|
|
Verdi: Rigoletto
|
 |
| List Price |
: |
CDN$ 30.99 |
| Our Price |
: |
CDN$ 24.79 |
| You Save |
: |
CDN$ 6.20 (20%) |
| |
|
|
| 2 Used |
: | from CDN$ 18.00 |
| 8 New |
: | from CDN$ 21.44 |
| |
|
|
| Availability |
: |
Usually ships in 24 hours |
|
|
 |
|
|
| Editorial Reviews: | | |  | | This extraordinarily powerful 1983 production may be the best-sung performance by Luciano Pavarotti on DVD, but when acting values are counted in, Ingvar Wixell manages to outshine the tenor star. Verdi gave the Duke two of Italian opera's most brilliant arias ("Questa o quella" and "La donna e mobile"), but he gave the deformed jester Rigoletto a depth and complexity of character that is reflected in music of great variety and enormous emotional impact: the cruel mockery of the opening scene, the self-doubts inspired by his dialogue with Sparafucile, the paternal anxieties and final despair at his daughter's sad fate, and the burning, self-destructive thirst for revenge. All these motives work their way into music of great dramatic richness, variety, and intensity. Wixell rises to its challenges, not only in the title role but in a cameo appearance as Rigoletto's nemesis Monterone. Location filming provides an atmosphere unavailable in staged productions. --Joe McLellan | |
| Custom Reviews: | |
|
| Great version, but i prefer the on-stage ones | |
| | I bought this dvd because, when i saw it for the first time (like 10 ten years ago) was the best sung version and the cast was superb. My favorites are the direction of Chailly (i find it great, dinamic and precise), the voice of Pavarotti (ONLY the voice, the acting sucks) especially singing my favorite aria "possente amor mi chiama", and giving a high D that i liked much. Now, i prefer the on-stage versions, so i don't like this DVD anymore. But i consider that this could be, in some way, a referencial version about what Rigoletto is musically...
| | Great version, but the new ones are better | |
| | I bought this dvd because, when i saw it for the first time (like 10 ten years ago) was the best sung version and the cast was superb. My favorites are the direction of Chailly (i find it great, dinamic and precise), the voice of Pavarotti (ONLY the voice, the acting sucks) especially singing my favorite aria "possente amor mi chiama", and giving a high D that i liked much. Now, i prefer the on-stage versions, so i don't like this DVD anymore. But i consider that this could be, in some way, a referencial version about what Rigoletto is musically...
| | | | The music is wonderful particularly the contrapuntal lines... the lyrics are profound too. Vixwell is superb and he simply eclipsed young Pavaratti: he alone is worthy of every cent of the price. This is an opera filmed with real settings and excellent acting as though it's a movie. It's so easy to follow the story. The picture is far from striking but is nonetheless acceptable, but don't expect too much from the recorded sound, albeit that it's good enough to carry the beauty of Vixwell's and Grunberova's singing. Credit should also be given to Vienna Philharmonic under Chailly which mixed every sound so well. This DVD is a whole rather impressing. It's a shame that EMI haven't remastered it.
| | | I usually do not care for "movie" versions of opera, preferring a filmed live performance, but this one is most enjoyable, and has some standout performances.
Released in 1983, it was made on location in Mantua, with good cinematography in a pallete of browns and dark greys.
Pavarotti is the Duke of Mantua, looking strong and robust, but I must confess I thought his performance very one-dimensional, continually loud, and as an actor is much the weakest in the cast.
Edita Gruberova's Gilda is extremely interesting; she gets stronger in each scene, and I found her performance to be quite touching and wonderful. Her "Caro Nome" is one that I truly loved, full of sweetness and vulnerability, and delicate trills.Ingvar Wixell's Rigoletto is superb, brilliantly portraying the many sides of the hunchbacked jester, from maliciously plotting revenge, to tenderly loving his daughter and the memory of his wife. His voice is rich and full, and he makes the most of Verdi's gorgeous score.
Victoria Vergara is a stunning and seductive Maddalena, and Ferruccio Fulanetto's Sparafucile is a creepy villain with very scary jagged teeth, and both are in fine vocal form.
Riccardo Chailly conducts the Vienna Choir and Philharmonic with great pacing, and this is a Rigoletto well worth watching, even for those who like me, are not "movie" opera fans.
| | | Rigoletto is one of my absolute favorite operas, and this DVD version made it even better!
The cast is perfect, at least when it comes to singing, but I just can't stop LAUGHING at Edita Gruberova's infernal gestures and behaviour... Maybe Gilda is supposed to be a bit stupid and naive, but Gruberova's playing is almost parodic.
But it's not any worse than that it makes you laugh.
I have no complains to the rest of the movie. Wixell is just as good as an actor as a singer, and I don't think Pavarotti acts too bad either. But anyway, you forget his bad acting when you can heare him sing!
| |
|
|
Home
View Cart
Bookmark This Page
Contact Us
