Revisiting Mefistofele Boito Used DVD SF

[lennygoran]

Another rainy day-- yesterday an unbelievable 3 inches! Great day to revisit this DVD we got from amazon for $5-we loved it!

Here's how Amazon describes it. We saw it live when it arrived at the Met. Regards, Len

Arrigo Boito's treatment of the Faust legend has never been as popular as Gounod's, but Boito was an imaginative composer and a great librettist (he wrote the words for Verdi's Otello and Falstaff, the two finest librettos in Italian opera). As the title suggests, his Mefistofele puts the spotlight on the diabolical villain of the story at least as much as its hapless hero. It is a role ideally suited to Samuel Ramey, requiring a rich, deep voice, a striking stage presence, and only elementary acting skills. He has taken it to most of the world's great opera houses with spectacular success, and it is good to have it in a first-class video recording.

The libretto stands out, among operatic treatments of Faust, for its effort to capture the full, epic scope of Goethe's drama, including its moments of unearthly sublimity. The prologue and the conclusion are among opera's most memorable moments of choral grandeur, as this production makes clear. Elsewhere, Boito is witty, colorful, and, sometimes, philosophically dry. --Joe McLellan

From the Back Cover

Arrigo Boito's treatment of the Faust legend is imaginative, yet also faithful to Goethe's original conception, and the score is memorable for its rich orchestral sounds, beautifully punctuated with lyrical passages and choral interludes. Robert Carson's sumptuous, post-modern production of Mefistofele is a gloriously decadent and theatrically stunning realization, and the San Francisco Opera's performance has been unanimously acclaimed in both Paris and San Francisco. Samuel Ramey, in the title role, has won both critical and overwhelming popular approval.



Product details

Is Discontinued By Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ No
Package Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.32 x 4.19 x 1.12 inches; 7.36 ounces
Director ‏ : ‎ Robert Carsen
Run time ‏ : ‎ 2 hours and 40 minutes
Release date ‏ : ‎ April 29, 1997
Date First Available ‏ : ‎ December 7, 2006
Actors ‏ : ‎ Samuel Ramey, Gabriela Benacková, Dennis O'Neill, Judith Christin, Daniel Harper
Subtitles: ‏ : ‎ English
Studio ‏ : ‎ Kultur Video
ASIN ‏ : ‎ 6304469675
Writers ‏ : ‎ Arrigo Boito

Here are some customer reviews-3 in favor and 2 against.

Top reviews from the United States

1. Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Ramey in top form!
Reviewed in the United States on January 17, 2002
Verified Purchase
I saw this production at the San Francisco Opera, and the DVD, while great, doesn't do it complete justice. The prologue in Heaven just has to be seen to be believed...probably one of the most moving pieces of music composed for opera, in my limited view. At the end of the prologue, the resounding "Amen" sung by the angel chorus is accompanied by a light on stage so strong that it filled the opera house, turning night into day, and really underscored the power of the piece. Okay, maybe a bit dramatic, but hey, this is opera!
This is my favorite opera, I live near San Francisco, and Sam Ramey is my favorite opera singer...so I admit to some biases here, but trust me: you won't be disappointed with this DVD. The costumes are fanciful, the sets work in a minimalist sort of way, and the soloists/chorus/orchestra really stand out.
But it's Samuel Ramey who is in top form throughout this production. That he can keep up the intensity throughout the performance is simply amazing, and his bass voice has never sounded more booming, powerful and convincing. It seems to be the role he was born to sing.
I also recommend the CD put out by Sony Classical, conducted by Giuseppe Patane, also featuring Ramey (and Domingo as Faust!).

2. Amazon Customer
4.0 out of 5 stars A must-buy for admirers of Samuel Ramey
Reviewed in the United States on March 8, 2007
Verified Purchase
I have to agree with all the superlatives in the earlier reviews. One has to ask oneself WHY the opera is so compelling. The music is, well pedestrian would be a kind description. Still, I have to confess I went to the New York City opera's production of this (with Mr. Ramey in the title role) three times in a month.

