La forza del destino

"I en opera som Verdis "La Forza del Destino" i en udgave fra Metropolitan og James Levine høres to sangere man genkender, Leontyne Price som Donna Leonora og Leo Nucci som Don Carlo di Vargas. I og for sig tilstrækkeligt til at leve interesseret med i dette drama, hvor orkestrets rolle også er et kapitel for sig. Verdi formår jo næsten at overspille alt og alle i den måde, hvorpå han disponerer sit orkester, og så tager man gerne James Levines klovnerier med som rabat oven i det øvrige. Og så er forestillingen endda acceptabel som filmet opera, hvilket også gælder deklamationens lighed med stemmens mimik".

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"Zubin Mehta's well-marshalled, unindulgent, unselfconscious conducting is ideal for both this work and production. Pountney's unfussily direct handling of the tragic side of the drama plays to his cast's strengths ... Sound and vision are both helpful and this is the best realised of the four current Forsa dvds".

"Hilflose Videos, ein rotierendes Gerüst, geschäftige Chöre und ein zwischen Routine und Beteiligung pendelnder Zubin Mehta lassen die Variante gleichwohl als eine der erträglicheren einer wohl kaum befriedigend zu realisierenden Oper erscheinen".

"Forza is one of Verdi's trickiest operas to bring off, a sprawling series of tableaux ... perhaps that's why Pountney feels the need to spell out the plot ... There are eye-browsing directorial decisions ... Bible-clutching cowgirls in the Rataplan chorus don't quite break into line-dancing, but it's a close shave, accompanied by video footage of fighter bombers ... Productions of Forza are alway welcome, but this staging is problematic, both vocally and dramatically".

"Sie wird unter der müden, lahmenden Leitung von Asher Fisch ein Triumph des Singens über den Rest des Opernabends. In einer dramaturgischen Irrfahrt ohnegleichen geht es über spanische und italienische Schauplätze".

"Vurdering: Editor's choice" - "A large part of the characterisation comes from the sheer quality of Harteros's singing, poised and perfectly shaped, with an impeccable sense of style, the voice itself slightly hazy in colour but totally focused. This is a wonderful performance ... Tézier is hardly less stylish, and sings with thrillingly rich and generous tone ... This is a compelling Forza, featuring some truly wonderful performances".

"Selv om orkesterspillet er udmærket, skuffer solister og opsætning en del ... alt i alt: en traditionel opsætning, som ikke ødelægger operaen, men mådeligt udført og med sangere, som ganske enkelt ikke kan virke overbevisende på scenen - heller ikke selv om de sangligt aldrig er under middel".

"Thus this performance, conducted with thought and consideration by Mehta and recorded in very good sound, has much to offer, even if one can find better individual singing elsewhere".

"Wooden chorus, flat direction ... In particularly, the chorus requires firm, imaginative direction, and that is woefully lacking here ... There is a much better version on DVD from the Metropolitan under Levine".