Rating: 
Summary: Beverly sets the stage on fire...
Review: in the role that perhaps became her most celebrated. Although Sills sang many of the famous bel canto roles (Lucia di Lammermoor, Elvira in PURITANI, Norma, Rosina in BARBIERE), the role of Elizabeth I of England was perhaps the one that her contemporaries in the romantic bel canto repertoire couldn't even approach. (Leyla Gencer and Montserrat Caballe can be heard on many pirate recordings and fail to ignite or sustain the blue flame evident here.) To be fair, the Wolf Trap acoustics are bone dry. The rest of the cast doesn't really come close to Sills' greatness, but they don't hamper her either. (It becomes apparent that Donizetti reserved the best music in the opera for Elizabeth's scenes.) John Alexander in the title role has very solid vocal support and sings the role honestly. Nothing about his stage presence explains what attracts Elizabeth to him, and he doesn't react at all to her rising fury in Act 2 (although that could be seen as something that frustrates her and pushes her over the edge). Richard Fredericks as the Duke of Nottingham also has very firm vocal support and is a little less stolid than Alexander. He interpolates a few solid high Gs. Susanne Marsee interacts well with Sills and projects the adulterous Sara (Duchess of Nottingham) as a victim of circumstance. In the end, however, Beverly's performance carries everything home. Her very presence on stage portrays the most powerful woman in the world, but who is in danger of losing something greater than her crown: love. She is heavily intense in action and bearing - remember also that her costume weighed around 50 pounds! Her voice here is not as it had been 5 years previously when she started singing the role - and to many it always ways an acquired taste, unlike the rounder, creamier sound of Joan Sutherland. However, she uses timbral changes and word emphasis to make her points chillingly (as in the weeping timbre she adopts in the final scene) in a way foreign to Sutherland. By use of brilliant interpolations (ornaments and high Ds abound), Sills excites the ear as well as make the music serve and forward the drama. Final verdict: this should be mandatory viewing for those who wish to become operatic divas - if you want to OWN a role, this is how you do it!
Rating:
Summary: The Holy Grail Of Opera Lovers
Review: It was 1969 when Beverly Sills first astounded the world in her incredible performance as Queen Elizabeth in Donizetti's "Roberto Devereux". A sold-out audience at the New York City Opera witnessed the one time light opera singer transform herself into England's fiery Queen Elizabeth. Performing Devereux that night was Placido Domingo. In the November 22 1971 issue of Time magazine, she made the cover and the issue featured a full-length article about "America's Queen Of Opera". That was Beverly Sills at the height of her career and the role of Queen Elizabeth was her crowning achievement. She continued to sing the Queen throughout the early 1970's as well as the other Donizetti Tudor Queen operas- Maria Stuarda (Mary Stewart) and Anna Bolena (Anne Boleyn). These performances were made for studio recordings and have been reissued on cd from their original LP's available now at Amazon.com. The recordings are amazing and Beverly's Queen Elizabeth is in much better vocal shape since it was a 1969- 1970 recording. About five years later, Beverly Sills once again took the throne as Queen Elizabeth when she sang Devereaux one last time for the Wolf Trap Festival filmed and live performance that is on DVD and also on video. As is to be expected of any singer past their prime, Beverly does not sing with the dynamic power she first had in '69 or '70. Nevertheless, she took care of her vocal instrument well enough to sing the Queen one last time in '75. She is seen here in full glory- acting and singing in a very blissful combination as true dramatic opera. From the moment she makes her entrance to her court and greets the long suffering Duchess Sara (Susan Marsee in a lovely performance) we get to behold the same powerful drama that the first audiences saw back at the New York City Opera at the start of the 70's. Dramatic tenor John Alexander sings the title role of Roberto Devereux and pulls through well in the role, though he can never live up to the standard of Placido Domingo. The real "meat" of this opera is the intense relationship between Roberto and the Queen. Roberto's heart belongs to Sara whom he never had the chance to marry. Sara is married to Nottingham (baritone Richard Fredericks) a court marriage arranged by the Queen herself. The Queen is clearly in love with Roberto but frustrated that she can never have him. Pure drama and raw emotions abound in most of her showcase arias- Act 1's tender "L'amor suo mi fe beata", "A ritorno qual ti spera" which sparkles with dazzling coloratura and her duets with Devereux "Un tenero core" and the fiery "Un lampo orribile". Act 2 ought to be hailed as opera's greatest single act. Devereux has been trialed in court and is sentenced to death on the Queen's orders. Beverly's chest voice, which she pushes down and sudden screams are used to provide the effect of raging fury as Elizabeth discovers that Devereux does not love her and she has an unamed rival. When Nottingham discovers that it's Sara whom Devereux loves, he has a change of heart and turns on his friend. He now loathes Devereux and favors his execution. The most powerful moment is toward the end of the act. Be strikes a majestic pose, holding the scepter and the royal orb and orders Devereux's execution. "Va La Morte Sul Capo Ti Pende" ensemble ensues with each character expressing their emotions. The final act has the Queen's heart-felt arias "Vivi Ingrato" and "Quel Sangre Versato" in which the Queen laments and mourns for Devereux. The rousing finale is treated with applause and an immediate curtain call follows. Julius Rudel, who has conducted for Beverly's operas before conducts this opera with real passion, pace and elaborate skill, the orchestra playing with superb string articulation. There is no question about it. This is the must have opera for all opera lovers. It's a treasure worth owning. The majesty and tragedy of Roberto Devereux can be yours to watch time and again and the greatest singing-actress of our time Beverly Sills can appear on your DVD with real strength.
