"Actor: Orazio Mori"

• Verdi: La Traviata -- Venice | DVD | (10/04/2000) from £14.19   |  Saving you £3.80 (26.78%)   |  RRP £17.99

  This performance of Verdi's La Traviata comes from the Gran Teatro La Fenice, Venice in 1992. The intimacy and social realism of the story make it one of the most dramatically successful of all operas, while the score contains some of the finest music of the 19th century. Despite the strong production values and well-staged party scenes, any production of La Traviata stands or falls on the performers in the vital roles of the lovers Violetta and Alfredo, and that of Alfredo's father, Giorgio. Here Giorgio Zancanaro is suitably decent and morally serious as Giorgio, and Neil Shicoff makes a strong impression as an ordinary man suddenly overwhelmed by love. The drawback is that--and there is no polite way to say this--Edita Gruberova is not only too old to play the sparkling young society girl, Violetta, but she is a much better singer than she is an actress. She comes into her own in the tragic last act, but is otherwise awkward and uncomfortable when the part requires her to demonstrate confidence and sensuality. This remains a production with considerable merits, but overall a more dramatically, not to say visually, compelling version is that originally broadcast world-wide live from Paris in 2000 starring Eteri Gvazava and José Cura.On the DVD: The production is presented at 4:3 with above average picture quality for a live opera DVD, and with excellent PCM stereo sound. The disc and booklet both offer a synopsis, but other than the option to watch with or without subtitles there are no special features. --Gary S. Dalkin

• Manon Lescaut - Puccini | DVD | (03/10/2005) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £24.99

  TDK presents a recording of Puccini's heart-breaking opera from one of the best opera houses of the world featuring star tenor Jose Cura and remarkable soprano Maria Guelghina as the two inseparable lovers. Riccardo Muti music director of La Scala at the time of this performance gives full weight to the alternation of social realism and private amatory psychology of crowds and intimacy body and spirit. And the director of this Milan production the famous Italian film director Liliana Cavani provides it with a realistic setting. Every scene looks like a genre painting from which Puccini's psychograms emerge musically. This forms the background for the two outstanding singer actors who take the lead roles.