The opera seems to be close to Mr. Ramey's heart. In many other operas he comes across as "wooden". In this one his acting matches his voice. He is totally involved in his role. I particularly appreciate his acting once he has sent Faust on an aerial voyage on his magic cloak.

This production is terrific. I have to echo the reveiwer who commented on the excellence of the chorus. I have only a few minor quibbles, hence the four rather than five stars. I did not care for the staging of the Walpurgisnacht scene, it should be a witches Sabbath and not a New Year's eve party. Also, in the final scene, Faust should be depicted as an old man.

Finally, as someone who loves the Italian language, but does not know it well, I am FURIOUS that there are no Italian subtitles. That could hardly have posed any difficulty. Arrigo Boito had already done the necessary groundwork.

3. Signor Destino
5.0 out of 5 stars The Definitive Staging of an Ethereal Opera!
Reviewed in the United States on February 24, 2008
Verified Purchase
We should all be grateful for the tenacity of Arrigo Boito.After a disasterous debut,he reworked "Mefistofele" into the masterpiece we enjoy today.I own 2 copies of the opera on cd.The Rudel production with Treigle,Domingo& Caballe as the principles.The Gavazzeni production with Ghiaurov,Bergonzi& Kabaivanska as the principals
"Mefistofele" is grand opera at its grandest.From prologue to epilogue,it is a feast for the eyes and ears.The antics at the Easter celebration may raise an eyebrow or two but hang in there. Samuel Ramey was born to play Mefistofele. He is at his zenith in this performance.His voice had to have shook the rafters of the enormous War Memorial.Gabriela Benakova was wonderful in the dual roles of Margherita and Elena. Dennis O'Neill,whom I was not familiar with,possesses an instrument of great beauty as well.
This is fast becoming my favorite opera.The salvation of Faust in the epilogue is the most beautiful ending in all of opera.This opera is not performed enough today. I'm spearheading a move to have it returned to the regular roster.Buy this DVD today!!!


Some who didn't like it

1. G. Hungerford
2.0 out of 5 stars The words "post-modern," in the description, should have been taken as a serious warning
Reviewed in the United States on April 23, 2015
Verified Purchase
I had to think, long and hard, about this description. While parts of this opera are presented in traditional or semi-traditional format/staging/costuming, those scenes are juxtaposed with what can only be described as Alice, in Wonderland, while on a bad LSD trip, trying to locate a semi-pornographic, religious experience, only to discover that the Mad Hatter is, always has been and always will be the true identity of all of the world’s religious leaders.

If not for the excellent performances, vocally and as stage actors, of Sam Ramey and Dennis O’Neill, this version of this opera would have been consigned to the trash heap, with, perhaps, the trash heap rejecting it, as too foul.

I doubt that we will ever again take this DVD out of its case.

2.Wayne R. Klatt
3.0 out of 5 stars "Mefistofele"
Reviewed in the United States on March 27, 2010
Verified Purchase
This is a dissappointing and sometimes silly version of an opera that deserves better. The Prologue in heaven lacks grandure, the camera stays parked on a prop as if left there by mistake, and the costumes are uncertain. Ramey performed the role around the world, and he must have been tired. The singing by Dennis O'Neill and Gabriela Benackova is adequate but does not compensate for such staging as a Walpurgis Night that looks like a drunken party in pajamas. The San Francisco chorus and orchestra lack precision, and no one seems to believe in the work at all. (Yes, the composer, Arrigo Boito, was Verdi's librettist for Otello.)

[maestrob]

Len, I've had this DVD since it was first issued. Boito's Mefistofele with Sam Ramey is a favorite opera of mine: what that last reviewer had to say is just nonsense to me! I also think that Benackova's voice is ideally suited to her role.

[barney]

I'm planning to see a 2023 Rome production in an arthouse cinema next week. Watch this space ... or not!

[lennygoran]

Len, I've had this DVD since it was first issued. Boito's Mefistofele with Sam Ramey is a favorite opera of mine: what that last reviewer had to say is just nonsense to me! I also think that Benackova's voice is ideally suited to her role.

Brian thanks-glad to hear such a favorable opinion from you! Regards, Len