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With this 2000 production, a new generation steps powerfully into the romantic lead roles in Puccini's verismo shocker: Francesca Patané, daughter of the noted conductor Giuseppe Patané, and José Cura, a young tenor who seems destined for a major career. The performance is impressive--almost amazing, considering that this video originates in a provincial opera house, not La Scala, Rome, or Verona. Sets and costumes are sumptuous, conducting is expert, and the director has a fine sense of which details matter. It is not flawless--the leading voices seem to need a bit more warming up on their first appearance; but as they settle into their roles, their singing quickly becomes excellent. Their acting is good from beginning to end. Renato Bruson, as the villain Scarpia, occasionally wobbles on sustained notes, but expressiveness, not tonal glory, is what this role requires, and that he has in abundance. --Joe McLellan
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