Gaetano Donizetti (La Fille du regiment / Dessay, Florez, Palmer, Corbelli, French, Campanella, Pelly) (Royal Opera House)
by Laurent Pelly
List Price:
Our Price: $15.43
You Save: $9.51 (38%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $14.48 (click here)
Category: DVD
See more DVD details
Buy this DVD movie at online store in your country
Canada
Canada
DVD details
Actor: Alessandro Corbelli, Dawn French, Felicity Palmer, Juan Diego Florez, Natalie DessayDirector: Laurent Pelly
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); German (Subtitled); Italian (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); French (Original Language); English (Original Language)
Format: Color, NTSC
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 132 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2008-04-15
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Virgin Classics
DVD Reviews of Gaetano Donizetti (La Fille du regiment / Dessay, Florez, Palmer, Corbelli, French, Campanella, Pelly) (Royal Opera House)
DVD Review: Chaplin AND Keaton Reincarnated in One Small Female Body!
Summary: 5 Stars
It's clear from all the 5-star reviews that there is no danger that anyone will be wondering if this production is worth considering - it clearly is. But I am still keen to make a crucial argument in favor of Ms Dessay's brilliant performance. It seems to me that we - our generation - will be seen in any account of the history of opera, as the first to see productions which - as a general rule, rather than as a rare event - have taken into account the importance of great acting. Opera is, after, indisputably a dramatic art. Millions of dollars and euros and pounds and rubles would not be spent on staging it if it were not. Concert performances have their place, and audio-only recordings enable us to "produce" the operas we love in "the theatre of the mind," with the advantage, on occasion, of having a cast which includes the very best singers of the age; but there is nothing to compare with a production, in an opera house, in which the performances on stage make us believe in the *truth* of what we are witnessing. And our generation sees many more productions than any of its predecessors did in which the singers are also actors who are able, both through how they look and how they act, to make it easy to suspend out disbelief, even make us forget about the central anomaly - that the people in front of us sing rather than speak. We can BELIEVE IN what we see, and thus enjoy it to the full.
That said, it strikes me that we are especially fortunate to be living when Natalie Dessay is at the pinnacle of her art. In this instance she is able to demonstrate that she is a brilliant comedienne. For heaven's sake, LA FILLE DU REGIMENT is not the operatic equivalent of a fragile piece of porcelain; it is a jeu d'esprit which has its tongue in its cheek throughout. And Marie is a tomboy who has every right to think of herself as a drudge, and it is this (I think perfectly appropriate) version of Marie that Dessay chooses to embody. (I do not have any inside information about the respective contributions of actor and director, I simply believe, after seeing N.D. in numerous different roles, in every one of which she is stunningly convincing, that the uniqueness of her Marie is largely her own creation.)
In almost every instance, in my experience, I would say that if I was watching a play rather than an opera and Ms Dessay performed as "only" an actor, I would be similarly engaged by the quality of her performance. And would applaud as I do when I watch her in opera - from the gut. She is, I believe, an actor of genius, perhaps the one great virtuoso of her generation. I feel sad about anyone who does not love this little shrimp of a sutler, as she does her work and grumbles about it at the same time, who is ready, literally, to jump into the arms of the rather stiff Tyrolean she has found, who is utterly bewildered (but not fazed) by the letter in which she learns who she is. It is a stunningly fine piece of acting, AND, miraculously, she can sing bel canto as well as anyone singing today - and better than almost everyone else. And Strauss, and Mozart, and Ravel and Offenbach and... and...
This DVD is one very happy event, in my opinion, one that delivers an hour and a half of high-spirited comedy performed close to perfection. I've been watching a recording taken off the broadcast of the same production from the Vienna State Opera, in which there is also the sublime pleasure of Montserrat Caballé's appearance as the Duchess. Heavenly! And how lovely it is to see how thrilled Dessay is in her presence.
More Gaetano Donizetti (La Fille du regiment / Dessay, Florez, Palmer, Corbelli, French, Campanella, Pelly) (Royal Opera House) reviews:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Description of Gaetano Donizetti (La Fille du regiment / Dessay, Florez, Palmer, Corbelli, French, Campanella, Pelly) (Royal Opera House)
