Meatloaf Singer

Thomas L. Thomas in Opera and Song Review

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(More customer reviews)Very nice find. My mother's favorite singer and an important part of my childhood memories.
Old VHS, but I was able to get it converted.

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Dante's Peak (1997) Review

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(More customer reviews)The 'old-fashioned' disaster movie scenario enjoyed a brief resurgence in the latter half of the 90s. After the success of Twister and ID4, films like Hard Rain, Titanic, Armageddon and Deep Impact followed in its wake. Like the two competing asteroid movies, Dante's Peak was in competition with the imaginatively named Volcano as THE Lava flow of 1997. Which one is better? Well, comparing the two is like comparing an atomic blast to a popping pimple.
Pierce Brosnan is Harry Dalton, a Vulcanologist (or James Bond in disguise if you want) who predicts a major eruption in the quaint Pacific-Northwestern town of Dante's Peak. No one wants to listen to him since the town has just been named the 2nd most desirable place to live in America and is in the early stages of a thriving economy. It's the politics from Jaws all over again. Despite being shouted down by his superiors, Harry sticks around to keep his eye on the imposing mountain and woo Mayor Wando (Linda Hamilton), who is the only one who believes the 4000-year dormant volcano might blow its top.
If you've seen one disaster movie, you've seen 'em all in terms of character importance. Yes, it's bloody obvious who is going to die, some of these people might as well have a death clock counting down stuck on their foreheads. And the panicking idiot mobs don't deserve anything less firey. When will nameless extras learn that following the crowd isn't the best way? I guess this is the weakest part of Dante's Peak, it never really distances itself from that single, eternal cliché of disaster films.
But the film is really nothing but a showcase for special effects and it does them surprisingly well. Made before the extreme popularity of CGI, Dante's Peak has a lot of real-life destruction, in-camera effects and stunt-work. Yes, there is a fair bit of CGI and for a 10-year-old film they still hold up really well. All Volano (Zzzz...) had to offer was a very, very slight lava flow and an unintentionally hilarious scene with a melting man but with Dante's Peak we get earthquakes, boiled skinny dippers, lakes of acid, ash blizzards that create a unique atmosphere, thunder and lightning, red hot boulders raining down from the sky, mudslides, lava (of course), a massive pyroclastic cloud and lots of deep, deep bass sound effects.
It's not a life-changing film by any means, but as disaster movies go it's one of the best, has an occasionally spooky score and entertains really well despite Brosnan taking it all so seriously. I would have given it a higher rating if they killed the dog (more original) and deleted the annoying Grant Heslov's utterly pointless character.
The Blu Ray presents the film is gorgeous 1080p 2.35:1 with a brilliant DTS HD-MA sound design. The best of the extras from the SD-DVD are ported over, but why the horrible new cover?

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Cujo (1983) Review

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(More customer reviews)I have waited a looooooong time to see this film get the special treatment it deserved. For years, the only way I had to view this classic horror treat was on an old DVD release with cropped edges, horrible picture, and NO special features at all.....not to mention the ugliest DVD artwork ever for a Stephen King release.
Lionsgate has now given us Cujo as it has never been seen on home video. I was blown away by how clear the picture is, and how vibrant the colors are. The old transfer just seemed washed out and faded. I watched this on my PS3, which upscales it to hi-def, and I never dreamed this film could ever look this good. I'm also glad that there was no effort to try to create a surround sound track for this film, since most of it takes place inside a car. You have the choice of watching it in the original mono, or a 2 channel stereo mix. While this is not a film I would choose to show off my surround system, it is very effective for what is happening on screen. Not only do we get treated to a remastered copy of the film, but Cujo also has some really good special features. The 3-part documentary runs about 45 min. total, and is very informative about the way the film was made. Both Dee Wallace and Danny Pintauro take part in the documentary. The director, Lewis Teague, also provides a good commentary track. I only have two minor complaints: 1st, there is no trailer for Cujo and 2nd, with it being the 25th anniversary edition, I would rather have seen the artwork from the original movie poster as the cover. I'm not complaining too much about the artwork since it is a huge improvement over the previous version, I just think the poster with the white picket fence and the word "Cujo" in blood was a great poster.
Bottom line: If you own the original DVD version of Cujo, put it in the doghouse. You will be glad you upgraded to this fantastic version of what I think is one of the best adaptations of Stephen King's work on film.

