Puccini - La Boheme / Karajan, Freni, Raimondi

Rating:
Summary: BRAVO!
Review: Freni and Zeffireli need I say more... this is an old classic production, that lacks quality in picture and sound, but there may never be a better Mimi then Freni who's voice could capture the heart of any man, and even the coldest heart weep for her strife... who cares about the others Freni is the greatest... and Zeffireli is well also the best. For any Freni fan, or true Boheme fan this is a must.

Rating:
Summary: Total disagreement with other reviewer
Review: I absolutely disagree with Robert G. VanStryland from Denton, TX USA and his review of this DVD.

I own the Australian, the Zeffereli at the Met 1982 and this one, all three and view them all repeatedly. I disagree with just about every statement made by Mr. Van Stryland. The Australian production is really fresh and totally fun. The Met production with Zeff is beyond beauty, it is a spectacular creation. This one with Ms. Freni? Sorry.

Rating:
Summary: Total disagreement with other reviewer
Review: I absolutely disagree with Robert G. VanStryland from Denton, TX USA and his review of this DVD.

I own the Australian, the Zeffereli at the Met 1982 and this one, all three and view them all repeatedly. I disagree with just about every statement made by Mr. Van Stryland. The Australian production is really fresh and totally fun. The Met production with Zeff is beyond beauty, it is a spectacular creation. This one with Ms. Freni? Sorry.

Rating:
Summary: Fine production
Review: My very first La Boheme experience is "Puccini - La Bohème / Freni, Pavarotti, Harwood, Ghiaurov, Karajan", which, in my very own opinion, is the best one out on the market. Ever since, I have tried several reditions of CD productions including some historic recordings, none would come as close, not even de Los Angeles or Tebaldi. With this kind of expectation, I must admit that I was a little disappointed in this DVD. Nevertheless, it is one FINE DVD opera movie. True, it is a rather "old" production; the quality of the sound and picture is not that desirable.

Fifteen years or so later, the new interpretation by Karajan and Freni, with the impeccable performance of Pavaroti, added serious depth to this sweetbitter love story.

So if you are looking for a more-or-less historic semi-"offstage" documentary type of film, you would definitely like this DVD. Otherwise, go directly for the CDs - and they will have to be Freni, Pavaroti, and Karajan.

Final note: MET production is fun to watch but once is enough; Australian opera production is refreshing - Cheryl Barker has been a rising star; San Francisco Opera is another fine production worth collecting. But again, we have the CDs. Amen.

Rating:
Summary: Fine production
Review: My very first La Boheme experience is "Puccini - La Boh?me / Freni, Pavarotti, Harwood, Ghiaurov, Karajan", which, in my very own opinion, is the best one out on the market. Ever since, I have tried several reditions of CD productions including some historic recordings, none would come as close, not even de Los Angeles or Tebaldi. With this kind of expectation, I must admit that I was a little disappointed in this DVD. Nevertheless, it is one FINE DVD opera movie. True, it is a rather "old" production; the quality of the sound and picture is not that desirable.

Fifteen years or so later, the new interpretation by Karajan and Freni, with the impeccable performance of Pavaroti, added serious depth to this sweetbitter love story.

So if you are looking for a more-or-less historic semi-"offstage" documentary type of film, you would definitely like this DVD. Otherwise, go directly for the CDs - and they will have to be Freni, Pavaroti, and Karajan.

Final note: MET production is fun to watch but once is enough; Australian opera production is refreshing - Cheryl Barker has been a rising star; San Francisco Opera is another fine production worth collecting. But again, we have the CDs. Amen.

Rating:
Summary: Fine production
Review: My very first La Boheme experience is "Puccini - La Bohème / Freni, Pavarotti, Harwood, Ghiaurov, Karajan", which, in my very own opinion, is the best one out on the market. Ever since, I have tried several reditions of CD productions including some historic recordings, none would come as close, not even de Los Angeles or Tebaldi. With this kind of expectation, I must admit that I was a little disappointed in this DVD. Nevertheless, it is one FINE DVD opera movie. True, it is a rather "old" production; the quality of the sound and picture is not that desirable.

Fifteen years or so later, the new interpretation by Karajan and Freni, with the impeccable performance of Pavaroti, added serious depth to this sweetbitter love story.

So if you are looking for a more-or-less historic semi-"offstage" documentary type of film, you would definitely like this DVD. Otherwise, go directly for the CDs - and they will have to be Freni, Pavaroti, and Karajan.

Final note: MET production is fun to watch but once is enough; Australian opera production is refreshing - Cheryl Barker has been a rising star; San Francisco Opera is another fine production worth collecting. But again, we have the CDs. Amen.

Rating:
Summary: The best video "Boheme"
Review: Of all the available videos of "La Boheme' this one is by far the best. Mirella Freni is nearly perfect as Mimi and all the other singers are excellent as well. This film was made before Luciano Pavarotti achieved world fame, so another tenor, Gianni Raimondi, was selected. He doesn't have quite the vocal allure that Pavarotti could have brought to the role, but he's an excellent and stylish singer. Karajan's conducting is not bested on any other video of this work, and Zeffirelli has never made a better opera film (he has made several far worse ones). There are no visual excesses or contradictions of music or text. The evocation of nineteenth century Paris is entirely convincing. NOTE: A Freni/Pavarotti video of Boheme (San Francisco Opera) is available on DVD but the performance is far inferior to this one, primarily because of uninspired conducting but also because the two leading singers (then in their fifties) take the downward transpositions in Act I. There is a Metropolitan Opera telecast available that might seem promising, but in spite of great conducting by James Levine and a visually arresting production (also by Zeffirelli), the performance suffers from the out-of-condition singing of Teresa Stratas and Jose Carreras (both fine artists but just not at their best on the occasion) and the miscasting of Renata Scotto, at that time in the worst voice of her career, as Musetta. No other Boheme video comes close to this film, certainly not the Australian Opera performance which has routine playing and conducting, and singing that ranges from mediocre to really bad. So, if you're looking for a "Boheme" DVD, Karajan/Zeffirelli/Freni is the one to get.