Giacomo Puccini - La Bohème / Franco Zeffirelli · James Levine - T. Stratas · R. Scotto · J. Carreras · MET
by Kirk Browning
Our Price: $151.74
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $99.94 (click here)
Category: DVD
See more DVD details
Buy this DVD movie at online store in your country
Canada
Canada
DVD details
Actor: Allan Monk, Josep Carreras, Renata Scotto, Richard Stilwell (III), Teresa StratasDirector: Kirk Browning
DVD: Region Code 0
Audio: Italian (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo; English (Subtitled)
Format: Classical, Color, DVD, NTSC
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 141 minutes
DVD Release Date: 1999-08-04
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Geneon [Pioneer]
DVD Reviews of Giacomo Puccini - La Bohème / Franco Zeffirelli · James Levine - T. Stratas · R. Scotto · J. Carreras · MET
DVD Review: Not for the average joe.
Summary: 1 Stars
I like Butterfly and Carmine but this Puccini pinches.
For the diehead this may do. Not aye said the little brown rooster.
The girl is funny looking, if you know what I mean.
DVD Review: Frustrated
Summary: 5 Stars
I have been waiting and waiting for this opera to be back on DVD format. Lets get with it. I had it years ago on VHS, and now am waiting for the DVD version to be reissued.
A marvelous opera with true Diva stars.
Please restock this gem.
DVD Review: Ultimate rapture
Summary: 5 Stars
I have both of the Metropolitan Opera DVDs of la Boheme and consider this the finer production, Carreras and Stratas are not only vocally excellent they look the part. Renata Scotto is perfect as Musetta. In the other copy she plays Mimi and Pavarotti is Rodolfo. They are just too healthy to be dying of TB or look like a starving playwright. That copy I would rate as 4 stars.DVD Review: Superb male cast in this heart wrenching Boheme.....
Summary: 5 Stars
I'm relatively new to opera, but still an ardent Carreras-fan who thinks his singing is heavenly and I think he makes a more than convincing Rodolfo here. And his looks at the time is certainly no drawback for him. His acting skills are in my opinion very good; his facial expressions projecting his feelings perfectly. (I prefer a subtle actor instead of someone overacting to compensate for poor voice.)It's heartbreaking watching and listening to him singing in the final scene where Mimi is dying. I can't help but being almost as crushed as him when he realizes that she's actually dead.
Since I'm not an "educated" opera-listener I can't say it bothered me that he had transposed down "che gelida manina". His singing in act III is outstanding; the break-up between Mimi and Rodolfo is heart wrenching. I can feel Rodolfo's despair because he knows Mimi is dying. One of the things that bothered me somewhat in this Boheme is actually Mimi. Teresa Stratas' voice is not something I would call beautiful, by no means. And it disturbed me that she was rotating her tongue in her mouth whenever singing. But apart from that she's actually a sweet Mimi. In my opinion she's a much better actress than singer. And she certainly lookes ill enough for this part. In act IV the duet (O Mimi, tu piu non torni) between Rodolfo and Marcello is outstanding. The duets between Mimi and Rodolfo are also very moving.
Renata Scotto was probably the biggest disappointment. I haven't seen her on stage before. To me she seems affected and I think she is just too much; especially in the second act. Her singing is not what I expected. She sounds shrill and squeaky, although I have to admit she sounds better towards the end of the opera.
Richard Stilwell as Marcello is a gem. His singing as well as his acting is superb and he makes a very amiable painter. He is someone you would like being your friend. The two other Bohemians portrayed by Allan Monk and James Morris are superb. The "coat song" is beautifully sung by James Morris.
I have watched this film a few times and each time I discover something new. I have to say I love just watching the facial expressions of the singers, especially the four bohemians'. Sometimes you just get a brief glimpse of it, but it's still hilarious. (Like the look on Carreras' face when the land-owner Benoit knocks on the door in the first act.) I'm sure I will discover a lot of other things about this Boheme the next time I watch it, which probably will be very soon. The more I watch, the more addicted to it I get.
