The Berlin Concert - Live from Waldbuhne
 | Average Customer Rating: Recommend Sparks fly in this video of the all-star concert from Berlin's equivalent of the Hollywood Bowl in July 2006, part of the World Cup festivities. The electricity is generated by the all-star trio of tenors Placido Domingo and Rolando Villazon and soprano Anna Netrebko in a program of operatic and vocal favorites. The crowd estimated at 20,000 eats it all up, and so will home viewers who'll relish the prospect of great singers performing great… Product details and pricing info |
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39 Customer Reviews Posted
- A live concert with 3 gifted opera superstars
- A stunning operatic DVD!
This DVD was recorded live at the open air Waldbuhne amphitheater in Berlin on July 7, 2006. It features Placido Domingo, Anna Netrebko and Rolando Villazon with Marco Armiliato conducting the Orchester der Deutschen Oper Berlin. The program featured a medley of cherished operatic staples.
20,000 people got to witness one superb performance after another on this pleasant summer's evening; what thrill it must have been to have actually been there. Domingo, looking grayer and somewhat older, has lost none of his voice over the years nor any of his passion; he seemed a comfortable fit for the rising stars of Netrebko and Villazon.
Highlight of the disc:
So many to choose from, so obviously a subjective choice; but I'd have to pick Netrobko and Villazon (as Mimi and Rodolfo) singing the love duet ' O soave fanciulla ' from Puccini's "La Boheme". Being a sentimentalist, this piece has always had a emotional effect on me, but none much stronger than rendition performed here. Stirring to watch.
And finally, and I guess it goes without saying, but you really need a decent stereo system to appreciate this disc; I initially played this DVD through a friend's TV speakers and the quality (sound) was disappointing to say the least. However on a home theater system the full, rich quality of the music was evident. 5 Stars, more if I could.
R. Nicholson - 2007-08-25, 4 of 4 people found this review helpful, Rated:
- Please, share this one with your friends!
- Yes, Netrebko, Villazon, and Domingo all sing as perfectly as we could imagine. But the surprise for me was the acting and passion that each brought to this outdoor performance before a gigantic and appreciative audience.
First, it's Netrebko, swaying to the music and almost dancing as she sings the line, "My mother was a dancer" from Franz Lehar's Giuditta.
Later, Villazon captivates the audience with a rousing, delightful, "Italian Wedding-style" La Danza by Rossini. Alongwith the audience, Netrebko is so inspired that she's still dancing, as he leads her out for her La Boheme aria.
As twilight approaches at this outdoor "forest concert" in Berlin, the night is capped off by all three, performing a Lehar song, "Dein ist mein ganzes Herz" ("You are my only love"), in which Domingo and Villazon alternate their wooing, each pulling Netrebko towards them. Alternating her own flirtations, she puts the cherry on the sundae with a high note that brings down the house. It just doesn't get any better than this.
I was so enthusiastic about this concert that I invited friends over to see whether I was just bewitched, or if they too, found it enchanting. Indeed, they too found it irresistible. You will love this concert so much that you will barely be able to wait to share it with friends! - 2007-08-21, 11 of 11 people found this review helpful, Rated:
- Domningo still rules.
- Filmed outside in widescreen before 20,000 fans who gathered along the steep hollow of western Berlin's famous Waldbühne amphitheatre on July 7, 2006, this live concert, featuring Plácido Domingo, Anna Netrebko and Rolando Villazón is a photogenic spectacle to behold and a musically thrilling experience for those who not only enjoy opera, but enjoy the best of opera rolled into nearly two hours of familiar melodies, one after the other. As a technical achievement, this DVD is a high quality offering for those who like the "you are there" feel of a live performance - large crowds, a colorful stage, beautiful scenic vistas and panoramic sweeps of an appreciative audience gathered to witness a true operatic event. This DVD has it all: clear and resonant digital sound, crisp, colorful video, and smart cinematography. The sun sets and the mood changes at just about mid-point, when the orchestra under the direction of Marco Armiliato begins the Intermezzo of Mascagni's "Cavalleria rusticana" The intimacy of this show that existed from the opening overture of Verdi's "Nabucco" got even more intimate when the stage lights came on and the richness and color of the stage grew even more pronounced when lit against a stygian sky. As for the performances, a gray bearded, mature 65-year old Domingo still has the voice and the star appeal, such that even when the younger Netrebko and Villazon shared the stage, it was Domingo who was the center of attention, and who was most attuned to the tempo of the orchestra and the lead given by Armiliato. Both Villazon and Netrebko were each on at least one occasion following their own lead out in front of the orchestra and its conductor. I've heard that Ms. Netrebko has done this in the past. Well, she did it here, too; bad form, really bad form for a DIVA. Still, this is a spectacular DVD and a good one to show friends who wonder what the lure is all about. This review appeared at OperaOnline.us.
