DVD of SAMSON ET DALILA

Dan Tritter wrote:

> dvd of '98? run, do not walk, far from that horrific
> performance. i'm assuming that to be the horror of domingo
> and graves, in a staging that owed a lot to the marx brothers
> for serious intent and artistic merit.

Borodina rather than Graves. It's the one they broadcast.

Todd K
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On 18 Dec 2006 23:17:14 -0800, "Andrew T. Kay"
wrote:

>I'm filling gaps in my collection now that I have finally downloaded an
>audio-ripping program for DVDs, and so will get more use out of the
>things. My standard practice will be to watch them once and, if the
>musical portion is not completely lacking in interest, burn CDs of them
>for more frequent listening thereafter.
>
>Does anyone have opinions to offer on the merits of two available
>SAMSONs, both with Shirley Verrett, both apparently from 1981, one at
>Covent Garden with Vickers and Colin Davis, the other at San Francisco
>with Domingo and Julius Rudel? I usually like both tenors very much,
>and usually am indifferent to both conductors. I'm inclined slightly
>toward the latter performance, because I'd expect Domingo to be in
>better voice in 1981 than Vickers in 1981, but I could be persuaded to
>go the other way if Vickers is really sensational here.
>
>There's also the Met '98 with a longer-in-the-tooth, shorter-at-the-top
>PD, which would undoubtedly be the most impressive for audio/video
>quality, and I'm sure the Levine/Met Orchestra combination is excellent
>in the predictable ways, but I'm not so strongly considering that one.
>
>Anyone? Anyone?
>
>Todd K

I have the Covent Garden which is musically very fine. I was
disappointed by the tameness of Samson's bringing down the temple.
According to a review on Amazon, " In the rival Sanfransisco version
we are treated to the most gloriously cinematic staging of the
destruction of the temple. It still sends shivers down my spine 20 odd
years later".
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The San Francisco one was actually shot in 1980. It's prime Verrett.
I don't know the Covent Garden one.

The live stage denouement was more spectacular than it appears as
preserved on video. And let's face it, that's what everybody waits for!

Meanwhile, though, the singing is, in the words of George C. Scott,
smo-o-o-o-o-o-oth.

Sincerely,

DeMillnick
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Vickers is just about perfection as Sammy. It just does not get any better
than his interpretation & vocal abilities. His strength is fully
convincing; his Mill Scene is shattering in its humility. Verrett is,
likewise, the perfect sexy, dusky-voiced, seductress.

For those interested in an ab fab CD of the work, I highly recommend the Met
in-house performance with Tucker & Bumbry - a MUST for RT fans.

DonPaolo
"David Melnick" wrote in message

> The San Francisco one was actually shot in 1980. It's prime Verrett.
> I don't know the Covent Garden one.
>
> The live stage denouement was more spectacular than it appears as
> preserved on video. And let's face it, that's what everybody waits for!
>
> Meanwhile, though, the singing is, in the words of George C. Scott,
> smo-o-o-o-o-o-oth.
>
> Sincerely,
>
> DeMillnick
>
 >> Stay informed about: DVD of SAMSON ET DALILA 

">>

>
> I have the Covent Garden which is musically very fine. I was
> disappointed by the tameness of Samson's bringing down the temple.
> According to a review on Amazon, " In the rival Sanfransisco version
> we are treated to the most gloriously cinematic staging of the
> destruction of the temple. It still sends shivers down my spine 20 odd
> years later".

The current MET temple collapse is puny indeed Richard
 >> Stay informed about: DVD of SAMSON ET DALILA 

I was fortunate enough to be in that same San Francisco production which
they shared with LOC. It's brilliant! Go for the San Francisco by all
means. The director...after explaining the action of the ultimate
scene...had the entire cast go into the house...whereupon they ran the
temple's destruction. We all applauded...quite vigorously...as did all of
the audiences who saw it. Great fun...and Placido is excellent...as if the
rest of the cast.

