Donizetti - Lucia di Lammermoor / Bonfadelli, Alvarez, Frontali, Olivieri, Palazzi, Fournillier, Genoa Opera

Rating:
Summary: Vocally Splendid, Questionably Staged
Review: At the outset, with its many strengths and reltively few, but distracting flaws I liked this version a lot and recommend it to all lovers of good bel canto opera.

WEAKNESSES: There are basically two areas where this version stumbles: sets and staging. The distractions are not constant, but when they occur, they are disruptive. For example, in the Act I duet between Edgardo and Lucia, there is a lot of unnecessary business with the singers' tartan cloaks. There are some really strange staging effects in the opening chorus, and some characters are running around in Prussian Army coats and headgear, which do not come into existance for many years.

STRENGTHS:
1. This is a complete performance with no cuts. Enrico sings both choruses of his Act I cabaletta, and the Act II, Scene i duet between Enrico and edgardo is done here.

2. The performers can sing and act.
I like Stefania Bonfadelli; She is a believeable Lucia. Sure, there have been several sopranos who deliver a better vocal performance (Sutherland, Moffo and Caballe come to mind), but Bonfadelli delivers a solid interpretation of a young, emotionally unstable woman. Her vocal interpretaion is excellent, with excellent production from bottom to top with never a sign of fatigue.
I also liked Alvarez interpretation of Edgardo. He is vocally fantastic, and does an excellent acting job.
Robert Frontali is a solid Enrico and Mirco Palazzi as Raimondo, has a lovely voice, although this padre must be a recent graduate of divinity school, because he is very young for the role.
Because Bonfadelli and Alvarez are also relatively young, they make their performances more believeable than watching performers who are well into middle age try to project qualities that they no longer possess.
3. THE CONDUCTOR:
Patrick Fournillier conducts a performance that is definitive. Tempi, shading, etc., are all near perfect.
4. DISC QUALITY:
In a word, splendid. The picture quality is first rate, and with the DTS option engaged, folks down the block can also enjoy the sound. TDK is continuing to roll out high quality opera for the home viewer.

CONCLUSION:
The best way I can express information to the potential buyer is to state whether a disc gets played every now and then, or gets repeated replays, because of the enjoyable experience of " re-attending" the performance. This Lucia will NOT languish on the shelf. With its shortcomings, it is still first rate opera.

Rating:
Summary: You'll have your own mad scene
Review: I only wish I could read spanish and have read the first reveiwers comments, perhaps he warned us!? Not much I can say but DISAPOINTED!! LUCIA is one of my favorite operas, hard to go wrong, but... Nothing works. Staging is so bland it's nearly non-existant. I understand the purple/lavender colors of the scottish heather, but the set is so techincolor and red most of the time the set looks like the field of poppies from "The Wizard of Oz' so much so that you begin to look for the yellow brick road! Terribly distacting, so bright.. this is a DARK opera. Acting is also overblown, beyond old fashioned, it's simply childish. I had reservations about Bonfadelli in the role, and they held true.. too thin in voice. Now, don't get me wrong, I can take a light 'canary' soprano in this role anyday, but by thin I mean colorless and expressionless. The high E-flats were flung out and though each got progressivly more accurate, they were not pleasing. The flute cadenza chosen did little to strengthen her effect. Alvarez who I generally like (I'm really not as peticular as I sound, I'm very forgiving) was not in his best form. He progressivly got stronger as the evening wore on and finished with a decent tomb scene. As sad as it sounds, I'd have to give 1st place in this performance to the Raimondo (on the young side for a Raimondo). Of course, no one listens to LUCIA for the priest. I couldn't be more disapointed. I've been waiting on a GOOD video LUICA for years.. Too bad they didn't record June Anderson's many years ago OR that we missed Natalie Dessay's LUCIE .. However, my dislike of french versions, the French LUCIE IS the BEST on video at the moment, VERY strongly directed and great "feel" for what it's all about. Pass on this one though would be my recommendation.

Rating:
Summary: Por fin belcanto de primera linea en dvd
Review: Las opciones belcantistas en el mercado del dvd son escasas y por lo general no del todo satisfactorias. Por ello, conviene alegrarse ante la aparicion de esta version de 'Lucia di Lamermoor' de Gaetano Donizetti, grabada en Génova en Junio de 2003 con un reparto de primera clase.
En el papel de la heroina Lucia, STEFANIA BONFADELLI recupera la tradicion de usar para este rol una soprano lirico-ligera con buenos, en lugar de las ligeras puras que suelen interpretar este papel. La eleccion es acertadisima: una voz con cuerpo en el centro, que es capaz de asumir las multiples coloraturas que se le exigen sin el menor problema y de forma brillante. Si su 'Regnava nell silenzio', ya es muy notable, su escena de la locura (recibida por el publico con una sonada ovacion) es de un nivel altisimo, y como actriz enfoca a Lucia como un ser psicologicamente inestable desde el comienzo, que acaba derrumbandose al final. Toda una creacion de esta soprano. Como Edgardo se presenta el tenor MARCELO ALVAREZ, que, pese a alguna tirantez en el registro agudo (solo a veces, porque generalmente lo emite de forma generosa), canta con mucho gusto y con una voz muy bella. Su escena final es de nivel, y como actor construye un personaje adecuadamente apasionado. Notable.
El baritono ROBERTO FRONTALI es un Enrico autoritario y bien cantado dentro de la tradicion belcantista, y el bajo MARCO PALAZZI es una agradable sorpresa como Raimondo, tanto en lo vocal como en lo escenico. El reparto lo completan de manera mas bien discreta (aunque siempre dentro de la correccion) GIOVANNI MAINI (Normanno), CRISTIANO OLIVIERI (Arturo) y MARIA CASTELLI (Alisa).
El maestro PATRICK FOURNILLER, demuestra ser conocedor del estilo, con una buena lectura ante unos cuerpos estables de la Opera de Genova que responden de forma adecuada.
La produccion de GRAHAM VICK (que ya pudo verse en España en Madrid y Barcelona) es mas bien sosa, pero no molesta demasiado, y ante el nivel del canto y del drama, este dvd merece mucho la pena. Belcanto del bueno.