I have to confess I’ve
never been terribly fond of ‘filmed’
opera - that is an opera that that goes
on location like any feature film, then
has a separate soundtrack that is dubbed
and lip-synchronised. I prefer operas
to be in the opera house, but if anyone
can bring a realistic film version off
then it’s Zeffirelli. As a ‘proper’
film director, he’s always been good
at this, having notable successes with
Otello and La Traviata,
both of which featured the star here,
Plácido Domingo.
Of course it always
helps when the actors are also providing
the vocal soundtrack, rather than actors
who have to mime to someone else’s voice
(as in Petr Weigl’s Eugene Onegin).
It also helps if they are all of the
stature and experience of those in this
good-value Unitel DVD, where it seems
obvious they have performed the works
many times. Everyone appears to relish
the director’s approach, especially
as he is working with operas that respond
to this realism better than most.
The blood-and-thunder
melodrama inherent in both operas is
treated slightly differently by Zeffirelli
for each one. He uses a true Sicilian
village for Cav, weaving a picture
of simple rural life where Catholic
ritual and superstitions rule everything.
There are stage sets as well, but essentially
this is ‘on location’. Pag is
largely in a studio lot, and the action
placed at a later time (it looks like
the inter-war years). It does have a
suitably claustrophobic feel, though
some of the backdrops look a little
cheap and clumsy. I suppose the director
could justify his thinking here as the
‘play within a play’ taken a stage further.
The casts are strong
but Pag gets my vote overall.
This is largely because of the central
heroine in each. Stratas looks and sounds
perfect as Nedda, beautiful but vulnerable,
just like the ‘little birds’ she sings
of. Obraztsova tends to overact in the
worst operatic tradition, and the voice
has a hard, steely edge that grates
after a while, especially when the vibrato
widens on high notes. The men are excellent
throughout, particularly Domingo. He’s
always good value, but is in exceptional
voice in both operas. If he’s more convincing
as Canio it’s because he truly inhabits
the part of the pathetic, jealous clown,
whereas he looks a bit too old and seems
a shade self-conscious as Turridu. Pons
is superb as Tonio, his ‘Prologue’ as
good as you’ll hear - perhaps Leonard
Warren aside - and Bruson, such a seasoned
singing actor, smoulders menacingly
as Alfio.
The direction of Prêtre
is workmanlike rather than inspired
- he rushes too much in places for my
taste - and the orchestra, who must
have played these scores more than most,
are ragged and sound on overdrive at
times. They are certainly no match for
their earlier selves under a white-hot
Karajan, whose DG set remains my own
personal favourite.
The camerawork is a
touch shaky in places and the film now
looks a bit dated and grainy, but there
is much to enjoy in Zeffirelli’s direction.
I like the way he films the interludes,
especially Pag, where the camera
wanders through the tents, following
the actors as they apply their makeup
and ponder the future. The big ‘Easter
Hymn’ set piece doesn’t disappoint either,
though here the sound isn’t as full
as a modern recording might be.
These films have been
available before on a Philips DVD, and
both operas on one disc make it worth
thinking about. They almost certainly
won’t displace your favourite CD versions,
and have to be taken for what they are.
If you like Zeffirelli’s ‘grand manner’,
together with a realism where every
grimace and jealous look is under the
camera’s scrutiny, you can’t do better.
Tony Haywood
New
Unitel DVD releases
Chorus and Orchestra of La Scala, Milan/Georges
Prêtre 
DEUTSCHE
GRAMMOPHON UNITEL 00440 073 4033 [140:00]
