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+opera On Video
+opera On Video
A Personal Review
The accessibility of opera has increased markedly in the decades since video recorders became available in the home.
It seems appropriate to essay this highly personal review of the materials to which I have access. My definition of “opera” has
been broadened to include any work generally so classified whether staged or not, and any classical vocal work presented in
a staged performance. I have included concert performances of operas and stagings of oratorios. The reviews reflect my
personal opinions and should not be taken as more. I hope that they provide you with enough information to select among
performances or to seek out items of interest.
The intent of the Evaluation entry is to provide a one-word summary opinion of the recording.
Excellent Solid representation of the work in all significant respects; flaws may be noted in the text.
Very Good Recording adequate for appreciation of the opera by one not familiar with it.
Good Fundamentally valid reading lacking significant elements; not recommended for novices.
Fair/Adequate Tolerable performance with elements worth seeing but not satisfying overall.
Inadequate Although unacceptable overall, acceptable if no alternative is available.
Poor Unacceptable performance overall; elements may be worth seeing.
Other terms such as Unique and Idiosyncratic apply to performances of particular value in specific senses but which should
not be regarded as generally representative of the opera. Those recordings should be sampled before purchase; traditionalists
may find them unacceptable, but those new to opera in general or to the particular work may find them revelatory.
TECHNICAL COMMENTS
Video is bright, contrasty and in every way a standard for operatic recording.
Sound is clear, but stereo is used only slightly for the orchestra and no stage image is
attempted. Camera work is fluid and unaffected by the audience. Direction would deserve
high praise in a more dynamic performance in eschewing closeups in favor of medium
shots. In this case, it exaggerates and extends the dreariness of the performance - and this
one does not need any added longeurs.
TECHNICAL COMMENTS
Video is about par for the era, so tends to underexposure and excessive contrast
with loss of shadow detail. Pre-HiFi monaural sound is barely adequate, which would be
unfortunate in a better performance. Camera work appears unhampered by the audience.
Since this performance does not reach the depths of that from Vancouver, it lacks even the
virtue of providing a horrible example; it is hard to imagine anyone outside the principals’
immediate families watching it all the way through.
TECHNICAL COMMENTS
Video and audio are brilliant, so that each production quirk and missed entrance
may be recognized instantly. Camera work is idiosyncratic to match the stage production:
the views of the proscenium during the overture and the angles chosen for the garden scene
are dizzying. The overall effect is missing; one suspects that even the experienced Brian
Large could not integrate the disparate elements adequately for home viewing. On the
other hand, we are unlikely to find a better performance in the foreseeable future, and
should perhaps be grateful for this one.
Date: ?
Evaluation: Very good
TECHNICAL COMMENTS
Video is clear throughout and well lighted. Audio quality is excellent, though
stereo imaging is ineffective. Video direction is choppy; one suspects that it is consistent
with the Kupfer’s desires. With more than half the running time cut, this performance is
an experience markedly different from any other known on audio or video. If only to
appreciate one direction of contemporary staging, at least one viewing is highly recom-
mended.
TECHNICAL COMMENTS
Video is very good but could have benefitted from a bit more light throughout.
Audio is excellent, revealing all details of the performance and providing some stereo
spread. Camera work is notable for using overhead shots to support the evolving scenery
(interiors and whole houses emerging from and disappearing into the stage). Overall, the
effect is seamless. While idiosyncracies of the production will divert an adult, a child may
be entranced.
Date: 1985
Evaluation: Very Good
Date: 1985
Evaluation: Very Good
Date: 1982
Evaluation: Excellent
TECHNICAL COMMENTS
Audio and video are excellent, conveying the immediacy of the production.
Camera work is fine, less restless than in Cavalleria. Lighting is again low and contrasty,
suggesting that the entire work occurs at night in contrast with the text. Like other liberties
(e.g., the final line coming from Canio rather than Tonio), it is incidental to the overall
success of the performance.
