Rating: 
Summary: A Rare Opera Treasure
Review: Donizetti's "Roberto Devereux" was one of his later operas and perhaps his most heart-felt work. At the time he composed the opera, he had lost his wife and children to death through a terrible epidemic. On this version, an obscure Russian or possibly European soprano sings Queen Elizabeth and tenor Sabitini sings Robert Devereux. What makes this a worthy performance is that it looks a lot like the 1938 film "The Private Lives Of Elizabeth And Essex" with the soprano here looking a lot like Bette Davis in that movie. In addition, Sabitini looks like Errol Flynn as he did in the movie opposite Bette Davis. The magic chemistry between the two leads (Elizabeth and Devereux) is great to watch on film. This performance is lesser known and a rare treasure for opera goers and for those who are more familiar with the New York City Opera performance starring Beverly Sills with Julius Rudel conducting in a 1975 live performance available on DVD here at Amazon. Although dramatically and musically Beverly Sills' version is superior, this is nothing to be disposed of nor overlooked. It's still a great performance.
Rating:
Summary: BRAVO BRAVO BRAVO-- Absolutely magnificent.
Review: Everything about this DVD is superior. The performers are extraordinary, their costumes are magnificent, their singing is great and they even do a good job of acting. The sound quality of the recording is supurb and the video is crystal clear. For one who loves Donizetti this is a treasure.
Rating:
Summary: A must for Donizetti lover!--------I give it 6 stars!!!
Review: Excellent singing, staging, acting,sound and visual quality!---------what else do we need ? It's a real treat for this rarely performed, extremely taxing opera.Too bad Carrera and Caballe's performance is only available in the blurry VHS format. It's a shame Dame Joan Sutherland has never tackled this role.However Edita Gruberova has been performing in this opera a lot in Europe lately-------- I wonder if any of her performances was taped.
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely Fantastic Opera Performance
Review: First the nit-picking: This is not the Sills performance that one reviewer properly raves about, and the performer is Robert Servile, baritone, not "Roberto Donizetti". This is is a performance by the San Carlo Carlo Theatre in Naples of one of Donizetti"s most memorable works. While the composer is best remembered for "Lucia di Lammermoor" and L'Elisir d'Amore", he composed many, many operas, some of which are wonderful, and some of which are less so. "Roberto" was composed in 1837, at a time when the composer lost both his wife and third child, but there is no sense of the morbid here. Rather, ther is a wealth of memorable and exciting melodies, one following another, from beginning to end. And it is a consistantly well-sung work as well. Wait until you experience the colaratura singing of Alexandrina Pendatchanska as Elizabeth I; she is simply stunning! And so is the rest of the cast, especially Giuseppe Sabatini in the vocally demanding title role. Maestro Guingal conducts this energetic score with appropriate verve, although with an open mouth, from time to time. Of course the DVD format continues to portray all of the visual aspects of musical theatre at their best, this time with stunning Dolby 5.1 sound, which matches the great staging of this work. Go for it, and be prepared for opera at its best! And discover just how great a talent Donizetti possessed. PS: many of his other works are available on CD from Opera Rara.
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely Fantastic Opera Performance
Review: First the nit-picking: This is not the Sills performance that one reviewer properly raves about, and the performer is Robert Servile, baritone, not "Roberto Donizetti". This is is a performance by the San Carlo Carlo Theatre in Naples of one of Donizetti"s most memorable works. While the composer is best remembered for "Lucia di Lammermoor" and L'Elisir d'Amore", he composed many, many operas, some of which are wonderful, and some of which are less so. "Roberto" was composed in 1837, at a time when the composer lost both his wife and third child, but there is no sense of the morbid here. Rather, ther is a wealth of memorable and exciting melodies, one following another, from beginning to end. And it is a consistantly well-sung work as well. Wait until you experience the colaratura singing of Alexandrina Pendatchanska as Elizabeth I; she is simply stunning! And so is the rest of the cast, especially Giuseppe Sabatini in the vocally demanding title role. Maestro Guingal conducts this energetic score with appropriate verve, although with an open mouth, from time to time. Of course the DVD format continues to portray all of the visual aspects of musical theatre at their best, this time with stunning Dolby 5.1 sound, which matches the great staging of this work. Go for it, and be prepared for opera at its best! And discover just how great a talent Donizetti possessed. PS: many of his other works are available on CD from Opera Rara.
Rating:
Summary: Great voice! Great acting!
Review: I can't imagine a better performance than this Roberto Devereux (and I know there isn't). All the singers are excellent and they acts so well. Giuseppe Sabbatini in the title role is superb. His voice is so tender and his pianissimo is to die for. He looks the part and he is a good actor. Pendatchanska as Elizabeth is just perfect. What a voice! What an actress! I even wonder if she's able to play any other opera, because she is so great in this role. Roberto's lover Sara and the Duke also are excellent singers/actors. The costumes are sumptuous and the set is georgeous. The music is great from the begining to the end. The ouverture is one of his best and a beautiful yet challenging aria/cabaletta follows one after another. Truly it's a feast to ears.
The video is clear and the sound is 5.1. What can one expect more!
Rating:
Summary: MY FAVORITE OPERA ON DVD, VHS OR LASER DISC
Review: I have been a fan of Pendatchanska for a while ever since I heard her sing on a Sony recording of Prince Igor sometime ago. A few years after that recording was released, she did an aria collection on the Capricio (?) lable. I was very impressed with her and wondered what happened to her career.
Nothing and I mean nothing prepared me for her performance as Elizabeth. It truly knocked my socks and shoes off (not to mention other articles of clothing)!
Pendatchanska truly gives the most exciting performance I have ever seen in an opera. I own many DVDs, Laser Discs and videos of opera performances; they all pale to this.
I truly believe that Callas, in her short prime, could not have done this role any better. (By the way, I consider myself a "Callas Orphan".)
If you really want to hear and see an Opera performed in a most exciting manner, buy this disc!
The only fault I have is with the audiance that this performance was taped in front of. Are they dead or on serious heavy drugs? If this had been done in front of a Met audiance the screaming, cheering and bravos would have never ceased--the audiance would have tore the roof off of the place!
Rating:
Summary: A Stellar "Roberto Deverwux"
Review: I more or less stopped keeping track of singers after Sutherland, Sills, and Horne stopped singing, so I had never heard of Pendatchanska. I had the good fortune of seeing Beverly Sills sing all three Donizetti queens, and lament that only Roberto Devereux was videotaped - what a loss. She defined these roles forever. However, you can add Pendatchanska to the list of great QE I's - a bigger voice than Sills, not quite the coloratura, but fabulous nevertheless. Since this opera is sparsely represented in the discography, buy it for Pendatchanska - you won't be disappointed. I have to agree with the other reviews I've read - someone must have put narcotics into the air of the opera house - the audience responded to this fabulous singling as though half-dead. OH, well.
Rating:
Summary: Super - Super - Super
Review: If you are a Donizetti fan you will stand in awe. If your are not a Donizetti fan, buy this DVD and you will be.
Rating:
Summary: Why isn't Pendatchanska at the Met????
Review: It's all been said in the raves above. Pendatchanska is thrilling. If you have the luck to be in NY in April, she will be at NYCO in ERMIONE.
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