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Donizetti - Anna Bolena / Bonynge, Sutherland, Morris, Canadian Opera Company | 
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Director: Lotfi Mansouri
Actors: Joan Sutherland, James Morris (ix), Judith Forst, Janet Stubbs, Gidon Saks
Studio: Video Artists Int'l
Category: DVD
List Price: $39.95
Buy New: $27.60
You Save: $12.35 (31%)
New (14) Used (3) from $26.99
Avg. Customer Rating:  21 reviews
Sales Rank: 73079
Format: Classical, Color, Dvd-video, Ntsc
Languages: Italian (Original Language), English (Subtitled)
Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Number Of Items: 1
Running Time: 157
Discs: 1
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.1
Dimensions (in): 7.4 x 5.1 x 0.6
MPN: 4203
UPC: 089948420392
EAN: 0089948420392
ASIN: B00005AAEX
Theatrical Release Date: 1984
Release Date: March 13, 2001
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: BRAND NEW, Factory Sealed items direct from the Studios. 30 Day Satisfaction Guarantee. Quick International Airmail!
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com
It would have been better, of course, if this 1984 production of Donizetti's Anna Bolena, or at least its title role, had been filmed 20 years earlier, when Joan Sutherland's voice was in its spectacular prime. But like her Canadian Opera Norma, dating from 1981, this is a better-late-than-never documentation of one of the most remarkable voices of the 20th century. Lotfi Mansouri spared no effort or expense in making this production special. He personally directed the staging, and handpicked an outstanding cast (right down to the very young and then-unknown Ben Heppner in the small role of Hervey). The visual elements--sets, costumes, and camera work--are also handled with great care, and Sutherland's positive response to this dedication can be sensed in her performance as the unfortunate wife of King Henry VIII. James Morris is best-known as a Wagnerian singer--perhaps the leading Wotan of our time--but he is equally at home in many of the villainous roles that are the fate of bass- baritones (Iago, Scarpia, Don Giovanni). In this sinister tale of an innocent woman ruthlessly destroyed, he shows a surprising knack for the bel canto style. Judith Forst is also excellent in the role of Jane Seymour. --Joe McLellan
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| Customer Reviews: Read 16 more reviews...
Solid, eloquent but doesn't fire the blood March 11, 2007
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
Dame Joan Sutherland first essayed the role of Anna Bolena in Canada 1984, of which this release captures. Of all the female singers in any of these performances under review, Dame Joan's technique and vocal means is far and away the most superior - natch, she leaves the competition in the proverbial dust. Here nearing sixty, La Stupenda's customary coloratura zip and ease of technique are as impressive as ever. Scalework is a snap, trills deftly incorporated, not to mention the fullness and "largeness" of her tone, and most importantly, the voice can move. Of course time has diminished her resources, but when those very solid resources are better than those of singers half her age, how can quibbles be summoned with any credibility? To be sure, there are some concessions made, such as transposing or even changing a good deal of the score to give Sutherland a tessitura which will allow her to end on a confortable high note (all of which are Cs and Ds), but what is a Sutherland without a walloping concluding note to any aria or ensemble (and wallops she does - and stuns!)?
But what impresses the viewer most is what an adept stage performer Sutherland proved herself to be. She moves regally, wears her costumes well, and immerses herself to a degree of involvement in the dramatic situation; there is full awareness of the text as demonstrated by her actions and facial expressions. In addition, Sutherland is a confident, dignified presence, and fully displays her sagacious means as a person of the stage. This is a thoroughly competent, professional and efficient performance, not to be slighted in and of itself in any way.
