Product Description

Dame Joan Sutherland and tenor Alfredo Kraus star in Donizetti's tale of sixteenth century opulence and decadence. Joan Sutherland is unquestionably the unsurpassed Lucrezia of all-time, and this production at Covent Garden showcases her incomparable coloratura technique. Bel canto specialist Richard Bonynge conducts The Orchestra of the Royal Opera House in this historic performance.

Cast - Lucrezia Borgia - Joan Sutherland
Gennaro - Alfredo Kraus
Maffio Orsini - Anne Howells
Alfonso d'Este - Stafford Dean
The Royal Opera Chorus
Chorus Master - John Barker
The Orchestra of the Royal Opera House

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #70647 in DVD
• Released on: 2002-03-26
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Classical, Color, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC
• Original language: Italian
• Subtitled in: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 140 minutes

Amazon.com
This 1980 Covent Garden production of Donizetti's opera based on the infamous dramatic heroine was undertaken so that one of the few sopranos who would dare tackle the fearsome range of Lucrezia Borgia--Dame Joan Sutherland--could do so in a setting amenable to her talent. And tackle it she does. This might not be the definite Lucrezia (a slight nod would go to Montserrat Caballe's 1965 RCA audio recording), but Sutherland shows she has the sheer chops to overcome Donizetti's piling on of difficulty after vocal difficulty. From the prologue's "Com e Bello," Sutherland never lets up through her gripping final scene of intense anguish and melodrama. Richard Bonynge conducts the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House with aplomb, and the supporting cast--Alfredo Kraus, Anne Howells, and Stafford Dean--performs ably in Sutherland's wake. --Kevin Filipski

Customer Reviews

Unforgetabble performance
This is review of the Kultur Film DVD copy, catalogue #D2070 of 1980 Covent Garden Opera performance. What we can say about old generation operatic stars, like Dame Joan Sutherland (born in 1926) and Alfredo Kraus (born in 1927). Both are in excellent shape. Kraus is so fine that in Gennaro's aria in the beginning of II act usually omitted from performance of the opera (even do not presented in his RCA 1965 studio recording with Montserrat Caballe!) he received loud applause from usually reserved British audience. His sound is still very clear and intensive in higher register and fantastic in top Cs. The other principal singers are well too. Please, listen how effective is Anne Howells in Orsini's II act aria 'Il segreto per esser felici". The profound deep bass of Stafford Dean (Alfonso) is very attractive. Beautiful design and costumes, excellent orchestra playing under the conduction of maestro Richard Bonynge. Fine staged and recorded, sound is clear with enough higher frequency. Only one complaint: there is unexpected persistent noise in the sound. Otherwise irremovable English subtitles do not bother you. By the way it is full version of the opera, as it is in 1974 DECCA studio recording. I suggest that this DVD-performance should be presented in all opera lovers library.

LA STUPENDA DOES IT AGAIN
Dame Joan Sutherland sings the rol of Lucrezia Borgia with such virtuosismo that one wishes she had sung Elisabetta in Roberto devereux,Maria in Maria di Rohan and all the Donizetti roles that need a prima donna of her calibre. In Lucrezia her trills, high notes and coloratura, as well as the drama in her voice, make the video a must for all bel canto lovers, and for all Sutherland fans too. Kraus is stupendous and they both make a superb couple in Borgia.

I give it 6 stars !!
I agree with all the positive reviews of this rarely performed opera. ( Thank god this great performance was captured for us to enjoy for a long time to come ).Don't hesitate, add this one to your opera collection------it's a must for bel Canto lovers.