Product: Donizetti - Roberto Devereux / Rudel, Sills, Alexander, New York City Opera (1975)
Rating: 4.0
9/10- Beverly Sills leads the way!
Overview: Roberto Deveraux is one of Donizetti's lesser known operas; however, it is an influential work when it comes to the bel-canto repertoire. The opera is considered a real gem even though it is not performed as often as the other operas by the composer: (L'elisir D'amore, Lucia Di Lammermoor, or the three queens.) We can see this reflected in the number of DVD recordings available for purchase; as only 4 are listed for sale on Amazon. However, don't be deterred away just by the lack of recordings; this is a gorgeous work of art!Cast: (10/10) The cast in this performance is simply superb! Beverly Sills, like always, steals the show with her magnificent vocal performance and her amazing acting abilities. Her representation of the queen is like no other! Amazing vocal range, clarity, and stability! (A true legend!) Richard Fredricks makes a fine Roberto; a beautiful tenor voice that carries out the opera's lines with effectiveness. (A shame he is seen so rarely on DVD opera productions.) Susanne Marsee performs the part of Sara in a charismatic manner: adding emotion to her character throughout the plot. (This is the DVD performance where she is seen.) Finally, Julius Rudel leads the orchestra in an amazing manner- making the opera flow. (He worked with Sills on numerous opera productions.)Scenery: (8/10) The scenery for this opera is not quite lavish as one would want it to be; after all, we are dealing with the Westminster Palace! However, the viewer has to remember that this opera isn't presented at the Met. The budget simply did not allow these extravagant settings. The scenery, though poor, did represent the correct time period: Queen Elizabeth's reign- Cir. 1598Characterization: (10/10) Even though the scenery is a little lacking, one is just blown away by the costumes! Sill's dress, itself, must of cost a fortune to make; it is simply stunning! All the other characters' costumes are also quite flamboyant. Quite frankly, the apparel of the cast overshadows the scenery- making the overall experience quite memorable!Recording: (7/10) Finally the recording- not too great. We are dealing with the technology that was available in the 70's. Even though the film is transferred to a digital copy, it cannot make the recording seem like a "Blu-Ray" experience. The quality is, of course, much better than the LD or VHS, but it does not compete with today's recordings. The picture will seem dull at times and the sound a little bit shallow. However, the camera work is great which eases the viewer's strain on "technology lag."Overall: (9/10) A "GOTTA HAVE IT" Performance! Having Sills perform the main role is a crucial reason to own this DVD! A legendary performance that is presented in it's original version- with the correct time period and factual scenery. I highly doubt that such a performance of this opera will ever be caught on film again- mainly because Beverly Sills is no longer with us.