So my overall feeling here must be that this Boheme has a very good male cast, but the same thing can't be said about the sopranos. Where were Katia Ricciarelli and Agnes Baltsa at that time? Imagine them as Mimi and Musetta, respectively. Well, one can always dream......
Still, I give this Boheme 5 stars. Earned by José Carreras and James Stilwell, mainly. And I can easily put up with the flaws of this Boheme just to be able to watch and listen to Carreras singing the part of Rodolfo.
DVD Review: Great cinematography
Summary: 5 Stars
I remember this production being televised in the mid 1980s and what impressed me was that it was done on a set rather than on a stage. There was no audience, so it was basically a movie of an opera rather than a video of a stage performance. I don't know, if, as in the making of movies, there were multiple takes until the producer (Franco Zeffirelli) and director (James Levine) were satisfied or if it was recorded straight through, as a stage production would be. Regardless, I think the movie style production worked extraordinarily well. Such a production allows for great cinematography, such as closeups of the facial expressions of the singers and switching camera angles, etc.
Stratas is compelling, her performance both vocal and acting is moving. Her facial expressions indicate that she truly feels the role as a great movie actress would. Obviously, in casting an opera, paramount is the artistic ability of the performer, not the physical characteristcs. Thus, "the fat lady" often sings when if her character were cast in a play or movie, someone younger and more demur would be tapped to play the role. The reason that this movie style production works so well is because Stratas is well cast as Mimi. She is beautiful and her acting is magnificent.
Renata Scotto, as Musetta does a convincing job. Her voice was always wonderful. In fact, around the time that this production was filmed, I had seen her in Adriana Lecouvrer at the Metropolitan Opera. I know that this is a huge digression but, I must mention that Scotto was quite a prima donna. You should have seen her well practiced curtseys and bows during the curtain call. Anyway, suffice it to say that a cast that includes Scotto as well as Jose Carreras makes this an all star production. As I noted earlier, the suitability of the singer to the role as an actor is crucial in staging an opera in this manner (as opposed to running the camera while it os performed on stage) but, when this type of production works, it works extraordinarily well. To me, this production is a grand slam.
Description of Giacomo Puccini - La Bohème / Franco Zeffirelli · James Levine - T. Stratas · R. Scotto · J. Carreras · MET
Few operas enjoy the widespread popularity of Puccini's La Boheme. In the Metropolitan's more than one hundred years only Aida has received more performances, although La Boheme was not even premiered there until 1900. For this Metropolitan Opera production Franco Zeffirelli designed both sets and costumes of extraordinary realism and beauty. Perhaps even more astounding is Zeffirelli's direction that mirrors the music so closely in the action taking place on stage. Appearances by: Richard Stilwell, Jose Carreras, James Morris, Allan Monk, Italo Tajo, Teresa Stratas, Dale Caldwell, Renata Scotto, Glen Bater, and James Brewer.Conductor: James LevineThe first recording of Puccini's La Bohème to be issued on DVD is the best visual treatment of this opera that anyone's ever likely to see. Director Franco Zeffirelli always seems to have television in mind when he directs an opera production, and his orientation toward visual impact and acting skills comes across effectively. Teresa Stratas (Zeffirelli's soprano of choice in one unforgettable production after another) is totally convincing as Mimi, and José Carreras is nearly as impressive as Rodolfo--most notably in the frequent closeups where acting skills are most crucial. Renata Scotto's Musetta is properly flirtatious, fickle, and verbally violent in Acts II and III, and warmly sympathetic in the heartbreaking finale. The supporting cast is superbly chosen and directed. There have been slightly better voices in some other Bohèmes (Pavarotti, for example), but the solo singing here is good, the chorus and orchestra are wonderful, and the visual treatment is magnificent. This should be considered a first choice among available DVDs. An interesting alternative is the fresh, innovative Australian Opera production, directed by Baz Luhrmann and updated to the 1950s. --Joe McLellan
