Donizetti: Lucrezia Borgia (Royal Opera House, 1980)
 

Cast:: Joan Sutherland (Lucrezia Borgia), Alfredo Kraus (Gennaro), Anne Howells (Maffio Orsini) Stafford Dean (Alfonso d'Este), Chorus & Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Richard Bonynge (conductor). John Copley (director), Brian Large (video director) 

Originally recorded in 1980. First published in VHS format

Reissued in 2002 in DVD format and distributed by Kultur International in north America (2070/region code 1/NTSC, with subtitles in English only) and by Quantum Leap in Great Britain (8932/region code 2/PAL)

Technical Details:
Aspect Ratio: 1.33 Full Frame

Running time: 157 minutes

Sung in Italian
 
Review of the Kultur International DVD
If one seeks confirmation that old-fashioned performance of old-fashioned opera can be pleasing, even thrilling, this disc will provide the testimony. To take the production first, here is a rich, literal representation of Renaissance nobility. Costumes and settings are resplendent in color and are worn with flair. Movement is generally purposeful and relevant, though the chorus has a certain amount of to-ing and fro-ing with little point. But palaces are sumptuous, castles loom ominously in the dark alleys and courtyards, and if a guy wire is visible supporting the Borgia standard, it is a forgivable intrusion of stage reality.
 
Each of the solo singers excels, though none is ideal. It should suffice to say that Dame Joan is herself of that era. The scales are uniform, the trills perfectly formed, the legato seamless, the staccato brilliant. In addition, the enunciation is approximate, rage is tamed, passion is subdued and one never loses awareness that it is Dame Joan on the stage rather than the tormented but bestial Lucrezia. Kraus's brilliant lyric tenor is used with excellent taste and precision; his acting is somewhat less stylized than Sutherland's but still hardly compelling. The combination generates no sparks of passion, but shimmering vocalism is an ample substitute.
 
In contrast, the only fault one can find in Ann Howells's performance is that hers is not the right instrument. She has the notes, is reasonably persuasive as a young man in appearance and movement, and acts with verve. But her voice is not that of the headstrong fighter; there is bravura but no bravado. Dean's appearance and sound quality cannot be faulted, but his tendency to slide into the note and even to find it with the aid of the orchestra removes credibility and force from his utterances. Lesser rôles are filled capably, but the chorus seems more concerned with precision of movement than precision of singing; again, the faults are slight and forgivable.
 
Bonynge's direction is far from inspiring, but it is efficient and the music flows without interruption. Large's camera management is as fine as always and he does not here concentrate on extreme closeup as was his wont in later years. Audio quality is clear and some stereo can be detected, but there is no evidence of surround. Video is sharp if not aggressively so and colors are well saturated. There is at least one glitch which might have been corrected in digital editing and the English subtitles are forced on the viewer, though there are far fewer than we are accustomed to and much of the text is not shown at all.
 
The sheer vocal excesses and sumptuous presentation will almost surely keep the viewer of this disc from noting the criticisms above. Only time will tell whether they will prove irritating on repeated viewing. Perhaps in a perfect performance, Lucrezia Borgia will leave the audience drained of emotion; to that extent, this recording is imperfect. However, it is thrilling and diverting - all one could reasonably ask and more.
 
Related websites:
 
Kultur Video www.kultur.com/kulturvideo/about/about.htm
Quantum Leap: www.qleap.co.uk/acatalog/Online_Catalogue_Opera_182.html  
 
 
Michael Richter, 1 June 2002
mrichter@cpl.net
 
See also Michael Richter's Introduction to the DVD, for a list of other reviews see the DVD Project page.