Verdi - Stiffelio

From the Editors

No Description Available.<br><b>Genre: </b>Music Videos - Classical<br><b>Rating: </b>NR<br><b>Release Date: </b>10-JUL-2007<br><b>Media Type: </b>DVD
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Ponderous
Verdi composed Stiffelio, to lyrics by Francesco Maria Piave, during his great middle period, the period of Rigoletto, Trovatore, and Triaviata. Its first performance was in Trieste in 1850. A drastically revised version, with the action removed to England, was mounted in 1857, after which the opera sank, score and all, into oblivion. The discovery of a copyist's score in Naples in the 1960's, and of an autograph score in 1992, led to its revival.

The title character, Rev. Muller a/k/a Stiffelio, sung wonderfully in this 1993 Met production by Placido Domingo, is a married Protestant cleric and traveling evangelist living and working in a German-speaking country, rather like Austria, somewhere near Italy. While he is away proselytizing, his wife Lina, here the unremarkable Sharon Sweet, dallies with a count whose dramatic exit from one of their trysts - by leaping from a bedroom window into the river - is witnessed by a boatsman and relayed to Stiffelio. For most of two acts, Lina is traumatized by guilt, Lina's father - a uniformed colonel, wretch of a patriarch, and stand-in for the state - terrorizes Lina and her lover as he takes it upon himself, for the presumed good of his daughter and marriage and the state, to hide the truth from Stiffelio, the count keeps a low profile as he tries to win Lina back, and Paul Plishka, as a church elder, periodically shows up to lift his hands and sing "Pace!" As this summary suggests, the plot - which scandalized the Austrian censors in the 1850's - has little or nothing to say to today's opera-goers. "Get over it. See a marriage counselor. Do you love him or not? Do you love the other guy or not?" we would ask Lina. For today's audience, the state, the church, parents' wishes for and control of their adult children, and even marriage have largely withered away.

Rigoletto is an underdog who truly cares for his daughter; we sympathize with him. The elder Germont is a bourgeois prig, but his son is involved with a demimondaine; if we don't fully sympathize with him, we can at least sympathize with his attempt to reason with Violetta. Otello, of course, deals with presumed infidelity, and he deals with it badly, but it is a personal struggle, so we can sympathize with him. On the other hand there is nothing to sympathize with in Stiffelio, and the music only occasionally echoes - a gavotte here, a choral celebration there - the great scores of Verdi's middle period. Stiffelio is not a masterpiece, but this is a workmanlike production, with some fine singing, that is well filmed.

Worthy of Discovery
Not everyone likes Verdi, but he's not the great maestro of opera without reason. Verdi means melody. Verdi means knowing how to grip us with recognizable emotion. This production of "Stiffelio" is a case in point. The Met has given us a sumptuous feast for eye and ear. While the story may seem a bit disjointed, even far-fetched, (its first audience was puzzled by it and let it disappear from public gaze) there is a feast here for those who love opera. The cast is well chosen. I particularly enjoyed Sharon Sweet. I was not familiar with her and found her singing expressive and pleasing to the ear. Placido Domingo delivers with his usual panache, and Levine convinces you this is an opera oppurtunity of a lifetime. If there is any fault with the opera, it's the raggedness of the story. One is never quite sure if the adulterous wife has really strayed or simply been seduced against her will. What matter. There is ample reason for regret and remorse - where would opera be without guilt to propel its action? The resultant music is gorgeous. I did wonder if the huge sets in Act I and III weren't a bit over-blown. This is hardly the setting of a country parson. I couldn't help wondering how he manages to live in a castle and preach in a church as grand as London's St. Paul's. Ignore that. Instead let this opera treat you to beautiful music, fine settings, and Verdi drama. Each time I watch it I'm glad I found this forgotten treasure. I shall return to it again, and again.

I <3 Sharon Sweet!
I pretty much bought this DVD because of Ms. Sharon Sweet. Man, I wish she kept singing and made more DVDs. She's one of the few perfect spintos that comes along once in a while. Placido is great, as always; very at home in the Verdi repertoire. Chernov and Plishka add to the UH-mazingness of voices.
My only problem is the set/production...it's just not my favorite and I got bored with it.

Stunning Verdi
This 1993 production on DVD introduced me to the greatness that is Stiffelio, now numbered among my most favorite operas. Its tunes can be as irresistible as any but this is a piece of dramatic theater in the line of Otello.
And here we have that masterful Otello, Domingo, giving us a searing portrayal of Stiffelio. Devoted to his wife, he is soon torn by doubts, then faced with the undeniable reality of her adultery. Watching him try to cope with this unalterable fact is heartbreaking, frightening. Domingo perfectly embodies the disbelief, anguish and rage. Your typical Italian character would now feel quite justified in dispatching one or more people in revenge. But no! Stiffelio, the minister, must teach Stiffelio, the man, to find forgiveness in his heart (did Otello ever countenance such a thought!). A heart that, though wounded, still loves dearly. He learns a meekness that is most touching. These latter scenes touch rare emotional depths and it is almost unbearable to witness the broken couple's struggle through the aftermath. But in the end forgiveness does rise above the tragedy. An unusual, beautiful, powerful opera.

The production, sets and filming all serve the opera perfectly. This is one the most striking DVDs I have seen. The atmosphere is sober and traditional yet there is warmth and gaiety. Décor somewhat severe yet shot through with light. Regular and orderly but comfortable, even rich. Each set is simply stunning in its beauty and appropriateness.

This is a great performance, the sum rising to be even greater than its parts. Those parts themselves being great assets- Domingo, Levine, sets, everything just right... But Chernov as Stankar almost steals the show. Straight and rigid in his German uniform (with Iron Cross) he is the picture of soldierly pride. Stern, honorable and unyielding yet his pride finds a match in his tender love of his daughter (ah! this is what Verdi does best, no?). Chernov is most convincing in this lovely role of conflicting emotions. What colors he finds in his arias and duets with his wayward daughter! He was having a splendid evening- he knew it, the audience knew it and responded uproariously, and I feel it every time I watch. Bravo!

The highest praise is also due to DG for their usual excellent presentation of these operas at the Met. Convenient menu; subtitles in Italian (some companies give any language but the original!) English, German, French, Spanish, Chinese; beautiful packaging including a very nice booklet with titles, synopsis, notes on this performance and several photos (I especially prize the full-page one of Domingo kneeling on the leaf-strewn stage in Act 2- just when he comes to grips with the truth about his wife and is about to pick up a sword to exact vengeance...)

FURST RATE PRODUCTION
I have nothing to add to the extensive main review but wish only to join with the second in expressing my own novice's enthusiastic response to this production. Whether or not this is considered major or minor Verdi, the Met proved that it is an opera that can stir deeper emotions and speak to the complexities of human responses. As pointed out by the others, Domingo, Sweet and Chernov, in the lead roles, were simply outstanding both in song and action, the supporting cast did all that could be asked of them, Levine and the Met orchestra demonstrated the success of the conductor's effort to make it among the best in the world, the video production was excellent.
A word should be said with regard to scenic design in this day of minimalism: the traditional approach here, measurably enhanced the power of the production as, it should be mentioned, did the costuming.
All in all, a very classy addition to the collections of opera on DVD.

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