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Rating: 
Summary: WATCH OUT!
Review: Caveat: This is the French version! Thus significant parts are cut out, for example the famous arias "Ancor non giunse!" and "Regnava nel silenzo." D'oh! The performance is good, though, but the way Ciofi sings is a bit irritating to look at. Also, Tezier has a spitting problem. Finally, it appears that the set decorator skipped town. Other than these things, it's acceptable, though I'd say get the Met Sutherland version instead.
Rating: 
Summary: Wonderful Lucie
Review: I love this DVD. Since I received it I have watched it over and over.
First, the performance is beautifully stage directed. Yes, it is
dark, but castles in that era WERE dark and gloomy. Unlike most productions, this one also manages to look like it was actually
set in Scotland.
The director was able to get wonderful characterizations out
of his singers. Lucie is frantic, nervous, and unsettled from
her first appearance. Edgar is a vulnerable, passionate lover;
no conventional tenor here. Henri is not a conventional villian, he is a desparate man in a difficult situation. He also seems to share a bit of his sister's madness. Gilbert is
a sleazy, conniving slug.
Lucie gets more and more frenzied and out of touch with reality with each scene. By the wedding scene, her mind is gone, after
the wedding contract is signed and she sings that her life is over, it is very believable; she is absolutely at the end of her rope. That she becomes completely unhinged and stabs her
weakling of a husband is totally believable; in the Mad Scene
she seems more completely separated from reality than any other Lucia I have ever seen.
Edgar is also truly broken-hearted and desolate in the tomb
scene; that he ends his life is totally logical.
Ok, the musical side. I think Pido's conducting is very idiomatic. The chorus is absolutely outstanding, and wonderfully directed too. I'm happy to hear a version with the mad scene in the original, higher keys. All the old boring
tradional embellishments are thrown out; replaced with new musically creative ones. The fountain aria is replaced with
the aria from Rosmonda.
The singers are all a little rough at the start, but they warm up quickly. I love Ciofi's performance. She IS Lucie. I like Alagna better in this than anything else I have seen him in; although he does tend to sing sharp.
All in all, this is a compelling performance. I get completely absorbed in it each time I watch it.
Rating:
Summary: Magnificent production of the French "Lucia"
Review: In 1839 Donizetti reproduced his great success "Lucia di Lammermoor" for Paris. The opera was renamed "Lucie di Lammermoor." Besides translating the libretto to French, Donizetti inserted a new cavatina for Lucia. "Regnava nel silencio" was replaced with "Que n'avons nous des ailes." The original melody for the "new" cavatina was from a forgotten Donizetti opera "Rosmonda di Inghilterra." Donizetti also reworked the story slightly. Instead of a lady-in-waiting for Lucia Donizetti created the character of Gilbert, a Machiavellian spy type. Thus the first scena with Lucie takes on a more sinister foreboding tone.
The dvd is a performance from 2002 in Lyon. The recording's Lucie had Natalie Dessay, who was slated to be the revival's Lucie. Dessay completed the recording but developed nodes and had to cancel the run, so Patrizia Ciofi is the Lucie in the dvd performance. Alagna is the Edgard in both the recording and the dvd.
This dvd is one of those performances I would not want to be without, ever. The production manages to be both traditional and imaginative at the same time. The stark sets suggest a bleak medieval Scottish landscape. There is no prettified glamor here -- it's a violent, gory story and the production treats it as such.
Patrizia Ciofi may not be the GREATEST Lucia/Lucie on record, but from her first cavatina she's a disturbed, distraught woman. She is a tiny, thin woman, and suggests Lucie's delicacy. Her voice is smallish and crystalline, but never chirpy or monotonous. In the mad scene she takes the original keys (usually the scene is transposed to G so the soprano can end on a big E-flat). If I wanted to nitpick I would say that under pressure her voice can turn a bit glassy, and that she makes some funny facial expressions when she sings that the closeups don't flatter. But overall her Lucie is passionate, disturbed and pathetic.
Roberto Alagna is a controversial tenor. I happen to be a fan, because despite his obvious faults (questionable intonation, a tendency to sing forte rather than modulate his voice, incomplete training as he was largely self-taught), he sings with an innate passion and warmth that I find irreplaceable. His best moment is the final scene in the tomb, where he IMO steals the entire evening. His facility in the French language is also a big plus.
