Rating: 
Summary: Top Class Entertainment
Review: The MET is releasing some worthy productions from their archives. This is a fantastic production of Verdi's Otello with top class singers. Being a Fleming fan I bought this DVD without even blinking an eye!
Sound, production, direction, staging and singing are exemplary. A worthy addition to the MET Opera DVD collection.
Rating:
Summary: Domingo continues his dominance
Review: There is little to add except assent to all the raves about Domingo's Moor. This DVD was taken in 1995 when Domingo's Moor reached the fullest depths of interpretation imaginable, and when his vocal glories had scarcely begun to retreat. It is from a similar period that the greatest CD recording of the opera is taken - Myung-Whun Chung's Paris recording with Studer and Leiferkus (and Ramon Vargas sweet-toned Cassio).Fleming sings a beautiful line and her mannerisms don't bother me at all. We must remember that this is taken fairly early in her stardom, and she has substantially deepened in her articulation of texts since then. Morris' Iago is different, lacking high-baritone edge but gaining something else interesting with power and a kind of float. Richard Croft's Cassio is not sufficiently powerful to ride the opening drama (or at least not picked up on the DVD sound well enough). Brian Large's video direction never gives me cause for complaint; Levine and the MET orchestra are everything you would expect. Picture Format 4:3; Subtitles Italian; English; German; French; Spanish; Chinese. Sound PCM Stereo; DTS 5.1 and Dolby Digital 5.1. Any preservation of Domingo's Moor is worth having, this one is the best of them. The whole performance is surpassed musically by the Chung recording which has no weak links at all, but then of course it depends how much value you get from pictures!
Rating:
Summary: the highest quality
Review: This 1996 Otello, live from the Metropolitan Opera, was my very first Otello. It is one of my favorite operas and this production is still among my favorites.
Domingo gives a great performance. His moor sounds a little nasal in the Esultate, but settles back into real spendor during the Gia La notte duet. Clearly his 2 decades as the moor have made him the finest actor of the part in anyones memory. the second act is a real challange for his
56 year old pipes, and he pinches slighly, seeming highly stressed going into the Si Per Ciel. this, however, can be forgive, and almost adds to the desperation of the Drama. Domingo is splendid in the 3rd act, delivering his usual brilliance. His 1992 Otello, with Dame kiri, shows his voice under better control.
James Morris, is pushing his Fach a bit for Jago. Not a Verdian baritone, Mr Morris is more of a Wagnerian. This causes a few unusual vocal occurances. It means, to his credit, that his low notes are the firmest of all Jagos in my memory. The problem is that there is a bit of strain on the top. He also concedes to the High A's in the first act Drinking Song. Nevertheless he is a wonderful Jago. His Jago is not the bruttish monster that some, Like Justino Diaz or Milnes, he is the Machiavellian schemer, much like the Jago of Nucci. his is a evil and intelligent Jago... very compelling.
Desdemona is played by Renee Fleming, and played very very well. She is an excellent Desdemona.. perhaps more Gentle and sypathetic than Kiri TeKanawa. Her Pianissimo, and her use of chest is appropriate. She was beutiful foil for Domingo. (Incidently she looked beautiful in her lavish costumes)
James Levine gets major credit for a briskly paced Otello (Most likely to accomadate the greatful singers Domingo and morris) He leads the Met orchestra with his usual competence, and I am greatful for his wonderful, and unpretentious, reading.
Rating:
Summary: Domingo or Domingo?
Review: This DVD is a new release of a video Otello starring Placido Domingo in the title role. On DVD, there are already at least 3 of his Otellos, but this one surpasses them all. Domingo is outstanding, a bit better than in the Covent Garden production. He is in great voice, singing and acting magnificiently. There are some few strained passages ("vil cortigiana", "venere splende") but somehow they come out exciting as well. Morris and Fleming are of equal greatness. Morris has played an evil, manipulant Iago in his voice, and Fleming as Desdemona is the best I have ever heard. Levine as conductor is great as well. His job must have been "easier" with this incredible cast. The overall "movie impression" is worth of a great Hollywood piece of art. Not only is the singing outstanding but the acting of all the cast is incredible. I have never seen that before in any other opera DVD. When Otello slaps Desdemona you would actually jump of your seat as I've never seen such a realistic scene. Otello's fainting in the 3d act couldn't be more realistic. This list is long and encompasses the "Esultate", the act1 love scene, "Ora e per sempre"....and all the great ones. At the end of the performance, you couldn't but join your screaming and cheers to those of the Met crowd. Finally, a lot still argue about Domingo in the title role, and compare him to Vickers and Del Monaco. While everyone has his own opinion on the subject, let's be objective for a second:
Del Monaco's DVD in black and White with lips problem cannot compare to this good DVD production. Vicker's with Karajan has cuts, awful overall acting, and again lips problem, even though performance is amazing.
This is the BEST AVAILABLE OTELLO DVD (to date, I have said that same sentence when reviewing Covent Garden's.) I highly Recommend it!
Rating:
Summary: Outstanding performance of great opera
Review: This is simply the best performance I have seen of Otello.Domingo, Fleming, & Morris are excellent, as are Levine and the Met orchestra and the other singers. If you like Otello, buy this DVD.
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