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Supernatural: The Complete Fifth Season (Limited Collector's Edition with Bonus Disc) Review

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(More customer reviews)I am a psychology grad student and what you could pick up from this show is incredible! The writers didn't just piece together plots out of nowhere when they had nothing better to do. The characters are all well developed and driven by the content over the years. Nothing is lost, everything, even characters that you have seen before are interwoven brilliantly from the beginning of the series up through the present, the sign of excellent writing! The best part about the production of this show is no film is wasted. You know how you watch 2nd rate shows or movies and there's absolutely no reason to have shown a scene, or they cut in the same useless scene later as if they don't have enough screenplay to make a typically-timed movie/show; that doesn't happen here! When there is a focus on a face the emotions are expertly carried by the characters from Sam & Dean to Jim & Cass. Even when they throw in a comical highlight or two it fits the characters perfectly. Now the music, hey I did my sentence of high school with most of the songs they use, which impresses me just as much as the lovely creaks, moans and groans of Dean's "Baby". This show is simply excellent and deserves so much more recognition than it gets, but most horror type genres are ignored as serious acting vehicles. Everyone should take a good or second-third-50th look at this series! -BB

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NEW Christmas Favorites 3dvd (DVD) Review

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Contains 24 Songs With AND Without Lead Demonstration Vocals.
DVD DISC 1 - CHRISTMAS MEMORIES
1. It Came Upon A Midnight Clear
2. O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
3. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
4. O Holy Night
5. O Come, All Ye Faithful
6. O Little Town Of Bethlehem
7. The Twelve Days Of Christmas
8. Jingle Bells
DVD DISC 2 - CHRISTMAS CLASSICS
1. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
2. Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer
3. White Christmas
4. Blue Christmas
5. Sleigh Ride
6. The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting)
7. Deck The Halls
8. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
DVD DISC 3 - POP CHRISTMAS PARTY
1. Santa Baby - Eartha Kitt
2. Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree - Brenda Lee
3. Let It Snow, Let It Snow - Dean Martin
4. Winter Wonderland - Johnny Mathis
5. Jingle Bell Rock - Bobby Helms
6. Last Christmas - Wham
7. O Holy Night - Celine Dion
8. Jingle Bells - Jazz/Big Band

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Doctor Dolittle (1998) Review

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(More customer reviews)This is a movie I bought first, primarily for the kids because of the reviews. No one ever asked to watch it a second time. I say this because one of my kids was watching the Lion King last night, for the umpteenth time. So yes, I agree that eddie murphy impressed me again with his talent... but it just didn't grab my kids, 3 boys and 2 girls. I had to give it a good rating of 3 rather than a 2 to encourage the making of good movies.

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Cooling Water Review

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(More customer reviews)I had anticipated this DVD for days, being a great Lee Williams fan i couldn't wait to hear this man sing again..i was looking for at least an hour dvd but guess what..I paid extra to have this shipped to me ASAP, and what it turned out to be was a great disappointment, first the cooling water video, then a live performance in a room as large as a bathroom and finally doug and melvin williams singing an incredibly long song..so much for lee williams..15 dollars to see 2 songs..the customers should have been warned that there were only 3 songs on this dvd..a whole lot of wasted time and money...next time warn somone before hard earned money is invested in a disappointment

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Monteverdi's L'Incoronazione Di Poppea Review

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(More customer reviews)In addition to a large collection of (mostly) Baroque operas on CD, I have over 75 operas on DVD, some in more than one version, as well Monteverdi's other two operas on DVD, which are also incredible. But this recording of L'Incoronazione di Poppea takes the cake, whether in terms of the beauty of the music, the effectiveness of the staging and costumes, the quality of the acting and singing of the principals, or even the dramatic and literary intensity of the story. The video recording is a little old, so the picture is slightly grainy, but the sound quality (though only in Dolby stereo) is incomparable, the production and conducting without peer. I am quite sure I will still feel the same after viewing it ten or fifteen times, though so far I have only watched it twice. This is a must-buy for any lover of Baroque music, and it is one of the operatic masterpieces of all time. It should be included in every course in the history of opera.

