| Handel - Rodelinda / Antonacci, Scholl, Streit, Chiummo, Winter, Stefanowicz, Christie, Glyndebourne Opera | 
| Actors: Anna Caterina Antonacci, Andreas Scholl, Kurt Streit, Umberto Chiummo, William Christie
Studio: Kultur Video
Category: DVD
List Price: $29.99
Buy New: $16.49
You Save: $13.50 (45%)
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Avg. Customer Rating:   (13 reviews)
Sales Rank: 48934
Format: Classical, Color, Dvd-video, Ntsc
Language: Italian (Original Language)
Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Media: DVD
Running Time: 200 minutes
Number Of Items: 1
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.1 x 5.4 x 0.6
MPN: 2834
ISBN: 0769778747
UPC: 032031283497
EAN: 9780769778747
ASIN: B000A3XYZA
Release Date: August 30, 2005
Theatrical Release Date: 1998
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Editorial Reviews:
Description
Jean-Marie Villegier?s stylish production of Rodelinda sets Handel?s tale of royal exile and fidelity in the silent movie era. The composer?s ravishing music is perfectly set off by the sophisticated glamour and visual daring that characterized the birth of cinema. With Anna Caterina Antonacci as Rodelinda, Kurt Streit as Grimoaldo, Umberto Chiummo as Garibaldo, Andreas Scholl as Bertarido. Glyndebourne Festival Opera.."Jean-Marie Villegier?s brilliant, unnerving production ... A great show - don?t miss it" THE GUARDIAN
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| Customer Reviews: Read 8 more reviews...
 Took a bit of getting used to, but excellent in the end December 28, 2008
I'm a bit hypersensitive to hammy operatic acting, and this particular staging used hammy silent movie acting as a deliberate choice, so it took a bit for me to get past it. In the end though, it was worth it to make the mental shift. I wish the shift had taken less effort for me, but not being a silver-screen fan, I think that's more my thing than a failure of the staging. And to be fair, once I did put in my mental clutch and make that shift, it was effort well spent.
So ultimately, this DVD was lovely. Rodelinda/Antonacci's voice wasn't quite as champagne-colored and sparkly as I might have liked in a baroque soprano, but it was really wonderful, and Bertarido was of course fabulous. (He descends into chest voice for a few notes, and the resonance and precipitous drop in range literally made me gasp. My 74-year-old mom, who was watching with me and comes from an Italian family that worships 19th century Romantic opera, now thinks Andreas Scholl walks on water.)
Unulfo was lovely, Garibaldo was a delightful moustachio-twirling baddie, and Grimoaldo surprised me in that he was able to make the shift from slapworthy bad guy to really a rather sympathetic remorseful ex-villain. Only Eduige left me rather cold; I find that character more sympathetic than she was made out to be here. All of the voices were delightful, full and nimble although I could tell that some were perhaps better suited to opera buffa than the earlier stuff.
An excellent DVD overall and well worth the price -- and aside, why do so many of these DVDs have no special features? I enjoy watching "making of" features on movie DVDs, sometimes more than the movies themselves. They need to start putting things like that, interviews and BTS featurettes, on operatic DVDs as well.
Opera From The Era of the Silent Screen November 16, 2008
2 out of 4 found this review helpful
King Bertarido is missing and believed to be dead--a fine monument has been erected in his memory. Grimoaldo, a villain with scruples, has usurped the throne by promising to marry the king's sister Eduige and then dumping her to pursue the luscious royal widow Rodelinda. The opera opens with Rodelinda bewailing her fate and spurning Grimoaldo, who is encouraged in his nefarious pursuit by the plotting Garibaldo--the real architect of the king's downfall. The next scene shift to the monument, where a weary Bertarido has returned and pauses to reflect that the loss of his throne is nothing beside the loss of his wife and son. There he encounters his loyal friend Unulfo who gives him the news. The plot proceeds in convolutions thereafter, but Rodelinda remains faithful to her spouse and ultimately he regains both his love and his throne.
This production dating from the Glyndebourne Festival of June 1998 is blessed with the conducting services of William Christie. The title role of the faithful Rodelinda is sung in stellar fashion by Anna Caterina Antonacci, a lovely singer who lights a dark stage with her radiant performance, particularly in the notable aria of Act II. Although it is hard to top her performance, Andreas Scholl does so as the noble king Bertarido. The sound of both singers and period orchestra is flawless.
The staging is daringly set in the glamorous era of the silent movies and the color palate of the costumes is a mute monochrome of black, white, cream, beige and almost lavender. The sets are soot and sepia tones and the lighting can be downright murky at times. There's no doubt in my mind that the elegant costumes for the royal ladies Rodelinda and Eduige are a smashing success. They drip with pearls and ooze glamor and leave nothing to be desired.
I hate to say this of this otherwise fabulous production, but the costumes and makeup for the men make for a very austere visual spectacle when only the guys are on stage. Their costumes are either white uniforms or dark coats, the pancake makeup makes everyone look dead and the only touch of color comes from the vivid red lipstick. I suspect that this idea worked great on a live stage, and less well for the filmed production. This DVD captures an actual performance. We enjoy intermissions between acts with the audience as they savor Andreas Scholl's Glyndebourne debut. His magnetic stage presence lends color to this memorable effort. Pure gold! (Except for the lipstick!)
Excellent recording. May 11, 2008
I am not very fluent in English to write an extensive review, but I would like to say this recording is very very good. To People which like Baroque Opera, and specifically Handel's operas, I recommend very much this recording.
 The other one is much better October 4, 2007
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
In spite of my personal love for most Glyndebourne productions, this Rodelinda does not really fill my expectations. Nice scenaries and lavish costums. However, the major drag here are... the singers (!!!????)... and William Christie conducting a reduced chamber orchestra (The Age of Enligthment)without enough stamina. It is difficult to believe that this is the same team that staged the brilliant Glyndebourne Giulio Cesare. Andreas Scholl disapoints me here, he does not match the art of Michael Chance in the same role for the the Bayerische Staatsoper`s version of Rodelinda (also on DVD). Although his voice is beautiful and spotless (I think he is a great singer and... by the way... a great individual as well) for some reason he lacks of passion and seems unattached to the drama. Believe me I put the best of my efforts to like his singing but I could not. Who said that barroque operas have to be passionless? The same opinion goes to Mrs. Antonacci when compared to her Bayerische's counterpart Dorotea Roschman (Sp?). The sound in the Bayerische version is much better too, denser and at a faster pace fitting to the action on stage. Sorry but my personal opinion is that this Glyndebourne's Rodelinda is slower and boring compared to the Bayerische's one.
Truly enjoyable May 26, 2007
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
I'm not closely familiar with many operas, but I have watched this DVD many times. Its considerable length contains a great many exquisitely beautiful songs. Handel is such a melodic composer; every singer in this opera delivers (extremely well) several wonderful pieces. The set is good; I am truly impressed by the portrayals of Rodelinda, Grimaoldo, Bertarido, Garibaldo, Edwige...all of them! Congratiulations to all involved, past and present.
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