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Title: Monteverdi's music is stunning
Review: This is a fine introduction to Monteverdi's Orfeo. All of the singers have rich, beautiful voices, the period instruments are a pleasure to watch, and the audio and visual qualities of the DVD are excellent. The filming of a live stage performance is handled unobtrusively excerpt for the parts when the Messenger sings directly in front of the wide-angle lens camera. Among the things I disliked was the fact that the Spirits and Euridice wear opaque veils in the underworld scenes; the veils not only obscure the dramatic effect but also seem to interfere with their singing. Orpheus's plastic lyre looks like a high school prop. The timing of the English subtitles is also awkward and there is no option to display the Italian libretto. The acting is sometimes a bit exaggerated and artificial (on purpose?), but the music throbs with emotion and is always stunning.
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