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L'incoronazione di Poppea is Monteverdi's final opera, written when he was 75, and it is often considered his best. It was first performed in Venice in 1642 and a manuscript with the composer's own markings survives to this day. The opera tells the amoral story of Nero's affair with the scheming and seductive Poppea, here portrayed by Maria Ewing, with evil triumphing over good, while the allegorical figures from the Prologue - Fortune, Virtue, and Love look on. This sparkling new production by Sir Peter Hall, Director of the National Theatre and Artistic Director of Glyndebourne itself is designed by John Bury and conducted by Ramond Leppard, the celebrated authority on Baroque music, who made this modern edition of the opera and has conducted his edition in many opera houses worldwide.

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Umm Kulthum: A Voice Like Egypt (1996) Review

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(More customer reviews)in my young age i did not appreciate umm kulthum nor Arabic music in general, but as i grew older, the songs, words and especially the performance of umm kulthum opened my eyes to great works of art and Arabic music. Umm Kulthum transcended time, goverments, generation and geographical boundries. she captured the hearts and minds of people. she is a great example for all man kind of a women who cared about her family, people and country, and presented the best to them. This documentary captures all that, and presents her life in a well rounded and balanced way. I liked the original footage. Omer Sherif is a great narrator. I highly recommend this documentary for people who not only want to know about Umm Kulthum, but also about a bit of the history of egypt. I can really say i enjoyed it.

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"My father was uneasy.The idea that his daughter should sing in front of men he didn't know was difficult for him to accept, but my singing helped support the family.So he dressed me in boys' clothes and I sang this way for several years.I realize now that he wanted to convince himself, and the audience too, that the singer was a young boy and not a young woman."-From "Umm Kulthum: A Voice Like Egypt" She had the musicality of Ella Fitzgerald, the public presence of Eleanor Roosevelt and the audience of Elvis Presley.Her name was Umm Kulthum and she became a powerful symbol, first of the aspirations of her country, Egypt, and then of the entire Arab world.Born a peasant at the turn of the century, she became a woman of great wealth and power, confidant of presidents and kings and, above all, President Gamal Abd al-Nasser's unofficial ambassador in the region.Four million people were on the streets of Cairo for her funeral in 1975.To this day, her cassettes outsell every other Arabic female vocalist.Narrated by Omar Sharif, Umm Kulthum: A Voice Like Egypt is the first documentary to bring Umm Kulthum to an American audience.The film puts her life in the context of the epic story of 20th century Egypt as it shook off colonialism and confronted modernity.The camera explores her astonishing connection with her audience, taking us into her village in the Nile Delta and into the cafes, markets and streets of Cairo where she lived and worked.From the Nobel laureate Naguib Mahfouz to a 12-year-old girl in an outdoor restaurant, people speak about the role Umm Kulthum's music has played in their lives and sing their favorite songs for the camera.

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Puccini - La Boheme Review

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(More customer reviews)Of all the available videos of "La Boheme' this one is by far the best. Mirella Freni is nearly perfect as Mimi and all the other singers are excellent as well. This film was made before Luciano Pavarotti achieved world fame, so another tenor, Gianni Raimondi, was selected. He doesn't have quite the vocal allure that Pavarotti could have brought to the role, but he's an excellent and stylish singer. Karajan's conducting is not bested on any other video of this work, and Zeffirelli has never made a better opera film (he has made several far worse ones). There are no visual excesses or contradictions of music or text. The evocation of nineteenth century Paris is entirely convincing. NOTE: A Freni/Pavarotti video of Boheme (San Francisco Opera) is available on DVD but the performance is far inferior to this one, primarily because of uninspired conducting but also because the two leading singers (then in their fifties) take the downward transpositions in Act I. There is a Metropolitan Opera telecast available that might seem promising, but in spite of great conducting by James Levine and a visually arresting production (also by Zeffirelli), the performance suffers from the out-of-condition singing of Teresa Stratas and Jose Carreras (both fine artists but just not at their best on the occasion) and the miscasting of Renata Scotto, at that time in the worst voice of her career, as Musetta. No other Boheme video comes close to this film, certainly not the Australian Opera performance which has routine playing and conducting, and singing that ranges from mediocre to really bad. So, if you're looking for a "Boheme" DVD, Karajan/Zeffirelli/Freni is the one to get.

