PLACIDO DOMINGO
My Greatest Roles Volume 3 - French Opera
Carmen / Samson & Delilah / The Tales of Hoffmann
Warner Classics is delighted to announce the release of the third volume of DVD boxed sets showcasing some of the greatest recordings of Placido Domingo’s career on stage. This volume features full-length performances of French operas, including Carmen from Vienna State Opera, Samson and Delilah from San Francisco Opera, and The Tales of Hoffmann from The Royal Opera, Covent Garden. Bonus: This volume is complemented by a 1-hour bonus DVD in which Placido Domingo speaks at length, with passion and fervour, about each of the roles he sings in these three operas.
CARMEN (Bizet) - Vienna State Opera
This famous staging of Carmen from Vienna State Opera in 1978 was by the great Franco Zeffirelli, who not only directed the production but also the television broadcast. It is also a rare chance to witness the musical genius of conductor Carlos Kleiber, who made very few video recordings. Together they created a thrilling and dramatic production, which Domingo says was “very special”, and “will live in my mind forever.” Placido Domingo was in his prime at the time of this performance. He considers the role of Don Jose to be very close to his heart because his mother, like Don Jose, was from the Basque country, and this empathy shows in his stunning portrayal. He is joined by Elena Obraztsova as a strong, but wonderfully natural Carmen, Isobel Buchanan as Micaela, and Yuri Mazurok as Escamillo.
Picture format: NTSC 4:3 FF
Audio: Dolby 2.0 Stereo
Duration: 153 mins
Subtitles: Eng / Fr / Ger / It / Sp
SAMSON AND DELILAH (Saint-Saens) - San Francisco Opera
Placido Domingo and Shirley Verrett star in the title roles in this live recording of the 1981/82 Season premiere from the San Francisco Opera, with Wolfgang Brendel as the High Priest of Dagon. The colourful and evocative sets and costumes reflect Saint-Saens’ melodic and sensual score, here conducted by Julius Rudel. Samson is one of Domingo’s favourite roles, partly for the profound beauty of the music, but also because of the character’s battle between duty to his people and his love of Delilah. “Placido Domingo and Shirley Verrett…incomparable in the title roles” SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE
Picture format: NTSC 4:3 FF
Audio: L-PCM Stereo
Duration: 116 mins
Subtitles: Eng / Fr / Ger / It / Sp
THE TALES OF HOFFMANN (Offenbach) - The Royal Opera
This stunning 1980 Royal Opera production is by film director John Schlesinger and conducted by Georges Pretre. The spectacular designs by Maria Bjornson and William Dudley vividly bring Hoffmann’s nightmare world to life. Placido Domingo sings the role of Hoffmann, in one of his towering portrayals. The all-star cast also includes Luciana Serra as Olympia, Agnes Baltsa as Giulietta, Ileana Cotrubas as Antonia, Robert Lloyd as Lindorf, Geraint Evans as Coppelius, Nicola Ghiuselev as Dr Miracle, and Siegmund Nimsgern as Dappertutto. Domingo very much enjoyed singing this most ‘complete’ of roles with the huge range of characterisation required.
“Placido Domingo, surely the most compelling Hoffmann of his generation. The most stylish vocally, too” BBC Music Magazine
Picture format: NTSC 4:3 FF
Audio: Dolby 2.0 Stereo
Duration: 150 mins
Subtitles: Eng / Fr / Ger / It / Sp / Jp
Region 2,3,4,5,6
