Search - Giordano - Andrea Chenier / Jose Cura, Maria Guleghina, Carlo Guelfi, Giacinta Nicotra, Cinzia De Mola, Carlo Rizzi, Bologna Opera on DVD

Full-Bodied and Enjoyable

Randy Buck | Brooklyn, NY USA | 04/07/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Saw and enjoyed this DVD, and really thought it deserved an Amazon opinion that might serve to give potential viewers a more balanced picture than the previous review posted here. Giordano's hardly the most subtle composer, but both CHENIER and FEDORA offer great opportunities for bravura singing and acting, and this Bologna production of the former seizes those chances with both hands. The physical production's stylish, if hardly cutting-edge in sensibility, with particularly handsome costumes. As for the three leads, they're all in robust voice, chew the scenery with gusto, and make the most of the score's crowd-pleasing chestnuts, to their audience's obvious satisfaction. This may not be the most distinguished reading or starriest cast available on DVD, but, with the excellent sound and image we've come to expect from TDK, it's definitely worth consideration. (And yes, I sat through all through four acts without being scarred for life by the singers' historically-accurate pale makeup, or the sight of a shirtless extra. Call me battle-hardened.)"