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Rossini - La Cenerentola / Ruxandra Donose, Maxim Mironov, Simone Alberghini, Luciano Di Pasquale, Nathan Berg, Vladimir Jurowski, Glyndebourne Opera (2005) Review

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(More customer reviews)La Cenerentola has been well served on DVD. The recently released Jean-Pierre Ponnelle filming of the opera was an excellent production, joining Cecilia Bartoli's star vehicle with the Houston Opera as fine representatives of Rossini's unfairy tale retelling of Charles Perrault's Cendrillon (or Cinderella). This new, vividly realized Glyndebourne production traditionally staged (in the finest sense) by Sir Peter Hall is perhaps the best of the three: combining intelligent insight into Rossini's unique operatic vision as well as a perceptive grasp of the historical importance of Cenerentola in the evolution of art, situated as it is on the cusp of the Romantic Era.
La Cenerentola is given the sub-heading (by Rossini) "a Dramma giocoso in two acts"; significantly, it is an inscription deliberately shared with Don Giovanni, the finest "serious comedy" ever staged. Mozart's spirit hovers over this opera; combining, as it does, comedy and a darker world view than is the youthful Rossini's norm. There is no room for farce. This is a relatively sober tale of impoverished gentility struggling to regain a social foothold. There is no fairy Godmother; rather a Voltaire-like philosophe (Alidoro) who attempts to manipulate events for ends never completely clear. This opera is truly representative of it's age and that is how Sir Peter stages it. The London Philharmonic is nicely conducted by the youthful Vladimir Jurowski. That this opera succeeds so well is a tribute to all concerned in this beautiful, resonant production.
First performed at the Teatro Valle, Rome on 25 January 1817 on the heels of Rossini's successful il Barbieri di Siviglia, and with a libretto by Jacopo Ferretti, La Cenerentola is as much a child of the Enlightenment with it's rational values and philosophe trained Prince in the person of Don Ramiro as it is an expression of nascent Romanticism with it's triumph of love over social hierarchy. If you are expecting a traditional fairy tale you will be disappointed. It is more a comedy of manners with serious overtones: the struggles of individual merit attempting to overcome class restrictions. It is an expression of the Age of Franklin, Washington and Jefferson. This Cinderella will better herself not through magic but through intrinsic worth, as coached by Alidoro, a philosopher/social mechanic. Sir Peter Hall suggests (in the 30 minute documentary on disc 2 entitled Insights) that opera singers should be clothed in the style of the music they sing. This production is placed in the era of 1815-1830 and is stunningly visual. The grandees are beautifully dressed in their period clothing, Cenerentola and her family suitably seedy in costumes looking moth-eaten, lived-in and dirty, yet suggestive of former gentility. It is obvious that great thought went into the staging of this opera. The sets also reflect the social position of their denizens, a loving recreation of the era which draws you into the world of this opera like no other component. It is a visual treat.
The acting and singing are fine because both aspects of the drama are stressed. The vile, narcissistic step-sisters Clorinda (Raquela Sheeran) and Tisbe (Lucia Cirillo) are excellently portrayed. The Father ironically named Don Magnifico (Luciano di Pasquale) is superbly repugnant. The philosophe Alidoro (Nathan Berg) is sung with a suitably rich Bass-Baritone reminiscent of Mozart's Sarastro in the Magic Flute. Dandini (appropriately named), the servant who masquerades as the prince to discover which of the sisters is most worthy of marriage, is sung by Simone Alberghini. The prince Don Ramiro (Maxim Mironov) is youthful with a fine, slightly reedy tenor. Angelina (another appropriate name) also known as Cenerentola is sung by lovely Ruxandra Donose. Her voice struck me as slightly problematic. It is a dark mezzo-soprano leaning toward contralto and is an excellent instrument: lyrical and supple. It's a voice that will only improve with time. At her lower register she projects softly so that hearing her distinctly on my sound system required my close attention and an occasional finger on the volume button. Her upper register is fine, with no difficulty in projection (though she's no Bette Midler).
The opera was recorded live at the Glyndebourne Opera House on June 2 & 4 2005. It is shot in 16/9 anamorphic widescreen high-definition film and looks beautiful. The double layer DVD is NTSC encoded for all regions. Sound is available in LPCM stereo and 5.1 DTS Digital Surround and is stunningly lifelike with great presence and immediacy. Good home theater systems will have a field day. Subtitles are in English, French, German, Spanish and Italian. Extras include a Cast Gallery, an Illustrated Synopsis and a short documentary Insights with Sir Peter Hall and Vladimir Jurowski. The running time of the 2 discs is 187 minutes.
On balance, this is my favorite Cenerentola because of its insightful production. It is intelligently presented and beautiful to look at. Opus Arte is releasing some fine DVD sets and this is another example of their high standards. Strongly recommended.
Mike Birman

