giuseppe and Giuseppina produced no children of their own.Ok, it's not the ideal film that I would make. But, hey, it is amazing that this film even exists. By the last hour of the film, you begin to feel almost privileged that you had the opportunity to see a great, great man and musician, and a great, great woman live out their life togheter in unconventional ways. Especially touching is the funeral march at the end. Too bad that there aren't any Verdis around today.