Title: Shows why my friends don't like opera
Product review: Poor Verdi- this is arguably his most exciting work, but you would never know it from this video, which should have been left in the vaults. The sound quality, staging, lighting, costumes, and sets are all awful. The orchestra is slow and wooden, stodgifying a remarkable score that should be full of inspiring tempo changes and dynamic shifts and instead leaving the principals stranded on stage, waiting for the instruments to make the key transitions. The staging is forced and awkward and the acting not believable. The chorus extras wander about in the dark, horribly dressed and without purpose. The Anvil Chorus is joyless and dark- I didn't even see any anvils! The singing is quite good, esp. by Sutherland (despite her lack of acting), but is hard to enjoy given the other detractions. Probably the best value here is for hardcore Sutherland fans.
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