Il Barbiere di Siviglia:

Composed in two acts (based on the play by Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais) and a libretto by Cesare Sterbini Il Barbiere di Siviglia is quite possibly one of the most notable comic operas ever written. Retelling the story of Figaro, a warm-hearted barber from Seville, who assists the beautiful Rosina in avoiding the "serious" initiations by Don Bartolo and consequently directing her in the arms of heartthrob Count Almaviva Il Barbiere di Siviglia is a masterpiece of opera.

Graced by colorful characters, rich lines, and a superb orchestral score Il Barbiere di Siviglia is a typical representative of the bel canto style (a musical style which focused on beautiful melodies opposing the overly dramatic style of writing favored by many Italian opera composers – an opera associated with the bel canto style would be referred to as opera-Buffa). It is the beautiful arias in Rossini's Il Barbiere di Siviglia however that truly elevated the opera amongst the best of the best (listen to Rosina sing "Una voce poco fa" and Almaviva's response in Act II when he performs "Ah, il più lieto"). The superb orchestration allowing the singers to reveal their full potential undoubtedly transformed Rossini as one of the greatest Azzurri composers.

The DVD release by Image Entertainment provided in this commemorative Rossini set offers a stage production of Il Barbiere di Sevliglie by the Netherlands National Opera. Financed by The Fund for Supporting Dutch Cultural Programmes and co-licensed by RM Associates Rossini's opera is conducted by Alberto Zedda and is produced by Hans Hulscher (stage set-designs and costumes by Dario Fo).

How Does the DVD Look?

As mentioned in previous opera reviews the term original aspect ratio (OAR) is irrelevant here as it is entirely up to the producers to decide how the opera will be filmed. In this particular case what we have here is a framing of 1.33:1 providing plenty of looks at the orchestra and the pit as well as the action taking place on the stage. Colors and contrast are generally very good although at times the image quality becomes rather soft when the camera zooms over the audience (beginning) or the conductor and the orchestra. All things considered the presentation is indeed very, very well done.

How Does the DVD Sound?

What we have here in terms of audio is a standard PCM Stereo Italian mix with optional English subtitles. As this is a live performance with plenty of action on the stage the quality of sound we get ranges from spectacular to very good. I did not notice any particular problems with the presentation although to be honest I think that a much more elaborate mix should have been used here!! With this said there are no extras to be found on this release.

Semiramide:

A Metropolitan Opera, Orchestra, and Chorus performance of Rossini's Semiramide staged back in 1992 is what the second disc in this commemorative set offers. Inspired by Voltaire's tragedy "Semiramis" (text by Gaetana Rossi) the opera was first performed on February 3, 1823 in Venice, Italy.

Written in less than forty days Semiramide takes place in the city of Babylon where Semiramide (and Assur) has arranged the murder of her husband King Nino. When the young and beautiful general Arsace however arrives in town Semiramide falls madly in love with him. Little does she know however that Arsace is her long-forgotten son. In the meantime the ghost of King Nino rises up to announce that Arsace (who is in fact Prince Ninia) will soon become a king. The unsuspecting Arsace is told that Semiramide and her lover Assur are responsible for his father's death and the young general vows to revenge King Nino's death. When the time for revenge finally arrives Arsace's dagger strikes Semiramide.

Carrying all the elements of a classic Greek tragedy (how ironic) Semiramide was Gioachinno Rossini last opera. Long criticized for being too demanding for its singers (the opera offers some uncharacteristically difficult arias) the title role in Semiramide was written for no other but Rossini's own wife Isabela Colbran. Of course during the years it was the famous overture as well as the outstanding orchestration that transformed the opera into one of Rossini's most beloved works.

Image Entertainment offer us a John Copley production of Semiramide filmed at New York's Metropolitan Opera directed by maestro James Conlon. Led by the spectacular Marilyn Home the cast is also equally impressive: Jane Anderson, Stanford Olsen, Samuel Ramey, John Cheek, Michael Forrest, and Jeffrey Wells among others.

How Does the DVD Look?

Filmed in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1 and enhanced for widescreen TV's Semiramide looks very good. Contrast is handled rather well even though once again there is plenty of softness which becomes a tiny bit distracting when the camera zooms (most notably in the first 20-25 minutes). Colors are in my opinion also truthfully recreated for the DVD release of Semiramide and the anamorphic image is by all means quite pleasing. With this said however "evaluating" an opera filmed specifically for a DVD/VHS release remains a tricky business: there is simply too much that what we see here will probably be "judged" with a different eye had it been part of a standard film release.

How Does the DVD Sound?

Presented with two different audio options: an Italian 2.0 and 5.1 Surround mixes Semiramide sounds substantially better than Il Barbiere di Siviglia. Once again however it quickly becomes obvious that a live performance certainly has its limits as you could hear plenty of stage cracks as well as unevenness when the orchestra performs. Most definitely however I am pleased with what Image have provided given how limited and uneventful the sound presentation was in Il Barbiere di Siviglia. With optional English subtitles.

La Cenerentola:

Inspired by the famous story Cendrillon, ou La petite pentoufle de verre from Charles Perrault's Les histoires ou Contes du temps passé (1697) and with a libretto by Jacopo Ferretti La Cenerentola premiered in 1817. Heavily criticized by the French critics for "betraying the spirit" of Perrault's work Rossini's opera did indeed replace some of the traditional elements in Cinderella's story with more relevant "additions" – there are no magic pumpkins turned into coaches and of course the glass shoe was replaced with a bracelet. The core of the classic story about Cinderella however remained untouched as prince charming once again managed to run away with the girl of his dreams.

Aside from the fierce criticism instigated by the French critics La Cenerentola suffered plenty of setbacks mainly due to the fact that for a long time there were no adequately trained singers to take on the highly demanding parts (the mezzo-soprano part is notorious for its difficulty). The stage production offered in this commemorative set however offers a spectacular rendition of Rossini's opera courtesy of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, the Chorus of the Vienna State Opera, and conductor Riccaro Chailly.

Under the supervision of director Michael Hampe and with spectacular set designs by Mauro Pagano La Cenerentola looks absolutely fabulous. From the three operas provided in this commemorative Rossini set this is the stage production that I liked the most. The cast is equally impressive: Ann Murrat, Francisco Araiza, Gino Quilico, Walter Berrt, and Angela Denning amongst others.

How Does the DVD Look?

Presented in two acts La Cenerentola has been filmed in an aspect ratio of 1.33:1. Colors are sharp and vibrant, contrast excellent, and the softness which I reported in the previous two reviews not such a big issue. The print is virtually free of any detrimental damage and as far as I can tell the elements used for this release must have been in great condition.

How Does the DVD Sound?

Once again we get two different options here: an Italian 2.0 and 5.1 mixes. The audio quality is crisp and impressively clear (once again you must keep in mind that this is a live recording and as such what you will hear occasionally is the mandatory "stage-thumping"). Aside from that I did not detect any audio drop outs or cracks that might affect your viewing experience. The only upsetting news here is that we get yellow optional English subtitles. As it is the case with the rest of the operas in this set there are no extras provided.

Final Words:

All three of the Rossini operas offered in this set were released quite some time ago as individual DVDs. So, for those who follow opera these are by no means "new releases". With this said, presentation is adequate but not exceptional - what truly matters here is the quality the of the actual stage productions. If you are just entering the world of opera (presented on DVD) this set, if found with a decent price tag, most definitely comes recommended.