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Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated) Binding: DVD DVD Layers: 2 DVD Sides: 1 EAN: 0014381577921 Format: Classical, Color, DVD-Video, Widescreen, NTSC Label: Image Entertainment Languages: Manufacturer: Image Entertainment Number Of Discs: 1 Number Of Items: 1 Picture Format: Academy Ratio Publisher: Image Entertainment Region Code: 1 Release Date: October 26, 1999 Running Time: 153 minutes Studio: Image Entertainment Theatrical Release Date: 1992 Editorial Review: Amazon.com: In an audio recording, the distinctive quality of this Netherlands Opera production would go unnoticed, and a lot of people might like it better without pictures. The singing is first-class, with a pert, smart, visually appealing Rosina (Jennifer Larmore), a Count Almaviva who can spin out bel canto melodies and also do a good drunk scene (Richard Croft), a Figaro with lots of personality (David Malis). And conductor Alberto Zedda is an expert in the music of Rossini. But video brings out the fact that, for better or for worse, this Barber of Seville differs radically from other treatments of Rossini's comic masterpiece. Usually The Barber of Seville is an intimate little comedy with a half-dozen solo roles and a small, all-male chorus. Except for a few ensemble numbers, there are usually only two or three people on stage at any given moment, often conversing in stage whispers. Sometimes, in a plot full of secrets and deceptions, supernumeraries are out of place. Dario Fo's staging ignores this stylistic tradition. He gives the solo singers a crowd of artfully choreographed silent partners (including acrobats, dancers, and two men rigged to imitate a donkey), who scamper around the stage carrying ladders and sheets, pushing platforms, waving banners, and making sure that there is always something to amuse the eyes as well as the ears. This staging gives a solid visual embodiment to the comic spirit of the words and music, but it wipes out any pretense of dramatic realism. The Barber of Seville does not pretend to be "a slice of life" and many patrons will find that the energy of these added participants is its own justification. But those who treasure traditional staging and the conventions of realism should be ready for a lively but unconventional production. Perhaps they can listen with their eyes closed and enjoy a first-class sound recording. --Joe McLellan Average Rating:
 Rating:  - Just Great!The singers in this production are not only wonderful but they are miracle-workers as well, with all the perpetual "Comedia del Arte" action going on as they overcome the frenzy and deliver top-notch performances in spite of it. The constant manipulation of drapery in every scene was a bit distracting, but the singing and acting were so good that I still thoroughly enjoyed the opera. The orchestra is great, too, and the filming is excellent. Buy this DVD. It's worth the price. Rating:  - Hack workThis production very disappointing -- vastly inferior to to the Nucci-Battle-Dara performance! Bring in a "famous director" and you ruin the work. Rating:  - Marvelously Sung - a Little Busy: A lot of fun!While Dario Fo has gone overboard - populating every square inch of the set with extras and stage business - this remains, overall, a "fun" Barbiere. Richard Croft should win an award for execution of all his stage pranks and physical demands while having to sing Almaviva's difficult music. "All'idea di quel metall" is one of the most eye-popping messes I've seen a tenor have to go through; racing up and down a flight of steps that is being wheeled around the stage in constant motion ... Read More Rating:  - Bad VHS Sound Quality Ruins an Excellent ProductionThe visually stunning and aurally magnificent production of this classic opera is impeded horrendously by the sound quality on this video, due, I suppose, to poor microphone placement and bad editing. Footsteps (and especially leaps or backflips or other acrobatics) on stage become massive, booming cannon blasts that jar the music. The orchestra often drowns out the singers, especially during the second act. I would recommend purchasing this production if you can find a good price, and especially if ... Read More Rating: - Excellent performance and productionThis is the fifth opera I've seen on DVD, all of which I rented. This one, however, is the first to so enthrall me that I immediately purchased a copy of my own. I, like other reviewers, found the simple set but constant activity exciting, greatly entertaining, and a wonderful addition to the opera itself. The Barber of Seville is a comic opera, and Dario Fo emphasizes this with action, costumes, and even subtle slapstick. I agree it's not a traditional opera production, but the magnificent performaces ... Read More |
