Barnes & Noble

For this April 1999 gala at England's Glyndebourne Opera House, the Italian mezzo Cecilia Bartoli and the Welsh baritone Bryn Terfel came together to create a euphonically rich and memorable evening. Both singers are prized for beautiful, well-trained, musically incisive voices and vivid stage personalities, and the program of arias and scenes displays all their talents in an ideal light. Happily, neither singer affects the stuffy demeanor frequently demanded of soloists fronting an orchestra (as opposed to playing characters in full set and costume). They enter to sing when the music demands, not beforehand (in search of applause); they play the arias and scenes not only with their voices but their expressions, gestures, and bodies. Together, they are at their best in Mozart, essaying selections from Le Nozze di Figaro (which they've performed together) and Die Zauberflöte and Don Giovanni (which they haven't). Alone, Terfel is most effective singing Handel's "Arm, arm ye brave," from Judas Maccabeus. Bartoli, after a "Parto, parto" from Mozart's La Clemenza di Tito that has fine sound and shape but not quite enough insight, comes through with "Bel raggio lusinghier" from Rossini's Semiramide, a festival of rapid-fire, spirited singing. The final effect fulfills the gala mandate: the listener's ears are stuffed with abundant, gorgeously played music. -- Patrick Giles

All Movie Guide

Featuring the renowned mezzo-soprano Cecilia Bartoli and the equally celebrated bass-baritone Bryn Terfel, this 1999 production is considered one of the best opera recitals of the decade. The live performance includes selections from "The Magic Flute," "The Marriage of Figaro," "Judas Maccabeus," "La Clemenza di Tito," "Don Giovanni," and "L'Anima del Filosofo." ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide

Gramophone

The two well-matched singers get exactly right the tricky question of just how much 'acting' to do in a concert performance. Here Terfel-Figaro enters through the orchestra, shakes the conductor's hand lightly in passing, and starts to pace out room measurements, counting and making pencilled notes. Susanna arrives with a pretty piece of Spanish lace in her hands, and the stage is set... This and the duet from Rossini's Barbiere are models of partnership. John Steane

Product Details

• UPC: 809478070054
• Source: BBC / OPUS ARTE
• Region Code: 0
• Presentation: Wide Screen
• Sound: stereo
• Subtitles: English, Français, Deutsche
• Time: 1:27:00
• Sales Rank: 42,625

DVD MENU