Date: ~1982
Evaluation: Good
TECHNICAL COMMENTS
Video is clear and well lighted. Audio is crisp but lacking in the extremes of range;
stereo must be present but is unrecognizable in the result. Camera work is fluid and
relevant, though occasionally limited to poor angles by the presence of the audience and
sometimes introduces a brief irrelevancy. Direction is capable if unremarkable. Overall,
Allen’s masterful presentation is the primary reason for recommending this performance,
which is otherwise competent.
TECHNICAL COMMENTS
Monochrome video is brilliant and fully detailed. Monaural audio retains
every detail and is virtually free of noise. There are a few places with what appear to
be poor splices, including one at which pitch instability is briefly serious. Lighting
is ample and camera work is simplistic but sufficient. Overall, this recording is a fine
alternate reading, differing essentially from every other encountered to date in each
respect. Of those differences, language may be the least significant.
© Michael Richter 1997
Don Giovanni PRODUCTION
Reasonably lively live staging from the Met. Sets are effected primarily with
Mozart
backdrops and fragments of architecture; the effect is satisfying if a little odd for that
literal venue. Costumes are strictly traditional. Acting ranges from burlesque from
Conductor: Levine Ramey and Furlanetto to static from the other major players to effective from the
Company: Metropolitan minor characters and chorus.
Date: 1988
Evaluation: Poor
TECHNICAL COMMENTS
Video is reasonably sharp and always in focus. Sound is accurate but heavy,
perhaps because of interpretation, perhaps due to recording quality. Lighting appears
not to have had augmentation that might have filled in shadows and otherwise
brightened the scene. Since there are performances that combine precision with wit,
this reading is particularly disappointing.
TECHNICAL COMMENTS
Video is consistently dark but sharp and enjoyable. Audio is very fine
although the stage image is not projected; it seems likely that the lack of brilliance
from the orchestra is a fault of the acoustics, not the engineering. Video direction is
good using camera movement sparingly and seeming to suffer few ill effects of the
live audience. Of all the Drottningholm efforts to date, this is the most successful.
Date: 1987
Evaluation: Adequate
TECHNICAL COMMENTS
Video is only fair, apparently insufficiently lighted for sharpness and occasionally
out of focus. Audio is outstanding, clearly defining the stage and resolving each orchestral
voice. Camera work is capable, but the director seems to lose track of the location of the
action and allows the view to wander. Overall, this performance is wonderful to hear and
confusing to see.
Date: 1951
Evaluation: Spectacular
TECHNICAL COMMENTS
Video is consistently crisp and sharply focussed. Audio is superb, with clear highs
and solid lows. Stereo is fine for the orchestra, but it occasionally provides a false location
for a soloist on stage. This is a compelling performance which should delight the
aficianado, persuade the skeptic, and shock all viewers visually, sonically, and dramati-
cally.
TECHNICAL COMMENTS
Video is sharp but notably underlighted; sound is similarly accurate without stereo
imaging. Camera movement is fluid and appropriate with rather more use of closeups than
most directors and many viewers prefer. Overall, the performance is worth experiencing
for the solo singing, not for the production which appears to be its nominal claim to fame.
TECHNICAL COMMENTS
Video and monaural audio are up to modern standards without standing out.
Camera work is good, with no apparent effect of the audience. If one likes closeups, the
direction will be unsatisfactory; otherwise, the only fault is that the staging offers only
unhappy choices: miss the stage business which draws the audience's attention; cover only
one singer at a time in the ensembles; bounce back and forth intolerably; or take an
extremely wide shot in which the performers become indistinguishable. From time to time,
each choice is selected, but none truly works. Overall, this is a far better performance to
© Michael Richter 1997 hear than to see and otherwise is recommended only to those with a taste for bizarre staging.
