Giuseppe Verdi's 1849 opera, a tragic love story set against the 12th-century invasion of Italy by German Emperor Frederick Barbarossa, was obviously composed to appeal to the nationalistic aspirations of the Risorgimento (the 19th-century Italian movement for unification). But in this 2012 production (the 13th release in the Tutto Verdi series) from the Teatro Lirico Giuseppe Verdi in Trieste, Ruggero Cappuccio sets the action in a museum where employees restore works of art. The heroic Arrigo, his friend Rolando, and Rolando's wife, Lida (who is in love with former fiancé Arrigo), appear—in this context—to be cultural warriors like Cappuccio himself, struggling to preserve Italy's musical heritage in the face of government budget cuts. This self-serving concept makes for a visually trite and static production, as the singers are encouraged to do little more than strike standard poses during their arias. Andrew Richards and Leonardo López Linares are fine as Arrigo and Rolando, but Dimitra Theodossiou is a major disappointment as Lida, especially since the character has some of the score's finest moments. Decent work from the company orchestra and chorus under the baton of Boris Brott doesn't alter the fact that this mounting represents a lost opportunity to stage a rarely performed Verdi opera in the best possible light. Presented in DTS 5.1 (DTS-HD 5.1 on the Blu-ray release) and PCM stereo, extras include an introduction to the opera. Aside from completists, this is an optional purchase. (F. Swietek)
La Battaglia di Legnano
(2012) 130 min. In Italian w/English subtitles. DVD: $29.99, Blu-ray: $39.99. Unitel Classica (dist. by Naxos of America). Volume 28, Issue 4
La Battaglia di Legnano
Star Ratings
As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.
Order From Your Favorite Distributor Today: