Description

Giuseppe Verdi - Alzira - DVD (Tutto Verdi Series)

UPC: 0814337012144

Product Features

Title: Alzira by Giuseppe Verdi
Soloists: Francesco Facini (Alvaro), Thomas Gazheli (Gusmano), Joshua Lindsay (Ovando), Ferdinand von Bothmer (Zamoro), Yasushi Hirano (Ataliba), Junko Saito (Alzira), Anna Lucia Nardi (Zuma), Joe Tsuchizaki (Otumbo)
Conductor: Gustav Kuhn (Orchestra Haydn di Bolzano e Trento)
Chorus: Istituto Corale ed Orchestrale di Dobbiaco (Chorus Master: Marco Medved)
Scenic Concept: Andreas Leisner
Video Director: Tiziano Mancini
Recording: Live at the Alto Adige Festival, Dobbiaco
Subtitles: English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Chinese, Korean, Japanese
Format: DVD, NTSC, Region Code: Worldwide
Sound: DTS 5.1, PCM Stereo
Total Running Time: 117 minutes (Opera: 107 mins, Bonus: 10 mins)
High Definition: Yes
Bonus Feature: Introduction to Alzira

Overview

Part of the Tutto Verdi series, which commemorates the great Italian composer’s entire body of work, this production of Alzira offers a rare glimpse into one of Verdi’s least-performed operas. First performed in 1845, Alzira is set against the backdrop of the Spanish conquest of Peru and showcases Verdi's early mastery in blending emotional intensity with musical innovation. Despite its relative obscurity, Alzira features powerful arias and magnificent choruses, and this concert performance from the Alto Adige Festival in Dobbiaco provides a definitive interpretation.

Under the direction of Gustav Kuhn, the Orchestra Haydn di Bolzano e Trento and the Istituto Corale ed Orchestrale di Dobbiaco deliver a musically rich performance, complemented by an exceptional cast. Francesco Facini leads the ensemble as Alvaro, with standout performances by Thomas Gazheli as Gusmano and Junko Saito as the title character, Alzira.

Interesting Facts

Alzira is one of Giuseppe Verdi’s earliest operas, written during his “galley years,” a period when he composed numerous operas in quick succession.
The opera is based on the play Alzire, ou les Américains by Voltaire, and while it is rarely performed, it is noted for its melodic invention and dramatic choruses.
This performance is part of the ambitious Tutto Verdi project, which aims to present all 26 of Verdi’s operas, plus his Requiem, in definitive versions.
The Alto Adige Festival in South Tyrol (Südtirol) is known for bringing high-quality classical performances to the region, and this concert was staged in the scenic town of Dobbiaco.
The production includes a bonus feature, "Introduction to Alzira," offering insight into the opera's history and significance in Verdi’s oeuvre.