Rating:
Summary: Great DVD -- Amazing Beverly Sills
Review: Sills is absolutely amazing in this Roberto Devereux. She most certainly can be heard. I am one of the few that think that Sills had a large voice. Listen to many of her recordings and the sound she emits is lyrical but the sound is huge. Many times my ears have pinged when I listen to her singing. No other singer has done that for me. It's trumpet toned, not as rich as Sutherland's but not as heavy or droopy. She's not as fresh as she was on her recorded performance, but the voice is larger here, perhaps a bit shriller. She is thoroughly magnificent. Listen to her last, somewhat shrill and wobbly Gilda (I still love the portrayal) and you will hear an absolutely PERFECT Lady Macbeth. What a shame we had to miss out on that.
The rest of the cast is very good. [...]
Rating:
Summary: Amazing
Review: Sills is absolutely amazing in this Roberto Devereux. She most certainly can be heard. I am one of the few that think that Sills had a large voice. Listen to many of her recordings and the sound she emits is lyrical but the sound is huge. Many times my ears have pinged when I listen to her singing. No other singer has done that for me. It's trumpet toned, not as rich as Sutherland's but not as heavy or droopy. She's not as fresh as she was on her recorded performance, but the voice is larger here, perhaps a bit shriller. She is thoroughly magnificent. Listen to her last, somewhat shrill and wobbly Gilda (I still love the portrayal) and you will hear an absolutely PERFECT Lady Macbeth. What a shame we had to miss out on that.
The rest of the cast is very good. [...]
Rating:
Summary: This Is What Opera Is All About: Long Live The Queen
Review: This DVD, also available on VHS, was filmed in 1975 at the Wolf Trap Festival. Stars the incredible soprano Beverly Sills in the role of Queen Elizabeth I of England, tenor John Alexander as the title hero Roberto Devereux and bass baritone Richard Fredericks as the villainous Duke of Nottingham. The opera is a collector's treasure of opera and a must have for fans of the diva Beverly Sills. It is undoubtedly her greatest performance. She began to sing the role in 1969 and took the world by storm through the early 70's, impressive not only for her ability to sing so demanding a vocal role, but also singing all three Tudor Queen operas of Donizetti- Anna Bolena and Maria Stuarda were the other two that preceed Roberto Devereux. In the mid 70's, the medium of television and film was beginning to reach the opera crowds. Joan Sutherland did it in the 80's and opera films such as the 1979 Don Giovanni starring Kiri Te Kenawa and Raigero Raimondi was becoming popular. Beverly's other opera films, taped performances for the Wolf Trap and for the New York City Opera include Jules Massenet's Manon, which is possibly her second best performance next to this. Also available is Donizetti's Daughter Of The Regiment sung in English, Rossini's Barber Of Seville and Verdi's La Traviata. All worth the purchase. The part of Queen Elizabeth in this opera is as vocally difficult to sing as Norma of Bellini's opera. Although the part calls for a dramatic, big voice, Sills proved to the world that a light instrument can be trained to dramatic heights. She is on fire as the Queen, all passion, from love in the aria "L'amor suo" to coloratura spectacular in "A Ritorno Qual Ti Spera". In Act 2, her soft romantic side fades as she discovers that Roberto Devereux, the object of her affection, loves another woman, Duchess Sara (sung by the mezzo soprano Susan Marsee in a superb performance). The Duke of Nottingham, previously a friend and loyal supporter of Robert Devereux, become jealous also when he learns of his romantic link with Sara, his arranged wife. He, together with the Queen and the entire court, conclude Act 2 with a fiery ensemble "Va La Morte" that totally brings the house down. Beverly Sills is at her strongest in this dramatic act, as she rages in majestic fury and orders his death sentence. In the last part, she regrets her rash decision and attempts to save him, but it's too late. Devereux is executed and Queen Elizabeth begins to die that very day, as she mourns and laments with bitterness the final arias. This is Beverly Sills at the height of her career. She earned a cover in Time magazine for this performance. She looks back and remembers the Golden Age that this was for singers like her. Currently, recordings of Beverly Sills which have long been LP albums are finally making it into the compact disc market. Available now are "Beverly Sills The Great Recordings", "The Art Of Beverly Sills " "Plaisir D'Amour" "Sillsiana" "Lucia Di Lammermoor" "La Traviata" "Manon" "Tales Of Hoffman" "Barber Of Seville" "Rigoletto" "L'Assedio Di Corinto" "Ballad Of Baby Doe" "La Fille Du Regiment" and the opera in which she sang Cleopatra which launched her career in '64-65 Handel's Julius Caesar. Check them out. You will fall for the voice of Beverly Sills.
