La Boheme!
Starring Anna Netrebko (soprano) & Rolando Villazón (tenor) with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Bertrand de Billy, conductor.
I remember my last trip to New York in 2006. My purpose was to “overdose on Music”, and I saw/heard this opera at the Metropolitan Opera in Lincoln Center. I purchased a ticket just 15 minutes before the performance started. Rolando Villazón sang the tenor part that day, and the entire performance was just as moving as many others I had heard over the years.
Giacomo Puccini’s immortal opera is brought to life in this new feature-film version directed by Academy Award nominee ROBERT DORNHELM, and starring the opera world’s “dream team”, soprano ANNA NETREBKO and tenor ROLANDO VILLAZÓN. This DVD was released in March 2009.
The story of this opera is well-known, so it needs no explanations here. The singing by the two principal roles is just great! Sensitive, with the right balance, heart-breaking at times, and beautifully presented.
This DVD contains several bonus features, including in-depth interviews with stars Anna Netrebko and Rolando Villazón and director Robert Dornhelm.
Here are some Press reviews of the performance:
“Succulently dramatic… a tribute to the stars’ power” The Times
“breathtakingly dramatic and emotional… full to the brim with some of the best vocal talents of today” Opera Now
“beautifully sung all round” Philip French, The Observer
“The world’s finest soprano-tenor team… Anna Netrebko and Rolando Villazón don’t only sing with beauty and power; they can also act” The Evening Standard
Here is a 9-minute section at the beginning of this DVD. Enjoy…