That said, my standing reservation about Sutherland still holds. For all of the sterling qualities this vocal legend embodies, I yearn as always to hear a more developed musical imagination. Unlike Callas, Sills and Gruberova in this role, Sutherland displays little individuality, "vocal face" or an indelibly original personality channeling through the character. La Stupenda has the most prodigious inborn vocal means of any singer in her repertoire, but her often utilitarian use of it can leave one wanting for more. Throughout, there is very scarce use of dynamics other than that of mezzo to mezzo-forte. One will hear in vain for a true half-tone, or much less, any dynamically limned, artful shading; one longs for a well-bound, flexibly drawn-out of a legato line, for any tapering, bending and "lifting"of phrase-endings, or a magically sustained, diminished tone that floats. Too, the lack of tonal coloristic variety (further made so by the ever present mushy vowels and lack of crispness in enunciation), giving a semblance of monotony, does not impart to the listener a wide range of emotions, not helped by the transposing of some parts of the score. Inevitably, one must accept the compromises of transposing an entire piece to accommodate those concluding high notes. The glory of Dame Joan's voice was always in its upper third register; even in her prime, the rather inexpressive, hollow lower third was her least attractive feature, and transposing much of Anna's music accentuates what had by 1984 turned into a plum-in-the-mouth opaqueness of tone in that mittellage. Nevertheless, Sutherland on her own terms is a formidable presence, and it is a bracing experience in itself to witness the still-considerable means so soundly projected as here.
Judith Forst as Giovanna is a dedicated, wholly committed performer, with a warm, vibrant tone (sometimes growing pressed in its upper regions), and gives a most sympathetic portrayal. She is particularly effective at displaying her growing agitation at both being Enrico's replacement wife, and betraying her closest friend. Forst and Sutherland play off each other superbly in their big duet, with the former projecting a good deal of the requisite angst; both ladies end on a unison high C.
James Morris is luxury casting as Enrico VIII, perhaps one of the best documented. The bass-baritone, stunningly costumed, certainly looks the part: tall, big-framed and imposing, he has a voice to match, which is penetrating, flexible and surprisingly expressive. Towering over the whole cast, Morris dominates - as he should - the proceedings as the lurking, edgy menace who propels his wife to her doom. Michael Myers, much of his music cut, makes a fine Percy, singing and acting with conviction; Janet Stubb's boyish, nimbly sung Smeton makes a fine effect. It is amusing to see a young Ben Heppner, cast in the comprimario role of Percy.
Richard Bonynge presides over the Canadian Opera Orchestra with the usual mix of felicities and drawbacks. The coaching and accompanying of the singers, as always, remains without peer; unlike someone like Riccardo Muti, Bonynge knows how to let a singer breathe. On the other hand, Bonynge can short-circuit some of the excitement of the climaxes, particularly that of Act One (here turned into Act Two for this production). When Anna faces down her accusers, the tempo and pacing of the cabaletta "Ah! segnata e la mia sorte" and the resulting ensemble is disappointingly stodgy and lacking in headlong impetus - it ends the act "neatly", where it should be febrile and crackling with tension. Furthermore, one must cope with the limited, mono sound which makes the orchestra appear a bit murky and lacking in contrasts of textures. The camerawork is excellent, though; reactions, and close-ups important moments are captured right on time.
Visually, this production is a real pleasure to watch. The sets and costumes are sumptuous, expensive and elaborate, marvelously detailed, with deep, rich hues giving a truly renaissance feel; the quality of the DVD's picture often imparts that of a "movie-painting." The lush blues and burgundies give the requisite somber feel to the proceedings. Lotfi Mansouri's direction is purposeful, and, laudable for its intentions of going past the usual "park-and-bark"approach in the bel canto realm. Not only does Mansouri create beautiful stage tableaus, but the performers are blocked and made to enact their characters with some sense of direction and focus.
The main caveat of this peformance is in its cuts - over a half hour's worth. Granted, some internal trims are perhaps merited, but having Percy's "Vivi tu" sliced out altogether robs not only the overall impact of the score's structure, but also of denying the audience a chance to hear one of Donizetti's finest tunes.
 Saved by La Moffo February 8, 2007
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
We'll have to keep in mind that this is probably a made-for-TV effort that hasn't taken too much trouble or money to produce. It's very static and stagey (even by operatic standards), it's mostly badly mimed and badly acted. Where you'd expect mood lighting, there's constant full blaze, and where you'd expect people to react to the misery of Lucy, they just either turn away or burst into poorly coreographed swordfight. The direction is very, very poor. The picture and sound quality is mediocre, mostly because I believe it to have been shot on 16mm. But there was no sound or picture distortion as one viewer was complaining. It was just what I expected. Moffo is so very beautiful, but her lips barely move as she is supposedly singing and she simply hasn't much to do even though you can see that she is a sensitive actress. I also enjoyed the rest of the cast and was wondering that the blond tenor isn't better known nowadays. Not a bad film, but so much more could have been done with this marvellous singer, great locations and gorgeous music. Shame, director and producer!