Italian DVDs
- Genres > Art House & International > By Original Language
- Musicals & Performing Arts > Classical > By Historical Period > Romantic (c.1820-1910)
- By Performer > Scotto, Renata
- Musicals > Drama
- Musicals & Performing Arts - Classical - Opera > By Composer > Puccini, Giacomo
- By Performer > Carreras, José
- Levine, James
- General
- Classical
- Opera & Vocal
DVD Video
- Action & Adventure
- African American Cinema
- Animation
- Anime & Manga
- Art House & International
- Classics
- Comedy
- Cult Movies
- Documentary
- Drama
- Educational
- Fitness & Yoga
- Gay & Lesbian
- Horror
- Kids & Family
- Military & War
- Music Video & Concerts
- Musicals & Performing Arts
- Mystery & Suspense
- Science Fiction & Fantasy
- Special Interests
- Sports
- Television
- Westerns
Bestsellers in Italian DVDs
Puccini - Turandot / Franco Zeffirelli - Marton, Domingo, Mitchell, Plishka, Cuenod - James Levine, MET (1988)Release date: 2003-08-12; DVD
Best price: $17.82
Price in other shops:
The Odd CoupleParamount; Release date: 2000-12-12; DVD
Best price: $6.31
Price in other shops:
Puccini: La Boheme (Live from the Met)Release date: 2008-09-16; DVD
Best price: $16.58
Price in other shops:
8 1/ 2 - Criterion CollectionImage Entertainment; Release date: 2001-12-04; DVD
Best price: $18.64
Price in other shops:
Brotherhood of the Wolf - Director's Cut (Two-Disc Special Edition)Universal; Release date: 2008-08-26; DVD
Best price: $6.99
Price in other shops:
Bread and TulipsSony; Release date: 2002-03-26; DVD
Best price: $9.06
Price in other shops:
The Voyeur (Director's Cut)Ryko Distribution; Release date: 2008-02-26; DVD
Best price: $13.50
Price in other shops:
Salo, or the 120 Days of Sodom - Criterion CollectionImage Entertainment; Release date: 2008-08-26; DVD
Best price: $27.50
Price in other shops:
Il PostinoRelease date: 2000-03-14; DVD
Best price: $6.68
Price in other shops:
Life Is BeautifulRelease date: 1999-11-09; DVD
Best price: $9.25
Price in other shops:
Similar DVDs, VHS Video, Audio CDs
Puccini - Manon Lescaut (remastered)Release date: 2006-05-09; DVD
Best price: $18.30
Price in other shops:
![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)
Tchaikovsky - Eugene Onegin / Fleming, Vargas, Hvorostovsky, Gergiev, Carsen [Metropolitan Opera 2007]Uni; Release date: 2007-12-18; DVD
Best price: $18.88
Price in other shops:
Bizet - Carmen / Maazel, Migenes, DomingoRelease date: 1999-12-28; DVD
Best price: $275.98
Verdi - Aida / Levine, Domingo, Millo, Metropolitan OperaRelease date: 2000-12-12; DVD
Best price: $17.83
Price in other shops:
Puccini - Madame Butterfly / Huang, TroxellRelease date: 2002-02-26; DVD
Best price: $12.37
Price in other shops:
Puccini - Tosca (remastered)Release date: 2006-09-12; DVD
Best price: $18.44
Price in other shops:
Puccini - La Boheme / Pavarotti, Scotto, Niska, Wixell, Plishka, Levine, Metropolitan OperaRelease date: 2005-10-11; DVD
Best price: $16.43
Price in other shops:
Leoncavallo - I Pagliacci / Mascagni - Cavalleria Rusticana / Domingo, Stratas, Pons, Bruson, Obraztsova, PretreRelease date: 2005-06-14; DVD
Best price: $16.44
Price in other shops:
Verdi - La Traviata / Levine, Stratas, DomingoRelease date: 1999-04-13; DVD
Best price: $244.99
Puccini - Turandot / Franco Zeffirelli - Marton, Domingo, Mitchell, Plishka, Cuenod - James Levine, MET (1988)Release date: 2003-08-12; DVD
Best price: $17.45
Price in other shops: