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Opus Arte has recently expanded its catalogue of classical music DVDs with a new label called Faveo.
Consisting of budget-priced recordings of ballets, concerts and operas filmed in Australia, the series brings together a wide range of favourite artists and works, most of them recorded ten to fifteen years ago.
This DVD of Francesco Cilea's Adriana Lecouvreur caught my eye because of its star soprano and conductor, Dame Joan Sutherland and Richard Bonynge.
For decades, Sutherland and Bonynge (who are married in 'real' life) collaborated on a plethora of well-received recordings, of works from the bel canto (early nineteenth century) period in particular. Adriana dates from 1902, and inevitably has a much more lush orchestration than the Donizetti and Bellini roles for which she is more famous. From that point of view, it's a good choice, because Sutherland's voice had aged considerably by 1984 when the film was made – it wobbles, and the excessive use of portamento disguises her struggle to reach the higher notes.
However, there's no doubting that she's the star of the show, and her compelling stage presence is ideal for the role of Adriana, renowned actress of the Comédie-Française. The opera is in four acts and based on the 1849 drama Adrienne Lecouvreur by Scribe and Legouvé. Lecouvreur lived from 1692 to 1730, and in the opera she is in love with Maurice de Saxe, who is in turn betrothed to Princess Bouillon. In addition Michonnet, the stage manager of the theatre where Adriana is the star, is also in love with her.
Sutherland's gravitas means that she dominates every scene in which she appears, which suits the role but tends to make the overall effect a bit two-dimensional. John Copley's production is a peculiar updating of the action, but his direction is as detailed and sensitive as ever. Michael Stennett's costumes are handsome, and the set designs by Allan Lees are painstakingly detailed.
I was a little disappointed by Heather Begg's Princess Bouillon. Paling in dramatic terms against the massive force of Sutherland, she has neither the vocal beauty nor the hauteur that the role demands.
By contrast, Anson Austin is an excellent Maurizio (a role originally taken by Enrico Caruso). His tenor takes a little time to warm up, but he has a wonderfully lyrical tone and elegant phrasing. The final scene, in which Adriana dies from inhaling the scent of poisoned violets sent by the Princess as if they were from Maurizio (he has previously sent Adriana some violets), features ardent singing from Austin and the trademark Sutherland pathos.
The Michonnet of John Shaw is rather woolly, both in tone and acting – after all, this man is meant to aspire to Adriana hand! Otherwise, the smaller roles are adequately taken, John Wegner's Prince Bouillon in particular.
After the high quality sound and picture, not to mention special features, of the usual Opus Arte releases, it's disappointing to find that the latter are totally absent and the former rather poor in this DVD – a side-effect of releasing an archive film at a low price. It's a shame that the subtitles are on screen all the time without any option.
However, at its best this performance is never less than compelling.
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