Vivaldi:Il Farnace [Mary-Ellen Nesi; Delphine Galou; Sonia Prina; Loriana Castellano; Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino; Dario Shikhmiri] [DYNAMIC: DVD] [2015]

This production is worth every penny you spend. The semi-concert staging works for this opera. The singers, especially the ladies, are top notch. Mary-Ellen Nesi is Farnace. You can't get into a role more than that. Prina, who doesn't seem the mother type, does an excellent job as does Delphine Galou. Castellano sings Selinda well. However, Roberta Mameli practically steals the whole opera with her Quell'usignolo. It is truly captivating. Buy this!

Nice performances. Just not a great opera.

Those who praised this misguided Eurotrash production should have read Brian Robin's scathing review before they opened their mouths. For starters, he establishes this is NOT a "critical edition" but actually a butchered libretto, detailing the parts that were cut or changed. Great Opera is both auditive (great voices) and spectacle. Well, there is no spectacle at all: No costumes, no scenery, and the singers sing by reading their roles! The conductor sports an unsuccessful Lizst maneful (you never can get to see his face), he is good, but he cannot fight the visual mess. It is in fact a staged concert performance! So, why spend the money? Get the CD! The original cast featured female voices and castrati--or more females. Given the renaissance of the countertenor voice, why not have them in the "male" roles? In fact, the weakest voices are the two tenors in the cast (and I mean PAINFULLY bad).. This is an insult to educated opera lovers and to Vivaldi!. My rating is for the production. Eurotrah productions are destrying opera!

I like this music, but it is unclear how much of what we are hearing is authentic and cohesive Vivaldi and not just tossed together. I am glad the production is "out there." Hopefully it will motivate a musicologist dedicated to this genre to a full and accurate revival. With all of the countertenors available today, there is really no reason to cast women as travesti. The production is not so terrific, but the musical performances and singers overcome the distraction by their talent and dedication to their art. Let's try a "do over," please. It would be well worth it!

There’s more real acting and theatrical magic in this ‘semi-staged’ version of Vivaldi’s great work than in many a traditional opera with realistic trees and togas. Conductor Federico Maria Sardelli conducts, with considerable star power, a fairly large group of fine instrumentalists (most playing period instruments) and a cadre of excellent singers who excel in the alternately dramatic and pathetic virtuoso arias of Vivaldi. As a bonus, the singers occasionally get together to sing - very creditably - as a chorus.Certainly there’s also fashionable deconstruction and semiotics involved, but it’s all part of the fun. The costuming is clever, with breastplates worn under suits (perhaps the new trend in Florence this year?), and various armour bits signifying gender. The beauty of the music comes together with the bombast, pity and high stakes politics of three ages: the ancient world, 18th century Italy, and 21st century Europe. A glorious mess that I couldn’t recommend more highly.

The music of Antonio Vivaldi (1678 -- 1741) had been almost forgotten before its remarkable 20th century resurrection. Few composers now are more popular. Most of Vivaldi's popularity is due to his instrumental music such as "The Four Seasons" and to choral music such as "Gloria". His many operas remain little known. I recently heard and reviewed a 66-CD Box set of Vivaldi which included two operas, "Teuzzone" and "Ottonie in Villa". This was the first I had heard of Vivaldi's operas. I was glad when Naxos offered me the opportunity to expand my familiarity with Vivaldi's operas by reviewing this new DVD of "Il Farnace". This opera has been recorded before, but this DVD on the Dynamic label constitutes the world premier on video.This opera has a complex history as Vivaldi wrote and rewrote it in 1727 (twice) 1730, 1731, 1732, and 1739 for different venues and singers. It isn't made clear which version is used in this performance. The story is set in ancient Rome and in a kingdom called Pontus which Rome has defeated. Farnace, the title character, is the king of Pontus. In the opera, he orders his wife to kill his infant son and then herself to avoid the wrath of the Romans. She does not want to do this. The story becomes difficult to follow, but it has wonderfully passionate elements of lust, anger, revenge, and violence. The liner notes include a brief synopsis of the story and English subtitles are available on the DVD. The synopsis and subtitles are adequate, but the appeal of this DVD lies in the music and the staging rather than the story.The performance is by the Orchestra of the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino on period instruments led by a highly charismatic conductor, Federico Maria Sardelli. Most of the performers are women rather than the castrati used in the male roles during Vivaldi's day. Mary-Ellen Nessi plays the lead role of Farnace.The difficulties in reviving Vivaldi's operas include the cumbersome plots, the staging, finding a proper performing edition, and, most of all, the long sections of recitif which modern audiences find unappealing, as did some audiences in Vivaldi's time. This performance surmounts these issues. Vivaldi's music is varied, glorious, and full of passion. Some of the arias are virtuosic, florid and heavily ornamented while others are less elaborate in form and show depth of feeling. The singing on this CD is committed and beautiful. The acting and facial gestures of the performers help bring the emotions to life. The conducting is inspired and lively and the chorus is rousing in its brief role. Even the recitif sections in this performance are musically interesting and move the performance along.This DVD was enjoyable musically and as a work of theater. It enhanced my appreciation of Vivaldi and of his operas. Because of the specialized nature of this repertoire, it may not be the best choice for casual listeners. For those listeners who love Vivaldi and had an interest in early opera, this "Il Farnace" DVD is a rare and outstanding performance.Two DVDsTotal Time: 151 minutesRobin Friedman

This is Vivaldi at his very best, and the excellent musical performance is well-supported by first-rate sound engineering. The conductor provides an outstanding reading of the score and the singing is remarkably good (the female singers, two of whom sing the principal male roles, happen to be very handsome too).

This is a concert performance with staging sets and costumes but the lack of movement detracts from a real staged performance. Having said this the music stands out and Vivaldi includes a real stage stopper in 'The Nightingale Aria' sung here to perfection. The music is very well sung and conducted at a lively tempo. Next time ditch the scores

The singers use scores on stage. Its basically a concert performance

ME INTEERESAN CONOCER TODAS LAS OPERAS DE VIVALDI.EL PRODUCTO ME HA LLEGADO CORRECTAMENTE Y EN EL PLAZO SOLICITADO.