Product: Donizetti - La Favorita (1971)
Rating: 4.0
A FAVORITE OPERA
I can't figure out why in the world this opera isn't done on a regular basis. The Metropolitan has Dolora Zajick on its roster who has sung the title roll in opera houses all over Europe but not the Met. Let's get a production going for her before she retires to her farm house in Reno. As fas as this 1971 production goes, I can't tell if it's in color or black and white with a blue tint. Either way, the picture is grainy. the sets are cheap looking and the lighting certainly wansn't done with video in mind. On the positive side we have the great Fiorenza Cossotto and the great Alfredo Kraus who make this DVD worth the purchase price. Their scenes together(especially in acts three and four) are vocal dynamite. For added excitement and great old fashioned Italian singing we have Sesto Bruscantini and Ruggero Raimondi with Olivero de Fabrities in the orchesta pit. We may get a better production and picture of FAVORITA in the future, but nothing will surpass ths singing on this disc.