Barbiere di Siviglia PRODUCTION
A bright, live performance stressing slapstick above comedy. Staging is bright
Rossini
with cutaway sets and flamboyant costumes. In combination with the large theater, the
broad effort at humor often falls flat. Stage movement is effective, though, again,
Conductor: Caldwell frequently overdone especially when seen on television. In the house, the excesses might
Company: New York City have been less distracting.
Date: 1984
Evaluation: Very Good
Date: 1977
Evaluation: Very Good
TECHNICAL COMMENTS
Video is outstanding except where lighting is low. Overmodulation in a few tuttis
mars otherwise exemplary sound; stereo is used well but surround is not realized. The
letterboxed image begins to approximate theater experience. Camera work and direction
would match Large’s best except for some overuse of superpositions, fades and other
effects. Overall, this spectacular reading is recommended despite idiosyncratic production
and some vocal weaknesses.
Date: 1960
Evaluation: Good
TECHNICAL COMMENTS
Video and audio are excellent for the broadcast source, though there is little stereo
separation or stage image in the sound. Lighting is generous and most effective in
conveying the production. Camera work is exemplary, altogether without compromise
from the presence of the audience. Musically, this performance cannot approach Toscanini’s;
dramatically, it falls far behind the standard established by Scala. Nevertheless, it should
be seen and heard as a viable and lyrical alternative to traditional staging.
TECHNICAL COMMENTS
Monochrome video is execrable, painfully underlighted throughout and never in focus.
Monaural sound is somewhat noisier than AM broadcast but otherwise comparable with
it in quality. Camera work is abominable when lighting permits the stage to be seen at all;
one does not even consistently see a soloist alone on the stage. The failings vanish in Act
IV Scene 1, when two great voices show what Verdi is about. Yet Act II Scene 2 shows
that even the Triumphal Scene can be defeated when accurate solo voices are the only
© Michael Richter 1997 positive resources.
Aida PRODUCTION
Film record of a live performance at the great amphitheater. No set is provided but
Verdi
the stadium itself; none is required to reflect the grandeur of the work. Costuming ranges
from prosaic to ludicrous, with Amonasro’s getup demanding more suspension of
Conductor: Capuana disbelief than one is likely to manage. Were acting relevant, it might be missed; instead,
Company: Verona tonal oratory suffices with grandiloquent gestures in place of drama. Both the dancers and
the dancing offer strong arguments for editing Verdi’s score.
Aida: Gencer
Radames: Bergonzi PERFORMANCES
Amneris: Cossotto Capuana leads without coloration or inflection, but without error. The orchestra
Amonasro: Colzani is up to the task throughout: loud enough to be heard clearly and seldom far enough from
Ramfis: Giaiotti the note to be noticed. Gencer’s reading will satisfy or offend depending on one’s reaction
to her unique sound; the weight is almost sufficient and her commitment is audible.
VHS Bergonzi’s reading is paradoxical: fine intonation and phrasing, but lacking squillo and
Italian vocal credibility. Cossotto, like Gencer, will inspire enthusiasm from some, complaints
Director: from others; she tends to overdo everything, though without quite warping the balance out
of shape. Colzani’s blustering seems inspired by reading Amonasro as a savage rather than
Date: 1966 as a foreign king; in any event, its only asset is its volume. Giaiotti’s bass fills the
Evaluation: Good requirements capably; the other rôles are well cast, though one wishes the Celestial Voice
were more celestial.
TECHNICAL COMMENTS
Monochromatic video suffers from low lighting and lacks the qualities of
contemporary studio films. Audio is adequate in range and noise level but lacks the
dynamics that might add excitement. Camera work is remarkably busy, seldom focussing
on the essentials for any period of time; part of the problem may be the immense scale of
the theater and the staging, but frenetic direction does not compress that stage. In the
tradeoff between this performance’s superior singing and the later Verona recording’s
superior technology, one is likely to get more satisfaction from the higher technical quality.
© Michael Richter 1997
Attila PRODUCTION
Spare but lively live performance. Sets are colorful but minimalist, just sufficient to
Verdi
represent the limited range of scenes effectively. The costumes are similarly bright and
effective. Stage direction is efficient but does nothing to disturb the image of the work as
Conductor: Muti a sequence of set pieces. The overall effect is to focus attention on the performances rather
Company: Scala than the drama, which is quite appropriate in this case.
Date: 1979
Evaluation: Good
Date: 1979
Evaluation: Good
TECHNICAL COMMENTS
After a hazy beginning, video sharpens to excellent quality. Sound is clear with
good frequency range and limited dynamics and with limited use of stereo even for
separation, let alone imaging. Camera work is hyperactive with a profusion of sudden cuts
away from the focus of action. Camera angles are often awkward, though allowance must
be made for the presence of the audience. The result is visual clutter of an audibly clean
performance. For Solti, Gheorgiu, and the main lines of the production, this recording can
be recommended. In other respects, better choices are available.
© Michael Richter 1997
Traviata PRODUCTION
Live performance in the open air. Sets are traditional in form but compressed in
Verdi
depth to fit the stage. Costumes are literal and contribute to the stilted formalism of the
performances. Acting is minimal but not unnatural. The usual cuts are observed so the men
Conductor: Rudel have no caballettas.
Company: Wolf Trap
PERFORMANCES
Violetta: Sills Rudel exaggerates the stereotypes of the score with ritards and murky textures.
Alfredo: Price The orchestra and chorus follow dutifully. Sills handles all the requirements efficiently if
Germont: Fredericks without evident enthusiasm. Price lacks both vocal ring and dramatic brio. Fredericks is
effective if distractingly youthful. Perhaps most disturbing is the inconsistency of Sills’
Broadcast grand dame against the stilted, nearly amateurish performance by the rest of the cast.
Italian
Director: Browning TECHNICAL COMMENTS
Video is surprisingly good for the era, sharp and reasonably well lighted. Pre-HiFi
Date: 1979 monaural sound is acceptable, somehow seeming appropriate for a dull performance.
Evaluation: Good Direction is excellent, maintaining attention without apparent adaptation to the live
audience. Sills’ many fans will find this indispensable; others will appreciate the lack of
serious, specific error; none is likely to consider it a fair representation of Verdi.
TECHNICAL COMMENTS
Video is good but not as sharp as the best contemporary work. Audio for the
orchestra is excellent: crisp and well resolved, placing instruments and using some
surround for ambience. Audio for the singers is good in range, but terrible in bouncing
singers around the stage and spreading them across it. Overall, extraneous sounds are more
than intrusive: occasional interjections and extended booming noises from the floor, even
when the performers are not emulating elephants. Lighting is generally good, although the
darker scenes are underlighted. Camera work is so busy that it becomes dizzying at times;
at one point in the ballet, the viewer may feel suspended on the pendulum of a clock.
Date: 1994
Evaluation: Very Good
TECHNICAL COMMENTS
Video is not sharp, but focus is well maintained. Lighting is low so that
spotlighted figures stand in relief against near blackness. Sound is fine for the era, though
highs are minimized. Camera work is remarkably good for so early a live recording,
exploiting closeups that would work better if lighting were sufficient. Overall video
direction is good, although focus does not always remain near the center of musical
action. This is Jones’ show, and she makes it well worth while. Unfortunately, she cannot
make it Wagner’s show without support from the pit and the other soloists.
Date: 1982
Evaluation: Adequate
TECHNICAL COMMENTS
Video is inadequate: fuzzy with excessive contrast and saturated color. Sound
is marginal, lacking clarity and frequency extremes; the quality is about that of a good
AM radio broadcast. With the distractions of French synopses and Japanese subtitles,
only the transcendent performance redeems this recording. The next time a Böhm, a
Nilsson, and a Vickers come along, Wagner will be better served. However, in our
lifetimes this performance must suffice.