Jon E. Szostak, Sr.



"Sam" wrote in message

> On 18 Dec 2006 23:17:14 -0800, "Andrew T. Kay"
> wrote:
>
>>I'm filling gaps in my collection now that I have finally downloaded an
>>audio-ripping program for DVDs, and so will get more use out of the
>>things. My standard practice will be to watch them once and, if the
>>musical portion is not completely lacking in interest, burn CDs of them
>>for more frequent listening thereafter.
>>
>>Does anyone have opinions to offer on the merits of two available
>>SAMSONs, both with Shirley Verrett, both apparently from 1981, one at
>>Covent Garden with Vickers and Colin Davis, the other at San Francisco
>>with Domingo and Julius Rudel? I usually like both tenors very much,
>>and usually am indifferent to both conductors. I'm inclined slightly
>>toward the latter performance, because I'd expect Domingo to be in
>>better voice in 1981 than Vickers in 1981, but I could be persuaded to
>>go the other way if Vickers is really sensational here.
>>
>>There's also the Met '98 with a longer-in-the-tooth, shorter-at-the-top
>>PD, which would undoubtedly be the most impressive for audio/video
>>quality, and I'm sure the Levine/Met Orchestra combination is excellent
>>in the predictable ways, but I'm not so strongly considering that one.
>>
>>Anyone? Anyone?
>>
>>Todd K
>
> I have the Covent Garden which is musically very fine. I was
> disappointed by the tameness of Samson's bringing down the temple.
> According to a review on Amazon, " In the rival Sanfransisco version
> we are treated to the most gloriously cinematic staging of the
> destruction of the temple. It still sends shivers down my spine 20 odd
> years later".
 >> Stay informed about: DVD of SAMSON ET DALILA 

Andrew T. Kay wrote:

> Does anyone have opinions to offer on the merits of two available
> SAMSONs, both with Shirley Verrett, both apparently from 1981, one at
> Covent Garden with Vickers and Colin Davis, the other at San Francisco
> with Domingo and Julius Rudel?

Both are reviewed (from LaserDisc) in Opera on Video among the files at
my WWW site. Briefly, they are quite different. The CG is in oratorio
style, a religious exercise; the SFO is an opera only incidentally
religious. The singing is fine in each, so apart from the difference in
production, your choice would be based on preference for the Samson.

Mike
--
mrichter.TakeThisOut@cpl.net
http://www.mrichter.com/
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The one really good video/DVD performance of AIDA I've seen -- one, in
fact, that outclasses all but a few of the audio-only recordings I own
-- is the one at Verona with Gencer, Cossotto, Bergonzi, Colzani, and
Giaotti all chewing the scenery in the grand old fashion. This dates
from 1966 but looks more like 1926, both in the image quality and the
style of most of the acting. It is a strong argument for the
downloading of an audio-ripping program, because it is surely better
heard than seen, but everyone should see it once. The Amonasro is
saddled with one of the most horselaugh-inducing wig/costume get-ups
I've ever seen on an operatic stage, which is saying a good deal.
Musically, though, this is so far beyond everything else as to seem to
be taking place in another world.

The same conductor, Franco Capuana, a few years earlier presided over
what I gather is a broadly similar, also visually primitive performance
preserved on video, but I have not seen it, and that cast is less to my
tastes (Tucci, Simionato, del Monaco, Protti, Washington). It does have
my *second*-favorite Amneris, but the one above has my first, so...

I turn away with a shudder at any of the AIDAs more recent than the two
Chiari performances (themselves problematic), and that includes the Met
'88 with Millo et al. However, the ones coming out in the last several
years are to the Met '88 as the Met '88 is to the Verona '66. I'm
certainly no knee-jerk "they don't make 'em like that no more" grump.
Many works have been splendidly served on CDs and DVDs in recent
decades, and with this particular opera, I would love to see something
close to the musical distinction of the Gencer performance but with
modern A/V-spectacular tech credits. In these times for Verdi singing,
I think I'll be waiting a while.

Todd K

Stephen Jay-Taylor wrote:

> Actually, for conoisseurs of Cura's physical charms, you can do no better
> than the Verona "Aida" from six or so years ago, with Larissa Diadkova as
> Amneris, and Pizzi's pool-side silver-and-blue setting, complete with
> mini-naval battles, and the tenor, stripped to the waist, wearing spray-on
> silver spandex tights that must have cut his circulation by about as much as
> it perked up everybody else's...
>
> SJT
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I had actually ended my post with a mildly snotty comment about that --
something to the effect that we're in such lean times that La Scala and
Decca were treating this as cause for big excitement and something to
be preserved for posterity. It would not have been, even if Alagna had
still been on stage by the Tomb Scene, not frantically clicking on
"show more" in Microsoft Excuse Generator 4.0 on his laptop back at the
hotel. But then I thought, oh, we've all piled on enough, and edited it
out.

Point taken, nevertheless. Chailly too has always been a name to make
me proceed warily, even when he had truly world-class singers
appropriate to their roles under his direction. When he's in the pit
there, the Scala has traded down in its Riccardos, whether anyone there
is ready to admit it or not.

Todd K

Stephen Jay-Taylor wrote:
> You mean - staggers back gasping with amazement and disdain - you're not
> looking forward to the current La Scala fara, er, no, fias, no, not that
> either, fantastic, that's it, fantastic triumph, with the Aida/Amneris
> combination to erase all memories of others, Urmana and Komlosi ??!!?
>
> And quite possibly Walter Fraccaro.....
>
> SJT, whose ribs now hurt.
>
>
> "To this we've come"
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Domingo is good as Samson. But Vickers IS Samson. And Davis is much the
finest living exponent of this score [ listen for confirmation - if you can
put up with Cura - to the Erato set with Borodina ].

Nothing happens at the end, and in slow-motion, but if you want Cecil B.
DeMille, rent the film : London doesn't "do" spectacular.

SJT
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I have to admit...the set is probably worth the having just for Borodina.
She sang the role against Cura at the last LOC production...I fell in love
with her. She could have given me a haircut anytime she wanted.

That's the production in which Cura was showing off is undies because of his
very short skirt. I must admit he was good in the Mill Scene...but that's
it! Probably because the mill stone was the only thing larger than his ego
in the theater.

Jon E. Szostak, Sr.


"Stephen Jay-Taylor" wrote in message

> Domingo is good as Samson. But Vickers IS Samson. And Davis is much the
> finest living exponent of this score [ listen for confirmation - if you
> can put up with Cura - to the Erato set with Borodina ].
>
> Nothing happens at the end, and in slow-motion, but if you want Cecil B.
> DeMille, rent the film : London doesn't "do" spectacular.
>
> SJT
 >> Stay informed about: DVD of SAMSON ET DALILA 

Oh, we got the Cura's culottes show here too, with everybody in the ROH
Stalls forwards of Row L getting several eyefulls of well-packed
white-pantied crotch during Act II. It was listening to him that was the
problem....

Actually, for conoisseurs of Cura's physical charms, you can do no better
than the Verona "Aida" from six or so years ago, with Larissa Diadkova as
Amneris, and Pizzi's pool-side silver-and-blue setting, complete with
mini-naval battles, and the tenor, stripped to the waist, wearing spray-on
silver spandex tights that must have cut his circulation by about as much as
it perked up everybody else's...

SJT
 >> Stay informed about: DVD of SAMSON ET DALILA 

You mean - staggers back gasping with amazement and disdain - you're not
looking forward to the current La Scala fara, er, no, fias, no, not that
either, fantastic, that's it, fantastic triumph, with the Aida/Amneris
combination to erase all memories of others, Urmana and Komlosi ??!!?

And quite possibly Walter Fraccaro.....

SJT, whose ribs now hurt.


"To this we've come"
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