The first three volumes of this series compiling operatic DVDs starring Plácido Domingo were devoted to Puccini, Verdi, and French opera, respectively. This fourth entry showcases pieces in the verismo style popularized in the late-19th and early-20th centuries. The best known is Pagliacci, Leoncavallo's 1892 tale of marital discord in a traveling circus, presented here in a somewhat erratic 1997 PBS taping of a large-scale production by the Washington Opera, directed with grand gestures by Franco Zeffirelli but turgidly conducted by Leonard Slatkin. Domingo is a stalwart Canio, while the other singers are more than adequate, though hardly his equal. More consistently fine, from the musical perspective, is Giordano's 1896 Andrea Chénier, a tragic love triangle tale set during the French Revolution. In this Covent Garden staging, Domingo in the title role is matched by the splendid Anna Tomowa-Sintow as Maddalena and Giorgio Zancanaro as Carlo, while Julius Rudel strongly conducts the score. But the taping dates from 1985, so neither the sound nor the visual quality meets today's standards. The final piece is a rarity, Manuel Penella's 1916 zarzuela El Gato Montés (Wildcat), about the rivalry between a young matador (Domingo) and a bandit (Justino Díaz) over the love of a gypsy girl (Verónica Villarroel). Told in highly melodramatic strokes, the production—which originated in Madrid—is shown here in a full-bodied 1994 mounting from the Los Angeles Music Center Opera. Presenting Pagliacci in Dolby Digital 5.0 and stereo, Andrea Chénier in LPCM stereo, and El Gato Montés in Dolby Digital stereo, DVD extras include an interview with Domingo, who discusses each work. Despite the variable technical quality, fans of the tenor will appreciate this offering. Recommended. (F. Swietek)
Plácido Domingo: My Greatest Roles, Volume 4: Verismo Opera
(2011) 4 discs. 303 min. In Italian, Spanish & English w/English subtitles. DVD: $49.99. Kultur International Films (avail. from most distributors). ISBN: 978-0-7697-9015-2. Volume 26, Issue 4
Plácido Domingo: My Greatest Roles, Volume 4: Verismo Opera
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