Search - Ruggiero Leoncavallo, Georges Prêtre, Plácido Domingo :: Leoncavallo - Pagliacci / Domingo · Stratas · Pons · Prêtre (1983 film)

Soundtrack

Niya | USA | 08/11/2000

(3 out of 5 stars)

"This is the soundtrack of Zeffirelli's film of this opera. For those who have seen the film and liked the performance, this CD can be recommended for sentimental reasons. It's packaged nicely with a slipcase and booklet, which includes 14 full-color screen shots from the film. However, the booklet doesn't contain information about the making of the film and, more importantly, doesn't have a English translation to the libretto. (The original Italian libretto is included.)Musically, the performance isn't the greatest you can find in the market, but it's more than acceptable. Domingo sings heroically if sometimes excessively, and Pons has good characterization. Stratas's voice sounds tight in the bird song, but otherwise she can be exquisite and true to the drama. Pretre's conducting is very good. The recorded sound, though, is not entirely ideal. If you just want the soundtrack but don't care for the pretty packaging, photos, or the libretto here, this recording is also available (coupled with "Cavalleria Rusticana") from the bargain-priced Philips DUO series."

Pagliacci = Placido Domingo

sohnman | Spring Valley, Ca United States | 10/25/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Though not as popular as some former tenors, Placido Domingo is the best in the world. He has the best vocal control of any tenor and best quality too. This is an excellent version of Pagliacci especially considering that Franco Zeffirelli was involved in its creation. Placido Domingo has just the right amount of drama mixed with energy and vocal quality to bring about one of the great performances of Canio. The weakest of the players is Teresa Stratas who seems to have trouble voicing the part of Nedda. This is the best performance of Juan Pons I have heard. Many snobs will find that any music outside of the theater is beastly and ghastly, but what else can you expect from snobs. For a movie rendition it is fantastic. The performances are mostly solid and enjoyable and Placido Domingo shows why he is the best tenor in the world."