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DVD : Verdi: OtelloIn association with Amazon.comstarring: Jon Vickers, Mirella Freni, Peter Glossop, Stefania Malagu, Aldo Bottion directed by: Herbert von Karajan  List Price: $29.98 Amazon.com's Price: $20.97 You Save: $9.01 (30%)Prices subject to change. Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
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Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated) Binding: DVD EAN: 0044007340400 Format: Classical, NTSC Label: Deutsche Grammophon Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon Number Of Discs: 1 Number Of Items: 1 Publisher: Deutsche Grammophon Region Code: 1 Release Date: June 14, 2005 Running Time: 142 minutes Studio: Deutsche Grammophon Theatrical Release Date: 1974 Sales Rank: 38951 MPN: 000428509 Related Items:
Editorial Review: Amazon.com: Verdi's Otello is a larger-than-life role, calling for a tenor of Wagnerian vocal power and stage presence. In the late 20th century, two singers fully met its specifications--Jon Vickers and Placido Domingo. Both were filmed in video productions of unusual quality, and a choice between them boils down, ultimately, to a question of personal taste. In this 1973 production, Vickers is given an effective context to set off his powerful, carefully considered characterization. Mirella Freni is an appealing Desdemona, Peter Glossop is a credibly vicious Iago, and the cast is solid right down to the very young future star Jose van Dam in a small supporting role. The chorus and orchestra rank with the world's best. Herbert von Karajan's direction, musical and theatrical, is a source of both strength and shortcomings. His power and prestige allowed him to assemble stellar casts and to scoff at budget limitations. He was also able to take the production beyond the opera house's visual limitations with on-location filming, an opportunity that is exploited with powerful impact in the storm-at-sea scene that opens this Otello. His personal musical taste sometimes tended to favor polish at the expense of expressive intensity. But he does present Verdi's score intact, without the cuts made in the 1986 cinematic production directed by Franco Zeffirelli and starring Domingo. Personally, I find the Zeffirelli Otello dramatically compelling, but Von Karajan's--or Georg Solti's 1992 version with Domingo and Kiri Te Kanawa--is closer to what Verdi had in mind. --Joe McLellan Average Rating:
 Rating: - Very good, with minor flawsThis film version of Verdi's Othello -- directed and conducted by Herbert Von Karajan, a man of many talents -- is excellent in many respects, and more than adequate in most. The occasional variation in decibel level is perhaps the only flaw. Buckets of water (intended to serve as the spray of breakers) aside, the 'special affects' are pretty good. The film is nicely filmed; there were times I was convinced they'd found some Maltese castle, but apparently it was done in a Berlin studio. The camera ... Read More Rating:  - Make that five stars with some reservationsPrior to buying this, I already owned two magnificent DVDs of Otello, so why bother with a third? First, this is a film as opposed to a staged production, so I was curious about what Herbert von Karajan could do with this opera, having already fallen in love with his film of Carmen. Second, this is Otello, often called the greatest and most perfect opera ever written, and a personal favorite of mine. Finally, I took a look at the names on the credits: von Karajan, Jon Vickers, Mirella Freni. That pretty ... Read More Rating:  - Great performance, frustrating audioI purchased this performance in its laser disc format a number of years ago and got rid of it because the audio portion is made of extremes. If I raise the volume to hear the quiet portions, I'm blasted out of the room when the music gets louder. There's no happy medium. I don't know if this is Von Karajan's doing or the fault of the sound engineers. I thought that the DVD would be better in this respect, but it's not. So if you're interested in this version, be aware of this (for me) shortcoming. I can ... Read More Rating: - Wonderful performance - frustrating audioI purchased this performance in its laser disc format a number of years ago and got rid of it because the audio portion is made of extremes. If I raise the volume to hear the quiet portions, I'm blasted out of the room when the music gets louder. There's no happy medium. I don't know if this is Von Karajan's doing or the fault of the sound engineers. I thought that the DVD would be better in this respect, but it's not. So if you're interested in this version, be aware of this (for me) shortcoming. ... Read More Rating: - A filmed document to cherishThe lip-synching distractions that mar most opera films isn't too bad here. I found it tolerable and didn't prevent me from enjoying most of this DVD. The acting isn't top-notch, as is regrettably the case with many opera movies. Best of the bunch in this department is Glossop, and what some may find as a lack of emphasis sometimes could simply be interpretative choices. Freni's acting I'm afraid could be best be described as stodgy, with occasional inspired moments that are very moving. Vickers ... Read More Browse for similar items by category:
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