Puccini: Turandot -- San Francisco [1994]

Average customer rating:

Superb. Fantastic sets, atmosphere, fine performance.

Puccini: Turandot -- San Francisco [1994]
Starring: Eva Marton , Michael Sylvester , Lucia Mazzaria , Kevin Langan , and Theodore Baerg
Director: Brian Large
Manufacturer: Arthaus Musik
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Verdi: La Traviata -- Royal Opera House [1994] (NTSC)

ASIN: B00004XPR2
Release Date: 2000-08-29

Amazon.co.uk Review

Not only is Puccini's final opera Turandot among the composer's most popular works, but following The Three Tenors and a certain football contest, it has in "Nessun dorma!" what is almost certainly the best-loved aria in all opera. Written 20 years after Madame Butterfly (1904), Puccini's version of an 800-year-old fairy-tale is set in a legendary Peking and scored on a grand scale, incorporating not only Chinese musical techniques but a vast range of oriental percussion. Puccini draws heavily on the chorus, and as ever makes intense demands on his heroine, to which Eva Marton rises powerfully, very well complemented by the tenor Michael Sylvester as Calaf. However, what makes this 1994 San Francisco Opera version so enchanting as a visual experience is the realisation by David Hockney, who not only designed the sets and costumes but also directed the production. His vision is highly stylised, richly imagined, atmospheric and very beautiful, and it is a testament to how well this version is directed that much of the original magic is communicated through the confines of a TV screen. --Gary S. Dalkin

On the DVD: Other than a well-appointed booklet, and the option to watch with or without subtitles, there are no special features. The 4:3 picture is a major improvement on video, though no doubt due to the original source materials, not as detailed as the best DVDs. The sound is powerful PCM stereo, with a slight tendency to become strident at especially dramatic moments. The layer change is particularly badly done, interrupting the choir in full flow, rather than being placed between tracks.

Customer Reviews:

Superb. Fantastic sets, atmosphere, fine performance........2000-10-12

Everything an opera DVD should be - slight pity the sound is only PCM stereo, but the vitality and atmosphere of this performance (and its excellent filming) fully offset this. The colours, subtlety, and atmosphere of David Hockney's design alone would set the production apart, but the whole performance/production comes over with presence and vitality throughout. I sat down to try the DVD out for 10 minutes - and stopped only at the end!

Average customer rating:

Giacomo Puccini - Turandot [1994]
Starring: Eva Marton , Michael Sylvester , and San Francisco Opera Orch And Chorus
Manufacturer: Arthaus Musik
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

German | World Cinema | Categories | DVD | Video

DVD | Format (binding_browse-bin) | Refinements | DVD | Video
ASIN: B000JLQS8S
Release Date: 2006-10-30

Customer Reviews:

Top DVD!.......2002-07-27

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Mixed by DJ Chris Coco, Visions Of Ibiza also has visuals to accompany the tracks on the DVD, that reflect an idyllic chilled out Ibizan day. Starting with the gentle ambience of a sunrise, through to more beat driven tracks as the late afternoon shadows hold the promise of a night-time adventure , this is one of the more classy Ibiza chill out albums that are filling the shelves. Extras include an interview with Coco and a track titled 'Big Blue' which is literally just the sight and sound of waves lapping on the shore. Now you can't get much more chilled out than that.

totally chilled.......2001-09-07

This is a top buy if you can get hold of it, I would thoroughly recommend it. Good value as well, you get a DVD and an audio disc for your money. I purchased this after returning from holiday, and it cheered me up. The music is very chilled, top quality. The visuals that accompany it capture an idyllic Ibizan day, from sunrise, to sunny beach, to sunset and the night thereafter. Fantastic quality and value, can't wait for volume 2!

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