Verdi-Otello (The Metropolitan Opera)
Buy this DVD movie at online store in your country
Canada
Canada
DVD Cover Information
DVD: Region Code 1Movie Reviews of Verdi-Otello (The Metropolitan Opera)
Movie Review: A Superb Performance worth waiting decades for!
Summary: 5 Stars
I confess to being a Jon Vickers fan, attending many of his performances in this opera as well as in Die Walkure, Samson and Delilah, Fidelio, Peter Grimes and was present at the tour de force performance of Tristan und Isolde at the Met with him and Birgit Nilsson. This DVD of Otello showcases his subtle artistry in transforming Otello from the celebrated leader and loving husband to a neurotic, self-destructive being who is manipulated by the slightest insinuations. What a life lesson his demise teaches as a reminder to many of us about our suppressed emotions. Otello may be viewed as a dormant volcano waiting to explode. And oh, the anguish that Vickers expresses in his "Dio! mi potevi scagliar tutti i mali" in Act III - one doesn't need a translation as he laments Desdemona's supposed infidelity; he just breaks your heart with his impassioned singing.
With such a terrific Otello, Renata Scotto's Desdemona was a great complement to his disturbing temperament. Hers was not a "placid, shrinking violet" interpretation as I have seen in other sopranos. Watch her body language as she responds defiantly to the false charges, particularly at the beginning of Act III. Her fate may be sealed, but she goes down fighting. Her "Ave Maria" was exquisitely sung.
Cornell MacNeil gave fine nuances to Iago, full of subtle contempt for the happy couple and his determined goal to destroy all good in the world. Finally, the fabulous conducting of James Levine, chorus, costumes and scenery give excellent balance to the cast. All elements combine to make what Richard Wagner defines as a "gesamtkunstwerk", a work of art that attempts to incorporate many art forms successfully. Your opera or theatrical DVD's are not complete without this stellar achievement.
Summary of Verdi-Otello (The Metropolitan Opera)
In this unforgettable Met broadcast from 1978, Jon Vickers-one of the great Otellos of the 20th century-brings his remarkable vocal power and dramatic intensity to Verdi's masterful Shakespeare adaptation. His Desdemona is Renata Scotto, at the height of her powers, and Cornell MacNeil's menacing Iago is one of the baritone's greatest roles. Met Music Director James Levine conducts one of the most thrilling performances of the decade.Similar DVD Movies
![Tchaikovsky - Eugene Onegin / Fleming, Vargas, Hvorostovsky, Gergiev, Carsen [Metropolitan Opera 2007] Image](/images/Tchaikovsky-Eugene-Onegin-Fleming-Vargas-Hvorostovsky-Gergiev-Carsen-Metropolitan-Opera-2007-B000YCLRBA-X.jpg){kind=small}
Tchaikovsky - Eugene Onegin / Fleming, Vargas, Hvorostovsky, Gergiev, Carsen [Metropolitan Opera 2007]Uni; Release date: 2007-12-18; DVD
Best price: $13.46
Price in other shops:
WertherRelease date: 2010-10-25; DVD
Best price: $22.44
Price in other shops:
Puccini: Madama ButterflyRelease date: 2011-01-25; DVD
Best price: $16.74
Price in other shops:
Jonas Kaufmann - Verismo AriasRelease date: 2011-04-19; Music CD
Best price: $10.74
Price in other shops:
Verdi - Aida / Levine, Domingo, Millo, Metropolitan OperaRelease date: 2000-12-12; Published: 2011-10-24; DVD
Best price: $16.82
Price in other shops:
Bizet: Carmen (The Metropolitan Opera LIVE in HD)The Metropolitan Opera; Release date: 2010-09-21; DVD
Best price: $23.89
Price in other shops:
Mascagni-Cavalleria Rusticana / Leoncavallo-Pagliacci (The Metropolitan Opera)Published: 2009; DVD
Best price: $30.00
Donizetti: Anna BolenaRelease date: 2011-11-01; Published: 2011-11-18; DVD
Best price: $22.46
Price in other shops:
Wagner: Die WalkureRelease date: 2011-05-03; Music CD
Best price: $15.19
Price in other shops:
Gounod: FaustRelease date: 2010-10-05; DVD
Best price: $20.95
Price in other shops: