Verdi - Luisa Miller
by James Levine, Nathaniel Merrill
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: James Morris, Metropolitan Opera, Placido Domingo, Renata Scotto, Sherrill MilnesDirector: James Levine, Nathaniel Merrill
Brand: Universal Studios
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown); Italian (Subtitled); German (Subtitled); English (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); Italian (Original Language), Dolby Digital 5.1; English (Original Language); French (Original Language); German (Original Language); Spanish (Original Language); Mandarin Chinese (Original Language)
Format: Classical, Dolby, DTS Surround Sound, NTSC, Subtitled
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 148 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2006-09-12
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Deutsche Grammophon
Movie Reviews of Verdi - Luisa Miller
Movie Review: If you love Italian opera, and the Met, it's a no-brainer
Summary: 5 Stars
Ever since reading that there was a Met telecast of this wonderful opera from the late '70's with this cast, this conductor, I have been anxiously waiting for it to be released on DVD. The wait is over, and the disc not only lived up to my expectations, it surpassed them. Look at the names involved. Then imagine one of those classic Met productions, stage-filling but also finely detailed, where both time/place accuracy and adherence to the emotional and thematic nuances of the story are equally important. Then imagine this broadcast being restored to a level of video and audio perfection. You get the idea. If you are a fan of Luisa Miller, Verdi, the Met, James Levine or any of the great singers involved in this project, this is a must-own.
Luisa Miller has always been a favorite of mine, it is an often overlooked gem of an opera with gorgeous melodies caught in a tidal wave of ever-building dramatic intensity. With Luisa Miller, Verdi turned bel canto on its head, paving the way not only for his later, more complex music dramas, but also, with this opera's rustic setting, peasant characters and heightened melodrama, for the great verismo operas of Puccini et al. Granted, from a modern standpoint, the narrative can seem a little ridiculous at times, with people drawing swords and poisoning each other when things don't go their way, that is what I mean by heightened melodrama. Of mature Verdi operas, only Il Trovatore goes for this same level of bleeding romanticism and melodramatic gusto(well, maybe Forza should be included in that list as well). The story, based on a play by Friedrich Schiller, is pretty good, it has some traditional Verdian themes, a strong, endearing father/daughter relationship, politics interfering with personal lives and vice versa, corruption, parents destroying their children for their own selfish ends, etc., but the libretto itself is kind of silly, replete with laughably over-the-top dialogue and one-dimensional posturing. Hey, this is Italian opera. Part of Verdi's genius was his ability to take a libretto that was less than stellar, and populated by stock characters, and turn it into a fabulous opera, beautiful, melodic, evoking genuine feeling. Musically, Luisa Miller has that sort of engaging and forceful headlong rush toward tragedy that very few composers are able to achieve, and that counteracts any weaknesses in the narrative and showboating by the characters, in fact it drowns them out.
Luisa Miller is a great opera on its own, but a tremendous cast and a conductor who loves and understands Verdi can blast it into the stratosphere. Consider that the case here. Renata Scotto is one of the great Italian sopranos, not only for her voice but also for the emotional involvement she brings to every role. While she may not look like a naive peasant girl, she certainly sounds, and acts, like a woman in love, wounded by betrayal. Taking her curtain calls, she looks ready to collapse...that is real commitment. And her voice is the total package, she nails every trill as well as every dramatic passage. Placido Domingo looks kind of silly in a blonde wig, but his voice is in its prime, he has always been a Verdian tenor of the first order, possessing the requisite beauty and strength of voice and passion of character. He recognizes that Rodolfo, that crazy, id-driven romantic, is a borderline psychopath and he acts the role accordingly. Sherrill Milnes is Miller, his warm baritone voice, gushing with tenderness, brings out the necessary quality of paternal affection and concern, at no time is he anything less than convincing. James Morris, who recently sang the role of Walter at the Met, is the appropriately named Wurm, Morris' bleak, almost ghostly voice, is ideally suited for the soulless villain whose idea of love is total control. Bonaldo Giaiotti handles the other bass role, Count Walter, the more sympathetic villain, who seems to have genuine love for his son despite his mishandled way of showing it. I cannot stress this enough...all of these performances are vocally flawless, and the acting is so galvanized that it keeps the drama moving at an electric pace. Of course, James Levine's conducting is no small factor in achieving this pace. He appreciates the energy of Verdi, but he also finds the subtleties in the orchestration that not every conductor of pre-Rigoletto Verdi recognizes are there. He guides the Met orchestra through a dynamic reading of the prelude, one of the greatest, most intense orchestral passages Verdi ever wrote, but he is also very much a singer's conductor, doting on his performers during the course of the opera, allowing them to take each moment at their own speed. In a way he is like a Verdian father figure, passionate about his children but never relinquishing control, but with happier results. Such an attuned relationship between conductor and singers is a rare thing, and has to be seen to be appreciated.
Luisa Miller is an opera of darkness and light, the gaiety of village life contrasting with the brooding, oppressive machinations of the count and his ilk, and this production captures this dichotomy perfectly, from the sunny opening to the twilit conclusion. I was fortunate to see the Met's latest production of this opera make its world premiere a few years ago, it is a Dickensian setting that plays up the darkness at the expense of the light, and while it is a very good production, I think the opera needs that visual juxtaposition of opposite shadings to be totally successful, therefore I prefer this version.
I should probably quit before I ramble on too long. I've already made my point...this is a major asset to my DVD collection because every detail is handled with loving care and respect for the work. Isn't that a trademark of the Met at its best?
Summary of Verdi - Luisa Miller
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