Great Stars of Opera, Vol. 2 - Telecasts from the Bell Telephone Hour 1959-1967

Great Stars of Opera, Vol. 2 - Telecasts from the Bell Telephone Hour 1959-1967

Great Stars of Opera, Vol. 2 - Telecasts from the Bell Telephone Hour 1959-1967
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DVD details

Actor: Anna Moffo, Birgit Nilsson, Franco Corelli, Renata Tebaldi, Robert Merrill
DVD: Region Code 0
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language)
Format: Classical, Color, DVD, NTSC
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 119 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2003-04-22
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Video Artists Int'l

DVD Reviews of Great Stars of Opera, Vol. 2 - Telecasts from the Bell Telephone Hour 1959-1967

DVD Review: Absolutely enchanting visit to the past
Summary: 5 Stars

What an enchanting DVD! This is another compilation of the best of the old Bell Telephone Hour. Wonderful singers from the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s have their art preserved. This is a lot of fun to listen to.

Some examples:

The great Renata Tebaldi takes on "Vissi d'arte," from "Tosca." This is, as one would expect, elegantly sung by Tebaldi, one of the greatest sopranos of her era. Her rich, smooth voice and her own interpretation provides a poignant version of this piece.

Regina Resnik sings "The Gypsy Song" from "Carmen"--and sings it well. She displays a rich voice; the scene is also well conceived. A nice ensemble work.

Robert Merrill follows in the same episode of "The Bell Telephone Hour" with the "Toreador Song." He was a most dependable baritone, who gave good performances, well sung. The redoubtable Merrill does a very nice turn here.

"Die Fledermaus" is hardly a major piece--but it is a lot of fun! Here, an effervescent scene among Phyllis Curtin, Nicolai Gedda, and Theodor Uppman, the Act I Trio. Simply, great fun! This is an infectious piece as sung by the three principles here. World historically, this is a trifle. But so much fun!

George London and Anna Moffo essay "La ci darem la mano," from Mozart's "Don Giovanni." Their voices blend well together. London is in his prime and sings his character well; Moffo is also in fine voice. Well sung and entertaining.

Anno Moffo sings one of her signature pieces, "Ah, fors e lui. . . Sempre libera" from "La Traviata." In her time, she and Renata Scotto were exemplars singing Violetta. Moffo was a good actress as well as a fine soprano. In this role, Joan Sutherland brought her great technique, but she did not "own" this role as did Scotto or Moffo. All in all, this a richly musical version of this piece.

Finally, Leontyne Price sings "Tacea la notte" from "Il Trovatore." Well sung indeed. What a rich voice she displays! This exemplifies why she was so well regarded in her day.

So, the bottom line? This is a wonderful introduction to opera performers of mid-century for those who are unfamiliar with them. And for old-timers like me, it is a wonderful reminder of the talent pool of the era.
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