Bellini: La sonnambula (Milan, 1956)

Cast: Anna Moffo (Amina), Danilo Vega (Elvino), Plinio Clabassi (Rodolofo), Dianna Galli (Lisa), Anna Maria Anelli (Teresa), Guido Mazzini (Alessio); RAI Milano, Bruno Bartoletti (conductor), Mario Lanfranchi (director)

Film made in Milan in 1956

Issued on DVD by VAI in 2003 (4239, NTSC/all regions, menu in English, optional subtitles in English)

Technical details
Aspect ratio 4:3
Sound: monaural

Running time: 122 minutes

Sung in Italian
Why review a monochromatic, monaural, lip-synced film of 1956? Foremost among the reasons is Anna Moffo. Until and unless the Madama Butterfly is found, this recording explains more than any pages of text her explosion onto the opera scene and her persistence near the top for more than a decade. She is, in a word, riveting. Beauty of voice and appearance, dramatic sense and realization of the possibilities of the score mark her performance. Scarcely less appealing is Plinio Clabassi as the Count. While Vega and Galli are routiniers, they are up to the demands and do not detract from the performance.

The picture is markedly superior to that which has been circulating from broadcast. It is short of the ideal even for its era, but is generally watchable with only a few intrusive scratches. Sound is more problematic especially in the choral passages, where faulty dynamic compression is occasionally audible; otherwise, the audio is acceptable. Bartoletti indulges the singers in a routine performance. Choreography and settings are ludicrous, but not intrusive.

This is not a definitive performance. One would hope for more flexibility from the singers, even Moffo; some day, we may experience it on video with more ebullience and more consistent melodrama. But overall this is a creditable and sufficient recording with many pleasures.
 
Related website:
VAI Music www.vaimusic.com
 
Michael Richter, 19 November 2002
mrichter@cpl.net
 
See also Michael Richter's Introduction to the DVD, for a list of other reviews see the DVD Project page.