Donizetti - L'Elisir d'Amore / Eschwe, Netrebko, Villazon, Wiener Staatsoper

This production is lovely in almost every respect. The scenery, costumes, lighting and direction all are appropriate and most of the time are very effective. The cast they assembled for this performance is about as big a name cast as you could put together for a single opera these days. Netrebko, Villazon, Nucci and D'Arcangelo are all big names in the opera world now, and in the case of Nucci for several years.Anna Netrebko as Adina is beautifully cast, she looks the part and acts the part well, and even if her voice doesn't always have the agility required for this role she places everything well and sings as sweetly as I ever heard her.Leo Nucci as Belcore is surprising, he is no longer a young man, but sings and acts the role with as much energy and confidence as I have seen. He doesn't necessarily look the part of the strapping, young womanising soldier but you tend to forgive this in opera.Ildebrando D'Arcangelo as Dulcamara for me is the highlight. He has a comic genius that has shone through many productions of many operas in the past, no more so than his Leporello at the Salzburg festival. In this his voice is supple and agile, as he always is. His gondolier song with Adina and his entrance aria should be held up as examples and models for the next generation of young singers... no patter here... a perfectly placed, and sung, not spoken, performance here.For me, the weakest link in this cast was Villazon. No one denies that the man has an amazing voice and a wonderful energetic presence on stage, but for Nemorino, his voice just isn't right. His voice at times is far too heavy, or as another reviewer stated 'muscular'. The best he sound in this opera is towards the end where Nemorino becomes forceful, knowing what he wants and knowing he can get it; Villazon's power really works here. But in the lighter moments like the beautiful aria 'Una Furtiva Lagrima' his voice is too harsh and displays little nuance or affection for the material. He also has a bad tendency to scoop to notes towards to top of his range which takes away from the purity of the performance. The encore that is done after this aria was a surprise... I didn't think the performance was good enough to get an encore... stunt? Perhaps? I would have preferred either Juan Diego Florez or Roberto Alagna (although Alagna doesn't have the voice of Villazon or Florez)... but the commercial attraction of pairing Villazon and Netrebko (who have a very obvious, powerful onstage chemistry)would be too much to turn down for a company life the Weiner Staatsoper.The musical direction of Eschwe is fine, tight, controlled and full of life an fun... what more do you want for L'Eliser.I love this opera and I love this production... I don't think that anyone could walk away from it without enjoying some aspect of the performance. If you get it you wont be disappointed.

This may be the most enjoyable operatic performance I have ever experienced, and I have enjoyed many of them, both onstage and on DVD. I do not include LP or CD versions, since the visual aspect of opera is absent there.Comedy, in any setting, is among the most difficult of endeavors to pull off. Timing is everything, and for an early (1832) 19th Century opera to still be comedic seems even more difficult, especially since most operaphiles know the work, thus surprise is unlikely. I think that the fact that this disc has generated over 50 reviews, some both detailed and scholarly, reflects on the success of the performance.I for one, do not subscribe to the cult of former great sopranos, but I do not mean this in any way to be critical of those who do. I have seen Sutherland, Caballe, Sills and others in performances, and have and enjoy recordings of these legendary singers. But living where live opera ain't, to indulge my operaphilia ( OK, addiction!), I must rely on the DVD, of which I now have about 90. That means experiencing and evaluating and enjoying relative newcomers (for me) to the stage.My first experience with Ms Netrebko was in the two German galas, one from Berlin and the other from Baden Baden (both available here on DVD). Metaphorically, she blew my socks off! She has a smooth, rich voice, and her technique, especially vowel placement and pronunciation is fantastic. Admittedly, she lacks the extended range of the true coloratura, and the vocal flexibility associated with that voice, but her Norina is credible as a character and vocally stunning, IMHO. Her acting skills are remarkable, too, and it is clear that she really enjoys what she does.Similarly with Villazon: he has a big, bright tenor voice with a brilliant legato line and an evenness through the registers. He really hams up the role of Nemorino, especially in the first part of Act I. His is simply a first rate performance.I have always thought of Leo Nucci as a Verdian, and have enjoyed several of his performances as such. But he really shines in this comedy. So does Ildebrando D'Arcangelo as Dulcamara. This is my first experience with him, but I note that he does a phenomenal job as Escamillo in the new Carmen on Decca (Covent Garden) His is a rich but bright tone with a huge top.But as exceptional as the singers are, it is the totality of the performance that makes this a five star review. It all just works!Disc quality is what I have come to expect of Decca. Clear, crisp focused video is combined with the sonic detail of the DTS surround to make the recording the "next best thing to being there". And I can reprise the event any time I wish.

This is my first DVD of this composer, so I am not able to compare it with similar productions. However, it was a very light hearted and enjoyable opera, and all four main characters were excellent, not just as regards their singing, but their acting as well. Villazon was particularly good, and his facial expressions and body language fitted the part brilliantly. This is the first time in all my opera watching that an aria had to be repeated because it was so moving and tenderly sung. It will be interesting to compare this version with two others I have bought, but I doubt if Villazon and Nebtrenko can be bettered. I agree with another viewer noticing the slight decrease in volume as the singers moved, but the performance was very enjoyable, and I look forward to more Donizetti operas.

I didn't know this opera before I bought this DVD on the off-chance and it's fast becoming one of my absolute favourites. A very youthful Netrebko sparks totally with a suitably impassioned Villazon and together they produce a delightfully funny, fizzy opera that brings out all the sparkle and joy of Donizetti's work, along with what appears to be almost a shy embarrassment when Villazon is clapped to an encore of Una furtiva lagrima, the opera's great tenor aria near the end when he realises that she loves him! My only carp about this DVD is that the sound level sometimes drops when singers are towards the edge of the stage, but even with that I love this rendering and am so glad I bought it.

This recording of L'Elisir d'Amore was made in 2005 at the Vienna State Opera. This is quite a small theatre and this has an impact on the production which is rather more intimate in feel than is often the case with larger venues.The production is firmly traditional with completely believable costumes and set. The chorus have quite a large vocal and dramatic role in this opera so they need to be actively participative both collectively and individually. This is achieved very well throughout this performance.The two star roles of Adina and Nemorino dominate this opera and feature Anna Netrebko and Rolando Villazon at a fairly early stage in their respective careers when both have the freshness of youth on their side. It is quite clear from numerous glances and more obvious interactions that they seem to have a special empathy with each other and this makes a huge difference to the veracity of the performance and to the viewers' enjoyment as the story unfolds on the stage. Both are in fine voice too and the stand-out aria is the touching `Una furtiva lagrima' sung most affectingly by Villazon and which leads to prolonged demands for an encore from the highly enthusiastic audience. They are suitably rewarded and their renewed applause almost stops the show! Netrebko is by no means over-shadowed by this however as her immediately preceding aria `Quanto amore!' is of the same calibre.Leo Nucci as Belcore is clearly no more the young man as described by Adina but he has a twinkle in the eye which cannot be missed and obviously enjoys playing his role opposite the very attractive and nimble Netrebko. This genuine attraction has the effect of encouraging Nucci to shed years and to bring out some of the most vibrant acting I have ever seen from him. His voice is still in very good shape so he makes a good character part. Ildebrando D'Arcangelo as the wily Dulcamara also clearly relishes his role in much the same sort of way as Nucci and he is really very amusing as well as being vocally excellent.Humour and amusement are strong features of this production and much of this stems from the very vibrant interactions between the above mentioned members of the cast and this is quite in addition to the humour built into the script. There are many, seemingly improvised, moments of humour sometimes verging on the slapstick such as Villazon tripping and bumping into things in a bumbling manner, his skilful turn of juggling with 3 apples (he was a circus performer at one time), Netrebko closing his mouth opened in astonishment plus many more small instances of natural good humour.The orchestra under Alfred Eschwe is on good form and the on-stage trumpeter, Konrad Monsberger, is a nice visual touch.The camera work is able to draw the viewer into the action very well and the imaging is crisp with good colour throughout. The sound is good but microphone placing produces moments of reduced volume from the solo singers as they move slightly out of optimum range. The effect is actually more realistic in the crowd scenes for example where the chorus is more powerfully projected compared to the more recessed balance of the soloists. I would not wish to make too much of this as I personally prefer this than the more even, but totally fake effect, of the radio mikes now becoming regrettably more commonplace. The sound is presented in DD 5.0, DTS 5.0 and stereo. The playback level is far lower than normal but can be adjusted via the volume control, in my case by about 4.5 dB.The recent Blu-ray version differs in presentation slightly from the DVD by offering stereo or surround sound but does not give further information as to which type of surround sound. The low level playback is identical to the DVD but the picture is crisper than the DVD as expected. The biggest gain is the added depth to the sound and this is apparent from the start of the overture. The BD version is from the HD source material and is the result of Warner taking over EMI and making BD versions available. Neither the DVD not the BD offer sleeve note information about track listings or the opera plot and could be described as extremely minimalist.This is a most enjoyable production and performance absolutely bubbling with vivacity. The cast interactions on stage seem to be very specially combined and this extra sizzle is very much appreciated by the enthusiastic audience. The whole effect is enhanced by the more intimate nature of the relatively small theatre. I would expect purchasers of this disc to derive great pleasure from it on repeat viewings and therefore it seems reasonable to suggest that this is very much a 5 star product despite the few instances of slightly recessed solo voices.