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Tony Bennett: An American Classic Review

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(More customer reviews)To accompany his lustrous "Duets" CD, perennial crooner Tony Bennett recruited some first-rank talent behind and before the cameras to help him produce this remarkable TV special to commemorate his 80th birthday. It is at once a throwback to the network variety specials from the 1960's and 70's (before pay-cable rendered them obsolete) and a reinvention of the format incorporating biographical elements within the context of mini-video performances. The result aired on NBC earlier this week as an hour-long special. Without commercials, the program scarcely runs forty minutes, but it remains a superbly crafted showcase for a timeless singer. Thanks to Rob Marshall's innovative conception and immaculate direction, the show follows a roughly chronological timeline of Bennett's career with nine starry-eyed duets connected by brief snippets of his professional milestones.
Things start on a high note with Bennett in an empty theater singing Charlie Chaplin's "Smile" joined by a mellifluous-sounding Barbra Streisand, his most accomplished partner for the evening. In a jazz nightclub setting, he is surrounded by the acrobatic Tony Bennett Dancers and swings though "Sing, You Sinners" with a confident John Legend. In a recording booth at Columbia Studios, Bennett sings his first hit, "Because of You" accompanied by smoky vocals from k.d. lang and a languorous trumpet solo by Chris Botti. Visually, my favorite part of the program is the black-and-white recreation of the 1960's-style variety show complete with dancers in sailor tops and Capri pants. In this segment, Diana Krall joins Bennett on a finger-snapping "The Best Is Yet to Come" followed by a sonorous version of "The Shadow of Your Smile" given a samba-accented makeover by Columbian rock singer Juanes.
The inevitable Vegas sequence features a bevy of feather-fanned showgirls. In this milieu, Bennett is joined by Elton John on a jaunty "Rags to Riches", by new-jack crooner Michael Bublé on a swinging "Just in Time" (whose Dean Martin-style behavior may rankle the more feminist-minded), and finally by a surprisingly stationary Stevie Wonder leaning heavily on his melisma on his own "For Once in My Life" (which includes his trademark harmonica interlude). To show his popularity with the current crop of chart-toppers, Bennett is joined by a retro-styled Christina Aguilera and the dancers in full Fosse mode on "Steppin' Out". It all ends appropriately with a shimmering solo of Bennett's signature song, "I Left My Heart in San Francisco".
Providing the spoken interludes between the performances are Billy Crystal, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Bruce Willis, John Travolta and Robert DeNiro. At about 45 minutes in total, the extras on the DVD actually last longer than the special itself. They start with a 2 1/2-minute trailer and go right into footage of the dancers rehearsing their four production numbers. What follows is an extensive making-of featurette which features interviews with Marshall, choreographer John DeLuca and other key members of the creative staff interspersed with behind-the-scenes footage.