This DVD version of Donizetti?s comic opera zooms right to the top of any list of essential videos for opera fans. It may not be the composer?s best work, but given a top-notch production with world class singing actors, it brings vocal thrills and an abundance of laughs, a combination that?s hard to beat. The stars are Juan Diego Flórez and Natalie Dessay, both unbeatable in bel canto roles, and both in top form here. Flórez?s mellifluous tenor is flexible enough to make child's play of the terrifying (to other tenors) nine high C?s in Ah! mes amis," and supple enough to make his tender love arias moving. Dessay is equally comfortable in the stratospheric coloratura passages and poignant in such heart-tugging set-pieces as her farewell to her regimental "fathers" and her misery as the victim of the Marquise?s well-meaning attempts to teach her to be an aristocratic lady. She?s also a terrific comic actress. In her first appearance she?s doing the regiment?s laundry, and her antics with the iron and the ironing board while singing elaborately difficult coloratura passages induce belly laughs. But then, so do her comic acting in many other scenes, such as her Act II entry in a silk dress and full petticoat, her walk a wonderful parody of a "lady?s" heel-to-toe gait. That moment alone is worth the price of admission. Lesser roles too, are done to perfection. Felicity Palmer, a long-time Covent Garden favorite, is a delicious Marquise de Berkenfield, and Donald Maxwell, is her apt partner as Hortensius, her servant. Sergeant Sulpice, the heroine?s protector, is well-sung and acted by Alessandro Corbelli, and Dawn French almost steals the show as the overbearing Duchess. Conductor Bruno Campanella leads a spirited performance, enhanced by the fine playing by the Orchestra and Chorus of the Royal Opera House. Laurent Pelly?s stage direction is wonderful for its comic touches and Chantal Thomas? simple but effective sets add to the delights. The video direction efficiently serves the staging, focusing on the action and the singers without adding extraneous shots that detract from the musical flow. All of which makes this DVD a can't-miss for opera fans. --Dan Davis La Fille du regiment is in 16:9 ratio. Sound options include PCM Stereo, Dolby 5.1 Surround and DTS 5.1 Surround. Subtitles include English, French, German, Spanish, and Italian.Classical Music CDs
Bestsellers in Classical Music CDs
Winterscapesby London Philharmonic
Prophetic Voice; Published: 2000-07; Audio CD; Book
Best price: $2.74
Price in other shops:
The Queen, the Bear, & the Bumblebeeby Dini Petty
Children's Group; Published: 2001-03; Audio CD; Book
Best price: $13.40
Price in other shops:
Classical Kids - Beethoven Lives Upstairs CdrRelease date: 2000-04-05; Music CD
Best price: $25.98
Tchaikovsky (Life and Works (Naxos))by Malcolm Sinclair, Jeremy Siepmann
Naxos; Published: 2003-11; Audio CD; Book
Best price: $35.99
![Jose Carreras - Jubileum Concert [VHS] Image](/images/Jose-Carreras-Jubileum-Concert-VHS-1584481471-X.jpg){kind=small}
Jose Carreras - Jose Carreras - Jubileum Concert [VHS]Sling Shot; Release date: 2000-04-18; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $5.87
Price in other shops:
![Tchaikovsky - The Nutcracker / Nureyev, Park, Royal Ballet [VHS] Image](/images/Tchaikovsky-The-Nutcracker-Nureyev-Park-Royal-Ballet-VHS-156127092X-X.jpg){kind=small}
Tchaikovsky - The Nutcracker / Nureyev, Park, Royal Ballet [VHS]Kultur Video; Release date: 1997-09-09; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $29.94
Price in other shops:
![Lonely Town Lonley Street / Sergeant's Early Dream [VHS] Image](/images/Lonely-Town-Lonley-Street-Sergeant-Early-Dream-VHS-1561270857-X.jpg){kind=small}
Rambert Dance Company - Lonely Town Lonley Street / Sergeant's Early Dream [VHS]Kultur Video; Release date: 1997-10-28; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $24.99
Price in other shops:
Winter Music: Composing the Northby John Luther Adams
Wesleyan; Published: 2004-11-10; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $19.74
Price in other shops:
![Puccini - La Fanciulla del West / Santi, Domingo, Neblett, Royal Opera Covent Garden [VHS] Image](/images/Puccini-La-Fanciulla-del-West-Santi-Domingo-Neblett-Royal-Opera-Covent-Garden-VHS-0769720382-X.jpg){kind=small}
Puccini - La Fanciulla del West / Santi, Domingo, Neblett, Royal Opera Covent Garden [VHS]Kultur Video; Release date: 1999-05-25; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Price in other shops:
![Verdi - Falstaff / Giulini, Bruson, Ricciarelli, Nucci, Royal Opera Covent Garden [VHS] Image](/images/Verdi-Falstaff-Giulini-Bruson-Ricciarelli-Nucci-Royal-Opera-Covent-Garden-VHS-0769720358-X.jpg){kind=small}
Verdi - Falstaff / Giulini, Bruson, Ricciarelli, Nucci, Royal Opera Covent Garden [VHS]Kultur Video; Release date: 1999-05-25; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $12.95
Price in other shops:
Similar DVDs, VHS Video, Audio CDs
![Tchaikovsky - Eugene Onegin / Fleming, Vargas, Hvorostovsky, Gergiev, Carsen [Metropolitan Opera 2007] Image](/images/Tchaikovsky-Eugene-Onegin-Fleming-Vargas-Hvorostovsky-Gergiev-Carsen-Metropolitan-Opera-2007-B000YCLRBA-X.jpg){kind=small}
Tchaikovsky - Eugene Onegin / Fleming, Vargas, Hvorostovsky, Gergiev, Carsen [Metropolitan Opera 2007]Uni; Release date: 2007-12-18; DVD
Best price: $13.24
Price in other shops:
Puccini: Madama ButterflyRelease date: 2011-01-25; DVD
Best price: $16.98
Price in other shops:
Verdi: Otello (Metropolitan Opera)Release date: 2011-08-16; DVD
Best price: $10.57
Price in other shops:
Bellini: La SonnambulaUni; Release date: 2010-02-16; DVD
Best price: $14.97
Price in other shops:
Bizet: Carmen (The Metropolitan Opera LIVE in HD)The Metropolitan Opera; Release date: 2010-09-21; DVD
Best price: $26.65
Price in other shops:
Donizetti - L'Elisir d'Amore / Eschwe, Netrebko, Villazon, Wiener StaatsoperDONIZETTI,G.; Release date: 2007-01-16; DVD
Best price: $10.57
Price in other shops:
Donizetti: Lucia di Lammermoor / Netrebko, Beczala, Kwiecien, Metropolitan OperaRelease date: 2009-11-10; DVD
Best price: $21.43
Price in other shops:
Mozart: The Magic Flute (Metropolitan Opera)Release date: 2011-08-16; DVD
Best price: $11.14
Price in other shops:
Donizetti: Anna BolenaRelease date: 2011-11-01; Published: 2011-11-18; DVD
Best price: $20.99
Price in other shops:
Donizetti: Don PasqualeRelease date: 2011-05-31; DVD
Best price: $15.39
Price in other shops: