Product Description

OPERA-BALLO IN TWO ACTS

Le Villi (The Willis or The Fairies) is an opera-ballo in two acts (originally one) composed by Giacomo Puccini to an Italian libretto by Ferdinando Fontana, based on the short story Les Willis by Alphonse Karr. The original one act version was first performed at the Teatro dal Verne, Milan in 1884. Albert Montserrat, Halla Margret, Andrea Rola, Coro e orchestra Filarmonica Mediterranea, Tamas Pal (dir.), Enrico Castiglione (regia). Sung in Italian.

Roberto: Albert Montserrat
Anna: Halla Margret
Guglielmo: Montserrat Martì

Coro and Orchestra Filarmonica Mediterranea, Conducted by Tamas Pal

Stage & Television Direction and Set Design Enrico Castiglione

Costumes: Sonia Cammarata
Choreographer: Daniela Megna
Dancers: MedEnsemble

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #102844 in DVD
• Released on: 2007-03-27
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Classical, Color, Dolby, DVD, Subtitled, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 68 minutes

Customer Reviews

Puccini's first opera deserves to be seen and heard
Le Villi has some beautiful music in it. It is beautifully orchestrated. So, it has a rather silly plot. So do nearly all of Mozart's and Wagner's operas, and many of Verdi's.

My personal opinion is that Le Villi supplied Mascagni with many orchestration ideas for Cavalleria Rusticana and even a melody or two.

Botched Opportunity
I ordered this DVD with great anticipation to finally see a staged production of Puccini's first work. The staging is traditional and suggests what the composer might have observed in Milan of 1884. Tenor Albert Montserrat has a plesant youthful ring to his voice and has promise for better parts. Montserrat Marti is adequate as the father but looks comic (when he shouldn't) in a ridiculous wig. The chorus is solid. The big problem lies with soprano Halla Margret. She is a young attractive woman and a decent actress but engages in the worst caterwauling I have ever heard from a professional singer. The voice is unsteady and sounds like an aging singer who has performed way too many Santuzza's. This experience makes me dread watching the DVD of Edgar with the same cast. The dancers are initially interesting but become tedious with repetition of the same movements and gestures. This one goes in the recycle bin and I will return to my CD of Scotto and Domingo in a transcendent performance.

rare Puccini
I had preordered this DVD and, having read the other reviews approached watching it with dread. Expecting nothing, I was pleasantly surprised. If you are looking at this, then you are interested in seeing what Puccini's first opera looks like, and this DVD will give you that experience. The vast majority of the works interest lies in the music written for the men, chorus, or orchestra alone. All are at least adequate. The story is silly (even for opera) but does not overstay its welcome as the DVD last just over an hour. This is a live performance. At times the audience applauded what was going on on stage. Their applause seemed appropriate.