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Lip Service (2000) Review

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(More customer reviews)I liked this movie--good plot, good acting and Kuri Wuhrer nude--what else do you need? She doesn't have a voice and she plays the part of one stupid singer who can't sing rather well--but she is good at it. The other actors are good also, especially the one with the voice--she is one good singer and she is beautiful. The plot is great and easy to follow. This is one B movie to watch!!!!

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Serious Hits Live Review

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(More customer reviews)Finally, this great concert is released on dvd. I have the vhs and I've played it to death. This concert never gets old or boring. I put it on so I can listen to it while doing housework but I always end up sitting and watching it or just dancing all around the house. It's a joy to hear a real musician play real music instead of all that sampled stuff that's out today.
There is no lip synching or canned music here. Phil and the band give an all out performance. So much so that you can see how tired he is as the show is coming to an end and he sits down on stage to finish his last song. You don't want to miss the drum duet by Phil and Chester. It's one of the high points in the concert. This dvd is a must have even if you've never heard of Phil Collins.
The only quibble I have is the performance of "You can't hurry Love". I can do without it but you may love it. Even so, it's great to hear an artist that sounds as good out of the studio as he does in the studio. While Phil is no Mario Lanza, he can sing and he has good pitch. As I stated earlier, he and his band are a bunch of real musicians. The sound quailty is excellent. I was shocked at how good it sounded through my stereo. Sometimes, live concerts can sound a bit fuzzy. The camera work is excellent as well. Editing is smooth and captures the feel and the excitement of being there. You'll feel like you were there.
Please treat yourself to this dvd. It ROCKS!!!

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Engelbert Humperdinck Live at the Royal Albert Hall Review

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(More customer reviews)With the London Symphony Orchestra, four dancing girls, three back-up singers, as well as his excellent band led by Frank Leon, Engelbert gives us a terrific concert, the earliest of those currently available on DVD, from 1985.
It has a good selection of songs, and even a touch of disco, with "I'm So Excited" and "Come a Little Closer" which he sings and dances with the girls, with a lot of choreography involved in the routines.
There is a medley of songs Nat King Cole made famous, with a marvelous "Mona Lisa" to a solo guitar accompaniment (by Rick Vittallo), as well as many of Engelbert's early hits. Two songs that are standouts are Lionel Richie's "Hello", and my favorite, a superb rendition of Edith Piaf's "If You Love me (Really Love Me) which is the encore.
Engelbert is 49 in this concert and looks fantastic. Rakishly handsome, he has that trouble with a capital T look that the ladies tend to go for.
When compared to the DVDs of later shows, the 1990 from Birmingham (a rowdy, fabulous show, despite the fuzzy audio/visual quality), the 1995 show with Bebu Silvetti which is smooth and rich, and the London Palladium show from 2000, one can see how Engelbert kept getting better, as an artist and showman; like fine wine, he improved with age, and there is luster and polish to his performances that increases as time goes by. Nevertheless, this 1985 concert is fine entertainment, and his voice is always a marvel to listen too.
The audio/visual quality is much better than the '90 concert, but not as good as the '95 and 2000 shows, and total playing time is 59 minutes.
Track listing:
1: "Lovely Way to Spend an Evening"
2: "I'm So Excited"
3: "Hello"
4: "After the Lovin'"
5: Medley: "Mona Lisa" ~ "Unforgettable" ~ "Lazy, Crazy, Hazy Days of Summer" ~ "Ramblin' Rose" ~ "Too Young" ~ "When I Fall in Love (With You)"
6: "I Just Called to Say I Love You"
7: "I'll Walk Alone"
8: "Help Me Make it Through the Night"
9: "Come a Little Closer"
10: "Release Me"
11: Medley: "This Moment in Time" ~ "Les Bicyclettes de Belsize" ~ "Am I That Easy to Forget" ~ "Quando, Quando, Quando" ~ "A Man Without Love" ~ "There Goes My Everything" ~ " Spanish Eyes" ~ "The Last Waltz" ~ "Love is All I Have to Give"
12: "If We Only Had Love"
13: "If You Love Me (Really Love Me)"

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Great Moments in Opera from The Ed Sullivan Show (1981) Review

