Giuseppe Verdi: Les vêpres siciliennes / NETHERLANDS PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA / CHORUS OF DE NEDERLANDSE OPERA / OPUS ARTE

UPC: 809478010609

• Aspect Ratio ‏ : ‎ 1.78:1
• Is Discontinued By Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ Yes
• MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ Unrated (Not Rated)
• Product Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.47 x 0.59 x 7.64 inches; 2.82 Ounces
• Director ‏ : ‎ Christof Loy, Misjel Vermeiren
• Media Format ‏ : ‎ Multiple Formats, NTSC, Color, Widescreen
• Release date ‏ : ‎ October 25, 2011
• Actors ‏ : ‎ Barbara Haveman, Brukhard Fritz, Balint Szabo, Alejandro Marco-Buhrmeister, Jeremy White
• Subtitles ‏ : ‎ English, Spanish, French, German
• Language ‏ : ‎ French (DTS Surround), French (PCM2 .0)
• Studio ‏ : ‎ Opus Arte
• Writers ‏ : ‎ Giuseppe Verdi, Eugène Scribe
• Country of Origin ‏ : ‎ USA
• Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 2

Summary

Les 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.

"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)

"The Netherlands Opera Chorus...remains one of the most musically and dramatically responsive among major companies. " (International Record Review)