The role of Henry Ashton is fleshed out more in this production. Here he is not a stock villain, but also mentally disturbed and paranoid. Ludovic Tezier adds an almost demonic intensity to his scenes. His interaction with Lucie (leaning into her menacingly, then softly caressing her hair) implies a brother-sister relationship that is very troubled and abnormal.
The lighting could have been better -- the stage was naturally very dark, and at times the singers were totally covered in darkness. But these are minor complaints. I heartily recommend this performance.
Rating:
Summary: Lucie de la Mer Mort
Review: These reviews did not prepare me for the disappointment I experienced when watching this DVD. 3 factors combined to undermine it. The first is the unimaginative work of directors Patrice Caurier and Moshe Leiser, as well as set designer Christian Fenouillat, laboring under the concept that the Gothic world described by Walter Scott is visually disagreeable. I suppose the French "Lucie" is even more dark, brutal and hopeless than "Lucia", but the murky stage, with the chorus trooping on indifferently, make this production dull. The second is that the dim stage, just barely adequately lit for the cameras, imposed on TV director Don Kent limited choices. He therefore had to concentrate on close ups, with the spitting and facial contortions a distraction. The third is maestro Evelino Pidò's idiosyncratic rubati, generally leaning towards lethargic, which exacerbated the pervasive stolidity of the production. All this a shame, because the singers are first rate. I think Alagna's tomb scene is the highlight of this performance. Ciofi is a mixed bag. She has a lovely lyric coloratura soprano instrument. The finely modulated phrasing and mezza voce singing were all in place, but when taxed, her light voice lacked necessary power and lost focus. The French version allows the heroine to be spared the flute cadenza in the mad scene, and her adventures above the staff were mostly limited to fleeting cadenzas. The French version cuts Normanno and Alisa (Lucie is the only female character), Raymond loses much music and a new character (Gilbert) is introduced. The main value of the DVD for me was being able to follow the singing with subtitles of the livret in French, but I will not want to watch it again.
Rating:
Summary: A must have, a great musical experience
Review: This DVD presents the 1839 french version of this well known opera. I like this version in particular because is pretty complete; Compared with the Met version, where the duetto between Edgard and Enrico was skipped, this one has it and most of the scenes are not reduced at all. Is a complete score. Contains a new scene for Lucie in the first act: "Que n'avons nous des ailes", instead of "Regnava del Silenzio"; Normanno dissapears and is replaced by Gilbert, this "Jago" who is more complex and takes more importance in this version, in my opinion. I have to say, this is a great version in many ways: First, conductor Evelino Pido's interpretation is not just correct, is dynamic and intense as well, getting a good balance in the orchestra. The speed and the brightness is good too.
Patricia Ciofi surprises with her hability and intensity singing the rare aria, and considering that she's singing live on-stage, she does it much better than Natalie Dessay in the CD version of the opera. Ciofi sings with energy and without losing control and dramatism (I have to say, she looks kinda freaky in some way, but it gives us some impression about how this Lucie could be). From there, you will enjoy her performance until the end. Ludovic Tezier deserves and ovation too. He's a good singer and actor (it looks like he could be over-acting in some way, but i think that it was the intention of the character in this production), and is great in the duet with Lucie in the second act. Roberto Alagna is convincing as always, because his shiny voice reflects a good idea about the character of Edgard must be. Very notable performance, Great duet with Ciofi at the end of the first act, and singing his famous aria at the end of the opera.
Marc Laho is good and precise in his short part. I liked his voice and colour when i saw him singing Don Pasquale's Ernesto this year at the Real in Madrid. Good singer. The Production looks odd at the beginning, but i think is the intention of the directors to give a dark impression about the place and the characters. In some way, giving them some surrealistic form in a obscure and macabre context. I really recommend this if you like complete version of operas, by now, this is my referencial version of Lucia, the french one. by other hand, this is the most recent version of the opera you will find, the other ones are from the 80's.
