Mozart: Le nozze di Figaro (Paris, 1980)
 

Cast: José van Dam (Figaro), Lucia Popp (Susanna), Gabriel Bacquier (Almaviva), Gundula Janowitz (Rosina), Frederica von Stade (Cherubino), Kurt Moll (Bartolo), Jane Berbié (Marcellina); Orchestra and Chorus of Théâtre National L'Opéra de Paris, Georg Solti (conductor), Giorgio Strehler (producer)

Originally recorded live at the Opéra, Paris 14 July 1980

Issued on DVD in 1998 by Dreamlife (DLVC-1008, region 0, NTSC, with menus in English and Japanese and subtitles in Italian, English and Japanese).

Technical Details:
Aspect Ratio: 4:3
Sound: PCM Stereo
Running Time: 177 minutes

Sung in Italian

Price in Japan 9,800 yen
 
There has been no perfect video recording of opera but I know of none which comes closer than this DVD. One of the greatest of operas is performed with love and brilliance by a near-perfect cast. The weaknesses will be dealt with in turn, but only after the excellences.
 
Le nozze di Figaro is a comedy and in this performance only a confirmed curmudgeon will be able to suppress laughter. The production is plain and traditional, essentially invisible as the action commands attention. Solti leads a superb band with Teutonic precision and romantic wit. If it is not his finest opera recording, it is surely among them. Popp invests Susanna with charm and beauty of voice and appearance; one would swear she is having a ball with the role. Van Dam tosses off the music in a friendly, informal way which is endearing and altogether fitting. Janowitz is elegant yet endearingly, surprisingly witty. Of course, von Stade's Cherubino is seen often in the finest recordings of the opera, but here she is at her very best - shy, impulsive and utterly convincing. Berbié and Moll (with Sénéchal as Basilio) are full partners in the revel; one does miss their arias, but convention will out. No doubt, Bacquier's near-slapstick approach appeals to many; it certainly did to the audience, but I wished for more nobility where he clowned.
 
The recording shows its age in audio which is clear, but short of high fidelity. The video is substantially improved from the flat image on LaserDisc release, but a disturbing flaw during the letter duet has not been corrected. Like Bacquier's Count, it is a momentary distraction reminding us that though the opera may be perfect, its realization is not.
 
Related website:
Dreamlife www.dreamlife.co.jp (Japanese only)
  
Michael Richter, 10 May 2003
opera@mrichter.com
 
See also Michael Richter's Introduction to the DVD, for a list of other reviews see the DVD Project page.