Rating:
Summary: Great bel canto opera
Review: This opera is very dramatic - the Great Queen Elizabeth spurned. They say 'hell hath no fury like a woman scorned', so can you imagine a great queen being spurned - great operatic material in my opinion, and Beverly Sills does it complete justice with good acting and incredible singing. This video explains her superstardom quite well. The supporting cast is more than adequate and pleasing. Someone mentioned John Alexander's shaved eyebrows - just to explain - this is one of the earlier video recordings of live opera and the singers are made up to appeal to the live, far away audience, not to the television audience. In modern times, more attention has been given to applying the makeup for television when the opera is being filmed. Actually, the eyebrows give me a 'Shakespearean theatre' feel - I think I like them.
Also, someone asked why Alexander doesn't take his final bows. I'm sure he did at the end of Act II, but they didn't show all of the bows between acts, and then he probably went on home, since he doesn't appear in Act III. That is generally the way it is done - if you don't appear in the last act, you can take your bows early and go home.
The video and sound quality are adequate.
Rating:
Summary: Incredibly Dramatic Opera On DVD: A Must Have
Review: This superb DVD of a live opera performance from New York City is not just specialized only for fans of opera and soprano Beverly Sills (who achieved her greatest success with the role of Queen Elizabeth I, picture in Time Magazine 1971), but for fans of quality drama on DVD. Opera has been downplayed in recent years. The younger generations of the 90's are not acquainted with the magic sound world of opera. It is foreign to them, it is intimidating and the myth and stereotype that opera is elitist and boring prevails. My mission, through a precise and detailed review of this particular opera on DVD, is to share my passion as a vocal coach and music teacher for the noble human art of opera and to get a lot of people into opera who would otherwise turn it aside. Beverly Sills, the American opera star who was born in Brooklyn and works exclusively in her hometown as chairman of the Met, reached the peak of her career in her portrayal as Queen Elizabeth I, in the otherwise obscure Donizetti opera, Roberto Deveraux. The bel canto opera had powerful drama lurking beneath the text in the libretto. Like so many other bel canto operas, including Donizetti's Lucia Di Lammermoor, it was considered romantic tragedy, fluff, a showcase for dramatic/coloratura soprano with no meaning or substance. But the revivals of Donizetti operas by the singers Maria Callas, Joan Sutherland and Montserrat Caballe (who effectively portrayed Lucrezia Borgia), the otherwise neglected operas were rarely performed. Beverly Sills, in my personal opinion, despite the criticism of being simply a lyric coloratura soprano with signs of weakening vocal stamina in dramatic roles, was a varied, artistic, gifted singer and actress. It was her combination of beautiful singing and effective acting that made her the equal to Maria Callas (I do not treat Maria Callas religiously and only favor some of her performances). Beverly Sills' dramatic portrayal in Roberto Deveraux can be likened to a Shakesperean heroine. She is regial, overbearing, imperious, romantic, jealous, remorseful, melancholic, in that order. The story is quite well known. It was said that Queen Elizabeth loved Robert Deveraux, Earl of Essex, her naval commander and favorite lord of the court. But after his military involvement in Ireland, he returned with accusations of treason against the Queen. In the Donizetti opera, the personal romantic triangle is the true reason, and his execution is spurred on by the Queen's jealousy. The Queen loves Roberto deeply, to distraction, one recalls the 30's Bette Davis film performance in The Private Lives Of Elizabeth and Essex. The Queen might have given him the throne had he not infuriated her. Her love is demonstrated in the lyricism of the aria "Un tenero core" and in the coloratura techniques of her aria "A ritorno qual ti spera", as well as her duet with Roberto, "Un lampo, un lampo orribili". Deveraux does not return the Queen's love, and is instead hopeful he will consumate his love to the Duchess Sara. Act I introduces the love triangle and the romantic side of the Queen. Beverly Sills fires up the audience with her powerful presence- her white-roughed face, her tall and regial character, showcased in her costume, an Elizabethan royal gown that weighed quite a lot, and the slightest movements of her imperious hands. A direct contrast of the Queen's soft side comes in Act 2. Once hearing Deveraux has betrayed her, it becomes not merely a political thing, but a personal one. Deveraux has lied to her and loves another woman. "Un perfido! Un vile! Un mentitore !" she rages, in scales that resemble Bellini's