[ Opus Arte DVD / 2 DVD ]
Release Date: Wednesday 1 August 2012
This item is currently out of stock. It may take 6 or more weeks to obtain from when you place your order as this is a specialist product.
Suitable for General AudiencesLes vêpres siciliennes, like the similarly epic Don Carlos, was conceived as a grand opéra for Paris and is driven by the tensions between private passions and public politics. Originally set during Sicily's 13th-century uprising against French rule, in Christof Loy's staging for the Netherlands Opera the action is transposed to a 1940s world of sudden violence and shadowy double-dealing. Imaginatively cast and idiomatically conducted, the performance presents this magnificent score in its entirety, including the allegorical ballet The Four Seasons.
Extra features:
Cast gallery
Introductory film
Running time 208 mins
Region Code All regions
Picture format 16:9 Anamorphic
Sound format 2.0LPCM + 5.1(5.0) DTS
Menu languages EN
Subtitles EN/FR/DE/ES
"Alejandro Marco-Buhrmeister succeeds in evoking our sympathy in 'Au sein de la puissance'. The lovers sing tenderly; but what stands out in their Act 2 duet is some exquisite phrasing in the strings...There are a few cuts, including the cabaletta of Procida's 'Et toi, Palerme', but it's a worthwhile addition to the modest number of French grand operas on DVD." (Gramophone)
"Barbara Haveman floats fine pianissimi but she is significantly underpowered as Helene...One of the handsomest baritones of the moment, Alejandro Marco-Buhrmester works hard and with notable intelligence, but his Montfort is tonally too lean for the music...The Netherlands Opera Chorus...remains one of the most musically and dramatically responsive among major companies." (International Record Review)