 Anna Moffo - an American-bred opera legend! February 6, 2007
4 out of 5 found this review helpful
It is my opinion that Anna Moffo was the greatest American soprano. Unfortunately, she was under-rated and under-appreciated. Yes, there are many fine sopranos like Sutherland, Tebaldi, etc. However, Anna was the total package and what every little girl dreams that a soprano should be. She possessed an incredibly warm and lyrically beautiful voice. And that amazing phrasing and dramatic ability! Lastly, she was blessed with great physical beauty. I absolutely adore her. Anna was the perfect Lucia. This dvd is thank goodness, a wonderful memento for those of us too young to have witnessed her live performances. I completely disagree with the previous reviewer - the cast is excellent. Maybe they did not possess "big" names like Corelli, Merrill, etc., but the singing is very fine here. Everyone carries their own weight. Anna is simply gorgeous with those big brown eyes and the viewer can truly feel the anguish in her character. The dvd quality is very good and sound quality is excellent.
Bland and boring May 23, 2005
2 out of 8 found this review helpful
I've only watched/listened to the 1st 2 acts and the 1st scene of the 3rd (because I can't use my DVD player right now), and after listening (dozens of times) to the glorious 1984 CD of this with Sutherland, Ramey and Hadley, I was expectiving, anticipating something absolutely wonderful. But I was disappointed. The duets and ensemble numbers in the 2 acts I have gotten to see/hear so far are really great. But everything else makes me wonder which Donizetti wrote it. Actually I think this was his first hit and his coloratura writing really improved with time. Sutherland's voice was just fine, but there are more of her signature leaps at the ends of arias on the CDs than there are in this movie. In fact, I suppose the lesser number in the flick is more customary, and she just showed off on the CDs, but I loved it because I love her and love hearing her do it. My only (ONLY) objection to this DVD (and why is it so different from the CDs???) is the music. It is flat and bland. It is dull. There is very little in it I would call coloratura-style singing. That of course turned out to be Donizetti's stock in trade, but there's very little in this to foreshadow what was to come. The singers all did wonderful jobs. The sets were skeletal. The costumes lush. Henry was skinny and Percy was plump. (There's a switch in history!) And whose stupid idea was it to pluck Henry's eyebrows and make him look like Mr. Spock without the ears?
Sutherland still absolutely breathtaking, BUT... March 29, 2005
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
After obtaining a copy of Sutherland's DVD performance of Lucrezia Borgia (I gorgeous rendition-a must!) I just had to get this Anna Bolena. Of course there's a four year difference between performances, and I heard so many rumours and opinions regarding the decline in voice, and yes, inevitably you can notice the difference. But as far as I'm concerned she can still surprise today's singers who are in their prime. Her coloratura, runs, trills, everything...are still clean, tasteful, absolutely beautiful! Whats more, her Jane Seymour, Judith Frost, is fantastic, first in her scena duet with Henry, then with Anna Bolena herself in Act 3 scene 1. The costumes, sets great!
Now the disappointments-a simply miscast Henry-James Morris. He sounds as if he were choking in some of the emballishments. Yes, he can sing Wagner, I've heard him, but certainly NOT bel canto! Others in the cast are more than adequate. Also the sound is pathetic!!! I can understand if its mono sound but sometimes the voices are too far back, the orchestra sounds muchy in places. I disappointment after the top quality of Lucrezia Borgia.
Still, a DVD I would not want to be without!!!
Bravo!
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| | Bestsellers | | • | The Valachi Papers | | • | Nights of Cabiria - Criterion Collection | | • | Alina | | • | Donizetti - L'Elisir d'Amore / Esposito, Machado, Marrucci, Canzian, Schrott, Muus, Macerata Opera | | • | Donizetti - Lucia di Lammermoor / Cillario, Moffo, Kozma | | • | The Opium Connection | | • | Donizetti - Anna Bolena / Bonynge, Sutherland, Morris, Canadian Opera Company | | • | Donizetti - L'Elisir d'Amore / Bergonzi, Scotto, Taddei, Gavazzeni, Florence Opera |
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