Norma, also jilted by the man she loved: "A traitor! A villian! A liar!." Beverly Sills voice is dark, dramatic and furious. Further, she explodes in jealous anger "It would have been better that you anger God and descended alive into your grave than anger the daughter of the terrible Henry 8th!." In an ensemble that concludes the act, the Queen and her court sentence Deveraux to death. After declaring the sentence, the Queen shouts "Va!" (Go!") which follows the lines "Va La Morte Til Copo te pende" (Death hangs over your head), a furious, fast paced, exciting conclusion that seems as if Deveraux's fate is completely sealed as if damned to hell. The final act is brief, but poignant. The Queen attempts to save Deveraux from execution, but through accident caused by Duchess Sara, Deveraux is killed. The Queen is beyond herself with remorse and grief. Mourning his death, she no longer feels she is the queen of England (Vivi Ingrato) and concludes the opera with a deep sadness and proclamation that James I will be the future king (Quel Sangre Versato). This ultimate opera is finally on DVD. Finally a chance for audiences to watch Beverly Sills in her greatest role, in live performance.
Rating: 
Summary: Voice too small for the role
Review: This tape prove that Sills needs a microphone to be heard. I agree she has the most fabulous bel canto technique. But to hear her in person. Well, let's just say you can't hear her too well. In this video, they really miked it so everyone is equal. So you can see she can't sing spinto coloratura roles.
I recommend that you purchase her Puritani instead. It's on cd, so you can hear her loud and clear. Her singing is awesome, and so is Gedda. They hit some pretty high stuff in that opera. But fair warning...if you don't like Bellini, you'll hate it. However if you really want to hear Puritani sung even better, get the Callas 1953, or the Sutherland 1962, They're the models.
Rating:
Summary: SILLS' CLASSIC PERFORMANCE CAPTURED ON VIDEO
Review: When 20th century operatic history is written, there will be certain interpretations that writers will say stood out and must be counted as the greatest of their time: Callas' NORMA, Sutherland's LUCIA, Nilsson's Brunnhilde and Isolde, and without a doubt Sills' Elizabeth in Roberto Devereux. Fortunately, we are lucky enough to have Miss Sills' interpretation captured on video and now, thanks to VAI remastered beautifully (and conveniently) on DVD. Even though Cleopatra in JULIUS CAESAR brought Miss Sills international superstardom initially, it is the role of Elizabeth with which she will be most identified and which put her on the cover of Time Magazine in 1971 when this production at New York City Opera was new. This performance from Wolf Trap in the summer of 1975 finds Miss Sills in less fresh voice than those early performances, principally because of health problems that beset her in late 1974. But her performance is so powerful that a few hints of strain here and there only seem to reinforce the character's inward emotional battle between love and jealousy for the young Devereux which brings about his execution at the end of the opera. Her performance is a complete bel canto tour de force. Every physical gesture and attitude has been thoughtout, from her somewhat mannish gait to her habit of strumming her fingers on the arm of her throne. It's nice to have subtitles (non-optional I'm afraid) but if one new the basic story, one probably wouldn't need them because of the way Sills telegraphs every emotion with her voice and her body. Sills colleagues, Susanne Marsee and Richard Fredricks give fine performances and John Alexander (also somewhat late in his career) turns in a fine aria at the end of his. (Can someone explain why he does not bow at the end of the opera?) The somewhat sparse but evocative production from NYCO transfers to Wolf Trap pretty well (even though the chorus is obviously a summer fabrication). Costumes, especially Miss Sills' are lavish and extremely colorful. Miss Sills' famous make-up is so well done that one almost forgets one is watching Beverly Sills. The conducting of Julius Rudel is idiomatic and one can tell that he has worked with Sills from the beginning of rehearsals on every rhythmic and interpretive nuance. The recorded sound is nothing to brag about, being somewhat below the standard of what we were to expect from the Met Telecasts which began two years later in 1977. But perhaps the blame may be put on the outdoor summer festival conditions at the time. You are not to buy this DVD for it's state of the art sound or video quality (which by the way is much improved from the VHS tape available for years). Buy it for one thing only: Sills' classic and justifiably lauded performance. We were greatful when it was filmed for television and we should be extremely greatful to VAI for releasing this one of a kind performance on DVD.
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