Rating: 
Summary: Go To Hell
Review: (...) The lacking star is just because of the opera itself being second place to Gounod. (Although Gounod is one of the longest operas -- we in the audience, by the time of the Redemption scene, being more than ready for redemption.)The SFO stage is small for opera, and -- at least on a widescreen TV -- the claustrophobia is enhanced by the 4:3 format. But the transfer is good, and the camera work is excellent, that is, unobtrusive. The sound is good, if a little ping-pong in places, the left and right seeming to come from far off screen. It is, as noted, Ramey's show. How many opera stars have the daring (or the body!) to play a role staged for long periods as topless? The Walpurgisnacht Carnaval in Hell is depicted as a New-Year's orgy in Hollywood, complete with much flesh and funny hats. Everyone is having fun, in a kind of Ken Russell way. If Goethe intended a morality tale, it may be undermined by such doings, as it should make us all want to go to Hell.
Rating: 
Summary: Boito resurgence in San Francisco. Lucky us!
Review: Boito's opera is certainly the least successful of all the adaptations inspired by that cornerstone of Western literature,
Goethe's Faust. Poor Boito was hardly in the same league as Berlioz, Gounod or Liszt. Although it has great sense of theatre,
a very good libretto, it lacks good, hummable tunes the likes of
Gounod's Faust. It is an awkward, long winded work and had to be revised several times.
Boito tried too hard to include as much as possible of Goethe's
metaphysical play searching for the great unanswered questions like man's purpose on earth, his relation to God, Good and Evil, Heaven and Hell etc. It is hard to tell if Boito has
succeeded.
And yet, the opera survived, not the least due to this magnificent production, and came through with flying colours. There is much to admire here: a highly imaginative concept, some great singing and very sympathetic conducting by Maurizio Arena.
He seems in love with the score and it shows.
In the title role, Samuel Ramey dominates the performance, his voice is worthy follower of all the great singers of this role like Feodor Chaliapin and Boris Christoff. His acting is mesmerizing. Secondly, Gabriela Benackova, with a beatiful voice and wonderful characterization is truly impressive in the tragic role of Margherita. As Faust, Dennis O'Neill is somewhat less memorable, but with an attractive voice.
The opera, unfortunately, is not immediately appealing, but it gets better as it goes along. After a bit rocky first act, the second act quartet and subsequent love duet are already quite good, while the third act is very highly inspired.
Great highlights are the Prologue in Heaven with its bemasked Seraphim in a silver and blue Baroque theatre setting; the ingenious double choruses in Walpurgis Night (conducted here in a
tongue in cheek manner by our protagonist, Ramey); the very moving Prison scene where Benackova shines, and the Epilogue.
Outstanding, very enjoyable DVD. Highly recommendable.
Rating:
Summary: M E P H I S T O ...
Review: Es una Opera Absolutamente Preciosa y Maravillosa! Y sobre todo desde el punto de vista metaphysiko y philosóphiko! Excelente! Un trabajo hermosÃsimo el de la Opera de San Francisco!
Rating:
Summary: M E P H I S T O ...
Review: Es una Opera Absolutamente Preciosa y Maravillosa! Y sobre todo desde el punto de vista metaphysiko y philosóphiko! Excelente! Un trabajo hermosísimo el de la Opera de San Francisco!
Rating:
Summary: A Delicious Mefistofele with little room for improvement
Review: From the very beginning of this video up through the final curtain call, the San Francisco Lyric Opera's Mefistofele is an engaging and exciting feast for the senses. This is the sort of performance that is meant to be seen and not merely heard - it would be an awful waste to lose out on the beautiful visual displays throughout the opera. The meticulous attention to detail is easy to see in every scene be it in the ornate sets and costumes or the elaborate staging. Ramey makes for an incomparable Mefistofele as his always incredible vocal prowess is paired with a stunning visual portrayal of the character. Dennis O'Neill's Faust, however, is one that would do better to be heard on an audio recording as O'Neill's well-groomed vocals are a pleasure to hear, but are brought down on video by his mediochre acting - especially his nearly constantly wandering eye focus. The soprano, Gabriela Benackova, puts on an adequate performance as well, perhaps hindered by the fact that she had very little to work with from O'Neill. Overall, fantastic performance, well worth your while - didn't get five stars because of Faust, plus the first angel scene during the prologue seems a bit dragged.
Rating:
Summary: M E P H I S T O ...
Review: I did not know this opera until I saw this version.
Absolutely interesting for the opera lovers.
Rating:
Summary: Overwhelming
Review: I saw this production at the San Francisco Opera, and the DVD, while great, doesn't do it complete justice. The prologue in Heaven just has to be seen to be believed...probably one of the most moving pieces of music composed for opera, in my limited view. At the end of the prologue, the resounding "Amen" sung by the angel chorus is accompanied by a light on stage so strong that it filled the opera house, turning night into day, and really underscored the power of the piece. Okay, maybe a bit dramatic, but hey, this is opera! This is my favorite opera, I live near San Francisco, and Sam Ramey is my favorite opera singer...so I admit to some biases here, but trust me: you won't be disappointed with this DVD. The costumes are fanciful, the sets work in a minimalist sort of way, and the soloists/chorus/orchestra really stand out. But it's Samuel Ramey who is in top form throughout this production. That he can keep up the intensity throughout the performance is simply amazing, and his bass voice has never sounded more booming, powerful and convincing. It seems to be the role he was born to sing. I also recommend the CD put out by Sony Classical, conducted by Giuseppe Patane, also featuring Ramey (and Domingo as Faust!).
Rating:
Summary: Ramey in top form!
Review: I saw this production at the San Francisco Opera, and the DVD, while great, doesn't do it complete justice. The prologue in Heaven just has to be seen to be believed...probably one of the most moving pieces of music composed for opera, in my limited view. At the end of the prologue, the resounding "Amen" sung by the angel chorus is accompanied by a light on stage so strong that it filled the opera house, turning night into day, and really underscored the power of the piece. Okay, maybe a bit dramatic, but hey, this is opera! This is my favorite opera, I live near San Francisco, and Sam Ramey is my favorite opera singer...so I admit to some biases here, but trust me: you won't be disappointed with this DVD. The costumes are fanciful, the sets work in a minimalist sort of way, and the soloists/chorus/orchestra really stand out. But it's Samuel Ramey who is in top form throughout this production. That he can keep up the intensity throughout the performance is simply amazing, and his bass voice has never sounded more booming, powerful and convincing. It seems to be the role he was born to sing. I also recommend the CD put out by Sony Classical, conducted by Giuseppe Patane, also featuring Ramey (and Domingo as Faust!).
Rating:
Summary: A Near-Perfect Production..Stellar Presentation !!!!
Review: Seldom has an opera affected me so much; this presentation
has more than heart ! Don't pass it by while it's still available ! Nothing short of a revelation !
Rating:
Summary: A Near-Perfect Production..Stellar Presentation !!!!
Review: Seldom has an opera affected me so much; this presentation
has more than heart ! Don't pass it by while it's still available ! Nothing short of a revelation !
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