Rating:
Summary: Ciofi is in great form as Lucie
Review: Yes, I think we all realize this is Donizettis French revision of his very popular Lucia di Lammmermoor. In the time of the "great" bel canto composers, it was fairly common place to write, rewrite, and sometimes translate popular operas for new singers, censors, or opera houses. Most of the time when they did so the results were less than satisfactory, and thats why the work is usually given in its original format (some high profile exceptions might be Rossini's Maometto Secondo into the french L'Assedio di Corinto and Verdi's I Lombardi into the french Jerusalum). That said, this french Lucie is (in my opinion) not as "great" as the first. Maybe because I am so used to hearing the italian text and charaters?
When I bought the CD with Dessay and Alagna I really wasn't impressed with the new version... although the performance and the singing were wonderful. BUT! After viewing this 2002 performance I have to admit.. this is the BEST LUCIE or LUCIA on DVD today. In french or italian or whatever this is a commited cast that act their parts and sing with total control and color. I have seen Ciofi on a couple of DVD's and I never really thought too much.... I was blown away with her on this disc. How lucky we are that Dessay was sick (hmmmmm that seems to happen to the poor girl alot these days)! She floats threw the high lighing passages with ease and has a wonderful top range. Her mad scene brought tears to my eyes.. and that has never happened. Usually when you hear the mad scene you listen and you gasp at the soprano as they leap across a hurdle of high notes, trills and runs (not to say I don't LOVE a good High e flat at the end thanks Sills and Sutherland).
The rest of the cast are almost as commited... Alagna is of course breath taking as Edgar(do)!
It's just nice to watch a dvd and feel the drama that sometimes is lost in all the over production and high notes.
I have read reviews that didn't feel the same as I did... I have seen some people don't like the facial expressions of Ciofi? Okay well take a good look at any soprano hitting a high D... and they don't usually look very comfortable? I wasn't bothered by this at all... infact I thought it helped the drama. And yes the production is DARK? this is a dark opera and I wasn't a bit bothered by this either.
Oh yeah and the aria that replaces Lucia's act I "Regnava nel silenzio" is from his opera Rosmonda D'inghilterra, and I feel its a good fit. Hope you enjoy Lucie or Lucia!
Rating:
Summary: Ciofi is in great form as Lucie
Review: Yes, I think we all realize this is Donizettis French revision of his very popular Lucia di Lammmermoor. In the time of the "great" bel canto composers, it was fairly common place to write, rewrite, and sometimes translate popular operas for new singers, censors, or opera houses. Most of the time when they did so the results were less than satisfactory, and thats why the work is usually given in its original format (some high profile exceptions might be Rossini's Maometto Secondo into the french L'Assedio di Corinto and Verdi's I Lombardi into the french Jerusalum). That said, this french Lucie is (in my opinion) not as "great" as the first. Maybe because I am so used to hearing the italian text and charaters?
When I bought the CD with Dessay and Alagna I really wasn't impressed with the new version... although the performance and the singing were wonderful. BUT! After viewing this 2002 performance I have to admit.. this is the BEST LUCIE or LUCIA on DVD today. In french or italian or whatever this is a commited cast that act their parts and sing with total control and color. I have seen Ciofi on a couple of DVD's and I never really thought too much.... I was blown away with her on this disc. How lucky we are that Dessay was sick (hmmmmm that seems to happen to the poor girl alot these days)! She floats threw the high lighing passages with ease and has a wonderful top range. Her mad scene brought tears to my eyes.. and that has never happened. Usually when you hear the mad scene you listen and you gasp at the soprano as they leap across a hurdle of high notes, trills and runs (not to say I don't LOVE a good High e flat at the end thanks Sills and Sutherland).
The rest of the cast are almost as commited... Alagna is of course breath taking as Edgar(do)!
It's just nice to watch a dvd and feel the drama that sometimes is lost in all the over production and high notes.
I have read reviews that didn't feel the same as I did... I have seen some people don't like the facial expressions of Ciofi? Okay well take a good look at any soprano hitting a high D... and they don't usually look very comfortable? I wasn't bothered by this at all... infact I thought it helped the drama. And yes the production is DARK? this is a dark opera and I wasn't a bit bothered by this either.
Oh yeah and the aria that replaces Lucia's act I "Regnava nel silenzio" is from his opera Rosmonda D'inghilterra, and I feel its a good fit. Hope you enjoy Lucie or Lucia!
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