Rating: 
Summary: Musically lovely, however, annoying production
Review: This DVDis hampered by a distractingly poor, kitchy production. Although, Jean-Pierre Ponnelle was a well liked director, especially during the 1970s when this was filmed, he almost ruins this DVD with outdated and misguided directing and editing. The sets are generally tolerable but the costumes and make-up are unattractive and borderline silly. Worst is the general directing and editing, which culminate at the end of the last act when a t-shirted Domingo jumps through a shoji screen to be freeze-framed in mid-air: a final example of Ponnelle's misguided attempts at drama.
Musically, the cast is superb. Domingo is in strong voice and an ideal Pinkerton, despite being a bit clumsy an actor under Ponnelle's direction. Freni fares much better as an actress, and is overall a lovely Butterfly, despite a few harsh notes. Karajan leads the orchestra wonderfully, rounding out an overall strong and compelling interpretation of Puccini's score.
Ultimately, the poor production leads one to enjoy listening to the DVD more than watching it. As such, until a better DVD of Butterfly is released, it may pay to just stick with audio recordings and forego the visuals which distract from the beauty of these fine musical artists' interpretations of one of opera's greatest scores.
Rating: 
Summary: I Can See Why Some People Don't Like It, But...
Review: This just might be my favorite of the four film versions of "Madama Butterfly" available on video. True, it's less "pretty" than the Verona, La Scala, and Frederic Mitterand versions, but it's more dramatically interesting and intense. If prettiness is what you think "Madama Butterfly" is mainly about, get the video from Verona (the prettiest "Butterfly" I know), and leave this one alone. But if you want good dramatic impact, then this one is the one I most highly reccomend.
Rating:
Summary: Not well-adapted to a film format
Review: This version of Madama Butterfly is not well-adapted to a film format, I do not recommend it. The director doesn't seem well-acquainted with the medium. His direction is awkward, with clumsy cuts, poor camera work, a plodding pace and flat lighting. The added scenes, such as the opening sequence with a distraught Domingo, as well as the dream sequence during the humming chorus, are unimaginative and don't add anything to the story. The costumes and makeup, too, are unattractive. Freni looks like a ghost in her stark white makeup, and Domingo's attire in the love scene is wholly inappropriate -- a cheap-looking, blue-colored T-shirt that doesn't flatter his pudgy, middle-aged physique. He looks like he ought to be sitting on a sofa guzzling beer and watching football. The only pluses are the acting and singing of the principals, which are quite good throughout.
Rating:
Summary: People Expect More of a Stronger Team, But...
Review: We have a strong cast here (almost the strongest possible) : Karajan conducting the Vienna Philharmonic; and then there is Domingo, Freni & Ludwig etc. There is criticism on the other opera for having a Japanese Madama Butterfly. Yes, there is point there particularly when the latter is at that age and of that huge size. But on the other hand, Freni is the very opposite of any Japanese or indeed any oriental sense of a beauty, particulaly so on that make-up, and than there are so many close-up of her face which dispelled any mysterious sense of beauty of the East ... The setting is comparatively dull: a huge Japanese house by the side of a desolate slope. The house is too large by general Japanese standard and the slope can't possibly remind us of their religious love for beautiful gardens, nor their Shintoism... For the singing, well, Domingo will not disappoint you. Neither will there be much surprise for you. I have some reservation for the part of Freni, the phrasings are often on the verge of breaking. What really is disappointing is the support from the orchestra. Karajan is supposed to have enormous experience in opera works, even before he dictated the Berlin Philharmonic. Well, it's rather mechanical and without much life: as a dancing partner, he is hopeless. If Furtwangler is to get an A+, the most he can get is a C+ when Karl Bohm & Solti will at least get a B+/A-. Karajan is much better on his own, and certainly at his best doing Mahler, where we don't sense any living organism nor direction, but just volume and colours. Its sad to say that here Mahler's criticism of Puccini, dispensing him as just a composer who knows some orchestration ( and no more ) seem well justified... As a whole, I rate this DVD somewhere between 3 to 4 stars. But in view of the strong cast and the legitmate expectations thereof, I only give it a 3 stars, and I can't really recommend it with all my heart.
Rating:
Summary: People Expect More of a Stronger Team, But...
Review: We have a strong cast here (almost the strongest possible) : Karajan conducting the Vienna Philharmonic; and then there is Domingo, Freni & Ludwig etc. There is criticism on the other opera for having a Japanese Madama Butterfly. Yes, there is point there particularly when the latter is at that age and of that huge size. But on the other hand, Freni is the very opposite of any Japanese or indeed any oriental sense of a beauty, particulaly so on that make-up, and than there are so many close-up of her face which dispelled any mysterious sense of beauty of the East ... The setting is comparatively dull: a huge Japanese house by the side of a desolate slope. The house is too large by general Japanese standard and the slope can't possibly remind us of their religious love for beautiful gardens, nor their Shintoism... For the singing, well, Domingo will not disappoint you. Neither will there be much surprise for you. I have some reservation for the part of Freni, the phrasings are often on the verge of breaking. What really is disappointing is the support from the orchestra. Karajan is supposed to have enormous experience in opera works, even before he dictated the Berlin Philharmonic. Well, it's rather mechanical and without much life: as a dancing partner, he is hopeless. If Furtwangler is to get an A+, the most he can get is a C+ when Karl Bohm & Solti will at least get a B+/A-. Karajan is much better on his own, and certainly at his best doing Mahler, where we don't sense any living organism nor direction, but just volume and colours. Its sad to say that here Mahler's criticism of Puccini, dispensing him as just a composer who knows some orchestration ( and no more ) seem well justified... As a whole, I rate this DVD somewhere between 3 to 4 stars. But in view of the strong cast and the legitmate expectations thereof, I only give it a 3 stars, and I can't really recommend it with all my heart.
|
