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Salieri
Salieri's stats
- Review count6
- Helpfulness votes0
- First reviewSeptember 24, 2009
- Last reviewMay 15, 2011
- Featured reviews0
- Average rating4.5
Salieri's Reviews
Overall rating
5
/
5
Act II alone was worth the price of admission.
PostedMay 15, 2011
Salieri
from Columbus, OH
A stunning performance in every sense of the word.
Jonas Kaufmann was a revelation in the role of Siegmund, bringing a surprising depth to that tragic character. Bryn Terfel finally got to shine as Wotan, though his appearance evoked an unkempt John Goodman more than that of a god this time around. Deborah Voigt was superb as Brünnhilde. Eva-Maria Westbroek shone as Sieglinde.
Interestingly, "Die Walküre" was supposed to be the opera on which "the machine" would really shine, yet I found its use significantly more impressive on "Das Rheingold."
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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Overall rating
5
/
5
Madness. Materialism. Power. War. Violence. Death.
PostedApril 8, 2011
Salieri
from Columbus, OH
Thematically, you could almost think of "Lucia di Lammermoor" as opera's version of Pink Floyd's classic "Dark Side of the Moon" - with revenge and a touch of the supernatural added for good measure.
The cast - Natalie Dessay, Joseph Calleja, Ludovic Tézier, Kwangchul Youn - was simply outstanding, as was the orchestra's rendition of Donizetti's beautiful music. (Oddly enough, some of the latter evoked that of "Don Pasquale" - a work by the same composer but at the polar opposite of the thematic spectrum.)
Mr. Calleja, back from last year's stunning "Les Contes d'Hoffmann," continues to serve notice that he is a special talent. Mr. Youn, making his Live in HD debut, was a revelation.
Mary Zimmermann's production did justice to the opera, which was arguably not the case with her production of "Armida" last year.
The breaks between acts were inexplicably long, though I suspect that had something to do with the extra time needed to remove the set, this being the last performance of "Lucia" at The Met this season. Even the exquisite Renée Fleming couldn't bring life and excitement to the surprisingly disappointing backstage interviews. But it would be unfair to hold that minor issue against the performance itself.
(Kudos to Met master carpenter Mario Diaz, whose ramblings during intermission provided a measure of comic relief and proved more interesting that some of the interviews.)
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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Overall rating
3
/
5
Bait and Switch
PostedJune 21, 2010
Salieri
from Columbus, OH
Let me say up front that this production of AIDA is excellent. The opera itself deserves five stars.
However, my rating for the overall affair has been docked two stars because, without any notice, the folks behind the The Met: Live in HD broadcasts decided to remove ALL of the intermissions and bonus backstage material from the Summer Encore presentations. Of course, the price remains the same, so in essence folks bought tickets thinking they'd be treated to the usual encores, but instead got significantly less. Moreover, there was a problem with the sound, which apparently originated with the broadcast itself and not the theater.
I contacted The Metropolitan Opera House and was told the intermission and bonus material were removed because patrons had complained they made the broadcasts too long. Think about that for a minute. That is like complaining that the 90 seconds between innings is to blame for the length of a baseball game. Unfortunately, we live in a world where self-centered idiots get increasingly accommodated at the expense of those of us who navigate through life with consideration and common sense.
So if you opt to attend another one of the Summer Encores, realize that, unless The Met acts on the complaints it will receive about the presentation of AIDA., you will be sitting at the theater for nearly three hours non-stop, and none of the much-hyped added content will not be shown.
What a shame!
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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Overall rating
5
/
5
Worth every penny. Bravi!
PostedDecember 20, 2009
Salieri
from Columbus, OH
How can a production of "Hoffmann" filtered through the lenses of Kafka and Fellini's "8 1/2" not be good? The performance was simply outstanding, particularly that of Kate Lindsey and Joseph Calleja (following in the steps of none other than Luciano Pavarotti, the last tenor to play Hoffmann at the Met). Alan Held, too, deserves a "Bravo!"
The only drawback to the performance was the rather dark stage lightning, though it's possible that was done on purpose. Everything else more than made up for that shortcoming. Catch the encore on January 6 if you missed the live show yesterday!
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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Overall rating
4
/
5
Much more than a bike race.
PostedOctober 23, 2009
Salieri
from Columbus, OH
A surprisingly good film - it turned out NOT to be merely a vehicle for Lance Armstrong. (Who, incidentally, took a shot at Alberto Contador in it. Hey Lance, El Pistolero would've kicked your butt in Leadville, too.)
The film is very inspirational and fun to watch. I am reluctant to give it five stars only because it was a bit shorter than it had to be. A few story lines should’ve been addressed in more detail.
Video quality was good, though I remain skeptical of Fathom's high definition claims. Sound was an issue: Background music from the surround speakers was loud and crisp, but dialogue coming from the center speakers was noticeably lower in volume and clarity. I suspect this is an issue with the feed itself and not the theater.
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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Overall rating
5
/
5
Wish they'd shown it somewhere over the rainbow
PostedSeptember 24, 2009
Salieri
from Columbus, OH
This version was absolute eye-candy! Though its high-definition nature meant plastic flowers and painted backgrounds on the sets were more obvious, that didn't detract from the experience. Sound, though improved, wasn't as impressive as advertised. I suspect the shortcomings had more to do with the condition of the original tapes than with the effort put into the restoration. An informative historical featurette preceded the film. It began without warning and was difficult to hear as people kept behaving like purple-assed baboons. In fact, the audience was the most disappointing aspect of the event. How disheartening to see a predominantly older crowd show no consideration for those who had never seen the film before, or do so in a theater!
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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