- 2007-07-23, 6 of 6 people found this review helpful, Rated:
- The Berlin Concert - Live from Waldbuhne
- This is a MUST for opera lovers! The three - Domingo, Netrebko,and Villazon were not only excellent in voice and charisma, but also in their selections. This would be a great way to introduce classical music to those who don't understand what fun it can be!
- 2007-07-16, 3 of 3 people found this review helpful, Rated:
- SPARKS FLY IN THE BERLIN CONCERT
- I got this DVD from the mail last month and view it once with enjoyment, to see the current golden couple of the opera world in action, and ,of course, the enduring placido Domingo in his midsixties and still doing magic; this I can't help thinking about Jerry Hadly who at 55 lost his voice and in debt and in a depression killed himself and is brain dead in a hospital at this moment. I can't help also thinking about people who know how to manage their lives and those who don't, in this case you do know who does and who doesn't. This is no place to discuss other people's personal lives. So, I'll leave it right here. Certainly, I watched the DVD in its entirety before I write this review, I enjoyed it more the second time because I was wide awake. However, at my age, I can't open my eyes all the time; actually, I have to close them most of the time so I missed the commotion created by Netrebko while she sang Musetta's Waltz, If you add ten years to Domingo's that would be about my age. I have a feeling that you can't put up with my rambling anymore, I'm sorry, I'll stop right here.
Domingo starts his program with a difficult to sing famous aria from L'Alessiana that only he can deliver at 65. It's amazing that at his age he still can sing like this, of course, Roberto Alagna does a much better job in his debut album. Netrebko, then sings beautifully 'O mio babbino caro' from 'Gianni Schicchi' although the aria doesn't exactly fit her vocal cord. Villazon then displays his singing skill the aria 'Ah! Parais' from his famous GOUNOD/MASSENET album. Next on, the caressing duet from Verdi's Otello. Here, I would like very much to introduce a DVD of the Met's production of Otello with Renee Flaming, Domingo, and James Morris. Flaming is simply divine in the role of Desdemona. She sings and act beautifully and naturally. I don't have to say anything about Domingo, Otello is his most prominent signature role. And James Morris gives me goose bumps in his evil invoking soliloquy, I don't know the name of the piece, you'll know when you watch the DVD anyway. I simply can't help letting other people know about good stuff. Then the Carmen moutain Entr'acte. The famous tenor/baritone duet from the Pearl Fisher. Here, again, I would like to introduce a beautiful complete opera set CD from EMI with Barbara Hendricks, John Aler, and Gino Quilico. Though, Domingo and Villazon sing well, but they are both tenors the voices don't blend as well as tenor/baritone. You can get carried away by John Aler's 'Je crois entendre encore' even if he doesn't end the aria in the high region. And Hendricks happens to be very good too. And Michell Plasson, a Frenchman conducts a French opera there should't be any problem. There you go, another good thing for you.
Good and exciting numbers continue till the end. Things get more exciting as the concert proceeds. The three of them sure know how to generate reciprocation with the audience. And the audience, according to the disc box cover there were 20,000 of them and I believe it, view from the TV screen it's huge. I would like to mention one more number on the program, it's from Lehar's operetta 'Giuditta'. Netrebko does a very good job of course, but I would still love to introduce Elisabeth Schwarzkopf's OPERETTA ARIAS album. 13 songs altogether, everyone of them is a gem, and she is of course the genuine article. This album has been with me for over three decades and yet my fondness for it never fades.
Here you go, a five-star DVD for you and at discount price too. I have to pay expensive shipping cost but you don't. - 2007-07-15, 4 of 6 people found this review helpful, Rated:
