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Home > Classical Music > Featured Performers, A-Z > ( A ) (page 3) > Rossini La Cenerentola Frederica von Stade Francisco Araiza Paolo Montarsolo Claudio Desderi Laura Zannini Claudio Abbado
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Rossini - La Cenerentola / Frederica von Stade, Francisco Araiza, Paolo Montarsolo, Claudio Desderi, Laura Zannini, Claudio Abbado | |||||||||||||||
 
| 100% Recommended by our customers. Label: Deutsche Grammophon Catalog: DVD Release date: 2006-01-10 Media: DVD discs number: 1 released in theatres: 1981 Running time in minutes: 152 DVD aspect ratio: 1.33:1 Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated) Format: Classical, Color, DVD-Video, NTSC DVD Region code: 1 released in theatres: 1981 Ean: 0044007340967 Upc: 044007340967  Tip: compare prices with similar classical music CDsActors:
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Written on September 3, 2006 Summary: The Greatest Opera Movie Ever! I finally received my long-awaited copy of the Ponelle/Abbado/von Stade DVD and I can tell you the thing is pure wow! I truly believe this effort is one of the most perfect attempts at committing opera to film, drawing as close a relationship as possible between actual opera house performance and studio film. The balance is nothing less than remarkable resulting in a very special work all on its own. Ponnelle gets his wonderful cast to truly work as a team and the result is never less than magical. von Stade, for me, is the most radiant Cenerentola of all time and I have to wonder; has there ever been a more willowy, beautiful heroine? Her subtle facial expressions are more numerous than many other mezzos in this role yet she never once comes close to becoming cloying or hammy - each is just right and feels perfectly natural. Her singing throughout is exciting. Abbado sometimes (in my opinion) pushes things along at breakneck pace, but this still feels Rossinian in spirit and makes the thing crackle with a vivaciousness that is not impossible to get caught up in, ever bubbly and buoyant. The La Scala forces all seem caught up in it as well and it makes for a very special presentation of a very special work. From "Una volta c'era un re" the entire role is stamped with that unmistakable von Stade magic. I don't know of a singer who has a better "melancholy" quality built right into her instrument and in this role it works like magic. This quality makes the contrasts stand out more than usual and are so effective, noticeably in the first great ensemble, the Act I quintet, where her melancholia transforms into a sparkling, put- upon quality. Here, Rossini shows his hand as one of the greatest, most inspired "technicians" ever to put pen a score. This ensemble (one of my favorites in all of opera) also includes one of my favorite musical moments; during Cenerentola's patter-commentary (spat out with amazing clarity) - "Cenerentola vien qua, Cenerentola va la, Cenerentola va' su, Cenerentola vien giu" then the amazing little four note scale repeated over and over "Questo e proprio uno strapazzo! Mi volete far crepar" is mind boggling in its simplicity and effectiveness at portraying the moment. (Can you tell yet this is one of my very favorite operas, too?) In the first "go" at the "Questo..." von Stade (with her back to the camera) throws herself like a rag doll being pulled in separate directions - and it is a wonderful effect that is the perfect visualization of Rossini's breathless music. Francisco Araiza is a thoroughly charming prince, although his aspirate- tackling of the coloratura work is sometimes a bit too much (for my own taste) which is odd, as when in duetto with von Stade he seems able to smooth out the passage work. But these two make as handsome a couple as ever seen in opera and their first sighting of each other and their ensuing duet is charm personified. The rest of the cast includes Paolo Montarsolo as an over-the top Don Magnifico who really seems intent on burning his bridges in his treatment of his stepdaughter; the comic book sisters of Clorinda and Tisbe of Margherita Guglilmi and Laura Zannini - who manage to make the girls into a hilarious Lucy and Ethel act. Forgive me if I'd forgotten just how amazing a singer was Paul Plishka. The voice is huge, robust, commanding and warm. His Alidoro - Rossini coming to life, made my heart just swell to almost bursting. There is a spiritual quality here that looks forward to Parsifal (another of my favorites). The sense of wide-eyed wonderment von Stade's heroine wears has an honesty that is hypnotic. She, like Parsifal, at the end of the first Grail scene, is rendered speechless. Here, Rossini raises his heroine, changing the simplicity of a fairy tale into a miracle, a lesson about the power of faith and goodness. It's impossible not love her. Plishka's performance is complete in every way. Claudio Desderi is hilarious - strongly recalling Dom Delouise (which I'm guessing was not intentional on his part) and, like everyone else, having the time of his life here. Like Araiza, Desderi ascribes to the aspirate- ridden method of coloratura, but in this comical role it works to his advantage. Ponnelle's staging of the Act II Sextet is perhaps my very favorite staging of any operatic ensemble on video. Back lighting throws the entire scene into silhouette with the singer's robotic movements resembling the intricate motions of a great Bavarian Cuckoo Clock. Remarkably, each singer retains their individuality by becoming part of something larger. Musically and cinematically it's amazing, and at it's conclusion, with all of the intricate movements, Ponelle somehow - as by magic - has each character returned to their starting positions. Awesome. Flicka gets to shine like a genuine diamond in the final scene, once again imbuing that heartfelt melancholia into "Nacqui all' affanno..." and then blazing triumphantly through "Non piu mesta." Ponnelle's control of everything (including costumes), attention to the smallest of details, shows just how much he loved this work and we are indebted to him for bringing this gem to a different level. One midnight five years ago, I got out of bed after tossing and turning for hours, and put on the VHS copy of this. I watched the entire thing and all my worries seemed to disappear. Later that day I found out it was the anniversary of the first performance of La Cenerentola. I'm still convinced Angelina woke me up on purpose! I really do believe Rossini's girl is one of the most perfect creations in all of opera and Ponnelle's film version is a vision and just about one of the most perfect ways to spend a couple of joyous hours. p. Written on August 29, 2006 Summary: Stade's Cenerentola I have treasured this performance of Rossini's work since it first came out on VHS. It is musically and theatrically a masterpiece. Together with Bergman's version of Mozart's Magic Flute, also available on DVD,I have found it an attractive piece for introducing people to opera.  Written on July 30, 2006 Summary: Ponnelle poorly served by remastering Unitel-DGG has remastered this marvellous performance poorly. The frame has been made smaller and much of Ponnelle's masterful placement of singers is lost as the singers on the left and the right are now out of the frame. Get the older video tape (1988) if you can. Otherwise, the sound is good and the singers great. Written on June 26, 2006 Summary: Exquisite von Stade Shines in Cenerentola Having bought and seen this production on LaserDiscs several years ago, I was hoping against hope that a DVD of this production at La Scala would be issued. It would very difficult to find fault with any phase of this production. The direction/design by Jean-Pierre Ponnelle is outstanding and imaginative. The highlight of his magic for me occurs in the scene near the end of the opera when Cinderella is discovered by the Prince and all the characters are singing about this discovery and the effect it will have on them personally. Ponnelle puts the entire ensemble in silhouette and then spotlights each individual character to place focus on their reaction to the situation. At the end of this delightful scene you know what each individul is thinking about. I have never seen a stage technique that produces this kind of clarity when there is a literal cacophony of individuals in the ensemble singing many different vocal lines. Now, shall we talk about Frederica von Stade? Perfect! She is a stunningly beautiful "Cenerentola". And her vocal handling of this rather difficult Rossini role can not be bettered by any living messo-soprano on the opera stage today. She owns the role with her interpretation, wonderful acting and a meltingly beautiful voice. I could not find a single flaw in either her interpretation or her beautifully controlled voice. There is also much to be said about the remaing cast. Everyone played and sang their parts with beautiful vocal lines and simply outstanding Bel Canto technique. Araiza is a sensational singing actor in his role as the Prince. Montarsolo, as the make believe Prince had me laughing out loud. He is also another outstanding singing actor. And, I do not want to forget Claudio Abbado. His mastery of this music and ability to keep everything together, especially the duets, trios, quartets, and the very difficult places where every character is singing something different at the same time really has no peer. He allows the singers room to breathe and interpret their roles. Yet he keeps everone reigned in just enough so that the style and musicality of this playful opera is never compromised. I obviously like this production of Cenerentola. I have watched/listened to my LaserDisc many times and always discovered something new and fresh that I hadn't observed previously. I can not wait to get my hands on the DVD! Written on May 7, 2006 Summary: It would bring statues to life I first saw this on TV many years ago and never forgot it. So I'm delighted to see it released on DVD at last, in an excellent transfer -- great sound and a vivid, detailed image. My only regret is that the performance was shot in 4:3. Although Ponnelle has some fun with the tight framing, having characters dart in and out of the picture, the ensemble scenes cry out for widescreen. (If other reviewers are correct, the frame is even tighter on the DVD than it was as originally shot and shown on VHS.) Except for that, though, it's hard to imagine this version being surpassed. The cast is uniformly excellent, from Araiza standing out as a handsome, ardent young prince and von Stade as an absolutely believable and radiant Cinderella, down to the chorus of footmen who are so obviously having a good time. If this disc doesn't keep you smiling, you're made of stone. |
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| Our price | $19.97 | $27.97 | $22.49 | $19.97 | $19.97 | $19.97 |
| List price | $29.98 | $39.98 | $24.98 | $29.98 | $29.98 | $29.98 |
| Lowest used price | $22.49 | $17.40 | $18.55 | $22.49 | $26.47 | $18.95 |
| Lowest new price | $18.32 | $22.00 | $18.42 | $17.49 | $17.70 | $18.39 |
| Catalog | DVD | DVD | DVD | DVD | DVD | DVD |
| Release date | 2006-01-10 | 2007-03-13 | 2008-04-15 | 2006-07-04 | 2007-07-10 | 2003-08-12 |
| Media | DVD | DVD | DVD | DVD | DVD | DVD |
| discs number | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| released in theatres | 1981 | 2007 | 2007 | 1983 | 2007 | 1988-01-27 |
| Running time in minutes | 152 | 157 | 132 | 128 | 101 | 134 |
| DVD aspect ratio | 1.33:1 | 1.33:1 | 1.33:1 | 1.33:1 | 1.33:1 | - |
| Audience Rating | NR (Not Rated) | NR (Not Rated) | NR (Not Rated) | NR (Not Rated) | NR (Not Rated) | NR (Not Rated) |
| Format | Classical, Color, DVD-Video, NTSC | Classical, Dolby, DTS Surround Sound, NTSC, Subtitled | Color, NTSC | AC-3, Classical, Color, Dolby, DTS Surround Sound, DVD-Video, Subtitled, NTSC | Classical, DTS Surround Sound, NTSC, Subtitled | Color, DVD-Video, Subtitled, DTS Surround Sound, NTSC |
| DVD Region code | 1 | - | 1 | 1 | - | 1 |
| Ean | 0044007340967 | 0044007342619 | 5099951900298 | 0044007341667 | 0044007343395 | 0044007305898 |
| Upc | 044007340967 | 044007342619 | - | 044007341667 | 044007343395 | 044007305898 |
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