I never tire of watching this brilliant production of L'Elisir d'Amore, which the audience at the time of the recording obviously enjoyed immensely if the encore is anything to go by. The acting is every bit as good as the singing, which is top quality. Just to give one example: Anna Nebtrebko allowed the character of Adina to take her over completely and Rolando Villazon was equally convincing as Nemorino. The rest of the players were all equally good. Where, for instance could you find a better Dulcamara? Or a better Dulcamara's donkey pulling his cart? The sets and costumes by Jurgen Rose could not have been done better.I read somewhere that someone thinks this production is 'dated'. I would be grateful if someone would explain to me what such terms as 'dated' and 'old fashioned' mean, especially as they always seemed to be used in a derogatory sense. Since logic tells us that everything becomes dated, are we being told that everything in the past is somehow not quite up to standard and that everything we do now is somehow better than anything done in the past? For example, isn't calling something 'dated' tantamount to saying that anything Jane Austin wrote is no good because it's 'dated' or 'old fashioned'?The plain truth is that 'dated' and 'old fashioned' are clichés used as euphemisms for something such as e.g. 'this is a production made and acted by a set of old fogies who lived in some silly old past age.' Such an attitude is both utterly ridiculous and meaningless. Productions can be well done, indifferently done or badly done irrespective of their their performance dates. All the truly wonderful and enjoyable things about this great production have all been well, and indeed better, said by other reviewers and I wholeheartedly agree with all the five star reviews. This is a timeless staging that fits into any day and age. I love every bit of this production and wholeheartedly recommend it. Buy and enjoy.

I am very fond of l'elisir d'amore, this is the third version that I own, it has a lot going for it.The costumes are what I would expect, sort of rural and not too fancy.The set is of the village centre where the action takes place, buidings on each wing and a view of the main village as background, just as it should be.Villazon is a brilliant singer and actor and excells in all aspects as Nemorino.Netrebko as Adina, the poshest girl in the village is an excellent foil for Nemorinos passion. Her voice is an absolute pleasure, I would fall for her without an elixir.Belcone as portrayed by Nucci looks a little old for the part but his singing, acting and amusing face carry it off. I am spoiled by Roberto Scaltriti in the Opera National De Lyon version.D'Arcangelo has a great baritone , his Dulcamara is most entertaining, and with his black hair and grey highlights, he is an impressive presence.The enthusiastic chorus are well balanced with the orchestra and are bright and crisp.There are alternative sound options, the Dolby is excellent. The picture quality also vey good.I would find it difficult to make a choice between this and the Alagna/Gheorghiu version, still I have both.One minor niggle is the insert, nice and glossy it only tells you things you do not want to know like who did the makeup.