Title: Not Far Enough Off Broadway
Product review: Perhaps no production of La Fille could make me enjoy the shallow music. Please don't get me wrong. I love bel canto and I have enjoyed many evenings of Donizetti, but this opera is just too bumptious for me. The genesis of the bouncy Broadway musical is too apparent. So I admit I'm prejudiced. However, THIS production seems gratuitously silly. Every chance to make the music sound oompah corny is exploited. There are more than a few tuning problems spread generously among the singers, and voice timbres are harsh throughout, more bellow canto than bel canto. Reading the other amazon reviews, I find myself agreeing with most of the faults noted and few of the virtues.To offer something positive: if you want to see and hear a successful comic opera in the bel canto style, you might choose Rossini's "Le Comte Ory", which is available on DVD. Silliness can be delightful when the music isn't sacrificed.
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