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(More customer reviews)Memories of Ed's "really big shooooe" may summon up images of Topo Giggio and Senor Wences, but Sullivan was primarily known for presenting the best talent from the New York stage, including night club, Broadway, and opera. This DVD gives us 2 hours of headliners primarily from the Met performing arias and duets from roles that they performed in New York. Most of these selections seem to be from the 60's (no dates are identified), and a few seem to be from the 50's. Almost all are performed concert-style (without sets and costumes).
Some of the most compelling segments are Callas' Vissi d'arte (Tosca) and Lily Pons' Gavotte (Mignon), two of the few selections filmed with costumes and sets. Callas' dramatic gifts are legendary, and Pons proves to be dramatically effective in her own way, singing and moving with ease and charm. Even at this late point in her career, she generates a lot of excitement. Joan Sutherland and Marilyn Horne trill together in Mira o Norma, and Sutherland solos in Sempre libera (Traviata) and Quando rapita (Lucia). A young Beverly Sills brings her considerable coloratura skills to O luce di quest' anima (Linda di Chamounix). Richard Tucker gives a moving rendition of Vesti la giubba (Pagliacci), and Anna Moffo is captivating in Il regimento (Daugher of the Regiment) and La Ballatella (Pagliacci).
Roberta Peters and Robert Merrill seem to have been frequent guests, and they certainly know how to connect with Sullivan's audience. Peters sings arias from The Barber of Seville, Traviata, Lakme, and Gounod's Romeo and Juilet, and Merrill sings arias and duets from The Barber of Seville, Forza, Traviata, and a medley of arias from Aida, Traviata, and Carmen. I was somewhat disappointed with Dorothy Kirsten, a long-time favorite of mine. Famed for her Puccini heroines, she sings Un bel di (Butterfly) and partners with Franco Corelli for Soave fanciulla (Boheme), but neither piece shows her at her best.
There are several repeats. We get three renditions of Vissi d'arte (Callas, Leontyne Price, and Birgit Nilsson), two of Un bel di (Dorothy Kirsten and Eileen Farrell), and two of Pace pace mio dio (Nilsson and Farrell). Farrell sings Pace pace mio dio (Forza) with commitment and passion, but an overly arty visual concept proves rather distracting.
Many of these selections are excellent, and it is exciting to see some of the Met's best singers of the 50's and 60's.

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Rautavaara - Rasputin / Salminen, Hynninen, Paasikivi, Franck, Finnish National Opera Review

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(More customer reviews)It should come as no surprise that Einojuhani Rautavaara is without the shadow of a doubt the best living opera composer of
our times.After being an enfant terrible with his first two operas he consolidated his particular style with his fifth opera called THOMAS in 1985.RASPUTIN has been written in the grand opera style,perhaps a triffle different to the extremely
personal universes that he evoked in his previous two operas,his
capolavoro ALEKSIS KIVI and the "tragedia buffa" THE HOUSE OF THE SUN.In spite of this though the musical style follows the much more melodic vein which characterizes his operas from VINCENT on,permeating the score with a distinguishable russian flavor.
There are great ensembles and monologues for the protagonist(a sweet and soaring description of his native Siberia)for Tsar Nicholas,for the Tsarina Alix and for the conspirator prince Felix Yussupov.A magnificent danced religious
orgy in the first act and a wonderful tavern scene with russian
gypsy melodies inserted in the score,which gives way to an ensemble where the composer makes use of melodic continuos which approximate this opera to the conclusion of ALEKSI KIVI.
Perhaps the only flaw of the score is the lack of dramaticism of
the murder scene in act III,which can be forgiven given the greatness of the rest of the opera.
The mammothical title role has been tailormade for the voice of bass Matti Salminen,one of the best singers of the finnish nation,together with other artists of renowned quality who also
take part in this event.
Of particular interest are baritone Jorma Hynninen as Tsar Nicolai III,mezzosoprano Lili Paasikivi as the troubled Tsarina,
and tenor Jyrki Anttila and baritone Gabriel Suovanen as the conspirators Felix Yussupov and Dmitri Pavlovich.
Mikko Franck conducts the orchetra of the Finnish National Opera.Five stars for this oeuvre d'art which deserves even more.
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