Stars: Marilyn Horne, Susan Patterson, Kathleen Kuhlmann, Sandra Walker, San Francisco Opera Orch And Chorus, Randall Behr

Director: Pier-Luigi Pizzi

Summary: One of Vivaldi's little known operas brought to the stage by Pier-Luigi Pizzi.

On a mythical isle, the Sorceress Alcina has the power to make herself appear young and lovely in her old age. Randall Behrand conducts the Orchestra and Chorus of the San Francisco Opera. Cast: Marilyn Horne, Susan Patterson, Kathleen Kuhlmann, Sandra Walker, Jeffrey Gall, William Matteuzzi, and Kevin Langan.

WIN DVDs by rating this DVD

Average User Rating:

WIN DVDS by being amongst the first to review this DVD. Reviewing DVDs earns you bonus entries and lets you WIN DVDs!Please login before reviewing this DVD. If you're a new user, register for free and enter to WIN FREE DVDs!

For those with any interest in Vivaldi's operas Orlando Furiosois essential viewing, being a 1989 San Francisco Opera revival by Pier Luigi Pizzi of his own 1979 production which was largely responsible for beginning modern interest in Vivaldi's stage work. The composer first premiered Orlando finto pazzoin 1714, but the Orlando Furiosofinalised in 1727 was so heavily reworked as to be virtually an entirely new opera, and so successful Handel set the same epic poem by Aristo under the title Alcinain 1735. Vivaldi's opera is not of that calibre, offering rather too much functional recitative and only a handful of truly memorable arias. However, the cast perform with such commitment and style as to make the work thoroughly enjoyable. It is a tale of romantic and magical intrigue on a small island, inevitably echoing Shakespeare's The Tempest, and the classically elegant set-design and colourful costumes evoke a suitable sense of fantasy. Mezzo-soprano Marilyn Horne makes the title role her own while Susan Patterson is a characterful and strong-minded Angelica. William Matteuzzi makes a sympathetic Medoro, notably outmanoeuvred in love, while as the sorceress Alcina Kathleen Kuhlann is a appropriately complex and powerful in revealing the loneliness at the heart of her corruption.

On the DVD:There are no features other than the two trailers which appear on almost all Arthaus releases. The production is presented in the original television 4:3 and the image is little better than a good video. The picture is not especially detailed and too often the performer's faces are slightly out of focus while the sets are pin-sharp. Overall the image suffers the usual problems from originally being shot on professional video, in addition to which some compression artefacting is noticeable. The prologic sound is fine, though appears simply to down mix the main stereo signal to the rear channel and the result is more accurate if switched to straight stereo. --Gary S Dalkin

Aspect Ratio:	4:3
Main Language:	Italian
Region:	Region 2
Subtitles:	English, French, German, Italian, Spanish
Year:	1990
Release Date:	July 30, 2001
Runtime:	147 minutes
Certification:	Exempt.
Catalogue Number:	100 210
Keywords:	Music, Opera, Works, Vivaldi, Stage, Classical, Performing, Orlando, Furioso, Operetta, Arts
Genre:	Music/Performing Arts