DVD Videos

Director: Francesco Bellotto

Filmed at the Teatro Donizetti, Bergamo, Italy, 30 November & 2 December 2007

Based on Victor Hugo’s most sensational play, Lucrèce Borgia, a scandalous tale of murder, torture, incest, homosexuality, drunkenness and orgies, Donizetti’s opera is one of the great masterpieces of Italian bel canto repertoire.

While omitting some of its more excessive elements, the libretto by Felice Romani inspired Donizetti to compose superb arias, duets, ensembles and choruses, bringing each act to a stirring conclusion.

Beautifully costumed and designed, brimming with high drama and pathos, this production stars in the infamous title rôle Greek diva Dimitra Theodossiou, praised for her stupendous acting and singing in Donizetti’s Roberto Devereux (Naxos DVD 2110232).

"The raison d'etre of this new production of Lucrezia Borgia at the Bayerische Staatsoper is undoubtedly the great Edita Gruberova. Sopranos come and go, but there is always Edita, who has been in front of the public for almost forty years and still going strong, thank you very much. At the age of 62, many of her contemporaries would likely have retired to a teaching post somewhere, or at least moved on to the old ladies, the maids, the witches, and other assorted "character roles" in opera, or disappeared from public view altogether. Not Edita Gruberova, who remains the undisputed Queen of Bel Canto. …Her coloratura - and the seemingly infinite variations in dynamics - is as amazing as ever. …Lucrezia is not exactly a charming character, poisoning everyone in sight, but Gruberova managed to make her sympathetic.The final scene was a vocal and dramatic tour de force that one rarely encounters these days. She was well partnered by a fellow Slovak, tenor Pavel Breslik, who was an exceptionally fine Gennaro. Celebrated in Mozart, I wasn't prepared for his idiomatic Italian, his plangent timbre and stylish yet heart-onsleeve singing/acting was an unalloyed pleasure. Looking handsome and youthful, he complemented the soprano perfectly…he is a natural candidate for any director wanting to show some flesh onstage, witness his Idamante last season. Christof Loy had him scraping a knee, taking off his shirt ostensibly to wipe off the blood.Another example - the libretto calls for Gennaro to destroy Lucrezia's coat of arms. In this contemporary production, it was replaced by her name in large illuminated letters attached to the gray background. Gennario rips the B off her name and throws it on the stage floor - rather amusing as "ORGIA" remains on the wall, the implications of which rather unmistakable. The production is extremely pared-down, with really no set to speak of, a bare stage save for a few office chairs.Yet there is something to be said about this approach, as it allows one to focus on the emotional and dramatic core of the work. ...Ultimately this is a vehicle for the prima donna so nothing else really matters, especially when the diva delivered in spades like last evening…The third vocal standout was British mezzo Alice Coote as Maffio Orsini.The Gennaro-Maffio duet was a highlight of the evening…her Act Two extended scena was terrific.

BONUS: The Art of Bel Canto - Edita Gruberova A Portrait an empathic portrait of the Queen of coloratura, Edita Gruberova, prima donna assoluta.

NTSC 16:9, PCM Stereo, Dolby Digital 5.1, DTS 5.1

Region Code: 0

Original language: Italian

Subtitles: English, German, French, Italian

Booklet Notes: English, German, French

Running Time: 129 mins + 54 mins Documentary

German FSK: 6

Lucrezia Borgia, infamous noblewoman of the Renaissance, has outlived three husbands and is now married to Don Alfonso, Duke of Ferrara. After the Borgia’s palace is defaced by vandals, Lucrezia demands the desecrator’s death to avenge the insult. When the noble young soldier Gennaro is arrested for the crime, Lucrezia’s thirst for vengeance and murder sets in motion a tragic chain of events that eventually destroys her enemies and herself.

After the Second World War, La Fille du Régiment gradually fell into oblivion. Small wonder, as it had become difficult to treat the anything but contemporary chauvinism of such a work. Dramatic and musical reasons raise their heads, making it impossible to gloss over the military-nationalistic traits or to interpret them any other way. The Director, Filippo Crivelli, therefore chose the reverse way for his production at the Scala Milan. He presented the events with the disarming ingenuousness of a picture book. Right from the beginning he and his illustrious stage set designer, Franco Zeffirelli, left no one in any doubt that this idyllic Tyrol was nothing but painted scenery and was thus the place of an unrealistic, playful event. The Italian soprano Mariella Devia, especially renowned as Bellini and Donizetti interpreter, proved with this role not only her fantastic vocal ability but also her talent for comedy as well as Paul Austin Kelly who brilliantly masters the notorious famous eight (!) high Cs of his cavatina Pour son amen.

Sound Format: PCM STEREO,

DD 5.1, DTS 5.1

DVD Format: DVD 9, NTSC

Picture Format: 4:3

Running Time: 135 mins

FSK: 0

Subtitle Languages: GB, DE, FR, ES, IT, CN

Filmed in 1981, live from the Metropolitan Opera, Luciano Pavarotti sings Nemorino in Donizetti's comic opera. This one of his Pavarotti's most famous roles and here he sings it in his prime joined by an all-star ensemble: Judith Blegen sings the role of Adina and the great comic baritone Sesto Bruscantini plays the wily Dr Dulcamara. Nicola Rescigno conducts. Kirk Browning's production is traditional and entertaining. Now available worldwide for the first time on Decca DVD.